The Friday Five: March 1, 2013

Friday Five : |ˈfrÄ«dā – fÄ«v| : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button in iTunes and share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up the media player of your choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.

The Five:

“Somethin’ Else” by Cannonball Adderley (from Somethin’ Else, 1958)

Adderley’s name might be on the masthead, but this is 100% Miles. Recorded during Adderley’s stint in Davis’ sextet, it features Davis and Adderley trading lines over a solid swing laid down by Sam Jones and Art Blakey. This is an essential recording for anyone looking to build a Jazz collection. Heck, it’s essential listening to anyone who loves music.

“Octopus’s Garden” by The Beatles (from Abby Road, 1969)

Oh, Ringo. I’ll be damned if I don’t love the tasty little leads that Harrison plays here.

“Blood” by Pearl Jam (from Vs., 1993)

20 years has done little to diminish the raw power of this record.

“Cursed Diamond” by The Black Crowes (from Amorica, 1998)

I’m a fan of The Black Crowes in this slow-burn, bluesy space. Tunes like “Sometimes Salvation,” and “Bad Luck Blue Eyes” always appealed to me more than their attempts at straight up balladry (“She Talks to Angels.”) It looks like the brothers Robinson—and whomever they can get to put up with their shit for six months—are gearing up for a massive world tour in 2013. I highly recommend catching them live.

“Fallible” by Blues Traveler (from Four, 1994)

Hey, it’s a song that no one knows from the one Blues Traveler record that everyone owns. A few weeks back I got sucked into watching one of those VH1 Top 1000 Hits of the ’90s programs and was oddly reminded of just how much I liked “Hook” and “Run-Around” at the time, and how utterly forgettable they are to me now. I’ll admit I’m tempted to go and listen to both now, just to see if they still stick.

What’s on your shuffle today?