LaTosha Brown singing ‘I Know I’ve Been Changed’.
This is really good stuff. Brown is with Porto Franco Records, where you can find some other lovely music.
I’ve also just bought Natalie Merchant’s latest album ‘Leave Your Sleep’. Dealing with the label’s online store was pretty bloody painful, but this album is well beyond worth it. I adore Merchant, and have ever since 10,000 Maniacs. I especially like ‘House Carpenter’s Daughter’. I really like the way Merchant’s explored American folk music.
This isn’t jazz or dancing music (in the lindy hop sense), but it’s brilliant. And Merchant is such a major name these days she can attract the very best musicians. She did a tour with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and ‘Leave Your Sleep’ is interesting for dancers in that it features Wynton Marsalis on a couple of songs. I can imagine you could probably dance to ‘The Janitor’s Boy‘, but I wouldn’t force it, myself. The album is cool because it’s a collection of songs Merchant sang to her daughter when she was a babby, and includes poems she set to melodies herself.
My favourite song is ‘Bleezer’s Ice-Cream’, which is wonderful. It has the best lyrics:
BLEEZER’S ICE-CREAM
Jack Prelutsky (1940 – )
I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER’S ICE-CREAM STORE,
there are flavors in my freezer
you have never seen before,
twenty-eight divine creations
too delicious to resist,
why not do yourself a favor,
try the flavors on my list:COCOA MOCHA MACARONI
TAPIOCA SMOKED BOLONEY
CHECKERBERRY CHEDDAR CHEW
CHICKEN CHERRY HONEYDEW
TUTTI-FRUTTI STEWED TOMATO
TUNA TACO BAKED POTATO
LOBSTER LITCHI LIMA BEAN
MOZZARELLA MANGOSTEEN
ALMOND HAM MERINGUE SALAMI
YAM ANCHOVY PRUNE PASTRAMI
SASSAFRAS SOUVLAKI HASH
SUKIYAKI SUCCOTASH
BUTTER BRICKLE PEPPER PICKLE
POMEGRANATE PUMPERNICKEL
PEACH PIMENTO PIZZA PLUM
PEANUT PUMPKIN BUBBLEGUM
AVOCADO BRUSSELS SPROUT
PERIWINKLE SAUERKRAUT
BROCCOLI BANANA BLUSTER
CHOCOLATE CHOP SUEY CLUSTER
COTTON CANDY CARROT CUSTARD
CAULIFLOWER COLA MUSTARD
ONION DUMPLING DOUBLE DIP
TURNIP TRUFFLE TRIPLE FLIP
GARLIC GUMBO GRAVY GUAVA
LENTIL LEMON LIVER LAVA
ORANGE OLIVE BAGEL BEET
WATERMELON WAFFLE WHEATI am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER’S ICE-CREAM STORE,
taste a flavor from my freezer,
you will surely ask for more.
twenty-eight divine creations
too delicious to resist,
come on, do yourself a favor,
try the flavors on my list.
Don’t you just love the way the words just roll out of your mouth? This song features Marsalis. It’s gorgeous.
I’m also hot for Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings’ newer song ‘Better Things’. I think it’s my favourite of their songs ever.
I’m kicking myself for forgetting to get Gillian Welch’s new album The Harrow and the Harvest on my emusic credits. ARGH. It’ll have to wait til next month, I think.
And I’ve been listening to a heap of new jazz bands and some old stuff as well. But that stuff is all kind of the same. These people here are a bit more interesting. Except The Palmetto Bug Stompers. They’re interesting.