New Music Tuesday: Thanksgiving Jazz

One aspect of Thanksgiving to which I don't look forward is the inevitable music fight.  Mom likes MoTab, Dad likes Crystal Gale, Sis likes Kate Bush & Little brother, sporting the fauxhawk, digs The Briefs.

Can this family be saved?

My own Thanksgiving familial-musical strife used to involve dad telling me to "turn it down!" and mom complaining that the music "all sounds the same."  I don't try to sneak a CD into the stereo anymore.  It's just too stressful.  My solution has been to be cool, man, be cool; and put on a little jazz.

By 'jazz' I don't mean the elevator music that's played on K-whatever "smooth jazz radio" in your town.  I mean classic jazz by legendary artists.

This is great music to make most everyone (perhaps not little brother with the fauxhawk) be cool, chat whilst mashing potatoes, and tap a toe playing Rook or Pit at the kitchen table.

If you're unfamiliar with jazz, try grabbing or downloading a few CDs of the Jazz in Paris series (easily available on iTunes).  Also check out the Verve Records catalog - it offers some great artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Thelonious Monk.

Grab some jazz for turkey day and pass the peas, daddy-o.

A few jazz tracks and wine suggestions:

Winter in Madrid by Toots Thielmans (Jazz in Paris, Vol. 17) + Kalin Cellars Pinot Noir 1994

Saint Louis Blues by Sonny Criss (Jazz in Paris, Vol. 23) + Jeio Bisol Prosecco

Baby, I Love You by Wynton Marsalis (Magic Hour) + Azienda Agricola Cottanera “Barbazzale”

Flamenco Sketches by Miles Davis (Kind of Blue) + Any bottle of Krug (better yet, listen to the entire album while nursing this luxe bubbly)

Comments

[Culinary Fool]

Love the idea of pairing wine with music! I often do that with food, too. :-)

~ B

PS Have a great Thanksgiving!