The Album Thing: Jonn Serrie, And the Stars Go with You

The album thing! It’s a Facebook fad that’s going around. Since I’m going to the trouble to share it on social media, I might as well share it here, too. Today is another New Age selection.

Jonn Serrie, And the Stars Go with You is an early and all-time classic of the New Age/space music genre. If I’m ever having trouble sleeping, this one fixes the problem. It’s also good for meditation and relaxation—that sensation of deep space! I saw one review that listed it as a top soundtrack for massage. Plus, it makes my inner Trekker happy. One of Serrie's early jobs in music was as a composer for planetariums.

As usual, here are some links to YouTube samples:

“Gentle, the Night”

“And the Stars Go with You”

“Stratos” (This is the one that really gets me to sleep. It’s a total no-no when I’m driving!)

The Album Thing: Kevin Braheny and Tim Clark, Rain

The album thing goes on, and on! It’s a Facebook fad that’s going around. You’re supposed to stop at ten or something, but I’m going on and on, perhaps to kill the fad outright. And since I’m going to the trouble to share it on social media, I might as well share it here, too.

I’m shifting gears today. The theme may be appropriate for our coming weather. This here is a “deserted island disk” for me, and it has been for a long time. A brilliant gem. Listen to it at night when you’re winding down. Sound turned up.

As before, I’m giving you links to samples.

Here’s the opening track from the album Rain, “Sun Showers.”

I don’t talk about it much, but I love New Age and space music. I listen to it pretty much every day, or every night, or both. “Tidepool” is a favorite.

I love Tim Clark’s music. In this track, “Monsoon,” you can easily hear some of the results of his studying music composition in India.

Two more samples: “Falling Like Tears” and “Green Umbrella.”

The Album Thing: Maria Schneider Orchestra, Allegresse

The album thing! It’s a Facebook fad that’s going around, and I’m sharing it on my blog. Why not? Also, I think by going on and on and on with this, I’m singlehandedly killing off the FB “album challenge” thing. Ha ha ha!

Seriously, though, anything by the Maria Schneider Orchestra is a keeper.

“Hang Gliding” is one of my favorite pieces, ever. Maria Schneider is pretty careful not to allow unauthorized copying of her recordings. If you want to hear her music/albums, you have to buy them from ArtistShare. But this live video is available (so far) on YouTube. Here, Ingrid Jensen has the flugelhorn solo.

You’ve never heard of Maria Schneider and her jazz orchestra? Well, then you haven’t been keeping track of the Grammys. She’s won several!

Here’s another sample of this orchestra’s work: “Bluebird” at the 2021 DC Jazz Festival. Seriously, check it out.

The Album Thing: Dave Douglas, A Thousand Evenings

Another entry for the Album Thing! It’s a Facebook fad that’s going around, and I’m sharing it on my blog. Why not? The deal is, share a bunch of albums that you really love, or that really influenced you. You don’t have to say anything about it, just post a picture of the cover. . . . But I say, Hey, I’ll write things if I want to. Also, I’ll share some links to YouTubes so you can hear some of the music on the album.

As usual, I’m sharing links to some samples. Here’s the title song, “A Thousand Evenings.” The beginning of this piece stopped me in my tracks.

“Goldfinger” (Gooollllld fingerrrrrr . . . yeah, you know this tune.)

“The Little Boy with the Sad Eyes” is another fave.

It’s not from this album, but here’s another from Dave Douglas: “Emmenthaler.” For those of you who remember our cat Earl, this was his theme song. God help you if you ever have a roommate like Earl.

The Album Thing: Gilberto Gil, Quanta

The album thing continues! It’s a Facebook fad that’s going around. Someone tags you, and you’re supposed to comply. Since I’m going to the trouble to share it on social media, I might as well share it here, too.

Like a previous selection, this album, too, was something I picked up for less than a dollar at a KWWC “clean out our music library” sale. What a great find! At the time, I had no idea who Gilberto Gil is, but I’m glad I found out about him. Not only is he celebrated in his native Brazil but also he is adored by fans worldwide. He should be more widely known in the United States.

This was my first GG album. Music, intellect, and creativity! The songs on this album comment on modern technology and their intersection with humanity's deepest truths. I think you'll love this music. Samples below.

“Quanta” (Even in English, the lyrics are superb.)

“Ciência e Arte” (Science and Art).

“Estrela” (Star): “There must appear / A star in the sky / Every time you smile / There must disappear / A star in the sky / Every time you cry / The contrary also / Might well happen / A star shines / When a tear falls / Or then / A falling star throws itself / Just to see / The flower of your smile open.”

“Pop Wu Wei.”

“Dança de Shiva.”

The Album Thing: Terence Blanchard, The Heart Speaks

Albums! It’s a Facebook fad that’s going around. You’re supposed to post a picture of albums you especially love. Since I’m going to the trouble to share it on social media, I might as well share it here, too. This is The Heart Speaks by Terence Blanchard, a collaboration with Brazilian pianist, singer, and composer Ivan Lins. If this had been vinyl, I would’ve worn away the grooves long ago. Samples below.

“Aparecida.”

“Noturna.”

“Antes Que Seja Tarde.”

You might be interested to know that Blanchard plays a Monette trumpet. These are custom-built horns created with the most advanced engineering for acoustic purity and ease of playing. They have a distinctive sound, and sometimes I get tired of hearing it. But people who play them say they’re incredibly easy to play, allowing them a full range of expressiveness. By the way, they cost about as much as a car to buy.

The Album Thing: Roy Hargrove, With the Tenors of Our Time

Albums: It’s a Facebook “challenge” that’s been popular. One of your friends tags you, and then you’re supposed to post pictures of albums you especially love, or that were personally significant, or whatever. I’m sharing these on my blog, too, because why not?

Today it’s Roy Hargrove: may he rest in peace. Only a few trumpeters can achieve such a soulful, sweet sound as well as such fat, edgy, brassy triple exclamation marks—and always tuneful and in-tune. It’s hard to pick just one album of his, but With the Tenors of Our Time is a great one to get to know him by.

“Soppin’ the Biscuit,” with Stanley Turrentine on tenor.

“Mental Phrasing,” with Joshua Redman on tenor.

“When We Were One,” with Johnny Griffin on tenor.

Bonus:

Not on this album, but a favorite.

Another Hargrove favorite, and a sound of happiness.

. . . Truly one of my great trumpet heroes.

The Album Thing: Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky

The album thing: One of your friends tags you on Facebook, and then you’re supposed to post pictures of albums you especially love, or that were personally significant, or whatever. I’m sharing these on my blog, too, because why not?

Today, it’s the Symphony of Psalms that changed my world. Everything about it. I’ve never been so lucky and blessed. Doors swung open for me, and I don’t think I even had to knock. The light shined down from above.

Movement 1: Turn the sound up!

Then hear the second movement.

In the third movement, Stravinsky turns the Alleluia/Laudate (usually the text for clanging cymbals and blaring brass) into a sense of hushed awe; then he lets us have it; then he brings it back around to breathless awe.

The Album Thing: George Solti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Symphony No. 5

Ooh, the ALBUM thing continues! If you haven’t been following along, here’s the deal: One of your friends tags you on Facebook, and then you’re supposed to post pictures of albums you especially love, or that were personally significant, or whatever. I’m sharing these on my blog, too, because why not?

In today’s selection, we have one of the best orchestral brass sections (Chicago Symphony) playing one of the most famous symphonies in terms of the brass parts (Mahler 5).

So although I’ve featured a lot of popular music so far, today, we’re turning the corner into some instrumental albums. It fascinates me how so many Americans always listen to vocal music and not instrumental. As an editor, I can’t work to music that has lyrics I can understand. —Oh, and don’t judge me because I bought this at a “ditch-the-vinyl” sale at KWWC. I found a lot of good music there . . . and I’ve given it an excellent and loving home.

Here’s the first movement. If you’re a trumpeter, it’s an automatic thumbs-up for Adolph (Bud) Herseth, who forever owns the solo that introduces this symphony.

Bonus: this is a completely different performance, but it’s got video.

The Album Thing: Patricia Barber, Live: A Fortnight in France

I’m sharing some of my favorite albums. If you haven’t been following along, here’s the deal: One of your friends tags you on Facebook, and then you’re supposed to post pictures of albums you especially love, or that were personally significant, or whatever. I’m sharing these on my blog, too, because why not?

Today’s album? I had a hard time picking out just one by Patricia Barber. I selected this live one because she’s blown us away so many times in concert. If you’ve been following along with me so far, we’re really pivoting here away from vocal music into instrumental. PB is (in my opinion) a better pianist than she is a singer—though her minimalist singing style is perfect for her music. As before, I’m putting samples in the comments below.

Her version of “Norwegian Wood” is amazing. I’m sure you will love it!

This piece, “Crash,” sounds a lot like her earlier work with her combo. Brilliant piano work, rhythmic and harmonic textures. She has certainly done her homework, plus put in her time every week at Chicago’s venerable Green Mill Cocktail Lounge.

If you’ve never heard of Patricia Barber, “Call Me” is a good sample of her playing in an easy pop-ballad style.

And a tasty, straight-ahead swinging version of the classic “Witchcraft”!

The Album Thing: Karrin Allyson, Collage

Time for today’s album! (If you don’t know what I’m doing, look at some of the previous posts.) When we moved back to Missouri, Karrin Allyson kind of welcomed us back. She was still based in Kansas City then. We still see her every chance we get. Even though she’s in New York now, you can still hear the Midwest in her voice. She does so much so well: upbeat scat bebop, blues, ballads, sambas, pop . . . she could sing the phonebook, and it’d be great! And she doesn’t get enough credit as a band leader.

It was hard to pick one album by her, but Collage is one that always makes me smile.

This album welcomes you with its first song, “It Could Happen to You/Fried Bananas.” (Would you call this a “mashup”? With “Fried Bananas” in it?)

A vocal version of Clifford Brown’s classic “Joy Spring.”

I said she can do ballads. Here, she does tribute to a Thelonius Monk classic, “Ask Me Now.”

And yes, blues. She’s a big Bonnie Raitt fan, and here’s “Give It Up or Let Me Go.”

And, for fun, a live version of the above.

The Album Thing: Horse, God’s Home Movie

Okay, y’all here’s today’s album! (If you don’t know what I’m doing, look at some of the previous posts.) God’s Home Movie has a special place in my heart because Sue and I bought it together, soon after we started dating, and it’s got a song on it that we would’ve played at our wedding, if we’d had a wedding with music in it.

And yeah, I’m a huge fan of Horse McDonald. What an amazing performer.

The title track is the one we especially love. We would’ve played this song at our wedding.

Another song from this album, “Imitation,” has an odd juxtaposition of a bouncy upbeat feel with lyrics about being dumped. When Sue and I met, we were both rebounding from some awful relationships. When you’re starting to feel good again, you can shake your head and kind of laugh. Lyrics: “Another innocent in your trail of destruction / left behind like a tree hit by lightning / all my senses you worked so hard at persuading / they don’t know what’s real and the great imitation / I was so sadly mistaken”!

Okay, a bonus song from Horse’s first CD; this video’s from some kind of German TV broadcast. I thought it was pretty fun. Americans have called her “the Scottish k.d. lang.” It’s not a perfect description at all, but the time was about the same, and the androgynous look was similar, and they both have great voices.