What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Katy Lied -- CD

Steely Dan

"Doctor Wu" – 3:59
Alto saxophone solo by Phil Woods

Dr. Wu was the only SD tune I learned to play on the piano completely (got pretty close on "Josie") and Wood's solo is damn near Perfection. :text-bravo: :text-bravo: :text-bravo:

Very Cool! :handgestures-thumbup:

But! Can you please help get the song "Black Friday" out of my head..... :angry-banghead: !!!!

The hundreds of "Black Friday" emails I received today, put the song back into my head every time I see a new one!! :angry-cussingblack:

...... :laughing-rolling:


Dennie :music-listening:

"When Black Friday comes
I'll stand down by the door
And catch the grey men when they
Dive from the fourteenth floor
When Black Friday comes...."

 

[Dennie]

This One's For Blanton! -- Remastered CD

Duke Ellington and Ray Brown

1972/1994 Pablo/O.J.C. Records

A superb duo outing by two geniuses, August 4, 2000
By Steve Frazier (Seattle) - See all my reviews
This review is from: This One's for Blanton (Audio CD)

This album was created in the early 1970's when Norman Granz, the music impresario who founded the Verve label and the Jazz at the Philharmonic concert series in the 50's, started a new label called Pablo. He went around recording many giants of jazz in solo, duo and small group settings. Most are products of pure joy -- great musicians getting out of their normal routines and stretching out on tunes they loved.

This is no exception. It captures Duke Ellington in a (fairly) rare duo setting, playing songs he is associated with, with the great jazz bassist Ray Brown, one of the pioneers of great jazz bass. The title -- "This One's for Blanton" -- refers to the great Jimmy Blanton, who played with the Duke Ellington orchestra in the 1940's and who was an inspiration to people like Ray Brown. Hearing Ellington and Brown together is an amazing experience, as you hear two master instrumentalists deliver the essence of songs normally associated with a full jazz orchestra. The first half of the CD is Ellington standards, beautifully delivered. The last half is a suite Ellington wrote just for this occasion (I think), a superb little creation that really gives Ray Brown a stretch out and play with all of the colors that a string bass can deliver. Don't buy this as your first Ellington CD (get the Webster/Blanton CD or The Great Paris Concert), but if you like Ellington and/or jazz bass at all you need this for a different twist on the Ellington legacy.
All compositions by Duke Ellington except as indicated

"Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me" (Ellington, Bob Russell) - 5:36
"Pitter Panther Patter" - 3:06
"Things Ain't What They Used to Be" (Mercer Ellington) - 4:00
"Sophisticated Lady" (Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish) - 5:30
"See See Rider" (Traditional) - 3:07
"Fragmented Suite for Piano and Bass: First Movement" (Ray Brown, Ellington) - 4:51
"Fragmented Suite for Piano and Bass: Second Movement" (Brown, Ellington) - 5:11
"Fragmented Suite for Piano and Bass: Third Movement" (Brown, Ellington) - 3:40
"Fragmented Suite for Piano and Bass: Fourth Movement" (Brown, Ellington) - 4:58

Recorded at United Recording Studios in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 5, 1972.


Duke Ellington – piano
Ray Brown - bass

The CD looks like this.... :handgestures-thumbdown:

 

[Dennie]

My last one for the evening....

Tenderness -- CD

Al Jarreau

1994 Reprise Records

A jazz/pop master teams up with an opera great, and more, August 4, 2003
By Sandy Smith "Exile on Market Street" (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Tenderness (Audio CD)

This live album showcases Jarreau's versatility as a jazz and pop vocalist, including a heart-melting rendition of his ballad "We Got By" and a beautiful performance of "My Favorite Things" featuring soprano Kathleen Battle. He takes on a number of Broadway and jazz standards here, including "Summertime" from "Porgy and Bess" and a sprightly, energized version of "Mas Que Nada". Jarreau fans need this album in their collections; for everyone else, it's a good way to hear a master of vocalese at work in the raw.

Track Listing
1. Mas Que Nada
2. Try a Little Tenderness
3. Your Song
4. My Favorite Things
5. She's Leaving Home
6. Summertime
7. We Got By
8. Save Your Love for Me
9. You Don't See Me
10. Wait for the Magic
11. Dinosaur
12. Go Away Little Girl

 

[Botch]

But! Can you please help get the song "Black Friday" out of my head..... :angry-banghead: !!!!

The hundreds of "Black Friday" emails I received today, put the song back into my head every time I see a new one!! :angry-cussingblack:

Well, the only way to get a song out of your head is to replace it with something more catchy.
So, do you like pina coladas?
Getting caught in the rain?



Glad to help! :teasing-tease:

 

[Dennie]

One Moment More -- CD

Mindy Smith

2004 Vanguard Records

Amazon.com

While the hype machine forever proclaims this or that new artist to be "unique," "original," or "a fresh new voice," most of the time what you hear is more of the same old, same old. Thus, it is a rare joy to hear a newcomer that actually qualifies as all of the above. Mindy Smith fits loosely in the alt-country genre but adds some distinctive touches that set her apart from the field. A residency in Nashville brings a welcome Music Row level of craftsmanship to the playing and production, while her singing and songwriting take the music to places where cliché has never been. A song like "Hurricane" has a hook Faith Hill would kill for, but tells a tale of rebirth that might prove a little raw for her emotional range. Like Julie Miller, Smith writes songs that deal with redemption and spiritual matters in a way that is powerful without being off-putting to the more secular among us. Likewise she can write about her stepmother's passing in terms general enough to make it a stirring ode to the loss of any love--and do it in a voice that could make a statue misty. Smith more than held her own on the Dolly Parton tribute, Just Because I'm a Woman, alongside the likes of Alison Krauss, Norah Jones, and Dolly herself. One Moment More proves that it was no fluke. This time believe the hype. --Michael Ross

"Come to Jesus" – 4:14
"Falling" – 3:35
"Raggedy Ann" – 4:55
"Fighting for It All" – 3:19
"Train Song" – 3:22
"It's Amazing" – 3:40
"Angel Doves" – 3:56
"Down in Flames" – 4:12
"Hurricane" – 3:33
"Hard to Know" – 3:06
"One Moment More" – 3:47
"Jolene" (Dolly Parton) – 4:20

 

[Dennie]

But! Can you please help get the song "Black Friday" out of my head..... :angry-banghead: !!!!

The hundreds of "Black Friday" emails I received today, put the song back into my head every time I see a new one!! :angry-cussingblack:

Well, the only way to get a song out of your head is to replace it with something more catchy.
So, do you like pina coladas?
Getting caught in the rain?



Glad to help! :teasing-tease:

Well, I'm not into Yoga, 'cause I have half a brain and I'm not much into health food, I am into champagne. :confusion-shrug:


Dennie :eusa-whistle:

 

[Dennie]

Greatest Hits Plus -- CD

Ricky Van Shelton

1992 Columbia Records

Wonderful country ballads, November 9, 2007
By Ronald Van Scherpenzeel (Madrid, Spain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Ricky Van Shelton - Greatest Hits Plus (Audio CD)

Ricky van Shelton is one of those artists that are rather unknown
in Europe, although if they were promoted correctly, he could have
reached the same popularity as others did like Garth Brooks or The
Mavericks. Here we have 8 wonderful ballads most of which went to #1
+ two good old rockers (Elvis' "Wear My Ring... and Ned Miller's
"From A Jack To A King"), a duet with Dolly Parton that also became
a number one hit and the remaining three songs made it into the
top 5. This really deserves the "greatest" hits mentioning! If you
don't possess this beauty, GET IT!!

"Just as I Am" (Larry Boone, Paul Nelson) - 3:08
previously unreleased
"Wild Man" (Rick Giles. Susan Longacre) - 3:17
previously unreleased
"Somebody Lied" (Joe Chambers, Larry Jenkins)- 3:21
"I've Cried My Last Tear for You" (Tony King, Chris Waters) - 2:29
"I'll Leave This World Loving You" (Wayne Kemp) - 3:06
"Statue of a Fool" (Jan Crutchfield) - 3:04
"I Am a Simple Man" (Walt Aldridge) - 3:26
"Life Turned Her That Way" (Harlan Howard) - 3:23
"Keep It Between the Lines" (Russell Smith, Cathy Louvin) - 3:49
"Rockin' Years" (Floyd Parton) - 3:25
duet with Dolly Parton
"From a Jack to a King" (Ned Miller) - 2:21
"Living Proof" (Steve Clark, Johnny MacRae) - 3:22
"Don't We All Have the Right" (Roger Miller) - 2:36
"Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" (Bert Carroll, Moody Russell) - 2:11
previously unreleased on studio album

 

[Dennie]

Abandoned Luncheonette -- CD

Daryl Hall & John Oates

1973/1990 Atlantic/Rhino Records

Best early Hall & Oates, September 11, 2000
By David Hugaert (Honolulu, HI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Abandoned Luncheonette (Audio CD)

"Abandoned Luncheonette" features the kind of music at which Daryl & John are most adept-Philly Soul. All the songs here are excellent, with the cream of the crop being "When The Morning Comes", "Las Vegas Turnaround", "I'm Just A Kid (Don't Make Me Feel Like A Man)", the title track, "Lady Rain" and "Laughing Boy". "Everytime I Look At You" is the most soulful track on this CD, which has a "hillbilly" banjo and violin-laden instrumental at the end. This is probably as close to country that H & O ever got! This has to be the best CD in their entire catalog. Oh, and "Abandoned Luncheonette" also contains their first hit single, "She's Gone", which appeared on the Billboard charts on two separate occasions. If you are a fan of soul and/or pop music, you can't go wrong here. Please buy this CD!

"When The Morning Comes" (Daryl Hall) – 3:12
"Had I Known You Better Then" (John Oates) – 3:22
"Las Vegas Turnaround (The Stewardess Song)" (Oates) – 2:57
"She's Gone" (Hall, Oates) – 5:15
"I'm Just A Kid (Don't Make Me Feel Like A Man)" (Oates) – 3:20
"Abandoned Luncheonette" (Hall) – 3:55
"Lady Rain" (Hall, Oates) – 4:26
"Laughing Boy" (Hall) – 3:20
"Everytime I Look At You" (Hall) – 7:04

 

[Dennie]

Great Gonzos -- CD

Jerry Jeff Walker

1991 MCA Records

Amazon.com essential recording

It's ironic that the man who made his reputation by writing "Mr. Bojangles," one of the most enduring and oft-covered tunes of the late 20th century, succeeded in his career as a performer by singing the works of others, but that's the case. Walker has always been a fine judge of material, and over the years, picked up on some great stuff, such as Billy Joe Shaver's "Old Five and Dimers Like Me," Guy Clark's "Desperados Waiting for the Train" and "L.A. Freeway," Gary Nunn's "London Homesick Blues," Ray Wiley Hubbard's "Up Against the Wall Redneck," and Rusty Weir's "Don't It Make You Wanna Dance." This set gathers those remarkable cuts together with some of Walker's own songs, such as the party anthem "Sangria Wine," "Railroad Lady" (written with Jimmy Buffett), and, of course, "Bojangles." Great Gonzos gives you the flavor and the laid-back aesthetic of Jerry Jeff's seminal work of the '70s. There's more to the story, but this is where it all began. --Daniel Durchholz

Track listing

1. Gettin' By
2. Sangria Wine
3. Mr. Bojangles
4. Desperados Waiting for a Train
5. Pick Up the Tempo
6. Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother
7. London Homesick Blues
8. Takin' It as It Comes
9. Backslider's Wine
10. Old Five and Dimers Like Me
11. Charlie Dunn
12. Railroad Lady
13. L.A. Freeway
14. Don't It Make You Wanna Dance?

 

[Dennie]

Searchin' For A Rainbow -- CD

The Marshall Tucker Band

1975 AJK Music

Old West dreams meet Southern memories in the tracks of Searchin’ for a Rainbow, The Marshall Tucker Band’s fourth album. Released in 1975, this song collection found the group refining its multi-faceted sound into an appealing country-rock essence. Still present were the jazz and blues-based elements that had always made Marshall Tucker a distinctive unit. By dressing up their music in Western garb, the band found a way to reach a huge new audience—all it took was a little "Fire On The Mountain" to light the way. "We’d found a bit more direction on how to design songs for a record," says lead singer Doug Gray. "Our record company Capricorn had always said, ‘Try to give us something that would work on the radio.’ We tried to do that, and at the same time please each other. We were known as a jamming band. This was the first time we really tried to give them Marshall Tucker’s interpretation of what a hit song was." Helping to spur things on was "Fire On The Mountain," the lead track off Searchin’ for a Rainbow. Released as a single in the fall of ’75, the tune reached #38 on the pop charts. A vivid, Old West, lyric-storyline combined with bluegrass-tinged instrumental licks and an ear-grabbing chorus brought Marshall Tucker its first Top 40 hit.

Side One

"Fire on the Mountain" - 3:53 (George McCorkle)
"Searchin' for a Rainbow" - 3:48
"Walkin' and Talkin'" - 2:25
"Virginia" - 4:54

Side Two

"Bob Away My Blues" - 2:42
"Keeps Me from All Wrong" - 4:13
"Bound and Determined" - 4:20
"Can't You See" (Live) - 6:25

 

[Dennie]

Greatest Hits Vol. 2 -- CD

Eagles

1990 Elektra Records

Amazon.com

This second collection of hits features a hardening of sorts for these laid back southern California rockers. The emphasis shifts away from the lazy, rolling rhythms of the first collection to the tighter and harder-edged material contained herein. Part of the blame may be the inclusion of James Gang veteran Joe Walsh who adds noticeable lead guitar work and galvanizes Don Henley and Glenn Frey into taking greater chances. "Hotel California" is the obvious potboiler, but "Heartache Tonight," "Life in the Fast Lane," and "The Long Run" are close runners-up. Timothy B. Schmit's vocals on "I Can't Tell You Why" return the band full circle to their mellow, country-rock roots. --Rob O'Connor
Side one

"Hotel California" (Don Felder, Don Henley, Glenn Frey) – 6:30
"Heartache Tonight" (Henley, Frey, Bob Seger, J.D. Souther) – 4:25
"Seven Bridges Road" (Steve Young) – 2:58
"Victim of Love" (Felder, Souther, Henley, Frey) – 4:11
"The Sad Café" (Henley, Frey, Joe Walsh, Souther) – 5:32

Side two

"Life in the Fast Lane" (Walsh, Henley, Frey) – 4:45
"I Can't Tell You Why" (Timothy B. Schmit, Henley, Frey) – 4:54
"New Kid in Town" (Souther, Henley, Frey) – 5:04
"The Long Run" (Henley, Frey) – 3:42
"After the Thrill is Gone" (Henley, Frey) – 4:41

 

[Dennie]

Bring The Family -- CD

John Hiatt

1987 A&M Records

Stood up, and did it again..., February 7, 2000
By Rob Hosking - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bring the Family (Audio CD)

There's a game called 'Desert Island Discs' where you get to nominate the 10 albums you would take if you were ever marooned on such an isle. This is one of mine. In ascending order of importance: the playing is absolutely tops - Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner is pretty much unbeatable as a rhythm section, and what band wouldn't want Ry Cooder on lead guitar? Even in this company, Hiatt proves he no slouch on the fret. Hiatt's voice took me a while to get used to, but it has a gritty soul about it that won me over. which brings me to what this album is about - soul. The heart that pulses with every beat from this album is astonishing. The story behind it is fairly well known - Hiatt had cleaned up after sinking into alcoholism, wrote some songs and went into a studio with these three other musos and knocked out 'Bring the Family' in a matter of days. And each song has a guts and soul to it borne of Hiatt's encounter with darkness and his return. Other reviewers have compared Hiatt to Elvis Costello, and Hiatt has a similar biting wit. But (much as I like Costello's work) Hiatt beats it hands down for warmth and humanity. The album swings in mood - 'Memphis in the Meantime' opens in jokey fashion; then we're straight in to 'Alone in the Dark' which is real "It's 2am and my only companions are a bottle and my fear" stuff. This swing goes through the album before being reconciled in the last two songs - 'Stood Up', a tale of self acceptance, and, finally, in 'Learning How to Love You' a simple, humble, yet glorious declaration of love. A masterpiece - and an album that proves that rock music can grow up.

All tracks written by John Hiatt

"Memphis In The Meantime"
"Alone In The Dark"
"Thing Called Love"
"Lipstick Sunset"
"Have a Little Faith in Me"
"Thank You Girl"
"Tip Of My Tongue"
"Your Dad Did"
"Stood Up"
"Learning How To Love You"


John Hiatt - Acoustic guitar, vocals, Piano on "Have a Little Faith in Me"
Ry Cooder - Electric guitar, Harmony on "Thing Called Love", Sitar on "Your Dad Did"
Jim Keltner - drums
Nick Lowe - Bass guitar, Harmony on "Learning How To Love You"

 

[Dennie]

Kill To Get Crimson -- CD

Mark Knopfler

2007 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com

Three decades after Dire Straits broke onto the scene with their remarkable debut, Mark Knopfler remains an iconic figure in popular music, his graceful guitar playing equaled only by his genial baritone and a novelist's ability to create distinct characters and themes in his songs. His fifth solo album since he pulled the plug on the band in 1995, Crimson reflects on a torrent of narratives, from the gracefully aging spouse in the flute-powered ballad "The Scaffolder's Wife" to the valiant down-and-outer in the Scottish folk song "Heart Full of Holes." Employing accordions, fiddles, and horns as majestic accompaniment, Knopfler drifts into the Celtic-tinged melodies of his past, explicitly in the whiskey-soaked singalong "Secondary Waltz," the busker's saga "Madame Geneva's," and "The Fish and the Bird," with its vagabond pensiveness. Clocking in at just under an hour, the album--without any page-turning epic--plays instead like an anthology of written works, every personification crisp in definition, every story exquisitely told. --Scott Holter

"True Love Will Never Fade" – 4:21
"The Scaffolder's Wife" – 3:52
"The Fizzy and the Still" – 4:07
"Heart Full of Holes" – 6:36
"We Can Get Wild" – 4:17
"Secondary Waltz" – 3:43
"Punish the Monkey" – 4:36
"Let It All Go" – 5:17
"Behind With the Rent" – 4:46
"The Fish and the Bird" – 3:45
"Madame Geneva's" – 3:59
"In the Sky" – 7:29

 

[Rope]

Rope

 

[Dennie]

Rope

.............. :angry-tappingfoot:



Dennie :laughing-rolling:

 

[Dennie]

Graceland -- CD

Paul Simon

1986/1990 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com essential recording

The melding of South African styles and Simon's trademark sensibility made for one of the most intriguing albums--not to mention commercial hits--of the '80s. At once lively, thoughtful, gorgeous, and tough, Graceland acknowledges splits both in South Africa's social fabric and in Simon's personal life (the title track is a clear descendant of the earlier "Hearts and Bones," a song about the singer-songwriter's brief marriage to Carrie Fisher). Humor is hardly absent from the mix, though; witness the addled "I Know What I Know" and the fable-like "You Can Call Me Al." --Rickey Wright

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "The Boy in the Bubble" Forere Motloheloa, Paul Simon 3:59
2. "Graceland" Simon 4:48
3. "I Know What I Know" General MD Shirinda, Simon 3:13
4. "Gumboots" Lulu Masilela, Jonhjon Mkhalali, Simon 2:44
5. "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" Joseph Shabalala, Simon 5:45
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
6. "You Can Call Me Al" Simon 4:39
7. "Under African Skies" Simon 3:37
8. "Homeless" Shabalala, Simon 3:48
9. "Crazy Love, Vol. II" Simon 4:18
10. "That Was Your Mother" Simon 2:52
11. "All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints" Simon 3:15

 

[Dennie]

Live In L.A. -- CD

Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman

1993 GRP Records

Great live album!, June 14, 2000
By Jarvis Johnson (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Live in L.A. (Audio CD)

The great thing about the Rippingtons is that they are not a traditional jazz group. They overlap the boundaries that divide pop and jazz, and do so successfully. "Live In L.A." is actually better than the studio recorded material of the Rippingtons because (a)it shows the great musicianship of the players, and (b)it shows the energy provided by the band. I personally like the first song, "Indian Summer", the best. Russ Freeman and Jeff Kashiwa both shine with guitar and sax solos, respectively. Overall, this is a great live album, and a definite must-own for any fan of this group.

"Indian Summer" - 5:19
"Aspen" - 5:55
"Curves Ahead" - 4:49
"Weekend in Monaco" - 5:44
"One Summer Night in Brazil" - 5:12
"Highroller" - 5:45
"Introduction of the Band" - 5:46
"Morocco" - 5:03
"Dream of the Sirens" - 5:56
"Tourist in Paradise" - 4:15

 

[PaulyT]

Thanks, Dennie - I've been enjoying his most recent album (Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns), it would be interesting to hear a much older one of his - ordered!

 

[Dennie]

Thanks, Dennie - I've been enjoying his most recent album (Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns), it would be interesting to hear a much older one of his - ordered!

You're going to like it! :handgestures-thumbup:

Keep me posted,


Dennie

 

[Dennie]

STRINGS! -- CD

Pat Martino

1967/1991 Prestige/O.J.C. Records

Guitarist Pat Martino's second recording as a leader (which has been reissued on CD) finds him essentially playing advanced bop. His quintet (with Joe Farrell on tenor and flute, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Walter Perkins) really roars on an uptempo version of "Minority" and is diverse enough to come up with meaningful statements on four of Martino's originals. ~ Scott Yanow

1. Strings 5:37

2. Minority 9:20

3. Lean Years 8:37

4. Mom 7:20

5. Querido 6:07

Personnel: Pat Martino (guitar), Joe Farrell (tenor saxophone, flute), Cedar Walton (piano), Ben Tucker (bass), Dave Levin, Ray Appleton (percussion), Walter Perkins (drums).