Ever since San Francisco's first shelter-in-place order back in March, an underscoring of new & old recordings has formed around my altered existence. More than just new music occupying my piano or CD player (yes, I still have one and use it actively), this short but meaningful list of music has been on constant repeat in my apartment, either through my sound system or through my fingers and sometimes both. I'm sure at some point in the near future some of this music will make an appearance in my own videos and/or recordings but for now this soundtrack is like a separate private world that has provided an emotional path through this surreal journey at a time when the shock of it all has hi-jacked my ability to provide that for myself with my own music. I can't describe the depth of my gratitude to these artists...
Daymé Arocena, Sonocardiogram - I've posted about her and this album before covid took hold of everything. She was already inspiring me during the Christmas holidays, and that energy was still propelling me forward when the city shut down. It keeps me strong!
Diego Guerrero, Vengo Caminando - I saw this exceptional guitarist/vocalist live last year at the Jazz Dock in Prague and his CD has been playing nonstop on all of my devices ever since. Full of passion, it has also been keeping me strong (for quite some time now) and reminds me of the sun & happiness...
Joe Sample, Sample This - This album I've been listening to for a few decades but resonates all over again right now. Those deep, deep grooves are making me feel loved and connected (as all deep grooves do!) ...
Roy Hargrove, Of Kindred Souls - Somehow both modern and traditional, this recording keeps me tuned to the "quintet" frequency and does not let me get lost in solitude. I very much miss my quintet...
Sullivan Fourtner & Kyle Athayde, Tea For Two - This masterful recording has reminded me of the beauty and power of delicacy. Like the Hargrove recording, it's both modern and traditional but extends the spectrum from really traditional all the way to really modern. It has opened up my ears and unlocked new creative doors.
Pat Metheny, From This Place - of all the recordings listed here, this is the one that resonated exactly with where I'm at with our current state of affairs. It's enough to say that after a few tracks in to my first listening, I started to cry, which probably all of us have wanted or needed to do lately. This recording reattached my thinking brain to my heart and now I can write music again...
Maurice Ravel, Valses Nobles et Sentimentales - Although this is not a recording, I've been playing it relentlessly since March and it is every bit a part of this experience as all of the other music I've mentioned. I performed this set of waltzes in my late teens and the lack of gigs made returning to them finally possible. The exquisite harmony keeps me playing and studying them, over and over.
