I have a semi regular group that meets at a friend's house to listen to music. K has about the best sound system you have ever heard, which flows through Apogee full range ribbon speakers. We all know music really well and our tastes are all slightly different but still mostly overlap. One guy might be more into jazz, the other more rock, or blues or Mongolian throat music, whatever. We keep an open mind and are never disappointed.
The way it works is basic democracy, everybody gets a song to pick in the rotation. Some come with a list of songs but more often than not, we riff off the last song up or have an idea based on what someone else has offered. We let the music lead us around.
I always get to listen to great music that I have never heard before at these meetings and I think my pals feel the same way. We stretch each other's noggins.
The other day Peter said he wanted to listen to Good Vibrations but wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the Beach Boys or Todd Rundgren's version. I honestly never knew he had done one. We took a vote and played Todd. I don't think this is the best recording but I am amazed at Todd's perfect pitch and skill. That led us to this album, where he sings the whole thing a capella. I had no idea this existed either. Hear a lot of his Philly doo whop roots on this.
What an extraordinary musician Todd is.
1 comment:
Rundgren and Carson van Osten started the Nazz in 1967, with Carson on bass. He quit
two years later and began a career at Disney where he was influential with books on
how to draw Mickey, Goofy and Donald. In 2015 he was inducted into the Disney Legends
along with nine others. He passed away at the end of that year.
In the late 1970s my roommate happened to be one of his best friends and introduced me,
asking if I wanted a job at Disney, but I was on a roll finally selling my work. His wife wanted to paint the kids but I said commissions weren't my bag and it was left at that. Carson was a great talent.
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