Funk Friday: “What Kind Of Woman Is This,” Buddy Guy

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I know, I know.  This is way, way more blues-oriented.  I mean, the whole chord progression, for a start.  But I just can’t help myself – it’s just so very, very funky.  Additionally, if you’re like me and you spent the Christmas break sticking to a strict diet of cheese, pâté, prosciutto, chocolate toffee crisps, and port, and now find yourself dreading putting on anything remotely resembling pants, you might need a little encouragement to leave the house.  This song will add some sexy funk to the junk in your trunk.

Throwback Thursday: “Hodie Christus Natus Est,” Jan Sweelink

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In the spirit of Christmas, this blog’s very first post – helpfully on a Thursday – will fit the season.  Feast your ears on Sweelink’s ecstatic “Hodie,” which is three and a half minutes of barely controlled (for a Baroque dude) excitement about the birth of Jesus.  The best part of the piece is at 2:42 when the choir sounds like it’s splitting apart in competition to see who can produce a happier “Alleluia.”  It’s an absolute delight to sing, and every time you realize that you’re involuntarily dancing.

Don’t touch that dial!

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Welcome to the Tune-Up!  How very exciting to see you.  You’re in good company: Tune-Up readership extends across five continents and more than 60 countries.  Have a music suggestion?  Drop me a line in a comment!

So, what is the Tune-Up? This blog serves to answer the infernal question, “What do I listen to now?!”  It is organized by days of the week, thusly:

– Modernism Monday:  Monday is the day for all music from 1900s era to today – so, Stravinsky to Shiny Toy Guns.  All genres, all the time.  A good way to start the week.

– Termagant Tuesday:  Oh come on.  It’s an awesome word.  It needs to get out more.  Tuesday is the day for all things jazz.  (Editor’s note: I use “termagant” as the adjective synonymous with boisterous, noisy, and rebellious; it is not a reference to a mythical, shrewish woman.  Though there are plenty of jazz songs about women, shrewish and otherwise.  “Minnie the Moocher” will obviously be making an appearance of a Tuesday.)

– Worldly Wednesday:  Wednesdays we zoom around the globe to showcase the coolest music from all sorts of places.

– Throwback Thursday:  Thursday will showcase what we have all collectively been told to call “classical” music, which has been mischaracterized as boring.  This blog and I follow Bernstein’s lead on the definition of classical, which is music that “has classical beauty; it sets up its rules and regulations of balance and form just as strictly as Bach did in his fugues; it was looking for perfection. That’s why it’s classical.”  It’s also – in a word – awesome.

– Funk Friday:  Sho’ nuff, and ’nuff said. Dance party not included.  Your results may vary.

– Salubrious Saturday:  Music intended to help you rationalize last night’s bad decisions, or gear you up for another round.  Author’s whim dependent.

– Sacred Sunday:  Reserved for the sacred works from all religions.

All songs will be offered as a YouTube video whenever possible.  Also, nestled within each song will be “mood tags” that allow you to just choose a mood you’re in.  Day of the week be damned.  Let no man say I scorn the rebel.