August 2005 List

"Never My Love": The Ventures
(10th Anniversary Album, 1970)
After chatting with my friend Mark about the 5th Dimension's version of this song, I remembered that my first, true introduction to the tune was through a record album by The Ventures that my Aunt Gail gave my parents for their wedding. I chipped the vinyl with my uncoordinated four year old hands after listening to the record for the umpteenth time one afternoon (I also liked watching the pretty label revolve at 33 1/3 rpm!), so it had been more than 20 years since I last heard it when I fortuitously found an import CD copy on amazon.com!

"Inspiration": Marlon Saunders
(A Groove So Deep: The Live Sessions, 2005)
I met Marlon Saunders at Angela Johnson's (see last month's post) CD release party at The Blue Note in June and learned that he's an accomplished artist in his own right. I attended his CD release party at Joe's Pub a few weeks ago with my friend Lynn whereupon he worked this soulful, sensual, samba-esque groove with his band, Mood Control.

"Scootcha Booty": Al Jarreau
(Accentuate the Positive, 2004)
Al Jarreau is truly one of the most talented and musically animated vocalists, painting words and syllables with colors unique to his vocal palette. This track, from his most recent release on Verve, exemplifies the essence of his extraordinary gift, tirelessly keeping pace with a tight rhythm section.

"I Got Your Love": Donna Summer
(iTUNES single, 2005)
Well, I finally crossed the threshold that is iTUNES and bought Donna's latest single, which is currently only available online. While the beat is hot and her voice alternately sultry and strong, I do miss the thrill of holding an actual single with cover art, liner notes, and a photo of her fabulously-sculpted face...I have a weakness for packaging, I guess!

"Map IV: Pilgrim": Jane Siberry
(Love is Everything: The Jane Siberry Anthology, 2002)
Because of Jane Siberry's generosity (and because of my work at Songmasters), I had the pleasure of seeing her perform a stimulating and thought-provoking array of poetry, spoken-word pieces, and songs at Joe's Pub during her NYC visit. Her magnetic rendition of this song, accompanied by herself on acoustic guitar, left me spellbound and I quickly tracked down the album to commit that feeling to memory.