I still remember when my father played me Les Nubians French version of 'Round Midnight. It was beautiful and deceptively simple and touching. Listening to it now brings me back to that moment, and back to him. There are other ways we try to bridge the past and the present. Via theoretical metaphysics, there is only a timeless continuum of sound and emotion, and aspiring to one of my father's great compliments: sentiment without sentimentality. These songs have been guiding me this past week, and I hope they prove useful to others as well. We close with a wonderful song by Stanley Cowell, another who has recently departed our earthy plane. R.I.P.
Tracklist
Playing tracks by Fitz Gitler, Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger, Dobie, Zara McFarlane, Les Nubians and more.
Comments
This mix absolutely made my afternoon yesterday. Exactly what I needed. "Cristo Redentor" still messes me up, even after all this time. The "Rockit" cover just killed me, and offers the perfect setup for the Medline take on Tribe afterwards leading into Penguin Cafe Orchestra. From L'Orange right on down to the end is immaculately sequenced. Not enough words to sing praises, but if these Downshifting sessions are the start of a series, I am totally here for it.
Thank you Jason, that’s high praise. I humbly accept your gift of beautiful word flowers. I think the isolation mix I did for the Soundwave blog got me thinking afterwards about how to soothe, take a step back, provide joy, while still allowing room for the sadness hanging in the air. Looking for that sweet spot between spiritual jazz, and electronics inspired by that music, and music inspired by both. We will see where it goes right?