Guest Post #4 - Yanik "Yay-nog" Ruiz-Ramon

The big Y-man, Danny's roommate, could fill a book with his knowledge of ragtime and classical music. Let's see what he has to say:

Seaboard Stomp -- Blind Arthur Blake

This is from an original recording from the early twentieth century by "The King of Ragtime Guitar." Blind Blake was born around 1893 and died about 1933. I love this song because it is an artifact from the past and fascinating to hear how he improvises with the melody. The crackle is charming and it is great to hear Blind Blake narrate the story as he plays.

Shining Star -- Earth, Wind, and Fire

How can you go wrong with Earth, Wind, and Fire? Imagine fat men dancing to this song (especially the beginning bit) and there is no way that you can be sad. I'm a big fan of funk and this song hits the spot. It was a close call with 'Boogie Wonderland' though. The chorus is pretty uplifting too.

I've Got Rythym -- Phillipe Bas and Olivier Franc

This is a two-man group I came across while walking the streets of Paris. They were amazing live and I bought the CD (something I rarely do from street groups). To perform they had rolled an upright piano in the street. These two struck the perfect combination, allowing each musician to play and improvise equally.The pianist made me jealous with envy and the clarinet player was really funny to watch.

Hard Times Come Again No More -- Yo-Yo Ma, Mark O'Conner, Edgar Meyer, and James Taylor

This is from the phenomenal album 'Appalachian Journey.' It is a collaboration between three amazing musicians, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O'Conner. They take the traditional music from the appalachian region and create an album with the perfect balance of joy, sorrow, and longing. This is the first collection of music that made me believe folk/country music may not be so bad after all.

Hollywood Nocturne -- The Brian Setzer Orchestra

I am a big fan of film noirs and this song is the embodiment of one. The first minute contains a great electric guitar solo that paints a hard-boiled cop walking through the red light district of 1950's LA in the drizzling rain...The singer sounds like he is singing through a tin can, giving the song an eerie tone. In the second minute there is a good sax solo and there is another guitar solo about three minutes in. This song is one of the more subdued of their album "Dirty Boogie," but it is great. The other songs are more typical big band fare but modernized. One other recommendation is their song "You're the Boss." It is corny as hell, but fun to listen to.

-Yanik Ruiz-Ramon