Things that make me happy today... Amy Winehouse - Lioness: Hidden Treasures

Things that make me happy today... Amy Winehouse - Lioness: Hidden Treasures

Amy Winehouse was 27 years old when she passed on July 23rd 2011.  To be fully honest, I did not know Amy Winehouse music well. I liked her Back to Black album and loved the runaway hit Rehab, but I can't say she was on the top of my playlist much.  I think I might have been turned off by her public struggles with drugs and her image. Maybe I couldn't get around her being a "gimmick" a over produced misunderstood artist.  But, like I have often learned in life, sometimes people really aren't appreciated until they are no longer with us. So with that in mind... I found this new release - Lioness: Hidden Treasures and gave it a try.

This album is is filled with various recordings of new and old songs that were packaged and released to the public after her death.  This is not  polished long lost hits album really, but it still showcases Amy's talent and voice when she was just messing around in the studio. I like this album, and it made me stop and recognized that she was a unique talent of this generation.  Like Harry Connick Jr. was in the 80s/90s, but better than that Buble guy of today (not hating, just not a fan).

Track rundown...
1. Our Day Will Come: Reggae infused ska beat with great vocals. Great start!
2. Between the Cheats: Doo-wop style ballad.. different but nice song
3. Tears Dry: I really like this song. Won't be a hit really but classic.
4. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow: Signature song of this album probably. She works it!
5. Like Smoke (Featuring Nas): Yes. That Nas makes appearance. And I like the collaboration. Different but it works.
6. Valerie: I think this could be a radio hit also. Catchy tune. Decent track.
7. The Girl from Ipanema: I like this take. Playful but more soulful. A possible radio hit... A little scatting. Nice.
8. Halftime: Wowser... She got a Eryka Badu sound going on this one. One of my favorites. Contemporary R&B slipped in on this album.
9. Wake Up Alone: Another okay track.
10. Best Friends, Right?: Okay track. Not my favorite.
11. Body & Soul (Duet with Tony Bennett): Already a radio hit. A really beautiful song. She completely matches (ahem...exceeds) Tony note for note.
12. A Song for You: Another decent track. Some may like the bluesy feel.

Pros
1. Amy's Voice is classic... soulful, powerful in a little frame. Impressive.
2. The music is classic. A good album for a drive or just relaxing on beach somewhere. 
3. Favorites: Halftime, Like Smoke, Girl from Ipanema, Our time Will Come


Cons
1. Amy got some crazy in her... and it made her a bit special. There is no real crazy on this album. Felt it was missing.
2. Other than the Nas track, it would be interesting to see other artist of different styles working with her.

Body & Soul - Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse

Our Day Will Come - Amy Winehouse

Like Smoke (ft. Nas)

Lioness: Hidden Treasure Tribute Interview

One more thing... I found this touching tribute by Russell Brand that worth a read...

http://www.russellbrand.tv/2011/07/for-amy/


What other young artist passed near the peak of the career you wish could have created more art?

S.F. Guru

Things that make me happy this week... Matisyahu @ Festivals of Lights

Things that make me happy this week... Matisyahu @ Festivals of Lights

What do you get when when you mix reggae, rock, hip hop and traditional Judaism? The beautifully soulful musical artistry of Matisyahu.

Matisyahu is a musician that defies classification.  He is simply an artist that shows music really has no bounds.  My first introduction to this artist was on a NYC TV show where I saw this reggae artist diving into a crowd and he was dressed in a traditional hassidic outfit. First I thought this was a gimmick, but after listening to his album, Light, I realize his skills were legit.  He is known for his hits "King without a Crown' and "One Day" both making it to the top of rock and reggae charts.  But he has many influences in  his music style. Matisyahu musical range include beatboxing, rapping, Jazz styled scat singing, and Judaism Hazzan style of prayer singing.

This past week he played four concerts in NYC for the Festival of Lights at the Williamsburg Music and Webster Halls.  On Thursday night, Webster Hall was packed with adoring fans singing many of his hits and crowd diving from the stage.  As a giant disco driedel hangs from the ceiling, Matisyahu dances, beatbox, and sing most of his hits from his various albums.

Webster Hall - Festival of Light - Youth

One Day

Time of your song

King without a crown

Concert Pros

1. Great band and performance by Matisyahu

2. Disco Driedel... pretty cool actually.

3. Yiddish Lil Wayne guy that came to rap.

Cons

1. No beard on Matisyahu which is a signature look for him. Good music anyways.

2. Venue was okay. Good for this type of concert but a bit warm.

Check out Matisyahu music if you want something a little different this holiday season.

Albums - Light, Live at Stubbs I & II, Youth, Shake of the dust 

Or catch a live show... he is always touring all around the world.

S.F Guru

Things that make me happy - A Midnight in Paris

Things that make me happy - A Midnight in Paris, a movie out on video this month.

Earlier this year A Midnight in Paris was in theaters and was one of the best  independent films of the year. Directed by Woody Allen and starring Owen Wilson and host of celebrities in guest roles, this movies highlights Paris in its hey day in a artistically beautiful and fantastical way.

The premise is a modern day writer played cleverly by Wilson, finds a way to go back to Paris in the early twenty century and meets many of this century most famous and noted artists, writers, and creative talents.  Each of these historical figures are played by a different celebrity actor and they give Wilson advice on life and his writing.  Back in the present, Wilson tries to patch together his life with his girlfriend Inez (played by Rachel McAdams) while vacationing in Paris with her family.

I would have to say the star of this movie really is Paris. Or at least what it represents in the mind of many  people -- A place for creative inspiration and romance.  Woody Allen has a gift for featuring cities in his movies. In the early days it was mostly New York, but more recently his focus is spanning an array of global cities. Most notably, Barcelona in Vicky Christina Barcelona or London in Match Point, and now A Midnight in Paris.  The movie is witty, a bit pretentious, and some may call it intellectually snobbish.  But it also just might spark an intellectual curiosity about some of the great artist and thinkers of this past decade (Josephine Baker, Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein to name a few.) I know I picked up a few more books and took a few more trips to museums after seeing this movie (Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas). But for Woody Allen fans, you will love this movie.... great dialogue, witty humor, and great performances from the actors.  For all others. Depends on your taste, but I think those with and open mind and don't mind a little fantasy mixed with your history lesson, give it a shot. This movie will probably get some Oscar buzz.

Pros
1. Woody Allen movie. There is a reason people keeps giving him money to make more. They are usually pretty good.
2. He is not in this movie. For those that are not fan of his neurotic acting.
3. Owen Wilson. Perfect casting. So innocently funny.
4. The guest actors. So many and they certainly seem to be trying to out do each other... in a good way.
5. The city. Paris. Makes me want to take a trip back there... in time.


Cons
1. Woody Allen movies have its own pace. Dialogue is king in his movies and this one is no different.
2. He is not in this movie. For those that ARE fans of his neurotic acting.

So what's your favorite Woody Allen movie?

S.F. Guru