Suggested Listening May 1, 2020

Hi everyone, here is our bi-weekly recommended listening posting for Friday, May 1, 2020.

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Our listening suggestions today includes ten streaming albums, from the Freegal Music Catalog, and a selection of related music videos.

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If you have questions about how to use the Freegal Music Service, please let me know! You can contact me by leaving a message on the blog.

Or, you can send an email to the following address reimerl@stls.org and I’ll get back to you!

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Freegal Streaming Suggestions:

500 Miles Away From Home (1963) by Bobby Bare (Genre: Country, Pop, Folk)

Bobby Bare was born in Ohio, made his first guitar as a child, dropped out of school as a youth, became a professional musician in his teens and then moved to California to have a better shot at becoming a successful musician and recording artist. His first hit single “All American Boy” was released in 1959 and he’s been performing and recording ever since. 500 Miles Away From Home is his first album and the songs offer a pleasing mix of country and folk with a bit of what today we’d call a social justice theme mixed in.

Songs List:
500 Miles Away from Home
Homestead on the Farm
Let Me Tell You About Mary
Abilene
Gotta Travel On
Lynchin’ Party (LR Note: The song focuses on mob mentality and the evils of racism)
Worried Man Blues
I Wonder Where You Are Tonight
Noah’s Ark
Sailor Man
What Kind of Bird Is That
Jeannie’s Last Kiss

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Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath (2014) by Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath (Genre: R&B, Funk, Rock)

On Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath, the Austin based Latin funk band covers Black Sabbath’s songs and makes them their own – in a upbeat, funky way!

Songs List: The Wizard, Iron Man, N.I.B., Black Sabbath, Hand of Doom, Into the Void & Planet Caravan.

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Boardwalk Party: 50 Old Fashioned Jazz Songs Various Artists (Genre: Vocal, Jazz)

Just like the title says, this collection features 50 old fashioned jazz songs, horns and velvety vocals abound with a pinch and dash of strings.

Songs/artists include: I’m in the Mood for Love by Doris Day, Big Noise from Winnetka by Bob Crosby, Fire Dance by Woody Herman, A Night in Tunisia by Dizzy Gillespie, Love in New Orleans by Gerry Mulligan, The Mocche by Duke Ellington & Telestar by The London Pops Orchestra.

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The Legendary Sun Classics by Carl Perkins (Genre: Traditional Rock, Rockabilly)

Carl Perkins isn’t as well known today as he should be; he is remembered by many simply for his song Blue Suede Shoes, which was a much bigger hit for Elvis Presley. However, this early rock pioneer was a terrific guitar player incorporating country and blues influences into his early rock style. He greatly influenced many subsequent guitarists including George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Brian Setzer and Dave Edmunds; and indeed, the Beatles recorded several of his songs on their early albums.

The song on this album were recorded during his Sun Records days, when the head honcho of Sun Records, Sam Phillips, was also recording some other up and coming musicians named Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, and if you like guitar music – check this LP out!

Song List:
Blue Suede Shoes
Matchbox
Put Your Cat Clothes On
Dixie Fried
Honey Don’t
Let The Jukebox Keep On Playing
Boppin’ The Blues
Movie Magg
Pink Pedal Pushers
Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby
Right String Baby
Wrong Yo-Yo
Sure To Fall
That Don’t Move Me
Caldonia

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Love In a Smalltown (1990) by K.T. Oslin (Genre: Country)

Love In a Smalltown is a classic album by the feminist country singer K. T. Oslin; which weaves feminist themes and details of small town life into the grooves of the music.

Song List: Come Next Monday, Oo-Wee, Mary and Willie, Love Is Strange, Momma Was a Dancer, New Way Home, Cornell Crawford, Still On My Mind, You Call Everybody Darling & Two Hearts.

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On Fire With Louis Jordan by Louis Jordan (Genre: Jazz, Blues, R&B)

On Fire is a collection of the great saxophonist and jump band leader Louis Jordan vintage music. Jordan was a very energetic performer and you can hear that in the music!

Songs in the 25-song set include Cat Scratchin’, Ain’t Nobody Here but Us Chickens, Whiskey, Do Your Stuff, Let The Good Time Roll, Gotta Go, Caldonia, Chicken Back, Ella Mae, Choo Choo Ch’boogie, A Dollar Down, I’ve Seen What You’ve Done & Saturday Night Fish Fry.

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Open Fire, Two Guitars (1959) by Johnny Mathis (Genre: Vocal, Easy Listening)

Open Fire, Two Guitars is a 12-song collection of soothing tunes from the inestimable Johnny Mathis. And the “open fire”, refers to a fire in a fireplace and not gun fire, so rest assured, this is a calming collection of music!

Song List: Open Fire, Bye Bye Blackbird, In the Still of the Night, Embraceable You, I’ll Be Seeing You, Tenderly, When I Fall In Love, I Concentrate On You, Please Be Kind, You’ll Never Know, I’m Just A Boy In Love & My Funny Valentine,

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Philadelphia Pop: Rockin’ and Croonin’ on Bandstand, 1957-1959 BY Various Artists

Philadelphia Pop: Rockin’ and Croonin’ on Bandstand, 1957-1959 is a 44-song blast from the past collection of early rock favorites from Philadelphia based musicians. Songs/artists in the collection include: Butterfly by Charlie Gracie, Turn Me Loose by Fabian, Venus by Frankie Avalon, At the Hop by Danny and the Juniors, All I Want Is You by Bobby Rydell, Get a Job by The Silhouettes & I Dig Girls by Frankie Avalon

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The James P. Johnson Collection 1921-49 (Genre: Jazz)

Victory Stride: The Symphonic Music Of James P. Johnson (Genre: Jazz, Classical)

James P. Johnson was the premier stride pianist of the 1920s and 1930s, and influenced many subsequent musicians including Duke Ellington, Fats Waller & Thelonious Monk. Johnson was a very versatile musician and played classical and jazz music. He backed a number of prominent jazz and blues players of the era, including Ethel Waters, Clarence Williams and Bessie Smith, as well as leading his own band and producing solo recordings. Johnson spent most of the 1930s working on in-depth & longer compositions and returned to shorter works in the 1940s.

The James P. Johnson Collection 1921-49 allows us to hear the great musical talent of Johnson playing stride piano. Songs in the 47-song set includes The Harlem Strut, Carolina Shout, Harlem Woogie, Dear Old Southland, Old Fashioned Love & Boogie Woogie Stride.

The Victory Stride collection features longer Johnson compositions recorded by the Concordia Orchestra with Marin Alsop conducing & Leslie Stifleman on piano. Songs on the LP include Victory Stride (1944), Harlem Symphony, Subway Journey (1932), Harlem Symphony, April in Paris (1932), Harlem Symphony, Night Club (1932), Harlem Symphony (1932), Baptist Mission & American Symphonic Suite (1934) Based on St. Louis Blues by W. C. Handy.

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Your Good Girls Gonna Go Bad (1967) by Tammy Wynette (Genre: Country)

Your Good Girls Gonna Go Bad is the debut album by the classic country singer Tammy Wynette. The record features her first two hit singles and can be heard as musical snap-shot of what great country music sounded like in the mid-sixties.

Song List: Apartment No. 9, Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind), Don’t Touch Me, There Goes My Everything, Send Me No Roses, Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad, Walk Through This World With Me, I’m Not Mine to Give, I Wound Easy (But I Heal Fast) & Almost Persuaded

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Recommended Videos:

500 Miles by Bobby Bare

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Homestead On The Farm by Bobby Bare

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Planet Caravan by Brownout

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The Wizard by Brownout

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Prelude to a Kiss by Mel Tormé

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Stardust by Carmen McRay

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Boppin’ The Blues by Carl Perkins

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Where The Rio de Rosa Flows by Carl Perkins

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Come Next Monday by K. T. Oslin

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New Way Home by K. T. Oslin

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Caldonia by Louis Jordan

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Saturday Night Fish Fry by Louis Jordan

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Bye, Bye Blackbird by Johnny Mathis

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When I Fall in Love by Johnny Mathis

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Cool Baby by Charlie Gracie

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Turn Me Loose by Fabian

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Harlem Strut by James P. Johnson

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Harlem Symphony, Night Club composed by James P. Johnson and performed by The Concordia Orchestra, Marin Alsop conducing with Leslie Stifleman on piano