Ben Howard & Trousse-Chemise Pinot Noir

Ben Howard was born in West London in 1987. His family moved to Totnes, Devon when he was eight. His parents, musicians themselves, surrounded him with music as he grew up and exposed him to singer-songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s like Joni Mitchel and Simon and Garfunkel. Two of his biggest musical influences were John Martyn and Nick Drake.

Ben began writing his own songs when he was around ten, using the guitar as his composing vehicle. He attended Torquay Boys’ Grammar School and King Edward VI Community College then went on to study journalism at the University of Falmouth. But six months shy of getting his degree, he decided to make music his full-time career focusing on the folk-style genre made popular by Nick Drake. His guitar style is a blend of fingerpicking, standard tapping, and lap-tapping. His lyrics are full of imagery, some of which is rather dark. He released two EPs before signing with Island Records. His debut CD, Every Kingdom, went gold in the U.K. and is gradually gaining traction in the U.S. due to a recent tour.

In 2013, he won BRIT awards for Best British Breakthrough Act and Best British Solo Male Artist. His voice and guitar have a haunting quality to it that I hope you like. Enjoy!

The Fear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnxCxHLAqn8

Depth over Distance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phktiVZqUbQ

Old Pine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzzCthKw_C0

Soldiers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWhm-H7M8Us

Live Concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58xfJLrRr4U

Eurosonic Concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW2kUiQh9Kk

I’m pairing Ben with the 2012 Trousse-Chemise Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Oregon, and particularly the Willamette Valley region, produces some of my favorite Pinot Noirs. This one is bright cherry red with a nose of red raspberries and cherries. The palate follows the nose with rich fruit and a fresh vibrant finish. It’s a nice wine to enjoy with a good book while listening to the music of Ben Howard.

Cheers!

Russ Freeman & Girard Sauvignon Blanc

Russ Freeman is the founder and leader of the contemporary jazz group, the Rippingtons. He was raised in Nashville and started playing the guitar at the age of ten under the tutorage of one of his father’s friends who was a Nashville session musician. By the age of sixteen, Russ was also playing sessions. At the age of eighteen, he left Nashville for Los Angeles where his first gigs were playing the background music for Jane Fonda’s workout videos and commercials featuring Anne Murray and Englebert Humperdinck.

In 1986, he formed the Rippingtons, originally conceiving it as a changing lineup of jazz musicians drawn from top session players. The first version featured one of my favorite pianists, David Benoit along with Brandon Fields, Dave Koz, and Kenny G on saxes. By 1993, the band solidified into a six-piece group with Dave Kochanski on keyboards, Jeff Kashiwa on sax, Kim Stone on bass, Tony Morales on drums, Steve Reid on percussion, and of course, Freeman on guitar.

The Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards honored Russ with a Lifetime Achievement Award as well as Producer of the Year in 2001. In 2000, Billboard BET chose the Rippingtons as best group and Oasis gave them the same award for 2001 & 2002. Russ and the Rippingtons are one of the most listenable groups I’ve ever heard and his guitar playing is definitely smooth. Great music to listen to while I work on my consulting projects. Enjoy!

Larry’s World: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-ng9JJAStY

Topaz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHTl7VWJHPE

Aspen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prx-5eIDdqI  

Jamaican nights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EHMHwaf2rA

East River Drive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh3InUdZvBs

Brighter Day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0v5vTm_1_k

Cool in the shade: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uXMutSU8XA

Soul Dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMuyLC_SJ4w

Guitarland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai0MvqxY9II

Moving violation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N4yYsA7dqk

Palmetto Park: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq5yXYLviL8

Urban Wanderer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ga5f_1PBjA

Angel Fire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orHVogWmMKk

My wife and I got a Groupon to our favorite local restaurant this week and enjoyed a bottle of the 2011 Girard Sauvignon Blanc ($18.00 in stores) with our salmon. I’m a huge fan of Girard wines, particularly their Petite Sirah, but this was the first time I’ve tasted their Sauvignon Blanc. Its aromatics were full of citrus, lemon peel, and a tropical fruits. The taste was a mix of citrus and mango, slightly dry, yet tart. It has a nice softness on the tongue and bright acidity makes for a clean, crisp finish. I can see enjoying a bottle of this when the weather turns warmer as I sit on my deck, watching the stars and listening to Russ Freeman and the Rippingtons.

Cheers!

Michael Bloomfield & Christian Moreau Chablis

Michael Bloomfield was born into a wealthy Jewish-American family on the north side of Chicago, but preferred music to the family catering equipment business. He became a blues devotee as a teenager and spent time at Chicago's South Side blues clubs, playing guitar with some of the greatest black bluesmen

Al Kooper, Bloomfield's later collaborator and close friend, wrote the young guitarist's talent "was instantly obvious to his mentors. They knew this was not just another white boy; this was someone who truly understood what the blues were all about." Among Bloomfield’s early supporters were B.B. king, Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, and Buddy Guy.

During his tenure in the Chicago blues clubs, he met Paul Butterfield and Elvin Bishop. Bloomfield recorded a few sessions for Columbia in 1964 (which weren't released until after his death), but ended up joining the original Paul Butterfield Blues Band, which included Bishop, Howlin Wolf rhythm section alumni Sam Lay, and Jerome Arnold.

Bloomfield tired of the Butterfield Band's rigorous touring schedule and, relocated to San Francisco to create his own group, Electric Flag in 1967. The band was intended to feature "American music," a hybrid of blues, soul, country, rock, and folk, and incorporated an expanded lineup complete with a horn section. The inclusion of drummer Buddy Miles gave Bloomfield license to explore soul and R&B. Electric Flag debuted at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and issued an album, A Long Time Comin', in April 1968, one of my favorites.

Later, Bloomfield joined with al Kooper, with whom he recorded the Super Session album in 1968. It was a jam session that spotlighted Bloomfield’s guitar skills on side one. It’s still a classic to this day. Bloomfield's chronic insomnia caused him to repair to his San Francisco home the second day of recording, prompting Kooper to invite Stephen Stills to complete the album. It received excellent reviews and became the best-selling album of Bloomfield's career

The exact events and circumstances that led to his death are not clear. What is known is that Bloomfield was found dead of a drug overdose in his car on February 15, 1981. The only details (from unnamed sources) relate that Bloomfield died at a San Francisco party, and was driven to another location in the city by two men who were present at the party.

Drinking wine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smRXnyUWktg

Long time comin-Full album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfX7vn_c2z4

One way out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw2fqDcLitU

Blues for Roy:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXE8u_HRpls

Blues in B flat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qib48Sw6Q94

Blues on the west side: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaKCLve_XDs

Stop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIArmP6HcZk

Albert’s shuffle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSqlUYkx8d0

Blue trouble: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zyf3_k1Cyus

Driftin Blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3LEhfbKCSc

Long Distand (with Muddy Waters): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSVuEjvLjFE

Paul Butterfield Reunion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps3x-_JdIeg

I recommend a 2010 Christian Moreau Chablis while you listen to Michael. Chablis is arguably the most famous white burgundy appellation on earth, and rightly so. The wines also see relatively less oak influence than most regions working with Chardonnay. In the case of Christian Moreau’s basic 2010 Chablis ($25) one sees aromas and flavors of lemon and honey with a bright hint of minerality. I’m trying to force spring here by recommending Chablis, a wine I usually drink in warmer weather. Hopefully it works.

Cheers!

Kelly Valleau & Girard Petit Sirah

Kelly Valleau has been one of my favorite guitarists since I discovered his work about five years ago. He was born and raised in Belleville, Ontario, joining the ranks of other great Canadian fingerstyle guitarists. Must be the cold winters where the only thing to do is sit inside and practice. He took up the guitar at 15 and by 22 was playing professionally. He used to focus mostly on classical and Spanish style music, using a nylon stringed guitar. However, after attending the 2006 Canadian fingerstyle guitar championships and hearing people like Don Ross, he began arranging and playing more pop tunes.

He switched to the steel stringed acoustic because he got bored with nylon, saying it wasn’t inspiring him anymore. He is one of the most prolific arrangers of pop tunes merging beautiful melodies with intricate harmonies all augmented by minimalist percussive techniques. I could (and often do) listen to him all day.

Money for nothing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikW3tsAgb38

Stairway to Heaven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnZ3zObMfu0

Pompeii: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w75g96eyQoc

Layla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXO53Zl8yCU

Radioactive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZAvPYj287M

Counting Stars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZqUvsE7_E8

Let her go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHVnMuVW4Mw

Wake me up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlSKFGaviD0

Blue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBKXkKQf_nQ

Roar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo4uocZGcpw

Bohemian Rhapsody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B7d_gjK3og

Sultans of Swing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI8tvq_b2vQ

Apologize: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHgj2UzqMx0

Sweet home Alabama: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KagFJDhtUA

Viva la via: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvZ_2a3psuk

Say something: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5nt9L9TwlQ

While my guitar gently weeps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWLGRZuXyuE

I’m pairing Kelly with one of my favorite wines, a 2011 Girard Petit Sirah ($20.00 at Costco). Planting your nose in a glass of baby is like falling into a patch of blackberries. The fragrance of this inky purple wine unfolds further revealing, black cherries, cassis, dark chocolate, and coffee. The taste is like a fruit extravaganza dominated by blackberries, cherries, and a touch of vanilla with nicely integrated tannins. Grab a bottle or six and check out Kelly Valleau.

Cheers!

Mike Dawes and Eguia Reserva Rioja

Mike Dawes is a 23 year-old English virtuoso guitar player known for composing, arranging and performing multiple parts simultaneously on one instrument. He began his musical adventure at the age of four, when his parents introduced him to The Blues Brothers. In his early childhood he experimented with keyboards before picking up his first electric guitar at age twelve. Mike switched to steel-stringed acoustic guitar in 2008.

His early influences were Michael Hedges, Pierre Bensusan, and John Gomm. From late 2008 to late 2011 Mike performed hundreds of instrumental concerts at venues and festivals throughout the United Kingdom both solo, and with concert harpist Amy Turk. He has performed alongside and shared the bill with a large selection of well-known musicians including Tommy Emmanuel.

He released a unique and technically virtuosic arrangement of “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye that went viral, gaining acclaim from the international music community. The likes of MSN News and Reddit all featured him on the front page of their websites. A headline on the US MSN Browser spawned a huge influx of American fans while Gotye (Walter de Backer) himself publicly praised the arrangement in numerous international publications.

For you guitar hounds, he plays guitars made by Nick Benjamin exclusively. I think you’re going to like him.

Boogie slam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuRBGpEHcnI

Titanium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAg6aphicBA

Somebody I used to know: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1bzUaf_gvU

So long Michael: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUA6t9swkVo&feature=related

Boogie Shred: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-hJU-68pFQ&feature=related

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZSzmim4brk&feature=related

Celtic tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXLCq1b7-4s

The impossible: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYksCAhjthk

Scotch Pancake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5pYjVjBo7E

Lounge Bar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmkvJL38_Jw

The violet and the bee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSkKUlVwtfI

Superstition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAaGdOfTA6c

I suggest a 2007 Eguia Reserva Rioja ($10.00) while you listen to Mike. I often shop wines at Costco and this one caught my eye. Ten dollar Riojas are generally reliable wines, but this one was way more than reliable. The wine is dark purple with a nose of red fruit and spices. The pallet is full of red raspberries, black cherries, and dark plums accented by a bit of oak. The finish is clean and elegant with mild tannins. It certainly didn’t taste like a $10.00 Rioja, but it goes great with the guitar virtuosity of Mike Dawes.

Cheers!