Lou Lou

 

In my last entry I shared with you a young man who goes by the moniker of singindork888, and I hope you enjoyed, and as I said, if I find more I’ll bring them on. Well ready yourselves.

This young lady is a friend of singindork888, she is beautiful, very talented, and she hails from France,and her YouTube page name is JusDeFraise .

This is a talent I want to hear more from – much more and in future entries I will try to do just that for us all, so Lou Lou if you are reading this … could we please have more.

Until next time folks, blessings on you all.

What a wonderful vehicle …

What a great and amazing vehicle the internet is. You can buy almost anything — e-bay, Kigigii; you can talk to anyone anywhere in the world — Skype, MSN, Facebook, Twitter; and you can use the goldmine of YouTube to be amazed by the range  of human expression.

Every so often I go on an expedition to see if I can find someone with an interesting sound, a voice that needs to be heard, and the beauty of YouTube is that you can be quite astonished by what you find there.

I was on one such expedition this weekend, and by chance came across a young man whose moniker is singindork888, and to say the least I was blown away, for here is true talent, the type that hits a place somewhere in your soul. He manages to do some of the most amazing covers of people such as Michael Bublé (“Everything”), One Republic (“Stop and Stare”), Lifehouse (“You and Me”), and has some remarkable self-written pieces such as “All She’s Missin’ (Is My Love)”, “Midnight Angel” (my personal fave), and his first country song, “Lonely With Me.”

As far as the moniker goes, singindork888 is what he calls himself, but it is hardly the right description for this very talented young singer-songwriter; he doesn’t wish to let loose his real name, and I tried to contact him through YouTube. As of this writing, he has yet to reply to me, but hopefully soon.

So if you have an urge to hear the future, check him out.

Here is a sample of this talent for a taste … be well and see you again soon.

  

 

Josh Groban

To hear a gift, to bear witness to true talent is a privilige, and this is how I felt the first time I heard this remarkable young singer.

Born Joshua Winslow Groban in Los Angeles, California on February 27, 1981. There has been much said and printed about this amazingly talented young man to wit I will not bore you.

I solidly believe the true appreciation of Josh is in the listening, which I did with rapt attention with his first album Josh Groban in 2001, when he followed with Closer in 2003 I was a confirmed believer, this is the brightest star in the musical heavens in a long time, he himself believes that Closer is a much more personal look into him and his music, hence the title.

Awake in 2006, brought forth “You Are Loved” and my personal favorite on this his last album so far “February Song” and has gone to prove this young man will be a force in the music industry for a long time to come.

Listen, enjoy, and partake in more of this rare find, I wish him much future success, and pray we hear so much more from him.

Lisa Gerrard “Sacrifice” with Pieter Bourke

Any of you out there who can remember  Dead Can Dance will remember the awesome beauty of this womans voice.

Lisa Gerrard was introduced to me by my wife, and it was love at first listen, for I don’t think I have ever heard a voice that draws such emotion from the core of my soul as this woman can do.

If you have not heard her, and relate to her song here, you have more than likely heard her in soundtracks such as  Now We Are Free  from  “Gladiator” with collaborator Hans Zimmer, or Meltdown from “The Insider” soundtrack with Pieter Bourke.

If you wish to hear Lisa at her absolute best, get her CD “Duality“, it is a mesmerizing listen to this singer who was blessed with a four octive range, and who release’s her instrument with lavish amounts of joy and respect. Do hope you enjoy her as much as I, she truly is quite a find.

John Mayer says what he needs to say

Born John Clayton Mayer to parents Richard and Margaret in Bridgeport, Connecticut. John was raised in Fairfield where he attended highschool, he has two brothers Carl (older) and Ben (younger).

John started playing guitar at the age of 13, and was inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan when a neighbor gave him a tape. He practiced the blues on his guitar for two years and then started performing in bars and other venues in his area.

At 19 John attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston, but found out soon he had less interest in learning music, so he left and started writing and playing seriously he moved to Atlanta, Georgia playing in coffeehouses and club venues.

Part of John’s success is due in part to the sensitivity he brings to his music, but I believe what holds alot of peoples interest is the masterful ability he brings to his guitar work, this writer loves his soulful lyric, but could easily listen to him just play blues on that guitar of his all night.

A little piece of trivia Daughters was written while John was in the shower (FYI), and is easily one of my favorites, … oh what the hell, there all my favorites, I don’t think I’ve heard one piece he’s done I don’t love.

This was his performance  with Corinne Bailey Rae and John Legend at the 2007 Grammy’s, I would have never thought of this grouping, but they are fabulous together I think, would actually love to hear more of them together.

I do hope John has a good long career, as I’m sure we all do, so that we can all enjoy so much more of the magic and mastery of this fine young musician.

A Man Named Carlos

watch?v=ik8JjtxHI0M

My first introduction to Carlos Santana was through my friend Bob Jacksie when I was in highschool (1968), and I remember being blown away by “Soul Sacrifice” and the song from the above video of “Black Magic Woman“, I was so intrigued that when I found out he would be at Woodstock along with Hendrix, Alvin Lee (Ten Years After), Richie Havens, the list goes on, I hitched rides all the way there just to see. Well needless to say I was hooked from go, and have been a fan ever since.

watch?v=2IJOxCQvtpk

And this is the Carlos Santana that makes me know that a short part of my life has been spent on worthwhile endeavours — such as being besotted by the likes of this mans music. “Europa” is possibly my favourite of his older pieces, and yet it is timeless in quality.

watch?v=6Ml3NUIDpFg

And now the work he is doing with groups like The Wraith for the song “Maria, Maria” (above video), or Michelle Branch in her video ”The Game of Love” and all the other young artists on collections like  Super Natural is adding yet another layer to the enormous career of the man known as Carlos Santana.

And the wind cried Jimi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjOQ9r35uiU

Like so many of us who loved Jimi, I only saw him one time, and that once — at Woodstock, in 1969 — was carved in the minds of an entire generation.

Born in Seattle, Washington, his original given name was Johnny Allen Hendrix and was later changed to James Marshall. Not an interested student, Jimi dropped out of high school in 1959. In 1961 he enlisted in the US Army and was trained as a paratrooper, but within that year he sustained an injury and was discharged in 1962.

Jimi worked as a session musician for such popular players as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and the Isley Brothers for a period of time, and in 1966 he met Chas Chandler (formerly of the Animals) who became his manager and convinced Jimi to go to London, which I believe had a profound impact on him; there he met Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell and formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

In 1967 they released “Hey Joe” which was a smash hit in the UK, later followed by “Purple Haze” and “The Wind Cried Mary” on the album Are You Experienced.

In June of  ‘67 they played the Monterey Pop Festival where Jimi did the famous “pyre of the flaming guitar ” stunt, setting his guitar on fire with lighter fluid.

In 1968 the Experience released its second album, Axis: Bold As Love. The band’s last album, Electric Ladyland, featured the Bob Dylan-written “All Along the Watchtower” which has become most fans’ favorite Hendrix hit.

In 1969  the Experience split, but Jimi went on to perform his iconic version of  “The Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock. I know when I saw this song performed it completely freaked me out — the American National Anthem played wildly by Hendrix was just so cool. Also in ‘69 Jimi tried to form another band with Billy Cox and Buddy Miles called Band of Gypsies, but it seemed that the world of Hendrix fans was not ready for this “Fusion” sound, and the album First Rays of a New Rising Sun was never completed.

Jimi was found dead of an apparent drug overdose on September 18, 1970 … he was 27 years old. The question begs asking: “If he hadn’t died, what would his music have been?” I guess we’ll never know, but you can be sure that he is in great company wherever he is.

A video anthology :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLnKUiybiFo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ9XZ8VuSrg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqQOaA2LPRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo_WAbnKCPc

Hope you enjoy.

Justin Hines

Justin Hines has a rare genetic joint condition called “Larsen Syndrome”, there, I’ve got that out of the way, now I can focus on what is truly wondrous about this man.

I just heard Justin for the first time this morning, and all I could think of was “What a great way to wake up”. This is a talent that takes me back to a time when Jim Croce was first being heard, they share the same common sense view to the world.

His first album “Sides” is a beautiful place to dwell for a while, and as mentioned above, he does a cover of Croce’s “I’ve Got a Name” on the CD that is truly and eerily apropos.

Although I believe everything I’ve heard off of this his first album is solid and wonderfully crafted, there are a couple I particularly love, “April on the Ground” is second on my fav’s list with Justin only to be personally bested by the above video “Say Whar You Will” which speaks volumes about what we should do with those we care for.

“My theory,” says Justin “is that if you truly analize your life, there is never a shortage of inspiration. The trick is to get to the heart of that and write about it honestly. I think you can really capture people’s emotions with the most simple song.”

He does, and with the eloquence and art of a seasoned observer, he stitches his stories together with a love and honesty that cannot be missed. Hope you enjoy him, I’m sure I will for a long time.

A wondrous grouping

watch?v=FhJKSseiPXE

Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend, and John Mayer wow.

We’re talking about three of the most talented singers, and writers in the music industry today. In her song “Star” Corinne Bailey Rae puts out the most softly sensuous, and melodic vocals I’ve heard in a good long time. She has the ability to pace her vocals so that each note carries a sweetness “like a southern drawl”. John Legend I have only listened to recently, but he has a quality that is at once new and familiar, my wife felt he reminded her of a young Marvin Gaye. And “I’m coming home” is a marvelous song that shows his true depth. John Mayer, what can be said about this guy that hasn’t been said at least a dozen times before, we’re talking gemstone quality talent, (and I’m not implying the “diamond-in-the-rough” statement) I honestly think he was a star out of the box, songwriter, singer, musician, and producer. Everything new by this man is awaited with such love by his fan base, I haven’t loved everything he has done, but I’ve always liked what I hear.

So have a listen, I hope you enjoy, and if you do, let me know.

The Soul of the Man

Music, the greatest good that mortals know,

and all of  heaven we have below. Joseph Addison

 

Not to disregard totally the talent of Mr. Paul Potts, but really?

On the day that Luciano Pavarotti died, so did go the greatest tenor this world has ever known, I would say that the angels cried openly that day.

I have heard the greats, Caruso, Domingo, Carreras, all extrodinary singers in their own right, Andrea Bocelli, this is the next risen star, for he is already a favourite in the hearts of so many, but Pavarotti, the name is synonymous with perfection.

And if perfection is ever doubted, listen again to Nessun Dorma by anyone else, then come and listen here to the Maestro … and rediscover heaven.

So please Mr. Potts, if you read this know that I have heard you, and you do have a lovely voice, but there will ever only be for me one singer for Nessun Dorma, and his name is Luciano Pavarotti.