Right now a band is making their way across the northern half of North America on an emotional and potentially final tour. Their singer Gord Downie has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

For those of you who don’t know, The Tragically Hip is one of Canada’s prized possessions, a band largely unnoticed by the rest of the world, but a workmanlike group that speaks for millions of Canadians, and one that has handled their success, like most Canadians with modesty.  It is fitting that this tour can only be seen up north.

To be honest, I was not a fan of the Hip’s first three full length releases, but when I heard “Grace, Too” I quickly understood why my friends were taking time off of work to see these guys with fellow Canadian rockers 54-40.
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“Grace, Too” hints at Gord Downie’s story telling ability, while showcasing the band’s straight ahead heartfelt groove and rock sensibilities. It is my favorite track on Day for Night and although some consider Phantom Power their strongest release, each of their albums offers integrity, solid musicianship, and grace too.

For more information about the band:
http://www.thehip.com/news/an-important-message-from-the-band/

​Roberta Flack is known for her wonderful hit versions of “The first time ever I saw your face" “Where is the love” and "Killing me softly with his song", but for me, her adaptation of Gene McDaniels’“Compared to what” properly showcases her talents not just as a vocalist, but pianist and less notably, yet maybe more importantly, as an accompanist. It is not only my favorite version of this song (sorry Les McCann and Eddie Harris) but by far the funkiest.

As with last week’s entry, once again, Ray Lucas’s tasty drumming finds its way to the liner notes, and we also see another Rochester connection with Ron Carter’s heartfelt, technically playful (refer to: 3:55- 4:49) and joyous basslines. Seldon Powell, Frank Wess, Jimmy Nottingham, Joe Newman, and Benny Powell provide the horns.

Without any chord changes, driven simply by Roberta’s vocal phrasing, piano punctuation and fantastic musicianship, “Compared to what” was released as a single in 1969 and went unnoticed until Flack’s “The first time ever I saw your face” was featured nearly two years later in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut Play Misty for Me.
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While many artists of the era had to hire out to make it through a session, Roberta Flack’s debut album First Take might be a playful jab at these peers and an obvious testament to the talents of these wonderful players.

The first song I want to share is “A Little Barefoot Soul” by Bobby Timmons. It is the lead track from Little Barefoot Soul and features Sam Jones on Bass and Ray Lucas on Drums. It was recorded by the brilliant Rudy Van Gelder at his studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on June 18, 1964.

When I was a child my family lived next door to Chuck Mangione where my mother would sit with Chuck’s wife and together they would eavesdrop on his conversations with Dizzy Gillespie. Jazz was some of the first sounds to reach my ears, and this catchy, almost funky little number instantly pulled me in. After hearing this song, I knew that I would either play the bass or drums and with the Rochester International Jazz Festival recently passed, I thought this track an apt first entry. 
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Not known as a technical player, but one of the prominent figures of “soul jazz” and “hard bob” Bobby Timmons left the music world having penned some memorable numbers including the jazz standards “Moanin” and “Dat Dere”. This Here Is Bobby Timmons is one of my favorite albums and it introduced me to the wonderful drumming of Jimmy Cobb. I hope you enjoy this track and continue to celebrate the understated, soulful and catchy music Bobby Timmons created for us.