Sunday Table by Pink Martini always gets my attention:
Dvorak’s “Song to the Moon” from Rusalka; violin & orchestra version with Joshua Bell:
And in a different genre, a favorite of a good friend who died last year, “Dream a Little Dream”. He used to play it to himself on his keyboard before going to sleep.
The Staves:
Simple acapella version of one of the best hymns recorded in a living room.
Nice. In the jazz realm, I’ll nominate John Coltrane’s Naima.
Aretha Franklin doing Ain’t No Way with backup by the incomparable Sissy Houston (Whitney’s mother):
Colin Hay
“Beautiful” by Gordon Lightfoot. When we were dating, and getting serious, it was “our song.”
A Sentimental Song
Cante e Dance, also by Pink Martini, reminds me of a long-ago-closed tea shop/restaurant downtown, called the Plaid Hatter, that we visited on my birthday several years ago. They were playing that entire album. Later, we went to a hockey game. It was a perfect day.
Oh dear transdimensional entities, this was HARD. So, per the OP, this is three posts, based on the three beautiful songs that move me depending upon the mood. In no particular order -
Josh Groban’s “Higher Window” - I included a version with lyrics just for ease.
I love this one when I’m in the mood for a proud failure. An almost Luciferian song, in that there is strong emotion, in this case love, but with the acknowledgement of probable failure, but a melancholy hope none the less.
Second, Coeur de Pirate’s song from “Child of Light” (which is an amazing game BTW)
Which to me (avoiding spoilers for the game) is about a melancholy triumph, as well as of course, an eventual (essential and inevitable) loss of innocence.
And lastly, ‘The Silence’ by Manchester Orchestra
And this one is one I’m always turning around in my head, it feels beautiful, tragic, angry, resigned, and at the very end, perhaps hopeful? Judge for yourself. It’s one of the few that make me feel different things every time I listen to it.
Hiroshima - Odori (Dance)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe93DJMncqg&list=PLtkwzyO1IzozADNIWK8JlqBoEGXg1pMnn&index=16
Hiroshima mixes modern Western and traditional Japanese instruments.
Whiskeytown:
The old standby: Bridge Over Troubled Water with the beautiful vocalization of Art Garfunkel.
Without Blame Ismael Lo Jammu Africa with Marianne Faithfull
Ayub Ogasa - Kothbiro:
Thanks Spoons! Her cover of Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock is also amazing.
I’ve heard that one many times. Nice choice.
I’m going to nominate “Hurt” by Arlo Parks. I became aware of her music relatively recently thanks to my local public radio station giving her airplay.
