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152: “My Foolish Heart” and “Peace Piece” by Bill Evans

January 31, 2011 Leave a comment

You talkin' to me?Here’s Bill Evans, the pianist who played with Miles on Kind of Blue, and co-wrote “Blue in Green.”  He did a lot early on in life.

Presented are two heartstring-tuggers: “My Foolish Heart” with backup as a trio and “Peace Piece” solo, from Everybody Digs Bill Evans.

Bill Evans influenced jazz as much as just about anyone, and he died at 51 from drug addiction.

There is a fuzzy gray line between genius and stupid frickin’ idiot.

Enjoy some of the more genius parts of Bill Evans’ life below.

Song: My Foolish Heart
Artist: Bill Evans
Album: At The Village Vanguard
Label: Concord Records
Buy from: Amazon | iTunes

Song: Peace Piece
Artist: Bill Evans
Album: Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Label: Hallmark Records
Buy from: Amazon | iTunes

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Filed under Jazz, Piano / Keys Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

151: “We’re Doing It (The Thang) (Part 1)” by Eddie Bo

January 27, 2011 Leave a comment

Eddie Bo was known for getting spinach stuck in his teeth.Eddie Bo (1930-2009) came from a family of bricklayers, but his mom was a self-taught pianist who was friends with Professor Longhair.  He chose the ivories over bricks.  The only artist from New Orleans to release more singles than Eddie was Fats Domino.

Eddie Bo was responsible for serial occurrences such as The Thang, The Hook and Sling, and the checking of one’s bucket.

This one, “We’re Doing It (The Thang) (Part 1)” has been sampled by DJ Shadow and numerous other deejays, probably because it is cut from the purest naturally grown funk.

Enjoy.

Song: We’re Doing It (The Thang) (Part 1)
Artist: Eddie Bo
Album: The Hook And Sling
Label: Funky Delicacies
Buy from: Amazon | iTunes

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150: “Baby Goats” by Will Bernard

January 25, 2011 Leave a comment

Put in a nickel. Buy me a new hat, bitches.Baby goats. Not fainting goats.  Not men who stare at goats.

The name of an instrumental song can make all the difference in the world.  In this case, I am not feeling a connection between the cloven-hoofed beasts and this jazzy number by Will Bernard and a helluva backup band (John Medeski, Stanton Moore, Andy Hess).

Perhaps the song is a pre-emptive strike against industrial goat-farming before it spreads.  In which case, you should enjoy, but only with an aching sense of guilt.

Song: Baby Goats
Artist: Will Bernard
Album: Blue Plate Special
Label: Palmetto
Buy from: Amazon | iTunes

Filed under Guitar, Jazz Tagged with , , , , , ,

149: “Fake Patois” and “Speaking in Tongues” by Das Racist

January 24, 2011 Leave a comment

That's a really good band photo. These guys are for real.I admit I had to look it up.  “Patois” is the way Jar Jar Binks and the rapper Shaggy talk.

And the way Das Racist rap in this absurd construction.

There’s even a reference to Shaun Bridgmohan, the first Jamaican jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby.

None of Das Racist’s solo music is for sale that I can find, and it’s only available for download through the Internet. Right now, they’re on tour, and I bet they put on a good show.

Enjoy these two tracks to see some of their range.

Songs: Fake Patois, Speaking in Tongues
Artist: Das Racist

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148: “Cut Chemist Suite” by Ozomatli

January 21, 2011 Leave a comment

FUNKY FRIDAY

Ozomatli means fried egg vomit.Chali 2na spits baritone ghetto diplomatics.  Cut Chemist is the deejay, with horns and a full band.  This assemblage is called Ozomatli, an LA-based outfit that’s as eclectic as their home city.

UNRELATED THOUGHT EXPERIMENT:
HOW VAIN ARE YOU?

Would you rather:
A) Shave your head bald?
or
B) Stab yourself in the neck 4 inches deep with a corkscrew?

Remember to hold on to what’s important in life.

Enjoy the music.

Song: Cut Chemist Suite
Artist: Ozomatli
Album: Cut Chemist Suite
Buy from: Amazon

BONUS: Crazy cover of the song by Dartmouth Aires.

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147: “End Of The Road” by Umphrey’s McGee

January 19, 2011 Leave a comment

Umphrey's targeting the African American base with this logo.I sure enjoy me a good dose of jamband now and then.  It can get old quick, though, just as wearing the same awesome shirt for a few days in a row can hamper the shirt’s awesomeness.

But this song is not your quintessential jamband song, and it’s not your quintessential jamband either.  Umphrey’s McGee is the band that would happen if Elvis Costello and Phish did the nasty… reproductively.  That’s a weak description but it’s got strong potential imagery.  I’ll extrapolate: Elvis Costello and Phish would do the nasty on stage in a very loud and grody fashion, with several heavily lubricated instruments, and there’d be a wicked light show going on all around them, culminating in a blinding light focusing on the instantly gestated and emerging baby (Umphrey’s McGee) who would come out of Elvis Costello’s “mouth” and bounce across the audience (yeah, there’s an audience!) in a giant, clear, slime-coated beach ball (with breathing holes).  And then everyone would eat kind veggie burritos in the parking lot.

Anyway… this here is a chill jam, recorded live in 2008 at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, called “End of the Road.”  It’s for all you tweekers out there who need to calm your selves down.  Enjoy.

Song: End of the Road
Artist: Umphrey’s McGee
Album: Safety in Numbers
Label: SCI Fidelity Recordings
Buy from: Amazon | iTunes

Filed under Guitar, Rock Tagged with , , , , , , ,

146: “Throw Down Your Heart” by Béla Fleck and Friends (DVD)

January 18, 2011 Leave a comment

Banjo. At least it's not an accordion. (TM)There is a lot of music in this non-song recommendation.  In the documentary, Béla Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart, Béla Fleck takes his banjo back to Africa to explore the instrument’s roots and just to try to make some good music along the way.

It’s a fun ride, and this excerpt captures one of the magical moments when music transcends everything else we think is so important when we’re not singing or playing or dancing.

So pull out your thumb piano, your banjo, sing, or just hambone.  And enjoy.

DVD: Béla Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart
Artist: Béla Fleck
Studio: DOCURAMA
Buy from: Amazon

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