Tag: Eric Clapton

Suggested Listening March 30, 2018

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our five musical recommendations for the week; four streaming suggestions and one recommended album on CD.

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album you want to listen to!)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

Modern Lore (2018) by Julian Lage (Genre: Jazz, Instrumental):

Julian Lage was born on December 25, 1987 and was a child prodigy who learned to play the guitar by the age of five. As a child he played with a number of world renowned musicians including: Carlos Santana, Pat Metheny, Toots Thielemans, David Grisman and others. In 1997, he was the focus of the Academy Award Winning documentary Jules at Eight.

So we can safely say this young man can really play the guitar!

Lage’s Modern Lore LP features the following songs: The Ramble, Atlantic Limited, General Thunder, Splendor Riot, Look Book and Whatever You Say, Henry.

Hallelujah Nights (2018) by LANCO (Genre: Country, Pop, Rock):

LANCO, which is short for Lancaster & Company, is a quintet featuring Brandon Lancaster on vocals, Eric Steedly on guitar, Jared Hampton on keyboard, Chandler Baldwin on bass and Tripp Howell on drums.

The group’s music can aptly be described as feel good country-rock – which is always fun!

Hallelujah Nights is the band’s 2018 release and it features the songs: Born to Love You, Long Live Tonight, Greatest Love Story, We Do, Singin’ at the Stars and Middle of the Night.

Coming Home (2015) by Leon Bridges (Genre: Soul, R&B, Pop):

AllMusic aptly describes Bridges as a “Singer, songwriter, and guitarist who emerged on Columbia in 2015 with a rich retro-soul sound.”

I agree with that assessment 100%. This is a lovely album – if you like classic soul and R&B it is right down your street! And I can’t believe that Bridges is as young as he is! He was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1989! But, wow, listening to this album you get the impression he would have been right at home playing R&B in the 1960s.

Songs on the LP include: Coming Home, Better Man, Brown Skin Girl, Smooth Sailin’, Shine, Flowers and Twistin’ & Groovin’

100 Hits Vintage Nº1 (Genre: Vintage, Vocal, Pop):

This collection features one hundred hits from the golden age of pop! Artists featured in this collection include Doris Day, The McGuire Sisters, Paul Anka, Judy Garland, Betty Johnson, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Cleo Laine, Billie Holiday and many more.

Songs in the collection include: Que Será, Será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) by Doris Day, Brother Bill by Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong, Sway by Rosemary Clooney with Perez Prado and His Orchestra, Rum and Coca Cola by The Andrew Sisters, Besame Mucho by Eyde Gorme and Steve Lawrence, Frenesi by The Four Freshman and more.

Bonus Streaming Suggestion:

Snake Drive by Eric Clapton from the V/A Collection The Beginning (Genre: Blues, Blues-Rock, Rock, Classic Rock):

The Freegal Music Catalog mainly features music from SONY Records and its offshoots so there isn’t much music by Eric Clapton in the catalog.

However, since today, March 30, is Eric Clapton’s 73rd birthday, I’m going to recommend you give a listen to one of the two instrumental tunes he did early in his career that appear on this LP: Freightloader or Snake Drive. The songs are from a various artists collection with a long name: The Beginning: Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Jimmy Page. Masterpieces, Vol. 1 (Remastered). And the collection features some neat songs but a couple that have less than stellular sound quality so those that value pristine sound quality beware!

CD of the Week:

Trumpet Blues The Best of Harry James (Genre: Swing, Pop, Traditional Jazz):

Harry James was an enthusiastic trumpet player and band leader. Indeed, he ran one of the most popular bands of the Swing Era. He even hired a young and unknown singer for his band – one that in short order became a household name – Frank Sinatra.

Trumpet Blues features recordings of songs that James first recorded in the 1930s and 1940s. The sound quality of many of those early recordings wasn’t so hot so James re-recorded them with more higher end equipment in the 1950s.

Songs on the LP include: Trumpet Blues, Moten Swing, I’m Beginning To See The Light, Sleepy Lagoon, I’ve Heard That Song Before and It’s Been A Long, Long Time.

Videos of the Week:

Roger, The Dodger by Julian Lage

Greatest Love Story by LANCO

Smooth Sailin’ by Leon Bridges

Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be) by Doris Day

Snake Drive by Eric Clapton

Have a great weekend!

Linda, SSCL

*A library card is required to use the Freegal Music Service. If you live in the service area of the Southern Tier Library System, that contains the public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Alleghany counties in New York State, you can get a library card for free at your nearest public library – including our own Southeast Steuben County Library in Corning, New York. The Freegal Music Service is free for all library card holders to access.

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information:

http://www.allmusic.com/

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)

P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713

*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and includes our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York!

Library cards are free if you live in our service area. And you can obtain a card by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features your name and your current address.

Non-Fiction DVD Recommendations 10 20 17

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here are our recommended non-fiction DVDs for this week!

(Click on the photos to request the DVDs)

Carl Perkins & Friends Blue Suede Shoes A Rockabilly Session:

Description: The appearances of two ex-Beatles, including the late George Harrison, are among the principal attractions in this hour-long 1985 TV show, which spotlights one of the prime movers behind the rock-and-country blend known as rockabilly. Carl Perkins, who died in 1998, was the composer of “Blue Suede Shoes” and other classics, as well as a highly influential guitar player. Here he’s joined by a host of luminaries, including Eric Clapton, musical director Dave Edmunds, Rosanne Cash, and members of the Stray Cats, in addition to Harrison and Ringo Starr, who perform the Perkins tunes (“Matchbox” and “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”) that the Beatles recorded lo, these many decades ago. But star power notwithstanding, it’s Perkins’s show all the way. Not only can the man still play, but he’s clearly basking in all the attention–as is Harrison, whose rare live performances should be treasured all the more now that he’s gone. –Sam Graham, Amazon Review.

Dewey Number: DVD 781.64 CAR

Trailer:

Following Sean:

Description: In 1969, young San Francisco filmmaker Ralph Arlyck won awards and sparked controversy when he interviewed his 4 year old upstairs neighbor, a boy named Sean, who–among other things–discussed smoking pot. Many years later, Arlyck returned to California to find Sean again, and over the following decade crafted Following Sean. This rich, complex documentary delves into Sean’s life, his family, and Arlyck’s own family to create a meditation on work, parents and children, and personal freedom.

Dewey Number:DVD 155.7 FOL

Trailer:

Helvetica:

Description: Changing the world, one letter at a time…Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about their work, the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day.

Dewey Number:DVD 741.6 HEL

Trailer:

Have a great weekend!
Linda, SSCL

Don’t forget you can visit the library on Saturday and check out DVDs, books, CDs and other materials! We’re open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays!

Weekly Recommended Listens: July 2017, Week 2: Sixties Rock: The Second British Invasion – British Rock From 1967-1970

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, this is week 2 of our month long look at the music of the second British Invasion of the Sixties, which encompasses music of British bands released between June 1967 and the end of the Sixties.

This week we’ll be taking a look at the music of Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd & Traffic.

I. Links to AllMusic Biographies of the Artists/Groups of the Week:

Jeff Beck’s AllMusic Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
https://goo.gl/5y9KFH

Pink Floyd’s All Music Biography by Richie Unterberger
https://goo.gl/BIu6NF

Traffic’s All Music Biography by William Ruhlmann
https://goo.gl/YdIC8B

II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music):

Jeff Beck: Jeff Beck, is one of the guitarists of the Sixties that you can truly describe as a guitarist’s guitarist in the same way you might say a writer is a writer’s writer – meaning of course, that he has great skill in the way he plays the guitar. Like many of his contemporaries Beck went to art school before launching a music career. He replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds before forming the Jeff Beck Group in 1967 with future Faces and solo artist Rod Stewart on vocals, future Faces and Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood on bass and Mickey Waller on drums. This line-up released two albums which to my ears hold up well. Beck has always been a great guitarist and he seems to care much more for playing his guitar than making commercial records, as is illustrated by his releasing a number of all instrumental albums over the years, so in many ways these first two albums he made with the classic Jeff Beck Group line-up, and including a great vocalist, are the most accessible to rock fans.

So here are links to stream those first two LPs and a greatest hits collection titled Beckology:

Truth (1968)
https://goo.gl/8kCdfM

Beck-Ola (1969)
https://goo.gl/ZazHKf

Beckology
https://goo.gl/LwhhHA

Pink Floyd: Pink Floyd formed in London in 1965 and the original line-up of the band included Syd Barrett on guitar and lead vocals, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, Nick Mason on drums and Richard Wright on keyboards. Barrett was the main songwriter for the band’s first two LPs, Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Saucerful of Secrets. Longtime Pink Floyd member David Gilmore join the band on guitar after the recording of their first LP. After Barrett’s departure in 1968, Waters took over as the group’s main songwriter. And of course, the band went on to release one of the most successful albums of all time with their 1973 masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon.

And notably, streaming-wise, the Freegal Music Catalog is full of Pink Floyd albums!

Here are links to stream their sixties albums:

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)
https://goo.gl/QSSbjX

A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)
https://goo.gl/Z8pgwc

More (1969)
https://goo.gl/vXFBsm

Ummagumma (1969)
https://goo.gl/NY84Y6

Traffic: Traffic formed in 1967 and featured the then 19-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood, Dave Mason on guitar and vocals, Chris Wood on flute and other reed instruments and Jim Capaldi on drums and vocals.

Traffic released four albums in the sixties:  Mr. Fantasy (1967), Heaven Is in Your Mind (1967), Traffic (1968) & Last Exit (1969).

Unfortunately, The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t feature any albums by Traffic. However, they do offer a version of The Blind Faith classic Can’t Find My Way Home by the songwriter himself – Steve Window – recorded live in concert and from from the forthcoming album Winwood’s Greatest Hits Live which is being released September 1.

Here’s the link:

https://goo.gl/mZByvu

Also of note, you can stream both of the following Traffic albums via YouTube:
Dear Mr. Fantasy
https://goo.gl/nBQe31

Traffic
https://goo.gl/2QZBfd

III. CD & DVD Music Recommendations Of The Week

Jeff Beck:

The two Jeff Beck Group LPs released in the Sixties, Truth and Beck-Ola will be available on CD and to request via StarCat shortly.

Pink Floyd:

The first two Pink Floyd albums are available to request right now!


Piper at the Gates of Dawn
https://goo.gl/s4BvVa

Saucerful of Secrets
https://goo.gl/zRu7Kz

Traffic:

Traffic’s first album, Mr. Fantasy, is available to request now.

Mr. Fantasy
https://goo.gl/wLMX7P

Traffic (self-titled LP)

And coming soon the band’s excellent third album the self-titled Traffic which has a record in StarCat but isn’t quite ready to circulate yet — here’s the link to use once the CD’s status changes to available:

https://goo.gl/ZiGaFE

Bonus DVD Recommendation:

The Secret Policeman’s Balls DVD Collection: 

I’ve included this DVD set as the 1981 Amnesty International benefit ball, The Secret Policemen’s Other Ball, features some wonderful guitar playing by both Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. And I recall being in the old Record Town down at the Arnot Mall in Big Flats, NY, in the early eighties, and hearing the album and asking where they had copies to purchase — only to be told the album they were playing, with that great guitar music, belonged to a staff member and they didn’t have any copies in the store to sell!

The Secret Policeman shows featured both comedy acts and music – here’s a review from Amazon that offers more information on the set: Imagine Saturday Night Live, in its heyday, but as a live series of hot-ticket events, with the best stand-up comics, sketch actors, and rockers of the time, held to benefit a good cause–all with a decidedly British accent. That comes close to describing the magic mayhem of The Secret Policeman’s Ball performances held as fund-raisers for Amnesty International from the late ’70s through the late ‘80s. This boxed set is a pop culture fan’s dream; included are all the members of Monty Python, Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie (pre-House and pre-Black Adder), Dudley Moore, Peter Cook, Jennifer Saunders, and the Beyond the Fringe troupe–and that’s just the comics. Musicians include Sting, Pete Townshend, Phil Collins, Lou Reed, Joan Armatrading, and duets between Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, and Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins. And a very baby-faced Bob Geldof, who admits in an interview that these Balls spawned the idea for Live Aid and other events for charity. The best gem of all–and the best place to start to appreciate the depth and breadth of the series–is a 2004 documentary featuring interviews with some of the original shows’ principals, looking back on their younger selves and the current of the times. John Cleese, the true ringmaster of the events, recalls making the original phone calls and arranging for a West End theater to be available after its regular production ended. The programs became so popular that they made stars of the youngsters (Laurie, Stephen Fry, Atkinson), and brought worldwide attention for the first time to Amnesty International. Some bits are beloved and done here again–including the Pythons’ “Lumberjack Song” and “The Dead Parrot.” Cleese recalls, and the filmmakers oblige by including, a speech Margaret Thatcher later gave in the ‘80s where she repeated the “Dead Parrot” bit line for line about a piece of legislation–and bringing the audience to its knees. A young Barry Humphreys (Dame Edna, as a brunette) and a bushy-haired Billy Connolly are also delightful. The music acts are delicious, including Townshend’s acoustic duet with the American classical guitarist John Williams, and Phil Collins appearing onstage at a piano solo for the first time ever. Equal parts silly and inspiring, this boxed set will be in heavy rotation for the comedy and music fan. –A.T. Hurley, Amazon.com

Additionally, the shows feature historic unplugged performances by Pete Townshend, Sting, Phil Collins, Bob Geldof, Peter Gabriel, Donovan, Jackson Browne, Lou Reed, Kate Bush and Joan Armatrading. Also featured are rare duets from guitar legends Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler & Chet Atkins.

The Balls:

Pleasure At Her Majesty’s (1976)

The Secret Policeman’s Ball (1979)

The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball (1981)

The Secret Policeman’s Third Ball (1987)

The Secret Policeman’s Biggest Ball (1989)

And here’s a link to request the entire Secret Policeman’s collection via StarCat:

https://goo.gl/Rr8uAc

IV. Videos Of This Weeks’ Artists/Groups

The Jeff Beck Group:

You Shook Me

Plinth – Water Down The Drain

Pink Floyd:

Interstellar Overdrive

Astronomy Domine

Traffic:

Hole in My Shoe

Dear Mr. Fantasy recorded live in Santa Monica, California in 1972

Bonus Videos:

Jeff Beck & Eric Clapton playing Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers from The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball — the intro by the concert organizer is interesting but if you want to skip that and just listen to the music — fast forward to about 2 minuets into the clip.

Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck playing Shake Your Money Maker from the 2010 Crossroads Concert:

V. Print References:

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)

Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide by Robert Santelli (Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.)

Online References:
Jeff Beck’s AllMusic Discography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
https://goo.gl/F8yrsU

A Guitar Hero Won’t Play the Game by Larry Rohter published in The New York Times – February 12, 2010:
https://goo.gl/GbtD

Jeff Beck Talks Seeing Jimi Hendrix, Topical New LP  https://goo.gl/G0gnqh

Pink Floyd’s All Music Discography by Richie Unterberger by Richie Unterberger
https://goo.gl/cWDcyM

Traffic’s All Music Discography by William Ruhlmann
https://goo.gl/4iWBvc

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713.

*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.

 

Weekly Recommended Listens: May 2017, Week 4: Sixties Rock: The First British Invasion Concluded

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, this week we’re concluding our cliff notes look at the first British Invasion. And in June our musical theme will be the American Response to that First British Invasion!

And as it has been super, super busy in Library Land this week this will be a cliff notes posting – as I’ve just run out of week!

But we’ll hit the high notes and you’ll be able to stream or request some great music with new CDs of the artists of the week to be available shortly.

And our artists for this week are:

The Yardbirds,

The Spencer Davis Group

&

The Who.

I. Links to AllMusic Artist Bios:

The Yardbirds AllMusic Biography by Richie Unterberger
https://goo.gl/SRCVGL

The Spencer Davis Group AllMusic Biography by Bill Dahl
https://goo.gl/YXHWQB

The Who AllMusic Biography
https://goo.gl/1RdCtO

Freegal Notes:

To access Freegal Music from a desktop or laptop simply click on the following link:
http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/

The Freegal Music Catalog homepage will display — it looks like this:

The Freegal Music app can be found in your app store and it looks like this:

II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week:

The Spencer Davis Group:
The Spencer Davis Group was a blue eyed soul group consisted of Steve Winwood in his pre-Traffic, Blind Faith and solo artist days, on keyboard and vocals, his brother Muff Winwood on bass, drummer Peter York and guitarist Spencer Davis. The band played organ-centric rock and their best known songs include: Keep On Running, I’m A Man and Gimme Some Lovin’.

I’m A Man 

From the LP Soul Goes Psychedelic
The Freegal Music Catalog features many albums by The Spencer Davis group. However, most of them do not feature Steve Winwood on vocals.
I did manage to find a radio version of I’m A Man that features Steve Winwood on vocals – on a collection titled Soul Goes Psychedelic. The collection also features music by The Brothers Johnson, Santana, Blues Image, The Soul Survivors and Ike & Tina Turner.

Here’s a link to stream the Soul Goes Psychedelic album: https://goo.gl/ue4cWH

The Yardbirds: The Yardbirds are best known for three of the great rock guitarists that played in the band in the sixties: Eric Claption, Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page. The group played a mix of traditional rock and R&B; and the original band consisted of Keith Relf on vocals and harmonica, Chris Deja and Anthony Topham on guitars, Paul Samwell-Smith on bass and Jim McCartey on drums. Eric Clapton replaced Topham in 1963 and he was in turn replaced by Jeff Beck in 1965. Jimmy Page joined the band in 1966. The group disbanded in 1968 and Page formed a new group, original called the New Yardbirds, which shortly after forming changed their name to Led Zeppelin.

Five Live Yardbirds (with Eric Clapton on guitar)
https://goo.gl/HwpzRJ

Roger The Engineer (with Jeff Beck on guitar)
https://goo.gl/dTxNJf

The Yardbirds Story: This 89 song collection features every recording The Yardbirds made from 1963 – 1966. The set includes A Certain Girl, Heart Full of Soul, Shapes of Things, Five Long Years and more.
https://goo.gl/le9jhu

The Who:

The Who formed in London in the early sixties and consisted of Roger Daltrey on vocals, Pete Townshend on guitar, John Entwistle on bass and Keith Moon on drums. The band had, to say the least, a very energetic and flamboyant stage presence.

And for the purposes of this posting we’re only talking about their sixties music – I feel I should point that out in case you’re not familiar with their work –and also as they put out some great albums in the seventies.

Summer Time Blues & My Generation

From The Monterey Pop Festival album:
https://goo.gl/HZezhe

The Who Live from Discos Cada Record

The Freegal Music Catalog features only one album by The Who all on their own – titled The Who Live. The album was put out by Discos Cada Records in 2011. The recordings seems to be of the band playing live and the sound and editing quality is only average at best. However, if you’re a major Who fan you might want to check it out: https://goo.gl/XF0912

Freegal Wild Card Streaming Pick Of The Week:

Bob Dylan – The Complete Album Collection – The 60’s
Since Bob Dylan’s birthday was this week, May 24 to be exact, I’m going to recommend you stream at least part of the set The Complete Album Collection – The 60’s which does indeed feature all the songs on all of Dylan’s sixties albums. This is great music for a holiday weekend: https://goo.gl/wGVvOz

III. Compact Discs Recommendations:

The Spencer Davis Group:


Eight Gigs a Week: The Steve Winwood Years:

This collection features all of the 51 songs recorded by the band while Steve Winwood was with them! So you get the hits, including Keep On Running, I’m A Man & Gimme Some Lovin’ and many more songs.

Here’s a link to request the CD: https://goo.gl/EX31Q0

The Yardbirds:


Greatest Hits Volume 1:

This Rhino records collection features the band’s hits released between 1964 and 1966. Including the songs: For Your Love, Evil Hearted You, Shapes of Things and A Certain Girl:   https://goo.gl/DymOl2


Also coming soon is The Yardbirds Story on CD – this  the same 89 song set mentioned in the streaming section – this time in a four compact disc set.
You can’t request the set just yet – but here is the link to the request page:
https://goo.gl/MXMM1v

IV: Videos Of This Weeks’ Artists/Groups:

Spencer Davis Group:

I’m A Man

Gimme Some Lovin’

Yardbirds:

I Wish You Would (With Eric Clapton)

For Your Love (With Jeff Beck)

Heart Full of Soul (With Jimmy Page)

The Who:

Anyway Anyhow Anywhere 

I Can’t Explain

VI. General References:

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)

Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide by Robert Santelli (Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.)

The Spencer Davis Group AllMusic Discography by Bill Dahl
https://goo.gl/V8ob6D

The Who Discography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
https://goo.gl/1afGGS

The Yardbirds Discography by Richie Unterberger
https://goo.gl/bs90ZO

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713.

*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.

Weekly Recommended Listens: April 2017: Week 1: Sixties Rock: Soul Music

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, this week we’re kicking off a month long look at sixties Soul Music.

And just to refresh our memories, each weekly recommended music posting features the following sections:

I. Brief Artist Bios
II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music)
III. CD Music Recommendations Of The Week
IV. Videos Of This Weeks’ Artists/Groups
V. Wild Card Print Book Recommendation Of The Week
VI. References (for those who’d like to know a bit more about the artists of the week).

Our spotlighted artists for this week are Sam Cooke, Ray Charles & James Brown.

I. Brief Artist Bios:

Sam Cooke: Cooke was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on January 22, 1931. He was one of eight children born to a Baptist minister and his wife and grew up in Chicago. Cooke showed exceptional singing talent as a boy and began his singing career by singing in the choir at his father’s church. As a youth Cooke sang with the Gospel group The Soul Stirrers before kicking off a solo career in the late nineteen fifties.

Cooke had a very smooth voice, a smart pop songwriting style and blended traditional Rhythm and Blues and the power of Gospel with Pop Music to help create a new sound, which has since become known as “Soul Music.” Those us of who came of age after the nineteen sixties don’t remember an era without Soul Music. However, in the early sixties this was a new style of music lighter than traditional Rhythm & Blues and yet, a bit heavier and more substantial than most of the pop music of the day.

Cooke’s first solo hit was You Send Me released in 1957. The record sold more than two million copies which was a huge number for the time. By the dawn of the sixties, Cooke was just hitting his musical stride! He released a number of great soul songs in the early sixties including: Everybody Likes To Cha Cha Cha, Only Sixteen, Chain Gang, Twistin’ the Night Away, Having A Party, Another Saturday Night and the posthumously released A Change Is Gonna Come.

And no doubt, Cooke would have become an even more prominent figure of sixties Soul Music if not for his untimely death. Cooke was shot to death in a suspicious incident at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles in 1964. He was only 33 years old.

Ray Charles: Charles was born in Georgia in 1930 and grew up in Florida. He was born with sight but lost his sight as a child. Charles was musical from an early age. He studied piano at The St. Augustine School for the Deaf and the Blind, moved to Seattle in 1948 and formed his first band in 1954. Like Cook, Charles blended traditional Rhythm & Blues, mixing it with Gospel and Pop to become another founder of the new music genre – Soul.

Charles started his recording career in the nineteen fifties and began to cement his role as a founding pillar of soul when his 1959 hit What I’d Say broke through to the mainstream American audience hitting number 1 on the R&B Chart. Charles’s sixties hits include: Georgia On My Mind, One Mint Julep, Hit The Road Jack, Unchain My Heart, I Can’t Stop Loving You, You Don’t Know Me, Busted, Crying Time and In The Heat of the Night.

By the end of the sixties this new genre of music – Soul – was a bona fide genre in its own right, thanks in no small part to Ray Charles. Charles continued to record and perform until his death in 2004 and was the subject of a biographic movie released that same year and simply titled Ray.

James Brown: Brown was born in South Carolina in 1933. Brown, like Sam Cooke and Ray Charles, started out singing Gospel music. And Brown, again, like Cooke and Charles, became a founding pillar of the new musical genre of Soul Music by blending traditional Rhythm and Blues music with Pop and Gospel. However, Brown, with his flamboyant style and passionate singing, took it a step further and also set down a couple of foundation stones for a musical genre that came of age in the nineteen seventies – Funk. And as the musical style of Funk falls outside our discussion of sixties Soul Music I’ll just provide a link to an AllMusic overview of Funk music – you can access the overview by clicking on the following link: https://goo.gl/mwEJaF

Getting back to James Brown, his sixties hits include: Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag (Part 1), I Got You (I Feel Good), Cold Sweat, I Got The Feeling and Say It Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud (Part 1).

The sixties were Brown’s most prolific era as far as mainstream popularity goes. Brown continued to tour and record during the seventies and eighties, during which time he had a series of minor hits and one last big hit, the top ten hit Living In America, which was released in 1986. He died in 2004

Freegal Notes:

To access Freegal Music from a desktop or laptop simply click on the following link: http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/

The Freegal Music Catalog homepage will display — it looks like this:

The Freegal Music app can be found in your app store and it looks like this:

II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week:

1. Sam Cooke The Best of Sam Cooke:

This greatest hits collection contains Cooke’s best known songs including: You Send Me, Only Sixteen, (What A) Wonderful World, Chain Gang, Twistin’ The Night Away, Having A Party and Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha.

Here’s a link to stream The Best Of Sam Cooke album:
https://goo.gl/E6KtWr

Also by Sam Cooke – Night Beat:

For those who want to dig a bit deeper into the music of Sam Cooke, whose music is, unfortunately, less well known to those of us who came of age after the sixties than the music of Ray Charles and James Brown, this is a great album to check out! Night Beat was released in 1963 and has Cooke being backed by a small band that sets down a great foundation to show off his stunning vocals. The album includes the songs: Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,  Mean Old World, Please Don’t Drive Me Away, Get Yourself Another Fool, You Gotta Move and a super cool version of the classic blues song Little Red Rooster which features a neat organ compliment to Cooke’s vocals.

Here’s a link to stream the Night Beat album: https://goo.gl/zTA6MA

Ray Charles, Jazz Masters Deluxe Collection:

None of Ray Charles’s sixties studio albums are available in the Freegal Music Catalog. However, there are several greatest hits/best of collections that give you a good idea of what Charles’s music sounds like.

And despite the fact that we’re talking about Soul Music in this posting, and that the title of the album I’m about to recommend has the word “Jazz” in it – it is notable, that Ray Charles played and recorded all kinds of music including R&B, Pop, Country and Jazz – basically, he was a great musician who could play any style of music. And this album, despite the title, really features more of Charles playing and singing a mixture of the foundation styles of Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues, with Big Band and Pop Music influences mixed in for good measure.

The album includes several of his best known songs including: I Got A Woman, Hit The Road Jack, Georgia on My Mind, Ruby, Mess Around and a neat version of the song Blues Is My Middle Name that lets you hear what a big fan Charles was of the great Nat King Cole!

Here’s a link to stream the album Ray Charles, Jazz Masters Deluxe Collection:
https://goo.gl/KZyj9d

James Brown – 16 Original Hits:

This album is a great place to start to hear Brown’s sixties releases. The album includes the songs: Give It Up Or Turn It Loose, It’s Too Funky In Here, Doing It To Death, Try Me, Get Up Offa That Thing, Hot Pants, I Got The Feelin’, Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag, Please, Please, Please, I Got You (I Feel Good) and more! Check it out!

Here’s a link to stream the album 16 Original Hits:
https://goo.gl/mvgkMI

Bonus Freegal Suggestion:

Ain’t No Sunshine: Classic Soul and R&B, Vol. 1 by various artists:

I stumbled across this album while researching Soul albums in the Freegal Music Catalog. This is a festive collection of vintage R&B and Soul songs by Al Jarreau, Carla and Rufus Thomas, The Drifters, Ray Charles, Little Joe Curtis, Sam & Dave, Cissy Houston and more. Check it out!

Here’s a link to stream the album Ain’t No Sunshine:
https://goo.gl/1Melct

Freegal Wild Card Streaming Pick Of The Week:

Funk Nights by various artists


This various artist collection features a slice of seventies Funk Music! Included in this collection are the songs Ladies Night by Kool & the Gang, Dance Your Pants Off by Sly Stone & The Mojo Men, Crazy About You by Edwin Starr, Do the Funky Chicken by Rufus Thomas, Brick House by Clarence Carter and more!

Here’s a link to stream the album Funk Nights: https://goo.gl/gKVTyy

III. Compact Discs Recommendations:

Sam Cooke – Sam Cooke Forever:


This European import set features 72 of Cooke’s best songs including the popular Soul hits You Send Me, Twistin’ the Night Away, Wonderful World, Cupid and Chain Gang. Additionally included are a number of the Gospel songs he recorded with The Soul Stirrers including: Peace in the Valley, Nearer To Thee, Were You There and Come And Go To That Land – this is a great collection check it out!

Here’s a link to request the CD set Sam Cooke Forever via StarCat: https://goo.gl/CfYTri

Ray Charles – Ray Original Soundtrack:


This album offers a great overview of Charles’s work and is a good place to start listening to Charles’s music if you’re not familiar with it. And if you are familiar with Charles’s work – this is still a great album to listen to!

The soundtrack includes the original recordings of  17  of Charles’s early hits including: Mess Around, I Got a Woman, Hallelujah I Love Her So, Drown in My Own Tears, (Night Time Is) The Right Time, Hard Times, What’d I Say, Georgia on My Mind, Hit the Road Jack, Unchain My Heart, I Can’t Stop Loving You, Bye Bye Love and more!

Here’s a link to request the Ray soundtrack on CD via StarCat: https://goo.gl/gErSSr

Live At The Apollo by James Brown


And I can’t say it better than Rob Bowman did in his AllMusic review – so here is his review of the James Brown album Live At The Apollo: “An astonishing record of James and the Flames tearing the roof off the sucker at the mecca of R&B theatres, New York’s Apollo. When King Records owner Syd Nathan refused to fund the recording, thinking it commercial folly, Brown single-mindedly proceeded anyway, paying for it out of his own pocket. He had been out on the road night after night for a while, and he knew that the magic that was part and parcel of a James Brown show was something no record had ever caught. Hit follows hit without a pause — “I’ll Go Crazy,” “Try Me,” “Think,” “Please Please Please,” “I Don’t Mind,” “Night Train,” and more. The affirmative screams and cries of the audience are something you’ve never experienced unless you’ve seen the Brown Revue in a Black theater. If you have, I need not say more; if you haven’t, suffice to say that this should be one of the very first records you ever own.”

Just a little StarCat note: The StarCat record for this album lists the title as “The Apollo Theater presents, in person, the James Brown show.” However, the album is usually referred to by music fans as simply Live At The Apollo.

Here’s a link to request CD Live At The Apollo via StarCat:
https://goo.gl/jOH6hJ

Wild Card CD & DVD Picks Of The Week:

Ella Fitzgerald – Best of the Songbooks


This CD collection by Ella Fitzgerald, an extraordinary Jazz vocalist with the nick name The First Lady of Song. contains three albums: The Best of the Songs Books, The Best of the Song Books: The Ballads and Love Songs and The Best of the Verve Song Books.

Songs in this collection include: Something’s Gotta Give, Love Is Here To Stay, Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered, Oh, Lady Be Good!, It Was Written In The Stars, I’m Beginning To See The Light, The Man I Love, Prelude To A Kiss and more!

Here’s a link to request the Best of Songs Books CD set:
https://goo.gl/rbDGJi

IV: Videos Of This Weeks’ Artists/Groups:

Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke Live Twistin’ the Night Away 1963

Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come (1964) HD

Ray Charles:

Ray Charles – Hit The Road Jack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rEsVp5tiDQ

Ray Charles – What’d I Say LIVE

James Brown:

James Brown – Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag – I Feel Good

James Brown – I Got The Feelin’

Bonus YouTube Video Clip Suggestion: Cream Members Hanging In 1993
This video clip has nothing whatsoever to do with Soul Music – just the fact that I didn’t clear out my browsing history since the last time I went to YouTube! And that was last week, when I went to look for video clips for the final Blues Rock posting in our 2017 series! So today, I went to YouTube and was treated to a bunch of suggested videos that all relate to Blues or Blues Rock. And one of those videos is a fun 8 minute clip of the members of Cream rehearing a bit and just hanging out prior to the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1993 – when they were inducted in to the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame – here’s a link to that clip which is titled Cream reunites at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rehearsal – 1993:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOVRU5Ijw3s

V. Wild Card Print Book Recommendation Of The Week:


Hard Hitting Songs For Hard-Hit People Compiled by Alan Lomax, Notes On The Songs by Woody Guthrie, Music Transcribed & Edited & With An Afterward By Pete Seeger.

And wow, what a long title for a great book! As you might expect this book is a folk fan’s favorite! It features many historical protest songs from the early twentieth century, with an emphasis on songs of the nineteen thirties, including several written by Guthrie himself. And the songs chronicle the hard times of the working class experienced during that era. The book was put together by the great musicologist Alan Lomax. The book even has a preface written by Woody’s daughter Nora so if you like folk music and folk songs this is a great book to peruse as it offers a bit of history interspersed with dozens of classic folks songs that Lomax helpfully put into categories. The categories include: Hard Luck On the Farm, You’re Dead Broke, So You’ve Got To Hit The Road, And You Land In Jail, Old Time Songs From All Over and more! Selected songs from the collection include: The Boll Weevil, The Farmer Is The Man, Seven Cent Cotton And Forty Cent Meat, Collector Man Blues, No Job Blues, Starvation Blues, The Old Chain Gang and 66 Highway Blues.

Here’s a link to request the Hard Hitting book:

https://goo.gl/8GEY28

VI. General References & Artist Specific References:

General References:
Ella Fitzgerald Artist Biography by Scott Yanow
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ella-fitzgerald-mn0000184502/biography

The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn (Billboard Books. New York. 2009.)

Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide by Robert Santelli (Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.)

Recommended Artists Specific References:

James Brown & His Famous Flames / James Brown
https://goo.gl/d3RH7l

James Brown Artist Biography by Richie Unterberger
https://goo.gl/v5Yg80

James Brown, the ‘Godfather of Soul,’ Dies at 73 By JON PARELES. DEC. 26, 2006. Accessed April 4, 2017.
https://goo.gl/oaGsk6

Ray (Original Soundtrack) AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
https://goo.gl/zdqyP7

Ray Charles Biography by Richie Unterberger
https://goo.gl/WPbl1E

Ray Charles, Bluesy Essence of Soul, Is Dead at 73 By JON PARELES and BERNARD WEINRAUB. JUNE 11, 2004. Accessed April 4, 2017.
https://goo.gl/xAiFQ1

Sam Cooke Biography by Bruce Eder
https://goo.gl/VpM3fJ

Sam Cooke’s Family Approves Biopic Focusing on Singer’s Murder
https://goo.gl/rh10kp

Sam Cooke Biography Songwriter, Singer (1931–1964)
https://goo.gl/Q6rwO

Music: 1964: Sam Cooke dies under suspicious circumstances in LA
https://goo.gl/v4dgCr

SAM COOKE SLAIN IN COAST MOTEL New York Times – December 12, 1964. Accessed April 4, 2017.
https://goo.gl/gvnBpJ

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713.

*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.

Weekly Recommended Listens: March 2017, Week 1: Sixties Rock: Blues Rock

Linda Reimer

Hi everyone, here’s our recommended music posting of the week!

In March, we’re continuing our 2017 look at Sixties Rock and our new monthly theme is Blues Rock.

As usual we’ll be offering suggestions of music you can listen to both by streaming, through the library’s digital Freegal Music Service,* and by checking out albums available in the library’s compact disc collection.

And our three artists/groups for this week are three of the most influential blues rock artist and groups of the Sixties: John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac and Cream. And indeed, you heard me right (or you read me right!) I did type Fleetwood Mac! The original Fleetwood Mac really did play blues rock and there is a connection between Fleetwood Mac, Cream and the great British Blues player & band leader John Mayall – namely, the fact that members of both Fleetwood Mac and Cream played with John Mayall’s sixties era band – The Bluesbreakers!

As a reminder our weekly music postings have the following sections:

I. Brief Artist Bios

II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week (streaming music)

III. CD Music Recommendations Of The Week

IV. Videos Of The Artists Of The Week

V. Wild Card Print Book Recommendation Of The Week (a print book that focuses on a musician, musicians, songwriters or other musical genres, styles etc. from any musical era)

VI. References (for those who’d like to know a bit more about the artists of the week).

And on to our BLUES ROCK posting for this week!

I. Brief Artist Bios:

1) John Mayall: John Mayall is, indeed, as the biography on his website states “a pioneer of blues music” and “The Godfather of British Blues.” He was born on November 29, 1933 in a village near Manchester, England, became a huge blues fan in his teens, began playing professionally in the 1950s fronting his own bands and playing keyboards and harmonica. And he first gained the attention of blues fans around the world with the second, third and fourth albums he cut in the 1960s with his band The Bluesbreakers: 1. John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, 2. A Hard Road which features Eric Clapton’s replacement on guitar – future Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green, and 3. Crusade which featured guitarist Mick Taylor – the same Mick Taylor who replaced Brian Jones in the Rolling Stones in 1969!

It is also worthy of note, that the bassist on four of Mayall’s first five albums, sans the aptly titled The Blues Alone album which was a solo album, was future Fleetwood Mac bassist and co-founder John McVie!

Mayall moved to the United States in late 1960s and continues to perform and record today. He released a new album in January of this year titled Talk About That which features former Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh. Kudos to Mayall for continuing to play the blues well into his eighties!

2) Fleetwood Mac: The original Fleetwood Mac played some really great blues! The original quartet included guitarists and vocalists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer and the “name” members of the band – Mick Fleetwood on drums and John McVie on bass. The quartet became a quintet with the edition of guitarist Danny Kirwan in 1968. Peter Green, who was the driving force behind the original group, left the band in 1970 and Christine Perfect-McVie officially joined the group in 1971 by which time the band was transitioning from a blues rock group to a pop rock group.

Fleetwood Mac’s first four albums, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Mr. Wonderful, English Rose and Then Play On,  are certainly well grounded in the blues. And of course, Fleetwood Mac continue to play and record to this day.

3) Cream: You can hear both the blues and jazz in Cream’s music, although, it is definitely rock music too! And as Cream is very well known, I’m only going to offer a super cliff notes version of a brief bio for them! The group consisted of former Graham Bond Organization members Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker on bass and drums, respectively, and guitarist Eric Clapton. The group released four  albums before disbanding, Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, Wheels Of Fire & Goodbye.

Sadly, Jack Bruce died in 2014. Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker continue to perform and record.

Freegal Notes:

To access Freegal Music from a desktop or laptop simply click on the following link:
http://stlsny.freegalmusic.com/

The Freegal Music Catalog homepage will display — it looks like this:

The Freegal Music app can be found in your app store and it looks like this:

II. Freegal Music Recommendations Of The Week:

1. John Mayall’s Wake Up Call

The Freegal Catalog doesn’t have all of John Mayall’s albums or even any of his 1960s era albums, but never fear – the man plays great blues even when he is not accompanied by famous guitarists. So I’m going to recommend you listen to one of his more “recent” albums found in the Freegal catalog – 1993’s Wake Up Call. This album is great and I especially love the songs Mail Order Mystics, Nature’s Disappearing and Walk Up Call. Guest artists on the album include Mavis Staples on thetitle track, legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy on the tune I Could Cry and former Bluesbreaker and Rolling Stone Mick Taylor on the song Not At Home.

Here’s a link to stream the Wake Up Call album:
https://goo.gl/0rfI6O

While researching which John Mayall albums are available in the Freegal Music Catalog, I came across a cool album of blues piano pioneers selected by John Mayall!

If you haven’t heard his music before, John Mayall’s primary instruments are piano, organ/electric keyboard and harmonica and this album contains some of his favorite blues piano players. The album is titled: Picking the Blues – Compiled By John Mayall – Boogie Woogie Pioneers
Here’s a link to stream it: https://goo.gl/NZi7Lq

2. Fleetwood Mac’s Live In Boston Vol. 1 & 2 & Peter Green’s Supernatural Anthology:

The Freegal Music Catalog doesn’t feature any of Fleetwood Mac’s studio albums. However, it does feature two live albums, titled Live In Boston, volumes 1 & 2, featuring the 1960s version of the band and a cool collection of Peter Green’s music titled Supernatural Anthology, which features some of Green’s work with Fleetwood Mac and work he did later as a solo artists with a much later back-up band called “Splinter Group.”

And if you’re a blues guitar fan and only going to listen to one of these albums – I’d recommend the Supernatural Anthology; because, although Green’s voice shows his age a bit – you get a better idea of the depth of his guitar playing than on the live Fleetwood Mac tracks available in the Freegal catalog, and, you thus get a better idea of why he was good enough to replace Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

Here’s a link to stream Peter Green’s Supernatural Anthology:
https://goo.gl/t22Rjh

Fleetwood Mac’s Live In Boston Remastered Vol. 1 and Live In Boston Remastered Vol. 2.

Live In Boston Remastered Vol. 1 includes the songs Black Magic Woman (written by Green but a much, much bigger hit for Santana), Jumping At Shadows, Like It This Way, Got To Move and two long jamming songs: The Green Manalishi and Rattesnake Shake and more – here’s a link to stream the album:https://goo.gl/ut1956

Live In Boston Remastered Vol. 2 features a number of lesser known Fleetwood Mac songs, with the exception of the title track from their 1969 album Then Play On. Here’s a link to stream the album: https://goo.gl/LFkZxg

2. Cream: Clapton’s Live & Rare, Ginger Baker’s Horses & Trees & Jack Bruce’s A Question of Time and The Jack Bruce Collection:

Unfortunately, The Freegal Music catalog doesn’t feature any albums by Cream. However, we do have all four of the 1960s era Cream albums available on CD at the library – to request them click on the following link to StarCat: enterprise.stls.org

And since Freegal doesn’t have any of Cream’s music I’ll recommend some music by the individual band members instead.

Live & Rare by Eric Clapton: Yhis collection  features some of the songs Clapton did with the Yardbirds prior to his work with John Mayall and Cream.The Yardbirds songs on this collection are more of the rave-up basic-classic-rock variety than blues but they do offer insight into the evolution of Clapton’s music. The songs include: The hit For Your Love, Got To Hurry, Boom Boom, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl and more.

Here’s the link to stream the Live & Rare album:
https://goo.gl/GPMv6J

Horses & Trees by Ginger Baker: Horses & Trees is an excellent Ginger Baker album from 2009. This LP was produced by Bill Laswell and showcases Baker’s excellent drum playing – he really is what is known as a musician’s musician – the man is a brilliant drummer!

AllMusic gave this album an outstanding review, which for the sake of brevity I won’t post here – however, here’s the link to the review should you wish to peruse it: https://goo.gl/veNI1u

And here’s a link to stream the Horses & Trees album itself:
https://goo.gl/X1I4gz

A Question of Time (1989) by Jack Bruce: This is a great album full of intense songs including: No Surrender, Hey Now Princess, Let Me Be and Grease The Wheels. Bruce was at the top of his recording form with this album!

Here’s the link to the stream the A Question ff Time album: https://goo.gl/V27ojj

The Jack Bruce Collector’s Edition (1995) by Jack Bruce: This album offers songs from throughout Bruce’s solo career including Waiting on a Word, Theme of an Imaginary Western, Sitting on Top of the World, The Wind Cries Mary and more — the man really was an outstanding musical talent both in his bass playing and his vocals.

Here’s a link to stream the Jack Bruce Collector’s Edition: https://goo.gl/uXmm7w

Freegal Wild Card Pick Of The Week:


The First Recordings Years 50 by Patsy Cline:

Patsy Cline had a great voice and was one of the most popular country singers in the late fifties and early sixties. And no doubt she would be even better known today if not for her tragic death in a plane crash at age thirty. Her music is classified as country but I’ve never liked musical classifications as they tend to turn people off! So I’d just say Patsy Cline was an exceptionally expressive singer and her music is worthy of a listen!

The Freegal Music Catalog features a terrific intro collection of Cline’s songs including the favorites: A Church, A Courtroom and Then Goodbye, Walking After Midnight, Three Cigarettes in The Ashtray and more – check it out!

Here’s a link to stream the Patsy Cline album: https://goo.gl/AF3T0Q

III. Compact Discs Recommendations:

1. John Mayall: Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton, A Hard Road & Crusade:

I’m going to recommend John Mayall’s second, third and fourth albums recording with his Bluesbreakers and which feature, in addition to the keyboard Playing and vocals provided by the band-leader himself, Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor on guitars. All three of these albums are fantastic – and you can click on links for AllMusic reviews for each album under the References – John Mayall section.

Here’s a link to request the CD of Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton: https://goo.gl/u2lvcT

Here’s a link to request the CD album of A Hard Road with guitarist Peter Green: https://goo.gl/VzrEcy

And here’s a link to request the album Crusade featuring Mick Taylor on guitar: https://goo.gl/AmLBpb

Fleetwood Mac: Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac:

The library also owns the early Fleetwood Mac albums English Rose & Then Play On; however, if you want to get a feel for the Blues Rock band Fleetwood Mac was in the 1960s this, their first album, is the best place to start. This album features the songs: Looking For Somebody, No Place To Go, My Heart Beat Like a Hammer, Shake Your Moneymaker, The Wold Keep on Turning and more.

Here’s a link to request the CD version of the album:https://goo.gl/x5wnkQ

Cream: Disraeli Gears: 

The library owns all four of Cream’s original sixties releases: Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, Wheels of Fire and Goodbye. The CD I’m recommending is their second album — all four albums are great but Disraeli Gears is what I would call short and straight to the point music — by which I mean you hear great songs by the band which run less than five minutes. In contrast, the second album of the two-disc Wheels of Fire set contains songs recorded live including the 15 minute songs Toad and Spoonful and most of those songs really are long jam sessions. So if you’re not familiar with Cream’s music start with this album and then branch out to listen to the others.

Disraeli Gears features the songs: Strange Brew, Sunshine of Your Love, Dance The Night Away, Tales of Brave Ulysses, Take It Back, Outside Woman Blues and more. This album is currently processed and should be listed in StarCat to request shortly. I will update this posting to include the request link as soon as it is ready to circulate. Or, you can email your request to me at: reimerl@stls.org And in the meantime — you might check out Wheels of Fire which is available to circulate — the set features two discs a live album and a studio album and the popular Cream song White Room as well as a fund version of Born Under A Bad Sign.

Wild Card CD Pick Of The Week:


Black Star by David Bowie:

This is Bowie’s last album and it won all five Grammys it was nominated for this year! It includes the songs: Blackstar, ‘Tis a Pity She Was a Whore, Lazarus, Sue (Or In a Season of Crime), Girl Loves Me, Dollar Days and I Can’t Give Everything Away.

Here’s a link to the request page in StarCat:
https://goo.gl/yhnLAk

IV. Videos Of The Artists Of The Week:

John Mayall:

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers: Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton: This is the whole album available to stream via YouTube so it is more audio than video; but then the music really is the point! And we do get to see a photo of the album cover that features John McVie with what can only be described as a “get-away-from-me-with-that-camera” expression on his face!

Here’s a link to stream the album:
https://goo.gl/RGkf1g

So May Roads: This 2008 clip features guitarist Gary Moore:

Here’s the link:

https://goo.gl/0tzXT3

Fleetwood Mac:

Need Your Love So Bad

https://goo.gl/h8a1aA

Oh Well

https://goo.gl/9LdX4g

Cream:

Sunshine Of Your Love – From the 1968 Farewell Concert at the Royal Albert Hall:

https://goo.gl/bw9kY0

Cream “White Room/Crossroads/Badge” From the 2005 Reunion Concert at the Royal Albert Hall:

https://goo.gl/rHcWW

V. Wild Card Print Book Recommendation Of The Week:

Lin-Manuel Mirandaby Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter:

Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims our country’s origins for a diverse new generation.

HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages–“since before this was even a show,” according to Miranda–traces its development from an improbable perfor­mance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. In addition, Miranda has written more than 200 funny, revealing footnotes for his award-winning libretto, the full text of which is published here. Description – from the publisher.

VI. General References & Artist Specific References:

General References:
David Bowie posthumously sweeps with 5 Grammy wins
https://goo.gl/VDyhno

Patsy Cline Bio:
https://goo.gl/DAQCnw

Santelli, Robert. Sixties Rock: A Listener’s Guide. Contemporary Books. Chicago. 1985.
Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books. New York. 2009.

Artist/Group References:

Cream:
Eric Clapton – Bio
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-clapton-mn0000187478/biography

Eric Clapton – Official Website
http://www.ericclapton.com

Ginger Baker Bio
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ginger-baker-mn0000655273

Ginger Baker – Official Website: http://www.gingerbaker.com/

Jack Bruce – Bio:
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jack-bruce-mn0000152312

Jack Bruce, Cream’s Adventurous Bassist, Dies at 71
https://goo.gl/Dbk54y

The Official Jack Bruce Website:
http://www.jackbruce.com/

John Mayall:
John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton review from AllMusic
https://goo.gl/4uxGOW

John Mayall’s Crusade album review from AllMusic
https://goo.gl/INpkdC

John Mayall’s A Hard Road album review from AllMusic
https://goo.gl/Bdb1ic

John Mayall’s Bio from his official site:

https://goo.gl/GI7Koo

John Mayall Bio from AllMusic:

https://goo.gl/hIeUGd

Fleetwood Mac:

Fleetwood Mac – official site:
https://www.fleetwoodmac.com/#!

Fleetwood Mac Discography
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/fleetwood-mac-mn0000182900/discography

Fleetwood Mac Bio:
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/fleetwood-mac-mn0000182900/biography

Mick Fleetwood Bio:
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mick-fleetwood-mn0000404915

Jeremy Spencer – Official Website
http://jeremyspencer.com/

John McVie Bio:
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-mcvie-mn0000108120/biography

Peter Green Bio:
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/peter-green-mn0000842611

Peter Green Splinter Group
https://goo.gl/7uhGsv

And those are the blues rock recommendations for this bitterly cold weekend (at least for those of us who live in the Northeast!)

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

P.S. If you have any questions about how to download or stream free music through the Freegal Music service to a desktop or laptop computer or how to download and use the Freegal Music app let us know! Drop by the library or give us a call at: 607-936-3713

*You must have a library card at a Southern Tier Library System member library to enjoy the Freegal Music Service. Your card can be from any library in the system, and the system includes all public libraries in Steuben, Chemung, Yates, Schuyler and Allegheny Counties and including our own Southeast Steuben Count Library in Corning, New York. Library cards are free and at our library you can obtain one by visiting the Circulation Desk and presenting staff with a form of ID that features both your name and your current address.