Bob Dylan Cover of the Day.....

Just because of the amount of great ones, this could be a daily feature until the day I die. Here's one that made my I-Pod smile today.....

Celuloid Heroes-"We Bought A Zoo"

I like to think of myself as something of a movie snob. Ever since I was a kid, I have only seemed to enjoy films that seem to speak to me emotionally and intellectually. Actually, I don't like it. It's kind of a curse only being able to tolerate perhaps 8% of the films that Hollywood churns out these days. Most films lately seem to be made strictly to have a great opening week in sales without any regard for any emotional or cerebral depth.

I remember seeing the preview for Cameron Crowe's 2011 "We Bought a Zoo" a few times, and each time I remember thinking "this cannot be right"! Cameron Crowe has made many flawed, but classic films and is one of my personal favorite writer/directors. His films can be overly corny at times, but they always seem to contain dialog and scenes that completely ring true from an emotional perspective. The trailer for "We Bought a Zoo" lacked any of that. It looked like it was made specifically for 10 year-old girls with nothing for the poor parents who have to take them to the theater.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when watching this the other night with my daughter, I find it to be a funny, sweet, deep, and emotionally rich film about a young family dealing with loss. The film is typical Cameron Crowe; with brilliant lines and scenes that are poignant at the same time as they are hilarious. Based on a true story, it's also the rare film that children and adults can appreciate and benefit from together. And as always with Crowe's films, the music is kick-ass (Tom Petty, Wilco, Neil Young, Bon Iver, etc)!

Someone at the movie studio should be fired for green-lighting the POS "lowest common denominator" trailer which I guarantee permanently hurt the potential audience for this one. If you're looking for something that will make you heart swell, your brain work, and your face light up, look no further then "We Bought a Zoo". You'll thank me later.....

And just because I can, this beautiful song was perfectly used in the film.

Willie Nelson-"Just Breath"

What happens when you take an already fantastic song and let Willie Nelson sing it? Chills....that's what! From Willie's new album, listen below for his masterful take on this already-classic Pearl Jam tune. Great stuff from a true living legend!

Miss you Kurt.....

18 Years Ago today we lost Kurt, and it still makes me sad!

The night Mick and Keith met their Maker!

Every time I listen to Muddy Waters, I feel like I could throw the rest of my entire music collection out the window and be perfectly happy listening to only Muddy for the rest of my life. Muddy is not just the best and my personal favorite blues artist; his stuff seems so much more then that. Listening to Muddy Waters is like taking a masters course in life. You feel completely awake, satisfied, and full every time you listen to even one track. Only Hank Williams Sr. and Bob Dylan come close for me in that regard.

Sadly, Muddy only seemed to get the recognition he so greatly deserved later in his life. He not only transformed and popularized electric blues, but he was one of the architects of Rock and Roll. Just ask The Rolling Stones....who named their band after one of Muddy's classics.

Below I present you two classics collections of clips of the man in action! The first is from an infamous night at Buddy Guy's Checkerboard Lounge in 1981 where, in the middle of Muddy's set, the Stones crashed the party and jammed with the legend on 5 tracks. Is it the best performances of any of these songs? Hell no! But it's must see stuff for historical value alone.

The second playlist is from a perfectly captured performance of Muddy with the amazing Otis Span (piano) from the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in 1968. These clips may seriously be the greatest thing on the Internet!

Crank it up and enjoy the Master at work!

R.I.P. Earl Scruggs

The Jimi Hendrix of the banjo; Earl Scruggs passed away yesterday at the age of 88 years old. It took me almost 40 years to fully appreciate the joy that is Bluegrass music, but Earl Scruggs was one of the pivotal figures that helped me see the light.

In his honor, enjoy this truly marvelous 1972 documentary made about Earl and his family. Musicians like Earl Scruggs only come along once in a lifetime.....may his joyful noise continue to influence musicians for generations to come!

A Song for a Sunday.....

This wonderful new album by Andrew Bird ("Break it Yourself") is certainly getting a ton of play time in this house and will easily be one of my favorites of 2012. On this fine Sunday morning, this track sounded particularly good.