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A Blind Pick
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Subject: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 21 Aug 07 - 03:04 PM I figure every Catter has more music than they could listen to in at least the next year or so. Some, maybe in a lifetime. I do too. What I like to do is reach into my towers of CDs and make a blind pick... pick a CD without looking, put it on without checking the box, and surprise myself. A lot of the stuff, I haven't listened to in years, but there are always a lot of unexpected surprises (Occasionally, the surprise is why I ever liked the music.) :-) So, go ahead... pick a CD without looking and let me know what you chose, and how you liked it. I picked a CD this afternoon that I had never even PLAYED! It was sealed. I don't remember where I bought it, or why. The CD is titled The Best Of Ella. Fitzgerald, that is. I have a ton (almost) of Ella Fitzgerald, as she is one of my favorite singers. I guess it's no surprise that I never opened one... more a question of why I bought it, as I have the Songbooks, boxed sets... enough to listen to for several hours. This CD is nothing like anything I have, because it's almost exclusively music from the 40's and 50's, starting with A Tisket A Tasket. Finally, I discovered why I probably bought it.. for the last track on the CD: Hardhearted Hannah for Pete Kelly's Blues. I have a scratchy copy on 45 rpm, and have always loved the song. I cheat a little, as I have my CDs in categories. At least I knew I was picking jazz. But then, I'm doing laundry right now, and what is better as a soundtrack for doing laundry than Jazz? Next time, I'll make a blind pick in folk or blues. So, go ahead... pick a CD without looking, and tell me what it was, and if you enjoyed it. No cheating, now... no just posting the artist with no comment. :-) Who knows what we'll discover, hidden in plain sight? Right now, Ella is singing My Happiness... man, I don't think I've heard that since the 40's.. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Ernest Date: 21 Aug 07 - 03:54 PM Nice idea again, Jerry! My blind pick was the Bothy Band`s "After hours" live CD...starting with the Kesh jig... Best Ernest |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: pdq Date: 21 Aug 07 - 03:56 PM My blind pick is Doc Watson, but Willie McTell is good too. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: CRY LIKE AN ANGEL (S Colvin, J Leventhal) From: Jeri Date: 21 Aug 07 - 04:39 PM I wound up with Shawn Covin, Live 88, recorded in Somerville, MA. This is a CD made from a sell-at-the-gigs recording. My history with this is that a friend made a copy of a tape for me in February 89. He bought the tape when Shawn Colvin played a gig at the Press Room (Portsmouth, NH) sometime. It was before she went more 'poppy' and became more widely known. It's just her, her guitar, and a live audience and I like it so much better than the slick productions that she's done since. (I like those too, just not as much as this first low-tech recording.) What's funny is that I heard this song on WUMB a couple of days ago and wondered where my CD was. I forgot to look for it, but I remember thinking I was sure I wouldn't be able to find it. She changed some of the words to the song that's probably my favorite song, "Cry Like Like an Angel". Some of the changes give me a very different feeling. These are what she sings on this recording: Cry Like and Angel ©S. Colvin - J. Leventhal The streets of my town Are not what they were They are haloed in anger, bitter and hurt And it's not so you'd notice But it's a sinister thing Like the wheels of ambition turning at a (at the) christening So I went out walking on the streets of the dead With a chip on my shoulder And a voice in my head It said you have been brought here Though you don't know what for Well the mystery train is coming right to your door I hear you calling, you don't have to call so loud I see you falling and you don't have to walk so proud You can run all night We can take you where You can cry like an angel There were high school night dances When we played stump the band We were raising each other In a strange land There were hard pills to swallow But we drank 'em all down The nights were too short then And now they're a little too long I hear you calling and you don't have to call so loud I see you falling And you don't have to walk so proud You can run all night But we can take you where You can shout out in anger You can laugh like a fool You can cry like an angel So look homeward baby Keep your eyes on the sky They will never forgive you So don't ask them to try This is my party, Though it's not my ideal May we all find salvation In professions that heal I hear you calling, You don't have to call so loud I see you falling And you don't have to walk so proud You can run all night We can take you where You can shout out in anger You can laugh like a fool You can call up to heaven We'll be listening to you You can sing hallelujah You can fly like a bird You can cry like angel When there are no words Anyway, WAY too much information... |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Joe Offer Date: 21 Aug 07 - 04:49 PM Hey, you guys - remember you're supposed to comment on the CD you come up with, like Jeri did - and I think you're supposed to actually listen to the CD. I came up with Steve Goodman's Best of the Asylum Years, Volume 1. All Steve Goodman recordings are good, but this is one of my least-favorite Goodman recordings. I suppose my two favorite songs on the album are "The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over" (which somehow still doesn't seem out of date) and "Banana Republics" - but none of the songs on this CD show the best of Steve's crazy humor. Now, my favorite Steve Goodman album is No Big Surprise - The Steve Goodman Anthology, which has one CD of studio recordings, and one of live recordings. Asylum Years is a nice recording and I'm enjoying it - but there are far better recordings of Steve Goodman to choose from. -Joe-
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 21 Aug 07 - 05:22 PM Thanks, Joe and Jeri: Yeah, I definitely wouldn't recommend the "Ella" CD. There are probably twenty or thirty better ones than that. Sometimes it's a help to hear that something you might consider shouldn't be your first choice. I started a similar thread on a blues and jazz site, and picked another CD at random. This one turned out to be more enjoyable. It's an unusual CD because it's all solo guitar performances by two legendary jazz guitarists: Johnny Smith and George Van Epps. I bought it mostly for the George Van Epps tracks, as he has always been a favorite... finger-pickin' jazz on 7 string guitar (the 7th string is a bass string.) George is of good stock. His father Fred was the premier plectrum banjo ragtime musician back in the Edison Cylinder and earliest 78 r.p.m. days. George played the guitarist in Pete Kelly's band in Pete Kelly's Blues... another favorite of mine. I seem to have made a subconscious connection on the two blind picks I made today. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Cluin Date: 21 Aug 07 - 09:17 PM I got one that I made myself: a compilation CD called "Everybody and Bobby McGee". Twenty one tracks, all "Me and Bobby Mcgee" done by different artists through the years, culled from Cds, records, and the internet. Starting with Kris Kristofferson and progressing through the years through Roger Miller and Janis, Lightfoot Jerry Lee, Kenny Rogers, Waylon, Willie, Bill Haley, Grateful Dead, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Charlie McCoy, and others. What the f__k was I thinking? Wanna get really sick of a song? The artwork I put on it was nice though... |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 21 Aug 07 - 09:38 PM Sounds like an overdose, Cluin... LOL. I'm gonna to finish up a couple of little jobs and listen to the George Van Epps track. I meant to pick a folk cd, but my filing system isn't as surefire as I thought it was.. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Ernest Date: 22 Aug 07 - 02:28 AM Interesting concept, Cluin. A mail-order shop over here ( http://www.zweitausendeins.de/ ) has done tis commercially with songs like Summertime, Mack the knife etc. So there must be more people enjoying it... Best Ernest |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: gnomad Date: 22 Aug 07 - 05:17 AM I've never burned a CD of the result, but I have compared differing recordings of a given song in the past just by searching for the title in my media player. Peat Bog Soldiers was a good one. Reverting to the thread, though, I came up with "On Reflection" from Eliza Carthy & Nancy Kerr. Good stuff, about 2/3rds traditional, some purely instrumental, some vocals. Most of the tracks are from the 1990s, though the compilation is more recent. An interesting reminder just how good both these two were, even early on. I particularly enjoyed track 2 Whittingham Fair this morning, just fitted my mood. |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Uncle Phil Date: 22 Aug 07 - 09:43 AM Adrienne Young, Plow to the End of the Row, her first CD which has been out for several years. Some good stuff, particularly Sadie's Song which is the old song Little Sadie told from Little Sadie's point of view. I hadn't listened to it for a long while and enjoyed hearing it again. Fun thread, Jerry. - Phil |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 22 Aug 07 - 09:54 AM My folk pick this morning turned out to be a real favorite of mine that I haven't listened to in ages. It's a CD of Grayson & Whitter. I'd only been familiar with a couple of their songs until I saw this CD many years ago, and was very excited. Train 45 makes my all-time top ten. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Cluin Date: 22 Aug 07 - 03:34 PM "Steve Reich- The Desert Music" I don't listen to that one very much. It's a "painting" CD. And not for relaxing paintings either. I remember buying it after a buddy said the composer was a big influence on the Fripp & Eno album. |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Cluin Date: 23 Aug 07 - 09:19 PM "Fred J. Eaglesmith & The Flying Squirrels - Things is Changin'" |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 23 Aug 07 - 11:28 PM Now there's one I've never heard of Cluin. Are they anything like the Five Chinese Brothers, none of whome are Chinese or Brothers (at least to each other..) Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: GUEST,DonMeixner Date: 24 Aug 07 - 01:34 AM My blind pick was "Music for Prague-1968" By Karel Husa. Not a CD but a vinyl recording on Louisville Records. Husa was a prof at Ithaca College where he taught conducting (I believe) I heard this piece played at it's debut in Ithaca when I was in college. Dynamic and exciting. My CD blind pick turned out to be "The Sons of The Pioneers 1934-1936". Don |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: John MacKenzie Date: 24 Aug 07 - 04:58 AM Rosin Okkar by the great Skarphedinn [Skarpi] Haraldsson band was my lucky pick. Also including the lovely Rosa Johannesdottir, and the talented Helgi E Kristjansson. Nice when you pick something by people you've met! Giok |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: GUEST,sinky Date: 24 Aug 07 - 12:20 PM David Blunket,oh sorry i thought it said blind prick |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 24 Aug 07 - 12:37 PM I'm running this same thread on a blues and jazz site. This morning, I picked a random CD from my jazz selection and came up with Songs For Swinging Lovers by Frank Sinatra. I was sorely tempted to just put it back, but just because I made the rules don't mean I can break them. (I wish they'd learn that in politics.) There was a time when I really enjoyed Sinatra... 1950's when he was doing a lot of classic albums. I haven't listened to any of his albums in at least twenty years. I got seriously exhausted all those years when he tried to coast on his reputation, inserting, "Chicks" "Broads" and Cats" in to the lyrics trying to sound cool. Listening (against my will) to the cd, I see why I originally enjoyed him. He was a consumate interpreter of standards in the 60's, along with Ella Fitzgerald. I still love Ella. She rarely calls women Chicks and guys Cats. After lunch, I'll pick a folk CD for a change of pace.. Maybe I'll get Blind Willie Johnson.. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: John MacKenzie Date: 24 Aug 07 - 12:41 PM Well Jerry, I too am a Sinatra fan, and have most of his stuff, about 26 CDs at the last count. Giok, a guy who digs chicks ¦¬] |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 24 Aug 07 - 12:46 PM How brave of you to come out of the closet, John! A much lesser known singer of the same era who I still do enjoy is Matt Dennis. I was astonished to run across someone on here who liked his music. Matt was a fine songwriter, and Frank recorded at least a couple of his songs: Angel Eyes and Violets For Her Furs. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: GUEST,Hardanger-Rose Date: 24 Aug 07 - 01:19 PM Nice to hear that MacKenzie:) Greetings from Rosa in Iceland |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 24 Aug 07 - 01:59 PM Awright, my selection from my folk section is really country, although it has a real feel for acoustic folk: The O'Kanes. The O'Kanes were a short-lived duo that produced a large amount of great music in a three or four years. They were Jamie O'Hara and Kieran Kane. There's a lot of mandoline, five string banjo and good, classic "brothers" harmony. even if they were'nt biological brothers. The CD I pulled out is their least... a compilation of some of the better stuff, with a lot of forgettable tracks. All three of their albums are much better. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Ernest Date: 24 Aug 07 - 04:48 PM Tonight it was Colum Sands: "All my winding journeys". Mostly originals ("Directions" is funny, "Goethe`s song" with German parts sung by Scarlett Seeboldt - I prefer his singing them on the live version), 3 trad tunes/sets... How lomg will it take until I pick smething non-folk? Best Ernest |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 24 Aug 07 - 05:06 PM Hey, Ernest: I have my CDs arranged by category: Folk, Blues, Country, Jazz, Classical, Rock and Roll, Oldies, Gospel and Foreign (Not-American.) If my house keeping was perfect, it would be nigh-impossible to inadvertently pick a jazz CD out of the folk section. Fortunately, my housekeeping is anything but perfect, so I'll occasionally pick something that's in the wrong place. Makes life more exciting. Organization is boring. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Big Al Whittle Date: 25 Aug 07 - 04:53 AM Overdue by Paul Downes. Paul is one of the best guitar accompanists to come out of England. If not the best. Not always crazy about his choice of material. Picture of him on the cover outside a pub looking pissed off. Beautiful opening track - I thought you'd come. About doing a gig and hoping an old friend or lover will turn up. |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Cluin Date: 25 Aug 07 - 04:04 PM Kate MacKenzie - Age of Innocence. Solid Bluegrass interpretations of contemporary songs (and a couple of trads). Some self-penned or co-written and some covers (like Mick Hanley's "Past the Point of Rescue" and Greg Brown's "Driftless"). Solid backing band too. I picked this one up at Blissfest a few years ago, within seconds after catching them on stage. Impressed then, impressed now. |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Big Al Whittle Date: 26 Aug 07 - 07:19 AM Mojave Dust by Kevin Brown Like Paul Downes - resident in the southwest part of England. Kevin plays a wonderful slide guitar. he gives summer schools on slide every year in Bath. he is a good teacher and the lessons are given in the same room where Charles Darwin first presented his Origin of the Species lectures to the world's scientific community. Kevin is more Americanised in his approack to playing and songwriting than Paul Downes. Both guys are solid gold talent though. Great idea for a thread. I'm enjoying this. |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 26 Aug 07 - 08:11 AM Thanks, Weelittle. I'm finding this an interesting way to get to know what other people have in their collections. I notice that many of the albums picked at random by folks in the British Isles are musicians I've never heard of, and so far all seem to be current folk singers. I doubt that anyone from Britian would accidently pull out a CD by Darby & Tarlton. Or A.L. Lloyd (or even Lonnie Donegan?) I'm getting ready to go to church, but I'll pull out a CD this afternoon. There's a real good discussion going on a blues and jazz site where I started the same discussion. Jazz tastes doesn't seem to be as different in other countries as folk music is. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 26 Aug 07 - 09:51 AM And today's pick is: The Legend Of Charlie Poole, Volume 3, Original Recordings 1926-1930. Listening to the CD, I realize that I've done a lot of Charlie Poole stuff over the years... learned from a treasured reel to reel tape from Ed Denson back in the early 60's. Some of them are on this CD (I have the other volumes, too:) Leaving Dear Old Ireland, Hungry Hash House, Goodbye Booze and Once I Loved A Sailor. My banjo style is very much influenced by Charlie's picking... ideosyncratic and very rhythmic. I never tire of listening to his music. What a good pick! Jerry |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: John MacKenzie Date: 26 Aug 07 - 10:28 AM Pick any number from 1 to 120, it's less of a cheat that way. G |
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Subject: RE: A Blind Pick From: Big Al Whittle Date: 26 Aug 07 - 03:31 PM and when you get asked why you are listeing to the Max Bygraves version of Danny Boy.... no, sod it! cheat every time! |
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