Mellow Vibes.

When relaxing at the lodge, me and the girls like to put on some tunes, make a cup of herbal tea and wear our favorite sweatpants. Here is a selection of what's on the hi-fi this week:

Sahib Shihab, "Seeds" from the album, Seeds.



This guy has been a recent discovery for me, an early be-bopper who, according to multiple online sources, was one of the earliest jazz-player converts to Islam (how a fact like that can be verified is beyond me) and an ex-pat resident of central Europe for the second half of his adult life. Inititially he paid his dues on the alto sax, Shihab expanded his arsenal to include a variety of wood winds and brass à la Yusef Lateef and my man Rahsaan Roland Kirk (although I think his playing has more in common with the playful nature of Kirk). A nice small combo track that lives and dies based on the unique rhythm and percussion (conga!).

Steely Dan, "Do It Again" from the album, Can't Buy a Thrill.



In part 1 of groups I never, ever, in a million-friggin'-years would have thought I'ld be into, are the 70's master's of mellow jazz rock, Steely Dan. My initial interest in these guys was due to the random number of artists who mentioned them as influences. I never realized that they were so admired for their recording techniques and sophisticated song writing, knowing them primarily from classic rock radio as I do (or did, at least). So, I copped a copy of A Decade of Steely Dan and was sold shortly thereafter. The music and lyrics are unusually sophisticated and while I know nothing about recording techniques, listen to this disc for a week, take a break and listen to something else, and then come back - you will hear how significantly different Steely Dan's albums sound.

The Grateful Dead, "Box of Rain" from the album American Beauty.



In part 2 of G.I.N.E.I-A-M-F-Y.W.H.T.I.B.I., are the masters of patchouli drenched space jams. First off, to all the haters that want to point out the breadth and depth of my ill-informed Grateful Dead slamming past: lick the sac. Things change. Deal with it (admittedly though, I once drew a pentagram between the eyes of Jerry Garcia when he was on the cover of People magazine. The magazine was a memorial issue, commemorating his death. My roommate at the time - sorry, Negles - was less than pleased.).