Song Of The Day

It's Friday, and just as I said in my journal from kindergarten that I found, "Fridays are fundayz!". This particular funday is a funky kind of one, so here's a matching song.

Odofo Nyi Akyiri Biara by Ebo Taylor & The Sweet Beans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj5VtNgdl7U off the album Afrobeat Airways.

Hope you enjoy,
Stephen

Jazz

So, I've been asked to do a post about my favorite jazz songs. I'm going to limit myself to 13 songs, hopefully covering my favorite genres. I play violin in my school's top jazz band and I'm hopefully auditioning for all state jazz, so I really love this stuff.

Song 1. Minor Swing - Stephane Grappelli & Django Reinhardt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpmOTGungnA I can't say enough about this song. Hot Club is by far my favorite kind of jazz, maybe just because Grappelli is my god. But regardless how can you not love it?

Song 2. Giant Steps - John Coltrane http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZRnkBK_0no John Coltrane. John Coltrane. John Col-motherfucking-trane. That's all that needs to be said about this. and that the video is super cool.

Song 3. St. James Infirmary - Louis Armstrong http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzcpUdBw7gs Get ready to see a lot of Louis. I love this song too. This is where I live in jazz, this and swing.

Song 4. Take The A Train - Duke Ellington http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnurVNkg62Q Now this is a cat that swung. I would be scared to take that train because it would swing too much. (sorry, that was a bad joke...)

Song 5. Something's Gotta Give - Ella Fitzgerald http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-8WwidVKGo I found out how amazing Ella Fitz is on a plane ride by myself this summer. I listened to her for 6 or 7 hours. Gotta love that voice.

Song 6. So What - Miles Davis & John Coltrane http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlIU-2N7WY4 This is Cool.

Song 7. Oyimbo - Femi Kuti http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h67X-UDA0uw Ok, so technically this is Afro-beat, but what ever, it's awesome. Femi is the great Fela Kuti's son and he rocks just as hard as his dad.

Song 8. Chameleon - Herbie Hancock http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQsSQRWMhOs We played this song in Jazz band this year and it may be the funkiest thing I've ever played. The build up takes a while but stay with it. It's amazing.

Song 9. Basin Street Blues - Louis Armstrong http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GuDExkBmnU Pops man, he could blow. I also really love this song. He's playing it slower than I've ever heard anyone play it but it's amazing.

Song 10. Take Five - Dave Brubeck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwNrmYRiX_o The coolest thing about this song in my opinion is that it's in 5/4 time, which makes the solo even more impressive. If you don't know what 5/4 time is, look it up...

Song 11. Manha de Carnival - Luiz Bonfa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPOHeniAVy0 I'm not sure who this performer is, but it's a good job of this song.

Song 12. Chan Chan - Buena Vista Social Club http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JEdf7XsV5g I almost completely forgot about latin jazz. Here's the classic cuban jazz group Buena Vista Social Club doing what they do best.

Song 13. Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaZOXF83zBg If you like swing as much as me this should get you. Also, the video's super tripy.

That's all for now. I have to go practice. Leave me comments for more genres or post suggestions. Alright, keep on listening to music and expanding your knowledge.
Stephen

Song Of The Day

Brother Ali -The Preacher http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djG9g5hCOfU

Song Of The Day

On this day 15 years ago, Tupac Amaru Shakur was killed. Today's song goes out to the memory of the greatest rapper of all time.
 Today's song is How Long Will They Mourn Me http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN7FbbQxgHU&feature=related by 2pac.
We're still mourning.
Stephen Kaplan

Song Of The Day

It's monday, and usually I'm down on Mondays, but today's a funky day. So with out further ado i give you Give Up The Funk (Tear the roof off this mother sucka)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBWH3OWfT2Y
May the funk be with you.
Stephen Kaplan

Song Of The Day

Today's song is dedicated to all of the people who lost family or friends on this day 10 years ago.

Miss Me by Joe Purdy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RAbLMY6BN8

Rest In Peace

Stephen Kaplan

This Weeks Album

Well, it's Saturday, which means it's time for a new album.
 Recently I've gotten very into Afrobeat. I love the horn section, and the funky rhythms but more than anything what I love about Afrobeat is the layers of groove that work perfectly. One of my favorite artists in Afrobeat is this weeks album artist, Fanga. I don't know much about them other that they're a funky bunch of dudes who released the album Natural Juice with some of my favorite Afrobeat songs on it.
My first favorite song on the album is the first song on the album, Crache La Douleur (Feat. Tony Allen) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ1Tb--pzUojust listen to that brass section and you'll know why.
After that is Kononi (Feat. Kady Diara) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5jI9ZmwI0M this is a chiller song than crache la douleur, but it's still awesome. The other amazing thing is the flow that this album has. All of the songs lead into the other, so it's really nice to just put on and chill out to.
Ok, I'll give you one more song off the album, Iba http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTWXIggS6Ok is pretty sweet too, but actually, this is an album to be listened to the whole way through.

Alright, that's all for today, make sure to check in tomorrow for the song of the day. Keep on listening to music and expanding your knowledge. Stephen Kaplan

Song Of The Day

Here's a new segment that I'm gonna do. Album of the week will still be around but this is something little and extra. I hope you enjoy.

Well, it's Friday, and that means it's time for party music. That leaves room for a lot of different stuff, but the song for today is gonna be some Euro-pop. Allez Olla Ole http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX2pxtkhx-M by french euro-pop artist Jesse Matador is perfect for Friday. It's catchy, it moves fast with a driving bass and it's just happy music. Hope you enjoy, and come back tomorrow for this weeks album. Keep listening to music and expanding your knowledge. Stephen

Songs That Are Stuck In My Head

Hey all, I've missed a couple of installments, so, this morning I'm doing just a few songs for you. These are songs that I've heard recently and have been stuck in my head.

I. Them Belly Full- Bob Marley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fhxiAHeYs8 I heard this song sampled in Messengers by J. Period and K'naan, they used this as a beat. It's a really cool song.

II. The Gardner- The Tallest Man On Earth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5DyCIdYfpA I'm pretty sure this song's about killing people and lying, but it's really pretty and I really like it.

III. Lemonade- Coco Rosie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu3EcAHdHlE&ob=av2e A really haunting song. It takes a while to get used to her voice, but when I first heard this song I listened to it on repeat about 5 times.

IV. Wash Away- Joe Purdy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTdCzIduUb4 A really pretty tune, it was on lost, but I heard it for the first time by Joe Purdy at Mile High Music Fest.

V. When The Saints Go Marching In- James Brown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGVwatv00sY FUNK.FUNK.FUNK. Gotta have that funk. It doesn't get much better than this.

VI. Exhibit C- Jay Electronica http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPRl0LzD_MA A truly sensational young lyricist, Jay Electronica does some really cool word play in this song.

VII. Oyimbo (live)- Femi Kuti http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3VADO7mwnI Fela's son Femi Kuti does some awesome Afro beat here, I love the horn section, awesome groove, and he starts out the song singing do re mi fa and so on. Cool stuff.

That's all for today, I have to go to school. Keep on listening to music and expanding your knowledge. Stephen