Richie Havens

I saw Richie Havens last night in Breckenridge at the River Walk Center. What an amazing performer. I was able to shake his hand after the show and his gentle, kind nature, which comes through in his music, was apparent in person as well.

Here he is signing autographs after the show.



Here's a short, inadequate cell phone clip from my seat in the front row.




Here he is at the Cannes film festival singing freedom.

Richie Havens - Ouverture du 61eme Festival de Cannes
by RichieHavens

"Break Up," by Stefano Capobianco

Here's a great and inspirational interview with Stefano Capobianco talking about his song writing process and singing a beautiful original song of his called "Break Up."

Why I Would Not, Could Not Vote for McCain

Why I Would Not, Could Not Vote For McCain

He does not like the working poor
He's "fine" with 100 years of war
He takes his cues from those who lobby
Abolishing abortion is his closet hobby
He doesn't know much about the ways and means
But thinks it's o.k. to ship jobs overseas
He supports a foul war and the ones who incite it
But won't educate the soldiers who actually fight it
He does not support health care for our youth
And can't make up his mind which side is the truth

Ever Been to Amsterdam?

Amsterdam from Dennis Roelofs on Vimeo.

Don't Fact Check the Soul

"Don't Fact Check the Soul."

As you might know, I'm working on my own album of songs. I enjoyed this article by Rosanne Cash in the New York Times blog called Measure to Measure. The album is starting to surface-- and its pearls of wisdom like this that are helping me find it.

The Daily Mandala

For a moment of peace and creative inspiration, I visit the daily mandala.
http://dailymandala.blogspot.com/

"Caroline," Moses Atwood

Moses Atwood sings his song "Caroline" on Vimeo. I like Moses Atwood and the way he plays. He bends his face along with his notes. I like his song Caroline and I like Vimeo as an alternative to YouTube.

This and other tasty morsels of fine homemade music can be found here:
http://www.vimeo.com/UsFolk


"Caroline" Moses Atwood from CTD3 on Vimeo

Songs for My Album!

I'm making progress on the songs for my own album which I spoke of in this post. I have been having such a wonderful time playing these songs lately with my friends PJ, Nancy and Matt. They add so much to the sound of them. So here's what I have so far...

A Reason to Run
Outside
Like A Wink
Travelin
Status Quo
Dug A Hole
Innocent, Beautiful, Wise
Your Love is Like
The Moon and You
Family Wisdom
Breakfast with You

Some of them are done. Some of them are still just poems, but I'm working hard to get them to a place where I can record them. I have a goal of having a mastered CD done by the end of the year.

Listen to this!

Do yourself a favor today and listen to this!
http://caseyconnor.org/ballistics.mp3

It comes from here:
http://caseyconnor.org/

James Taylor's Steampunk Drum Machine

It's called the Gaddmatic. I just think it's cool. I found out about it here:
http://www.septembergrass.de/Articles.htm

Which I found out about here:
http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=53260

Five Years Old, On the Box

Snow Machine

I live in a place where machines like this are necessary. Grab hold of your dogs and children, the snow machine is coming.

"Keep It Together (Live)," John West

Song: "Keep It Together"
Album: Live
Artist: John West



John West is a new artist that I found at a new (to me) site called "TheSixtyOne." It's a cool site design because the music keeps playing as you click through.

I don't know much about John West, except that I really like his vibe on this song. What else do I really need to know? Try it you like it.

"All the Way Down," Glen Hansard

Song: "All the Way Down"
Album: Once (Music from the Motion Picture)
Artist: Glen Hansard



Glen Hansard's voice sounds almost like a cello on this very sad, but beautiful song. I was introduced to Glen Hansard's music on Fabchannel because he is the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Frames. He has the ability to get seriously intense with his singing, a quality he displays on this song (on the same album) called "Say it To Me Now."



The movie "Once" was recommended to me by a friend and it was a little gem if you haven't seen it. It's a simple little movie and the lead parts are surprisingly well played by the musicians themselves. Perhaps the most famous song coming from the album is called "Falling Slowly." It's a wonderful duet, between Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

Hansard is an amazing song writer with the ability to get the very essence of his subject matter. Incredibly, he also possesses the ability to do the same with his voice. Irglova is the perfect compliment for the songs and the film as well.

Here's a fun live performance of "Falling Slowly" featuring horrific camera work:

"Nothing I Can Do," Ben Taylor

Song: "Nothing I Can Do"
Album: Another Run Around the Sun
Artist: Ben Taylor

I love the imagery in this very well made song by the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon. For me it's a love song, beautifully sung, using analogies such as the morning, lessons and rivers to describe the futility of resisting the pull of his lover. It could, however, mean different things to different people: the pull of god, death, nature perhaps.

I suppose I'm from the musical family inhabited by the Taylors and feel indebted to James Taylor for my early exposure to his awe inspiring collection of songs. One of his masterpieces though, along with Carly, has to be their success in passing on the music to their son. It would have been unthinkable had Ben become, say, a computer engineer.

I like to imagine their family sing-alongs when he was a kid!

Organic Veggies

Organic veggies!!!

Once a week, for $22 a service delivers to us a small box of organic veggies and some other things we might like. Here's what we got this time:

• a bunch of spinach
• seven small, beautiful tomatoes
• two large heads of trees (broccoli)
• an orange
• a bag of carrots
• some sweeeeeet potatoes
• two large grapefruits
• a pound of Zapatista coffee beans
• a mango
• one pound of delicious salmon
• four pears

We use this service and we're very happy with them. Maybe they serve your area? If not, maybe there's a similar service where you live?

Pure 'edible' Love. Maybe I should call this blog 'Audibles and Edibles?'

"Fly," Groove Collective

Song: "Fly"
Album: We the People (1996)
Artist: Groove Collective

Buy it from:
iTunes
Amazon

This song just makes me feel gooood. It's dynamic. I can't stay in my seat when this song comes on. I've got to get up and move. Richard Worth nails the improvisational flute.

Let me mention, I love the sound of the flute. My sister plays the flute. Hearing her practice for hours and hours as a kid embedded the sound in my musical memory from a very early age. Also, the song has a Latin feel, which I also luuuuv.

Sometimes the over all feeling a song gives you is the most important thing about it. This one gives me the feeling that I could overcome anything. Why? Don't know. Perhaps the collective vocals contribute to this. I suppose anything sung by one person is all the more powerful sung by many people. The latin elements also, particularly the percussion, have always spoken to me in that way. I've lived in Guatemala and traveled throughout Mexico, Costa Rica and Spain and maybe the most important thing I learned from the people of those countries is to never, ever give up. So, music that reminds me of my experiences there just makes me feel that way.

Some other thoughts: the trumpet solo is ill (in a good way), the song kinda de-constructs itself and then rebuilds, the lyrics "top of the mountain" provide a the image of ascending (something I've done quite a bit of in recent years), full brass section-- how often do you hear one these days?

Pure audible love folks.

Here's what they look and sound like now (still awesome):

Kiwi for Dessert

I'm going to take this blog places it's never been before... Swoooooooosh!

From here on out

it's going to be about more than just single songs--

but all things Benjamin.

Like this picture of dessert last night. I love sliced Kiwi.

So, geez, I really should introduce myself. I'm Ben. Otherwise known as Bonj, BenJamin, Benjamin Wells, Momotamus and Hey You.

I like to listen to lots and lots of music, mainly because it gives me inspiration to make my own music. You can hear some of it here and here. I'm making more all the time, so stay tuned! I have a (shhhh) secret ambition to create a new album. With just a few hurdles to overcome-- like my total lack of a studio. Currently my creative space is stuffed into the corner of our bedroom.

"Our" bedroom, ah yes, I must mention that I'm married to the MOST beautiful, talented and interesting woman (I'll have to ask if she wants to be introduced) and we have an unbelievably cool son-- who truly is my main inspiration.

I have other interests too-- like this one. Check out Capitol Peak From the Top or Knife Edge Movie. This was an expedition I took last summer alone. Spectacularmo!

If you're reading this-- something brought you here. What was it? I believe... we were meant to know each other. Write me. Tell me. Until next time... much love.

"New Grass," Talk Talk

Song: "New Grass"
Album: Laughing Stock
Artist: Talk Talk



This is a beautiful song that I didn't know much about until I did some digging. It's been on my "Somber Favorties" list for ages-- probably culled from a "Listeners Also Bought" suggestion. Turns out, this one is a classic and my ears served me well.

To me, their story is another one of transcendence. Talk Talk was an 80's British pop band, sort-of a low key Duran Duran. Remember "It's my life... don't you forget..." (I posted a last.fm preview of it below). When I hear that song I feel like donning a Swatch and putting up the collar on my lime green Izod.

But, this song is different. It turns out, they didn't much care to be pop stars, preferring instead the pursuit of their craft in the studio. They got themselves all embroiled in a law suit with their label and things must have been hell. But, then they won the law suit! How often does that happen?

Anyway, this album was their last. It was recorded with a full orchestra (a model of how to make the most expensive album possible) and was a total departure from the pop that their label wanted them to make. Some reviews of the album were dismal when it first came out-- but history has proven these artists (Mark Hollis, Lee Harris, Paul Webb + many guest artists) to have been visionary. They may have invented the down tempo genre with this record (released in 1991) as well as the term "New Grass," an emerging genre of it's own.

There's a really good bio here, a review here and a pretty scanty wiki page here.

Just to refresh your memory:
Talk Talk – It's My Life

"Just for Now," Imogen Heap

Song: "Just for Now"
Album: Speak for Yourself
Artist: Imogen Heap

I read this song like a love letter. Not the steamy sort, but as one from a friend with the insight and desire to call 'time-out' on the chaos of life, pause and remember.

Of course Imogen Heap is talented, has a great voice and makes innovative use of looping-- all assets. But, rarely does an artist assist me to access the playful, yet frequently heavy contents of my memories of youth the way Imogen Heap does. Her themes, her voice, and her techniques all help to accomplish this. I was amazed and delighted to learn from her wiki page that her mother was an art therapist. I feel that her music is originating from her creative voice of youth-- and that is my ideal for an artist.

To complete my total infatuation with Imogen Heap, I learned that she was left alone by her boarding school music teacher and that she responded by teaching herself. The eventual result... an incredibly introspective, personal style for which she was nominated for two Grammy's last year including Best New Artist. This kind of transcendence is undeniably attractive.