reruns and leftovers

While you are on your second helping of Turkey soup, Turkey Terrazini or Turkey Noodle Casserole. how about another Shelf classic? This one is from Thanksgiving weekend of 2005. We'll be back with new stuff this week. Enjoy!

I love music. Different kinds of music. With me - it's not so easy to describe who or what I like. It's more - I know what I like when I hear it. So to speak. OK - I am a big band, jazz, blues, croonin' junkie -but at the same time I love Sting, INXS, Queen, Barenaked ladies, Aaron Copeland, Beethoven, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Rosemary Clooney- do you see what I am getting at? Eclectic doesn't begin to describe my collection. I like me some Brazilian Bossa Nova, and am just as likely to put Celtic harmonies, the Boston Pops, or the Beatles on my playlist. Again I know what I like. I love discovering new music- even though it just may be new to me. A couple of years ago I saw O Brother, Where Art Thou, and - like many other Americans - bought the soundtrack. That led to discovering and loving the music of Allison Krauss and Union Station (one of the most beautiful voices in music today) - even though I don't consider myself a Bluegrass gourmet. Soon after I wandered into the realm of Ralph Stanley, and for a reason I don't remember, Johnny Cash. That led me to rediscover Lynard Skynard. Maybe unrelated links, but a thread nonetheless.

I enjoy something which has been dubbed- "The Great American Songbook." Thanks to Rod Stewart, a Scot, many have started to discover or rediscover great "American" songs - stuff sung by Sinatra, Martin, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, Nat King Cole, and others. You probably know most of the songs, or at least heard of them. They are American classics like "As Time Goes By", "Over the Rainbow", "That Old Black Magic", and one of my personal favorites, "Stardust." The thing about these songs is that they evoke some of the common culture, influences, and spirit of our country. And that's nothing to be ashamed of. Why did it take a Scot to make us remember that this stuff is great? Don't know - but thanks anyway. I've been enjoying this music for many years- but it's great to see so many others discovering it now.
Now if someone where to ask- "Do you love Bluegrass? or Do you love Country?" I would probably answer "Not really." However, were they to ask about certain artists or play certain songs within those genres - I might answer differently. I don't know why. I know what I like - and I don't always identify or like an entire genre of music. I don't really know anyone who could honestly claim they like every performance, every performer within a genre of music. We are too human, too rooted in our own life journey for that. But that doesn't mean we can't discover music, artists, or performances. I think the very act of discovery - the discovery of knowledge, music, art, film, words, and ideas - keeps us young and alive, no matter what our age. When we stop discovering, we stop living.

Music, to me, is a journey. I particularly think that our culture, our history, and our identity as a nation of peoples is so beautifully expressed in music, as much as in words or pictures. So its a wonderful thing to make discoveries and to return to old favorites. I have always enjoyed taking an artist I like and then making a journey of discovery through them. For example, I enjoy the work of Harry Connick, Jr. So - who influenced him- who does he influence? Who has a similar sound and what do they do differently with it. Potentially one could start with Harry- and then discover one of his influences- Thelonious Monk. It's then possible to go from Monk to John Coltrane, or one of his influences, Duke Ellington. Duke could lead you to Fats Waller and then, you could study Jazz during the Harlem Renaissance and then the roots of Jazz and Blues in the Mississippi Delta and the South. It is then possible to go from there to traditional Southern Mountain music and even the African influences of music in the Gullah areas of the Charleston coast. Could you then go from the mountain music and it's parentage in Scotland and Ireland and then pull back into traditional Gaelic music in the present? Sure. Or even go to Africa and discover the drums of West Africa.
See - a journey. One that all started with a Harry Connick Jr. CD that you popped in and listened to one afternoon. Music has such potential. We can take a wonderful journey, if we just act on our curiosity and impulse to learn. We are truly only limited by our curiosity and imagination.

We linked to a website in our last post- Pandora. Pandora is part of the online Music Genome Project. If you enter in an artist's name- Pandora will then play a selection by that artist and follow that with other artists with a similar musical DNA, if you will. Check it and see what I'm talking about. Another great site is allmusic. You can make a very similar journey by searching out artists and checking out their work, bios, and influences.
Take a little trip before we are truly inundated with Holiday music. Not that I don't love Holiday music- in fact, I do love it. But the wait will make it all the more enjoyable- trust me. In fact, once we roll into December you can also add Holiday music to Pandora and see what it comes up with. Enjoy.





I don't care what you call me, man, just as long as my name is on the record.

sweet music

It's time for this week's roundup- the last one for January 2007. February is going to be the beginning of a big year for classic film releases, with some great stuff heading our way next week; but more on that later. For now, let's head straight into this week's Top Shelf Pick.

Music:
Top Shelf Pick of the Week:
Harry Connick, Jr.
We make no pretense here that we enjoy Harry Connick, Jr.'s music. Mrs. Loophole loves Harry Connick, Jr. She likes his music too. I do not begrudge her that one bit, as I am a fan. And for fans, this is a great week of two concurrent releases: Oh, My Nola and Chanson du Vieux Carre. Both are a tribute to Connick's home town of New Orleans, and in a way, is a heartfelt love letter to New Orleans, and its music and people. Oh, My Nola features songs that are closely related to the city, and several new tracks by Connick. Chanson du Vieux Carre focuses on the music tradition of New Orleans that reverberates with big band, swing, Dixieland and jazz. A must for any fan of the music or of Harry Connick, Jr.

Norah Jones: Not Too Late

Norah Jones hit the big time with her first major studio release, and hasn't looked back since. Her sophomore effort was just as outstanding and some feared that the dreaded "follow up slump", that accompanies so many artists who achieve success so early, would catch up to her soon. It appears that may not be the case here. Her third album, Not Too Late, continues on the path of self-expression, multiple threads of musical styles, and features that same, sweet, hypnotically soothing voice.

Dave Koz: At the Movies
With the Oscars coming up, and especially the marathon goodness that is 31 days of Oscar now happening on TCM, this is a great disc to get to get you in the right mood. Featuring several guest artists such as Chris Botti and Anita Baker, Koz does his take on many iconic and perhaps less well known, but beautiful, movie themes. Somewhere, As Time Goes By, The Pink Panther, and the always present Over the Rainbow are just of few of the classic tracks you'll find on the discs. Yes, many artists have done their take on many of these songs, but- this is the Koz, man!

Books:

Hitler's Beneficiaries by: Gotz Aly
When Gotz Aly published this book in Germany, it immediately became a controversy. Aly looks at the question which many have asked, but few have come up with an answer for: How did Hitler win the allegiance of ordinary Germans? The answers are complex on several levels, but Aly's book examines at how Hitler focused his propaganda, not just on nationalism, but on "the German people." Hitler promised many things to the poor and the Germans who felt dispossessed. Using many records and documents to support and back up his findings, Aly demonstrates how Hitler used the plunder from the war, taken from Jewish families and business, and others deemed enemies of the state in Germany; by funneling the goods and funds not just into the war effort, but also into redistribution of wealth and handouts. This book is not only important to read for understanding our history, but it is important for understanding our present day situation. It is difficult for me to look at what is going with Hugo Chavez and not think of the tragedies, like this one, of the past.

DVD:

Flyboys (Reader Mini-Review alert!)
Disclaimer: I have not seen this film. Assessment: It looks pretty cool.

Opinion: I think I will get it. Reason: It looks like a good, old fashioned swashbuckler war movie. Any questions?

Verdict: We'll let you know when we see it. If you've seen it and would like to give us your own mini-review, email us at The Shelf: randomshelf@hotmail.com and we will randomly select one out of all the entries and put your mini-review up on next week's roundup! This is a new feature that we are trying out so we can have more interaction with our readers! Please, no profanity or diatribes. Let us know what you think and you may be featured in next week's Reader Mini-Review!

Madame Curie
The lovely Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon star in this bio-pic about Marie Curie and her work and discovery of radium, and the story of her marriage to Pierre Currie. The film was directed by Mervyn Leroy, and based on the book by the Curie's daughter, Eve Curie.

Angels in the Outfield

Alright, forget Danny Glover- and forget Disney on this one. The original Angels in the Outfield is much better. Starring Paul Douglas, Keenan Wynn, and the beautiful Janet Leigh was made in 1951 and has more charm and humor than the lackluster remake. The sad thing is that few people know that the 90s film was a remake. Special features include several cartoons and a radio adaptation of the film. This is an Amazon Exclusive disc.

Gymkata:
Can you say 1980s grade-A cheese? Can you say guilty pleasure? In the mid 1980's, Ninjas were huge. Me and the gang loved watching Lee Van Cleef in The Master on television (by the way where is that DVD set?) and we played Shinobi in the arcade. Ninja movies were everywhere, and somehow, somewhere, a big wig in Hollywood said one day: "Hey let's combine America's fascination with Ninjas and it's love for competitive Gymnastics. It's a win-win!" Kurt Thomas may have never been able to compete in the 1980 Olympics because of the ban, but he had his shot at taking on the Cold War in ... Gymkata!

Band of Angels

Clark Gable, Sydney Poitier, and (the recently and sadly deceased) Yvonne DeCarlo star in this 50's film about a Southern Belle whose fortunes turn south when her father dies during the Civil War era. Hmmm...sounds familiar. And it stars Clark Gable? Oh, but wait...the similarities end there. The film delves into slavery, family secrets, and torrid romance. Did I say they end? Well, actually the movie is quite different from that other one you are thinking of. Worth checking out, indeed.

Well that's all folks... Wait! No TCM picks today? Well, don't worry we have a massive TCM Shelf picks coming up next that celebrates- The Academy Awards. Stick around and don't miss it!

There are many sounds around us, each is slightly different. So small as to go un-noticed by the person who is unaware. Do not hear the wood split. Hear the only sound of axe, cutting air. Read the air itself. It has much say to you.