Doin’ the IPod Shuffle

I’ve got nothing to say this morning as I have household chores to do. Still I thought I’d post the IPod shuffle list I listened to while I was in the kitchen cooking:

• I’ll Be Gone ~ Tom Waits
• Angel Eyes ~ Frank Sinatra
• Papa Oom Mow Mow ~ The Persuasions
• Summertime ~ Artie Shaw and his Orchestra
• Hoochie Coochie Man ~ Muddy Waters
• He Likes It Slow ~ Louis Armstrong and His Hot Fives
• Brahms Clarinet Sonata #1 in F Minor, 1st Movement
• Brilliant Disguise ~ Bruce Springsteen
• Baby Please Don’t Go ~ Van Morrison
• My One and Only Love ~ John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
• Bach Cantata No 227, IX - Gute Nacht, o Wesen
• Makin’ Whoopee ~ Nat King Cole Trio
• Fifty-Five Blues ~ Jack Teagarden
• Blossom’s Blues ~ Blossom Dearie
• Pump It Up ~ Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Lots of great music there. A few observations:

Do you listen to Tom Waits? I’ve loved his music since very early on and I’ve followed him through the years as he’s evolved into one of the finest songwriters of our time. The first time I saw him live was at the old Cellar Door club down in Georgetown, probably in the mid-1970’s. He wandered on stage in beat-up old clothes, carrying an equally beat-up suitcase, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, like a vagabond hobo who just happened to stumble upon the stage. An absolutely unique performer, even as his music has changed over the years. As for “I’ll Be Gone”, it’s one of the best songs on one of his best records, Frank’s Wild Years, along with “Hang On St. Christopher”, “Innocent When You Dream”, “Yesterday Is Here”, “Way Down In The Hole” (which became the theme music to the great, great HBO show, The Wire), and “Cold Cold Ground.”

“Angel Eyes” is one of my top five favorite Sinatra songs. There used to be a video on YouTube of him performing the song and a more self-assured performance you will never see. Unfortunately the video is gone now, probably due to some copyright violation. Someone should put it back up.

My brother and I probably saw Muddy Waters a dozen times back in the day and he’d always play “Hoochie Coochie Man”. He was old then but he could still blaze through a 50-55 minute show.

The Cantata No 227, IX - Gute Nacht, o Wesen is breathtakingly beautiful. I’ll have to listen to that one again later today.

Favorite lyrics of the morning? Blossom Dearie from “Blossom’s Blues”:

I’m an evil, evil woman
But I wanna do a man some good
I’m an evil, evil woman
But I wanna do a man some good
I'm Gina Lollobrigida
I ain't Little Red Riding Hood.

At any rate, here’s a little something for your listening pleasure: