MUSIC MAMBO MEME

Tagged by Lyn the Organic Chemist (Hey Jason, you got tagged too!).

They say every snowflake is unique. Name a musician who you think is unique and sounds like no one else.

That's a tough one for me, in both the sacred and secular circuits, in both the pop and classical circuits. I can't say Raspberries, though they're my favorite secular band. They drew on earlier influences, and later bands drew on theirs.

I can't draw from the "treasury" of bad Catholic music, since Marty Haugen and David Haas sound very much alike. Same with all of the members of the band dubbed as the "St. Louis Jesuits". Tim Manion and Dan Schutte sound very close. Roc O'Connor's stuff sounds like just about anything done by most "charismatic prayer groups" of the seventies.

I'm going to revert to another seventies composer and say C. Alexander Peloquin. Though influenced by Gershwin and Bernstein, much of the music of Dr. Peloquin, even in such styles, made a mark in liturgical music at that time. The only shame is that most of it got shunned (with the possible exception being Gloria of the Bells) by many in favor of music by those artists (and facsimiles thereof) in the previous paragraph.

Snowfall covers everything in sight. Tell us about a cover song you enjoy.

In the realm of sacred music, I'd have to say Liszt's organ prelude on the Arcadelt Ave Maria.

In the realm of secular pop music, I'm going to go with Kiss' cover of Then She Kissed Me (the original was Then HE Kissed Me by a girl band whose name eludes me at this point). It's the closing song to their Love Gun album.

OK -- one more... Eric Carmen's cover of Baby, I Need Your Lovin' from his Change of Heart album. Very faithful to the original.

It snows a lot in Canada. Tell us your favorite Canadian musician.

It's a toss-up for me between Paul Schaefer (David Letterman's faithful baldheaded bandmaster) and the guys from the Guess Who.

Watching the snow fall can be very peaceful. Name a song that brings you peace.

No, that would not be Let There Be Peas and Carrots on Earth. I would have to say when I hear Louis Vierne's Berceuse, or even when I play it, I can feel the serenity, especially in the last 16 bars or so.

TAG, YOU'RE IT! anyone who reads this.
Peace,
BMP