The genetic makings of this mix are, admittedly, a little odd. To start with, it's bookended by two beautiful stunners that have a lot to do with each other but little to do with the hour or so of music in between them. The opener, "Attaboy", and the closer, "Short Trip Home", are both compositions by string quartets with stated missions to blend bluegrass and classical traditions. The players are different in each quartet (both share bass extraordinaire Edgar Meyer), and the albums they made are separated by a dozen years, but they're spiritual kin. The songs are cinematic and absolutely gorgeous.
Once you've dried your tears from track one, Wanda Jackson growls us into a pretty hard streak of foundations-of-rock-and-roll glory. Four of the songs, from Odetta to Buddy Holly, are from the same year, 1957. Its a tight grouping, and it feels right.
And then the mix gets into some pretty sleepy, strummy fare for some reason, starting with Mazzy Star's comeback single (sounds like they never stopped). Suddenly the dark horse beach boy Dennis Wilson shows up to depress us all, there's a Dylan cover, and an eight minute Van Morrison jam with some killer flute.
Yeah, she's a bit of a weird one, this mix, but you never know what your gonna get when you perform this kind of alchemy. That's part of the fun.
Listen to a few cuts below, and download the whole thing at the bottom. Enjoy.
Wanda Jackson - Fujiyama Mama
Patsy Cline - I Fall To Pieces
Odetta - Midnight Special
Jimmy Reed - Honest I Do
Bo Diddley - Mona
Buddy Holly - Not Fade Away
The Bell Notes - I've Had It
Sonny & The Sunsets - Stranded
Mazzy Star - Lay Myself Down
Will Oldham (Palace Songs) - Winter Lady
Gram Parsons - November Nights
Dennis Wilson - Farewell My Friend
Jim James & Calexico - Goin' To Acapulco
Van Morrison - Wonderful Remark
Nick Drake - Time Has Told Me
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Butterfly Mornings
Joshua Bell & Edgar Meyer with Sam Bush & Mike Marshall - Short Trip Home
yo blog is the bomb dawg
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