Inflatable Christmas Tree Vol. 5 - 2010
Happy Holidays
Inflatable Christmas Tree has always been meant to set the mood while you and yours have a great time in the coming year. If you end up enjoying a song or an artist enough to listen to more, all the better.
2010 will be a tough year to top. Our daughter, Stella Francis, made her grand debut on August 1st and changed everything for the better. The cover photo is one that I have looked at on all my trips and times away from her. It makes me smile and appreciate the wonderment and beauty of that moment, and how blessed Sara and I feel to have her in our lives.
Wouldn’t Be Nice
The Beach Boys | Pet Sounds
Sara and I made a few mixes before Stella was born to play during our hospital stay, and this was on the Happy Baby mix. It is a great song with lots of depth, and one that you sing almost unconsciously after a few listens.
Tighten Up
Archie Bell & The Drells | Tighten Up
I revisited some of my funk collection earlier this year, and was a little surprised that this one had never made prior volumes. This regularly makes my morning commute.
Rave On
She & Him | Hold Time
Technically speaking, this is not a She & Him song, it’s a track on M. Ward’s (Him) great album, Hold Time, featuring Zooey Deschanel (She). It has a very unique and warm sound, and the bells in background remind me of Christmas.
Soda Soap
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars | Living Like A Refugee
This talented group had a track on Inflatable Vol. 2, and this one spreads the merriment with a playful melody sure to bring a smile to your face.
Holiday
Madonna | Madonna
Hard to not include Madonna after four albums…simple, happy beats from 1983.
Deadbeat Summer
Neon Indian | Psychic Chasm
Great driving song brought to my attention by Jim Fennel on his Summer Mix. Hat tip to you, sir.
Feeling Good
Nina Simone | Best of Nina Simone
Through his body of work and recent interviews on Charlie Rose, Sir Michael Caine has proven to be quite a cool cat. A music mix he made for Elton John, which became an album titled “Cained,” featured a track from Nina Simone, of whom I have been a fan for some time.
Boogaloo Down Broadway
Fantastic Johnny C | Boogaloo Down Broadway
More Funk…I moved my focus from Calypso last year to Funk in 2010. Sara, Stella, and I were in New York in October, bopping through the city and Central Park humming this tune.
Dance Do the Reggae
Bob Marley & The Wailers | The Complete Wailers: ’67–‘72
It wouldn’t be an Inflatable lineup without my mainstay… Bob and crew’s attempt at disco/dance party music, I think they pulled it off.
Stella By Starlight
Stan Getz | Best of Stan Getz
Stan was also highlighted on Sir Caine’s mix, and I have always been a fan of his collaborations with Joao Gilberto. My mother-in-law fortuitously heard this song on the radio as she came into Pittsburgh, roughly 24 hours after I had included it on the album. And so it was meant to be.
Did Ya Ever Look So Nice
The Samples | The Best of The Samples
Another great driving tune and a hit during my high school years.
Quelqu'un m'a dit
Carla Bruni | Quelqu'un m'a dit
Sara and I were in Paris on New Year’s Eve last year. It was a magical time, at the tail end of a memorable Christmas in Barcelona, in what seems like a lifetime ago. I believe the song title translates to “Someone told me.” Before she became the first lady of France, Carla was making a name for herself as a singer.
Buona Sera
Louis Prima | Treme, Season 1
I really enjoyed HBO’s Treme, which highlights New Orleans post Katrina. Sara and I have been there many times and have great memories of the place. The show did a great job of highlighting the rich musical traditions of the crescent city and this tune has a kick that keeps you coming back.
Shangri-La
M. Ward | Hold Time
M. Ward has captured a unique euphonic tone in all his songs on this album, and this one has been in regular rotation since Stella joined us.