The beat goes on (part I)

While I enjoy a fairly wide range of music, and am usually happy to be introduced to a new artist, type of music or style—my favorite listens general fall within a few categories—Americana/alt country/folk; jazz; world music, particularly Brazilian and other South American music, fado, and some European singers and African musicians; classical, including opera; and finally, the occasional American songbook album.  I don’t buy as much new music as I used to but I still try to keep new music playing through my rotation.  I do not download music, I buy CDs or occasionally vinyl, as I ascribe to the theory that the more times the music is stepped on, the less the sound is as the musicians intended.  But, I could be completely wrong on that.  Anyway, while many records by long-time favorite and well-established musicians remain on my playlist for years, or are put aside and picked up again later, I thought I would mention (in no particular order) some not necessarily mainstream albums which never leave my rotation for very long (my family would say “over-played”—or just groan).  Future posts will describe some classical records which fall in that category and also more current music I like.  And, as always, as a disclaimer, I am not a music expert or critic, just a long-time listener, so please cut me some slack.

Kin:  Songs by Rodney Crowell and Mary Karr. This is a 2012 album that does not stay out of my rotation for very long.  The songs are beautifully crafted and evocative, tales of family, love, loss, heartbreak, and even one about food, performed by a stellar cast including Norah Jones, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack, Kris Kristofferson and Vince Gill, as well as Rodney.  Some reports say that he wrote the music and Mary Karr the lyrics, which would be a natural assumption, but when interviewed, he said it was much more collaborative and less defined than that. I have followed him since his earliest records in the 1970s as he came out of a stint with Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band (a mother lode of great musicians), and while he went more commercial at one point, his albums over the past number of years have been generally first rate.  I have only seen him live once—at City Winery a couple of years ago, with the guitarist Steuart Smith—and he was masterful.  In addition to being a singer in his own right, he is an acclaimed songwriter and producer.  If you get a chance, check out his memoir, Chinaberry Sidewalks, about growing up in the Tarpalina area of Texas (near where Mary Karr also grew up).

Marcin Wasilewski. Januaryand Faithful. From the first time I heard the Polish jazz pianist Marcin Wasilewski and his trio, I was hooked.  His playing is gorgeous, the music still, contemplative, but still dynamic. He really knows when to leave space, nothing extra, elegant.  A couple of years ago, we caught his show at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in New York and it was mesmerizing.  Unfortunately, he had to compete for his audience with people ordering food, servers clearing plates, talking at the bar and other inconveniences of New York jazz clubs.  He also plays with Tomas Stanko. Highly recommended.

Mariza.  Fado em Mim (and several others).  I have a Mariza album in regular rotation most of the time. We first saw her perform at Carnegie Hall years ago as part of a world music series, and the impression she made was indelible.  The spotlight focused on her, impossibly tall, with swirling skirts, blonde hair cropped short, barefoot, she and her band captivated the hall, which is not easy to do—Carnegie Hall has great acoustics, but it is a formal place and the distance between performer and audience must be breached, particularly for music which is made to be sung (or so I imagine) in a dark and smoky bar in Lisbon.  She did it easily, charming the audience along the way.  This is her first studio album, at least the first released in the U.S., and it and the ones that follow offer a range of performances which are deep, soulful and wholly engaging.  There are of course other wonderful young fado singers to enjoy—Ana Moura, Gisela Joao, Carminho (who also has a powerful record of Jobim songs, sung with that amazing fado voice)  and others, and I also love mining those that came before, like the incomparable Amalia Rodrigues.  And the Portuguese guitar, when in the right hands, is a captivating instrument, seeming to capture in its sound centuries of trade and interchange around the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa.

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.  Ella and Louis.  Backed by Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Buddy Rich, this 1957 album is a treasure, eleven classic songs that never fail to bring joy.  We often play this to kick off an evening with friends and food and wine. Perhaps Ella and Louis each have albums that better define their individual artistry, but I dare you not feel the warmth and magic in their coming together.

The Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook.  The Girl from Ipanema. An indispensable album from the master, with performances by Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Stan Getz, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Ellis Regina, Dizzy Gillespie and many others. The songs are timeless and gorgeous and open to such a wide range of musicians and interpretations, it is extraordinary.  And just to showcase the appeal and universality of  the songs, check out Frank Sinatra’s album of Jobim songs, with Jobim joining on a number or two.  One of the most influential modern composers working in any language.

Caetano Veloso.  Caetano Veloso.  I think this was the first Brazilian album I bought–it was released in 1986–that was not Jobim, Joao Gilberto or a compilation.  Just Caetano and his acoustic guitar.  Beautiful.  Like many albums sung in languages other than English, unless I listen with the translated lyrics in front of me, which I generally do not, the voice serves for me as another instrument.  More about that phenomenon in another post.  While I have seen him with bands in other settings, I was lucky enough to see him perform solo once—at the long closed cabaret, the Ballroom, on West 28^thStreet—part of their annual Brazilian series.  It was not a large room, and sitting only a few feet from the stage, the room full of Brazilians, the lights dim, and with a glass of wine and Portuguese being spoken all around me, I was totally transported.  As an aside, I saw Gilberto Gil there as well, just him and his guitar, and many others, with larger or smaller bands.  Probably my favorite musical venue ever.  And a festive and not bad Spanish restaurant through a door to the west of the cabaret room.

Dom de la Nena. Ela. I cannot remember how I discovered this wonderful Brazilian singer/songwriter and cellist who now lives in Paris.  When I was visiting my daughter and our friend Coco there a couple of years ago, I noticed she was playing at Le Centquatre, in the 19^th, way on the outskirts of the city, and quickly snapped up a few tickets.  The place was full—mostly young French people, but a smattering of Brazilians and others (including me).  She did a solo show, using tape loops to record the various instrumental parts for each song, singing mostly in Portuguese, some French and one or two songs in English.  A lovely album, as is her more recent, Soyo.

Zachary Richard. Last Kiss.  An Acadian singer/songwriter from Louisiana, also popular in Francophone  Canada, who sings mostly in French, but also has recorded a few albums in English, including this one from 2009.  I think I heard him first around the time his album Mardi Gras Mambo was released in the late 1980s.  The first three songs on this album still get to me every time, so I have to quote just one verse from the first song on the album, Danse, “[E]ver since I was seventeen and had my old man’s Chevrolet, I’ve been going every Saturday night to the old bon temps rouler, you know I love my dancin’, I’ve got a nice style, don’t you know, I just want to hold you tight and waltz you across the floor”.

Dinah Washington. What a Difference a Day Makes.  Probably the oldest record (that is, the one I have owned the longest) in semi-regular rotation in my house.  She has such a distinctive voice–what a record.  I have it on vinyl, I think bought in the 1960s, long replaced by a CD.  The title song, and her version of Manhattan, kill.

Gram Parsons.  GP and Grievous Angel.  A lot has been written and said about Gram Parsons, one of the most influential musicians in the rock scene of the late 60s and early 70s.  I own both of these on now beaten-up vinyl, but Reprise conveniently re-released both together on a single CD in 1990 or so.  Too many great songs and performances to single out just one, and notable not only for Gram, but also for the first exposure many of us had to Emmylou Harris.  Like many greats at that time, he died way too young, but left a legacy still echoing today.

Trio da Paz. 30.  I usually have this album or one of their others, as well as the Brazilian Trio and various combinations of the great Brazilian jazz musicians Duduka da Fonseca, Helio Alves, Nilson Matta and Romero Lubambo, on my playlist.  I love Brazilian jazz and these guys, along with their compatriots, do it beautifully.  I have been lucky enough to see them in different lineups many times at venues in New York, and am never less than thrilled.  Each is a master of his craft and worth listening to whenever you get a chance.  Romero Lubambo is one of the world’s great guitarists—playing his amplified acoustic or electric guitar, he is a magician.  No pyrotechnics, like some rock guitarists, although he could show off with the best of them if he chose to do so.  We once saw him with Gal Costa at the Blue Note, not my favorite venue, but the room dropped away and we were lifted to another place yet again.  Duduka is a wonderful drummer, with a light touch, elegant, soulful, using the full range of his kit. Helio can play straight up jazz as well, and Nilson Matta is a beautiful bassist.  Just great music.

Melody Gardot. My One and Only Thrill.  This is a 2009 album by a singer and songwriter I find difficult to categorize.  She is jazz, pop, rock, international, American songbook, all at once.  We saw her once at Town Hall.  Interesting back story which I will leave you to pursue should you so choose. I play this or her other albums when I am looking for something jazz or bossa nova with a bit of rock POP.  Not sure that captures her style but hopefully you will give a listen if you don’t know her already.

Lucinda Williams. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.  One of my favorite albums by Lucinda and much loved by my family as a road trip record, everyone singing along at the top of their lungs with the chorus of the title song.  This is the first CD I recall owning that we have played so much, it actually cracked.  Evocative songs about place, one of the things she does best, and about love, death, and loss, among other things.  It feels like the consummation of years of writing and singing, but luckily for all of us, both her  writing and singing have continued, and at a more regular pace since the release of this record.

Bill Evans.  Sunday at the Village Vanguard.  A beautiful live recording by the great pianist, Bill Evans, with Scott LaFaro on bass and the wonderful Paul Motian on drums.  Unfortunately, they are all gone now, Scott LaFaro dying very young, Bill Evans at only 50 and Paul Motian in 2011, having been highly productive right up until the end.  A quintessential piano trio record with nary an unnecessary note.  Superior playing by all.