The College Crowd Digs Me

"...keep making music with conviction and passion and hope for the best." ~ Bob James ~ The smooth jazz genre has had more than its share of eye-rolling albums that got rushed into stores by maypop musicians hoping to cash in.  All air. No substance. Bob James doesn't play that.  This is the good stuff.  When it comes to smooth jazz...Bob James knows how to ice a cake. Whether solo or surrounded by jazz cronies, Bob has never...ever...kept his Fender Rhodes keyboard on a short leash. Bob James is 76 now.  At least that's what he claims it says on his passport.  He's a multi-Grammy award winner.  And for over 40 years, Bob's success and longevity can be seen and heard, not just from his own albums or the abundant work he's laid down with other artists...but within the hip-hop community, as well.  Yes, Bob James' work has become somewhat of a "go-to sample cabinet" for DJs and hip-hop producers. Bob continues to create inspiring jazz...

Let's do the Pandora Shuffle... ...and see what the fates allow. "Veracruz" Warren Zevon Excitable Boy (1978) I think God created Warren Zevon to help us all learn a bit of history and geography.  You know he's going to drop a name or place in somewhere...and I've come to appreciate his cultural awareness.  In this instance...the Spanish Civil War...delivered in an achingly beautiful Zevon way. Also, I believe he drops a pennywhistle into the arrangement. "Embraceable You" Barney Kessel Plays For Lovers (1953-1988) I have never met anyone that didn't like Barney Kessel...except for those who have not had the pleasure of hearing him play.  And that's a shame. "Sufficiently Breathless" Captain Beyond Sufficiently Breathless (1973) The title track has aged surprisingly well. Great arrangement. Has a groovy acoustic thing going on with a dusting of some tasty fuzz guitar. The group included member...

  "Elvis,  do you really want me to slap you?"  ~ Joan Staley ~     So my friends and I were talking about first crushes. First tv and movie crushes.  For me, it was easy.  It was Alma. (Joan Staley)   I broke into the double-digit age of 10 in 1993.  That was the summer I discovered my favorite Don Knotts movie while flipping thru cable one Saturday morning... "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken." Everyone has seen it.  It was a funny haunted house story similar to an episode on Andy G. with a cast of familiar characters, trippy organ music, and the prettiest girl I had ever seen...Alma. She was beautiful alright.  I was love-stung so bad, I swear I could smell flowers coming out of the TV set.  And best of all, she was nice.  She didn't like the smart alec, the wise guy, or the show-off.  Alma was digging Luther (Don Knotts) and that just made her that much prettier.  And from then on... But unfortu...

"If you decide to call on me... ask for Mr. Blue." ~ The Fleetwoods ~ It was 1959.  Think about that.  There were no Beatles or Stones.  No Facebook.  No Isis.  And certainly no Pokemon Go.  It was a different time.  Hell, it was a different world!  But love was love.  And a love song was a love song.  Always has been. Now granted, the music might have been a bit more gentle, in nature, back then.  A little more polite.  But  there certainly was no less...yearn in the burn.  Or ache in the break.  It was all there.  The desire and the angst of being in love.  And The Fleetwoods were mapping out musical roads that weren't nearly as defined as they are today.  With a gorgeous melancholy sound,   The Fleetwoods were the only artists to score two #1 hits in 1959. Sure, the times are much different now...no doubt about it.  But love is love and not fade away. GARY TR...

"We shared our hopes, our dreams,  and our goals... and the fundamental roll." ~ Walter Egan ~ The ecstasy and agony of summer break. First hellos and last goodbyes. Worries are small and possibilities are endless. It's when we realize, maybe for the first time, that time is fleeting and completely out of our hands.  Yes, summers are great. I mean, it's summer after all.  But one never forgets that "special" summer. The one you earmarked for permanent memory burn.  The one you protect. When discussing "lost gem" albums, Walter Egan's 1978 offering "Not Shy" certainly falls under that category.  With a distinctive California rock sound, Egan delivers hook after glorious hook of "roll-down-the-windows" summer fun. But he does so while gently reminding us just how confusing and frustrating it all can be.  He's made plenty of good music, both before and since, and his last album "Myth Americ...