June 2006 List

“Seven Days in Sunny June”: Jamiroquai
(Dynamite, 2005)
Not 24 hours ago, Danny Birichi e-mailed me about this song, which – as is often the case with Mr. Birichi’s intuition – he knew I would immediately love. Both of us discovered that we had a shared Jamiroquai affinity during the twilight of our days in Boston and this track represents why – soulful vocals, a nostalgia for late ‘70’s soul/funk, and a happy marriage of acoustic and synthetic elements.

“Father and Daughter”: Paul Simon
(Surprise, 2006)
I heard the guitar riff to “Father and Daughter” looped on a website and was surprised to discover that Paul Simon recorded it, but then again I haven’t paid much attention to his work from the last 20 years... Anyhow, on this lilting lullaby, Simon keeps the arrangements simple – guitar, bass, and drums – and the lyrics sweet without being too saccharine.

“Para Mais Ninguém”: Marisa Monte
(Universo ao Meu Redor, 2006)
The load-up graphic on Marisa Monte’s website is a red-colored vine that grows from the top right corner of the screen to the middle of the page and sprouts two leaves. The instrumental break to “Para Mais Ninguém” supplies the image with music and whets your appetite for more! (See it here: http://www2.uol.com.br/marisamonte/hotsite/abertura.htm

“No More”: Diana Ross
(Blue, 1972)
On the heels of starring as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues in 1972, Diana Ross recorded an album of torch songs and standards to capitalize on the film’s success. For reasons unknown, it was shelved and released 34 years later at a time when every other established pop star seems to be recording standards, but Blue proves that Miss Ross had the chops to tackle songs by Lady Day and make them her own; let the beautifully- aching “No More” stand as exhibit A.

“Diferente”: Gotan Project
(Lunático, 2006)
Dressing tango motifs in an electronic, trans-continental cloak, Gotan Project’s seductive “Diferente” conjures images of low lights, red wine, crimson roses, and limbs intertwined. If ever there was a catalyst for me to learn the tango, this is it!