"BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BEWILDERED" ELLA FITZGERALD (1956)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 12: Newport News, VA

When most people think of Ella Fitzgerald’s residence, they usually think of New York. Harlem, more specifically. And later, a move out to the west coast in Beverly Hills. But it all started in her birthplace: Newport News, VA. There are few singers that possess such a high standard in terms of both tone and technique. When it comes down to it, her voice is just so easy to listen to her warm tone, unique diction, and her ability to improvise like her voice is an instrument.

Ella’s rendition of the show tune classic “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” is one of her first recordings that I had the pleasure of hearing. Pure beauty coupled with technical prowess. There have been dozens of renditions recorded over the years, but what’s striking is how far superior Ella’s version is compared to the others. It belongs in a separate class of its own, making the others – from the likes of Doris Day, Mel Torme, The Platters, Barbara Streisand, Rod Stewart & Cher, among others – feel almost like karaoke.

“Love's the same old sad sensation. Lately I've not slept a wink Since this half-pint imitation Put me on the blink.”

"A CHANGE IS GONNA COME" OTIS REDDING (1965)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

Otis Blue is considered by many to be one of the greatest albums ever recorded. A deep exploration of Redding’s bluesy, soulful demeanor, he sang some of his originals (including “Respect” before Aretha Franklin made it a household tune) as well as iconic standards like “Satisfaction”, “Rock Me Baby”, “My Girl” and “Down in the Valley”. There are also a handful of songs from fellow blues legend Sam Cooke who died a few months before the album was released. One of those Cooke treasures is the beautiful blues ballad “A Change is Gonna Come”.

The recording itself is quite a monumental listen. Redding holds nothing back, singing with conviction driven likely by his ability to relate to Cooke’s story, which is the most powerful aspect of the song. “A Change Is Gonna Come” isn’t just a catchy song. It’s a statement and a rant on the sad state of where things were back then in terms of racial equality. What makes the song even more meaningful is that the change hasn’t fully arrived yet. The emotions are still raw and very real more than 50 years later.

“There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long. But now I think I'm able to carry on. It's been a long, a long time coming. But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will.”

"TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS" NINA SIMONE (1965)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

A romantic fling during the summer before freshman year of college was one of those coming-of-age seasons for me. If someone were to make a movie about my life, that summer would undoubtedly be a part of the script. The girl had incredible taste in music. She introduced me to a wide variety of music, including a new up-and-coming band called Dee-Lite, the early catalog of Siouxsie & the Banshees. and the incomparable Nina Simone. I didn’t think about it at the time, but all these artists were female-led. If she hadn’t played those treasured Nina Simone records, it’s quite possible it would’ve take me decades to discover gems like “Take Care of Business”.

That voice. There’s nothing else like it. Simone’s fiery and feisty persona thankfully translated to equally fiery and feisty vocals. She gives heralded performances throughout the I Put A Spell On You album, including the title track, “Feeling Good”, “Ne Me Quitte Pas” and my favorite track: “Take Care of Business”. On the latter, she sings with a soulful swagger, while the string and horn arrangements create a tango-like quality to the song. “Take Care of Business” showcases the simple genius of using word repetitions to create strong melodies.

"NATURAL BLUES" MOBY (1999)

For the second half of September, I’m putting my Mental Jukebox into a time machine, featuring the best songs on the best albums from the very best years of music. #70sThrough90sBestAlbum

With the Play album, Moby left the rave, but he didn’t leave electronica. He gave it a new skin, making it a desirable thing for listeners who wouldn’t necessarily spend their weekend nights at a techno club. Moby also found a way to make rhythm and blues accessible for a wider audience. In 1999, I couldn’t stop playing this album. But Track 8, in particular, was especially irresistable: “Natural Blues”.

The soul of the song is the sample from Vera Hall’s “Trouble So Hard”. But the heart is Moby’s synth and drumbeat orchestration. While some may think of the use of samples in music as lazy, Moby’s inclusion was anything but. “Natural Blues” was the result of sifting through countless folk and gospel field recordings. Hall’s haunting melody was recorded in 1937, but Moby’s track had this powerful way of resurrecting her voice and showing the world this hidden gem of a melody. Hall’s version was distraught and raw. Moby’s was gutsy and angst-ridden.

“Oh Lordy, Lord, trouble so hard. Oh Lordy, Lord, trouble so hard. Don't nobody know my troubles but God.”

"ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER" JIMI HENDRIX (1968)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

As legendary as Bob Dylan is, I understand that he’s not for everyone. Some people just can’t listen past Dylan’s nasal-infused vocal delivery. Jimi Hendrix wasn’t exactly the most vocally gifted musician either. But whatever he lacked as a singer he more than made up for as a guitar player. The thing about his rendition of the Dylan classic “All Along the Watchtower” is he lit every strand of folk and Americana roots from the song on fire, burned those elements to the ground and then made the fire rise even higher with an electric reboot.

Throughout my middle and high school years, I lived next door to a Jimi Hendrix fanatic. My brother introduced me to Jimi’s impressive catalog, which was incredibly prolific given his short life span. The thing that immediately drew me in to his music was a guitar playing style that almost sounded otherworldly. It wasn’t rock. It wasn’t blues. But it was this crazy blend of the two that seemed to be so effortless to Jimi but impossible to others. You can’t simply play the same notes that Jimi played and expect it sound the same. It was the way in which he navigated back and forth between those two genres so easily that makes “All Along the Watchtower” one of the greatest cover songs of all time.

“No reason to get excited. The thief, he kindly spoke. There are many here among us. Who feel that life is but a joke.”

"WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS" LED ZEPPELIN (1971)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

The blues can bring you down. Rock can bring you up. That’s the wild dynamic at play throughout a good portion of Led Zeppelin’s storied catalog. Their songs take your soul in both directions. It can feel like your innards are being torn apart. But it can feel so good. Zeppelin is far more than hard, headbangin’ rock. It’s why they’re still one of my all-time favorite bands. Led Zeppelin IV was an epic recording with an epic ending: “When the Levee Breaks”.

Not as celebrated as the monster tracks on Side 1, “When the Levee Breaks” is largely remembered because it came out in an era of album oriented rock. Back in 1971, the majority of people listened to albums from beginning to end. In this format, “When the Levee Breaks” was a powerful, mind-numbing finale. It was one of the most bluesy songs ever recorded by the band, but it also brought immense power thanks to Bonzo’s thunderous beats and Page’s electric interpretation of the blues.

“When the levee breaks, I'll have no place to stay.”

"THE CHANGINGMAN" PAUL WELLER (1995)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

The solo work of Paul Weller is one of the more underrated music anthologies today. While The Jam helped define the British punk era and mod revival, Weller has been a sort of music chameleon in his solo years. He’s gone headlong into all kinds of musical directions over the years – with elements of jazz, funk, rock and blues.

“Changingman” is one of my favorites. It’s a song of swagger. It’s bluesy. It’s performance-friendly. And it’s proof that you can go out and follow an entirely different musical agenda as a solo artist and still be hugely successful and respected.

“Numbed by the effect, aware of the muse. Too in touch with myself, I light the fuse. I'm the changingman.”

"I PUT A SPELL ON YOU" NINA SIMONE (1965)

For Women’s History Month, I’m selecting some of my favorite songs from some of the most talented and influential women in music. From frontwomen to singer-songwriters to iconic performers, I’m picking one song a day on Mental Jukebox until the end of March.

That voice. It’s the unbelievable combination of versatility and pure soul. Like synthesizers or guitar effects pedals, Nina Simone’s versatility transforms to anything she wants it to be. On a song like “I Put a Spell On You”, we hear a wide array—from sweet honey to scorching fire. And the kicker: there’s an unforgettable moment at the 1:55 mark when Nina’s voice mimics the sax in one of the most arresting improvisations ever recorded.

“I put a spell on you. Because you're mine.”

"JERSEY GIRL" TOM WAITS (1980)

Inspired by Jeep’s “Reunited States of America” Super Bowl ad, this is my peek into America through a handful of songs. Each track is dedicated to one of the states. Here’s Part 5.

Springsteen made “Jersey Girl” famous through his frequent live renditions. Coming from a Jersey guy, in many ways it feels like a quintessential Boss anthem. But this song is written by Tom Waits and it belongs to Tom Waits. It’s the beauty and the beast. One of Waits’ most tender, beautiful songs. But it’s still emotionally delivered with that signature voice that sounds like he just rinsed his mouth out with a bucket of gravel. Without Waits’ gripping vocals, this song loses some of its swagger.

“Down the shore everything's all right. You with your baby on a Saturday night.”

"MOOD INDIGO" NINA SIMONE (1966)

The summer before I headed off to college, I had a short fling with a girl who had amazing taste in music. She knew about Deelite before the rest of the world. And only listened to the deep cuts from bands like Siouxsie & the Banshees and Depeche Mode. But she also raved about Nina Simone and introduced me to this amazing talent. My girlfriend and I went off to separate colleges in the fall. We drifted apart, lived our own worlds, but Nina never left mine.

“That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes.”

"ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER" JIMI HENDRIX (1968)

Throughout my middle and high school years, I lived next door to a Jimi Hendrix fanatic. My brother was fascinated with the sounds that guitars made, and Hendrix was one of the masters that inspired and influenced him and many other players. This Dylan cover has always been one of my favorite songs from a music catalog that was impressively deep given Hendrix’s brief life span. In “All Along the Watchtower”, he found a way to make rock, blues and jazz blend so effortlessly together.

“There must be some kind of way outta here, said the joker to the thief. There's too much confusion. I can't get no relief.”