Jimmy Smith - "The Definitive Jimmy Smith" (2002)

Cooking with music spinning is always fun and for me this is a go-to-album in the kitchen category. Jimmy Smith was one of the first musicians to use the Hammond B-3 Organ in jazz and blues, revolutionizing the instrument past its intended home of church choir lofts. This Verve label release is a nice sampling of the unique fusing Smith did through his career with funk, soul, and swing and it's worth it just for the remastered versions of The Sermon and Midnight Special. It also finishes up nicely with Night Train, the funky jam George McFly grooves to at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance. Something that really cooks? This album cooks for sure. -- Chris Baginski

1. "The Champ" (8:38)
2. "The Sermon" (20:10)
3. "Midnight Special" (9:56)
4. "Walk On The Wild Side" (5:57)
5. "The Cat" (3:25)
6. "Got My Mojo Workin'" (8:02)
7. "Night Train" (6:46)

Back At the Chicken Shack (video)

Waylon Jennings - "Waylon Live" (1976)

When country music started become too sugarcoated in the late 60's and early 70's, Waylon Jennings was among the first musicians to push for a rawer, back-roads style that became known as Outlaw Country. The gritty, answer-to-no-one back bone of the outlaw movement is personified by Jennings, along with other giants like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Merle Haggard. This recently remastered and expanded live album jumps from 9 tracks to 42, and captures Jennings and his band at the top of their collective game during the course of three Texas concerts in 1974. -- Chris Baginski

Disc One

1. "T For Texas (Blue Yodel #1)"
2. "Stop The World (And Let Me Off)"
3. "Lonesome On'ry And Mean"
4. "You Ask Me To"
5. "Louisiana Women"
6. "I'm A Ramblin' Man"
7. "Me An Paul"
8. "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way"
9. "Slow Rollin' Low"
10. "Rainy Day Woman"
11. "Good Hearted Woman"
12. "Mental Revenge"
13. "Amanda"
14. "This Time"
15. "Laid Back Country Picker"
16. "The Last Letter"
17. "Honky Tonk Heroes"
18. "Willie The Wandering Gypsy And Me"
19. "Donna On My Mind"
20. "We Had It All"

Disc Two

1. "Ladies Love Outlaws"
2. "Big Ball In Cowtown"
3. "Just To Satisfy You"
4. "Anita You're Dreaming"
5. "Big Big Love"
6. "Me And Bobby McGee"
7. "If You Could Touch Her At All"
8. "Bob Wills Is Still The King"
9. "Look Into My Teardrops"
10. "Long Way From Home"
11. "The Taker"
12. "Mississippi Woman"
13. "Mona"
14. "Never Been To Spain"
15. "Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line"
16. "Freedom To Stay"
17. "Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)"
18. "Pick Up The Tempo"
19. "Ain't No God In Mexico"
20. "House Of The Rising Sun"
21. "Band Intros"
22. "You Can Have Her"

Luckenback, Texas Video

Steve Young - "Seven Bridges Road" (1972)

It's funny how hard certain albums can be to track down these days. There are plenty of methods for acquiring music in the 21st Century but a decent amount of older music still remains out of print, having never moving past the age of vinyl, tapes, etc. But when you do eventually find a copy, it makes it that much sweeter to listen to. I came across Steve Young after noticing one of my favorite Waylon Jennings songs, Lonesome On'ry & Mean, was written by Young. I had no luck tracking the original Seven Bridges Road album down, but eventually found a limited edition (1000 copies issued) remastered version that was only released in South Korea. The songs are shuffled and it was put out with different album art, but it also contains eight previous unreleased songs not included on the 1972 version. Give this great album a listen to hear what was a major influence on the outlaw and alternative country movements that followed. -- Chris Baginski

1. Seven Bridges Road (3:37)
2. Montgomery In The Rain (4:08)
3. Ragtime Blue Guitar (2:45)
4. Long Way To Hollywood (3:49)
5. Down In The Flood (3:59)
6. Ballad Of William Sycamore (4:16)
7. My Oklahoma (3:00)
8. Wild Goose (3:43)
9. Days Of 49 (3:35)
10. Lonesome On'ry & Mean (3:37)
11. I Begin To See Design (2:57)
12. One Car Funeral Procession (3:06)
13. Many Rivers (2:59)
14. Come Sit By My Side (3:01)
15. True Note (2:56)
16. I Can't Hold Myself In Line (2:18)
17. Crash On The Levy (2:34)
18. White Trash Song (3:03)

See Steve Young on Tour

Elliott Smith - "XO" (1998)

The mark of a artist is when, instead of trying to reproduce an emotion, they completely display the feeling in its present form. It's not just a memory, it's happening this very moment. That ability to immediately sway the listener's state is displayed by Elliott Smith with raw truth and uncompromising honesty. As meek and battered as he appeared, he mastered a portrayal of sadness that crisscrossed sorrow and anguish with acceptance and defiance. And while his music may be understated, his death certainly wasn't. Still not officially ruled a suicide, Smith most likely took his own life in 2003 with two stab wounds to his chest. -- Chris Baginski

1. "Sweet Adeline" (3:15)
2. "Tomorrow Tomorrow" (3:07)
3. "Waltz #2 (XO)" (4:40)
4. "Baby Britain" (3:13)
5. "Pitseleh" (3:22)
6. "Independence Day" (3:04)
7. "Bled White" (3:22)
8. "Waltz #1" (3:22)
9. "Amity" (2:20)
10. "Oh Well, Okay" (2:33)
11. "Bottle Up and Explode!" (2:58)
12. "A Question Mark" (2:41)
13. "Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands" (4:25)
14. "I Didn't Understand" (2:17)

Thirteen (Video)

Sam Cooke - "Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964" (2003)

This collection of music is so appropriately named Portrait of a Legend in that Sam Cooke completely deserves that title. Not only is he one of the most influential Soul singers, he's one of the founders and pioneers of the genre. And like so many other legends, his life was brief, surviving only to the age of 33 after being shot in a Los Angeles hotel in 1964. But his heavenly voice lives well beyond that day and pure emotion remains wrapped in every note he sang . -- Chris Baginski

1. "Touch the Hem of His Garment"
2. "Lovable"
3. "You Send Me"
4. "Only Sixteen"
5. "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"
6. "Just for You"
7. "Win Your Love (For Me)"
8. "Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha"
9. "I'll Come Running Back to You"
10. "You Were Made for Me"
11. "Sad Mood"
12. "Cupid"
13. "Wonderful World"
14. "Chain Gang"
15. "Summertime"
16. "Little Red Rooster"
17. "Bring It on Home to Me" *
18. "Nothing Can Change This Love"
19. "Sugar Dumpling"
20. "(Ain't That) Good News"
21. "Meet Me at Mary's Place"
22. "Twistin' the Night Away"
23. "Shake"
24. "Tennessee Waltz"
25. "Another Saturday Night"
26. "Good Times"
27. "Having a Party"
28. "That's Where It's At"
29. "A Change Is Gonna Come"
30. "Jesus Gave Me Water"

Belle & Sebastian - "Dear Castastrophe Waitress" (2003)

Scottish Indie Poppers Belle & Sebastian took their name from a children's book which was later turned into a 1980's Nickelodeon cartoon and when you hear their music, you'll see the Saturday morning connection. There's an innocence to Dear Catastrophe Waitress that's pretty bubblegum and the seven members of Belle & Sebastian have no problem embracing that. The music has an airy quality to it that's delicate and breezy and comes from the band in soft effortless breathes. Makes for a nice audio addition to your coffee and paper on a weekend morning. -- Chris Baginski

1. "Step into My Office, Baby" (4:12)
2. "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" (2:22)
3. "If She Wants Me" (5:05)
4. "Piazza, New York Catcher" (3:03)
5. "Asleep on a Sunbeam" (3:22)
6. "I'm a Cuckoo" (5:26)
7. "You Don't Send Me" (3:08)
8. "Wrapped Up in Books" (3:34)
9. "Lord Anthony" (4:14)
10. "If You Find Yourself Caught in Love" (4:15)
11. "Roy Walker" (2:57)
12. "Stay Loose" (6:41)

Ween - "The Mollusk" (1997)

Ween's 1997 underwater odyssey brings you down into the abyss complete with sea monsters, pirates, barnacles and urchins. Written by the sandy shores of New Jersey's Long Beach Island, The Mollusk paints you into a waterworld of stormy oceans and gray-skied harbor towns. Sea captains singing shanties and an orchestra of nautical noise will have you swimming out in darkened waters with the flotsam and jetsam before you know it. -- Chris Baginski

1, "I'm Dancing in the Show Tonight" (1:55)
2. "The Mollusk" (2:36)
3. "Polka Dot Tail" (3:19)
4. "I'll Be Your Jonny On the Spot" (2:00)
5. "Mutilated Lips" (3:48)
6. "The Blarney Stone" (3:14)
7. "It's Gonna Be (Alright)" (3:18)
8. "The Golden Eel" (4:03)
9. "Cold Blows the Wind" (4:27)
10. "Pink Eye (On My Leg)" (3:12)
11. "Waving My Dick in the Wind" (2:11)
12. "Buckingham Green" (3:18)
13. "Ocean Man" (2:07)
14. "She Wanted to Leave (Reprise)" (4:25)

See Ween On Tour

Tito Puente - "Puente Goes Jazz" (1956)

Born in New York City's Spanish Harlem in 1923, Tito Peunte was impressing the neighborhood with his ferocious percussion skills by age 10. Recording over 100 albums in his career, Puente fused Afro-Cuban beats with everything from Big Band compositions and Mambos, to Bossa Nova and Jazz. Here on Puente Goes Jazz, every listener is transformed by the swinging rhythms into a sharp dressed cat from the 1950's. -- Chris Baginski

1. "What Is This Thing Called Love" (3:22)
2. "Tiny-Not Ghengis" (2:49)
3. "What Are You Doin' Honey" (2:45)
4. "Lotus Land" (4:52)
5. "Lucky Dog" (3:21)
6. "Birdland After Dark" (4:36)
7. "That's A Puente" (2:32)
8. "Yesterdays" (4:35)
9. "Terry Cloth" (4:56)
10. "Tito 'In" (2:56)

Tito Puente on Sesame Street

Ray Charles - "Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music" (1962)

This seminal album in American music history blended soul with country & western music at a time when racial tension was swelling. Studio execs thought it was a mistake when Ray Charles decided to cover country and folk standards for his upcoming album, but it became a critical and commercial success that some consider his finest studio outing. Just as he seamlessly combined Gospel and R&B to create Soul, he again shows here how interwoven American music is. Almost five decades later, the strings and backing vocals may sound a bit syrupy, but Brother Ray's voice is always there to save the day. It all combines to sit you down on a wrap around porch with lemonade and a rocking chair on a Southern summer afternoon. As lovelorn as the songs may be (these are country standards after all), I hope I'm dancing with my wife to this record when we're 80. -- Chris Baginski

1. "Bye Bye Love" 2:12
2. "You Don't Know Me" 3:16
3. "Half as Much" 3:28
4. "I Love You So Much It Hurts" 3:35
5. "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" 3:29
6. "Born to Lose" 3:18
7. "Worried Mind" 2:57
8. "It Makes No Difference Now" 3:36
9. "You Win Again" 3:31
10. "Careless Love" 4:01
11. "I Can't Stop Loving You" 4:14
12. "Hey, Good Lookin'" 2:14
13. "You Are My Sunshine" 3:01
14. "Here We Go Again" 3:18
15. "That Lucky Old Sun" 4:21

Miles Davis - "In A Silent Way" (1969)

In A Silent Way is an epic journey through seemingly disconnected music that pulls you in immediately and gradually reveals a hidden story and cohesion. In the late 1960's Jazz and Rock began inching their paths towards each other to create Jazz Fusion. Miles Davis, who helped develop the genre on two previous albums, released the masterpiece In A Silent Way as his first full on Jazz Fusion record. As Thom Jurek put it, "There is no melody, not even a melodic frame. There are only vamps and solos, grooves layered on top of other grooves spiraling toward space but ending in silence." I first listened to this album lying in bed one night with the sounds of a rainstorm outside my window. I suggest you do the same! -- Chris Baginski

1. "Shhh/Peaceful" - 18:16

2. "In a Silent Way/It's About That Time" - 19:52