Driven to Drink

How good is the episode going to be?

You're guess is precisely as good as mine.

I recorded it last night, have polished it up real nice from an audio perspective, but there has been no editing otherwise.

I was…not sober last night, so I don't remember a lot of this.

We'll be listening to this together.  You might hear it before me.  Cool, huh?

Love yinz.

-G

Oh…we're on iTunes and Spotify.  Leave a 5-star review on iTunes if you feel compelled, inclined, or otherwise moved.

Also, the theme song is by Deck of Jack, and the video accompanying, "Party at the Airport" is one of my favorite videos ever, tbh.

My plan is to compose a lengthier introduction on social media, but I don't have that energy right now.  But I want you to have this.  It's my favorite music D2D yet, and perhaps my favorite ever.  I am known for hyperbole, though.  Nonetheless, here is the first of hopefully many Yellow ("Yelluh") Couch ("cahtch") Listening Parties, from Pittsburgh, PA during the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Love yinz.

-G

Gary Clark Jr. is a wonderful human and musician, and his band is exceptional. Seeing him live was a joy, and I hope I can bring even a glimmer of an idea of how wonderful the live experience is.

Please check him out live, recorded live, and in studio.

And hang with me. It's a good time.

-G

Today we spend some quality time with  &More.

This jawn?  Is glorious.  I promise.

From Philly (of course).

A little live soul, r&b, jazz, and hip hop and a lotta freestyle, a la Chill Moody and the incomparable Questlove.

Hang, it's good.

Love yinz.

-G

You may not know about Tameca Jones.

But you should.

She's a singer.  She's a song-writer.  She's a force of nature.

She's from Austin and she opened for Gary Clark, Jr. this year.

I had the honor and pleasure to see her and her band live in Pittsburgh.

Hang with us.  Really.

And check her out whichever way you check out music.

Love yinz.

-G

"Black boy joy."

That's what Leikeli47 highlights at the end of her Tiny Desk, referring to her backing musicians, the TSA Band.

Leikeli47 glides effortless across hip hop, r&b, blues, gospel, and jazz as the TSA Band serves everything piping hot.  It's Black girl magic, Black boy joy, and an absolute clinic in engaging and rocking a crowd.

"Black boy joy" is also is a wonderful reference to the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Josh Karpeh, whose stage name is Cautious Clay.  We'll spend a little time with him here as well.

Thanks for hanging out with me.

Love yinz.

-G

Natalie Prass.

Hoo.

Smooth-ass funk, jazz, summertime soul made for driving real slow, windows down, at the spot.

Lyrics, are deep.  vocals, are absolute fire.  Rhythm section, in the gotDamn pocket.  Guitar and keys just giving that texture, filling up spaces with beautiful things.

Listen, huh?  It's worth your time, I promise.

Hang with me.

Love yinz

-G

Every note of American and international popular music made today can be traced back, at least in part but typically in great part, to enslaved Africans and their descendants in North, Central, and South America, including the West Indies.

Today, we're having a little exploration of a sub-genre of hip hop, that being: trap.

We'll have a listen to current ubiquitous trap; to one of the pioneers of the genre, Zaytoven, playing live at the Tiny Desk; and then a little fun with T-Pain...which is a departure from the trap but still a beautiful example of Black musicianship, innovation, and church training.

Hang out, grab a drink or whatever, and prepare yourself for 808s and tea.

-g

Pedrito Martinez, a name that, when spoken aloud provides back-to-back triplets with emphasis on the second note of both.

peh-DREE-to...mar-TEE-nez

A percussionist, a band-leader, a singer, composer, and impossible talent.

Really, you should check this out.  Scour the internet for live performances.  The Pedrito Martinez rabbit hole is a wild, welcome ride.

But hang with me first, huh?

Let's listen together, and maybe we process and experience the music in new ways.  That's what appreciation and curation are all about, right?

Love yinz.

Have you heard Moses Sumney?

You should amend that situation, post haste, should you answer be, "No."

Sumney is a vocal virtuoso, but also a masterful multi-instrumentalist, composer, lyricist, producer, and also music director.  Hang with me as I hang with him and the band who accompanied him at his Tiny Desk.

This is the second of a series highlighting the voice as an instrument.

Love yinz.

-G