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Post by billhammond on Sept 29, 2023 19:09:34 GMT -5
I was gonna ask for your Top 10 choices, but realized that could be daunting or limiting, so I'd like to leave this open-ended.
My list will be heavily classical/orchestral, as that is what I listen to at home and in my car.
These, in no particular order:
-- Beethoven's Sixth Symphony ("Pastoral"), even though it's been exploited by filmmakers and others forever. But at least Edward G. Robinson got to have a pleasant demise in "Soylent Green."
-- Debussy's "Claire de Lune." Perfection, seemingly in any instrumental setting. (Maybe not trombone quintet, just a guess.)
-- "I'm Henry VIII I Am," Herman's Hermits. No explanation required.
-- "Court and Spark" by Joni, the whole damned album, tied with the "Blue" record in my mind, but with extra points for ace sidemen such as Pat Matheny.
-- "Capriccio Italien," Tchaikovsky.
-- "Moonlight Sonata," Beethoven; Todd's with me on that one.
-- Practically anything by Gordo.
-- Practically anything by James Taylor.
-- About half Most of what Steely Dan recorded.
-- Most of what jazz pianist Oscar Peterson recorded.
-- Everything Andres Segovia recorded.
-- NOT Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" -- it's masterful, but I have overheard each and every movement.
-- Virtually anything recorded by Eva Cassidy or Bonnie Raitt.
-- Any Hamm's Beer commercial.
-- A LOT of Fritz Kreisler stuff.
-- Quite a few Waylon, Willie, Elizabeth Cotten, Hank Williams and George Jones songs, plus many other country bumpkins.
-- Not so fond of Johnny Cash or Dylan stuff, although I know I should be.
-- Obvious guilty pleasures: Moody Blues, Santana, Jackson Browne, Fab Four, Lonnie, Soundholians. (Saved the two best for last.)
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Post by millring on Sept 29, 2023 20:00:24 GMT -5
60's pop. Rascals, Turtles, Lovin' Spoonful, Kinks, Spanky & Gang, Beach Boys. It's an era when I could listen to the radio all day and enjoy the vast majority of songs that came on.
Songwriter -- first generation: Paul Simon, James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot would be the holy trinity, with Jim Croce, Jackson Browne, Cat Stevens, Stephen Bishop, Harry Chapin, Kenny Loggins, and others of the heavenly host.
Songwriter -- second generation (too late for the pop fame the above achieved): Pierce Pettis, LJ Booth, Pat Donohue, Vance Gilbert -- all players I listened to on repeat all day long when I worked on the wheel.
American Standards -- Ballads. I guess I'm just not a tin pan alley kinda guy. Berlin in doses and depending on the musician, but more the Jerome Kern/Cole Porter kind. Moonlight in Vermont, The Very Thought of You, I'm Glad There is You, The Nearness of You, The Way You Look Tonight. The romantic stuff.
The modern bluegrass that followed after Tony Rice and John Hartford and Tim O'Brien. Nashville Bluegrass Band would be my very favorite, with Blue Highway coming in a close second. New Grass Revival, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Hot Rize. There was about a 20 year period when I probably listened to this the most often of anything in my collection. It was also when I was a more capable flatpicker and beginning mandolin player (a level I never got higher than).
But I still love being surprised by the odd song. Yesterday while casing my route I laughed myself to tears listening to Rick James' Super Freak.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 29, 2023 20:16:35 GMT -5
60's pop. Rascals, Turtles, Lovin' Spoonful, Kinks, Spanky & Gang, Beach Boys. It's an era when I could listen to the radio all day and enjoy the vast majority of songs that came on. Songwriter -- first generation: Paul Simon, James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot would be the holy trinity, with Jim Croce, Jackson Browne, Cat Stevens, Stephen Bishop, Harry Chapin, Kenny Loggins, and others of the heavenly host. Songwriter -- second generation (too late for the pop fame the above achieved): Pierce Pettis, LJ Booth, Pat Donohue, Vance Gilbert -- all players I listened to on repeat all day long when I worked on the wheel. Agree strongly with all of these, and can't bleeve I missed some of them on my list. ESPECIALLY Tony Rice and dawg music in its full spectrum, perhaps my ultimate desert-island soundtrack.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 29, 2023 20:20:19 GMT -5
p.s. My ultimate guitar-playing fantasy would be to be able to do what Tony Rice did with Grisman & Co., as I think I have mentioned here previously.
Another world.
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Post by Russell Letson on Sept 29, 2023 20:23:10 GMT -5
Musically, I'm the opposite of monogamous and I generally just love the one I'm with. Where to start? I can still listen with great pleasure to the first sure-enough jazz LP my parents got with an introductory batch of record-club items: "The Duke Plays Ellington," aka "Piano Reflections"--an off-the-cuff set of 1953 trio sessions. Similarly, the first Grappelli I bought was "Paris Encounter," with Gary Burton and Steve Swallow. I eventually bought every Grappelli album I could find (currently up to about 65). The other 1958 record-club discovery was orchestral Wagner--a Boston Symphony/Munch compendium)--which pointed me toward all the rest of 19th-century Romanticism. After that, it's branching fascinations. Early Django/Grappelli Hot Club material. Jazz fiddle in general (Joe Venuti, Svend Asmussen, Eddie South, Stuff Smith, and a dozen or more others). Then jazz guitar, particularly hot jazz and swing (Eddie Lang, George Barnes, Bucky Pizzarelli, Carl Kress, early Les Paul). And jazz in general from Monk and Zoot and a bunch of geriatric New Orleans players. . . . Solo fiddle led to the Bach violin and cello repertories (sonatas, partitas, suites) and the solo instrumental material in general (first the Well-Tempered Clavier, then everything else). Then all things baroque and renaissance, and forward into the post-romantics (Bartok!). And that's before I discovered Hawaiian music and klezmer and musette and bagpipes and accordions and Toots Thielman's chromatic harmonica. Wait--Bill asked for my favorites. Um, got a couple of hours? I have three or four thousand CDs and LPs to review. Did I mention Keely Smith? "Politely" has been stuck in my ear since those record-club LPs arrived.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 29, 2023 20:40:10 GMT -5
Like Russ, I'm a huge fan of Django and Grappelli. The latter reminds me that one of my favorite fiddlers no longer seems to be featured in her performances: Alison Krauss. I think she is an amazing instrumentalist. I understand the preoccupation around her wonderful voice, but back in the day there was this terrific blend of her playing and singing, and I miss the former.
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Post by drlj on Sept 29, 2023 21:20:36 GMT -5
This is too hard. I have typed five lists but keep thinking of people I left out. It’s easier to say there is good music and bad music. I like the good.
I love this song.
And this one.
And this. Especially this.
A song about a stripper, a song about a father’s car, and a sad tune about a sad town.
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Post by coachdoc on Sept 29, 2023 21:26:11 GMT -5
Mississippi John Hurt, Kweskin Jug Band.
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Post by Marty on Sept 29, 2023 23:11:16 GMT -5
I listen only when working. First choice is Surf, Twang guitar instrumental stuff. Although from time to time I'll switch to Jazz Fusion.
Surf is mostly in the key of E or as with Dick Dale 1/2 step down so the sax and brass players have somewhere to go while the guitar player still thinks he's in E. Want to rough tune the guitar your working on, there's usually an E tune going. A few tunes in A "Walk Don't Run". There is a YouTube video of Dick Dale and Stevie Ray doing "Pipeline" both tuned down and with ultra heavy strings, shredding a Surf tune.
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Post by jdd2 on Sept 30, 2023 5:11:45 GMT -5
I've been on a piano kick: Oscar Peterson--Tracks; a few different Ray Bryant discs; Chick Core + Ayumi (double disc); Chick + Peacock; Gene Harris; lots of various Michel Petrucciani
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Post by howard lee on Sept 30, 2023 7:47:46 GMT -5
Too many to collate here—lots of traditional country, bluegrass (traditional and contemporary), Beatles, The Band, string band swing, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Laura Nyro, early Rolling Stones, electric blues greats, Bob Dylan, Dan Hicks, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pretenders, Police, Talking Heads, Jobim, Gilberto, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Nina Simone, Lisa Simone, and so much more. That's more than ten, isn't it?
Anyone remember the late Buzzy Linhart? Haven't heard this in ages...
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Tamarack
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Ancient Citizen
Posts: 9,390
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Post by Tamarack on Sept 30, 2023 9:05:58 GMT -5
Way too much music has stirred my soul to summarize in any way. I am at heart both a classical music fan and an olde folkie.
Rising to the top are:
Classical: The Three Bs - Bach, Beethoven & Brahms, just about everything they composed. In recent years I have been binge-listening to the works of English pastoral composers, most notably Ralph Vaughan-Williams, and Armenian/Scottish/American Alan Hovhaness.
Guitarists: MJH, Leo Kottke, John Renbourn, Paul Simon
Songwriters: John Prine, Steve Goodman, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Jackson Browne
I'm not much of a jazz fan, but now and then a jazz pianist or saxophonist strikes me. Listened to a lot of Dave Brubeck in college and I remain smitten by Diana Krall.
Oddly enough, as much as I enjoy playing clawhammer banjo, I am not as enthralled with Appalachian old time music as I once was. I enjoy bluegrass only in small doses.
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Post by Marshall on Sept 30, 2023 11:37:33 GMT -5
You only get 10 choices. Quit cheating everybody.
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Post by Russell Letson on Sept 30, 2023 12:03:41 GMT -5
After more than 70 years of paying attention, ten choices would wind up being a random selection with no ranking relationship. Do I love the Beatles more than Bach? Vivaldi more than Grappelli or Gabby Pahinui? I can't even manage ten favorite categories--Doo-wop over madrigals? Baroque over middle-European-national (e.g., Dvorak, Smetana, & co.)? Western swing over bebop?
I suppose I could manage a ten-best list of ten-best ten-best lists. . . .
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Dub
Administrator
I'm gettin' so the past is the only thing I can remember.
Posts: 19,915
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Post by Dub on Sept 30, 2023 12:11:28 GMT -5
My attitude about music makes this exercise nearly impossible. My view is “If it’s good, it’s good!”
That can be true for any genre. An inspired performer or ensemble playing inspired music will always stand out and I will like it.
If I were at Russell’s house, I’m guessing I would like anything he chose to put on the turntable, but I might like some other things as well. I’m probably more partial towards bebop and bluegrass than Russell. Or not.
I went to see the group Oregon a couple of times. They were excellent musicians but never really cared for what they did. I loved seeing both Horace Silver and Chet Baker up close. Joe Williams and “Big” Joe Williams too.
An inspired symphony orchestra is an altogether amazing, inspiring thing. An average run-of-the-mill symphony is not.
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Post by John B on Sept 30, 2023 12:26:37 GMT -5
I feel like an odd person out here. Maybe it's because I grew up a decade or more later than many others here, or maybe because the popular music when I was growing up was different. I didn't really start broadening my horizons into an acoustic realm until my late 20's or early 30's, when I fell deep into a hole of early Hawaiian (the great guitar masters like Sol Ho'opi'i) and country blues (Charley Patton, anyone?). But here a couple I was listening to in high school that inspired me to try playing guitar.
Matthew Sweet is a deep love of mine, so I'll feature a couple here. I've met him a few times - the first time courtesy of the fact that my former in-laws were friends with his parents. I also gave him the electric guitar I built at RV.
I love Robert Quine's guitar playing. Apparently he was very committed to his vision of playing guitar and wasn't the easiest person to get along with. I can't find a whole lot of him live, but he's playing lead on this song.
Richard Lloyd is the other great lead guitar player on many of Matthew Sweet's albums. He's playing lead on "Sick of Myself" (Matthew Sweet) and was one of the two guitarists in Television. He's one of the twin guitars on this track, plus he takes the solo.
Here's another one of Matthew Sweet's, from his "California sound" period. For fans of the Wrecking Crew, he recorded it in some of the same studios, and Carol Kaye's even playing one of the basses on the song (in true Wrecking Crew fashion, more than one). Interestingly, when I googled "Matthew Sweet Wrecking Crew" the third result points to an 11-year-old Soundhole thread where I posted this song.
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Post by billhammond on Sept 30, 2023 13:17:37 GMT -5
You only get 10 choices. Quit cheating everybody. Did my IP set a limit?
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Post by drlj on Sept 30, 2023 14:11:26 GMT -5
Besides the people I posted videos from, I have been listening to Emily Remler, Julian Lage, Nefesh Mountain, Bob Minner(From Sulfur Springs to Rising Fawn), Kieran Kane with Fats Kaplan and Reyna Gellert, and a cool recording called Pioneers of the Jazz Guitar with recordings of Lonnie Johnson, Eddie Lang, Nick Lucas, and others. Dave Brubeck is taking 5 minutes of my time now and then as is John Pizzarelli. Not to mention a lot of Linda Rondstadt. And Bryon Sutton. I didn’t count, Marshall. Numbers, man! Numbers are a drag!
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Post by billhammond on Sept 30, 2023 14:22:53 GMT -5
You only get 10 choices. Quit cheating everybody. Ignore Marshall in this case. Note the first sentence of my initial post: I was gonna ask for your Top 10 choices, but realized that could be daunting or limiting, so I'd like to leave this open-ended.
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Post by Rob Hanesworth on Sept 30, 2023 16:13:38 GMT -5
Anything by Bobby Sherman.
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