The Sunday Six

It’s Sunday, and once again, I’d like to welcome you to another music time travel excursion. As always, the itinerary takes us to six different decades, featuring six tracks in different flavors. Hope you’ll join me for the ride!

The Ben Webster Quintet/Makin’ Whoopee

Today our trip starts in 1957 with jazz tenor saxophonist Ben Webster. Over a 40-year-plus career, which was cut short by his death from a stroke in 1973 at age 64, Webster played and recorded with the likes of Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges and Billie Holiday. Starting from 1957, a steady series of albums appeared under his leadership or co-leadership. This brings us to Soulville, an album he recorded in October 1957 together with the Oscar Peterson Trio and drummer Stan Levey. It was released the same year, billed as The Ben Webster Quintet – smooth, unlike Webster’s temper that reportedly was volatile.

Buffalo Tom/Taillights Fade

The next stop takes us to March 1992 and Let Me Come Over, the third studio album by Buffalo Tom – shoutout to Tony from Mumbling About..., who recently covered the alternative rock band and told me he’s been recommending them to people for a long time. I was sold immediately after listening to a few songs. Formed in Boston in 1986 by Bill Janovitz (vocals, guitar, piano), Chris Colbourn (bass, guitar vocals) and Tom Maginnis (drums, percussion), Buffalo Tom have released 10 studio albums to date, most recently Jump Rope on May 31. From their above third album, here’s Taillights Fade – love that melodic, jangly sound!

Muddy Magnolias/Why Don’t You Stay

Muddy Magnolias was a short-lived duo formed in 2014 by Jessy Wilson, an African American singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, New York; and Kallie North, a white pianist from Beaumont, TX. Wilson’s influences include Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, Lauren Hill, Mary J. Blige and The Notorious B.I.G., while North grew up listening to artists like Carpenters, Alison Krauss, James Taylor and Eagles. In October 2016, they released their only album, Broken People, which blended blues, country, folk, rock, R&B and soul. After North left in 2017, Wilson resumed her solo career. Let’s listen to the amazing Why Don’t You Stay.

The Kingsmen/Louie Louie

Time to pay a visit to the ’60s with a classic, as far as I’m concerned: Louie Louie by The Kingsmen. Their version of the song by Richard Berry, who first released it in 1957 as Richard Berry and the Pharaohs, became their second and biggest hit single released in April 1963. It was also included on their first album The Kingsmen In Person, which came out in December of the same year. Louie Louie has also been covered by Rockin’ Robin Roberts and the Wailers (1961), Paul Revere & the Raiders (1963), The Beach Boys (1964), Otis Redding (1964), The Kinks (1964) and many others.

Guns N’ Roses/Sweet Child o’ Mine

Let’s next head to July 1987 and the epic Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses. The hard rock band from Los Angeles was formed in 1985 by members of two local glam metal bands, Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns. By the time Guns N’ Roses recorded their debut album Appetite for Destruction, their classic line-up was in place: Axl Rose (lead vocals), Slash (guitar, backing vocals), Izzy Stradlin (guitar, backing vocals), Duff McKagan (bass, backing vocals) and Steven Adler (drums). Sweet Child o’ Mine, credited to the entire band, also appeared separately as the album’s third single in June 1988 and became the group’s only song to top the Billboard Hot 100.

Yes/Siberian Khatru

Once again we’re reaching our sixth and final stop. Today we wrap up our little music excursion in September 1972, which saw the release of Close to the Edge, the fifth studio album by British progressive rock group Yes – one of the few bands of the genre I’ve warmed up to over time. It was the last album to feature the band’s original drummer Bill Bruford, who would join King Crimson once the recording had finished. The other members included co-founders Jon Anderson (lead vocals) and Chris Squire (bass, backing vocals), along with Steve Howe (guitar, backing vocals) and Rick Wakeman (piano, organ, synthesizer, Mellotron) – arguably, the group’s best line-up. Here’s Siberian Khatru, co-written by Anderson, Howe and Wakeman. Yep, it’s long but, hey, it’s prog rock! 🙂

Last but not least, here’s a Spotify playlist of the above goodies. Hope there’s something you like. So long!

Sources: Wikipedia; Acclaimed Music; YouTube; Spotify

The Sunday Six

I hope you’ve had a good week and would like to welcome you to another installment of The Sunday Six. Once again, I’ve put together an itinerary that will take us to music from different genres released in six different decades.

Kenny Burrell/Weaver of Dreams

Today, we start in September 1956 when American jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell released the first album under his name, appropriately titled Introducing Kenny Burrell. Burrell’s recording debut occurred five years earlier, as a 20-year-old in Dizzy Gillespie’s sextet while studying at Wayne State University. Apart from releasing a large volume of albums as a leader, Burrell recorded and performed as a sideman with Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine, Johnny Hodges and many others. Weaver of Dreams, co-written by Jack Elliott and Victor Young, is a beautiful track to ease us into the trip. Burrell was backed by Tommy Flanagan (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Kenny Clarke (drums).

Atlanta Rhythm Section/Spooky

Next, let’s jump to June 1979 and a really cool song I was reminded of just the other day: Spooky, from the eighth studio album Underdog by southern rockers Atlanta Rhythm Section. Spooky’s origin is a 1967 instrumental composed by saxophonist Mike Shapiro and Harry Middlebrooks Jr. Later that year, Florida soft rock band Classics IV released a version with lyrics. Classics IV keyboarder Dean Daughtry and and the group’s guitarist J. R. Cobb subsequently co-founded Atlanta Rhythm Section in 1970. Not only did they include what became the song’s best-known version on the above album, but also released it separately as the second single in August 1979.

Oasis/Some Might Say

Time to pay a visit to the ’90s and one of the biggest alternative rock bands of that decade: Britain’s Oasis who were formed in Manchester in 1991. Their critically acclaimed and commercially successful August 1994 debut album Definitely Maybe was followed by (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? in October 1995. While critics initially were lukewarm, it became one of the best-selling albums of all time with more than 22 million copies sold worldwide. Some Might Say, who cares about the critics!

Buddy Guy/Born to Play Guitar

If there’s one blues guitarist who seemingly was born to do what he does, it’s Buddy Guy. And he put it all in words and sound on the title tack of his 17th studio album Born to Play Guitar, which came out in July 2015. When you see Guy perform live, which I’ve been fortunate to have experienced three times over the past eight years, most recently in April 2022, you get the sense it’s about more than just playing the geetar; it’s about a mission to keep the blues alive. Now 87, Guy is currently on his Damn Right Farewell Tour.

Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and The Trinity/This Wheel’s On Fire

As frequent travelers on the Sunday Six music time machine know, there can be no such excursion without a stop in the ’60s. This next destination was another great suggestion by my longtime German music friend Gerd. In April 1968, English singer and actress Julie Driscoll and British group Brian Auger and The Trinity released psychedelic gem This Wheel’s On Fire as a single. Co-written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko, the song was originally recorded by Dylan and The Band in 1967. Dylan eventually released it in June 1975 on his album The Basement Tapes.

Steeleye Span/Jack Hall

This leaves us with the sixth and final stop. To wrap up, we shall travel to September 1989, which saw the release of Tempted and Tried, the 13th studio album by British folk rock band Steeleye Span. After releasing 10 albums in rapid succession between 1970 and 1977, the group significantly slowed down the pace. Tempted and Tried only was their third album that appeared since 1977. Jack Hall, a traditional English folk song from the early 18th century, was arranged by the band’s vocalist and guitarist Bob Johnson. Steeleye Span remain active to this day with one original member (Maddy Prior) in their current line-up.

This post wouldn’t be complete without a Spotify playlist of the above tracks. As always, I hope there’s something that tickles your fancy and you’ll be back for more.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify