On Inspiration.

Instead of writing the two 20 page papers I have to write I have been concerned with compiling a CD of some of my influences. It's come to my attention during this project, that not only do I have more musical influences than I had imagined, but that they repeat for separate reasons, each individual song revealing a part of my love affair with music. This CD will be given to my uncle, for his reference during the creation of this album. I realized I may frighten him with the depth and breadth of the list, but also with the subsequent list of musicians who have inspired me that didn't make it to the CD (Because of format issues, how do you transfer vinyl to mp3 format?) The CD I ended up creating has the following joints:

1. Infinite Possibilities - Amel Larrieux (for message)
   
   
2. Self Love - Jaguar Wright (for content, stream of conscious style, no holds barred brazenness)
   
   
3. Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair - Nina Simone (for Troubadour influence in Black classical music.)
   
   
4. Rosie - Inmates of Parchman Farm Penitentiary (I wasn't lying when I said chain gang chants inspire me, I love the urgency, the style, it stirs my soul, the rhythm is so fly and simultaneously depressing)
   
   
5. You're Not the Man - Sade (It's Sade, enough said.)
   
   
6. Tain't Nobody's Business - Carmen McRae (Love the feminist take on a self deprecating torch song. Her brazenness.)
   
   
7. Old Folks - Carmen McRae (Storytelling)
   
   
8. Midnight Sun - Ella Fitzgerald (It's Ella enough said.)
   
   
9. Trouble - Amel Larrieux (Her use of vocals as a brass instrument see above)
   
   
10. Sassy's Blues - Sarah Vaughan (My second favortie song done entirely in scat.)
    
    
11. Providence - Ani DiFranco (Story telling, poetry as song, musical layers the addition of Prince is so fly. The bass line is great too.)
    
    
12. Mack the Knife - Ella Fitzgerald (It's Ella, enough said, but I will say more. The way she imitates Sachmo in her scat is AMAZING. I love the flexibility of voice in music.)
    
    
13. How High the Moon - Ella Fitzgerald (My favorite song done in scat.)
    
    
14. Acknowledgment - Doug and Jean Carn (Great vocal take on a Coltrane classic.)