" Valley in the Clouds " by David Arkenstone

Just sit back and relax! This is definitely chill music.

I only recognized one of the nine tunes on Valley in the Clouds by David Arkenstone. It was the final piece.  After listening to the new age CD with lots of nice, electronic sound, I was starting to feel disappointed that none of the tunes hit my memory. But then Lost Temple started. I was immediately taken back to a Saturday with Jim hanging out in his office.  Nice memory from a rather ominous sounding tune.

The electronic jazz composition of Arkenstone's work was released in 1987 by Narada Productions. It's a wonderful mix of  base, guitar, harp, piano, and synthesizer written by Arkenstone. You can read all about him at his Web site here. Or in a nutshell,  he was born in 1952 outside  Chicago and moved to California when he was 10 and never shied from music. Although mainly considered a keyboardist,  he is also proficient in many other instruments. 

Considered one of the best contemporary instrumental musicians and composers of our time, he has 45 albums, 20 Billboard hits, film and TV soundtracks, commercials and game scores, and three Grammy nominations to his credit. He delights in using technology to take music to new and exciting places. Arkenstone is still performing live and producing new recordings. 

Wikipedia has a nice biography if you are interested. Or just enjoy a sample of his music below.

Béla Fleck & The Flecktones

Bela Fleck and The Flecktones delivers a wonderful, funky repertoire of jazz-rock fusion.
At least that is what I am calling it. The CD, released in 1990 by Warner Brothers Records, is a show piece for Flecks fine banjo playing. Combined with base player Victor Wooten, harmonica player and keyboardist Howard Levyand, and Roy Wooten on synthesizer-based percussion, the group made, and still makes,  awesome music!

I like the names of the tunes, and the nice up-beat rhythm of each:

• Sea Brazil
• Frontiers
• Hurricane Camille
• Half Moon Bay
• The Sinister Minister
• Sunset Road
• Flipper
• Mars Needs Women (Space is a Lonely Place; They're Here)
• Reflections of Lucy
• Tell It To The Gov'nor

Kind of romantic sounding....

For those of you wondering, Béla Anton Leoš Fleck was named after Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, Austrian composer Anton Webern, and Czech composer Leoš Janáček, according to Wikipedia. Born in 1858 and raised in New York City, Bela's interest in the Banjo began listening to The Beverly Hillbillies theme song. In 1973 Bela's grandfather bought him a banjo, and he entered New York City's High School of Music and Art, and he began playing in local Blue Grass bands - and so began his career, He's earned 15 Grammy awards and nominations since 1998.

He's still performing with the Flecktones, and his wife, fellow banjoist Abigail Washburn, as well as solo performances. Maybe he'll play my favorite, Flight of the Cosmic Hippo! Jim would have enjoyed it. Learn all about Bela here. 

Bobby McFerrin Simple Pleasures

Imagine, if you will, a 7-year-old boy and 5-year-old girl, happily dancing to the sounds of Bobby McFerrin's Simple Pleasures. I found the CD among Jim's collection, and it instantly took me back to when the kids were little, and their Dad played tunes simply for their enjoyment.

Released in 1988 by  EMI-Manhattan Records, the album includes McFerrin's version of memorable hits like Don't Worry, Be Happy; Suzie Q, and Sunshine of  Your Love. They even sang and danced to his rendition of  Lennon and McCartney's Drive my car, with special emphasis on the "beep beep, beep beep, Yah!" I remember a fun time was had by all. The CD includes five originals, including Simple Pleasures and Don't Worry, Be Happy.

The jazz vocalist and conductor has collaborated with jazz and classical artists as well. He's won 10 Grammy awards and is known for his vocal technique. His recording career begins with his first album Bobby McFerrin in 1982 and continues on through spirityouall released in 2013.  He is known for breaking the music rules, much to everyone's enjoyment. Read all about him here.

Fields Of Gold: The Best Of Sting 1984 - 1994

I really don't remember the artist Sting. But I do remember his music. Especially three tracks from the CD Fields Of Gold: The Best Of Sting 1984 - 1994. 

Fields of Gold, Russians, and Be Still My Beating Heart hold a special place in my memory, even though I never associated them with Sting. I just happen to like the beats and lyrics.  I can just see Jim rolling his eyes and telling me for the umpteenth and just-as-futile time the songs were by Sting. Got it now Jim, but I can't promise I will remember the next time I hear the songs.

The soft rock composite of Sting songs was released in 1994 by A&M Records. Besides the three songs mentioned, it includes the following tracks:

• When We Dance
• If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
• All This Time
• Fortress Around Your Heart
• They Dance Alone
• If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
• Fragile
• Why Should I Cry For You?
• Englishman In New York
• We'll Be Together
• This Cowboy Song

And Sting, it seems, is still quite the prolific artist, rocking his 57th and 9th Tour across the globe in 2017. 

Born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, Oct. 2, 1951 in Wallsend, Britain. He first gained global fame as the lead of the wildly successful Police until it disbanded in 1983, when he embarked on a solo career, throwing in some acting too. The musician and song writer has had a wonderful career.  Read all about it here.

Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) The Raw & The Cooked

Fine Young Cannibals? Fine Young Cannibals! What a strange name. I was a bit taken back by the name of the CD, Fine Young Cannibals - The Raw & The Cooked, until I started listening to the music. While the band name was not familiar to me, the music was.

I instantly recognized the first eight of ten songs on the track:

• She Drives Me Crazy
• Good Thing
• I'm Not The Man I Used To Be
• I'm Not Satisfied
• Tell Me What
• Don't Look Back
• It's OK (It's Alright)
• Don't Let It Get You Down

This is a good sign that Jim played the music often. The electric rock, pop style music has a good beat and catchy lyrics which I imagine caught the interest of many listeners. The final two songs:

• As Hard As It Is
• Ever Fallen In Love

escape my memory, but they are just as attention grabbing.  The CD/Album was the bands' second, released in 1988.

The Fine Young Cannibals were a British Band formed in Birmingham, England by bassist David Steele, guitarist Andy Cox, and singer Roland Gift in 1984. Steele and Cox, both formerly of The Beat, formed a trio with Gift that rocked the music scene from the mid to the late 1980s.  Gift is still performing old Cannibal tunes as well as his own pieces. 

The name, by the way, is taken from the 1960s film, All Fine Young Cannibals. I won't be forgetting the name soon, nor the music that goes with it.