Garota de Ipanema, The Girl from Ipanema

Truly one of the greatest songs ever written made famous by the 1964 jazz album Getz/Gilberto by Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto.

Who is the girl? Apparently she actually exists, and is called Helo Pinheiro, but that isn't very interesting. The telling part is that Pinheiro was the muse for what Vinicius de Moraes, the man who wrote the original Portuguese lyrics called,

"the paradigm of the young Carioca: a golden teenage girl, a mixture of flower and mermaid, full of light and grace, the sight of whom is also sad, in that she carries with her, on her route to the sea, the feeling of youth that fades, of the beauty that is not ours alone — it is a gift of life in its beautiful and melancholic constant ebb and flow."

Keep that description in mind the next time you listen to this song, or even better, listen to it right now, here:

Insanely Long Hiatus

The last time I posted on this blog was over THREE YEARS ago! It's unconscionable, because I've heard a lot of great music over that long period. And so, to make up for lost time and just to challenge myself, I'm going to do my best to post 36 posts in the next week or so. That equals one a month for the last three years and will get this blog's karma back in order.

After that, it's going to be a post a week at least!

Stay tuned!

Taraf de Haidouks

Perhaps the best Gypsy Band out there. Fast-paced, joyful music that makes you want to sing and dance.

Here is a link to what looks to me like their official Myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/tarafdehaidouksbandofgypsies

Buena Vista Social Club

These guys need no introduction. Cuban music at its best.

Alan Jackson: Chattahoochee

I'm not a huge fan of modern country, but I know a catchy guitar riff when I hear one and this song has got it. Ok, I'll admit that it gets old really fast, but such is the nature of pop music, right? Add a video filled with 1992 coolness like stonewashed jeans, Alan Jackson's mullet, and the girl dancing at about 2:48 with the tie-dye short and you've got a really entertaining four minutes. Anyone with me?

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

This Texas boy is one of the most innovative, and influential musicians of all time. Although he was only active musically for about three years ('56 - '59), his opera is among the best in rock. His style has been copied by his contemporaries, the Beatles, and every single person who picks up a guitar with visions of rockstardom--whether they know it or not. As far as I am concerned, Holly is the epitome of cool, and I think the video below backs me up.

Emily Loizeau: 'Je Suis Jalouse'

This is my current repeat. Loizeau is an enchanting artist, and when I find the time I plan on writng more about her.