Author Archives: HarryDJ

The Avett Brothers and Jackson Browne – Folk Rock Now & Then

Folk rock is getting plenty of attention these days.  With Mumford & Sons taking Best Album honors at the 2013 Grammy Awards, and John Mayer recalling the influences of the Laurel Canyon artists of the late 60’s and 70’s in his 2012 release “Born and Raised” (see our post from January 27 John Mayer), acoustic music and heart-felt songwriting are back.

The Avett Brothers were 2013 Grammy nominees for their sixth album “The Carpenter”, a Rick Rubin production.  We don’t know if the Avetts would claim him as an influence, but Jackson Browne’s 1974 classic album “Late for the Sky” shares some of the moods and breadth of “The Carpenter”, and Browne was among the central figures of that Laurel Canyon era.  Enjoy listening to “Winter in My Heart” from the Avetts and the title track of “Late for the  Sky”.

A nice set of interviews with the Avett Brothers and some unplugged performances appeared on CNN.  Start here:

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Frank Ocean’s and Stevie Wonder’s Best Albums

“It’s the future of soul music being invented in real time” said Rolling Stone of Frank Ocean’s second album “Channel Orange”.  Seems that others agree, voting it Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards.  Ocean performed the track “Thinkin Bout You” backed by a trippy guitar arrangement (that looks like John Mayer in the shadows, stage right) on Saturday Night Live.   See if you find some similarities to “Visions” from 1974’s Grammy winner for Best Album, Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions”.

If you like “Innervisions” era Stevie Wonder, you’ll probably also like the arrangement of Ocean’s “Sweet Life”.

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Music Documentaries – Ginger and Sixto and Their South African Connections

Two critically acclaimed rock music documentaries hit the screen in 2012, raising the profile of important musicians of years gone by – both with ties to South Africa.

Jay Bulger won the 2012 South by Southwest Film Festival Grand Prize for “Beware of Mr. Baker” about the life of rock drum innovator and legend Ginger Baker.   Bulger lived at Baker’s ranch in South Africa for months, interviewing him for the movie. Check out the trailer and then watch Baker play with Nigerian musicians, a phase of Baker’s life chronicled in the movie.

Malik Bendjelloul’s “Searching for Sugar Man” won numerous awards in 2012 and is nominated for a 2013 Oscar. The documentary follows two South Africans who set out to investigate what became of Sixto Rodriguez, an obscure American folk singer from Detroit whose songs became anthemic among whites involved in South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement.

See the film trailer (you have to click through to YouTube?) then listen to the tune that inspired the movie title from Rodriguez’s first album.

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Jazz Greats Play for All the Lonely People

We also like jazz at Music Now & Then – hope you do too.

In 2012 Chick Corea and Gary Burton released “Hot House”, marking 40 years of collaborations by the two jazz legends. Two tracks on the album won 2013 Grammys, “Mozart Goes Dancing” for Best Instrumental Composition and the title track for Best Improvised Jazz Solo.

The album also includes a cover of the Beatles classic “Eleanor Rigby”.  The song has been covered (and more recently sampled) by countless artists since its release in 1966, but it’s been a special favorite of jazz artists through the years.  In addition to Chick and Gary’s version, check out Stanley Jordan’s interpretation from his 1985 album “Magic Touch”.  Jordan’s unusual two-hand tapping technique makes his performance sound like the work of more than one musician.

If you like your jazz more in the classic vein, listen to Wes Montgomery’s cover released in 1967.  It’s from his album “A Day in the Life” – yes, another Beatles cover – that reached #1 on the Billboard Jazz Album chart that year.

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Allen Stone and Daryl Hall Bring Blue-eyed Soul

The buzz about Seattle blue-eyed soul singer Allen Stone is growing by the day.  He’s just been signed by Dave Matthews’ ATO records, and he’s been making the late night TV circuit.  Enjoy the living room performance of “Unaware” from his 2012 self-titled CD, then watch him perform with blue-eyed soul icon Daryl Hall on Hall’s web series “Live at Daryl’s House” (the link will take you to episode 59, then pull up “Celebrate Tonight” from the menu).

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/currentep.html?ep_id=74

And if you’d like to hear what Daryl was doing in his 20’s, listen to “Sara Smile” from the 1975 album “Daryl Hall and John Oates”.

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