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

"I’m Gonna Be Strong" by Buddy Miller, on his Cruel Moon album. "IGBS" was written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil (fantastic Brill Building writers, with hundreds of recorded songs), originally recorded by Gene Pitney (Cyndi Lauper has also recorded the song). Superb harmony vocal by Joy Lynn White (listen to Buddy & Joy’s harmony on the final refrain---better than anything John & Paul ever sang. Absolutely thrilling!).

Two tracks later is the album’s title track, "Cruel Moon", written by Julie Miller. Cool twangy guitar playing by Buddy, pedal steel by Steve Fishell, mandolin by Tammy Rogers, and drums by a guy I palled around with in L.A., John Gardner (rat bastard ;-). Last but not least, the incomparable Emmylou Harris on harmony vocals.

The whole album is very strong, I'm just pointing out a coupla songs. In a better world, "I'm Too Used To Lovin' You" would have been a big fat giant hit. Buddy also sings Steve Earle's fantastic song "I'm not Getting Any Better At Goodbye". He's one of the best singers in the world, and I'll bet few of you even know about him. Buddy serves as his own recording engineer, having turned the living room of his Nashville home into a studio. When Julie isn't feeling well, he runs a long mic cord up the stairs into their bedroom, recording her vocal in bed. ;-)