Sunday, August 30, 2015

Cocktail Nation 372 Classic Comedy: Woody Allen

Tune in Saturday nights at 18:00 EDST Toronto time (6:00 pm) for a Sneak Preview of the week's show. Shake that martini, and relax in your bachelor pad as Koop Kooper takes us on a musical journey through that Exotica and Tiki world of the 50's and 60's.

Some classic comedy is back on the menu for this week and some early sixties comedy from Woody Allen. Also, some news on the passing of an actress from one of the funniest shows of the sixties, and we talk about the dress code.



Nutty - Impossible Past
Martini Kings - Zou Biscou Biscou
Tiki Lounge Crew - Into The Cookie Jar
Tikiyaki Orchestra - Malaga Cove
James Spencer - In A Blue Mood
Stan Getz - Moonlight In Vermont
Daniel Pemberton - Mission Rome
Clifford Brown - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home
Alika Lyman Group - Kaimana Hila
Ruth Cameron - Something Cool
Michelle Lordi -True Love




Here's a ten minute sketch of Woody's standup I found on You Tube....


Saturday, August 29, 2015

The Top ten - week ending 29 August 2015


Happy Saturday, my fellow loungers!

Unless you are living in Australia, all of us in the Northern Hemisphere are slowly seeing those long, hot Summer days get fewer and far between. I for one, am saddened by this. But to all of us, we know that Summer is a state of mind as well as a season.

That being said, let's look at how our Top Ten is this week. Benjamin Biolay remains at number one with his song, Revoir ParisSnowday's Alaskan Cabins follows behind to take up residence at the number two spot.

Igor Gerzina's Suburban Soul dips to number seven, as the newer tracks jostle for a higher position. As we see Halle Loren dip below the tenth position, that empty spot is quickly taken by a short, but cool, little spy-fi track, Bugs, Beats and Bowties, taken from the soundtrack of the new Guy Ritchie film, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., based on the hit 60's American television series. For a more in-depth look at how Daniel Pemberton created the music, check out my previous posting below.

Bubbling Under this week are two new releases - one chillout track and one from the Smooth Jazz genre. Blank & Jones come through with another entry from their latest in the Relax series: C'est Beau La Vie, featuring Benjamin Biolay's sister,  Coralie Clement, on vocals.

Before he even finds a spot on the SmoothJazz.com charts, we've beaten them to the punch. It may not be the designated single release, but Waltz For Carmen, the closing track from Lee Ritenour's latest, A Twist of Rit, is the perfect balance between Smooth Jazz and chill, making it the obvious choice by all of us here at This is Lounge.

So tune in regularly and tune in often. Our philosophy has always been to keep the music free and relaxing. The world of the internet is filled with loud, commercial-laden radio and costly streaming services. Think of us as your oasis from all of that. Even the sub-genre of "jazzy house" music is very limited, as we try and blaze our own trail of content. As we continue to grown in listenership, I can see you all agree.

Thanks for listening, and please support our artists through legitimate digital download sites. Without the artists, there would be no music, and without the music.....where would we be?

Have a great weekend, everyone!


Bubbling Under


Wednesday, August 26, 2015

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015) - The Making of the Music

No doubt, as a regular listener to This is Lounge, you would have recently heard the track, Bugs, Beats and Bowties by Daniel Pemberton in rotation every few hours. The song, in less than two minutes, is just one track that finds your mind transported back to that pre-psychedelic era, where men hide in the shadows, guns silently kill the bad guys, and beautiful women fawn over sexy spies, all in some exotic European locale.

Despite the mixed reviews of the film itself, the homage to 60's spy film music by Mr. Pemberton has been getting high marks from the music critics.

You may have heard Koop Kooper play the track My Name is Napoleon Solo on his Cocktail Nation Radio Show. (Scroll down to listen.)

Well, it seems Daniel took a trip back to the 60's, tracking down those obscure instruments responsible for some of those eerie and mysterious sounds used by everyone from John Barry to Piero Umliani.

I'd go on, but rather than have me go on about such an homage, let's watch Daniel himself take us through his journey back in time. The aforementioned Bugs, Beats and Bowties gets a special mention.




Available at iTunes

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Cocktail Nation 371 Miss Dinah Shore

Tune in Saturday nights at 18:00 EDST Toronto time (6:00 pm) for a Sneak Preview of the week's show. Shake that martini, and relax in your bachelor pad as Koop Kooper takes us on a musical journey through that Exotica and Tiki world of the 50's and 60's.

I've got a great book from a really interesting former Hollywood resident all about one Dinah Shore. News on how to get some very cool mid mod furniture cheaply and easily, and how would you like to own something that was owned by Oscar Peterson? Well, it's possible to own a little bit of jazz history!

www.cocktailnation.net

Daniel Pemberton - His Name Is Napoleon Solo
Tikiyaki Orchestra - Eden Awaits
Dinah Shore - It Had To Be You
Dawn Muhammed - Just Friends
Dave Bruebeck - Heart and Soul
Gene Rains - Caravan
Orchestra Superstring - Linonine
James Morrison - The Masterplan
Frank Sinatra - It Was A Very Good Year
Mr Ho's Orchestrotica - Take The A Train
Les Baxter - Mood Tattooed
Jackie Gleason - Golden Violins


Here's Dinah with a medley of classics, joined by some skinny guy from Jersey!




Friday, August 21, 2015

The Top Ten - week ending 22 August 2015


It's the beginning of the end, I fear. yes, the air-conditioner is off, the windows are open, the humidity has gone, and it has cooled down. The end of Summer is nigh!

But why shiver when we have a different kind of chill, right here, at This is Lounge.

Bonjour Mr. Biolay, et bienvenue a Number One! Yes, a new number one this week with Revoir Paris. Benjamin has knocked Igor down a few notches - down, but not out.

Snowday just continues to gain momentum, jumping to number three.
With some new music officially into the list, we have some interesting and exciting new music to enjoy.

I would just like to say that Bubbling Under this week is a cool piece of Spy-Fi, taken from the soundtrack to the new Man From U.N.C.L.E. film. From Daniel Pemberton, comes the track called Bugs, Beats and Bowties.

Please be sure to support these artists, through your favourite digital reseller.


Bubbling Under

Daniel Pemberton - Bugs, Beats and Bowties



Sunday, August 16, 2015

Cocktail Nation 370 Lurch

Tune in Saturday nights at 18:00 EDST Toronto time (6:00 pm) for a Sneak Preview of the week's show. Shake that martini, and relax in your bachelor pad as Koop Kooper takes us on a musical journey through that Exotica and Tiki world of the 50's and 60's.

It seems that listeners got a double shot of Koop this week, as the gremlins continue to play havoc here at the station. For those of you listening on Friday at 6:00 pm, you were treated to an early Sneak Preview of this week's show. For those who tuned in on Saturday, you heard the preview as scheduled. I'll get this working.....call in the techies!

This week, we look at the life of the man who played Lurch in the TV show, The Addams Family. Plus, some good news on the release of my first fiction book, and some exciting Bond news for you.

Spy FI - Then Play Down 2
Monty Norman - Doctor No's Fantasy
Vic Mizzy and His Orchestra - The Addams Family Theme
James Spencer - Romancin' Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason - Beyond The Blue Horizon
Tikiyaki Orchestra - Zero Gravity
Henry Mancini - Shot In The Dark
Gene Rains - Strange Cargo
Moonrays - Mysterioso
Kenny Saskai - Undercover Man
Aaron Diel - Moonlight In Vermont
Janice Borla Group - Midnight Voyage
Briamonte Orchestra - Rota Sul
Frank Sinatra - Body And Soul
Tony Bennett -With Plenty Of Money And You



As an added bonus this week, check out Vic Mizzy and his story on how that famous theme song came to be.



The Top Ten - week ending 15 August 2015


Once again, life has gotten in the way here. Yesterday, and for the next couple of days, Toronto is experiencing a heat wave. With temperatures pushing into the mid-30's with a lot of humidity, it was decided that my wife and I take this opportunity to do a very extensive house cleaning within the comfort of our air-conditioned abode.

So i have managed to pull things together this morning while she remains sleeping, exhausted from our day, to report on The Top Ten. There's been a couple of drastic changes (Mario takes a walk, to paraphrase a Jesse Cook song title), and speaking of Jesse, he remains in Bubbling Under limbo (along with Sven Van Hees) as none of this week's tracks dip below the number ten position.

I would like to acknowledge the release this week of Openbar Zone's new album, Limestone, on Label Lemongrassmusic. Like some of you, I enjoyed their Soundcloud preview as I anxiously awaited it's release on iTunes, in the hope that I may add a track or two to the station's playlist. Well, imagine my disappointment when I found out that the Canadian iTunes has the album available only for streaming on their new iTunes Music service.  Consequently, I will have to go elsewhere (Juno?) to purchase, resulting in the experience of a foreign currency purchase, adding to the cost. Standby on this one. Perhaps Amazon.ca is my answer.

In the meantime,  let's give credit where credit is due and give a big congrats to Igor Gerzina. His Smooth Jazz sound has been the perfect summer heat antidote, and it's been duly recognized as Suburban Soul has leapt ahead into Number One this week! As mentioned above, Mario Biondi's soulful song, All I Want Is You, nosedives to the tenth position. His heartache remains on the chart for another week.

Enjoy the music, and support all of the artists we play here through the recognized digital download site of your choice.


Bubbling Under


Thanks to everyone for their support. I urge you to become a Follower here on the blog - fill in your email addresson the top right frame, and you'll automatically be notified of any of my new posts here. 
Needless to say, your donations are most welcome. Keeping the station commercial-free was a priority, and your kind donations help keep that status intact. Thanks.

Enjoy the music.


Sunday, August 9, 2015

4Skor - Harmonious Jazz in Four Parts



The Oakville Jazz Festival, held in the well-to-do suburban city of Oakville, west of Toronto, is an annual event, held over 2-1/2 days, where the main downtown street is closed off for about seven blocks. With a main stage situated in the centre for the more "name" acts (such as Lily Frost and blues rocker Tom Wilson's new band, LeE HARVey OsMOND this year), each intersecting corner along the street has a small stage set up on the corner of the street for the various acts to perform from. This laid-back approach to a free event allowed for a leisurely stroll, listening to the many acts as you walked. Of course, the bars and restaurants along the route expanded their patios out into the street, creating a wonderfully European feel to the pedestrian mall.

A look down Lakeshore Blvd., at the height of Friday night
This year, I attended in support of This is Lounge artist, 4Skor, an acapella quartet accompanied by drums, bass, and keyboards. Performing comfortably with and without the backup band, the sounds old 60's jazz faves, Hendrick, Lambert & Ross immediately sprang to mind. Their history and long friendships are reflected in the relationship they have with each other, keeping everything tight, vocal wise - an absolute must for this style of jazz. That's not to say they didn't let loose every once in awhile, going off into extended freestyle scat solos, in addition to allowing the drum, bass, and piano their chance to shine with various solos. Harvesting some of that H, L & R prized repertoire (i.e. Centrepiece, Twisted), the added dimension of a fourth voice to the mix allowed them to put their own spin on these wonderful classics.

Not content with the classics, they even surprised the crowd with an acapella version of Gotye's pop hit, Somebody That I Used To Know. Needless to say, their set was enjoyed by those that stayed. standing and seated on folding patio chairs, and those just passing by. 

Not know what song was coming up next, I had just enough memory in my phone to record the following, a random choice to give you a real idea as to the sound. As you'll see, working under the cover of darkness with a blend of klieg and street lights, the exposure on an iPhone strains for perfection. Nonetheless, the audio comes through loud and clear, So enjoy their wonderful cover of The Fifth Dimension's classic, Stoned Soul Picnic. (Please excuse that woman who decided to take a picture in front of me as I was filming.)



For those of you out there that still don't recognize the song that we play here at the station, have a listen below. It's a classic!



If your a fan of acapella and four part harmonies, be sure to browse through the other tracks on their Soundcloud page, including what they consider to be their Signature tune, The Beatles' In My Life.

You'll also find a few more performances around You Tube to enjoy, as well as their website and Facebook to "Like" and "Follow"

Website 1  or Website 2  (Found two - be sure not to get confused with the weed wacky rockers)

Facebook

Twitter

Cocktail Nation 369 Tikiyaki Orchestra - Idol Worship

Tune in Saturday nights at 18:00 EDST Toronto time (6:00 pm) for a Sneak Preview of the week's show. Shake that martini, and relax in your bachelor pad as Koop Kooper takes us on a musical journey through that Exotica and Tiki world of the 50's and 60's.

Some great news with the Tikiyaki Orchestra's new album just released - we catch up with member, Jim Bacchi. There's also news on a very cool mid-century refit of an office block to give it a Mad Men feel. And, after 60 years....the Green Lady whose face is on million living room walls.

www.cocktailnation.net

Rachel Caswell - Agua De Beber
Antonio Adolfo - Sambo Jazz
Tikiyaki Orchestra - Idol Worship
Arthur Lyman - Voodoo Dreams
Ixtahule - Dengue Fever
Jackie Gleason - September Song
James Spencer - Blues Round Midnight
Cherry Capri - Creamy Cocktails
Jack Jones - Michelle
Laurie Allyn - You Go To My Head
Lucas Vigor - The Straight Dope
Barbara Levy Daniels I Got Lost In His Arms
Chet Baker - I've Never Been In Love Before


Snowday kicks of their Summer Tour

Toronto Star Preview (July 2, 2015)
NOTE: This piece was originally planned for publication around the 4th of July, but like many things, real life happened and I didn't have the time to complete it. As I've often said, better late than never. In the meantime, another track from Snowday's album has been added to The Top Ten, and the band have tacked on another Toronto date on the tour at the end of August.

Dateline Toronto / 4 July 2015
Snowday kicked off their Summer tour in Toronto on Thursday night within the subterranean lounge known as Coalition. Known more as a showcase venue for punk and hip hop, it struck me that the decor (modern white square sofas) was a perfect background for Snowday.  I even mentioned to my accompanying friend (Bret Menezes of ReDux RMx) that this would be perfect for a Buddha Bar night - put some tea lights on the table, a big gold Buddha statue, and the right mix of Buddha Bar/ Cafe Del Mar tunes, and voila!

Opening spot was given to an artist going as Self So. His EDM soundscapes kept the growing audience interested.

Glades, according to Cam Sloan of Snowday, is a New York jazz drummer who has recently incorporated electronic drum pads and the various sounds and effects that are available. Check out this dark, trip-hop sample from Soundcloud.
 

Snowday quietly took the stage without introduction, slowly warming up to the opening song. The set was short in rock and roll terms, but this wasn't rock and roll. The ambient chillout sounds were thoroughly enjoyed by the small, but enthusiastic, audience.

Myself and Cam Sloan
Speaking with Cam prior to the show, he informed me that they would be performing three new tracks. Exciting news to hear that they will be returning to the studio after the summer tour to work on that new project.

I wanted to post the track, "The Seventh String", since this was the track that was/ is garnering airplay on This is Lounge. But a technical issue during the performance caused Cam to ask me not to post it. (I'm still hoping to change his mind.)

In the meantime, I do want to pass along a taste of what they are like in a live performance. So please enjoy "Walk Along These Rocks With Me", live at Coalition in Toronto.



The Top Ten - week ending 8 August 2015


Welcome back to the weekly Top Ten list!

We have some wonderful new music this week that I am honoured to add to the playlist. But first, lets  give a congrats to Halle Loren, who has finally unseated Mario Biondi from the number one position. Halle's interpretation of a jazz standard is a well deserved honour.

With Michael Bijker staying put, Igor Gerzina leapfrogs to the number three position with his Smooth Jazz sax sound.

Of course, the big news this week (yesterday actually), was the release of Chillout master Michael e's new album, From Within. With Saturday not a usual day to release an album, he chose this date as it was also his birthday. So, Happy Birthday, Michael, and we thank you for your gift to us, your fans. 

We at This is Lounge had a hard time deciding which of the wonderful tracks from the album to select for inclusion on the playlist. It came down to the positive message of the aptly titled Be Kind. Jumping over the preliminary Bubbling Under category, Michael went straight to number ten. For more sounds from the album, be sure to check out his "taster" mix posted on Mixcloud a couple of weeks ago.

Sadly, we see David Clayton Thomas and Francia Jazzline Orchestra & Phigroa slip beneath the top ten. But stay tuned for their continued daily rotation.

Lastly, we see a new Jesse Cook track emerge as the Bubbling Under track of the week. Taken from his One World album, released in April of the year, this was one of those releases that I knew about, but slipped my mind due to......whatever. well, I've rectified that by finally adding the beautiful To Your Shore into the mix. I'm sure that you'll agree, his exemplary Mediterranean/ World-inspired guitar playing is what chill is all about. He is always welcome here.

As mentioned last week, the new release of Cafe del Mar Jazz 3 includes a new release from Sven Van Hees' latest album, Chameleon. That track, Soda Pressing, is our other Bubbling Under track this week. Enjoy.

So tune an enjoy. Spread the word. I must give a big shoutout to all the listeners. The station has been award one "headphone" by host, Radionomy. Similar to a star rating, the headphone is in recognition of Popularity. So, thank you for listener and sharing. Keep up the good work, and good word.


Bubbling Under



Thank you for supporting the artists on This is Lounge, through iTunes, Amazon, Juno, Bandcamp, or any other legal digital download site.

Monday, August 3, 2015

Cocktail Nation 368 EUROSPY Special - The Silencers

The Spys are back this weekend as Kramer stops by to talk Euro Spys, and this week we talk about Dean Martin's Matt Helm Series with a special focus on The Silencers

Check out the specially produced trailer from YouTube below.

We also talk about a famous LA icon that has been ruined. I've got a cool book to check out from the Penthouse Library, plus a cool way to make the Cocktail Nation and Lounge music world famous!

www.cocktailnation.net

SG Sound - A Latin Affair
Pink Martini - But Now I'm Back
Vicki Carr - Silencers
Bobby Darin - I Think I Like You
James Spencer - Cover The Waterfront
Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon
Mr Ho's Orchestrotica - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
Lounge Lizards - The Hanging
Laura Ainsworth - That's The Kind Of Guy I Dream Of
Karen Souza - Tainted Love
James Morrison - Girl Talk
Stan Getz - Misty
Ellen La Fern - I'll Take Romance
Arthur Lyman - Midnight Sun






Saturday, August 1, 2015

The Top Ten - week ending 1 August 2015


All I want is you, too Mario!!!

I think this song will remain at number one until he gets what he wants! The heartbreak of lost love continues to rule the world with another week atop The Top Ten. Keep the tissues handy when listening for this one, girls.

This week also finds no one leaving the group! That's right. We saw Halle Loren and Michael Bijker swap positions two and three, and our smoothest Croatian sax player, Igor Gerzina's latest single Suburban Soul bounce up to the number four spot. He certainly adds a classy Smooth Jazz sound to the playlist. I like to think he's our little secret, until the rest of North America and the SmoothJazz.com charts discover him. Did you hear him here first? Hey, Igor! Keep on groovin'!

My friend, Phigroa and his collaborators, the Francia Jazzline Orchestra, drop a few notches to the middle of the chart, keep the rotation up in the playlist, with Eve.

The Canadian chill of Snowday cools us off on these hot summer days with another track: the timely titled Alaskan Cabin, as it creeps into the eighth position. Watch out for them on tour in Canada. Take note, they've just added another date in Toronto at the end of August.

Neo-noir jazz artists, Twin Danger, remain chomping at the bit to break into The Top Ten, remaining Bubbling Under. 

Just released yesterday on iTunes, the Cafe Del Mar Jazz 3 compilation is a thing of beauty! Just downloaded it this morning and had a chance to preview this extremely well priced collection. I must say, it offers no filler amongst the 13 tracks carefully selected by famed Del Mar Finn, Toni Simonen. At least two of the tracks are garnering regular rotation on This is Lounge already, which may lead to a renewed interest and a spot on this here list of New Releases. Stay tuned to see, and hear, if any, or all, of the songs on this compilation, join the playlists of the station. Highly recommended!

As usual, be sure to support all of the This is Lounge artists through iTunes, Amazon, Juno, or your favourite legitimate digital retailer. For the Top Ten, I have kindly provided links to these artists.


Bubbling Under