Thursday, February 16, 2012
Play-along chords for Feb. 26 Black History show at BAX
On Feb. 26th I'm doing a Black History Month show at Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX) in Park Slope. I'm inviting parents and kids to bring their instruments and join us on some Dees favorites. Here are the basic chords to four songs. I haven't put all the words because the chords just keep repeating in a pretty much the same cycle for the whole tune.
For more advanced players, we'll have the chords to some jazz tunes on hand day of show.
Get practicing! These are the same chords we use on the albums and in our YouTube videos so you should be able to play along easily.
Here's info on the show: http://bax.org/performances-events/family-events/lloyd-miller/
Lloyd
All these songs are copyrighted.
words & music by Lloyd Miller
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga
G C G
If you get tired, do the Tub-Tub-Tubman
D G
If you get mad, do the Martin Luther King
C G
If you're feeling greedy, give it away like Gandhi
D
Hum, hum, if you're too tired to sing
Sojourner Truth
G B7 Em
Sojourner Truth traveled up the mountain
C D
the moon was right behind her
G B7 Em
she looked down the mountain
C D
at those who tried to stop her
C
The moon looked like a light
D
and shined on Sojourner Truth
C
Where she's going
D
you're invited too
Henry Box Brown
Bm
Henry Box Brown put himself in a box
F#7
mailed himself to freedom in the North
Henry Box Brown… this side up!
Philadelphia-bound
Bm
He tried to get to freedom in a box
Em! Em! Em!
Bm
They sold his wife and kids away
Em! Em! Em!
Bm
that's when he started planning his escape
Em! Em! Em!
F#7
twas in the town of Richmond, VA
where a sympathetic tobacconist
helped Henry Box Brown escape
Bm
to the abolitionists
Cool Papa Bell
E
Cool Papa
C
Cool cool Papa
A7
Cool Papa
D
Cool Papa Bell
Same for rest of verse...
CHORUS
G
Cheetah cheetah
C
When your feetah
Am
Go round and round
D
Go round and round
G
Cheetah cheetah
C
When your feetah
Am
Go round and round
D7
Go round and round
Black History Month reading list
This blog always has lots of suggestions for kid and grown-up books related to black history (see the sidebar at right, for example) so for this list I'm going to try to focus on stuff I haven't mentioned before. I've also tried to include a number of books for reluctant readers.
100 Best African-American Poems
edited by Nikki Giovanni
This is a great starting point for a kid or grown-up to explore the poetry of black Americans. As always, Ms. Giovanni's commentary is funny, biting, and hits painfully close to home.
Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes
Hughes is one of my favorite poets of all time and the "Poetry for Young People" series has selected a nice cross section of his work here.
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop
by Christopher Raschka
Just fun. I read this book to kids all the time.
Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald
by Roxane Orgill
A nice kid biography of the jazz legend.
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Pinkney
Ditto.
Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas
I used to teach 10th grade English at a public school in Brooklyn. This was one of the few books nearly every kid was desperate to read. The first time I read it I found it a bit preachy but my opinion changed after discussing it with lots of kids, many of whom saw themselves in the book's protagonist. Mr. Thomas died this past year -- it's a good time to read -- or teach -- his book if you never have.
Panther Baby by Jamal Joseph
Jamal was my thesis advisor in film school. He was a Black Panther and spent a long time in prison in connection with his political activities. I used to spend a lot of time with Jamal and he always had an endless supply of stories -- I'm so excited some of his most thrilling and important tales are in print so more people can experience them.
Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley
A slave, Ms. Wheatley was taught to read by her owners and became one of the first known black poets in colonial America.
The Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah
This book is awesome, actually. I decided to read it because my high school students were constantly asking for it (I used my teacher money to buy copies that the students would check out and never return) but then found myself unable to stop reading it even though, at the time, I was in Mexico City on vacation with a long list of murals and museums I wanted to visit. I still managed to see lots of art but I also spent hours and hours in a bar / cafe finishing this very well-plotted book. I read it soon after The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and found many thematic elements in common between the two books.
Kindred - Octavia E. Butler
Yeah, man, sci fi. I'm not that into it but a lot of kids (and adults) are. I used to give her books to kids -- and ex-cons in my GED classes -- who were only interested in alien and horror movies and most of them would get hooked fast.
Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America by Nathan McCall
From the streets to the offices of the Washington Post... an inspiring book for kids thinking about a career in journalism. I read it while taking journalism classes at Florida A&M University (Go Rattlers!)
Bessie
by Chris Albertson
Bessie Smith bio. All you need to know.
Push by Sapphire
Yes, they based the movie Precious on this. Another book I read because students I was working with were really into it. Initially I found it sensational and it kind of creeped me out (you know the plot, right? it's rough stuff). But, like a couple of other books on this list, my opinion changed after discussing with kids who found the story very powerful and used it as a way to begin a lot of heavy classroom discussions. It's short, give it a try.
Rosa Parks: Not Giving In (The Time Traveler’s Adventure) by James Collins
Unique picture book take on the familiar story featuring some time-traveling kids.
Michelle Obama: Meet the First Lady by David Bergen Brophy
If you look this book up and see the cover (a glossy photograph of Ms. O) you might be like "This is one of those cheesy grocery store books!" Yeah, it sort of is. Actually this one is a little better than your average newsstand bio but it's still in that basic genre. Still, I've met many kids who love these things and that some kids who wouldn't read anything else were willing to read them.
Got your own suggestions? Please send...
thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com
Lloyd
100 Best African-American Poems
edited by Nikki Giovanni
This is a great starting point for a kid or grown-up to explore the poetry of black Americans. As always, Ms. Giovanni's commentary is funny, biting, and hits painfully close to home.
Poetry for Young People: Langston Hughes
Hughes is one of my favorite poets of all time and the "Poetry for Young People" series has selected a nice cross section of his work here.
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop
by Christopher Raschka
Just fun. I read this book to kids all the time.
Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald
by Roxane Orgill
A nice kid biography of the jazz legend.
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Pinkney
Ditto.
Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas
I used to teach 10th grade English at a public school in Brooklyn. This was one of the few books nearly every kid was desperate to read. The first time I read it I found it a bit preachy but my opinion changed after discussing it with lots of kids, many of whom saw themselves in the book's protagonist. Mr. Thomas died this past year -- it's a good time to read -- or teach -- his book if you never have.
Panther Baby by Jamal Joseph
Jamal was my thesis advisor in film school. He was a Black Panther and spent a long time in prison in connection with his political activities. I used to spend a lot of time with Jamal and he always had an endless supply of stories -- I'm so excited some of his most thrilling and important tales are in print so more people can experience them.
Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phillis Wheatley
A slave, Ms. Wheatley was taught to read by her owners and became one of the first known black poets in colonial America.
The Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah
This book is awesome, actually. I decided to read it because my high school students were constantly asking for it (I used my teacher money to buy copies that the students would check out and never return) but then found myself unable to stop reading it even though, at the time, I was in Mexico City on vacation with a long list of murals and museums I wanted to visit. I still managed to see lots of art but I also spent hours and hours in a bar / cafe finishing this very well-plotted book. I read it soon after The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton and found many thematic elements in common between the two books.
Kindred - Octavia E. Butler
Yeah, man, sci fi. I'm not that into it but a lot of kids (and adults) are. I used to give her books to kids -- and ex-cons in my GED classes -- who were only interested in alien and horror movies and most of them would get hooked fast.
Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America by Nathan McCall
From the streets to the offices of the Washington Post... an inspiring book for kids thinking about a career in journalism. I read it while taking journalism classes at Florida A&M University (Go Rattlers!)
Bessie
by Chris Albertson
Bessie Smith bio. All you need to know.
Push by Sapphire
Yes, they based the movie Precious on this. Another book I read because students I was working with were really into it. Initially I found it sensational and it kind of creeped me out (you know the plot, right? it's rough stuff). But, like a couple of other books on this list, my opinion changed after discussing with kids who found the story very powerful and used it as a way to begin a lot of heavy classroom discussions. It's short, give it a try.
Rosa Parks: Not Giving In (The Time Traveler’s Adventure) by James Collins
Unique picture book take on the familiar story featuring some time-traveling kids.
Michelle Obama: Meet the First Lady by David Bergen Brophy
If you look this book up and see the cover (a glossy photograph of Ms. O) you might be like "This is one of those cheesy grocery store books!" Yeah, it sort of is. Actually this one is a little better than your average newsstand bio but it's still in that basic genre. Still, I've met many kids who love these things and that some kids who wouldn't read anything else were willing to read them.
Got your own suggestions? Please send...
thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com
Lloyd
Friday, February 10, 2012
A song written by all of us
Ok, let's try this. Watch the video of this simple sing-a-long song I wrote (ignore that really wrong chord I hit at one point). Read the lyrics below. Replace words with things you like. You could, for example, remove the word "hairballs" and put "werewolves" in its place (I tried to make replacement word rhyme with the one it was replacing. Can you do the same? Or change all the words in the verse so they work together?)
Send your ideas to me at thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com.
Our composition might end up on an album (I'm considering a real studio sing-a-long record. But it's very much in the planning-the-planning stage). At the very least I'll put a new version on YouTube featuring my favorites of the suggestions I receive. So far "vampire squid" (suggested by a kid at my Friday sing-a-long in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn) is my top candidate for inclusion.
Lloyd
Sing-a-long Song
words & music by Lloyd Miller (c) (p) 2011
Sing-a-long, baby Sing-a-long, mom
Sing-a-long, popsicles Sing-a-long, hairballs
Sing-a-long, baby Sing-a-long, mom
Sing-a-long, popsicles Sing-a-long, hairballs
Sing-a-long, floorboards Sing-a-long, walls
sing-along, windows it's a sing-a-long song
Sing-a-long, horses Sing-a-long, goose
Sing-a-long, wildebeest Sing-a-long, moose
Sing-a-long, feet and shoes!
it's a sing-a-long song everybody sing along
Sing-a-long, ninjas Sing-a-long, police
Sing-a-long, princesses Sing-a-long, peas
Sing-a-long, knights Sing-a-long, daisies
I'll sing-a-long with you if you sing-a-long with me
Sing-a-long, dragons Sing-a-long, teeth
Sing-a-long, overpass Sing-a-long underneath
Sing-a-long, potholes in the street
Sing-a-long, donuts Sing-a-long, dads
Sing-a-long, dogs Sing-a-long, doo-rags
Sing-a-long happy Sing-a-long sad
Sing-a-long in the mud and then later in the bath
Sing-a-long, train tracks and car alarms
sing it in the city so they can hear it on the farm
Sing-a-long, eggplant parm
Friday, February 3, 2012
Underground Railroad Quiz (Listen to the Hilltown Families podcast before you take it)
Our friends at the Hilltown Family Variety Show put together a special program all about the Underground Railroad. Our songs "Underground Railroad" and "Henry Box Brown" are on it. So are great versions of traditional songs by Taj Mahal and Bill Harley, a story read by Morgan Freeman and much more. Listen to it right now: http://hilltownfamilies.wordpress.com/2010/01/25/hfvs-33/
And listen carefully. That's the only way you'll pass the quiz we made up related to the show. The quiz is for 4th grade and up (or advanced readers of any age) and may require some extra research in addition to listening to the Hilltown podcast. But it's worth doing because everyone who at least tries every question will get a free copy of the Deedle Deedle Dees CD of their choice. Yeah. We're not messing around.
Try to avoid using Wikipedia. Searching songbooks, history books, Bibles, and other tomes you hopefully have on your family's shelves -- or in your local library -- will be a much more enjoyable way to find the information you don't know already.
Send your completed quizzes to Lloyd (AKA me, Ulysses S. Dee): thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com. Or post your answers on a blog or Facebook page or public Google doc and send us the link.
You have one week. Completed quizzes must be received by 11:59pm Eastern time Friday, Feb. 10th in order to eligible for a prize.
1. In our song "Underground Railroad," what is the secret password needed to board? It's actually three words.
2. Name three cities or towns that were part of the Underground Railroad -- and that we mention in our song about it.
3. What is the "drinking gourd" described in the story read by Morgan Freeman and sung about by Taj Mahal?
4. In the traditional song "Wade In the Water," (Bill Harley's version can be heard on the podcast) who, as the lyrics ask, are "these children all dressed in red" and "that young girl dressed in white"? There isn't one right answer -- tell us what you've read and what you think. (Hint: Many spirituals and Underground Railroad songs contained coded lyrics and secret messages)
5. Henry "Box" Brown mailed himself to freedom in a box. In which city did he finally climb out of his box a free man?
6. A state and a musical instrument are mentioned in "Nelly Grey" (Phil Rosenthal sings the version you hear on the podcast). Which state? Which instrument?
7. Why was "Nelly Grey" written? (Another question without one answer. We want your opinions as well as the results of your research)
8. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (Leadbelly and a choir close out the podcast with their version) describes a trip to heaven -- or to freedom -- in a real or metaphorical chariot. Which prophet left life on this Earth in a chariot according to the Old Testament?
And listen carefully. That's the only way you'll pass the quiz we made up related to the show. The quiz is for 4th grade and up (or advanced readers of any age) and may require some extra research in addition to listening to the Hilltown podcast. But it's worth doing because everyone who at least tries every question will get a free copy of the Deedle Deedle Dees CD of their choice. Yeah. We're not messing around.
Try to avoid using Wikipedia. Searching songbooks, history books, Bibles, and other tomes you hopefully have on your family's shelves -- or in your local library -- will be a much more enjoyable way to find the information you don't know already.
Send your completed quizzes to Lloyd (AKA me, Ulysses S. Dee): thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com. Or post your answers on a blog or Facebook page or public Google doc and send us the link.
You have one week. Completed quizzes must be received by 11:59pm Eastern time Friday, Feb. 10th in order to eligible for a prize.
1. In our song "Underground Railroad," what is the secret password needed to board? It's actually three words.
2. Name three cities or towns that were part of the Underground Railroad -- and that we mention in our song about it.
3. What is the "drinking gourd" described in the story read by Morgan Freeman and sung about by Taj Mahal?
4. In the traditional song "Wade In the Water," (Bill Harley's version can be heard on the podcast) who, as the lyrics ask, are "these children all dressed in red" and "that young girl dressed in white"? There isn't one right answer -- tell us what you've read and what you think. (Hint: Many spirituals and Underground Railroad songs contained coded lyrics and secret messages)
5. Henry "Box" Brown mailed himself to freedom in a box. In which city did he finally climb out of his box a free man?
6. A state and a musical instrument are mentioned in "Nelly Grey" (Phil Rosenthal sings the version you hear on the podcast). Which state? Which instrument?
7. Why was "Nelly Grey" written? (Another question without one answer. We want your opinions as well as the results of your research)
8. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (Leadbelly and a choir close out the podcast with their version) describes a trip to heaven -- or to freedom -- in a real or metaphorical chariot. Which prophet left life on this Earth in a chariot according to the Old Testament?
Friday, January 13, 2012
Songs to sing for MLK
MLK Day is usually really really cold and really really fun. My wife and kids are out of school and we get to hang out. And I get to sing all the Civil Rights, black history, and spiritual tunes that I love at my sing-a-longs. Usually I do about half Dees songs and half traditional kid tunes but around MLK's b-day I go all out with the stuff I really like. Here's some of the stuff I'm singing today, all weekend, Monday, and all next week. Happy birthday!
classics:
John Brown's Body
Lift Every Voice and Sing
We Shall Overcome
Down in the Valley (don't forget the "Birmingham jail" verse)
Follow the Drinking Gourd
The Welcome Table
Let Us Get Together (the Rev. Gary Davis tune)
This Little Light
Go Down, Moses
Wade in the Water
Redemption Song (yeah, that one. before you scoff, try playing it for an NYC crowd. EVERYONE will sing along, even most of the hipsters)
Down by the Riverside
I Sing Just to Know That I'm Alive (Trinidadian tune I learned from Nina Simone)
Dees tunes:
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga
Ah Ahimsa
Sojourner Truth
Underground Railroad
Cool Papa Bell
Bring 'Em In (about Satchel Paige)
Got your own favorites? Please send: thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com
L
classics:
John Brown's Body
Lift Every Voice and Sing
We Shall Overcome
Down in the Valley (don't forget the "Birmingham jail" verse)
Follow the Drinking Gourd
The Welcome Table
Let Us Get Together (the Rev. Gary Davis tune)
This Little Light
Go Down, Moses
Wade in the Water
Redemption Song (yeah, that one. before you scoff, try playing it for an NYC crowd. EVERYONE will sing along, even most of the hipsters)
Down by the Riverside
I Sing Just to Know That I'm Alive (Trinidadian tune I learned from Nina Simone)
Dees tunes:
Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga
Ah Ahimsa
Sojourner Truth
Underground Railroad
Cool Papa Bell
Bring 'Em In (about Satchel Paige)
Got your own favorites? Please send: thedeedledeedledees AT yahoo DOT com
L
Monday, December 26, 2011
On Dec. 31st, there's no excuse...
For not joining me and the Deedle Deedle Dees on the radio or in person. Here's what's happening:
(all times Eastern)
At 9am, I'm the guest on The Kids are Alright, Amy Handler's splendid little program on AM1690 in Atlanta. Amy is devoting the whole show to our conversation, my in-studio performances, and tracks by the Deedle Deedle Dees. Stream it here: http://1690wmlb.com/the-kids-are-alright/ The show will repeat Sunday the 1st at noon.
At 11am, I'm hosting a New Year's Eve Family Sing-a-Long & Jam at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. Bring your voices and your instruments. I'll bring chord changes so parents and bigger kids can play along on their guitars, ukes, accordions, etc. And everyone is invited to sing along as we ring in the New Year a little early (we'll be counting down to noon). bk.knittingfactory.com
And the grand finale happens at 11pm:
The Deedle Deedle Dees are playing a complete concert on Sirius XM Kids Place Live. We're going to play a full concert then lead do the old 10-9-8 to midnight. The show will be re-broadcast a couple of times during the daytime hours (on Jan 1st and possibly other dates) for all those who can't stay up late. http://www.siriusxm.com/kidsplacelive
Hope you can join us!
Lloyd
(all times Eastern)
At 9am, I'm the guest on The Kids are Alright, Amy Handler's splendid little program on AM1690 in Atlanta. Amy is devoting the whole show to our conversation, my in-studio performances, and tracks by the Deedle Deedle Dees. Stream it here: http://1690wmlb.com/the-kids-are-alright/ The show will repeat Sunday the 1st at noon.
At 11am, I'm hosting a New Year's Eve Family Sing-a-Long & Jam at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. Bring your voices and your instruments. I'll bring chord changes so parents and bigger kids can play along on their guitars, ukes, accordions, etc. And everyone is invited to sing along as we ring in the New Year a little early (we'll be counting down to noon). bk.knittingfactory.com
And the grand finale happens at 11pm:
The Deedle Deedle Dees are playing a complete concert on Sirius XM Kids Place Live. We're going to play a full concert then lead do the old 10-9-8 to midnight. The show will be re-broadcast a couple of times during the daytime hours (on Jan 1st and possibly other dates) for all those who can't stay up late. http://www.siriusxm.com/kidsplacelive
Hope you can join us!
Lloyd
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Music you should try if you like Strange Dees, Indeed
The Deedle Deedle Dees listen to a lot of music and we're always excited to share new stuff we find. Our new record, Strange Dees, Indeed, in many ways represents our wide-ranging listening habits better than any of our previous work and we thought you might like to know where to go to hear more.
Organized by song, here's some music we think you should add to your family music library. As you start listening to this music you'll find that while some of it is a very direct influence on the music we make, much of it is simply part of our music landscape, the greenhouse, if you will, where the Deedle Deedle Dees music sprouts and grows.
1. Ah Ahimsa
This song is the most successful of some of my recent attempts to write a Bollywood song. Bollywood music is very diverse and reflects the era in which a particular movie was made but we tend to gravitate toward what I consider to be the classic era of the musical genre, the 1950s and 60s. Here are some absolute must-haves:
Doob Doob O'Rama: Filmsongs from Bollywood, Vol. 1
Every song a killer. Most famous song here is probably "Jan Pahechan Ho" (AKA "Jaan Pehechaan Ho") because a version of it was on the Ghost World soundtrack. Possibly the ultimate Bollywood compilation. Also check out Volume 2.
The Rough Guide to Bollywood Legends: Asha Bhosle
The most recorded woman of all time? At one time at least I think she held that title. In all those old Bollywood movies, she's almost always the voice of the woman. The Rough Guide compilations are top notch and this is probably my personal favorite. Includes the seminal "Ina Mina Dika."
The Rough Guide to Bollywood by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar & Kumar Sanu
The Rough Guide to Bollywood: Lata Mangeshkar
In her better known work (at least as much as I know) Lata does more traditional stuff like wedding and devotional songs while Asha tends toward pop and lively dance-ready numbers. But that's a great generalization. Ignore what I say -- just get all these albums.
And if you've never seen a Bollywood movie, watch this clip. It will change your life.
2. Cool Papa Bell
Some funky music that got our heads in the space that created this track:
The Meters
We have no illusions that our track sounds like a Meters track. But we did want to make a tune that makes people move the way their music does. Here are some good albums:
The Meters (debut)
Look-Ka Py Py
Good Old Funky Music
Gnarls Barkley
Yes, I'm sure you've heard these albums already. But they're great. Give 'em a re-listen next time you're in the car. I listened to The Odd Couple about seven hundred times while driving around LA one summer.
The Odd Couple
St. Elsewhere
3. a song for Abigail Adams
We weren't trying to sound like Wilco but a few people who have heard this track have asked whether we were. I do think we, like Tweedy & Co., were trying to figure out how to avoid the obvious choices that could be made with a simple ballad like this. At one point, in Dean Jones' living room, Ari and I were talking about how the mandolin part should sound. I expressed a strong desire that it not be "Taylor Swift mandolin," that pretty end-of-phrase arpeggio mando that's all over Nashville productions. Ari agreed but as he improvised it was Nashvillian parts that continued to lend themselves most obviously to the tune. So I said: Why don't we skip the mandolin all together and do something different?
Late that night, Dean helped us figure out what that different thing was. And as a happy accident, it did become a little bit Wilcovian. I don't listen to those guys much anymore, but if I did, I'd definitely spin Summerteeth. Much better than the much-heralded album that followed, I think.
Also try the solo work of Lee Renaldo and Thurston Moore. I invoked their names during the after-midnight explorations that became "a song for Abigail Adams" more than once.
4. The Golem
As you might have figured out by now, the Dees take the various genres that inspire them, try to imitate them, and, most of the time, end up failing horribly -- but making something that we still find kind of interesting. That's certainly the case with my "klezmer" stylings on "The Golem." But if you want the real thing...
Old Brooklyn - Andy Statman
Best album of 2011, one of the best albums I've heard in a very long time. It's blasting as I write this. I saw Andy play in the basement of the Charles Street Synagogue last night with my wife. John Goodman announces the album on track 1, Paul Shaffer (yes, the same) joins on keys for some tunes... Andy's buddy and regular stage guest star Ricky Skaggs shows up. Yes, that would be country idol and Christian Ricky Skaggs moaning like Ralph Stanley while Orthodox Jew Andy wails on the clarinet. Believe.
You can hear klezmer on this record but also bluegrass and a lot of stuff I'm at a loss to classify. I could write all day about it.
All the Best - Avraham Fried
Another Brooklyn guy, Avraham plays a very different kind of klezmer. Lots of ear-searing horns. One of the Dees once said his music would be a great soundtrack for a cop show. As not subtle as Andy is subtle, Avraham is the party music you should be playing. Seriously, dump the Lady Gaga and the Pitbull and the get with the Fried.
5. Marie Curie
Astor Piazzolla - The Soul of Tango, Greatest Hits
Something about the mood he creates made him come to mind. Famous for the brilliant "Libertango." I'm partial to "Resurreccion del Angel." Just buy the catalog.
Django Reinhardt - Quintette Du Hot Club De France
"The Third Man Theme" - There's the original played by Anton Karas on the zither. There's also The Band's version on Moonlight Matinee. For a while this song was hot amongst high school kids I was giving guitar and bass lessons.
Gypsy Rumble - The Stephane Wrembel Trio with David Grisman
Stephane is a guy you can see almost any night in the NYC area. He used to teach former (and always) Dee Anand Mukherjee gypsy guitar. The closest we have to a living Django.
6. Sojourner Truth
Why, yes, that is mastermind Dean Jones on the trombone. And, yes, you should get some of his records he makes for families. His group Dog on Fleas has this album Cranberry Sauce Flotilla that's kind of perfect for playing at any time of day. His solo + lots of guest stars disc Rock Paper Scissors is terrific. Get your credit card and head to www.dogonfleas.com and make your own choices.
7. River of Blood
If your kids like the sound of this tune -- and you don't have any Johnny Cash records in the house already -- quick get At Folsom Prison and one of the greatest hits compilations. I've never met a kid who didn't love the Man in Black.
Then, try The Lonesome Fugitive: The Merle Haggard Anthology (1963-1977). This is more for you, parents, but the kids will like some of the tunes. I instructed Dean and the Dees to sing like the female back-up singers on a Haggard track on "River of Blood." (they sound nothing like them, of course. and I like that)
Lastly, when was the last time you heard the Twin Peaks soundtrack? If there's ever a chord change or a passage of melody that hints at the theme that plays during the opening credits, all Dees immediately start playing it (listen for it if you're around for one of our sound checks). And in "River of Blood," you can hear Booker Dee just barely resisting the urge to go full on into the music of waterfalls and log mills and scary owls.
8. Penny Farthing
Like that crazy guy singing? So do we. That's Booker Dee AKA Chris Johnson. He plays banjo and piano with a New Orleans-style jazz group called the Red Hook Ramblers. Both their albums shake the walls of our house frequently. The self-titled first one features their versions of standards like "Bourbon Street Parade" and "Four or Five Times" while the recently-release Something More Sinister is all originals. I, like all good Americans, adore Chris' vocal on "That Extreme."
I hope Chris doesn't mind me saying this: I think Fats Waller had no small influence on his vocal style. No Fats in your house? Get the Complete Recorded Works, the Best of Fats Waller, everything he ever recorded is worth having. Warning: it will ruin all current music for you. But who needs it?
to be continued...
Organized by song, here's some music we think you should add to your family music library. As you start listening to this music you'll find that while some of it is a very direct influence on the music we make, much of it is simply part of our music landscape, the greenhouse, if you will, where the Deedle Deedle Dees music sprouts and grows.
1. Ah Ahimsa
This song is the most successful of some of my recent attempts to write a Bollywood song. Bollywood music is very diverse and reflects the era in which a particular movie was made but we tend to gravitate toward what I consider to be the classic era of the musical genre, the 1950s and 60s. Here are some absolute must-haves:
Doob Doob O'Rama: Filmsongs from Bollywood, Vol. 1
Every song a killer. Most famous song here is probably "Jan Pahechan Ho" (AKA "Jaan Pehechaan Ho") because a version of it was on the Ghost World soundtrack. Possibly the ultimate Bollywood compilation. Also check out Volume 2.
The Rough Guide to Bollywood Legends: Asha Bhosle
The most recorded woman of all time? At one time at least I think she held that title. In all those old Bollywood movies, she's almost always the voice of the woman. The Rough Guide compilations are top notch and this is probably my personal favorite. Includes the seminal "Ina Mina Dika."
The Rough Guide to Bollywood by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar & Kumar Sanu
The Rough Guide to Bollywood: Lata Mangeshkar
In her better known work (at least as much as I know) Lata does more traditional stuff like wedding and devotional songs while Asha tends toward pop and lively dance-ready numbers. But that's a great generalization. Ignore what I say -- just get all these albums.
And if you've never seen a Bollywood movie, watch this clip. It will change your life.
2. Cool Papa Bell
Some funky music that got our heads in the space that created this track:
The Meters
We have no illusions that our track sounds like a Meters track. But we did want to make a tune that makes people move the way their music does. Here are some good albums:
The Meters (debut)
Look-Ka Py Py
Good Old Funky Music
Gnarls Barkley
Yes, I'm sure you've heard these albums already. But they're great. Give 'em a re-listen next time you're in the car. I listened to The Odd Couple about seven hundred times while driving around LA one summer.
The Odd Couple
St. Elsewhere
3. a song for Abigail Adams
We weren't trying to sound like Wilco but a few people who have heard this track have asked whether we were. I do think we, like Tweedy & Co., were trying to figure out how to avoid the obvious choices that could be made with a simple ballad like this. At one point, in Dean Jones' living room, Ari and I were talking about how the mandolin part should sound. I expressed a strong desire that it not be "Taylor Swift mandolin," that pretty end-of-phrase arpeggio mando that's all over Nashville productions. Ari agreed but as he improvised it was Nashvillian parts that continued to lend themselves most obviously to the tune. So I said: Why don't we skip the mandolin all together and do something different?
Late that night, Dean helped us figure out what that different thing was. And as a happy accident, it did become a little bit Wilcovian. I don't listen to those guys much anymore, but if I did, I'd definitely spin Summerteeth. Much better than the much-heralded album that followed, I think.
Also try the solo work of Lee Renaldo and Thurston Moore. I invoked their names during the after-midnight explorations that became "a song for Abigail Adams" more than once.
4. The Golem
As you might have figured out by now, the Dees take the various genres that inspire them, try to imitate them, and, most of the time, end up failing horribly -- but making something that we still find kind of interesting. That's certainly the case with my "klezmer" stylings on "The Golem." But if you want the real thing...
Old Brooklyn - Andy Statman
Best album of 2011, one of the best albums I've heard in a very long time. It's blasting as I write this. I saw Andy play in the basement of the Charles Street Synagogue last night with my wife. John Goodman announces the album on track 1, Paul Shaffer (yes, the same) joins on keys for some tunes... Andy's buddy and regular stage guest star Ricky Skaggs shows up. Yes, that would be country idol and Christian Ricky Skaggs moaning like Ralph Stanley while Orthodox Jew Andy wails on the clarinet. Believe.
You can hear klezmer on this record but also bluegrass and a lot of stuff I'm at a loss to classify. I could write all day about it.
All the Best - Avraham Fried
Another Brooklyn guy, Avraham plays a very different kind of klezmer. Lots of ear-searing horns. One of the Dees once said his music would be a great soundtrack for a cop show. As not subtle as Andy is subtle, Avraham is the party music you should be playing. Seriously, dump the Lady Gaga and the Pitbull and the get with the Fried.
5. Marie Curie
Astor Piazzolla - The Soul of Tango, Greatest Hits
Something about the mood he creates made him come to mind. Famous for the brilliant "Libertango." I'm partial to "Resurreccion del Angel." Just buy the catalog.
Django Reinhardt - Quintette Du Hot Club De France
"The Third Man Theme" - There's the original played by Anton Karas on the zither. There's also The Band's version on Moonlight Matinee. For a while this song was hot amongst high school kids I was giving guitar and bass lessons.
Gypsy Rumble - The Stephane Wrembel Trio with David Grisman
Stephane is a guy you can see almost any night in the NYC area. He used to teach former (and always) Dee Anand Mukherjee gypsy guitar. The closest we have to a living Django.
6. Sojourner Truth
Why, yes, that is mastermind Dean Jones on the trombone. And, yes, you should get some of his records he makes for families. His group Dog on Fleas has this album Cranberry Sauce Flotilla that's kind of perfect for playing at any time of day. His solo + lots of guest stars disc Rock Paper Scissors is terrific. Get your credit card and head to www.dogonfleas.com and make your own choices.
7. River of Blood
If your kids like the sound of this tune -- and you don't have any Johnny Cash records in the house already -- quick get At Folsom Prison and one of the greatest hits compilations. I've never met a kid who didn't love the Man in Black.
Then, try The Lonesome Fugitive: The Merle Haggard Anthology (1963-1977). This is more for you, parents, but the kids will like some of the tunes. I instructed Dean and the Dees to sing like the female back-up singers on a Haggard track on "River of Blood." (they sound nothing like them, of course. and I like that)
Lastly, when was the last time you heard the Twin Peaks soundtrack? If there's ever a chord change or a passage of melody that hints at the theme that plays during the opening credits, all Dees immediately start playing it (listen for it if you're around for one of our sound checks). And in "River of Blood," you can hear Booker Dee just barely resisting the urge to go full on into the music of waterfalls and log mills and scary owls.
8. Penny Farthing
Like that crazy guy singing? So do we. That's Booker Dee AKA Chris Johnson. He plays banjo and piano with a New Orleans-style jazz group called the Red Hook Ramblers. Both their albums shake the walls of our house frequently. The self-titled first one features their versions of standards like "Bourbon Street Parade" and "Four or Five Times" while the recently-release Something More Sinister is all originals. I, like all good Americans, adore Chris' vocal on "That Extreme."
I hope Chris doesn't mind me saying this: I think Fats Waller had no small influence on his vocal style. No Fats in your house? Get the Complete Recorded Works, the Best of Fats Waller, everything he ever recorded is worth having. Warning: it will ruin all current music for you. But who needs it?
to be continued...
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