Phil Colllins Serious Hits Live

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Every now and then my Jim would take pity on me, and not play jazz as we were driving along. He would add a CD of what he called "pop trash" to appease me. I WAS grateful for a little Phil Collins after weeks of commuting to one modern jazz piece after another.

Phil Collins Serious Hits Live filled the bill quite nicely. Toe-tapping tracks include:

• Something Happened On the Way to Heaven
• Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)
• Who Said I Would
• One More Night
• Don't Lose My Number
• Do You Remember
• Another Day in Paradise
• Separate Lives
• In The Air Tonight
• You Can't Hurry Love
• Two Hearts
• Sussudio
• A Groovy Kind of LoveR
• Easy Lover
• Take Me Home

All tracks were recorded live and produced by Phil Collins and Robert Colby. Engineered by Paul Gomersall, and mixed by Gomersall and Colby. the CD was released in 1990 by Atlantic Recording Corporation.

My favorite piece is One More Night - not for the romantic ideas the song presents - but for practical matters. If I had one more night I would ask Jim "What is the password for such-and-such site," "Where did you put the safe deposit box key," and "which button do you push to get the CD player to work." 

I would also tell him about Downton Abbey.  He was always asking what the show was about.  I never took the time to tell him. He was too busy watching basketball games to care about a period piece soap opera. So sorry I never told him. I would also tell him about his kids and grand kids and what great people they are. Oh, we would talk all night! But back to Phil Collins....

Philip David Charles Collins was born in 1951 in West London.  He started playing drums at age five, and grew into international fame.  He landed in with 70s band Genesis as the drummer, and moved on to vocalist after lead singer Peter Gabriel left. He expanded his career to include solo work, and earned  numerous awards. His work is also featured in several Disney productions Of late,he is performing in his Last Domino Tour in and around England - but currently on hold because of the pandemic. 

Learn more about Phil Collins at Wikipedia . Watch In the Air Tonight reaction video by twins Tim and Fred  Williams.Watching them react to the awesome drum solo which begins in the middle of the song is a hoot. I'm glad they appreciated it. Hmm the music fades out.  Guess Youtube thought I was stealing.  You can go directly to youtube and listen here.

Duke Ellington Blues In Orbit

Wow! I never really thought much about Duke Ellington. 

Tunes of the great composer, pianist, and band leader would zip in and out of my life on the radio or old movies, with me rarely paying any attention where they originated. I was pleasantly surprised when I found a stack of Duke Ellington CDs among Jim's collection, and decided to listen to one. 

Blues In Orbit was released in 1988 by CBS Records Inc. as part of its Columbia Jazz Masterpieces series. The CD case proudly states the collection is  " Digitally Remastered Directly From The Original Analog Tapes" of the original 1960s album. It does hum, with the bass rattling the walls at a normal level. The jazz-swing compilation has been remastered over 10 times between the 1988 version and 2017.

The CD includes the original tunes from the album, and had some room to include a few later pieces. Fourteen titles making up the list include:

• Blues in Orbit
• Track 360
• Villes Ville Is the Place, Man
• Brown Penny
• Three J's Blues
• SMADA
• Pie Eye's Blues
• C Jam Blues
• Sweet & Pungent
• In a Mellotone
• Sentimental Lady
• Blues in Blueprint
• The Swingers Get The Blues, Too
• The Swinger's Jump

I really enjoyed this CD. Made me want to get up and dance.  My toes are still tapping.  If you would like to know more about "the jazz legend" Duke Ellington, visit the official site here.

Or for a traditional taste of his music, listen to the YouTube post below.