August Music Suggestions

Lately, I’ve been having a good time seeing what old Berklee friends have been up to. It’s been inspiring and interesting. based on this week’s listening, I’d like to offer these suggestions:

Jim Bianco

One of my college roommates, who introduced me to early Tom Waits, including Nighthawks at the Diner, Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut, Led Zepplin’s Presence, and Neil Young’s Unplugged, not to mention a healthy dose of the band Morphine. We would listen to these things as we fell asleep in the dorm on the 7th floor of the Mass Ave. building, because Jim had the biggest stereo in the room.

Susan Cattaneo

My classmate in Pat Pattison’s Lyric Writing classes, we used to go to Starbucks and Object Write in between sips of mocha. She teaches at Berklee now and her new album has all the players I would use were I still in Boston, including my old guitar teacher, Kevin Barry.

Brandon Schott

When we were in school, I played guitar on a few gigs with Brandon, and he played a tune in my Senior Recital. I also remember helping him move his piano. During the moving of that piano, he showed me the FIRST EVER DVD I HAD EVER SEEN. It was Austin Powers.

Willodean

So at that SAME Senior Recital in which Brandon played, Eric F. Holden was the bass player. Eric has been doing some amazing things, and the latest amazing thing is the band Willodean. Eric produced it and plays upright bass. Good stuff.

Those are some August suggestions. Try them, you might like them.