Shuffle #54 (April 25, 2015)

New York’s A Lonely Town – The Tradewinds

Ordinary People – John Legend

Magic Bus – The Who

Superstition – Stevie Wonder

Cannonball – The Breeders

Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat

Please Don’t Drive Me Away – Sam Cooke

A Little Bit Of Everything – Dawes

Back On The Chain Gang – The Pretenders

LP #16 James Hunter – People Gonna Talk (2006)

Many thanks to ex-Westatian Mark Gallagher, who first brought this guy to my attention 8 or 9 years ago.

 

Allmusic.com characterizes Hunter as an “English channeler of American soul from days of yore”, which is probably as apt a description as any. What it doesn’t capture is that Hunter manages to draw upon his influences while nevertheless creating a sound that is uniquely his own. As both the lead vocalist and only guitar player in his superb band – Hunter now bills the act as “The James Hunter Six” – his sound heavily features his two sax players to drive his melodies, with his alternately edgy or supremely lyrical guitar work mainly reserved for the bridges of the songs. He also writes superb songs, both uptempo and ballads; one of my favorite Hunter lyrics is from “Don’t Come Back”:

 

Never have revenge in mind

‘Cos an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind

But forgiveness is the business of some other diplomat

So baby don’t come back.

 

This is the best of the band’s albums, but the others are well worth owning. They’re also excellent live. And if you do pick up this CD, you’ll find that Hunter also has talent as a sketch artist, in addition to his gifts as a songwriter, singer, and guitarist. (OK, I’m more than a little jealous.)

 

Favorite tracks:

I’ll Walk Away

People Gonna Talk

Don’t Come Back

You Can’t Win

Kick It Around

Rosanne Cash – The River and the Thread in Concert, Strathmore, 4/17/2015

Promenade Center, Row A, Seats 115-116 – front row in the Promenade section, dead center (wonderful sound!)

 

Rosanne Cash and her excellent band (including her “taller half” John Leventhal) put on a wonderful show on what seemed to be an unofficial Westat Friday – we ran into several current and former Westatians after dinner and at the show. During the first set, Rosanne and crew performed the 11 songs from last year’s Grammy-winning The River and the Thread album in order, with arrangements that were faithful to the CD but did not follow it slavishly. I’m not always a big fan of between-songs chatter, but Cash’s background information about each song here was a welcome exception, as it added greatly to the audience’s understanding of the material.

 

After intermission, Rosanne and the band kept the crowd happy by performing other highlights from her career, including some tracks from 2009’s The List (“I’m Movin’ On”, “500 Miles”, “Long Black Veil”) and a few of her 1980’s chart-toppers (“Blue Moon With Heartache”, “Tennessee Flat Top Box”, “Seven Year Ache”).

April 19, 2015 – Nationals 4, Phillies 1 – Nationals Park

http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/119249560/nationals-stephen-strasburg-strong-arms-phillies-for-his-first-win

 

Umpires: HP: Vic Carapazza. 1B: Larry Vanover. 2B: Ron Kulpa. 3B: Tom Woodring.

Weather: 68 degrees, cloudy.

Wind: 8 mph, In from RF.

T: 2:40.

Att: 36,631.

 

Highlights – a little chilly, but the rain held off until Sunday evening … return of Denard Span to action in his usual leadoff spot … strong outing by Strasburg, who didn’t allow a baserunner until the fifth inning … 4 two-out RBI hits by the Nats … Phillies run in the top of the eighth closes the margin to 3 runs, allowing Storen to pick up a save, producing free Chick-Fil-A sandwiches for all

April 18, 2015 – Phillies 5, Nationals 3 – Nationals Park

http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/119048452/speed-of-ben-revere-helps-bring-end-to-phillies-skid

 

Umpires: HP: Brian Knight. 1B: Vic Carapazza. 2B: Larry Vanover. 3B: Ron Kulpa.

Weather: 77 degrees, sunny.

Wind: 3 mph, Out to RF.

T: 2:56 (:12 delay).

Att: 35,330.  [counting only humans, or “Pups in the Park” as well???]

Section 128, Row RR, Seats 13-14 – lower level, first base line, just beyond the “premium” seats, closer to the concourse than to the field, but therefore in the shade

 

Highlights – longest HR of Harper’s career so far … pinch-runner Ben Revere’s speed manufactures winning run for Phils in the 7^th after a leadoff walk to Ryan Howard … Phils bullpen blanks Nats over final 3 innings to preserve the lead

 

Other – two more misplays by Desmond result in 2 Philadelphia runs in the top of the 3^rd … Jordan Zimmermann walks 4 batters, 2 of whom score … HP umpire Brian Knight had to leave game in the top of the ninth after taking a Blake Treinen fastball directly in his face mask

LP #17 Gordon Lightfoot – The Way I Feel (1967)

This was another early LP purchase (at the bookstore in the basement of the college center) once I arrived at college. I was feeling pretty adventurous back then with my record purchases – I’m not sure if I’d heard any of these songs before, although I was probably familiar with better-known Lightfoot tracks such as “Early Morning Rain” and “For Lovin’ Me”, which were both covered by Peter, Paul & Mary. Lightfoot’s voice is still in great shape here, the arrangements are effective, and the songs (all written or co-written by Gordon) are great. Over time, I wound up buying all of his albums that I had missed, and picked up new ones as they came out through the end of the Seventies. (WARNING: Stay away from the Gord’s Gold collection, on which many of the tracks are re-recordings.)

 

Favorite tracks:

Canadian Railroad Trilogy

The Way I Feel

Softly

Crossroads

Song For A Winter’s Night

Squid Jiggers w/ Side By Side, El Golfo Restaurant (Silver Spring MD, WFMA showcase), 4/12/2015

Highlights – excellent Salmon Pacifico … arriving just in time to get one of the few remaining spaces in the restaurant parking lot … Side By Side performances of “Leviathan” and “Unchained Melody” … Squid Jiggers doing “Squid Jigging Ground” to open (of course), plus “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and “I’ze The B’y”

 

Other – Side By Side announced the upcoming end of their 31-year partnership (Doris is moving to “paradise”, exact location unspecified) … Squid Jiggers insisted on sing-alongs on nearly every song

April 9, 2015 – Mets 6, Nationals 3 – Nationals Park

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2015_04_09_nynmlb_wasmlb_1#gid=2015_04_09_nynmlb_wasmlb_1&mode=wrap

 

Umpires: HP: Tim Timmons. 1B: Todd Tichenor. 2B: Tim Welke. 3B: Mike Everitt.

Weather: 47 degrees, cloudy.

Wind: 8 mph, Out to RF.

T: 2:54.

Att: 25,327.

Section 416, Row C, Seat 1 (in our “regular” seats for the first time)

 

Highlights – “Uptown Funk” for the seventh-inning stretch … no rain, despite the gray skies

 

Other – Nats “offense” completely shut down by Matt Harvey (first regular-season start after Tommy John surgery) … another Desmond error, this one on a likely double-play grounder … Strasburg unable to limit the damage, leading to a 4-run third inning for the Mets (3 of which were unearned), and giving up two more runs before being lifted in the top of the sixth … cinnamon pretzel bites were definitely not at their best either

April 6, 2015 – Mets 3, Nationals 1 (Opening Day) – Nationals Park

http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/116692890/max-scherzer-undeterred-by-hiccup-in-nationals-debut

 

Umpires: HP: Tim Welke. 1B: Tim Timmons. 2B: Chris Segal. 3B: Todd Tichenor.

Weather: 76 degrees, sunny.

Wind: 14 mph, Out to CF.

T: 2:35.

Att: 42,295.

Section 420, Row J, Seat 26 – upper level out beyond first base, but not bad overall

 

Highlights – great weather … got to the old lot HH before it filled up (after failing to find a parking place at the Shady Grove Metro) … got to the stadium just in time to get one of the last of the 25,000 10th Anniversary Commemorative Collectors Tins … the usual Opening Day ceremonies and announcements … the Nats’ three hits (leadoff single by Taylor in the 1^st, homer by Harper in the 4^th, single by Harper in the 6^th) … nice debut for Max Scherzer … brisk pace of play

 

Other – the Nationals offense (except as noted above) … two Desmond errors that led to the 3 Mets unearned runs … waiting over 20 minutes to get into the old lot HH to park

April 4, 2015 – Yankees 4, Nationals 3 (exhibition) – Nationals Park

http://m.nationals.mlb.com/news/article/116345110/chris-youngs-homer-for-yankees-negates-strong-start-by-nationals-doug-fister

 

Weather: 57 degrees, partly cloudy, 17 MPH wind left to right

Time: 2:46

Attendance: 36,998 (game was included in all season-ticket packages, not nearly that many bodies in the stands)

Section 416, Row N, Seat 20

 

Highlights – new Subway on M near Half Street finally open (and $6 footlongs all month!) … list of 10-year season ticket holders is posted on both lower level (beyond the Jammin Island stand in centerfield, just under the grandstand) and upper level (across from section 305) … A-Rod DHs and goes down swinging in all three plate appearances … Nats jump out to 3-0 lead in the first (singles by Taylor and Escobar, 4-pitch walk to Harper, Ryan Zimmerman sac fly, 2-run single by Ramos)

 

Other – seats in topmost row of the section (but with nice river of the river and beyond if you turn around) … windiest I’ve ever felt it at Nats Park … upper-level pretzel stand not open … Yanks come back with 2-run homers by Stephen Drew in the 5^th (off Fister) and by Chris Young (off Storen) in the 8^th for the victory … tree fell on the northbound GW Parkway just beyond route 123 after the game, so I went around the other way (and 295 was painfully slow)