Suggested Listening August 9, 2019

Hi everyone, here are our lucky seven musical streaming* suggestions for the week.

Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969, Volumes 1 & 2 (2019) by Various Artists (Genre: Blues):

“Considering how important the blues were to the growth of American music, it’s little short of amazing that they flew under the radar of mainstream recognition in their native form for most of the 20th century. Until major country blues artists of the ’20s and ’30s were rediscovered by collectors in the early ’60s, most of them had scarcely been heard outside the Deep South. Modern electric performers fared well on the so-called “Chitlin’ Circuit” of venues in African-American communities, but it wasn’t until late in the decade, after being lionized by British stars, that they had visibility among mainstream listeners. With this in mind, it’s only so surprising that the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival, held on the campus of the University of Michigan, was one of the first times a significant number of major blues artists were booked to play on the same bill, appearing before an audience dominated by young white listeners. The organizers chose their performers wisely, and the stellar lineup included giants of electric blues (Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf), legendary country blues performers (Son House, Mississippi John Hurt), outstanding modern acts (Luther Allison, Magic Sam), venerable elder statespeople (Big Joe Williams, Big Mama Thornton, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup), and even some notable outliers (Clifton Chenier, appearing at a time when zydeco was little known among Midwestern blues fans).

Considering the importance of the event, it’s a shame that no one had the presence of mind to have professionals record the performances, but thankfully amateurs stepped in, and one of the fans who helped stage the festival brought along a tape recorder and documented most of the artists. These tapes went unheard outside a small circle of fans for nearly 50 years, but Third Man Records has belatedly compiled the highlights into a two-volume set, Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969.” – Mark Deming, AllMusic Review

Songs include So Glad You’re Mine, Everybody Must Suffer, Help Me, Hard Luck, Long Distance Call & Call It Stormy Monday.

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Country Squire (2019) by Tyler Childers (Genre: Country):

“When it comes to Tyler Childers, it’s tempting to read too much into album titles. Purgatory, his 2017 debut, did tend to hang suspended between the poles separating country and Americana, having its roots inflections feel spectral. Country Squire, on the other hand, is as sharp and stately as its title suggests. Working once again with producer Sturgill Simpson, Childers leans into the lean, twangy aspects of his sound without quite abandoning his cinematic ambition. Witness how the songs segue together, for instance: as the lazy shuffle “Gemini” fades to completion, the haunting roll of “House Fire” comes into focus. It’s a subtle trick, yet it’s one that subtly binds together Country Squire, giving it the illusion of a song cycle. A connective narrative may be elusive to find on Country Squire, but Childers is a sly storyteller, a gift that threatens to be overshadowed by the robust realization of his songs. Unlike Purgatory, there isn’t a spare moment to be found on Country Squire; even its slowest, saddest songs, such as the closing plea “Matthew,” feel vivid and complete. Considering how the album moves as swiftly as an EP, this richness feels like an achievement: with nine short songs, Tyler Childers has deepened and expanded the world he etched in Purgatory.” Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic Review

Song List: Country Squire, Bus Route, Creeker, Gemini, House Fire, Ever Lovin’ Hand, Peace of Mind, All Your’n and Matthew.

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Finch (2019) by Penny and Sparrow (Folk, Pop/Rock):

“Texas-raised duo Penny & Sparrow had to do some heavy touring to truly search their souls. They explore the resulting range of emotions and deliver it on their sixth album “Finch,” an effort thick with gorgeous tales of personal transformation.

Band members Andy Baxter and Kyle Jahnke were both raised in a conservative climate and sought to break free from the “white Evangelical Christian male” perspective that shaped their early surroundings, the band explains in liner notes.

Sonically, there is a smooth and soaring feel to most of the tracks, yet each has its own distinct energy. “Recuerda” is love song heavy on crooning, while “Don’t Wanna Be Without Ya” gives way to a galloping pace as the concept of reincarnated lovers is explored. “Long Gone” is sexy and sultry and highlights the fact that Baxter can absolutely sing a slow jam.

Ultimately, rich and breathy vocals with a slight choral effect carry the day here. There’s a dependable luster to Penny & Sparrow’s songs. Songs begin dour, but eventually find their footing and reveal hope amid bass lines and light guitar.

Think of this as Americana with a designer shirt. The traditional elements are there, but they’re layered with a modern sheen that sets the songs apart from a tired approach.” ABC News Review.

Song List: Long Gone, Eloise Preamble, Eloise, Don’t Wanna Be Without You, Cult Classically, Bishop, Recuerda, Hannah, Stockholm, It’s Hysterical and Gumshoe.

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It Came From 1999 Playlist by Various Artists:

This 84 song playlist features a great mix of popular songs from 1999. Music of that era is not my vintage; however, one of my co-workers assures me that if you were listening to the radio in 1999 and loving the music you heard – than you will like this playlist!

So let’s time travel over the airwaves back to 1999 and listen to Mariah Carey, Ricky Martin, Macy Gray, Creed, Silverchair, Fiona Apple, Destiny’s Child, Blaque and more as we pretend we’re back in 1999!

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Parlour Game (2019) by Jenny Scheinman & Allison Miller (Genre: Jazz):

“In jazz, some bands just happen. One relationship leads to another. Circumstances make for changed personnel. Then, shared moments occur onstage—an exalted passage of music, or just a feeling, that begs for more. Such is the case with Parlour Game, the new quartet led by violinist Jenny Scheinman and drummer Allison Miller.

The ensemble is most clearly an outgrowth of Boom Tic Boom, the sextet with which, during the past decade, Ms. Miller has established a sound that is at once free-wheeling and sturdy, and grounded in a trap-set technique that has made her among New York’s sought-after jazz drummers. That group deepened the bond Ms. Miller and Ms. Scheinman first formed 20 years ago, while working in New York’s downtown scene. Two years ago, when Boom Tic Boom’s pianist, Myra Melford, and bassist, Todd Sickafoose, were unavailable for a tour, Ms. Miller invited a frequent collaborator of hers, pianist Carmen Staaf, into the fold. Ms. Scheinman suggested bassist Tony Scherr, whom she knew from guitarist Bill Frisell’s bands.

Right away, things clicked. “I was in swinging heaven,” Ms. Miller said of playing with Mr. Scherr. “Sometimes a band grows from the rhythm section out,” Ms. Scheinman told me. “You just feel something irresistible. You want more.”

That sense of joyful attraction and shared hunger grounded in rhythmic acuity is nearly palpable on “Jenny Scheinman & Allison Miller’s Parlour Game” (Royal Potato Family), the quartet’s debut release. The album begins with the lighthearted and bouncy “Play Money” and ends with “Sleep Rider,” a spacious and meditative piece. In between, the group digs into several grooves: rolling Afrobeats on “116th & Congress”; stride rhythms on “Beans & Rice”; hints of hip-hop within the blues-tinged “Fake Weather”; and a funky groove, drawn from Washington, D.C.’s “go-go” sound, on “Miss Battle’s Cannonball.” Each track swings in its own way yet with a consistent sense of commitment, embodying what musicians call “the pocket”: a rhythmic feel that is firmly locked in but also relaxed to the point of elasticity.” — Larry Blumenfeld,The Wall Street Journal

Song List: Play Money, 116th & Congress, The Right Fit, Michigan, Fake Weather, Lead With Love, Beans & Rice, Meanwhile, Top Shelf, Miss Battle’s Cannonball and Sleep Rider,

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Sommernachtskonzert 2019 / Summer Night Concert 2019 Gustavo Dudamel & Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) (Genre: Classical, Band):

This is the companion album to the video broadcast of the Summer Night Concert being shown as part of PBS’s Great Performances series on Friday, August 9.

Here’s a synopsis of the concert from the PBS site: “Famed conductor and music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Gustavo Dudamel returns to the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace with the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra for Great Performances: Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2019, premiering Friday, August 9 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app. The program features popular selections from both European and American composers and is dedicated to the musical connection between continents: the old world of Europe and the new world of America.

The program includes Leonard Bernstein’s overture to “Candide” and American classics such as John Philipp Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” Renowned pianist Yuja Wang joins the orchestra for George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” and performs Chopin’s Waltz in C Sharp Minor, op. 64 #2 for an encore.

This year marks Dudamel’s second time conducting the annual concert special, having led the orchestra in 2012. Past conductors include Bobby McFerrin (2004), Zubin Mehta (2005 and 2015), Plácido Domingo (2006), Valery Gergiev (2007, 2011 and 2018), Georges Prêtre (2008), Daniel Barenboim (2009), Franz Welser-Möst (2010), Lorin Maazel (2013), Christoph Eschenbach (2014 and 2017) and Semyon Bychkov (2016). The free outdoor concert is broadcast to more than 80 countries worldwide.

Music Selections and Composers:

Overture to “Candide” – Leonard Bernstein
“Rhapsody in Blue” – George Gershwin
Waltz in C sharp minor, op.64 #2 – Frédéric Chopin
“Casablanca Suite” – Max Steiner
“The Stars and Stripes Forever” – John Philipp Sousa
Adagio for Strings – Samuel Barber
“The Star-Spangled Banner March,” op. 460 – Carl Michael Ziehrer
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, op. 95 “From the New World,” 4th movement, allegro con fuoco – Antonín Dvořák

Encores:

“Hoe-Down” from “Rodeo” – Aaron Copland
“Viennese Spirit” waltz – Johann Strauss (Jr.)

Notable Talent:

Gustavo Dudamel, conductor, internationally renowned music and artistic director and conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Yuja Wang, critically acclaimed Beijing-born pianist featured as an artist-in-residence at three world-famous venues: Carnegie Hall, the Wiener Konzerthaus, and the Luxembourg Philharmonie; named Musical America’s Artist of the Year in 2017.” – PBS

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John Williams Plays Bach: The Complete Lute Music on Guitar by John Williams (1975/1986) by John Williams:

The great classical guitarist John Williams, not to be confused with the equally great stage and screen composer John Williams (Star Wars, E.T., Jaws, Saving Private Ryan etc.), offers the complete music J.S. Bach wrote for lute – all four lute suites: Suite for Lute in E minor, BWV 996, Partita for Lute in C Minor, MWV 997, Partita for Lute in E major, BWV 100a and Suite for Lute in G minor, BWV 995.

Videos of the Week:

Call It Stormy Monday by T-Bone Walker & Various Artists

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Hard Luck by Howlin’ Wolf & His Orchestra

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So Glad You’re Mine by Arthur “Big Boy, Crudup & Various Artists

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All Your’n by Tyler Childers

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House Fire by Tyler Childers

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Don’t Wanna Be Without Ya by Penny and Sparrow

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Eliose by Penny and Sparrow

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To Your Love by Fiona Apple

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Large Than Life by Backstreet Boys

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Superman vs. Lloyd by Kissing Book

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Michigan by Jenny Scheinman & Allison Miller

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Parlour Game by Jenny Scheinman & Allison Miller

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Candide: Overture by Gustavo Dudamel an the Wiener Philharmoniker (Summer Night Concert 2019)

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Sousa: Stars and Stripes Forever (Summer Night Concert 2019) by Vienna Philharmonic

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Teaser trailer for the Summer Night Concert 2019 which will be shown on PBS on Friday, August 9, 2019

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Lute Suite No. 1 composed by J.S Back and performed by John Williams

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Prelude from Lute Suite 4, BWV – 1006 composed by J.S. Bach & performed by John Williams

Have a great weekend!

Linda Reimer, SSCL

REFERENCES:

Print References

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn

Online References

AllMusic: https://www.allmusic.com/

Bach: The Four Lute Suites / John Williams
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=139564

Great Performances: Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2019: About:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/great-performances-vienna-philharmonic-summer-night-concert-2019-about/9786/

Music Review: ‘Finch’ from Penny & Sparrow is a gem from ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/music-review-finch-penny-sparrow-gem-64742994

Music Review ‘Jenny Scheinman & Allison Miller’s Parlour Game’ Review: A Joyful Collaboration by Larry Blumenfeld for The Wall Street Journal
https://www.wsj.com/articles/jenny-scheinman-allison-millers-parlour-game-review-a-joyful-collaboration-11565019651

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*Freegal is a free streaming music service available for free to library cardholders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries. STLS member libraries include all the public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler, and Allegany counties — including our own Southeast Steuben County Library.

You can download the Freegal music app to your mobile device or access the desktop version of the site by clicking on the following link:

*The Freegal service offers library card holders the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day.

Tech Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.