Open Book

Last night on our ride home from a gig at Jose O'Reilly's, I introduced Micheal to the music of Rick Gedney and Michele Rubin, better known as Open Book. I could write volumes, I'm such a fan. But since I have little time, I'll just throw out a few of the things that come to mind when I listen to their music.

These people know more than a little something about sonic beauty.

They have lived some life. (No, I'm not calling them old, though they are older than I am :)

They take in and recall the world around them in full color.

They are as thoughtful as they are insightful.

I've had the pleasure of meeting them on a couple of occasions; first at the John Street Jam in Saugerties, NY, and again at Peekskill Coffee House. Their personalities are every bit as warm as their music lets on. Their first album, "Out of Time" has set up a residency on my playlist. I've had it long enough now to say that it's one of my favorite albums, period.

Bill Withers Tribute

The Bill Withers tribute set I'm planning for this Saturday is coming along. Here's what's definitely in.

"Ain't No Sunshine"
"Grandma's Hands"
"I Want to Spend the Night"
"Just the Two of Us"
"Lean On Me"
"Lovely Day"
"The Same Love That Made Me Laugh Made Me Cry"
"Use Me"
"Who Is He (and What Is He to You)?"

Any requests?
:)

"Who Is He and What Is He to You?"

A brief word about Bill Withers… Too few people know his name. Here’s how a conversation went after mentioning his name to a stranger between sets at my gig last night.

STRANGER: Who’s Bill Withers?

ME: You know his music. “Lean On Me”, “Ain’t No Sunshine”, “Just the Two of Us”, “Lovely Day”, “Use Me”…

STRANGER: THAT’S Bill Withers?!

ME: Yes.

STRANGER: I LOVE him!

ME: So do I.

My favorite Bill Withers lyric...
"Well now, you think of love as sittin' on a mountain. Think of it as bein' a great big rock. Won't you think before you start it to rollin' down. Because once you start it you can't make it stop, uh huh."

At the Top of My Playlist Lately

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge fan of Tracy Chapman's music. Her latest album, "Our Bright Future" (November 2008), is an inspiration to independent artists everywhere in that it shows how a music career can be sustained outside of the confines of modern pop radio. The first song to grab me was "Thinking of You". Listening to the album the first time through on my drive to work, I made a mental note to come back to it for my evening commute. I'm a sucker for moody piano textures with smart yet subtle use of electric guitar, bass, and percussion. Throw it underneath Tracy's warm vocals, simple yet profound, understated but sincere, and I'm sold. The lyrics are inherently Tracy, painting a picture of a person who is incredibly in touch with her emotions, though not devoid of wit and humor. Some songs work on a level that goes beyond words-to-music within a style, to a point where there is a natural connection between textual themes and musical expression. This is one of those songs. Loneliness, obsession, heart-ache, emptiness, monotony... All of these themes come out as much in the music as they do in the lyrics, delivered in a manner that is both emotive and cerebral. Kudos to Tracy.