• The soundtrack to ‘Here At The Water’s Edge,’ a cult movie that was released in 1963.  The ‘music’ was recorded in and around Manhattan.  If you would like to learn more, CLICK HERE.  Back in ’63, liner notes were really something.
• ‘Corned Beef Confucius,’ a comedy LP recorded at the Stage Deli in the early ’60′s.  The MC was the deli’s owner, Max Asnas, but lots of recognizable voices can be heard (if you’re 40 or older) and there’s plenty of old-time laughs, some of it highly inappropriate.
• ‘The New York Taxi Driver‘ (1956) and ‘A Dog’s Life‘ (1958), two recordings by the genius Tony Schwartz.  Tony, who died in 2008, was an ad guy who created thousands of spots.  In his spare time, he walked around the city and recorded…life in New York.  Mind you, this was back in the 50′s and 60′s, before digital hand-held recorders,  before cassettes.  He schlepped around all five boroughs with a Wollensak reel-to-reel, captured the energy of a golden era, and shared it on the radio and through these and other recordings.  There’s more to come from this legend.

Special thanks to The Count, creator of Booptrax, for sharing these gems with us!

Oh yeah, because we play music, we also added:

• Three albums by Laura Marling.  The 21-year old from Hampshire, England is wise beyond her years.  This is what is usually called indie-folk music, but with Laura, it’s all about the lyrics. Pay attention when she starts singing.

2012.  Whew.

And you ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days
Cause I don’t need boxes wrapped in strings
And designer love and empty things
Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days

So take these words
And sing out loud
Cause everyone is forgiven now
Cause tonight’s the night the world begins again

I need someplace simple where we could live
And something only you can give
And thats faith and trust and peace while we’re alive
And the one poor child who saved this world
And there’s 10 million more who probably could
If we all just stopped and said a prayer for them

So take these words
And sing out loud
Cause everyone is forgiven now
Cause tonight’s the night the world begins again

I wish everyone was loved tonight
And somehow stop this endless fight
Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days

So take these words
And sing out loud
Cause everyone is forgiven now
Cause tonight’s the night the world begins again
Cause tonight’s the night the world begins again

Sally Oldfield Night Of The Hunter\’s Moon

“Let Them Talk” by Hugh Laurie.  Look, even if Dr. House wasn’t the most interesting character on television, this album would be worth a listen.  It’s a glorious celebration of the music of New Orleans and even if he couldn’t sing and play the piano (he does both, well) he’s a good enough actor to fake it.  How can you not love someone who says the novels of P.G. Wodehouse saved his life?

We’ve trimmed more than we’ve added lately (still well over 14,000 songs) and your feedback is always welcome at vermontmornings (at) gmail (dot) com.  Keep in touch, and thanks for listening!

The colors of Autumn are getting ready to burst out here in Northern Vermont; you can see the difference in just the past two or three days. Shorter days, cooler nights, leaves. It’s the greatest time of the year to come and appreciate this miracle.

And when the Autumnal Equinox arrives, we’ll spend a couple of hours playing songs to celebrate the season. Get up early and enjoy. ‘Tis Autumn.

…this dispels it.  Lady Gaga is one of the HUGE talents of this generation.  She joined Tony Bennett in the studio to record the newest version of Rogers & Hart’s “The Lady Is A Tramp.”

I always admired Lady Gaga’s marketing prowess, but it took the intuitive, intelligent ear of a young man who lives in Oakland, California (check out Nick’s Real Music) who made me listen to what an amazing voice she has.  She also plays amazing piano, and a couple of months back, she and Tony spent a Sunday afternoon making magic.  The author Gay Talese wrote about that session in last week’s New Yorker Magazine.

I had the great fortune to have dinner with Tony Bennett after a concert in Hartford back in the mid 80′s.  The show was a packed affair at the Civic Center, dinner was at Frank’s Restaurant, now long gone like most of downtown.  The wine flowed, as did the stories, and as young and naive I was back then, I knew that I was having one of those special life moments. It was a night I treasure.

Here’s another treasure.  The album Duets II will be out, probably by the time you read this.  Buy or download the CD (use the Amazon link on the right side of this page) but in the meantime, crank up your volume and give a listen to Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga and the music of Rogers & Hart:

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: The Lady Is a Tramp

Told you.

And yes, we’re playing the entire album (including a bittersweet version of  Body & Soul…the last thing recorded by Amy Winehouse) all the time on the stream.

Osheaga was a name used for the area that is now Montreal by some of the first European settlers in the region. The name is said to originate from Jacques Cartier when he met the Mohawks near the Lachine rapids in what is now Montreal. But so the Mohawk oral history goes the white man was waving with his hands, either offering to shake hands or asking about rapids on the river. The astonished Mohawks looked at each other and said “O she ha ga” which meant people of shaking hands. From the meeting Cartier transcribed the word Osheaga as meaning large rapids while the Mohawks would use the oral phrase to describe where they met the people of the shaking hands.

Nanna Øland Fabricius aka Oh Land.  A native of Denmark, Fabricius turned to music after a spinal injury put an end to her career as a ballet dancer.  Just starting to appear on North America’s radar, their eponymous sophmore album is available on Amazon.  Pop electro.  Fun.  A highlight of the festival.

We discovered Ellie Goulding a couple of months ago, see our June 26th post.  More high-octane electro-pop, but this stuff definitely has enough appeal that she should be a huge North American star within the year.  She performed live at the recent nuptials of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (aka William & Kate) and her debut album Lights is also available at Amazon.

The bigger draw for the younger demographic was Eminem on Friday night, but for us oldsters, Elvis Costello & The Attractions on Saturday night was an aural and visual feast.  Replete with go-go dancers (and pretty young ladies from the audience invited up to shake their stuff), Elvis stayed away from his new focus on the Great American Songbook and went back to his New Wave roots: “Watching The Detectives” “Alison” et al.

Five stages are set up around Parc Jean Drapeau, so there is continuous music from 1:00 PM until well after midnight all three days.  This year, the Green Stage was entirely powered by solar panels.

One of the highlights each year is a graffiti wall.  From Friday thru Sunday, Montreal’s best graffiti artists worked on the walkway (that leads to the bridge over to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve) and created a masterpiece that will remain until August 3-5, 2012, when the sixth annual Osheaga festival will take place.  Nous vous y voir l’année prochaine!

AND THIS PROGRAMMING NOTE:

Acknowledging numerous requests, we have added an hour of Music for Lovers every night at midnight Eastern U.S.  Sixty full minutes to get you in the mood.

The Milkman’s Matinee now starts at 1:00 AM Eastern.  Let us know your thoughts.

\”Summer\’s Here\” by James Taylor

Summer’s here, I’m for that. Got my rubber sandals, got my straw hat.
Got my cold beer, I’m just glad that it’s here.

Summer’s here, that suits me fine. It may rain today but I don’t mind.
It’s my favorite time of the year and I’m glad that it’s here.

Old man wintertime, he goes so slow. It’s ten degrees below, you know.
You can take your ice and snow, but let my balmy breezes blow.

Yeah, the water’s cold but I’ve been in. Baby, lose the laundry and jump on in.
I mean all God’s children got skin and it’s summer again.

Old man wintertime, he goes so slow. It’s ten degrees below, you know.
You can take your ice and snow, but let my balmy breezes blow.

Summer’s here, I’m for that. Got my rubber sandals, got my straw hat.
Drinking cold beer, man I’m glad that it’s here.
It’s my favorite time of the year and I’m glad that it’s here, yeah.