Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:

Night of the Highland Dragon, Highland Dragons Series, Book 3 by Isabel Cooper:

“They say,” said the girl, “that people disappear up there. And I heard that the lady doesna’ ever grow any older.”
“The lady?” William asked.
“Lady MacAlasdair. She lives in the castle, and she’s been there years, but she stays young and beautiful forever.”

In the Scottish Highlands, legend is as powerful as the sword-and nowhere is that more true than in the remote village of Loch Aranoch. Its mysterious ruler, Judith MacAlasdair, is fiercely protective of her land-and her secrets. If anyone were to find out what she really was, she and her entire clan would be hunted down as monsters.

William Arundell is on the trail of a killer. Special agent for an arcane branch of the English government, his latest assignment has led him to a remote Highland castle and the undeniably magnetic lady who rules there. Yet as lies begin to unravel and a dark threat gathers, William finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into the mystery of the Highlands…and the woman he can neither trust nor deny.

He prays she isn’t the murderer; he never dreamed she was a dragon.

And our suggested print book for the day is:

Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman:

From beloved author Alice Hoffman comes the spellbinding prequel to her bestseller, Practical Magic.

Find your magic.

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.

The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is a story about the power of love reminding us that the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself.

You can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist

Daily Digital & Print Suggested Reads: Monday, October 30, 2017

Hi everyone, here are our suggested daily recommended titles in print or media and digital formats.

(Note: Click on the photo of the item you’d like to request or check out)

Our digital suggestion for today is the e-book:

Homemade Holiday Craft Your Way Through More than 40 Festive Projects by Sophie Pester & Catharina Bruns:

Bring the magic of a handmade Christmas into your home with 40 projects for gifts, decorations, and homemade wrapping paper.

Save time and money with the festive craft projects in Homemade Holiday. Clear, step-by-step instructions guide readers to create fresh flower garlands, bake edible gift tags, make homemade bath salts, and paint authentic tree ornaments. With last-minute ideas and lots of inspiration, this book will help you wrap up gift-giving and decorating for the holiday season.

And our suggested print book for the day is:

David Bowie: A Life by Dylan Jones:

Dylan Jones’s engrossing, magisterial biography of David Bowie is unlike any Bowie story ever written. Drawn from over 180 interviews with friends, rivals, lovers, and collaborators, some of whom have never before spoken about their relationship with Bowie, this oral history weaves a hypnotic spell as it unfolds the story of a remarkable rise to stardom and an unparalleled artistic path. Tracing Bowie’s life from the English suburbs to London to New York to Los Angeles, Berlin, and beyond, its collective voices describe a man profoundly shaped by his relationship with his schizophrenic half-brother Terry; an intuitive artist who could absorb influences through intense relationships and yet drop people cold when they were no longer of use; and a social creature equally comfortable partying with John Lennon and dining with Frank Sinatra. By turns insightful and deliciously gossipy, DAVID BOWIE is as intimate a portrait as may ever be drawn. It sparks with admiration and grievances, lust and envy, as the speakers bring you into studios and bedrooms they shared with Bowie, and onto stages and film sets, opening corners of his mind and experience that transform our understanding of both artist and art. Including illuminating, never-before-seen material from Bowie himself, drawn from a series of Jones’s interviews with him across two decades, DAVID BOWIE is an epic, unforgettable cocktail-party conversation about a man whose enigmatic shapeshifting and irrepressible creativity produced one of the most sprawling, fascinating lives of our time.

You can also request items by calling the library at: 607-936-3713 x 502.

Have a great day!
Linda, SSCL

Online Catalog Links:

StarCat

The catalog of physical materials, i.e. print books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD etc.

The Digital Catalog (OverDrive)

The catalog of e-books, downloadable audiobooks and a handful of streaming videos.

Freegal Music Service

This music service is free to library card holders and offers the option to download, and keep, three free songs per week and to stream three hours of commercial free music each day:

RBDigital

 

Digital magazines on demand and for free! Back issues are available and you can even choose to be notified by email when the new issue of your favorite magazine is available.

About Library Apps:

You can access digital library content on PCs, Macs and mobile devices. For mobile devices simply download the OverDrive, Freegal or Zinio app from your app store to get started. If you have questions call the library at: 607-936-3713 and one of our Digital Literacy Specialists will be happy to assist

Suggested Listens October 2017 Week 3

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

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

Tijuana Moods by Charles Mingus (Genre: Jazz)

Bassist and composer Charles Mingus himself considered this 1962 album his best. In addition to Mingus, the musicians features on the LP include Shafi Hadi on saxophone, Clarence Shaw on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone and Dannie Richmond on drums.

Songs include: Dizzy Moods, Ysabel’s Table Dance, Flamingo, Tijuana Gift Shop and Los Mariachis (The Street Musicians).

The Best of Mountain Stage – Vol. 2 by Various Artists (Genre: Folk/Acoustic/Blues/Alternative):

The Best Mountain Stage series of albums focus on what was once known as acoustic music – meaning in addition to folk musicians the music would include alternative, rock or pop musicians playing acoustic instruments. Since the 1990s and MTV’s Unplugged series of concerts videos this style of music has more commonly become known as unplugged music. Whichever way you describe it, this series features some really great music. This album, which is volume 2 in the series, includes the following songs/artists: God is a Real Estate Developer by Michelle Shocked, Losing My Religion by R.E.M., Summerfly by Cheryl Wheeler, Tank Park Salute by Billy Bragg, You’re No Good by John Wesley Harding, Simply by Sara Hickman and These Blues by Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

Volumes 2, 4 and 5 – 7 are available through Freegal although, curiously, not volumes 1 & 3.

Recordings in the series are taken from the Mountain Stage live-performance radio program. Featuring Richard Thompson, Danko and Hudson, Gregson and Collister, Loudon Wainwright III, and others. Very wide range of music.

To learn more check out the Mountain Stage website which is found at:

http://www.mountainstage.org/Pages/default.aspx

Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble:

The 1983 album Texas Flood did two major things it brought blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan’s music to a mainstream audience and it brought blues back into the mainstream spotlight.

This album features great blues guitar playing and singing by Vaughan and solid playing from his back up band, Double Trouble, which consisted of Chris Layton on drums and Tommy Shannon on bass.

Vaughan released only five records during his tragically short recording career; Texas Flood was followed by Couldn’t Stand the Weather, Soul to Soul, Live Alive and In Step. Vaughan died in a helicopter crash after a concert in Wisconsin on August 27, 1990.

Songs on his excellent debut LP include: Love Struck Baby, Pride and Joy, Tell Me, I’m  Cryin’, Wham! and the title track Texas Flood.

The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (Genre: Blue/Blues-Rock):

This collection features chronological selections of Vaughan’s work during the 1980s and includes songs record live and in the studio with Double Trouble and with the Vaughan Brothers which consisted of Stevie and his brother Jimmie Vaughan and is a great introduction to his music.

Songs in this set include: Scuttle Buttin’, Couldn’t Stand the Weather, Cold Shot, The Sky is Crying, Look at Little Sister, Crossfire and Tightrope.

Kane Brown by Kane Brown (Genre: Country):

This is Kane Brown’s 2016 debut album. Brown has been described as a “modern” country artist. And as you would expect he weaves threads of rock, R&B, rap and pop into his music. Additionally, he sings about modern issues in his songs as exemplified by the song Learning in which he chronicles his experiences as a child domestic abuse survivor.

Other songs on this album include: What Ifs, Thunder in the Rain, Ain’t No Stopping Us Now and Granddaddy’s Chair.

Odetta Sings Dylan by Odetta (Genre: Blues, Folk & Pop-Rock):

This 1965 album by the great singer Odetta was one of the first albums of Dylan covers ever released and it remains as vibrant today as it was in 1965. Odetta is best known for singing blues and folk songs and this collection shows her at her deeply expressive singing best.

Songs on the LP include: Baby, I’m In the Mood for You, Masters of War, The Times They Are A-Changing, Long Time Gone & Blowin’ in the Wind.

CD of the Week:

Bachelor No. 2 or the Last Remains of the Dodo by Aimee Mann (Genre: Pop/Rock/Folk):

I find Mann’s self-assured signing on this album combined with her increasingly skillfully songwriting translates into one introspective and thought provoking album.

Songs on the album include: How Am I Different, Nothing Is Good Enough, The Fall of the World’s Own Optimist, Driving Sideways & It Takes All Kinds.

Videos of the Week:

Flowers for a Lady by Charles Mingus

Arms Of Love + Wild Mountain Thyme by Robyn Hitchcock & Peter Buck – Mountain Stage Concert 4/28/91

Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

What Ifs by Kane Brown

Jim Crow Blues by Odetta

How Am I Different by Aimee Mann

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information:
http://www.allmusic.com/

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

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 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

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!

Suggested Listens October 2017 Week 2

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

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

Halloween Novelty Songs (Genre: Holiday/Pop Music) by Various Artists

Despite our continual warm weather, it is getting to be that time of year! We’re inching closer to Halloween and this album is a prefect compliment to the season!

The album offers a neat collection of songs featuring a combination of smooth classic pop singers singing Halloween related songs and just plain humorous Halloween songs.

Artists/Songs include: I Wish I Were a Witch by Ann Williams, Monster Rally by Alice Pearce, Strollin’ After Dark by The Shades, The Wobblin’ Goblin by Rosemary Clooney, The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor by the Big Bopper, Movie Monster Ball by Spike Jones and The Frankenstein Twist by The Crystals.

Timeless by Home Free:

Home Free, whom I’ll admit I had never heard of before typing up this week’s posting, is a country A Cappella group. And despite the rather somber looking cover for this album, boy the band members look serious! – this, their new LP, features 14 up-tempo songs including Life is a Highway, When You Walk In, Timeless, Mayday and My Church.

I Believe in You by Dolly Parton (Genre: Children’s Music/Country):


Country legend Dolly Parton offers a brand new album of children’s songs. The bright and empowering songs in this set include: I Believe in You, Together Forever, I Am a Rainbow, A Friend Like You and You Can Do It.

Fascinating Rhythm – The Broadway Gershwin 1919-1933 (Genre: Classical/Pop/Jazz):

This album is a neat collection of music history from the early Twentieth Century. The set includes 20 George Gershwin songs that were featured in Broadway shows from 1919 to 1933. Songs in the collection include I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise by Paul Whiteman & his Orchestra, Nashville Nightingale by Fred Warring’s Pennsylvanians, My One & Only Johnny Johnson & His Statler Pennsylvanians, Sam & Delilah by Duke Ellington & His Cotton Club Orchestra and My Cousin in Milwaukee by Ramona and her Grand Piano.

100% Loungin’ (Genre: Pop/Jazz/Easy Listening):

This 21 song collection features great smooth pop songs that are the perfect compliment to any relaxation activities.

Songs include: The Good Life by Tony Bennett, Fever by Peggy Lee, I Say a Little Prayer by Booker T & the MGs, ‘S Wonderful by Ray Conniff, C’est si bon by Eartha Kitt, Mad About the Boy by Dinah Washington, Blue Velvet by Bobby Vinton and a really interesting version of the song Sunny sung by the actor Robert Mitchum.

Compact Disc Recommendation of the Week:

Flowers by The Rolling Stones:

This 1967 album by the Rolling Stones shows the sixties era Stones at their best!

Songs include: Ruby Tuesday, Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows, Lady Jane, Out of Time, Please Go Home, Mother’s Little Helper, Sittin’ on a Fence and the infamous tune of Ed Sullivan Show fame Let’s Spend the Night Together.

Music Videos of the Week:

Strollin’  After Dark by The Shades

Life Is A Highway by Home Free

I Believe In You by Dolly Parton

Nashville Nightingale by Fred Warring & His Pennsylvanians 

C’est si bon by Eartha Kitt

Lady Jane by The Rolling Stones

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information
http://www.allmusic.com/

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

Have a great weekend!
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.

Suggested Listens October 2017 Week 1

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

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

Deuces, T’s, Roadsters and Drums by  And The Young Cougars by Hal Blaine (Genre: Classic Rock, Hot Rod Rock, Surf Music):


Drummer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Hal Blaine is best known as a member of the influential group of studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. Blaine played on thousands of recording sessions in California in the 1960s and 1970s. This 1963 album is one of his few solo albums. The records contains 22 surf instrumentals with the sounds of hot rods interspersed throughout. It is a fun album and includes the songs: Challenger II, Nashville Coupe, Mr. Eliminator, Deuces, TS, Roadsters and Drums, Gear Stripper and Hawaii 1963.

Now Hear Our Meanin’ by The Kenny Clarke Band (Genre: Jazz, 60’s Jazz):


The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Band features a combination of great Jazz musicians that played in Europe during the sixties. The group, which produced great swinging jazz, usually recorded in Cologne, Germany. This is their third album from 1965 and it features Kenny Clarke on drums, Francy Boland on piano, Sahib Shihab on flute and baritone sax and Ake Persson on trombone.

Songs on the LP include: Johnny One Note, Night Lady, I’m Scared of Girls When They’re Good Looking, A Ball for Othello, Sabbath Message and Now Hear My Meanin’

Harlem Street Singer by Reverend Gary Davis (Genre: Blues):


The Reverend Gary Davis’s finger style guitar playing has had a great impact on the evolution of folk and rock finger style guitar playing since his the blues revival of the 1960s. This is his third album, originally released in 1960, is considered one of his best and was recorded in only three hours! This version of the LP is the bonus edition which features 8 extra songs.

Songs on the album include: Samson and Delilah, Let Us Get Together, I Belong to the Band, Pure Religion, Lo, I Be With You Always and Motherless Children.

King’s Record Shop by Rosanne Cash (Genre: Country/Rock/Pop/Folk etc.):

This now classic album by Rosanne Cash was originally released in 1987. The album features her usual excellent work, songwriting wise and playing wise, with great musicians providing backup, Rosanne singing in top form and some excellent back up from other well-known musicians including Patty Smith and Steve Winwood.

Songs include: the empowering tune Rosie Strikes Back, The Way We Make a Broken Heart, If You Change Your Mind, The Real Me and Somewhere Sometime.

And just a note on Rosanne’s music, if you’re not familiar with it – it is generally categorized as country but she is one of those artists who rises above genre categories – she mixes country, folk, pop and rock with a bit of blues thrown in for good measure so easily, that if country isn’t usually your favorite type of music and you instead prefer pop, rock or folk music and you haven’t previously listened to Rosanne Cash’s music before – you really should check it out as it is top notch!

Brahms: The Piano Trios by Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos & Johannes Brahms (Genre: Classical):

This is the brand new albumby the renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emanuel Ax. Ma and Ax are joined by violist Leonidas Kavakos for this album of Brahms Piano Trios.

Here’s the composition list for this album:
Piano Trio No. 2 in C Major, Opus 87
1 Allegro
2 Andante con moto
3 Scherzo: Presto
4 Finale: Allegro giocoso

Piano Trio No. 3 in C Minor, Opus 101
1 Allegro energico
2 Presto non assai
3 Andante grazioso
4 Allegro molto

Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major, Opus 8
5 Allegro con brio
6 Scherzo: Allegro molto
7 Adagio
8 Finale: Allegro

Compact Disc Recommendation of the Week:

Carolina Chocolate Drops & Joe Thompson (Genre: Folk, Blues & Country):

The Carolina Chocolate Drops were a string band consisting of Rhiannon Giddens on banjo and fiddle, Don Glemons on guitar, jug and harmonica and Justin Robinson on banjo and fiddle. Giddens has since gone solo to great acclaim. This album was recorded at the 2008’s MerleFest held in Wilkesboro, North Carolina and features the then 90 year old fiddler Joe Thompson.

Songs on this album include: Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind, Corn Bread & Butter Beans, John Henry and Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad.

Music Videos of the Week:

Have Fun!!! Play Drums!!! By Hal Blaine

Manteca by The Kenny Clarke Band

Bebop by Kenny Clarke

Runaway Train by Rosanne Cash

Glory Halleloo by the Rev. Gary Davis

Brahms Piano Trio No. 3 in C Minor – Movement I (excerpt)

Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 in B Major – Movement I (excerpt)

References

Artist Biography & Discography Information
http://www.allmusic.com/

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

Have a great weekend!

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.

Suggested Listens September 2017 Week 5

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

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

1) Cosmic Hallelujah by Kenney Chesney (Genre: Country):

This is singer-songwriter Chesney’s 17th album released in 2016. This is a modern country album with pop overtones that includes thoughtful songs.

Songs on the LP include: Trip Around the Sun, Setting the World on Fire, Noise, Some Town Somewhere, Bar at the End of the World and Winnebago.

2) Concrete and Gold by Foo Fighters (Genre: Rock):

This is the ninth album by the rock group the Foo Fighters. AllMusic describes this album as having roots in the progressive music of the 1970s.

Songs on the album include: Run, The Sky Is a Neighborhood, Happy Ever After (Zero Hour), Sunday Rain & Concrete and Gold.

3) Trumpet Evolution by Arturo Sandoval (Genre: Jazz):

To quote from Thom Jurek’ AllMusic review of this LP: “Trumpet Evolution, which is literally a journey through the great trumpeters from jazz’s and orchestral music’s past, is easily the finest moment of Sandoval’s long career and one of the greatest records jazz has produced in the preceding two decades.” Sounds like an excellent recommendation to me! And if you saw Mr. Sandoval in concert last week at the first program of the 2017-2018 Corning Civic Music season — then no doubt you’ll concur with that assessment as he played an outstanding concert!

Songs on this album include: When It’s Sleepy Time Down South, At the Jazz Band Ball, I Can’t Get Started, Concerto for Cootie, My Funny Valentine and Up Jumped Spring.

4) The Essential Jerry Lee Lewis [The Sun Sessions] by Jerry Lee Lewis (Genre: Classic Rock/1950s Rock):

This 40 song set was issued in 2013 and offers a great look at the early work of classic rock and roller Jerry Lee Lewis. Lewis shows of his piano playing chops and shows how he could masterfully blend the sounds of rock, country, blues, gospel and R&B and make any song sound like he wrote it and owned it!

Songs on this LP include: Crazy Arms, End Of The Road, Sixty Minute Man, Ubangi Stomp and Great Balls of Fire.

5) Special Rider Blues: Early Recordings, 1931 by Skip James (Genre: Blues/ Acoustic Blues):

This album by Delta Blues guitarist Skip James was recorded for Paramount Records in Grafton, Wisconsin in February 1931.

James had an otherworldly voice and played his guitar in an understated style. Many of his songs, including: I’m So Glad and Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues have been covered by many rock and blue musicians over the years.

This is the set that James’s reputation was built upon and it includes all the surviving songs he recorded for Paramount Records – including: Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues, Special Rider Blues, Devil Got My Woman, 22-20 Blues, For O’clock Blues and What Am I to Do Blues.

CD Recommendation of the Week:

Harp Attack! by James Cotton, Junior Wells, Cary Bell & Billy Branch (Genre: Blues):

A great album by four extraordinary Chicago blues harmonica players!

Songs include: Little Car Blues, Black Night, Keep Your Hands Out of My Pockets and Broke and Hungry.

Videos of the Week: 

All The Pretty Girls by Kenny Chesney:

The Sky Is A Neighborhood by Foo Fighters:

La Virgen de la Macarena by Arturo Sandoval

Crazy Arms by Jerry Lee Lewis as included in scenes from the film Great Balls of Fire starring Dennis Quaid:

Hard Time Killing Blues by Skip James:

Down Home Blues by James Cotton, Junior Wells, Cary Bell & Billy Branch: 

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information:
http://www.allmusic.com/

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

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 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.

 

Suggested Listens September 2017 Week 4

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

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

1. Grant Hart & Husker Du:

Last week that Grant Hart, best known as the lead singer, songwriter and drummer for the 1980s punk group Husker Du died after a battle with cancer.

If you’re not familiar with his work it sounds like the epitome of 1980s punk rock – glossy and fresh and similar in scope to the work of R.E.M. and it is definitely worth checking out.

The Freegal Music Catalog features several albums by Husker Du and Grant Hart’s solo album debut too.

So I’m going to recommend three albums that feature Grant Hart’s music and if you like the first one, Husker Du’s 1984 release Flip Your Wig, then you’ll the other two as well – Husker Du’s 1985 album Zen Arcade and Hart’s first solo album, 1989’s Intolerance.

Flip Your Wig by Husker Du:

Songs include: Flip Your Wig, Every Everything, Makes No Sense At All & The Wit & The Wisdom.

Zen Arcade by Husker Du:

Songs include: Something I Learned Today, Never Talking To You Again, Dreams Reoccurring & What’s Going On.

Intolerance by Grant Hart:

Songs include: All of My Senses, Now That You Know Me, Fanfare in D Major and Roller-Rink.

2. Ain’t Goin’ That Way by Hokum Boys and “Banjo Joe” Gus Cannon (Genre: Blues):

The Hokum Boys were a group that played in the twenties and early thirties. The core members of the band were of pianist Alex Hill and guitarists Dan Roberts and Alex Robinson.

And a note on the word “Hokum, “Hokum” was a term from the ’20s used to describe music full of double entendres dealing with sex, drinking and drugs, and thus no respectable person from the period would be caught dead listening to it! This compilation includes 20 tracks from the Hokum Boys, Banjo Joe and Blind Blake, featuring Hokum Blues; Gambler’s Blues; Selling That Stuff; Jonestown Blues; He’s in the Jailhouse Now, and more.

3. Little Girl by Syndicate Of Sound (Genre: Classic Rock/Sixties Pop):

Syndicate of Sound was a mid-sixties band from San Jose, California and consisted of Don Basking on guitar and vocals, Bob Gonzalez on guitar, Larry Ray on lead guitar, John Sharkey on keyboards and John Ducksworth on drums.

Their music is great traditional rock that sounds like it was made in the mid-sixties; and as the LP was released in 1966 that is right on the proverbial money!

Songs in include: Big Boss Man, Almost Grown, Little Girl, Lookin’ for the Good Times and Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby.

4. You Ain’t Talkin’ To Me: Charlie Poole And The Roots Of Country Music by Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers (Genre: Country/Folk):

This set includes 45 songs recorded by Poole between 1925 and 1931. Today we’d call this music old time country or perhaps Americana – but whatever designation we use – it is great early country music with banjos and fiddles front and center.

Songs include: Shootin’ Creek, There’ll Come a Time, White House Blues, Hungry Hash House, & Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down Blues.

5. Open Book by Fred Hersch:

This album is a brand new release by jazz pianist, composer, educator and activist Fred Hersh and includes the songs: The Orb, Whisper Not, Zingaro, Plainsong, Eronel and more.

CD Recommendation of the Week:

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-Heron:

This collection features some of poet, activist and rap progenitor Gil Scott-Heron’s best music from the early seventies.

Songs include: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, The Get Out of the Ghetto Blues, Lady Day and John Coltrane and Whitey on the Moon.

Videos of the Week: 

Makes No Sense At All by Husker Du:

The Hokum Blues by The Hokum Boys:

Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down by Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers:

Little Girl by the Syndicate of Sound:

Open Book by Fred Hersch:

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-Heron:

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information:
http://www.allmusic.com/

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

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 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 9 15 17

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

(Click on the photos to request the DVDs)

Wattstax: The 30th Anniversary Edition:

Description: They called Wattstax the “black Woodstock,” but there are many differences between that seminal hippie event and the 1972 concert documented in this 30th-anniversary special-edition reissue. Woodstock was all about peace, love, and music. Wattstax, held three years later in Los Angeles, had those elements as well; but as this 103-minute film reminds us, it was a more socio-politically charged event, with its emphasis on black pride and the simple opportunity for African Americans to assert that, in opening speaker Jesse Jackson’s words, “I am somebody.” There’s also a good deal less music in this film than in the Woodstock movie. As the title suggests, a host of great Stax Records artists (including Rufus and Carla Thomas, the Bar-Kays, the Staple Singers, Albert King, and show closer Isaac Hayes) performed, but much of Wattstax doesn’t even take place inside the L.A. Coliseum, where the concert was held, but rather in the churches and shops and on the streets of Watts itself (music fans would be better off checking out the Wattstax double CD). Wattstax, in fact, is much less a music movie than a chronicle of black life seven years after the Watts race riots, as well as what comedian Richard Pryor (who delivers several hilarious but scathing bits) calls “a soulful expression of the black experience.” –Sam Graham, Amazon review.

Dewey: DVD 781.64 WAT

Trailer:

The Ritchie Boys:

Description: Run out of Germany by the Nazis, a small contingent of German Jewish intellectuals exacted the perfect revenge–returning to Europe as U.S. soldiers to defeat the enemy. Groundbreaking and unforgettable, THE RITCHIE BOYS is the never-before-told tale of a handful of German nationals who used their language and cultural knowledge to wage psychological warfare against the Nazis and to liberate Europe. Still sharp as octogenarians, The Ritchie Boys –a medley of hilariously unlikely soldiers–vividly recall their treacherous and heroic slog through World War II, from their training at Camp Ritchie, Maryland to the beaches of Normandy, from dark weeks spent in a German POW camp to D-Day ebullience. Now highly successful artists, businessmen, and professors, The Ritchie Boys laugh at their clumbsy fit within the U.S. military, cry at the horrors of war, and marvel at the unorthodox–but effective–forms of interrogation and subterfuge that helped them to defeat the Nazis.

Shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and widely acclaimed upon its release, THE RITCHIE BOYS mixes newsreels with razor-sharp interviews to spin a touchingly personal saga of men whose chutzpah, ingenuity, and playful camaraderie had a lasting effect on world history. A great human tale (San Francisco Chronicle), THE RITCHIE BOYS is a documentary of staggering importance.

Dewey: DVD 940.5481 RIT

Trailer:

Panihari: The Water Women of India:

Description: Indian-American filmmakers Abi Devan and Sudhi Rajagopal return to their homeland to document life in the desert communities of Rajasthan. Their journey leads them to the Panihari (women who fetch water). The film centers around one woman, Paru, a shoemaker’s wife, as she struggles against nature and society to attain self-reliance for her family and herself. Paru’s story coveys the richness and complexity of desert life as well as the extreme obstacles women in India still face today. Vibrant imagery, music, and folklore combine to paint a vivid picture of life as a Panihari.

Dewey: DVD 954.05 PAN

Trailer:

Have a great day!

Linda, SSCL

 

Suggested Listens September 2017: Week 3

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

(Click on the photo to stream or request the album)

Freegal Streaming Suggestions*

1. Between The Lines: Sara Bareilles Live At The Fillmore by Sara Bareilles (Genre: Pop):

This concert performance by singer-songwriter and pianist Sara Barilles is full of energy and includes the songs Bottle It Up, Fairytale, August Moon, Love Song and more. Twenty eight songs in all.

2. Grateful by DJ Khaled (Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap):

D J Khaled worked for years as a radio DJ before breaking out as a performer himself. Songs on his new album include To the Max, Wild Thoughts, I’m The One, On Everything & I Love You so Much.

3. Imaginary Appalachia by Colter Wall (Genre: Folk/Country):

S

Singer-songwriter Colter Wall hails from Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada and has been playing great music for several decades. Imaginary Appalachia, released in 2017, is his first U.S. album. Songs on the LP include: Sleeping on the Blacktop, Johnny Boy’s Bones, Caroline, Living on the Sand and Ballad of a Law Abiding Sophisticate.

4. Let’s Get Together/The Collectors #1 by Dickey Betts and Great Southern (Genre: Country/Southern Rock):

Singer-songwriter & guitarist Dickey Betts was a member of the seminal rock group The Allman Brothers Band. And he even wrote two of their most famous songs Ramblin’ Man and Jessica. After the band broke up in 1976 Betts formed the group Southern Comfort. And if you like classic rock or want to hear more of southern rock than this is a great double album set to check out.

Songs in this collection include: Rave On, Here Come the Blues Again, Donna Maria, George on a Fast Train & Steady Rolling Man.

5. Live At Carnegie Hall-1938 Complete by Benny Goodman & his Orchestra (Genre: Jazz/Swing):

AllMusic’s Bruce Eder offers an excellent explanation as to why you should listen to this album if you’ve never heard it!

Eder notes of the album “Benny Goodman’s January 16, 1938, Carnegie Hall concert is considered the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz’s “coming out” party to the world of “respectable” music, held right in that throne room of musical respectability, Carnegie Hall.” And Eder is right this is a great album of swinging music!

And just a note about the sound quality of the set; it was recorded in 1938 via 78 RPM transmission discs intended for radio broadcast — a common way of recording at the time. So the songs are great, and you can clearly hear the music, just be aware you will also hear some light crackling in the background something that is uncommon with music recorded today.

Songs include: Don’t Be That Way, Sometimes I’m Happy, One O’Clock Jump, Shine, Life Goes to a Party and Honeysuckle Rose.

CD Recommendation of the Week:

The Big Chill Soundtrack (Genre: Soundtracks/Sixties Music):

The Big Chill Soundtrack was very popular when it was released, and has continued to be in the years since. In fact the album was so popular that they released a second soundtrack titled The Big Chill: More Songs From The Original Soundtrack, a deluxe double album edition of the original soundtrack that features 38 songs and later still they released a 15th Anniversary Edition of the original soundtrack.

This LP on CD is the original soundtrack that has been so popular over the last 30 years!

Songs include: I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye, My Girl by The Temptations, Good Lovin’ by Rascals, The Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and Joy To The World by Three Dog Night.

And as a related bonus suggestion check out–

The Big Chill 15th Anniversary Edition on DVD:

The Big Chill Trailer: 

Music Videos of the Week:

Bottle It Up by Sara Bareilles from the David Letterman Show:

Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna & Bryson Tiller:

Sleeping On Blacktop by Colter Wall: 

Good Time Feeling by Dickey Betts and Great Southern:

(from the album Atlanta’s Burning Down — also available through Freegal: https://goo.gl/Ynd6y1)

Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman & His Orchestra from the film Hollywood Hotel:

References:

Artist Biography & Discography Information:
http://www.allmusic.com/

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

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 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.