What I'm listening to these days
Dec. 15th, 2008 01:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gvdubBecause somebody asked...
Not all new stuff, but it's what's in heavy rotation in my iTunes these days.
On the jazz side:
McCoy Tyner - Guitars A variety of guitarists (and one banjo player) team up with McCoy Tyner on tunes he's been associated with over the years. Standout tracks: Mr. P.C. (with John Scofield), My Favorite Things (with Bela Fleck), 500 Miles (with Marc Ribot), and Contemplation (with Bill Frisell).
John Scofield - This Meets That From the opening guitar skronk through the end, this album comes closer to blending Sco's straight-ahead jazz side with his jam band side than any previous release.
Joey DeFrancesco - Joey D! Probably the best Hammond B3 player out there working today.
Jonas Helborg - No single recording in particular, but I've been doing a lot of listening to the recordings he did with the late Shawn Lane and drummer Jeff Sipe. Sort of Indian/Jazz/Rock fusion stuff with incredibly pyrotechnic playing. If you're a guitar head, Shawn Lane will either make you give up or double down your efforts to master the instrument.
Will Bernard - Blue Plate Special Is it jazz? Is it surf music? Is it post-modern polyglot instrumental music? Whatever it is, it's great. Always tasty with a twisted sense of musical humor.
On the Country end of things:
Brad Paisley - Play Another record for guitar players. Paisley is one of the more accomplished guitarists in country music today, something often overlooked by those who concentrate on his CMT videos and media blitz. This record showcases some pretty astounding chops (although some of the songwriting isn't up to his usual standard).
Jim Campilongo - American Hip Another one of those quirky Telecaster players. Not strictly country, but closer to that than anything else. He's got a real adventurous harmonic sense and quirky melodic tendencies.
Jerry Reed - Greatest Hits Another great guitar player who's more often thought of these days as Burt Reynold's sidekick in the "Smokey and the Bandit" films. Chet Atkins thought that Jerry Reed was incredible. Who am I to argue? Check out "The Claw".
World Music:
Tabla Beat Science - Live in San Francisco What happens when Indian classical music meats scratch DJs? Something not unlike this record. Just picked this up last week and am enjoying it immensely.
Hassan Hakmoun - The Fire Within: Gnawa Music of Morocco Just go with it. Poly-rhythms galore, chanting, ostinatos on odd string instruments, and what sounds a lot like an upright bass. Just go with it.
Rock/Pop/Alt/Soul/R&B/What Have You:
Malford Milligan Band - Sweet Cherry Soul One of the great voices around today singing blues and R&B. It's got soul, even if the backing band is from Holland (what am I saying? I've got soul and my ancestors came from The Netherlands).
Children of Bodom - Blooddrunk Worth it just for the black metal cover of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" Extremely heavy metal, not for the faint of heart.
Ry Cooder - I, Flathead The final volume in Cooder's California Trilogy, this one pays homage to the lost world of the salt-flat drag racers and the honky tonks they habituated. Gotta pick up the deluxe CD version of this, which comes with a 90 page novella that fleshes out the album's storyline about a would-be rockabilly/country star and flathead racer named Kash Buck.
So that's some of what I think is worthwhile and am currently enjoying. What's in your ears?
Not all new stuff, but it's what's in heavy rotation in my iTunes these days.
On the jazz side:
McCoy Tyner - Guitars A variety of guitarists (and one banjo player) team up with McCoy Tyner on tunes he's been associated with over the years. Standout tracks: Mr. P.C. (with John Scofield), My Favorite Things (with Bela Fleck), 500 Miles (with Marc Ribot), and Contemplation (with Bill Frisell).
John Scofield - This Meets That From the opening guitar skronk through the end, this album comes closer to blending Sco's straight-ahead jazz side with his jam band side than any previous release.
Joey DeFrancesco - Joey D! Probably the best Hammond B3 player out there working today.
Jonas Helborg - No single recording in particular, but I've been doing a lot of listening to the recordings he did with the late Shawn Lane and drummer Jeff Sipe. Sort of Indian/Jazz/Rock fusion stuff with incredibly pyrotechnic playing. If you're a guitar head, Shawn Lane will either make you give up or double down your efforts to master the instrument.
Will Bernard - Blue Plate Special Is it jazz? Is it surf music? Is it post-modern polyglot instrumental music? Whatever it is, it's great. Always tasty with a twisted sense of musical humor.
On the Country end of things:
Brad Paisley - Play Another record for guitar players. Paisley is one of the more accomplished guitarists in country music today, something often overlooked by those who concentrate on his CMT videos and media blitz. This record showcases some pretty astounding chops (although some of the songwriting isn't up to his usual standard).
Jim Campilongo - American Hip Another one of those quirky Telecaster players. Not strictly country, but closer to that than anything else. He's got a real adventurous harmonic sense and quirky melodic tendencies.
Jerry Reed - Greatest Hits Another great guitar player who's more often thought of these days as Burt Reynold's sidekick in the "Smokey and the Bandit" films. Chet Atkins thought that Jerry Reed was incredible. Who am I to argue? Check out "The Claw".
World Music:
Tabla Beat Science - Live in San Francisco What happens when Indian classical music meats scratch DJs? Something not unlike this record. Just picked this up last week and am enjoying it immensely.
Hassan Hakmoun - The Fire Within: Gnawa Music of Morocco Just go with it. Poly-rhythms galore, chanting, ostinatos on odd string instruments, and what sounds a lot like an upright bass. Just go with it.
Rock/Pop/Alt/Soul/R&B/What Have You:
Malford Milligan Band - Sweet Cherry Soul One of the great voices around today singing blues and R&B. It's got soul, even if the backing band is from Holland (what am I saying? I've got soul and my ancestors came from The Netherlands).
Children of Bodom - Blooddrunk Worth it just for the black metal cover of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" Extremely heavy metal, not for the faint of heart.
Ry Cooder - I, Flathead The final volume in Cooder's California Trilogy, this one pays homage to the lost world of the salt-flat drag racers and the honky tonks they habituated. Gotta pick up the deluxe CD version of this, which comes with a 90 page novella that fleshes out the album's storyline about a would-be rockabilly/country star and flathead racer named Kash Buck.
So that's some of what I think is worthwhile and am currently enjoying. What's in your ears?