Every week, CKUA’s hosts submit their songs for our weekly House Blend playlist: an exciting new release, a beloved classic or just an old personal favourite. We mix it all together to create a sonic concoction that’ll help kick off your week. Check out what’s on this week’s playlist.
The Playlist
The Picks
Orest Soltykevych: David Fanshawe, “Serenata: Mother & Child”, British Light Music Discoveries Volume 6
David Fanshawe was an English composer and a passionate musicologist, who passed away in 2010. When he was in his late 20s, he travelled throughout Africa recording hundreds of hours of music that he heard. This is a miniature he wrote in 2002, which features the clarinet and marimba. He dedicated this piece to his mother.
Bob Chelmick: Josh Ritter (with Bob Weir), “When Will I Be Changed?”
Josh had this song, but could not lay it down to his satisfaction. Then Grateful Dead co-founder and poet, Bob Weir, entered the picture. It turned out like an metaphysical anthem. How to find ‘your higher self’?
Cathy Ennis: Brenda Navarrete, “Taita Bilongo”
Afro-Cuban Latin jazz. What’s not to love about those warm rhythms? Brenda Navarette is a singer-songwriter-percussionist from Cuba and her debut solo album, Mi Mundo,though short, at just over 37 minutes, is exquisite! “Taita Bilongo” is just one of several stand-out tracks.
Baba: Tommy Emmanuel feat. J.D. Simo, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of The Bay”
A loving tribute to Otis Redding by the sublime Mr. Tommy Emmanuel. It’s got the groove without losing the delicate nature of the song.
Meg Wilcox: The Bros. Landreth, “If I Had A Boat”
The brothers lend their dulcet tones to a Lyle Lovett classic — what’s not to love?
Allison Brock: Western Centuries, “Wild You Run”
The label gave me this track to spin on Wide Cut Country as a Canadian premiere well ahead of the band’s sophomore album release. Songs From The Deluge doesn’t hit the streets until April 6th, but having heard the full album stream, it is already on the way to being a 2018 favourite for me. Western Centuries’ debut album, Weight Of The World, was in my top three in 2016. Cahalen Morrison’s voice is gritty, true and the top-notch band wraps around it perfectly.
Mark Antonelli: The Mirecourt Trio; “Winter”; Rick Sowash: The Four Piano Trios
An evocative and appropriately chilly piece of seasonal chamber music. The first piece I ever heard by the contemporary American composer, Rick Sowash. Back in 1991, I saw the disc at a store and decided to take a chance! Each season is represented in the first piano trio: Four Seasons In Belleville. I ended up buying the disc for my music-loving father and regularly feature pieces from it to this day!
Kathryn Calder: Chlo Doucet, “By Your Side”
Back in September, Grant picked a Chlo Doucet song, “Lighthouse”, from her great debut album, Double Back, for his house blend pick. I’d like to pick another song from the same album. The one I’d like to pick this week is “By Your Side”, a fun, garage-pop song with distorted vocals, plenty of guitars, and excellent ’60s-era songwriting sensibilities! A real gem.
David Ward: The Denim Daddies, “Road Runner”
A solid, debut single from a new, Edmonton-based band with influences ranging from The Flying Burrito Brothers to Ryan Adams. It’s unpretentious, good time, country rock. “Chasin’ the white lines just to see how far they would go”.
Grant Stovel: Ndidi O, “Hands High”
It’s been years since we’ve heard from this giant-voiced Canadian singer. But she just blew through the province over the weekend, playing Calgary’s Block Heater festival, and dropping off this advance single for us along the way!
This ferocious-sounding advance track, “Hands High”, is the lead-off track from Ndidi’s long-awaited new album, These Days, set to land in middle March.