…that is really the beginning of new discovery for some – I hope.

In spending a month focusing on various things musical – ignoring instrument instruction, evolution of promotions and dance, videos and medium – I already knew how this last theme-entry would go.

Granted, I was very tempted to spend an entire week on Martin Luther, Bobby McFerrin, Cyndi Lauper, Seal, Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan and even Weird Al. I didn’t even consider weaving in music from performers such as Brule, Vasquez, Tiger Tiger, Vince Redhouse, the Shenandoah Sisters or Jim Pepper. I could have focused on the hymns playing softly in the background as James Earl Jones read the Bible – something that can distract me, resulting in replaying the missed chapters. Or the enhancement of some pieces of music with the right narrators for: Peter and the Wolf, Portraits of Freedom by Aaron Copland and Roy Harris to name a couple. Maybe those will be for another time.

Today’s post focuses on music-makers. I tried to find links directly to the sites of some songwriters and composers I enjoy, but alas I have to find contentment with the few gems I did unearth:

• The Little Black Bottles – a local band with one recording out and another in the works. The songs range from fun to thoughtful, from werewolves to zombies.
• Angelo Pizarro – a guitarist whose serendipitous way of playing wonderfully illustrates how he plays so many different styles flawlessly.
• Steve Thoreson – a vocalist whose songs have been heard the world over. It was the early piano-playing days that said music would be his golden key.
• Little Mary – a Blues musician with a sunny disposition no matter what, she can get a band to follow her lead or lure a packed room close with an acoustic performance.
• Chris Daniels and the Kings – a band who puts the swing back in sing. Full of bras and sass, it’s hard not to get on your feet and dance when Chris and the Kings play.