This is one of my favorite jazz solos of all time: Oscar Peterson, playing "Where do we go from here" on an album titled "Great Connection." I've listened to Oscar's solo dozens of time and always revel in its beauty and complexity. Nils Osted-Pedersen's exquisite bass lines are entirely worth a second listen immediately after the first.
I had never before heard Jewel’s story. Heart-warming and inspiring. This is an excerpt of a much longer interview.
Here's something for whatever ails you today. Awesome worldwide collaboration. You will benefit from this vibe all day . . .
I'm going to start a new thing. Every so often, I'm going to share some music I'm enjoying that day.
Tonight's music as I work at home is one of my favorite albums: "Raising our Voices" by the Yellow Jackets (2018). This sweet cut is called "Solitude." Every one of these musicians is world class.
As I work tonight, I'm listening to "Close to the Edge" by Yes. I have cranked up the volume and I find myself surrounded by uninhibited on-fire genius. This song by Yes is so well crafted that I'm listening for the third time in a row, and it deserves these replays. Are there any bands out there today who are willing to experiment like this? Is there a modern version of ELP? Are there any modern versions of "Stairway to Heaven"? My sad gut feeling is that far too much of today's music is crammed into pre-determined tropes. I know there has been crappy music in every decade and that I'm listening to something extraordinary tonight. But does anyone have recommendations of any bands today that are thoughtful, complex, unrelentingly excellent and experimental? Self-consciously uninhibited and not primarily driven to satisfy a mass-market?