Suggested Listening May 8, 2020

Hi everyone, here is our bi-weekly recommended listening posting for Friday, May 8, 2020.

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Our listening suggestions today includes ten music videos from YouTube that feature music and musicians you can stream through the library’s Freegal Music Service.

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There is an app for the Freegal Music Service, which you can find in your app store, or, alternately you can stream music to a PC from the Freegal Catalog by clicking on the following link:

https://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/home

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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Recommended Music Videos for Friday, May 8, 2020

Sixth Symphony (Pathétique) composed by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky and conducted by Herbert von Karajan with the Wiener Philharmonic: Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky was born on May 7, 1840 – so in celebration of the anniversary of the birth of this great classical composer – here is the one of his most popular compositions!

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Ninth Symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven (Genre: Classical): The great classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was first played publicly in Vienna, Austria on May 7, 1840. To commemorate the first performance of this classical classic, here is the entire 9th Symphony conducted, live, by the great conductor and composer Otto Klemperer.

And incidentally, Otto Klemperer’s son was the actor Werner Klemperer best known for portraying Colonel Klink on the TV series Hogan’s Heroes!

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La Route Du Bonheur by Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong & Django Reinhardt (Genre: Jazz, Classic Jazz, New Orleans Jazz, Swing Jazz): Classic Jazz by clarinetist & soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet, trumpeter Louis Armstrong & guitarist Django Reinhardt

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Lay Down by Melanie & The Edwin Hawkins Singers LIVE ’70 (Candles In The Rain) (Genre: Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Pop): Folk singer Melanie, born Melanie Safka, a break-out singer at Woodstock (1969) sings her best known song accompanied by the Gospel Group the Edwin Hawkins Singers

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Love Will Keep Us Together by the Captain & Tennille (Genre: Pop, Vocal, 70’s Pop): The Captain & Tennille, then husband and wife team Darryl Dragon on keyboards and Toni Tennille on vocals and keyboards, were maestros of bright, uplifting 70’s pop. On the unbelievable front, for those of us above a certain age, Toni Tennille turns 80 years young – today – May 8, 2020! Here is their first hit, the Neil Sedaka penned tune – Love Will Keep Us Together.

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Oh Well by Fleetwood Mac (1969): This is very early Fleetwood Mac, recorded back when they were still a blues rock band! The band, at that time, consisted of Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan all on guitars, and of course, Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass.

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On The Other Hand by Randy Travis (Genre: Country, Traditional Country, New Traditional Country): Randy Travis celebrated a birthday this week! He turned 61 on May 4, and to celebrate his birthday, and his music, here is one of the great songs from his very first album 1986’s Storms of Life.

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Piano Man by Billy Joel (Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Rock): Billy Joel will, unbelievably, celebrate his 71st birthday on Saturday, May 9. So here is the piano man with, what else, the great story song Piano Man!

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St. Louis Blues by W. C. Handy (Genre: Blues): W.C. Handy was born in Florence, Alabama in 1873 and was musical from a young age. He became an educator, composer, musician and band leader. He recorded and popularized traditional African American music, which is how he became known as the Father of The Blues. Here he is in 1949, on Ed Sullivan’s Toast of the Town show, playing one of his best-known songs – St. Louis Blues.

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Turn The Page by Bob Seger with Jason Aldean (Genre: Rock, Traditional Rock, Roots Rock): Bob Seger also celebrated a birthday this week, he turned 75th on May 6. In celebration of his terrific roots rock music, here he is singing Turn The Page (from his 1972 LP Back in ’72).