New Springtime Soul

With temperatures consistently in the 60s, spring finally appears to be here for good in the nation's capital.  To take incredible artistic license with Tennyson's work, if I may, it's a time when a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of baseball and John Dalys.  Since having your windows open at night and having a drink or two on the porch will undoubtedly have you feeling good, you might as well have some feel-good jams to add to your soundtrack for weekends to come.

1) "Representing Memphis" by Booker T. Jones (feat. Sharon Jones and Matt Berninger)

Organist Booker T. Jones, best known for his 60s hit instrumental "Green Onions," has had a renaissance lately.  His 2009 album, Potato Hole, had the Drive-By Truckers and Neil Young serving as his backing band and featured a decent cover of Outkast's "Hey Ya."  The Road from Memphis comes out in May and is produced by ?uestlove of the Roots, whom he recently played with on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  "Representing Memphis" is the first single from the album, which features a duet from an unlikely duo.  Matt Berninger of the National has a great voice and gets an A for effort, but the star of the show is clearly Sharon Jones.  Somehow, it works.  By my estimation, it ranks up there with "Easy Lover" as one of the great unlikely black-white duets of all time.



2) "100 Yard Dash" by Raphael Saadiq

While we're on the topic of second acts, Raphael Saadiq has had one of his own.  In his early 20s he was the front man of of the reasonably successful late 80s-early 90s R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, but has successfully reinvented himself in recent years to great acclaim as a soul throwback.  On 2008's The Way I See It, he shows that he's got the look and the sound down pat.  See for yourself.



3) "Another Day" by Jamie Lidell

It's no great secret that blue-eyed soul is greatly appreciated at the Virginia Gentleman's Club.  Jim is proudly carrying the torch for the genre over in England.  Although he has a number of mega jams, this the one that's most likely to put the seasonal spring in your step.



If you've liked what you've heard, I highly recommend looking into any of the artists mentioned in a great New York Times Magazine article from last year, which asks the eternal question -- "Can a Nerd Have Soul?"

With my first final two weeks from today, I will no longer be able to pull a Greg Jennings for the blog.  With the possible exception of something I have in mind for Easter Sunday, that's all for me for the semester.  Until mid-May, you take care.

--J.J. Gittes