Moon Hooch – St. Louis I think if you asked most people to pick 3 instruments to form a band with, probably no one would choose 2 saxophones and a drummer. Moon Hooch started in 2010 as buskers in New York and their growth has been fun to watch. I first experienced them through their […]

Jessica Allossery – Up in the Blue Here’s another artist that was shared with me by one of the parents of the studio. This is Allossery’s most recent song which was released just 5 days ago. It’s the newest song I have shared so far. Her singing and guitar work are delicate and inviting. This

Expand your ear! Graham Central Station – It Ain’t No Fun to Me Larry Graham is a name that every bassist in the world must know and every musician should know. After his work with Sly and the Family Stone, he started Graham Central Station which is appropriately named after him. It’s songs are political,

Elephant Revival – Hello You Who I really enjoy the opening few seconds of this track as it deceivingly presents itself as a more traditional piece. The track progresses and the character of the song starts to take shape into a folkish, alternative sound. Their music is relaxing and melancholy and provides the right atmosphere

Jake Shimabukuro – In My Life The ukulele is an instrument that is often looked at and thought of as a toy despite it’s capability of functioning exactly like many other instruments. It’s capable of harmony, melody, and dynamics and also requires practiced techniques like all other instruments. Jake Shimabukuro is an ambassador for the

Vitamin String Quartet – Royals You may notice I select more instrumental versions of popular songs than original versions. This is because something about a creative or clever arrangement tickles me more. The Vitamin String Quartet has an extensive catalogue of skillfully executed covers. These instrumental versions help me appreciate the composition of popular songs.

Herbie Hancock – Cantaloupe Island In celebration of his birthday this past Friday, we start off this week with “Cantaloupe Island”. This piece has become a standard in the jazz community and may be heard in academic and professional settings. The piano and bass have repeating patterns known as a vamps, which allow the horn

Joanna Wang – Wild World We start off this week’s playlist with a smooth cover of a classic by Cat Stevens. Half of the time when I’m listening to music it’s on an artist radio and songs just play one after another. Every now and then a song catches me and I add that song

Balkan Beat Box – Bulgarian Chicks The first time I heard this group was through one of my favorite bands, Galactic. I was listening to a live performance and heard this Middle Eastern influenced jam mixed with their funky New Orleans style. I tried to find another live performance of the same song and that’s