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Category: Music

Life’s Soundtrack: Greylevel – Hypostatic Union

Hypostatic Union

So it does bode well for a run when within the first quarter-mile you start thinking to yourself, “You know my legs don’t feel very good, maybe I should just go back home”, which is exactly what happened today! But I kept going and turned inward and tried to concentrate on the music, which was provided by a progressive rock band from the west coast of Canada, Greylevel and their 2011 release Hypostatic Union. I passed the first mile mark in just under 10 minutes and my heart rate was too bad. Then it was up Pancoast Avenue, to the beats in second song on the album. After reaching the top of the climb it was downhill to Bridgeboro, all to the great sound that Greylevel crafts. The band calls it  ” a unique blend of progressive and emotional rock music”.GreylevelGreylevel started as a solo studio project for Derek Barber a vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, In 2005 Barber teamed with guitarist and bassist Richard Shukin and vocalist Esther Barber (Derek’s wife) to form a real band.  Since then Greylevel has developed into a full-fledged band. Read More

Life’s Soundtrack – RPWL and Todd Snider!

TAWKI-cover-300Ok so yesterday we had a family gathering to celebrate Easter and Andrew’s 31 birthday, which is today. Anyway about midway through the day, Andrew went upstairs and came down with three albums by RPWL which I mentioned in the other days post about Blind Ego! So on the way down to the job site at milepost 53.9 on the Garden State Parkway, I listened to a mix of RPWL and enjoyed their music. I’ll write more after I’ve listened to the albums a few more times. Read More

“Into the Night” with the Jazz Guitar of Grant Green with Organ!

Grant Green Organ Trio and QuartetThis morning when I opened MOG the first album that caught my eye was a Grant Green album entitled Organ Trio & Quartet. Now I have occasionally listen to the fine guitar of Grant Green, but I don’t ever remember him being associated with an organ trio. So with visions of Jimmy Smith and wes Montgomery dancing in my head I put it on and I was impressed the group was tight and the organ was really smoking. It seemed that through the early tracks of the album the organ was either equal to or more prominent than the guitar of Green. At lunchtime I looked up information about the album and found that it was actually a combination of two albums. The first half of the album was actually the début album of organist Sam Lazar, Space Flightreleased in 1960. Grant Green was a sideman on that album. It was Green’s second recording.  The second half of the album came from a Grant Green album, Iron City, recorded in 1967 and released in 1972. The organ player on this album is listed as “Big John” Patton. When I found the video that will close this post, I read some of the comments,. Included in the comments was a discussion as to whether the organist was actually Big John or someone else possibly Larry Johnson. Since I could not tell you the difference I will bow to their experience and say the player may not be “Big John” Patton! So here’s the track, it’s actually the title track “Iron City”. What do you think?? John Patton or Larry Johnson either way Grant Green is still terrific! Read More

New Age: The Blue Guitar Sessions – Jesse Cook

The Blue Guitar SessionsSo this morning I received a newsletter from the PBS show Echoes about the shows that will be on this week. I was excited when I saw that tomorrow John Diliberto will be interviewing one of my favorite guitarists, Jesse Cook about his new album  The Blue Guitar Sessions. Knowing that I will forget all about listening tomorrow night, I thought I better go listen to the album this afternoon. So I went over to MOG and put it on. Now for those of you who are not familiar with Jesse Cook, Here’s some information from Wikipedia: Read More

Life’s Soundtracks:The run was a struggle but the music from Day Six was great!

Day sixSo some days you really look forward to your run, you start, you feel good and the run goes very smoothly. Then there are other days, well, they don’t go as well. Saturdays area often a slow day for me. I work all day at Lippincott and then at Target not getting done until 11:15 plus! Yesterday the day went from 7:15 to 11:15, so overall today this 61 year-old body was moving kind of slow! So this afternoon when I just felt like taking a nap I did some kundalini yoga trying to wake me up, and it worked so I got motivated enough to run, went out and discovered that it was a lot colder and windy than I thought it was, anyway, I put on another layer of clothes and set out. I had created a new four mile course and the start looped around a little, so that, after just a little bit a left turn would have led me back home, which was where I really wanted to go or a right turn would set me on my way into the fourteen mile an hour wind and the first leg of my four mile run. Now the only thing good about heading into the wind on the first two miles of a run is that the wind is at your back on the way back!! That’s what happened and really the only reason that I was able to finish the run! The other thing that got me through the run was the music, as always! The music was from a prog rock band Day Six and their album The Grand Design. So with the wind at my back for half of the run, I made it through with an overall pace of about 10:05 per mile, so overall it was not a bad run! Read More

Life’s Soundtrack – Cryptic Vision – Moments of Clarity

Cryptic Vision – Heavy Prog – United States

So last Tuesday I had a good run. I averaged under 10 minute per mile pace over the 4.2 mile course the soundtrack for the run was the 2004 release from Cryptic Vision Moments of Clarity. Cryptic Vision is  a progressive rock band from Sarasota Florida. The band was formed in 2003 by multi-instrumentalist/producer Rick Duncan and vocalist Todd Plan. I don’t know if I  got the whole story or not. I do know boy found girl, boy lost girl and his faith. Overall both the music and vocals were, in my humble opinion, very good. But then again what do I know. All I know is what I like and I like Cryptic Vision’s music. It kept me interested and moving throughout my run. Read More

New to Me: New Age from Todd Boston and Coyote Jump!

OK so like a true junkie who can’t get enough of the drug, I went  searching for new New Age music at lunchtime today! Somehow, and I forget how, I ended up at Echoes.org, I used to listen to Echoes with John Deliberto on WXPN a lot and now most times I forget that it is on at night. Anyway I wrote down the names of several of the artists whose CD have been chosen as CDs of the Month. The list includes: Marconi Union, Theiry David, Todd Boston and Coyote Jump. I gave each a brief listen this afternoon and while I enjoyed them all, the last two Todd Boston and Coyote Jump were my favorites. Todd Boston‘s album is Touched by the Sun. From Todd’s website: Read More

Dr Lonnie Smith – The Best Jazz Organist?

Dr Lonnie Smith – Organ, Hammond B3 – Born July 3, 1942

Through the years I’ve heard of organist Lonnie Smith or Dr Lonnie Smith as he is known now, but until today I’ve never listened to his music. Big mistake! The album Too Damn Hot came up on my “Just for You” on MOG and I saw the organ and said that’s good for me and it was great! Smith’s career has spanned over 50 years and he’s played with a Who’s Who of greats in jazz, he started with  the George Benson Quartet and then more on to a solo career. From his website: Read More

“Into the Night” – with the Jazz organ of Dr Lonnie Smith!

Too Damn HotSo I think that through the years I’ve heard of organist Lonnie Smith or Dr Lonnie Smith as he is known now, but until today I’ve never listened to his music. Big mistake! The album Too Damn Hot came up on my “Just for You” on MOG and I saw the organ and said that’s good for me and it was great! Smith’s career has spanned over 50 years and he’s played with a Who’s Who of greats in jazz, he started with  the George Benson Quartet and then more on to a solo career. From his website: Read More