Mixtape
October 2020
BLUES • JAZZ • ROCK
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Mixtape
October 2020
BLUES • JAZZ • ROCK

That was the personal update. On to the music.

From old-time classics to more contemporary experimental compositions, passing by fresh renditions of old songs, here's a roundup of all the music I was feeling in October.

Recommended Setting

Imagined setting: for a scenic sunset drive down winding coastal roads.

CHAPTER 1

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The Savage Bush Hotel - Felix Laband
2015

I came across the term 'indietronica' last month while reading about music genres. I must admit I'm still confused by this umbrella term and don’t quite get what it encompasses but upon digging further, I landed on Felix Laband’s 'The Savage Bush Hotel'.

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Roadhouse Blues (Takes 1 & 2) - The Doors
1970

Compared to previous mixtapes where the first few tracks have been relatively slow to pick up, we hit it off quickly with a classic B-side from The Doors (Oct 2022 mixtape). They’re driving a ’57 Chevy to an old roadhouse and they’re surely having a good time.

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Black Stetson (FSNBDUB) - Fink, Colin Stetson
2017

Dark bluesy notes and avant-garde instrumentation follow on 'Black Stetson'. Featuring Colin Stetson (August 2022 mixtape) on the saxophone, this is one of 5 tracks on Fink​’​s Sunday Night Blues Dubs EP, an instrumental side project and companion to Fink's Sunday Night Blues Club Vol 1 highlighting some of the jams that ultimately led to the final takes.

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Fine Corinthian Leather - Charlie Hunter
2008

If ‘cool’ had a sound, Charlie Hunter’s 'Fine Corinthian Leather' would be it. Smooth blues, groovy vibes, the perfect flow.

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Sensitive Kind - Eric Clapton, Don White
2014

Next is 'Sensitive Kind', originally written by the legendary J.J. Cale, covered here by Eric Clapton and Don White a year after Cale’s death.

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The Woman That Got Away - J.J. Cale
1976

We continue with an effortless song by the man itself, featured on Troubadour, an album about living and loving on the road.

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Search For Peace - Ishmael Ensemble
2020

From here onwards, we depart from blues and transition to jazzy arrangements, starting with multi-instrumentalist Ishmael (Pete Cunningham) and his ensemble (August 2021 mixtape). Loosely associated with the UK jazz scene, the group recently contributed to the Blue Note Re:imagined project with their own rendition of the McCoy Tyner classic 'Search For Peace'. A densely layered epic of saxophone, strings, synths and voices.

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Broke - Girls in Airports
2020

Slamming beat on 'Broke' from contemporary Danish jazz quintet Girls in Airports. This is the first single from their upcoming album Dive.

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We've Got a Good Thing Going - Hank Crawford
1987

With his gentle sax and laidback guitar notes, Hank Crawford takes us on a sweet ballad. 'We've Got a Good Thing Going' is the title track from his 1971 album.

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Wind Parade - Donald Byrd
1975

More traditional sounds with a timeless song by trumpeter Donald Byrd (May 2022 / June 2022 mixtapes). A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the rare bebop jazz musicians who successfully explored funk and soul while remaining a jazz artist.

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Joyful Spirits of the Universe - Matthew Halsall
2020

Next is a 10-minute soothing piece by Matthew Halsall taken from his upcoming album Salute to the Sun. Soulful playing that radiates warmth, lightness and harmony.

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Machine - The Horrors
2017

Things pick up again with 'Machine' by The Horrors, one of the greatest rock bands working today. Driven by an urge to keep evolving and experimenting, they released V in 2017, an excellent album that takes influences from all over the place without sacrificing their own artistic integrity. 'Ghost' and 'It’s A Good Life' are other favorites.

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Healing Feeling - Laid Back
2019

In 2019, and after a long absence, the iconic danish duo behind 'Bakerman' and 'Sunshine Reggae' released new material. And for all the skeptical out there, Laid Back continued to live up to their name by inviting us, one more time, to slow down. It can’t get chiller than this. Crank up the volume and kick back.

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Sea, Sex and Sun - Serge Gainsbourg
1978

Despite the international success of 'Je t'aime... moi non plus' (which he sang with Jane Birkin 9 years earlier), it's only in 1978 and at the age of 50 that Gainsbourg would have his first solo commercial success with 'Sea, Sex and Sun'.

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Pinky's Dream - David Lynch, Karen O
2011

Next is the restless 'Pinky’s Dream' by the one and only David Lynch, a song released in 2011 on his second studio album. Described by him as "a collection of dark songs in the style of modern blues", this is yet another example of his ability to put his unmistakable Lynchian stamp on every art form he attempts.

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Metallic Taste of Patience - Eartheater
2020

On Eartheather’s ever-ascending 'Metallic Taste of Patience', repetitive violin strings morph into sharp stabs of electronics.

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Colour or Anyhow (Live at Le Guess Who?) - Beverly Glenn-Copeland
2018

We start our descent with a live rendition of 'Colour or Anyhow' by New Age & folk jazz pioneer Beverly Glenn-Copeland. Still rocking at 74 and what a voice.

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Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
1964

We close (or open again?) with the Soul Queen of New Orleans.

CHAPTER 2

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Happy listening

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