Anyone who thinks that only white people make heady, intellectual music should listen to Cecil Taylor (and Anthony Braxton, who probably deserves his own list even though he gives me a headache). Plus: Notes. Lots and lots and lots of notes.
playlist
Cars
My high school chemistry teacher was a dumpy little guy who had a smokin’ hot blonde wife. The Cars’s Ric Ocasek looks like something you would find on the discount rack of a Halloween superstore, and he’s been married to a supermodel for years. Further proof that I shouldn’t give up my dream of getting hitched one day to a professional athlete.
Carmen McRae
An ex of my friend Pete claimed that Carmen McRae was his favorite jazz singer. We’re pretty sure he just picked her because it made him feel cool to name someone a little off the beaten path. He was a weirdo.
Carla Bley
This might be the most obscure list of all—even a lot of jazzbos have never heard of Carla Bley. But she is awesome because 1) she is a female big band leader; 2) she is from Oakland; 3) she is the reason (indirectly, via Charlie Haden) I met my jazz buddy Marcia, who is her own category of awesome; and 4) she has had the same hair style since at least 1970 (cut bottom part off broom, stick on head). Carla Bley is one of my Top 3 all-time favorites! (Note: In addition to having ridiculously long titles, many of these songs are over 10 minutes long. You don’t rush the Carla.)
Carl Perkins
Say the name “Carl Perkins,” and anyone (OK, anyone over a certain age) will say “Blue Suede Shoes.” Personally, if it were me, I’d rather be known for “Put Your Cat Clothes On.” I don’t even know what that means.
Byrds
I guess the Byrds figured, “The Beatles became superstars using a misspelled animal as their name, why don’t we try it?” I guess they also figured, “We had a hit with a song called Mr. Tambourine Man, why don’t we write another one called Mr. … um … Spaceman!” Apparently, originality was not the Byrds’s strong suit.
Buddy Holly
Don McLean’s ridiculously long, atrociously awful hit “American Pie” was inspired by the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly (“the day the music died”). The good news for Buddy Holly: Being dead, he never had to listen to the song.
Bruce Springsteen
BROOOOOOOOOOOOCE!! Nope, I don’t get it. Maybe it would make more sense if I liked girls named Wendy—or girls at all, for that matter. Points for being dependably lefty, though.
British Invasion
This is basically all the dudes who weren’t the Beatles, Stones, Who, or Kinks. I’ll get to the ladies—who have their own special awesomeness—a little later.
Bob Marley
I never understood the connection between white frat boys and reggae until a fried of mine said, “weed.” Then I understood the connection perfectly.
Playlist of the Day 