The winter holidays are a time for giving gifts. In December, we asked our patrons and staff "What music would you give as a gift to everyone?"
We met online on Tuesday, Dec. 28, at noon to share and discuss these songs, albums, and artists in our monthly music discussion group, Music Talk. The full Music Talk: From Me to You playlist is now up on Spotify and you can follow Alachua County Library District's account for more playlists to come. You can find many of the music CDs with these songs in our catalog or on our new streaming service, hoopla.
Don't forget to mark your calendar for the next Music Talk! We'll meet on Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 12 p.m. on Zoom for Music Talk: Breakups and Makeups. In anticipation of Valentine's Day, our thoughts turn to romance and relationships. Love songs are fine, but breakup songs are fun! We want to know your favorite songs to say "good riddance." And for the unrepentant romantics among us, we'll accept "makeup" songs, as well. Send an email to librarian Cameron with the song title and artist along with a sentence or two about why you chose it. He'll add it to the Spotify playlist and have it queued up to play during the live program. If you don't have a particular song in mind, come to the program anyway to hear some great music and join the conversation!
This is the music that we would give to everyone:
Christmas with Yolanda Adams by Yolanda Adams
"My gift to anyone who loves Christmas music is the album Christmas with Yolanda Adams. It’s my opinion that many covers of Christmas songs were better left undone, but I. Love. Every. Song. on this album. I hope anyone who gives it a listen will experience the same joy and overwhelming desire to sing that I do when I listen to it every year." - Tabre W.
“Once a member of Miles Davis’s ‘First Great Quintet,’ jazz saxophonist John Coltrane eventually formed his own quartet with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones. It’s this group that produced Coltrane’s best-known album A Love Supreme. Like all great musicians, Coltrane’s sound and style is unmistakable. You don’t have to be a jazz aficionado to appreciate the virtuosity and passion that exemplifies Coltrane’s music. For anyone unfamiliar with Coltrane, I recommend starting with his earlier albums such as Blue Train and Giant Steps before listening to his later avant-garde jazz.” – Teague F.
In My Own Time by Karen Dalton
“Karen Dalton was a folk singer and musician who recorded in the sixties and early seventies. While her music has gained an audience, due to a series of reissues that began in the mid-2000s, it is still obscure enough that one has to seek it out. And you definitely should because she was a unique vocal talent whose songs could be devastatingly beautiful. She is often compared to Billie Holiday, whose influence you can hear in her phrasing and the warmth of her voice. But then, her voice will veer off into a piercing, nasal twang that shows her rural roots. It’s a heady combination that may not work for everyone, but it definitely does for me. Check out her album, In My Own Time, for the best distillation of her talents and versions of ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ and ‘How Sweet it Is’ that are, for my money, better than the originals.” – Cameron B.
"Have You Been Making Out O.K.?" by Al Green
“I’ve probably spent more time listening to Al Green this year than any other musician. After making do with his Greatest Hits for years, I decided to do a deep dive into his work, and I’m glad I did. The nine-album run from 1971’s Al Green Gets Next to You to 1976’s Have A Good Time is peerless and you could almost pick a ‘best-of’ from these albums by selecting songs at random. Producer Willie Mitchell directed sessions that have an unhurried groove and a palpable warmth that never overshadows Green’s delicate vocals. Al Green is known for sexy slow jams, but what I think really makes them extraordinary is his talent for expressing the longing and ache of regret. ‘Have You Been Making Out O.K.?’ is a heartbreaking minor masterpiece.” – Cameron B.
“Muscle Shoals, Alabama is a small town that’s best known as the home of FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. It’s here that the ‘Muscle Shoals Sound’ was born and hit records from such artists as Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones were produced. Twenty miles north, however, is Green Hill, Alabama, the birthplace of alternative country singer songwriter Jason Isbell. In 2001, Isbell joined the band Drive-By Truckers. Six years later, he launched his solo career with the album Sirens of the Ditch. Isbell possesses the lyrical gifts of Bob Dylan with the strong guitar sound of Neil Young. Musician David Crosby acknowledged Isbell’s gifts when he said, ‘Jason has become one of the best writers in the country. His singing is emotional. It’s honest. He’s really trying to tell you the story.’ If you are interested in hearing his story, listen to his 2013 album Southeastern which earned him critical acclaim and is ranked as the 458th best album on Rolling Stone's ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time’ list.” – Teague F.
Remain in Light by Angélique Kidjo
“Apparently she heard the African influence on the original (Talking Heads album) and said to herself “Okay, but what if all of that except more?” and just made a straight-up Afropop reimagining of the entire album. It. Is. Amazing.” – John J.
“12 Days of Christmas” from Holiday Spirits by Straight No Chaser
“My friend said ‘This song sounds like someone with ADHD trying to sing a song they half remember’ and now I laugh every time I hear it because it’s true! It’s funny, a little manic, and has the holiday spirit.” – Danie E.
“My Heart Belongs to You” by Wintley Phipps and Larnelle Harris
“Wintley Phipps and Larnelle Harris have been two of my favorite gospel artists for many years. So, when I first heard this duet recording, I openly wept from both the beauty of the message and the passion of their performances. It has continued to be one of my personal favorites. The song speaks of a mutual love relationship between Creator God and mankind.” – Diane J.
“Early in his career, Junior Wells played harmonica in Muddy Waters’s band. He is best known, however, for his music with legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy. Together they produced the critically acclaimed album Hoodoo Man Blues. This album not only captures the sound of the 1960s blues club scene in Chicago, but it also introduced the world to one of the greatest blues singers that ever lived.” – Teague F.
“Roll with It” by Steve Winwood
“This was a favorite song of my mother, who has since passed away. I find it comes on the radio when I most need it, as if she’s trying to remind of me of the song’s message. It’s about rolling with the punches and living life to the fullest. It’s also a bop.” – Sally F.