And The Accordion As Bob Janitor!

I am not afraid to admit that I am a Weird Al fan. Not that you couldn't guess that but I have been a true fan of Al's ever since he first came to fame in the early 80s. I was, at one time, an incredibly rabid fan of everything he did. Over the years, I have still been a fan but not to the extent that I used to be. Not to say that he isn't as good as he used to be, it's just that I have kind of lost touch with what he is doing these days. There was a time when Weird Al was as big as Madonna. MTV gave his career a gigantic boost and he in turn raised the bar for music video. It was during this time that he released what I like to call, the long lost Al project. It was a classical album. You heard me. A classical album. Actually, it was a classical album aimed at kids. It was Al doing "Peter and The Wolf". Well, it was Al narrating Peter and The Wolf. The amazing Wendy Carlos (who was at one time Walter Carlos) provided the music. Well, most of the music. There is a slight bit of Al playing accordion on the record. You would expect a parody version but for the most part, Al plays it straight. There are a few jokes thrown in here and there and, as I said, an accordion part that was not in the original piece, but mostly it sticks to the original story. It's a great treasure that kind of went by unnoticed. I present it for you now. Here is Weird Al and Wendy Carlos with "Peter And The Wolf". (they also tackle "Carnival of the Animals!) Enjoy!

"Weird Al" Yankovic & Wendy Carlos-Peter And The Wolf

BONUS:
Here's the fake trailer for the Weird Al bio pic courtesy of funnyordie.com!

"Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" from Aaron Paul

The 25 Posts of Christmas: The Swinging-est Nutcracker Ever

In 1960, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn arranged their own adaptation of the classic Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky. Changing the names of some of the movements to such titles as Toot Toot Tootsie Toot (Dance of the Reed-Flutes), Peanut Brittle Brigade (March), Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy), The Volga Vouty (Russian Trepak), Chinoiserie (Chinese Tea), Dance of the Floreadores (Waltz of the Flowers), and Arabesque Cookie (Arabian Coffee). The suite is was arranged for Ellington's Big Band at the time and since has gone on to be performed by countless others. I was first introduced to this amazing take on the ballet in college. It has since become a staple of holiday listening. If you have never heard it you are in for a treat. I guarantee that! Even if you dislike the original piece, you will find a whole new appreciation for it when you hear Duke's classic take on it. Here it is for you now. Here is Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite. Enjoy!

Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suite

The 25 Posts of Christmas: A Byrd In The Hand

One of my utmost favorite albums that were in the stack of Christmas records that my dad brought out every year was an album of Christmas Carols played on solo acoustic guitar. The guitar player was Charlie Byrd. Charlie was most famous for the collaboration he did with Stan Getz on the famous 1962 album Jazz Samba. The recording pushed bossa nova into the mainstream of popular music. In 1967, he released his now infamous Christmas record. The production on the album is amazing and the guitar actually sounds like it is right next to you. The album was released on CD a few years back but I am sharing the original vinyl version with you today. A word of warning: this album has not aged well. While most of the records I inherited from my father are in good to excellent condition, this one is not. However, the pops and crackles add a bit of ambiance to the feel of the record. If you are looking for a pristine sounding version of this album, I suggest you head to Amazon and purchase the CD release. Otherwise, please enjoy this well loved copy of Charlie Byrd's "Christmas Carols For Solo Guitar".

Charlie Byrd-Christmas Carols For Solo Guitar