Tune of the Day


"Blue Rondo a la Turk"  on the Two Generations of Brubeck album.  Wow.

There are many fine versions of this tune, but this one gets me dancing, clapping, fist-pounding, whatever, every time....and it's not easy to dance in, what, 9/8?  I love tunes that grow, build, develop, and move through changes.  This one just picks me up and takes me right along with it.  Great melding of jazz and rock idioms, too.  It's fun to imagine Dave Brubeck setting the groove and then sitting back to hear where his kids and their friends take it. 

You can continue exploring Dave and the kids on Two Generations of Brubeck, "The Great Spirit Made Us All".  And Chris Brubeck's rock/jazz band Sky King on "Secret Sauce".

For extra credit, give a "spin" to Chase, "Bochawa" from their last album, Pure Music.

Anyway, that's my two cents today.




77jovian
"God Only Knows", written by Brian Wilson. I consider it the best song I've ever heard, and one of the great---if not THE greatest---compositions of the 20th Century. There is a YouTube video by a guy named Ben Shelton, wherein he explains and demonstrates on an electric piano the structure of the song. Hearing the chords, melody, modulations, and inversions (musicians know what I'm talking about) clearly exposed by their not being partially obscured by other instruments (the Beach Boys version is heavily orchestrated), reveals it's utter, astounding brilliance. In 1966, Brian was creating music on a level far, far above that of his perceived rivals, John & Paul. Paul thinks as highly of "God Only Knows" as I, also naming it as his favorite song. Of all time. 

"I Wouldn’t Be Me Without You" by Rodney Crowell, just one great song off his excellent Tarpaper Sky album. The song (written by Rodney), his singing of it, the musical accompaniment by some of the best musicians in the world (Steuart Smith on guitar, Will Kimbrough on acoustic guitar and accordion, Eddie Bayers on drums, Jerry Douglas on dobro, Jim Horn on sax), the great harmony singing by Shannon McNally, Chely Wright, Vince Gill, and Ronnie McCoury.

Fellers, it just don’t get no better’n this. Mastered specifically for vinyl LP by New West Records, the current best music label in the world.

"One Hit Wonders Of The World Unite" by Badger. A "chimey" solo electric guitar opening is then joined with a guitar blasting a power chord, pounding drums, and a throbbing electric bass part. The opening leads to the first verse, a wonderful melody winding it’s way through an unusually good chord progression. A second verse follows, after which the song goes to a bridge (almost unheard these days in Pop and Rock music, but common in The Beatles’ songs), and then.....the bridge explodes into a glorious, thrilling chorus, complete with hair raising 3-part harmony!

If you love Power Pop by the likes of Big Star, Cheap Trick, Marshall Crenshaw, Emitt Rhodes, Matthew Sweet, Dwight Twilley, The Flamin' Groovies, The Rasberries, The Rubinoos, Shoes, etc., you have GOT to hear this song! Hard to find (I have it on a compilation given to performers at the 1997 Poptopia Festival in Los Angeles (I was a member of Emitt Rhodes’ band), but you can hear it on YouTube.

I may have mentioned it before, but "Essense" by Lucinda Williams bears repeating. My God, what a song (I just listened to it three times in a row). On the album of the same title, which is full of great songs and vocal performances. Great musical accompaniment (she has excellent taste), including the drumming of Jim Keltner.