The Playlist Of The Week

Turn on you iPod, press "Shuffle Songs" and see what happens... 

"Bye-Ya", Thelonius Monk, Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane

Once again, Coltrane makes an appearance in the Playlist of the Week. The track begins with some hopping weird piano by Monk quickly joined by the drums and the brilliant sound of Coltrane. The rythm is ponctuated by different breaks then the sax takes of! Once again, I have trouble understanding the rhythmic of Monk but Coltrane's solo is pure and brilliant. The double bass and drum make a great job supporting it all. Monk seems to follow Coltrane and the mix of the two universe is unbelievable. Then that's the piano's turn. Once again, Monk plays a lot on silences and his solo is very complex. I've always had trouble with Monk's play but that one sounds haunted. We can even hear him humming while playing! The rhythmic section is ensuring a good work up till the sax comes back warm us up with the theme reprise. That's good jazz music folks.

"Transmission94 (Parts 1 & 2), Bonobo, Days To Come

Bonobo is a brilliant english DJ. His Days To Come is a magnificent soft electro music. I love the samples he uses and his sound. Here is a DJ that understands rythm and music. I've had the chance to see him perform once and no need to tell he was making some serious asses moving! This record is for me to be put aside great electro records of that kind that have had a commercial success such as Moby's Play or the You've Come A Long Way, Baby of Fatboy Slim. This is shaded electro music growing up, evolving. It seems almost orchastrated. 

"Vogliatemi Bene, Un Bene Piccolino", Maria Callas, Madame Butterfly

I have always been deeply mooved by Maria Callas' voice. She's way more than haunted and living the music she is singing. She IS the music, the caracter she is playing, the story she is telling. She had a power in her voice capable of mooving anybody: people knowing opera and people listening to opera for the first time. Her voice doesn't sound cliché as some other in the opera can. She feels true.That kind of music always makes me feel good. As if I was more awared that things go on, more relaxed about it...

"Growing Ocean", Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues

Here is a band I have recently discovered through their second record that came out few months ago. I've been struck by the maturity and talent of such a young band. They have known commercial and critical success without the help of a major label which make them even more interesting to me. This song as their album, is brilliant and beautiful. I can only invite you to listen to them more closely and read the review of their record here in french, soon in english : http://humeursurmusiquemoderne.blogspot.com/2011/05/fleet-foxes-helplessness-blues-ou.html .

"All I Want", Joni Mitchell, Blue

"All I Want" is one of my favourite Joni Mitchell songs. It opens her amazing Blue. As soon as she begins to sing, you are taken far away, in the warmest embrace ever, dazzled by the brightest smile and the most beautiful music. This album is pure gold. This song announces what comes next. You will find for instance people like David Crosby, Stephen Stills or Graham Nash taking part in the production of this record. There not much more to say... just to listen...