RIBS TPTD: “Blues Month”, part 3 – King, Hooker, Vaughan & More…

Finally getting a chance to post installment #3 of our “October is Blues Month” series here on RIBS. Sorry for the delay.

Whew! Sometimes it takes a long time to get a dish just right here in the RIBS kitchen. This was one of those times. No matter how I mixed and matched the ingredients it just didn’t seem to “taste” quite right right in the end and I’d scrap it and start all over again. But, after numerous false starts I think I’ve finally gotten today’s entree up to the quality standard you expect from RIBS.

This week’s mix features a lot of guitar blues anchored around 3 of my favorite bluesmen:

B.B. King

John Lee Hooker

Stevie Ray Vaughan

So… let’s jump right into the music and continue down the tracks heading towards the crossroads as we present to you…

RIBS TPTD: Blues Month, part 3 – King, Hooker, Vaughan & More…

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Playlist: (song – artist – album [time])

1. Into the Night - B.B. King - King Of The Blues [4:14]
2. Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker - King Of The Boogie [2:29]
3. Fattening Frogs For Snakes - John Hammond - Frogs For Snakes [2:15]
4. Stop Leading Me On - B.B. King - King Of The Blues [2:24]
5. Everybody Wants To Know Why I Sing The Blues - B.B. King and Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland - Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, B.B. King Together Again, Live [6:17]
6. First Time I Met The Blues - Buddy Guy - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues-A Musical Journey [2:18]
7. I Pity The Fool (Live) - Robert Cray & Shemekia - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues-A Musical Journey [3:40]
8. I’ll Play The Blues For You - Albert King - I’ll Play The Blues For You [7:19]
9. Your Funeral And My Trial - John Hammond - Frogs For Snakes [2:53]
10. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer - John Lee Hooker - Free Beer and Chicken [3:31]
11. Gone Home - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Soul To Soul [3:07]
12. Sittin’ On A Poor Man’s Throne - Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland - Reflections In Blue [3:56]
13. Recession Blues - B.B. King - King Of The Blues [2:23]
14. Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughn - Texas Flood [5:22]
15. Blues In The Night - Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland - Ask Me ‘Bout Nothing (But The Blues) [3:33]
16. The Blues Don’t Care - Etta James - Stickin’ To My Guns [3:44]
17. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City - Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland - Dreamer [3:46]
18. Things That I Used To Do - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Couldn’t Stand The Weather [4:54]
19. Everybody’s Had The Blues - B.B. King - Blues Summit [4:36]
20. Dust My Broom - Etta James - Blues To The Bone [3:35]
21. Bank Robbery - John Lee Hooker & Miles Davis - The Hot Spot (Blues Soundtrack) [4:36]

Have you missed any of the RIBS mixes we’ve posted? If you have there is now an easy way to catch up on what we’ve been up to. Just go check out the new RIBS Archives Page to see a very easy to read listing of every post (and music mix) we’ve uploaded to the site.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soul, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, soul music, jazz, Blues

RIBS TPTD: "Blues Month", part 2 – Blues Women…

OK, time for part 2 of our journey through the blues here on RIBS!

Hopefully you were by here last week and know that I’ve designated October "Blues Month" around here. Last week’s mix featured a variety of some of my favorite blues songs and/or singers. This week I wanted to shine the spotlight on the women of blues and let you experience the blues through their eyes.

I was speaking to one of my co-workers a while ago asking them if they liked and/or knew anything about the blues. I remember them saying, "Not really, except that it’s mostly all sad." Well, nothing could be further from the truth and I’m going to prove it with this mix. AAMOF, I started to subtitle this mix…

LET THE JUKE JOINT JUMP!

…because if you are not tempted to get out of your seat while listening to this collection of ladies ’sang’, well, I just don’t know what is wrong with ya!

The blues ladies I’m gracing you with today are:

1. Etta James (still going strong)
2. Koko Taylor (R.I.P., d. June 3, 2009)
3. Denise LaSalle (love her sassy lyrics and singing)
4. Shemekia Copeland (daughter of Texas blues guitarist and singer Johnny Copeland)
5. Ruth Brown
6. Francine Reed
7. Big Mama Thornton (She was the first to record the hit song "Hound Dog" in 1952)
8. Susan Tedeschi (reminds me of an edgier version of Bonnie Raitt)

Alright. Are you ready? These ladies have big hearts, big voices and tales of love’s heartache and happiness that can only be described as… "the blues". Time to taste the music and satisfy your soul as we present to you…

RIBS TPTD: Blues Month, part 2 – Blues Women…

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Playlist: (song – artist – album [time])

1. Shakey Ground – Etta James – Seven Year itch [3:18]
2. Big Brand New Religion – Shemekia Copeland – Never Going back [3:55]
3. Blues Is My Business – Etta James – Let’s Roll[3:33]
4. Let The Juke Joint Jump – Koko Taylor – The Best [6:14]
5. Little By Little – Susan Tedeschi - The Best of Susan Tedeschi [3:48]
6. Bump And Grind – Denise LaSalle – Right Place, Right Time [3:37]
7. Ice Water In Your Veins – Ruth Brown – Good Day For The Blues [3:36]
8. One Monkey (Don’t Stop No Show) – Francine Reed – Essential Women In Blues, Disk 2 [3:43]
9. Hey Bartender – Koko Taylor – The Earthshaker [2:54]
10. Strongest Weakness – Etta James – Let’s Roll [4:53]
11. Treat Your Man Like A Baby – Denise LaSalle – Right Place, Right Time [4:10]
12. River’s Invitation – Shemekia Copeland – Never Going Back [3:40]
13. Standing On The Corner – Ruth Brown – Miss Rhythm [3:13]
14. A Man Size Job – Denise LaSalle – On The Loose[2:50]
15. Old Weakness – Etta James – Let’s Roll [3:12]
16. Hangin’ By A Shoestring – Ruth Brown – Good Day For The Blues [3:14]
17. I Don’t Want No Leftovers – Koko Taylor – Jump For Joy [3:59]
18. Don’t Mess With My Man – Denise LaSalle – A Lady In The Street [4:43]
19. Better Not Touch – Shemekia Copeland – The Soul Truth [3:24]
20. I’m Feeling Alright – Big Mama Thornton – Big Mama Thornton with the Muddy Waters Blues Band [3:01]
21. Married To The Blues – Shemekia Copeland – Turn The Heat Up! [7:12]

Have you missed any of the RIBS mixes we’ve posted? If you have there is now an easy way to catch up on what we’ve been up to. Just go check out the new RIBS Archives Page to see a very easy to read listing of every post (and music mix) we’ve uploaded to the site.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soul, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, soul music, jazz, Blues

RIBS TPTD: October is "Blues Month", part 1…

Well… it’s October. Summer has come and gone (what little bit of a summer we had this year). The days are getting shorter (daylight wise)… and life (while far from bad) has been knocking me around like a pinball machine.

{sigh} In short… I’ve got "the blues".

Only one thing I can figure out to do at this point, and that is to declare October "Blues Month" here on RIBS!

For the next four weeks (yes, there *are* 5 Thursdays in October this year but the last Thursday of every month is "Duos & Duets" day around here. Remember? {smile}) we’ll be exploring various aspects of this great and unique American art form.

Now, while I would love to pass myself off as a blues expert and say that if you check out RIBS over the the next few weeks you will be more than well versed in this music genre… well, THAT is so far removed from the truth that even I wouldn’t believe it {smile}. At best I am a fan of the Blues and have a basic knowledge of it’s history and many variations. It sounds good to me and there are a great many Blues artists/songs that I like and will be presenting to you over the next month. If you are already a Blues fan, these mixes are something I hope you’ll enjoy and add to your collection. If you are not yet a Blues fan, I hope that you’ll hear something during this month that may move you to investigate the music further.

For part 1 of our journey I have selected a variety of artists and songs that are some of my favorites to get us moving down that long, lonesome highway towards the crossroads. BUT, don’t make the mistake (that a lot of people make) and think that Blues music is all sad and melancholy. The Blues can make you jump up out of your seat and "shake a leg" (as Daddy Grundy likes to say) just as well as it can make you walk the floor all night long pining an unrequited love. The Blues can do it all!

Well, as I said at the beginning, I’ve got the blues… and I’m gonna share it with you all month long. Let’s get started, as RIBS and October present to you…

RIBS TPTD: Blues Month, part 1…

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Playlist: (song – artist – album [time])

1. Down Home Blues – Z.Z. Hill - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues-A Musical Journey [3:59]
2. Hoochie Coochie Man – Muddy Waters – Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues-A Musical Journey [2:51]
3. Tuff Enuff – The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues-A Musical Journey [3:22]
4. Juke – Little Walter – Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues-A Musical Journey [2:46]
5. Good Day For The Blues – Ruth Brown - Good Day For The Blues [2:24]
6. Hound Dog – Big Mama Thornton – Ball N’ Chain [3:53]
7. Mean Old World – Lou Rawls – Best of Capitol Jazz & Blues Sessions [4:41]
8. Dyin’ Flu – Albert Collins and The Icebreakers - Alligator Records 30th Anniversary Collection [10:34]
9. Feel Like Breakin’ Up Somebody’s Home – Etta James – Seven Year Itch [4:13]
10. Double Crossing Blues – Johnny Otis Quintette w/Little Esther & The Robins - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues-A Musical Journey [2:46]
11. Fever – Little Willie John – Fever [2:44]
12. Goin’ To Chicago Blues - Lou Rawls – Best of Capitol Jazz & Blues Sessions [2:53]
13. I Can’t Quit You Baby – Otis Rush – Blues Masters Vol 06, Blues Originals [2:55]
14. Call It Stormy Monday – T-Bone Walker - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues-A Musical Journey [3:02]
15. Turn Up The Heat – Shemekia Copeland - Alligator Records 30th Anniversary Collection [5:06]
16. Your Husband Is Cheating On Us – Denise LaSalle - Right Place, Right Time [4:36]
17. If Walls Could Talk – Little Milton - Blues Masters Vol 01, Great Blues Performers [3:11]
18. Let The Good Times Roll – Koko Taylor – The Earthshaker [3:03]
19. Born Under A Bad Sign – Albert King - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues-A Musical Journey [2:46]
20. I’m A Man – Bo Diddley - Blues Masters Vol 06, Blues Originals [3:03]
21. I’ve Got A Mind To Give Up Livin’ – Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues-A Musical Journey [4:58]
22. I’d Rather Go Blind – Etta James – Tell Mama [2:36]

Have you missed any of the RIBS mixes we’ve posted? If you have there is now an easy way to catch up on what we’ve been up to. Just go check out the new RIBS Archives Page to see a very easy to read listing of every post (and music mix) we’ve uploaded to the site.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soul, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, soul music, jazz, Blues

RIBS TPTD: “Jazz 101″ - An Introduction To Jazz, Lesson #1…

Hey Good People!

Surprise! A rare weekend treat from the RIBS kitchen today. First, before we get to our classroom session, let me give you a little bit of background on what this is all about…

As I hope you are aware, April is Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) and all month long the great American art form known as jazz is being celebrated with a variety of events all over the country. Additionally, many online music enthusiasts are writing and talking about jazz a lot on their sites this month. One post that caught my eye was from my home girl, Vivrant Thang, over on her excellent site, Songs In The Key Of Life. In a post entitled, “All That Jazz: In Celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month”, she wrote:

I don’t talk about my love for jazz enough on this blog so I figure jazz appreciation month is the perfect time to do so. I have to admit that my knowledge is lacking. Mama Vivrant Thang was never really into jazz so it wasn’t played much around the house.
The number of jazz albums in my collection is unusually slim. Time for my collection to reflect it. Question is - where to start?
Jazz lovers, help me out. What do you consider the essential albums any jazz lover should have in their collection?

Now, when a person bares their soul like this and feels compelled to publicly share such an awful secret with the world well… how can you not reach out and help them? Hmmmm? {smile}

Seriously though, in addition to putting in my 2 cents as a comment on the site, Vivrant Thang’s post got me to thinking…

What artists and what songs WOULD a person choose to initially introduce someone to jazz???

I mean I know what I like and several songs came immediately to mind, but I continued to wonder what combinations other jazz fans would choose as an introduction to jazz. Well, since my curiosity had gotten the best of me, there was only one thing to do…

Twitter to the rescue.

Yep. I decided to post the question on Twitter and see what kind of responses “the crew” would come up with. To make a long story short we had a very interesting couple of days of conversation with a boatload of great suggestions for a playlist of songs that would be perfect for an “Introduction to Jazz” playlist. AAMOF, we started calling the tweets “Jazz 101″ and used the #jazz101 hashtag on most of the repsponses/replies so it would be easy to search for parts of the conversation you may have missed. (click the link to open a new window showing you the “Jazz 101″ conversation via Twitter Search)

And… that’s the backstory of today’s playlist.

Now, let’s talk about the “frontstory”, the music itself and some suggestions for “getting into jazz” and becoming a bonafide jazz aficionado.

When I was thinking about writing this “introduction to jazz” post I originally considered trying to answer the question” “What is jazz?” After a little research and careful consideration I quickly abandoned THAT idea. Ha! Even the folks who play and/or make their livelihood from this music have not definitively defined it yet after all these years, what made me think I could? {smile} However, researching the answer to the “What is jazz?” question IS fascinating in and of itself. The Wikipedia entry for Jazz is a good starting point, IMO.

Basically, the best way to get into jazz is to listen to it (no real earth shattering revelation there, eh? {smile}) The question is, of course, “where to start?” For my money, and the suggestion I always make, is to start with what many folks consider (even to this day, 50 years after it was first recorded) to be the finest jazz album ever made:

Miles Davis’ “Kind Of Blue” (and, fittingly, the first song on the playlist comes from this gem; more on that later)

AAMOF, it’s probably a very good idea to start one’s appreciation of jazz with the recordings produced during the 50s (Cool Jazz and Modal Jazz) and the early-to-mid 60s (Soul Jazz and Latin Jazz) as this is a period in which many of the finest and most listenable (IMHO) jazz recordings were made. From there you can go back to the Bebop jazz era (1940s) or the Swing jazz era (1930s) or push forward into the Fusion jazz era of the late 60s/70s or the Smooth jazz era of the 1980’s and beyond.

Also, let me repeat something I wrote in the post comment on Vivrant Thang’s website which some of you may find works well as a springboard into the genre. Begin your jazz education by starting on an instrument by instrument basis: pick an instrument and then pick the most prominent artist (opinions vary greatly here, of course) on that instrument and collect several of their works first. My own personal instrument/artist list suggestions:

1. Trumpet - Miles Davis
2. Saxophone - John Coltrane
3. Guitar - Wes Montgomery
4. Vibes - Lionel Hampton
5. Big Band - Count Basie (I know that’s not an instrument, but the Count is essential!)
6. Drums - Max Roach
7. Keyboards - Duke Ellington or Herbie Hancock

Let me make one more point that I think is essential to appreciating jazz before we get into the playlist. In addition to the sound of the music, true fans of jazz also pay particular attention to the personnel that are involved in the performance/recording session of a jazz concert or album. It’s one of those little things that, while not exclusive to jazz, is something that has greater importance to fans of jazz as opposed to other musical genres. For example, not only is it important to know that Miles’ “Kind Of Blue” is perhaps the best jazz album of all time, but to fans of jazz it is equally important to note of the fact that this was Miles’ sextet ensemble with, in addition to Davis on trumpet, pianist Bill Evans, pianist Wynton Kelly (on track #2, Freddie Freeloader only), drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley.

Also, before I let you go, I wanted to say a few things about the songs that make up this first playlist. The first thing is… “Yes!” there will, at the very least, be a Lesson #2  “Jazz 101″ mix here on RIBS. Although when I came up with the idea for this ‘jazz intro’ playlist I was originally thinking of it in singular terms, there have so many great suggestions from the crew on Twitter and some other folks I’ve discussed this with that I just have to make more than one mix in order to do the subject justice.

As for this initial selection of songs the goal was to present a cross section of songs, instruments and styles that were some of the best (subjective, I know!) examples of the beauty and variety of that thing called jazz.

As I’ve already mentioned, for me it doesn’t get any better than Miles’ “Kind Of Blue”, and the first track from that album, So What, gets us started. That leads us quite smoothly into Stolen Moments (my second favorite jazz composition behind So What) by saxophonist, composer and arranger Oliver Nelson from his 1961 breakthrough album “The Blues And The Abstract Truth”. These two are fine examples of the softer, melodic sound of jazz that is so pleasing to ones ears.

Duke Ellington and Count Basie give us two familiar jazz standards, Take The ‘A’ Train and April In Paris respectively, that are prime examples of the Swing style of jazz popular in the late 1930s through the 1940s . You may also hear Swing jazz referred to as “Big Band” jazz so named as much for the size of the bands that played it (approximately 12 to 25 musicians) as for the big, uptempo sound it had. Swing was THE dance music back in its heyday and was broadcast nightly coast-to-coast across America for years.

Sometimes when you think about jazz music much of the thought process centers around instrumental music, however jazz is as much a medium for vocalists as it is for instrumentalists. In order to provide a taste of the lyrical side of jazz our playlist includes three of the best, Nina Simone with My Baby Just Cares For Me; Sarah “Sassy” Vaughan with the melancholy, bluesy Black Coffee and one of my all time favorite singers (ooooh, I just luv this woman’s voice!) Ms. Nancy Wilson and her version of In The Heat Of The Night.

If you are going to introduce someone to the jazz guitar and the jazz saxophone there are few better to start with than Wes Montgomery (guitar) who gives us Four On Six and John Coltrane (saxophone, often referred to as just “Trane” by jazz fans) with his classic rendition of My Favorite Things. Far from the first ones to play these instruments, each man is considered one of the most innovative artists in jazz and has been a major influence on all who have come after them.

To round out and finish up our first lesson we take you home with three more jazz standards (and personal favs)… Red Clay from trumpet extraordinaire Freddie Hubbard, Maiden Voyage from the versatile master of all things keyboards Herbie Hancock, and Take Five from pianist and jazz icon Dave Brubeck.

Whew! OK, I hope I haven’t worn you out with all that “talk”. Time for our “Jazz 101″ class to begin. Face forward, eyes up front and make sure to take extensive notes as we present to you…

“Jazz 101 - An Introduction to Jazz, Lesson #1″

RIBS TPTD: Jazz 101 - An Introduction To Jazz 1

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Right-click here to download .MP3 file (111Mb, 1:19:04)

Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist: (song - artist - album [time])

1. So What - Miles Davis - Kind of Blue [9:25]
2. Stolen Moments - Oliver Nelson - The Blues and the Abstract Truth [8:47]
3. Take The ‘A’ Train - Duke Ellington - Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band [2:52]
4. April In Paris - Count Basie and His Orchestra - April in Paris [3:51]
5. My Baby Just Cares For Me - Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue [3:38]
6. Four On Six - Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery [6:17]
7. My Favorite Things - John Coltrane - The Last Giant: The John Coltrane Anthology [13:40]
8. In The Heat Of The Night - Nancy Wilson - Welcome to My Love [2:34]
9. Black Coffee - Sarah Vaughan - The Divine Sarah Vaughan: The Columbia Years 1949 - 1953) [3:18]
10. Red Clay - Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay [12:11]
11. Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage [7:57]
12. Take Five - Dave Brubeck - Time Out [5:26]

Have you missed any of the RIBS mixes we’ve posted? If you have there is now an easy way to catch up on what we’ve been up to. Just go check out the new RIBS Archives Page to see a very easy to read listing of every post (and music mix) we’ve uploaded to the site.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Jazz101, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, jazz, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Oliver Nelson, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nina Simone, Wes Montgomery, Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck

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RIBS TPTD: Outlaw 2009…

You know, sometimes we get attached to something and it always has a special place in our hearts. You know the kinds of things I mean… your first car, those old jeans you like to lounge around in on the weekends, your baseball glove from high school, that big, oversized Valentine’s Day card you got one year… yeah those things.

Well, music is like that too (for me at least and, I expect, for many of you out there also). Today’s playlist is a perfect example of this fact. I originally made this mix sometime back during the college days. At the risk of dating myself that is over 25 years ago. For some reason that I still can’t really explain, it has always been one of my favorite collection of songs and this tape (the original mix was on a 90 minute cassette tape, TDK as I recall) has logged many a mile with me up and down the highways and byways of my life.

The bad news, unfortunately, is that the original cassette tape has been missing for the past several years. The good news is that I did actually write down the songs that comprised the playlist (can’t say that for quite a few other old cassette tapes I still have lying around. Many a ‘mystery’ song or two on those! But I digress…) So even though the original mix has been lost (I still hope it turns up one of these days if/when I ever pack up and move again. I’ve found so many ‘lost’ items that way, haven’t you? *smile*) with the playlist in hand and today’s computer technology the mix could be easily recreated. No problem, right? I wish it were that easy. As my luck would have it I was able to collect EVERY song for the playlist… except one, the Taj Mahal cut “Why?…And We Repeat/Why?…And We Repeat” (in case you are interested, this song is found on a relatively obscure TM album called Music Keeps Me Together). And, of course, THAT happened to be my favorite cut in the entire mix!

Undaunted, over the years I have recreated the mix using other songs as a substitute for the Taj Mahal cut. I’ve tried “Love Is The Message” by MFSB, “Spiral” by the Crusaders, and a few others. And while it was nice to have the mix again (this time on CD, of course) as a traveling companion, it really was just not quite the same. Something was missing, the flow was just not quite the one I remembered, enjoyed and, above all wanted.

The irony of this story is that I actually had the Taj Mahal song all along… on vinyl. Yep, every time I would play around with another variation of the mix that Music Keeps Me Together album would be peeking over my shoulder at me. It’s like it was whispering in my ear, “you know the song you want is right here, all you have to do is convert it to MP3 format”. Problem was… no turntable, well no working turntable I should say. Out of four units I owned, each one had some kind of a problem: no stylus on one, no belt on the other, the motor on the third one would speed up and/or slow down at various times during the playing of a record. And the fourth one? I could never locate the box I stored it in during the last move. *sigh* So close, so close…

To wrap up this tale, a month ago I found the fourth turntable! I was looking for something else (of course) when the discovery happened (isn’t that always the case?). Well, I wasted no time in hooking that thing up the the computer system and digitizing that Taj Mahal disc! And now the mix, my traveling buddy, is back whole again in all its original glory. So to celebrate my good fortune and happiness, I am pleased to share with and present to you…

“Outlaw 2009″

RIBS TPTD: Outlaw 2009
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Playlist: (song - artist [time])

1. Outlaw - WAR [4:00]
2. Why?… And We Repeat/Why?… And We Repeat - Taj Mahal [7:28]
3. Running With The Night - Lionel Richie [4:09]
4. Burnin’ Up - Imagination [4:42]
5. Walk In The Night - Junior Walker & The All Stars [4:13]
6. Working Day And Night - Michael Jackson [5:14]
7. Machine Gun - Commodores [2:38]
8. Magic Carpet Ride - Creative Source [3:13]
9. Let Your Mind Be Free - Brother To Brother [3:32]
10. Life In The Fast Lane - Eagles [4:47]
11. Fast Lane - Gil Scott-Heron [4:52]
12. Street Player - Rufus ft. Chaka Khan [4:54]
13. What Can I Do for You - Labelle [4:02]
14. Flying High - Commodores [3:49]
15. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Inner Life [10:28]
16. Is It Love You’re After - Rose Royce [5:05]
17. Risky Changes - Bionic Boogie [7:14]

Have you missed any of the RIBS mixes we’ve posted? If you have there is now an easy way to catch up on what we’ve been up to. Just go check out the new RIBS Archives Page to see a very easy to read listing of every post (and music mix) we’ve uploaded to the site.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soul, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, soul music, WAR, Taj Mahal, Lionel Richie, Imagination, Jr. Walker, Michael Jackson, Commodores, Creative Source, Brother To Brother, The Eagles, Gil Scott-Heron, Rufus, Chaka Khan, Inner Life, Rose Royce, Bionic Boogie

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RIBS TPTD: In Memoriam 2008, R.I.P.

TG Notes: A little late getting this one out, but I’ve been caught up in the holidays and my vacation and have been just plain lazy most of the past week *smile*. But here we go…

January, 2009… the start of another new year. New hopes, new excitement… new fears. A time to shake off the old and begin anew. A time for a fresh start on a new journey or a recommitment with renewed determination to a journey that has already begun.

A time for looking forward…

However, as the saying goes, “if you don’t know where you’ve been, how will you know where you’re going?” (I’m paraphrasing the exact quote here I guess; anybody know where the original quote came from by any chance?)

So with that in mind, before we turn ourselves towards the front and push forward to our individual destinies, let us collectively take a few moments to look back and reflect upon those music artists and entertainers that left us during the past twelve months during 2008.

Maybe it’s just me and the fact that I pay attention to music a lot more closely these days than I have in the past, but it seems like 2008 was a particularly bad year in that a large number of our artists passed away, a few quite unexpectedly. The following is a list of those artists/entertainers we lost last year whose music, memory and talent we honor in this week’s mix:

1. Buddy Miles, d. Feb 26, 2008 (RIBS “In Memoriam” mix here)
2. Al Wilson, Apr 21, 2008 (RIBS “In Memoriam” mix here)
3. Jimmy McGriff, d. May 24, 2008 (RIBS “In Memoriam” mix here)
4. Bo Diddley, d. Jun 2, 2008
5. George Carlin, Jun 22, 2008
6. Ira Tucker Sr. (The Dixie Hummingbirds), d. Jun 24, 2008
7. Bernie Mac, d. Aug 9, 2008
8. Isaac Hayes, d. Aug 10, 2008 (RIBS “In Memoriam” mixes here and here)
9. Jerry Wexler, d, Aug 15, 2008
10. Pervis Jackson (The Spinners), d. Aug 18, 2008
11. Jerry Reed, d. Sept 1, 2008
12. Norman Whitfield, d. Sept 16, 2008 (RIBS “In Memoriam” mix here)
13. Levi Stubbs (Four Tops), d. Oct 17, 2008 (RIBS “In Memoriam” mix here)
14. Dee Dee Warwick, d. Oct 18, 2008
15. Miriam Makeba, d. Nov 10, 2008
16. Odetta, d. Dec 2, 2008
17. Dennis Yost (Classics IV), d. Dec 7, 2008
18. Eartha Kitt, d. Dec 25, 2008
19. Freddie Hubbard, d. Dec 29, 2008 (RIBS “In Memoriam” mix here)

Just a few more quick notes about the playlist to make sure there is no confusion. The Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin songs are on the list to honor Jerry Wexler. He, along with Ahmet Ertegun, was responsible for making Atlantic Records such a major force in music back in the 50s and 60s He’s credited with jump starting the career of Ray and turning Aretha’s career around after her less than stellar years at Columbia Records. Oh, and one more “little” thing… in 1948 as a writer for Billboard Magazine Jerry coined the term “Rhythm and Blues” as a musical marketing term in the United States.

Norman Whitfield writer/producer extraordinaire for Motown Records in the 60s and 70s is represented by one of his all-time great songs, “Cloud Nine” by the Temptations and one of his most recognizable compositions, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” performed by Gladys Knight and The Pips. As you may know “Grapevine” was also a hit for Marvin Gaye and has also been performed and/or covered by numerous groups over the years, not the least of which was the clay-animated singing group The California Raisins, a fictional group originally created for a 1986 commercial on behalf of the California Raisin Advisory Board. (BTW, did you know that Buddy Miles was the lead singer voice of The California Raisins?)

Fortunately, the memories and the music will live on forever. So, let’s lift our glasses high in honor of these dearly departed as we present to you…

In Memoriam 2008, R.I.P.

WARNING - the following version of the mix is X-RATED and is NOT work-safe. It contains two comedy routines, one by Bernie Mac (track #5) and one by George Carlin (track #12) that contain quite a bit of profanity. Select the optional PG-rated version of the mix for versions that eliminate the comedy routines and do not include any profanity.

RIBS TPTD: In Memoriam 2008, R.I.P. (X-rated version)
Alternate (if you have a problem using the javascript pop-up): Click here. (X-rated version)
Right-click here to download .MP3 file (108Mb, 1:17:15) (X-rated version)
Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

PG-Rated version (work-safe, no profanity)

RIBS TPTD: In Memoriam 2008, R.I.P. (PG-rated version)
Alternate (if you have a problem using the javascript pop-up): Click here. (PG-rated version)
Right-click here to download .MP3 file (90Mb, 1:04:30) (PG-rated version)
Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist: (song - artist [time])

1. Theme From Shaft - Isaac Hayes [4:39]
2. Them Changes - Buddy Miles [3:22]
3. Cloud Nine - The Temptations [3:31]
4. I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Gladys Knight and the Pips [2:46]
5. White Folks - Bernie Mac [5:44]
6. Pata Pata - Miriam Makeba [3:00]
7. Mess Around - Ray Charles [2:41]
8. Can’t Seem To Get You Out Of My Mind - Four Tops [3:15]
9. When Love Slips Away - Dee Dee Warwick [3:05]
10. Mama Told Me Not To Come - Odetta [2:47]
11. Branded - Isaac Hayes [7:02]
12. 7 Words You Can’t Say On Television - George Carlin [7:02]
13. East Bound And Down - Jerry Reed [2:48]
14. Who Do You Love - Bo Diddley [2:30]
15. They Just Can’t Stop It (The Games People Play) - The Spinners [4:44]
16. I Want To Be Evil - Eartha Kitt [3:33]
17. Blue Groove (Part 1) - Jimmy McGriff [5:34]
18. Spooky - Classics IV [2:49]
19. I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) - Aretha Franklin [2:44]
20. Show and Tell - Al Wilson [3:26]
21. Who Are We? - Dixie Hummingbirds [2:39]

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soul, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, soul music, jazz, Freddie Hubbard, Isaac Hayes, Buddy Miles, Norman Whitfield, Bernie Mac, Miriam Makeba, Jerry Wexler, Levi Stubbs, Dee Dee Warwick, Odetta, George Carlin, Jerry Reed, Bo Diddley, Pervis Jackson, Eartha Kitt, Jimmy McGriff, Dennis Yost, Al Wilson, Ira Tucker, Sr.

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RIBS TPTD: “Merry Christmas, Baby” - A Baker’s Dozen…

More “Sounds of the Season” from RIBS!

Today we’re doing something a little different. You may like it or hate it, we’ll have to see…

I’ve been asked by a few folks this month what my favorite Christmas song is, and I’ve answered without hesitation Luther Vandross’ “Every Year, Every Christmas”. However, my second favorite Christmas song is the subject of our mix today, the Christmas classic, “Merry Christmas, Baby”. Originally done by Charles Brown this song has been covered by just about EVERYBODY it seems whenever they perform a set of Christmas music.

So… I got to thinkin’ one day, “Just how many versions of this song are there?” Well, the answer is: “A lot!” *smile*

Now, often a DJ will take a couple of versions of a song, the original and a cover version and play them back to back so you can contrast and compare them to one another. Well today we’re taking 13 (that’s the “baker’s dozen” part of the title) and presenting them to you all in one mix. Yeah, yeah I know sounds kinda boring doesn’t it. Well, I’ve labored long and hard to find versions that were different enough so that it wouldn’t be repetitive, BUT… you have to be the judge of that.

Without further ado, RIBS’ Sounds of the Season presents to you:

“Merry Christmas, Baby” - A Baker’s Dozen!

RIBS TPTD: Merry Christmas, Baby - A Baker’s Dozen
Alternate (if you have a problem using the javascript pop-up): Click here.
Right-click here to download .MP3 file (82Mb, 56:55)
Download playlist .PDF file here (right-click)

Playlist: (song - artist [time])                     

1. Merry Christmas, Baby - Charles Brown [4:49]
2. Merry Christmas, Baby - Otis Redding [2:29]
3. Merry Christmas, Baby - Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers [4:58]
4. Merry Christmas, Baby - Don Patterson [6:01]
5. Merry Christmas, Baby - Stevie Wonder/Wyclef Jean [5:23]
6. Merry Christmas, Baby - Etta James [6:08]
7. Merry Christmas, Baby - Bootsy Collins [4:30]
8. Merry Christmas, Baby - Lou Rawls [2:31]
9. Merry Christmas, Baby - Booker T. & The MGs [3:18]
10. Merry Christmas, Baby - Bruce Springsteen [4:56]
11. Merry Christmas, Baby - Christina Aguilera [5:44]
12. Merry Christmas, Baby - O’Jays [4:29]
13. Merry Christmas, Baby - Natalie Cole [3:23]

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: soul, RIBS, TPTD, Rhythms In Black Satin, playlist, mp3, mp3blog, soul music, Christmas, Xmas, Black Christmas, Soulful Christmas

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