New(ish) CDs

“Music is what feelings sound like.”

Some of the new music I purchased in the past few weeks include:

The Bright Mississippi by Allen Toussaint – A fabulously relaxing New Orleans jazz CD by an elegant artist. I discovered Toussaint through Elvis Costello’s CD with him “The River in Reverse.” Toussaint plays piano and I found his take on Duke Ellington’s “Solitude” to evoke a more pensive and less melancholy feel. Toussaint, 71, has been around for many years as a producer, musician, and songwriter. This is one of my recent favorite CDs. Songs include: “Egyptian Fantasy,” “Dear Old Southland,” “St. James Infirmary,” “Singin’ the Blues,” “West End Blues,” “Blue Drag,” “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” “Bright Mississippi,” “Day Dream,” “Long, Long Journey,” and “Solitude.”

The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again by John Fogerty – It just shy of being too much rockabilly for me, despite its country charms there are some very enjoyable songs, such as “When Will I Be Loved,” made famous by Linda Ronstadt, anyone still remember her? This version includes Bruce Springsteen, which adds a rugged touch, as John Fogerty said in the CD review in the Wall Street Journal. Other songs include: Credence Clearwater Revival’s "Change in the Weather," “Garden Party,” which features Don Henley and it’s not easy to tell the difference between this version and Ricky Nelson’s original; Paradise, Never Ending Song of Love, I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me), Back Home Again, I'll Be There (If Ever You Want Me), Moody River, Heaven's Just a Sin Away, Fallin' Fallin' Fallin', Haunted House, and Blue Ridge Mountain Blues (From the Concert At Royal Albert Hall "Comin Down The Road").

Monsters of Folk by Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward, Mike Mogis – This is a nice mellow, winterly collection of songs, it’s too bad we don’t have much of a winter in Southern California, but there will be plenty of fireplace nights of reading and doing puzzles in which to enjoy. I liked M. Ward’s solo efforts better, such as his last one “Hold Time," which came out in February. This is not bad, just not worth all the publicity it has generated. I would list the songs but it doesn’t matter, you wouldn’t know them anyway.

Happy New Year!

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential.
Ellen Goodman, journalist, writer

Music Miscellany

For the introduction of a new kind of music must be shunned as imperiling the whole state; since styles of music are never disturbed without affecting the most important political institutions.
Plato (c. 427–347 BC), Greek philosopher

I love attempting to match quotes with posts. When the Chandira sent me a personal note about the Bob Dylan idea and I had to use it, but I also realized it was a clever marketing ploy. Hence, the quote from the Tom Waits song “Step Right Up.” I went to my library of CDs and see if the lyrics were included and the lyrics to all the songs except one, “Step Right Up” were included. The note under the song title said:

For the lyrics to Step Right Up send by prepaid mail a photo of yourself, two dead creeping charlies and a self addressed stamped envelope to the Tropicana Motor Hotel, Hollywood, California c/o Young Tom Waits. Please allow 30 days for delivery.

You gotta love Tom Waits. I wonder if he ever received any requests? I found the lyrics on Google, the answer to most everything.

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Lately, I have been supporting the troops per George Bush’s request, I’ve been a good consumer making myriad purchases of CDs. However, the artists don’t seem to appreciate the president’s encouragement to shop. John Fogerty has three songs that point out the decider’s shortcomings, Bruce Springsteen and Joni Mitchell all have songs that are very critical of the administration.

Here are my thoughts:

Revival from John Fogerty – This is a terrific CD. I highly recommend it. If you buy individual songs, then, I have a couple of suggestions, the first being “Don’t You Wish It Were True,” which as the lyric poignancy of John Lennon’s “Imagine” with a infectious happy tune. The entire CD is excellent and he is an example of a truly under appreciated rock and roller from the late ‘60s, who because of legal skirmishes faded to the background, but he has been back for a while and Revival is a classic. Everyone who I have played this for has asked for a CD.

Shine from Joni Mitchell – Starts off with a nice mellow jazz sound and continues with the personal convictions that make Mitchell the force she has always been. She takes the war to task in “Strong and Wrong.” My current favorite is “If” her adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s poem of the same name.

Magic from Bruce Springsteen – Bruce is always Bruce. His music takes a few listenings to appreciate and let it grow on you. I find that if I read the lyrics I have a better appreciation of his songs. The problem with most of Springsteen’s music is that the lyrics seem loss in the sound of the music. He points out the hardships and hypocrisies of life in the US of A in “Gypsy Biker,” “Last to Die,” and “Devil’s Arcade.”

The War (soundtrack to Ken Burns’ film) – I thoroughly enjoy being transported to a time of relative innocence and patriotism as our country fought the last justified war. He brilliantly mixes the old song with contemporary artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Yo-Yo Ma, Nora Jones with the giants of the time such as The King Cole Trio, Count Basis, Duke Ellington & his Orchestra, and many others. Among my favorite songs: “Solitude,” “It’s Been a Long, Long Time,” “How Long Blues”


The very best of Diana Krall – I wanted this because it had three recordings I didn’t have (yes, this little marketing ploy worked because I enjoy her take of my favorite songs), “The Heart of Saturday Night” written by Tom Waits, “Only The Lonely,” and “You Go To My Head.”


Songs of Mass Destruction from Annie Lennox – I haven’t listened to this enough yet
to pick a favorite, but it sounds like classic Lennox




Sophie Milman and Make Someone Happy from Sophie Milman – the Los Angeles Time Jazz critic gushed over her performance at Catalina’s Jazz club, so I figured I would take a chance and her “Make Someone Happy” CD with “Something I the Air Between Us,” “Rocket Love,” “Undun” and others was so good that I purchased her first CD too. This is just solid contemporary pop jazz in the style of Dean Martin, Peggy Lee and others. Great for a quiet romantic evening.

It’s Not Big It’s Large from Lyle Lovett and his large band – This

is another one that I have not listened to closely to yet. I played it once, maybe twice and it was a bit too country for my taste, but I will eventually try again.