March 11, 2012

Alana Davis | The Letter

I'm back already from my week-long away-from-shop vacation?  Nope.  Just wanted to blog about music. 

I have recently found inspiration in Alana Davis' album, "Surrender Dorothy," which I've had in my collection for over a handful of years now.  The actual CD, folks.  The album has been on repeat on this daylight-savings Sunday.  It is a tangibly-optimistic mix of funk, soul, and jazz--a heavenly, grounding combination for the overwhelmed in thought.

In vain, I searched on YouTube today for the song, "Vision" (which is from the album), but found nothing.  That's what I get for enjoying music by singer-songwriters of the free-spirited, yet relatable, variety.  We are a rare breed, indeed?

However, I did come across a promotional-type video for "Surrender Dorothy."  In the video, Davis sings a song, "Letter," from the album.  The song is prefaced by a short interview with Davis, in which she discusses her musical roots: her Black American father was an accomplished jazz bebop pianist, and her White American mother, a noted jazz singer.  You "get" Davis' vibe right away; she's genuinely down-to-earth and humble--a woman who is comfortable in her own skin.  This mentality/vibe, in my opinion, is so rare today in a world preoccupied with putting on airs and creating false self-images to make ourselves feel better, or worse: in the name of marketing and musical popularity; in response to societal standards and measurements of beauty.   

To get back to the main point of this post, humility and mellow is what I need right now.  Lots of it...on repeat.  This is where I find inspiration, and it feels right:


Be back in a week or so.  Until then, if you haven't already, please consider reading this entry on doing good: http://emeraldcut.blogspot.com/2012/03/one-year-later-japan-earthquake-and.html

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