Desire

Here's the setting.

You step into a small hole in the wall jazz club somewhere in the city. Smoke filled and no cover charge for the amazing drinks. You look around and you see the place is packed. Players standing against the walls who nod and toast you when you look their way. You find a small unoccupied table that wobbles near the back but you're happy to have a seat. The house lights dim and eventually go off and a spotlight hits a spot on the stage.

Suddenly you hear the bass lick, the piano tickle, and the snare brush come to life. Then the voice you've heard so much about hits your ears and it is worth all the hype. That's the image I was hit with when I first heard this song by the silky smooth crooner Jose James. The Minneapolis born, Brooklyn based singer has a voice that seems to be from a different era and distinctly reminds me of a young Joe Williams. Jose uses that voice to perfection on "Desire".

It's a beautiful song, gentle and melodic lamenting a love that got away. Lines like "she entered my heart/stayed awhile/made me to smile/then gone" and "her love was like a burning flame/of desire" makes this song relatable to everyone who has ever loved and lost regardless of their gender. Jose's voice hovers over the instrumentation like smoke, never touching the floor. It is his instrument and he deftly uses it going from soft to hard to soft again making this song seem almost....flawless.

I suggest you look into Jose James as soon as you can and enjoy his music with that someone special as soon as you can. It may be just what the doctor ordered.

God's Gonna Cut You Down

I grew up in the Bronx and my parents used to keep their albums and 45's in my bedroom. When I was old enough and I showed them that I would be careful with their collection, I was given persmission to dig through and listen. I was blessed by the sounds of James Brown, The Ojays, The Temptations, The Ohio Players, Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Bob Marley and The Wailers and the list goes on and on.

As I grew my musical tastes expanded and I was discovering new music all the time. I hungered for it and even stayed up to ridiculous hours to listen to certain radio shows. There weren't many white artists I was listening to back then. There was Queen but you couldn't escape them, they were everywhere with "We Will Rock You", David Bowie with "Modern Love", and Pink Floyd with "Another Brick In The Wall" but that was about it. I was neck deep in R&B and soul music until "Miami Vice" opened me up to another musical world. Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" blew me away and I raced headlong into rock and pop.

The one genre that had practically no representation in my musical worlds though was country. While my grandparents tried to introduce me to Ray Charles and Charlie Pride I really wasn't trying to hear what they had to say. I was too busy rocking out to Prince, Mazarati and their one hit "100 MPH", The Time, Metallica, Guns N Roses, Depeche Mode, and even George Michael.

Recently someone said that I should take a listen to Johnny Cash because they thought I would really like his stuff. I laughed at the idea until I heard his remakes of Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt" and Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus". I suddenly sat up and took a listen and what I heard was "God's Gonna Cut You Down".

The Man in Black sings a song of warning to those that feel they can keep living a life of comfort, excess, or sin by letting them know that no matter what, God will have the last word. Lyricall it's a serious song back by a haunting guitar, foot stomps, and hand claps which gives you the impression the song was recorded in church and the congregation joined in. Now the song is currently the backing music in the new Jeep Grand Cherokee commercial but that doesn't lessen it's impact. Take a listen and tell me if you think I'm wrong.

Nessun Dorma

This is a song that I really can't say much about except that if you haven't heard it by now (and you may have since it's been in countless movies) it's about time you have. Vocals by Pavarotti (I like his version better), it's an aria from the opera Turandot. It's one of the most romantic pieces of music ever recorded. It's the one song I always mention when I get asked that rarest of rare questions, "Mark, what's your favorite aria?".

The reasons are two fold. The first one is the music. When you listen to the swelling of the orchestra, the rise and fall of it and Pavarotti's powerful voice it's hard not to be moved. The cescendo at the end renders me speechless everytime I hear it. The second reason didn't hit me until years after I first heard the song when I finally got my hands on the libretto. That basically gives you the lyrics of the song and when I read the words to this song I realized why it has stood the test of time.

"Nobody shall sleep!... Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o Princess,
in your cold room,
watch the stars,
that tremble with love
and with hope.

But my secret is hidden within me,
my name no one shall know... No!...No!...
On your mouth I will tell it
when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence
that makes you mine!...
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!"

Now the opera Turandot is about a princess that lures lovesick princes to their deaths. In order to win her hand in marriage thay have to answer three riddles and if they fail the get beheaded. It goes on and get's better but this is not about me getting into that. This is about the aria and the amazing timeless beauty of it. Enjoy!

Y.O.U.

Okay, if I were the kind of guy to stand at the alter and wait for my bride to meet me there I would pitch in and try to make that day as lovely as possible. I would put in my two cents when asked on this and on that just to help out. I would offer suggestions regarding the color scheme, invitations, food, wine, and cake. I would be the dutiful fiance and do what I could to make that day as sweet as possible for us as I possibly could, demanding nothing. Nothing that is except the first song we dance to as a couple at our reception.

Years ago Kenny Lattimore had the reception circuit all to himself with his beautiful ballad "For You" but the new song for that special moment has to be Avant's "Y.O.U." From the melody to the loving lyrics, "Y.O.U." is a special song and possibly Avant's best (which isn't say much actually). He's been known to be the poor man's R. Kelly and he's played that role exceptionally well throughout his career. Throwaway songs from Avant's last CD "Director" like "4 minutes" and "With You" sounded like Kelly's rejects but Avant rebounded with his follow-up.

Titled simply "Avant", the singer did what he could to step out of the r&b crooner comfort zone and he made a bold statement. He did a remake of Christopher Cross' classic "Sailing" and it was a fine attempt. It was certainly something Kelly or Usher would not have done. Then there's the pretty "When It Hurts" where he sings about love standing the test of time. The jewel of "Avant" though is "Y.O.U.".

If this song isn't the kind of song you can see a newly married couple dancing to then something is wrong. Try and picture it? It's the grooms pick to dedicate to his wife, they move in close, his hand on her back as he leans in and sings softly in her ear lyrics like "Y, yearn for/O, overtaken by/U, understand that I'm talking bout YOU". If she wasn't putty before that moment you might want to make sure there was a chair close by because she'd need it after that.

I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it and like I said, if I were the type to wait at the alter for someone, trust me that later on that evening we'd be dancing to this song (and I'd make sure there was a chair within reach).