When I hear it, I long to be able to do it. Not just the music, but the emotion it carries. It must be jealousy, really. I’ve tried to play before, and I can’t. It is one reason I love music so much; it is something I will never be able to do. But if I could play guitar, I would want to play like one of these:

Mark Knopfler
Mike Campbell
Lindsey Buckingham
Eric Clapton
Carlos Santana
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Willie Nelson
Eddie Van Halen
Michael Timmins
Steve Howe

What I didn’t include here are three jazz guitarist I got to see once – Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia. Their virtuosity is really beyond comparing to anything I have ever witnessed. And yet, those listed above carry lasting memories for me in their music and in my awesome air-guitar abilities.

Gracie is becoming such a wonderful performer. Her voice is growing powerful and sweet and I imagine her singing some of my favorite songs. This is a list of female vocals I think she would be great at performing. Of course, none of them are anything she has ever heard before. After all, none of these are show tunes. But I take it as a personal triumph that she listened to this play list and actually like some of them. I know because I heard her singing them when she didn’t think I was listening.

This list is inspired by my oldest daughter, Christina. She posted a song on my Facebook page she said always reminded her of me – Destiny by Zero 7. So, I started with that and added the song that always reminds me of her – Sadly Beautiful by The Replacements. The rest of the list is constructed around those two songs. You’ll find some great new music from David Bowie and some pieces I’ve just discovered, like Gob Iron with Jay Farrar from Son Volt, Whiskeytown with Ryan Adams before he was Ryan Adams and Brotherhood with Chris Robinson from The Black Crowes. The rest are some old favorites that seemed to complement the flavor of my two theme songs.

Hope you enjoy the recipe.

We’re headed to the Florida beaches for Spring Break, and we better not go without a little Bob Marley. I was out of college, working in Dallas when a guy that worked for me turned me on to Marley and sushi. Reggae had always been an afterthought in my musical universe, something about how it was part of the sound of The Police. But Bob Marley is not just reggae, it IS reggae. I have other rasta artists on my playlists now (Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, etc.) but limited selections. Bob Marley, I have it all. His music stands as a voice above any of his compatriots, and I’ve collected a few for this list. If you want to know what reggae is, get Natty Dread. If you want to start with just one song, listen to No Woman, No Cry.

I can’t remember what that guy’s name was in Dallas or the last time I ate sushi, but he gave me Bob Marley, man.

This list is inspired by the soundtrack for Seven Psychopaths, a movie I wouldn’t recommend. But songs I had to hear again. Three of these tracks are from the soundtrack, the rest take their cue from the atmosphere created by those songs.

Seems my man, Russell, didn’t cotton to the whole “seems like he’s softened a bit” thing. So, he came up with a new list. Here’s what he says:

Softened up a bit, eh? Perhaps (LOL).
I thought far too much about this question while at work today and I came up with a better list, which the more I think about it i’m sure it would evolve continuously…

A few thoughts: the idea being that these are the only ten records that I’d ever listen to the rest of my living days on earth, I’m taking into consideration variety and themes…and that after years of listening to the same records which ones am i less likely to get tired of.

Anyway here’s my new list:

I’ve known this guy since high school. We got in a lot of trouble together. Have to say, I was surprised at a couple of his selections. Seems like he’s softened a bit. What do you think? (Can’t say too much, though. I have all these records he’s listed.)

Here’s my box of records I want on an island:

A couple of days ago Sara Hickman’s mom reached out to me on Facebook. We were neighbors when we were kids in Houston. Sara has recorded like 20 albums since the 1990s (I checked out her website www.sarahickman.com). I still just remember her as a kid across the street we played with sometimes. But it got me to thinking about who my favorite female vocalists are. Sara didn’t make this list, but she might once I have a chance to listen to more of her music. Here is who did make the list – I’ve got my top ten, and then half a dozen or more alternates.

Kim Richey
Lucinda Williams
Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies)
Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)
Allison Moorer
Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders)
Emmylou Harris
Macy Gray
Patty Griffin
Susan Tedeschi

Alternates:
Sheryl Crow
Kate Pearson (The B-52’s)
Carole King
Norah Jones
Tift Merritt
Natalie Merchant
Vickie Thorn (The Waifs)
Maria McKee (Lone Justice)
Alison Krauss

These are my second ten – the ones that didn’t make my top ten Desert Island Records. Now, if this is the only box of music that washes up on shore, I’ll still be happy. Well, I don’t know. I’ll still be stranded on a desert island with ten records and no way to play them. But at least I’ll have them.