Funeral Songs – Samba Pa Ti by Santana
Nov 20, 2009 Musical Appreciation, Santana
So there was some discussion amongst my blogging mates about what would be the perfect song to be played at your funeral. That was really easy for me to state, I have – for the better part of my life – felt that there is only one song that when my friends and family heard it on the radio, it would bring a smile to their face and have thoughts of our relationship. That song for me is “Samba Pa Ti” by Santana.
“Samba Pa Ti” was written by Carlos Santana and performed on the 1970 Abraxas album. It is one of the 26 songs included in Nick Hornby’s Songbook (31 Songs in the U.K.). To me, it’s simple; this song “Samba Pa Ti” drags the listener through a slew of emotions with simple melodic lines and delightfully enticing musical interplay.
The first 50 seconds grabs the listener and fills the ears with this sad and soulful melody line played by Carlos. It is underscored brilliantly by Gregg Rolie’s Hammond B-3 organ, Chepito Areas’ and Mike Carabello’s simple conga backdrop. The song starts with Carlos’ guitar bringing everyone else in after 2 seconds, 18 seconds in he repeats this line to draw the listener in a little as though he has something tender and beautiful to say. At 24 seconds, Carlos lets out a cry from his guitar that slightly expresses the sorrow in his heart.
He begins to repeat himself at 50 seconds and by this time the listener is on the edge of their seat waiting for the crushing blow of sadness from his guitar. At 1:12, he barks out a a cry that makes you the listener clutch at you own heart. He begins to hasten the pace of his story. At 1:35, Rolie’s Hammond screams out to Carlos’ guitar in effort to pull him up and tell him that it will all be better. The interplay here between Rolie’s organ and Carlos’ guitar is not just soulful but it is a musical interplay that resembles that of a loving relationship. The pain of one can be vanquished by the enveloping love of another. You can hear the anguish in the notes dripping out of Carlos’ amp, the blanketing warmth of Rolie’s organ pouring out of the rotating Leslie speakers. The organ actually lifts the guitar.
At 2:02, the bottom drops out of the support and you quickly hear a lightness in the notes of the melody. It reminds me of a bird learning to fly on it’s own for the first time. There in the nest one moment; then realizing that it is flying without that support underneath it. Loving the freedom, loving the feeling of flying. At 2:22, the melody changes completely to be elegantly cheerful and continues throughout. Dipping in out of powerlines and doing fly-bys on neighboring windows. Spinning in the loop de loop.
Beauty and blissful joy because in the end it will all be fine and if not, then it isn’t the end.
Tags: Funeral Songs, Samba Pa Ti, Santana
How I Became Dazed and Confused
Nov 7, 2009 Led Zeppelin
I know you might be thinking to yourself, here goes another article about Led Zeppelin. To ease your mind, I recently (within the last three years) became a Zeppelin fan. Why did it take so long for me to actually become a fan of one of the greatest Rock n’ Roll bands of all time? Growing up in the MTV generation, it was frowned upon to be cliché and listen to what you were told to listen to. Wow, that is a cliché it itself judging from today’s MTV generation.
I took an interest in Led Zeppelin after listening to a couple of vinyl records that an old lady gave me in return for helping her move some furniture. The vinyl’s she game me were “Led Zeppelin”, “Led Zeppelin II”, “Led Zeppelin III” and “The Song Remains the Same”. I took them home and laid them on the shelf for a couple of months. Finally, I broke them out and gave them a real listen. I had heard Zeppelin songs before, but listened to them like some people do. I had listened to The Yardbirds and Cream before, how different could they sound from that? It wasn’t until I REALLY listened that I came to appreciate the band tremendously.
In A Genre of Their Own
Oct 23, 2009 Musical Appreciation, Uncategorized
While I wouldn’t consider myself an expert on musical genres, I have listened to a fair share of music in my time and truly dig songs from all types of genres. Usually I stay within the same 4 or 5 genres (namely classic rock, jam bands, reggae, bluegrass, and folk) but can’t help but love when musicians mix genres, cross genres, or create new ones all of their own. Unfortunately, this isn’t always a huge success but when it does work, it is one awesome sound…take for example the Easy Star All-Stars reggae remake of Pink Floyds’ Dark Side of the Moon. Even more appealing is when I come across a group with its’ own sound that really doesn’t fit into one of the traditional genres. The three bands below have only been releasing albums for the past 5-10 years, but they are so unique and so good at what they do I believe they deserve a genre all of their own and therefore I have taken the liberty to create some new genres for them.
Artist: J.J. Grey & Mofro New Genre: “Swamp Rock Funk”
While it is hard to compare J.J. Grey & Mofro to any other artist I have ever listened to, they could arguably possess the smoothness of Marvin Gaye, the funk of Stevie Wonder, the jams of Curtis Mayfield, and the masterful organ playing of Gregg Allman. Add to these resemblances some amazing harmonica playing and a screaming slide guitar, and you have one of the best bands to surface this decade. When you first listen to Mofro, you might envision a rundown house on a dirt road in a small Mississippi town back in the 1960’s. You can imagine a couple of guys sitting on the front porch on a blistering hot summer day singing about the good times and the bad times. There’s no audience, just soulful sounds and heartfelt lyrics that make you feel like you were sitting on that same front porch. The brilliance of J.J. Grey & Mofro is that they are a couple of white guys from southern Florida who weren’t even born in the 1960’s, yet their songs tell stories that bring you back in time when things were simpler. Do yourself some justice and listen to everything these guys have released….it’s that damn good!
Artist: Xavier Rudd New Genre: “Didgie Jam”
Imagine a voice that resembles Paul Simon, rhythms that compare to Bob Marley & The Wailers, and slide guitar playing that would make Ben Harper jealous. Now add the unique and mesmerizing sounds of the didgeridoo and you”ll have a sound the echoes that of Australian native Xavier Rudd. The first time I heard Rudd was live at the 2004 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. A group of us were heading back to our campsite when we were stopped dead in our tracks by a gratifying sound coming from one of the side stages. It wasn’t that I hadn’t heard a the striking vibrations of a didgeridoo before, it was the fact that on stage there was one guy sitting on a stool playing an unbelievable jam with 5 different didgeridoos, a slide guitar, and the drums…that’s right, one guy! Since then, Xavier Rudd has added a full band and has expanded his offerings with a darker sound that features more slide guitar and deeper jams (as evidenced in its latest album Darker Shades of Blue). Even though he has shown an impressive range in his sounds, Xavier still sticks to his island roots and produces the kind of music that can turn a bad day into a good one!
Artist: Railroad Earth New Genre: “Bluegrass Jam Rock”
One of the members of Railroad Earth classifies themselves as “an amplified string band with drums” while another member says they are “a Country & Eastern Band.” However, the resemblance that might be missing the most from the bands’ description of themselves is that they are also a “Rock and Roll Band”! Before the band ever released its first album, an organizer for the world famous Telluride Bluegrass Festival got a hold of one of Railroad Earth’s studio sessions and they were quickly added to the lineup. Listening to the voice of lead singer Todd Sheaffer might remind you of little bit of Jerry Garcia, but there is a range to his voice that will be sure to surprise you. The bands’ last album, Amen Corner, has a harmony and flow that will give you goose bumps. It is a beautiful collection of songs that all have a sense of optimism to them, making it hard not to tap your foot and wear a big smile. Whether you are a country fan, a jam band fan, or a bluegrass fan, Railroad Earth is sure not to disappoint.
With Warren (1990 – present)
Oct 15, 2009 Musical Appreciation, The Allman Brothers Band
“With Warren” marked the resurrection of the Allman Brothers Band. Warren Haynes showed up at studio in 1989 to do some vocal backup work. Dickey Betts was recording there as well. Dickey had heard Warren play and asked him, in jest, if the producer had brought Warren in to replace him on his own solo record. They had a laughed and Warren ended up complimenting Dickey’s playing on the solo effort, “Pattern Disruptive”. Next thing, Warren is the new guitarist in the ABB. Warren brings a spark that they had been missing since the death of Duane. Don’t misunderstand, Warren isn’t the new Duane. Playing styles are completely different but what Warren did bring is a the drive and work ethic that Duane had back to ABB. He pushed them to be more than what they had become and remember why they got into the ABB in the first place.
“Seven Turns” starts off blazing with “Good Clean Fun“ and runs through numbers like “Low Down Dirty Mean,” “Shine It On,” and “Let Me Ride“. Almost all completely written by Dickey (aided by new pianist Johnny Neel and Warren). The killer for me is the track “True Gravity“, probably the best instrumental to come out of the ABB since “Jessica”.
“Shades of Two Worlds” was almost overlooked by most people. This returned ABB to their truest blues roots since “Idlewild South” . “Bad Rain” and “Come On In My Kitchen” are flatout smokin’ acoustic blues. They both invoke a back porch feel that is missing in a lot of electric blues.
“Where It All Begins” might not be as strong as the previous two but contains some of my favorite tracks. This is a “live-in-the-studio” album. Recorded like the days of old without many overdubs. It has a good earthiness to it as well. It has possibly my favorite and simplest Haynes’ composition “Soulshine”. To me, an absolutely beautiful folk song. Other high points, IMHO, are “All Night Train”, “Sailin’ Cross the Devil’s Sea” and “No One to Run With”. These are well written and have the good blend of lyrical content and jam sessions. “Back Where It All Begins” is a great groovin’ jam with Dickey and Warren trading really hot licks.
Then 9 years later, “Hittin’ The Note”. A little background here, ABB had pretty much called it quits - Allen Woody and Warren Haynes left to form Gov’t Mule. Dickey was working on Great Southern, Gregg was putting the finishing touches on “Searching for Simplicity”, Butch was doing Frogwings with Jimmy Herring, Derek Trucks, Marc Quinones and Oteil Burbridge. In 2000, Allen Woody, bassist on the previous 3 albums, died while preparing to tour with Gov’t Mule. This was the impetus behind Warren coming back to a new version of ABB. Butch Trucks brought Derek Trucks and Oteil Burbridge to Jaimoe and Gregg. He convinced Warren to come back and they moved on without Dickey for the first time since the formation of the Allman Brothers Band. What was produced was the most electrifying album since “Brothers and Sisters“. The combination of Warren and Derek are the closest thing I have heard to Duane and Dickey. Truly complimentary, truly melodic and just amazing. This is also the first time we hear Haynes taking a big role vocally. This bounces back from smokey lounge jazz fusion that would make Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock take notice to whiskey drinkin’, cryin’ in your glass blues that could make Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker sob in their graves. “Firing Line“, “Who To Believe”, “Rockin’ Horse” are the real rockers on the album. For those in need of serious blues, “High Cost of Low Living”, “Desdemona”, “Old Before My Time” and the Stones’ cover “Heart of Stone”. Jazzers will love “Woman Across the River”, “Maydell” and the amazing “Instrument Illness“.
Thank God that Warren Haynes
found his way into the studio that
Dickey was playing in!!!
Thick electric and acoustic blues
throughout the whole album.
This album as a whole might be the weakest
of the first 3 but still has some
of the best songs.
Just my favorite ABB album.
Warren Haynes and Johnny Neel in some pre-ABB work
Gregg rehashes the ABB sound without the
band but included Derek Trucks
With Duane (1969-1971)
Oct 14, 2009 Musical Appreciation, The Allman Brothers Band
This might seem to a huge slight to the amazing talents of Forrest Richard “Dickey” Betts but is more of a defined change in the sounds and direction the band took. “With Duane” saw the formation of the group and the had Duane “Sky Dog” Allman as the engine of the group. He pushed and prodded everyone to be better than they thought themselves to be. This brought to us the studio albums ”The Allman Brothers Band” and”Idlewild South“, producing staples such as “Dreams“, “Whipping Post“, “Revival“, “Midnight Rider” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed“. This was also the category that sees the release of the highly lauded “At the Fillmore East“. The only live album that I have owned in more formats than I care to mention ( currently stuck on the 1992 Polydor release called “The Fillmore Concerts” which is a remix by Tom Dodd of both nights). On October 15, 1971, “At the Fillmore East” goes gold; 14 days later “Sky Dog” was gone.
Bridging the gap between “With Duane” and “Without Duane” was “Eat A Peach” containing live tracks from Fillmore and more ABB staples, “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More”, “One Way Out”, “Melissa”, “Blue Sky” and “Little Martha”. So, that’s what? 10 undeniably classic tunes captured on 3 albums in less than 3 years, oh and let’s throw in one of the best live albums ever recorded…ever? And that’s just the first category!!!
The album that started them down the road.
Smokin’ yet not receiving the kind
of sales they expected.
The first opportunity for
the world to hear ABB live
A great mix of the original
Fillmore East concerts editted
by Tom Dowd
Despite the tragedy of losing Duane,
the band played on.
Without Duane (1972-1981)
Oct 14, 2009 Musical Appreciation, The Allman Brothers Band
“Without Duane” really had its peaks and valleys. It started pretty strong despite the loss of original bassist, Berry Oakley with “Brothers and Sisters“. Lamar Williams stepped in and the now Dickey Betts driven ABB became more laid back and easygoing and not as driving as the previous category. “Wasted Words”, “Ramblin’ Man”, “Southbound” and “Jessica” are just classic. But that’s pretty much where things slow to a crawl for 17 years. What was to follow didn’t really create too much of a stir. 1975′s “Win, Lose or Draw” was just bad. Other than a decent cover of a Muddy Waters tune, it just completely misses the mark. According to Butch Trucks, this was the beginning of the “we’re rock stars” timeframe. He stated in an interview in 2009 that the music at that time just became second fiddle to the partying and lifestyle. 1976′s “Wipe the Windows, Check the Oil, Dollar Gas” returned ABB back to what they did well still and that was perform live. This album has a great representation of the cuts off of “Brothers and Sisters“ and “Win, Lose or Draw“ but it’s the 17+minute version of “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” that is the crux of the album. No longer being able to do the fire and brimstone of the Fillmore days, this version is brooding and open making room for Greg Allman and Chuck Leavell to vamp.
Back together for their final album for Capricorn, 1979′s “Enlightened Rogues” wasn’t so much a bad album as it was an uneventful album. “Crazy Love” was the hottest track on this on and it still holds up today. Running a close second was “Just Ain’t Easy“. Dan Toler brought some fire back to Betts playing and David Goldflies took over the bass duties from the recently departed Lamar Williams (he and Jaimoe went to form Sea Level in 1976). The last two albums of this category “Reach for the Sky” and “Brothers of the Road” were for Razor & Tie records and were seeing the ABB come into the ’80s and that wasn’t good for any of us.
An amazing tesatament to
the fortitude of ABB after the
loss of Duane and Berry Oakley
A fairly uneventful release despite
a two year span since “Brothers and Sisters”
Back to a live album and still the best
way to experience ABB
Better than most but not great,
“Crazy Love” is the best track by far.
Just not very good,
very gospel but “Angeline” shines.
Jaimoe fired, pop-sheen,
does this make sense to anyone?
The Allman Brothers Band – Best Band Ever?
Oct 13, 2009 Musical Appreciation, The Allman Brothers Band
That’s huge! The Allman Brothers Band best band ever? Ever!!? Not The Beatles? Not The Stones? The Allman Brothers Band…ok, they are really good, potentially great, but the best band ever? Resoundingly, YES!!! There has been no other band that has evoked the kind of visceral emotion and pulling at every heartstrings. I grew up on a steady diet of Santana, Yes, Led Zeppelin and Elton John. Being hispanic, admitting that there are higher planes of musical existence than what Carlos has taken us to is akin to Stephen Hawkins telling us there is no such thing as black holes. So what is it about ABB that keeps me coming back to them?
Let’s take a deeper look at the catalog that makes me love the Allman Brothers Band above all others – at least for the present time.
First, I separate the albums that ABB did into 3 categories that I think truly defines their sound:
Not trying to slight Dickey, I love Dickey…in a strictly non-sexual, uh…man there is no getting out of that one. Dickey Betts smokes on the Goldtop, back to the categories. “With Duane” was a short 2-3 years but maybe the best because it was so raw. “Sky Dog” drove the Allman Brothers Band into the stratosphere. Take an hour and a half out of your busy life and sit down with a pair of headphones or an extremely large pair of speakers that shuts out everything else in the world and put on “At the Fillmore East“. What I found so amazing about the ABB during that time is the pure energy of it all. The 1st album was the blues like I had never heard before. Southern fried tones with really kickin’ grooves – all beautifully colored with the best whiskey drinkin’ voice in rock…period.
“Without Duane” was not the most prolific time for ABB. Best thing that came out of it was “Brothers and Sisters“. Despite continuous issues, death of Duane and Barry, the bankruptcy of Capricorn – their label, the marriage/divorce/marriage/divorce of Gregg Allman and Cher, Jaimoe and Lamar leaving to form Sea Level and all of this combined with their rock star mythos issues (drug, drink and way too many groupies). They still kicked out good tunes but not at the level they did before. I personally loved their live stuff still. This was nearly the end of ABB.
“With Warren” was the ressurrection of ABB. Never have I heard the kind of jazz fusion, rock, southern tones and fat, fat rhythms. Three great albums in 4 years then nothing for 9 years. Some touring, some live recordings but no new material. I could’ve been happy with just that but then 2003 – “Hittin’ the Note”. Take a listen, you will be addicted as well.