monday snapshot 3-31

People Watching, Charleston, SC

it's ok to not be ok

It's ok to not be ok. Everyone is struggling with something, facing some difficulty, wrestling with a tough decision. Everyone has a painful backstory. We just don't always show it. Knowing that we're all in the same boat has the great potential for changing the way we look at each other, treat each other. So be a little kinder if something in a friendship seems to be going awry or you run into a difficult stranger during your day. Be supportive rather than throwing up a wall to the person or turning your back on them and importantly, be kinder to yourself if your load is a little too heavy at the moment. We all have dreams. We all have expectations, insecurities, doubts and we all have needs, including the need for supportive friends and family and a little kindness from strangers. Being open to the truth that we're all fighting some kind of battle changes everything and changes how we deal with each other. Everyone is struggling with something. It's ok to not be ok.

corner view: close by

Corner View is a weekly appointment - each Wednesday - created by Jane (Spain) and curated by Francesca (Italy), where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme.  The theme this week is  "close by", and comes from Francesca (Italy).

This little guy is always close by. He follows me everywhere I go around the house.

When I sit down he comes and mashes himself against me

and when I go to sleep he settles down to sleep close by.

 

In my home there are always musical instruments close by

and most of the time there is someone to play along with me.

In my home there are always stacks of books close by that are waiting to be read.

And close by my home, I have woods to walk through and water to sit by,

to calm me, to inspire me and to restore my spirit.

tunes on tuesday 3-25: amos lee, st paul and the broken bones, diana ross and the supremes, paco de lucia, james taylor & carly simon

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

Chill in the Air from Amos Lee is off his new album Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song which was released on Blue Note Records at the end of 2013. Amos is a Philly native and former school teacher and Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song is his 5th album. The title song of the album is based on a visit he had with Levon Helm in Woodstock shortly before Levon's death. Amos's voice is soulful, full of emotion and Chill in the Air is a song that will get stuck in your head.

NEWER ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER

Based in Birmingham, Alabama, the 6 member St Paul and the Broken Bones  produce an R&B sound that's both nostalgic and refreshing all at the same time. Lead singer, Paul Janeway, was raised on gospel music and virtually shielded from secular music until his late teens. At that time he steered away from his calling to become a preacher and so began a musical path that leads to St Paul and the Broken Bones.    Call Me is from their first album, Half the City, which is newly released.  


CLASSIC

Stop! In the Name of Love was released in 1965 on the legendary Motown Record label and hit the top of the Billboard charts in both the Pop Singles and Soul charts For many people, this is the song that was their introduction to Diana Ross and the Supremes. This single has a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's honorable "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" collection.








WORLD MUSIC

Paco De Lucia, a giant in the guitar world, passed away last month. He was born, raised and lived in Andalusia, an area in southern Spain that is the hub of Roma or Gypsy life and tradition. Paco's father and two brothers were both flamenco guitar players and at age 7 Paco picked up a guitar to follow in their footsteps. He made his first record at age 15 and become one of the world's finest jazz/gypsy-jazz/flamenco guitarists ever seen. In this performance of Mediterranean Sundance, Paco is joined by guitar legends Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin. The three went on to record together and make guitar history.


INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

James Taylor and Carly Simon sing James' song  You Can Close Your Eyes, recorded in 1977, not long before the couple married. Their marriage lasted until 1983 and they have two very musical kids, Ben and Sally, both of whom have recorded and performed with each of their parents. It's a beautiful song performed by two amazing singer/songwriter/vocalists.  








Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

monday snapshot 3-24

Tensions were running a little high among the geese at the bog garden this weekend. All were paired off and claiming their territory, and very loudly I might add.

you can fly!

"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it" 

 ~ Peter Pan

corner view: in the distance

Corner View is a weekly appointment - each Wednesday - created by Jane (Spain) and curated by Francesca (Italy), where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme.  The theme this week is  "in the distance", and comes from Kelleyn.

 

 

 

tunes on tuesday 3-18: benmont tench, mount moriah, springsteen, buena vista social club, van morrison & the chieftains

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

Here is Benmont Tench's Veronica Said from his debut solo album, You Should Be So Lucky. You'll know Benmont as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  His first solo album includes guest artists Don Was, Ryan Adams, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Gillian Welch, and Dave Rawlings. He actually composed Veronica Said back in the 80's but never really felt like it was done. Eventually, he lost the demo and over time, forgot most of the song. When thinking about tracks for You Should Be So Lucky, Benmont pulled this song from the cobwebs, rewrote the whole second half of the song. So here's a fun song that interestingly enough, has 25+ years of rest in the writing.



NEW ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER

Mount Moriah is a group from the Chapel Hill/Durham areas of North Carolina and have recently released their 2nd album, Miracle Temple, on Merge records.  Bright Light is a song that will get stuck in your head and the vocals from Heather McEntire will pull you in and have you singing along. Amy Ray from the Indigo Girls guests on this new album, adding some background vocals.




CLASSIC

Here's a fun live performance, filmed in 1982 of Bruce Springsteen belting out Born to Run.  Written when he was just 24 years old, this song was the vehicle that exploded Springsteen into our lives. The album by the same name, which was released in 1975 by this New Jersey native, is often touted as one of the best albums ever produced and in 2003, Billboard Magazine listed it at number 18 in it's Top 500 Albums-of-All-Time list.

On a personal note, back in the early 80's we were making the long drive from NC to NJ and feeling very weary towards the end of the journey. We hit the Garden State Parkway, dialed in our favorite NYC station, WNEW, and Born to Run was playing. With a surge of renewed energy we both exclaimed "we're home!"



WORLD MUSIC


The Buena Vista Social Club was an actual members-only club in Havana, Cuba, where local musicians would gather to jam during the 1940's. It was wildly popular and the music that resulted was amazing. Fifty years later, Ry Cooder joined with one of the original guitarists from the group and did a recording with some of the other original members. So encouraged, they were urged to take the original BVSC group to Amsterdam for a live performance in 1998 and the event was filmed for the first time. A second concert was booked and filmed at Carnegie Hall in NYC, artists were interviewed and the resulting documentary shined a light on this once hidden musical sensation. This video is of the  Buena Vista Social Club  performing Chan Chan in Amsterdam, 1998. You can't help but be moved by just how joyous the musicians are, especially the two singer/guitarists that are featured here.



INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

In honor of St Patrick's Day, here is Van Morrison and The Chieftains  performing Star of County Down. This is an old Irish folk song with lyrics by Cathal McGarvey (1866–1927) of County Donegal and a tune that was used and reused in several other songs and hymns, as is the typical folk tradition. Super-fun performance!











Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

on appreciating the journey and the small joys

At this time last week,  people in our area experienced a major weather event that altered life for a time. An ice storm blew through, destroying trees and power equipment, leaving most of us in the dark and cold and some without water, for the better part of a week. The basic necessities of living were now the very focus of our days. Food, light, gasoline, warmth, water, all of this became our priority, along with assessing the damage and cleaning up the mess that was left behind.

Now that things are back to normal and we’re at the point that we’re dealing with the clean-up and restocking our refrigerators, I notice that the conversations have changed. People are talking about how late Spring is coming in this year. Where is the abundance of flowers we usually see in March? Why is it still so cold when we should be donning our lighter wear and packing away our wooly items?

People are funny. Our minds work in mysterious ways.  We all waited and waited for things to be restored and once it was then we’re on to the next achievement or goal. I’m not suggesting that people should wallow in their misfortune, but maybe we should be enjoying the moment reached, the victory achieved, before moving on to the next big event. Daily happiness is made up of all those small moments and a lifetime of happiness is the result of all those moments met and memories made. It’s important to stop, take a breath, and notice the small events that happen between the bigger occasions.  It’s like walking along the beach with the aim of reaching the pier off in the distance.  It’s great to set a goal and it’s equally ok not to reach it.  You can stop on your sandy walk, look up, see that pier far off and still notice the beauty of where your steps have led you to this point. It’s still a pretty great journey, even if you never reach the pier.

So celebrate right now. There is some small thing that you can find that is worthy of your attention and can bring you satisfaction, if not real happiness. You get to decide. It all comes from inside of you. You can’t let outside events, outside people take over control of your emotions. So pay attention. Take notice of the small moments. Celebrate the journey as well as the goal reached.  You can enjoy what you have rather than focusing all of your attention on what you haven’t.

As for the ice storm, I celebrated the fact that there was a coffee shop and a few brave, patient employees situated in a teeny, tiny section of the main road that hadn’t lost power. It gave me a place to find respite from the cold and something warm to put in my stomach and at night, we could pass some of the dark hours at our favorite pub downtown to play some music, watch the game, sit with friends and enjoy a beer. It wasn’t a lot – but it was everything!

corner view: travel

Corner View is a weekly appointment - each Wednesday - created by Jane (Spain) and curated by Francesca (Italy), where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme.  The theme this week  is "travel", and comes from Theresa.

No matter the distance you're traveling

there are many different ways to get you to your destination.

You can enjoy a leisurely ride provided by a trusty steed.

Pedal-power is the preferred mode of many, particularly on a beautiful weekend.

There's the smooth, quiet sail...

 ...an adventure on an old, big-masted beauty...

...or a modern cruiser.

 For some, a vintage car is the only way to go...

  

...though there are some that will take to the skies.

 Traveling by train is a romantic way to go...

...though these folks bring a new meaning to "traveling by rail". 

 

But no matter how you travel, it's always nice to travel with a friend...

...or two!

tunes on tuesday 3-11: linda thompson, lake street dive, rem, miriam makeba, the civil wars

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


 NEWER RELEASE

Released in the end of 2013, It Won't Be Long Now is a long awaited solo album from Linda Thompson. The title song was written by her son, singer/songwriter Teddy Thompson, features Tony Trischka on banjo, ex-husband Richard on guitar and background vocals by Teddy and also by Amy Helm, daughter of Levon. Listening to the song is like a visit from an old friend that I hadn't seen in a long time. Great to hear from her again!




NEW ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER


The four members of Lake Street Dive met a dozen years ago or so, when they were students at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and ever since they've been winning over new fans wherever they play. Rachel Price's voice is amazing and in this silly promo for an EP release some years ago, the band show off some really incredible talent as they cover Micheal Jackson's  I Want You Back.




CLASSIC

REM released Shiny Happy People back in 1991 on their Out of Time LP. Joining them on this ultra-upbeat song is Kate Pierson from the B-52's.  It hit Billboard's Top Ten list and was considered by many to be the song of the summer.










And how can you not love their rendition of Shiny Happy Monsters that they did with the Muppets back in 1999.  (song runs to 3:48 then wanders into another unrelated sketch)












WORLD MUSIC


Many folks had not heard of Miriam Makeba until discovering her in Paul Simon's Graceland project, but in South Africa she was a shining star. Needing to leave the country during the anti-Apartheid era, she continued to sing about the struggles in her homeland. “Under African Skies” is a good example of her work and showcases her beautifully strong voice. Miriam passed away in 2008.








INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

The Civil Wars perform their really interesting take on Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. The Grammy Award and Americana Music Association award winning duo of John Paul White and the very expressive Joy Williams released this song on their VH1 Unplugged EP in November of 2012.  (enlarge video by hitting play and then the lower right corner)






Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

on stretching

"Sound when stretched is music... 

 Movement when stretched is dance... 

 Mind when stretched is meditation... 

 Life when stretched is celebration."

 ~ Ravi Shankar

corner view: renewal

Corner View is a weekly appointment - each Wednesday - created by Jane (Spain) and curated by Francesca (Italy), where bloggers from all corners of the world share their view on a pre-arranged theme.  The theme this week  is "renewal", and comes from Karyn (New Zealand).

Winter weary is how I would describe my state of mind today. The weather keeps flitting back and forth between wet, snowy, cold days and warmer sunny days. It feels like Mother Nature is teasing us.

But in recent weeks the bluebirds and some of the other seasonal songbirds have reappeared in force so that's a sure sign that Spring is indeed on it's way...

...and before long, that brown bushy bundle in the top photo will once again begin to gift me with these beautiful blooms. I can't wait! Come on Spring!

tunes on tuesday 3-4: rosanne cash, lost in the trees, ekova, cat stevens, simon/crosby/nash

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

Rosanne Cash is back! Her single, The Sunken Lands,  is co-written with her husband John Leventhal, from her newly released album The River and The Thread which showcases songs by these two as well as songs that Rosanne co-wrote with her ex-husband, Rodney Crowell.  The eldest daughter of the legendary Johnny Cash, Rosanne's musical style crosses over many genres.  I think The Sunken Lands is hauntingly beautiful and think you're going to really enjoy this too.



NEW ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER

I've recently seen Lost in the Trees classified as American orchestral folk-pop and that's about as good a description as any. Their new album, Past Life, is a slicker, more commercial path for them than you'll hear in their previous 3 releases and it's getting them a lot of notice in the wider music world. Whether you prefer their earlier more acoustic stuff or their slick electronic sound, Lost in the Trees is proving that they have a broad musical reach. I got to see Ari Picker and Lost in the Trees this summer when they provided a live soundtrack to an incredible giant puppet production put on by Paperhand Puppet Intervention in Chapel Hill, NC.  I made sure to sit right behind them in the pit so I could watch them not only perform but lend amazing and creative sound effects throughout the show. So here is Daunting Friend off their new cd.


CLASSIC

Cat Stevens left the music biz in 1976 but before he did he said his good-byes to his fans with his "Earth Tour". When you watch this video of Tuesday's Dead you just can't help but see the sheer joy and immense fun he was having during this performance.










WORLD MUSIC

Ekova's home base is France, though the global-pop group members hail from other parts of the world. The vocalist/cellist is American, oud/guitarist from Algeria and their percussionist is Iranian. Diedre Dubois sings in multiple languages as the group provides a combination acoustic and electric instrumentation built on a completely enchanting drone. Here's the very lively Siip Siie from their 2nd album, Space lullabies and other Fantasmagore.






INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

Paul Simon, David Crosby & Graham Nash join forces in an amazing tribute to George Harrison. Their rendition of Here Comes the Sun gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it. This is a once in a lifetime moment of musical magic.











Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.