OK - so it’s no secret that my musical tastes are can be described as a bit diverse. About the only time I’m at a loss for words is when someone asks me, “what type of music do you listen to?” I’ve learned that the only answer that really works is “umm, good music.”

People often ask me to turn them onto new music; therefore, this page will be a place where you can turn to for my latest recommendations. I’ll try to keep it relatively updated. ?These songs and albums have spent time on my iPod recently…

Glenn Miller - Moonlight Serenade
When Frank Sinatra sings a song, it's his song... with the exception of two.  I've always enjoyed the Glenn Miller instrumental "Moonlight Serenade" more than Sinatra's lyrical version and I've always been more fond of The King's rendition of "My Way" (for those of you who don't know who I mean by The King, please stop reading this website and go visit your local travel agent to purchase a Graceland Platinum Tour package).  Anyway - back to Miller.  "Moonlight Serenade" by the Glenn Miller Orchestra is perhaps my all time favorite instrumental work.  Kind of like the soundtrack to a dream you hope never ends.  Who makes music like Glenn Miller these days???

Johnny Hartman - Songs from the Heart
Don't even bother reading this review - just go to iTunes and download this compliation of Hartman hits.  The most unmistakable voice of his era - my highest recommendation for anyone who likes old romantic jazz.  Highlights include "Ain't Misbehavin'," "I'm Glad There Is You," and "I See Your Face Before Me."

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
My favorite jazz player and favorite jazz singer hooked up for this, my favorite jazz album of all time.  Much like my review of "Songs from the Heart" above, just go download the album from iTunes.  My review could never do this album justice.

Owsley - The Hard Way
The second album by power pop genius William Owsley is every bit as good as his first collection.  Standouts on this album include “Dude,” “Down,” and a perfect cover of “Band on the Run” by Wings.
I just recently learned that Owsley tours as Amy Grant’s guitarist.  Next time Amy Grant comes through town, I wonder if I’ll be the only one in the audience who will be there attending not for Amy’s songs but just to watch the guitar mastery of this hired hand from Birmingham, Alabama?  Buy everything that has this man’s name on it.  To date, he has released 2 albums and 2 individual songs (the 2 songs are available only through iTunes as far as I know).  If you don’t enjoy everything this man has played I’d suggest a visit to the nearest eye, ear, nose, and throat clinic.  This man is today’s John Lennon / Paul McCartney.

The Grays - Ro Sham Bo
One of the best power-pop acts of all time, they only stuck around for this one album which came out in 1994. The Grays are made up of power-pop legend Jason Falkner (Jellyfish), Jon Brion, Buddy Judge, and Dan McCarroll. If you are a fan of Jellyfish or Jason Falkner, you likely already own this album… but for those who don’t know the name then let me give this album my highest recommendation. From the opening track, “The Very Best Years”, the album hooks you with the most catchy and intelligent guitar driven power pop progressions ever produced. This is one of those albums that has never left my iPod - not even for one day.

Del Shannon - Runaway
This 1961 hit has been a favorite of mine as long as I can remember. History records the first time this song was ever played, it was played LIVE by Del Shannon and his band at a club called the Hi-Lo Club in Battle Creek, Michigan. When the song started Shannon told Max Crook, “Max, when I point to you, play something.” What Max played on his Musitron became one of the most memorable solos in rock and roll history - and one of my favorites! In fact, not until Porcupine Tree’s “Where Would We Be” (released in 2000 on the Lightbulb Sun album) would I ever hear such a haunting solo.

Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun
OK - where to begin? It all started in 1994, a year that I will never forget… for more reasons that I could ever explain. I was working in a music store with a friend named Daniel Jones (check out his website). A mysterious envelope arrived one day with a CD inside. No return address, no advertising adslicks, no ordering information, no contact info. Just a CD. For weeks it sat unopened on a shelf in the infamous backroom. Why that backroom is infamous is not for this story… Anyway, one day I played the CD. Mind-blowing music. The next time I saw Daniel, I played it for him. He stood in expressionless silence, his head tilted like a dog listening to his master. About 7 minutes into the CD, he removed the disc from the CD player, slipped it into his backpack, and took it home. The next day, he returned it to me with the words, “Louis, I think I figured these guys out… they are the biggest Tangerine Dream fans of all time.” That was his first remark after listening to their music. If that’s not what you would consider “typical music commentary” all I can say is this is not your typical band. In those days, I thought I was the only person (except Daniel) who knew or listened to Porcupine Tree. I later learned that they had a HUGE underground following; mainly in Europe. Anyway, over a decade later I’m still a fan of these incredibly talented musicians / songwriters.  The album highlighted here is from 2000 and it contains some of my favorite material from the band. Standouts include “Lightbulb Sun,” “Shesmovedon,” and “Where We Would Be.” Give this album a listen. Chances are, you’ll either absolutely love it or never again take my advice on music.

Jellyfish - Bellybutton
Clearly one of the best power-pop albums ever produced, this album contains two of my favorite songs: “That is Why” and “She Still Loves Him.” Fans of power-pop almost certainly own this album… if you don’t know what I mean by “power-pop” then you need to pick up this album right away and get the proper introduction. I can almost guarantee you’ll be asking me why you haven’t heard of these guys before. The CD might be hard to find in stores so your best bet will be to grab it off of Apple’s iTunes store. Also, if you enjoy this one, you’ll almost certainly want to pick up The Grays Ro Sham Bo album as well.

Richard X. Heyman
OK - if you are reading my music page (and since you are seeing these words, you obviously fall in that category) then it’s probable you are already well acquainted with power pop. But I bet you’ve never heard of this guy. That needs to change - now. I discovered Heyman quite by accident. I was shopping the cut-out bins of a long-since-closed record store back in the early-mid 1990s. I grabbed Robin Zander’s solo project and was about to go check out when suddenly this cover caught my eye. Funny - Richard Heyman - middle initial X - names his album “Hey Man.” It was $1.00 Had it been $3.00 I probably would not have bought it. But the album cover was worth $1.00, right?  I’m SO grateful that the store had marked it down to less than the price of a cup of coffee. I would have missed out on some of the best songwriting I’ve ever heard! I’ve often wondered why this guy isn’t famous. But… he is, sort of. More than 10 years after I discovered this artist I learned that he has had a remarkable career working with top notch artists in the production field… but he never “made it” himself! Nevertheless, he’s got several albums worth of material for your enjoyment if you work a little bit to find it! One final note about Heyman… there are some words / phrases you just don’t put in good lyrics. One of those lyrics would be “Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln.” That string of words belongs in a history book but certainly not a pop song, right? Well, not so fast. Check out his song “Civil War Buff” from the Hey Man! CD. The words come out gracefully even before you realize how bad it COULD HAVE BEEN. Now if Heyman can make that sound good, imagine what he does with lyrics that actually aren’t half bad! By the way - this artist raises money for his recording projects by performing private concerts in your home (you need to either live in the NYC area or be pretty well off to pay for his travel expenses). Or, I think you can send him cash and he’ll put your name in the liner notes of his albums. I love shameless promotions sometimes.

Muse - Origin of Symmetry
This early album by one of today’s most innovative bands is worth a listen. Like my Porcupine Tree recommendation above, this band won’t be appreciated by everyone - but if there’s room on your musical taste palette for the unique sound of Muse, chances are they will become a favorite. I choose this album on my recommendation page specifically because of two songs: “Bliss” and “Space Dementia.” Check them out - but if you just aren’t in to it, don’t let that steer you away from my other recommendations. This is a unique sound, to say the least.

Bread - Anthology
Nothing says 1970s soft rock like Bread. Classics such as “Aubrey,” “Diary,” “If,” and “Everything I Own” are all included. I honestly don’t know why I like this band so much but I do. Soft vocals, light music, cheesy lyrics - yet I rank this band as one of my all time favories. Since Bread is very well known, I won’t go into much of a review here - just a couple of my favorite cheesy lyrics from their tunes… “If a man could be in two places at one time, I’d be with you” and “I’d go a thousand times around the world just to be closer to her than to me.”