William's Song a Day Blog - est. September 2007

From: The Sun Don't Lie ; Year: 1993; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Funk Almost at the end of May and also a Friday, so I need to make it extra funky. This is another album that leaves you speechless; just a group of some of the best musicians on the planet letting their well-honed skills do all the talking.   Hear Rampage on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago today: Dead Meadow - This Shaky Hand is Not Mine     My song pick 2 years ago today: Hall & Oates - Kiss on My List   My song pick 3 years ago today: The Grateful Dead - Foolish Heart   My song pick 4 years ago today: Robert John - Sad Eyes   My song pick 5 years ago today: Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed - Summertime   My song pick 6 years ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - Still Burnin' My song pick 7 years ago today: Brave Belt - Scarecrow My song pick 8 years ago today: Roman Holliday - Don't Try to Stop It My song pick 9 years ago today: Grateful Dead - Dark Star My song...

From: The Sun Don't Lie ; Year: 1993; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Funk This has to be the best and most interesting cover of the Jaco Pastorius penned modern jazz fusion standard that I have ever heard. The idea to use steelpan drums in particular to play the main melody line was a work of genius. Most of the time people correlate the playing of that instrument with Calypso or Caribbean music, but he and his band got them to work flawlessly with modern jazz and funk. This one, however, really incorporate a lot of related genres to fusion throughout, especially the lead electric guitar, which interprets Wayne Shorter's saxophone solo from the original Weather Report recording.   Hear Teen Town on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Primus - Jilly's On Smack   My song pick 2 years ago today: Michael Masser - You Don't Ever Have to Be Alone   My song pick 3 years ago today: John Coltrane - Moment's Notice   My song pick 4 years ago today: James &...

From: Laid Black ; Year: 2018; Genre: Funk/Jazz Fusion/Hip Hop Felt like hearing something from the one and only Marcus Miller to bring this workweek to a close. Thought that I would check out his most recent studio record; as always, the master composer combines varying genres to make something quite unique with this track.   Hear Keep 'Em Running on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Iain Matthews - Darkness, Darkness   My song pick 2 years ago today: Laura Branigan - Forever Young   My song pick 3 years ago today: Rhythm Machine - Lil's Place   My song pick 4 years ago today: Van Der Graaf Generator - Afterwards   My song pick 5 years ago today: Huey Lewis & The News - Workin' for a Livin' My song pick 6 years ago today: Melvins - Eye Flys My song pick 7 years ago today: Pallas - Shadow of the Sun My song pick 8 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Radio My song pick 9 years ago today: Genesis - Harlequin ...

From: Suddenly ; Year: 1983; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Funk Needed to hear some more Marcus Miller today; thought I'd listen to his debut album and I came up with this one. I just love that '80s funky electronic sound; brings back a great deal of memories.   Hear Be My Love on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - 1983... (A Merman I Should Turn To Be)   My song pick 2 years ago today: Toad The Wet Sprocket - Something's Always Wrong   My song pick 3 years ago today: Uriah Heep - Love or Nothing   My song pick 4 years ago today: Waylander - Twin Fires of Beltíne   My song pick 5 years ago today: Rush - Tai Shan My song pick 6 years ago today: Jaco Pastorius - Vampira My song pick 7 years ago today: Talking Heads - Psycho Killer My song pick 8 years ago today: Asia - Open Your Eyes My song pick 9 years ago today: Icehouse - Icehouse My song pick 10 years ago today: ABBA - Dum Dum Diddle My song pick 11 ...

From: Tales ; Year: 1995; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Funk That bouncing and bumping groove he lays down really makes me want to keep hitting repeat ad infinitum, I tell you what. However, the "musical smoothy" he whips up with all the different forms of jazz over the top of that groove just makes it magical. It's so weird and amazing to hear the sound of hard bop, vocalese, fusion, free form, etc... all bound together around that hard-core funky groove; he has a  great understanding and is a true master of many forms and schools of music.   Hear Tales on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: AC/DC - Shot Down In Flames   My song pick 2 years ago today: The Cult - Rain   My song pick 3 years ago today: Ian Hunter - All-American Alien Boy   My song pick 4 years ago today: Duran Duran - Hold Back the Rain My song pick 5 years ago today: Rush - Ghost of a Chance My song pick 6 years ago today: Lakeside - Fantastic Voyage My song pick 7 years a...

From: Marcus Miller ; Year: 1984; Genre: Jazz Fusion This one has a sound that makes it sound very much of the era it was released, mostly because of all of the heavy electronic sounds. I do love how the bass and synthesizer compliment one another throughout the piece. Hear Superspy on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Seals & Crofts - Diamond Girl My song pick 2 years ago today: Rick James - Call Me Up My song pick 3 years ago today: Chris Squire - Hold Out Your Hand My song pick 4 years ago today: Al Green - Back Up Train My song pick 5 years ago today: Karla DeVito - Bloody Bess My song pick 6 years ago today: Dream Theater - Breaking All Illusions My song pick 7 years ago today: Tom Petty - You Don't Know It Feels My song pick 8 years ago today: Booker T. & the MGs - Melting Pot My song pick 9 years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Don't Get Yourself In Trouble My song pick 10 years ago today: Red Hot Chili Peppers - S...

From: Thunder ; Year: 2008; Genre: Funk/Jazz Fusion It's a very busy Funky Friday , so I'm picking a song off of a favourite album of mine. All I can say is that all three legends on the bass show not only their mastery, but musicality as well; they aren't just "noodling around" on this one like most would expect from a gathering of such talent. Anyway, that's my 170th consecutive Funky Friday. Hear Classical Thump (Jam) on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Vangelis - Chariots of Fire - Titles My song pick two years ago today: Chet Atkins - Vincent (Starry, Starry Night) My song pick three years ago today: Bob Dylan - Forever Young My song pick four years ago today: Les Paul & Mary Ford - How High the Moon My song pick five years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Rain is Falling My song pick six years ago today: Rush - Red Lenses My song pick seven years ago today: The Kinks - A Rock & Roll Fantasy My song ...

From: The Man With The Horn ; Year: 1981; Genre: Jazz Fusion/Funk If my numbers are correct, today marks my 130th consecutive Funky Friday; 130 weeks straight of picking something funk or funk related to mark the end of the workweeks. Anyway, the funky latinesque groove is what really catches my attention every time I hear it; Marcus Miller's bass in particular. With this tight and complex rhythm it gives an excellent platform for Miles Davis to work his magic he's so known for. Hear Aïda on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: James Blunt - So Long, Jimmy My song pick two years ago today: Alestorm - Death Throes of the Terrorsquid My song pick three years ago today: Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound My song pick four years ago today: Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast My song pick five years ago today: Larry Graham & Graham Central Station - The Jam My song pick six years ago today: Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli (Quintett...

From: Marcus Miller ; Year: 1984; Genre: Funk/Jazz Rock Today is my 39 consecutive Funky Friday pick and I was feeling like something from Marcus Miller's early solo days, so this one came to mind. While this is still a great track it hasn't aged very well with its signature 1980s muted electronic drum beats and synth, but like I said it's still a great track in many, many ways; it's still among my favourites from Marcus Miller. Hear Juice on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning My song pick two years ago today: Ludwig van Beethoven - Op. 67 - Symphony No.5 in C My song pick three years ago today: Al Di Meola - Bianca's Midnight Lullaby My song pick four years ago today: Ray Stevens - Mr. Businessman My song pick five years ago today: Elton John - Tiny Dancer My song pick six years ago today: Queen - A Kind of Magic

From: Tales ; Year: 1995; Genre: Funk/Jazz Fusion I'm now at my eleventh straight Funky Friday pick and thought I would pick one from another amazing funkmaster on the bass: Marcus Miller. This is most likely one of the most funky versions of the Beatles classic that you'll ever hear; he certainly breathes a whole new form of life into that old pop/rock standard. I absolutely love it! Hear Marcus Miller's version of Come Together on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Journey - Don't Stop Believing My song pick two years ago today: Black Sabbath - The Mob Rules My song pick three years ago today: Roger Waters - It's a Miracle My song pick four years ago today: Eric Idle - F--- Christmas My song pick five years ago today: Otis Redding - ( Sittin' On ) The Dock of the Bay My song pick six years ago today: The Kinks - Celluloid Heroes

1354 S.M.V. - Mongoose Walk From: Thunder , Year: 2008 My friend has been getting me into this album for a while now, he absolutely adores it. For those unaware, S.M.V. is a project containing three of the best electric bassists alive today: S tanley Clarke, M arcus Miller, and V ictor Wooten. Anyway, this album is essentially what you get when three great musical minds collaborate; plus you get to hear bass guitars used in music like you've never heard before. Hear Mongoose Walk on YouTube. Watch a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: The Delgados - Come Undone My song pick two years ago today: The Doobie Brothers - China Grove My song pick three years ago today: .38 Special - Fantasy Girl +

795 ( Marcus Miller - Frankenstein ) I am still in a mood for something funky and with it getting close to Halloween, I am choosing the Marcus Miller's cover of the legendary Edgar Winter hit Frankenstein , which I have already picked on for Song 249 . Marcus Miller actually kept the original spirit of the song intact quite well in this cover; he and his band just "Funkalated" it to places it had never been before. You can easily imagine Frankenstein's Monster all decked out gettin' down with the grooves when this track is playing. Here is the studio version on YouTube. Here is a live performance on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: #423 Jackyl - The Lumberjack My song pick two years ago today: #55 Blackmore's Night - Rainbow Blues +