MUSIC: Norah Jones - Staring at the Wall

It's always a good day when a new Norah Jones song drops on YouTube. This one is just minutes old...

Date posted to YouTube: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Length: 4 minutes, 30 seconds

- Pseudo Boethius

MUSIC: BEFORE YOU GO (Lyle Mays at Cal Tech-Ted Talks 2011)

One of the greatest jazz musicians who has ever lived: Lyle Mays.

Date posted to YouTube: February 20, 2016
Length: 5 minutes, 22 seconds

- Pseudo Boethius

MUSIC: Julian Lage - Nothing Happens Here

There are those who when they play music are bringing great beauty into the world. Julian Lage is one of those people. It doesn't get much more beautiful than this.

Date posted to YouTube: Wednesday, February 6, 2024
Length: 4 minutes, 48 seconds

- Pseudo Boethius

MUSIC: Khruangbin: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

My favorite jazz-funk band: Khruangbin. I think it's pronounced "Krung-bin". They are out of Houston, Texas.


A very unique sound, as they are very much influenced by world music, espeically African and Asain.

This trio from Houston, Texas is heavily inspired by 1960s and '70s funk and soul from, of all places, Thailand. That musical passion has taken them on a journey that, these days, incorporates music from Spain, Ethiopia and the Middle East. Khruangbin's largely instrumental music is grounded in Laura Lee's bass, with Mark Speer playing those melodic, richly reverbed guitar sounds and Donald "DJ" Johnson on drums and piano.

Two of the three songs performed at this Tiny Desk Concert are from their 2018 album Con Todo El Mundo, which is dedicated in part to Laura Lee's Mexican-American grandfather. He'd often ask her how much she loved him and the response that pleased him most was when she would say, "con todo el mundo," (with all the world.)

The third track in this performance is one of the band's first forays into vocals, from their 2015 debut album, The Universe Smiles Upon You. "White Gloves" gently pays homage to a "classy lady" who was "a fighter" and who "died in a fight." Its open-ended lyrics could imply a battle that was violent or an illness. It isn't clear. What is clear is the reverence in the song and in this music — music that strays from typical instrumental songs with heavy beats. This is music to sway to and to lift you beyond the day to day.

Date posted to YouTube: May 23, 2018
Length: 11 minutes, 32 seconds

- Pseudo Boethius

MUSIC: God Bless the Child

One of the greatest songs ever recorded is this 1969 cover of "God Bless the Child" originally sung by the great jazz singer Billie Holiday. All these years later, this song is still magical.

I added it to my "Modern Worship" playlist on YouTube: MUSIC: Modern Worship

Date posted to YouTube: February 11, 2017
Length: 5 minutes, 53 seconds

- Pseudo Boethius

MUSIC: Rhapsody In Blue (1945) – Rhapsody in Blue Debut

One of the greatest works in American music history, Ira Gershwin's masterpiece: "Rhapsody in Blue". 

2019-06-02  [P-B]

MUSIC: The Quadraphones: "Just the Two of Us"

What a find!  An all-girl four saxaphone jazz band, that is just amazing!

2019-04-14  [P-B]

MUSIC: Blood, Sweat & Tears: "God bless the Child-Blood"

One of the most beautiful songs ever recorded.  God bless the child that's got his own.

2019-03-26  [P-B]

MUSIC: Sade - No Ordinary Love (Live 2011)

One of the greatest jazz artists of all time: SADE

2019-01-27  [P-B]

MUSIC: Gene Krupa 1971

Saturday, August 04, 2018

Length: 00:03:32

The greatest drummer of all time: Gene Krupa

P-B

MUSIC: Barry Manilow: "Paradise Cafe" and "Where Have You Gone?"

I never get tired of listening to this album.  Barry makes quite a good jazz singer.