Mellow Thursday: Blue Moon by Mark Isham and Tanita Tikaram

Here's an old favorite of mine from Tanita Tikaram (whose dreamy sleepy voice may be an acquired taste) and Mark Isham (a terrificly talented composer and jazz trumpet player.)

My Mellow Mix Tape

I've gotten out of the habit of sharing Mellow Thursday music, so here on a gloomy Monday (where I am) is an entire mix tape of mellow music featuring (mostly) guitar and voice. Enjoy Colin Hay, Teitur, Alexi Murdoch, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Ray Lamontagne, Simon and Garfunkel, Pinback, Nick Drake, David Gray, Sheryl Crow, Bryan Ferry, Regina Spektor, Imogen Heap, and Vienna Teng.

Relax and listen for a while.

Mellow Thursday: Philip Glass' Violin Concerto, 1st movement

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

This is one of the most lovely and hypnotic things I've seen online in quite some time. Enjoy Philip Glass' Violin Concerto, 1st movement set to striking time-lapse images. If you click through to view the video on YouTube, select the little box in the bottom righthand corner of the video window to watch this full screen for maximum relaxation.

Mellow Thanksgiving: Nessun Dorma

There's a lot to stress about over the holidays. Perhaps you're anxious about the state of the world and the war in the Middle East; or maybe it's the economy, real estate, or price of gas that weighs on you; or maybe you're just finding it difficult to be around family so much today.

One should never forget the darkness in the world that demands good people pay attention and take action--but it's equally important we also pay attention to the light around us. First of all, if you are reading this, that means you are better off than the vast majority of the Earth's population. And, chances are there are more than a few people who are thankful this Thanksgiving that you're on the planet.

So, take a moment to appreciate all the reasons you have to be thankful today. Perhaps this video of Pavarotti performing Nessun Dorma will help. It is one of the most beautiful songs I can think to share today!

Happy Thanksgiving!



P.S. If you ever wondered what the lyrics to this wonderful song are in English, here you go:

None must sleep! None must sleep!
And you, too, Princess,
in your cold room,
gaze at the stars
which tremble with love
and hope!

But my mystery is locked within me,
no-one shall know my name!
No, no, I shall say it as my mouth
meets yours when the dawn is breaking!

And my kiss will break the silence
which makes you mine!

(No-one shall know his name,
and we, alas, shall die!)

Vanish, o night!
Fade, stars!
At dawn I shall win

Mellow Thursday: "So Your Are To Me" Speaks To a Lot of People

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

Here are several videos all set to a single song. That song is "So You Are To Me" by Eastmountainsouth.

Let's be honest: The song is a little sappy, but it's also beautiful, heartfelt, and perfectly performed. Not only do I happen to like this sappy song, I am also fascinated by how many people it seems to speak to. Though Eastmountainsouth (a duo of Peter Bradley Adams and Kat Maslich Bode) never got the attention it deserved and this song is relatively obscure, there are dozens and dozens of homemade videos on YouTube set to "So You Are to Me." Fans of everything from the movie "Pride and Prejudice" to TV shows like General Hospital, Roswell and American Idol to the Final Fantasy game series have been moved to produce homages to their favorite characters set to this song.

I am fascinated with music that means so much to so many. So enjoy one or more of these videos, all set to Eastmountainsouth's "So You Are To Me."

Mellow Thursday: Mercy Mercy Me

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

One of my favorite songs of all time: Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me" (subtitled "The Ecology.")

If I can mix a bit of pertinent reality with our environmental mellow music, please read this frightening article on CNN. A random family participated in a study to test for chemicals in their bodies. They approached the tests with curiosity but were horrified to learn their two children--just 18 months and five years old--have chemical exposure levels up to seven times those of their parents! The year-and-a-half-old child had two to three times the level of flame retardants in his body that's been known to cause thyroid dysfunction in lab rats.

We're so surrounded by unproven chemicals that the bodies of our children are absorbing substances at an alarming rate. Most worrying is that the long-term consequences of such exposure is unknown. Says one scientist at the Center for Children's Health and the Environment at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, "We are the humans in a dangerous and unnatural experiment in the United States, and I think it's unconscionable."

Mellow Thursday: Jason Mraz & Jamie Cullum

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

Here are two singer-songwriters with very different styles, but both found a comfortable way to create pop while borrowing elements from styles as diverse as rap and jazz.

Take a lazy gondola ride with Jason Mraz and his guitar.



Jamie Cullum's jazzy, relaxing "Photograph." (Alas, the killer piano solo from the CD version is not included in this video.)

Mellow Thursday: Holly Cole Can See Clearly, Now

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

This is one of my favorite jazz covers ever--Holly Cole sings an infectious, upbeat, yet somehow soothing version of "I Can See Clearly." The video's a little dated, but her interpretation remains fresh and exciting.

Mellow Thursday: The Beatles

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

I grew up with the Beatles. The first album I can remember around my house when I was a child was "Meet the Beatles," and I used to play it on my little, plastic, suitcase-style record player.

Now that half of the band is longer with us and Paul can sing "When I Was Sixty-Four" instead of "When I'm Sixty-Four," it's easy to think of the Beatles as a phenomenon and not a band. But do you ever listen to the music with new ears? Every time I do, I'm amazed at how amazing the writing was, how perfect the recordings, how authentic the lyrics, and how fresh they can sound four decades later.

In this world of niches and 35 different billboard charts, no band will ever again mean so much to so many.


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Mellow Thursday: Vangelis Mix

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

Vangelis's "Themes" CD is one I've turned to for years when I want to concentrate, meditate, and unwind. Enjoy some of my favorite selections from this talented artist.


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Mellow Thursday: Us and Them

Just back from my trip to Atlanta and St. Louis. My Thursday began in very mellow fashion--I got up and alone walked two blocks to the Gateway Arch. It was my first visit in 30 years, and I found the Arch far more beautiful and powerful than I could appreciate as a child.

I was there at 8 am, and at that early hour the Arch was practically abandoned. I think I saw fewer than 10 other people who wandered through the grounds during my visit. It was a very mellow and awe-inspiring experience to enjoy daybreak and have this massive sculpture to myself.

I snapped many photos and will post a few here within a few days. But since today is Thursday, I wanted to offer my Mellow Thursday music selection before I turned in. Here is a classic mellow song--Pink Floyd's "Us and Them," performed live at a 1994 concert.

Mellow Thursday: Dire Strait's Brothers in Arms

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

Twenty-two years later, this remains one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums. Dire Strait's "Brothers in Arms" is a sad, beautiful, and eloquent statement on the bravery of men who fight and the stupidity of the wars in which they're called. "We're fools to make war on our brothers in arms."

Mellow Thursday: Apocalyptica - Nothing Else Matters

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

They may sound like a novelty act, but Apocalyptica is a great band. They just happen to be the world's only heavy metal cello band. This song is both powerful and mellow, and it demonstrates what an interesting and original sound Apocalyptica crafts. Enjoy!

Mellow Thursday: Teitur and Peter Pan

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

Enjoy this song from Teitur, a talented Danish singer-songwriter whose evocative songs have appeared on the soundtracks for several movies. The video is a little cutesy, coming from the lovely and overlooked 2003 version of Peter Pan.

Mellow Thursday: Song from the Movie "Once"

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful and simple song from the beautiful and simple movie, "Once." Here the two stars of the movie, Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard, perform "Falling Slowly" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The two singer/songwriters had such terrific chemistry on film probably because they have such chemistry off film; they started filming the movie as friends, fell in love during filming, and are still dating today.

Mellow Thursday: Mad World by Gary Jules

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

I hope you enjoy this haunting and beautiful version of Mad World by Gary Jules. The tune was originally recorded by Tears for Fear, but Gary Jules made it his own in memorable fashion.

Mellow Thursday: Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek"

Why Mellow Thursday? The week has a head of steam, and you're probably rushing to the weekend. Time to sit back and enjoy a bit of mellow music to clear your head.

For your enjoyment: Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek". I saw her perform this live and it was one of the most amazing concert moments. She asked the crowd to be quiet since her mic can pick up ambient sound that alters her keyboard output. The crowd complied with complete silence, and her performance was shockingly beautiful and powerful.