With Grand Rapids’ ArtPrize officially launching today, Local Spins asked a chief architect of the drive to include music entries to offer her playlist of current favorites. Can you say “eclectic”?
EDITOR’S NOTE: To coincide with the sixth annual ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids — which features 86 music entries, busking stations for songwriters and an upcoming WOOD TV8/Talsma Concert Series at Rosa Parks Circle — Local Spins asked some ArtPrize-related organizers and performers to submit their current playlists of favorite songs. Consider it music to ogle art by.
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As executive director of Grand Rapids’ St. Cecilia Music Center, Cathy Holbrook has really gotten to know some world-class players who’ve graced Royce Auditorium with their virtuosic jazz and chamber music skills. But there are many more colors on Holbrook’s musical palette, as her Local Spin Guest Playlist proves. (Eight of the 10 songs on Holbrook’s list are available via Spotify and you can check out the Spotify version of her playlist below.)
Her roster of songs even includes a past entry in the ArtPrize competition by Grand Rapids singer-songwriter Glen Danles. And for those interested in checking out this year’s entries (who are vying for separate $2,000 prizes in five categories), many of them have been uploaded to the artprize.org website here.
Or, head downstairs at St. Cecilia Music Center, 24 Ransom Ave. NE, where listening stations are available to check out all of the entries. Songwriters entered in the competition also will be busking around town throughout ArtPrize so get more information about those performances in this Local Spins story, with a full schedule of busking performances online here.
Now, onto Holbrook’s Guest Playlist …
1. “I Lost It,” Lucinda Williams (from “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road”) – I could pretty much just list all 10 Lucinda Williams songs on my faves because she is definitely my girl. I love her new and old stuff. I will spend weekends listening to Lucinda Williams marathons. But this particular song is the go to sing-along-in-the-car song. I love her lyrics and her grittiness. “I think I lost it, let me know if you come across it. Let me know if I let fall along a bad road somewhere. Money can’t replace it, no memory can erase it and I know I’m never gonna find another one to compare.” What did she lose? I think I’ve lost mine, too! Can I say that I love her one more time?
2. “Real Good Hands,” Gregory Porter (from “Be Good”) – We presented Gregory Porter at St. Cecilia Music Center last February and if I didn’t have a crush on him before he visited I most definitely did after we met. He was the most gracious, kind, warm, gentle person – but packaged in this big football player body and HUGE voice. I love his lyrics, which are so heartfelt. I usually cry at some point during this song. Now that I’ve met him and know what a wonderful person he is, his music speaks to me even more.
3. “Stitched Up,” Herbie Hancock and John Mayer (from “Possibilities”) – Herbie Hancock did this album as duets or collaborations with a bunch of pop stars like Annie Lennox, Paul Simon, Sting. It’s awesome. This one is the most jazzy/poppy on the album and it just makes me want to dance.
4. “Some Devil,” Dave Matthews (from “Some Devil”) – I love me some Dave. Again, his lyrics are always interesting but the timing of the words to the music and the way he weaves a song together are unique to him and his style. These eerie lilting lyrics give me chills. And yes, I’ve seen him in concert – more than once.
5. “Something Cool,” Tierney Sutton (from “Something Cool”) – Tierney is another singer we’ve presented at St. Cecilia Music Center – twice in fact, which is the only time that has happened in my time there. Her voice is like the purest instrument, it creates this visual of a pure light coming from her. It’s hard to describe, but you feel it when you see her perform live or when you listen to her recordings – it makes you hold your breath. I listened to this album about 50 times as I was painting my living room and dining room years back. I was determined to bring her to SCMC and then found out she has a cousin in Grand Rapids. Her concert date was in the fall and our receptionist called down to me in July and said, “Cathy, Tierney Sutton is here.” I freaked out because my first thought was “Oh my God, does she think she’s supposed to do a concert here tonight. Could that be possible?” Nope, she was just here visiting the cousin and wanted to check out the venue. But me running upstairs in a tizzy pretty much made us fast friends and I’ve asked her to sing this song many times and she has always granted my wish.
6. “Shake Your Hips,” The Rolling Stones (from “Exile on Main Street”) – This is a little off the beaten path from my other choices, right? I love this Stones album: It’s the epitome of the Stones to me and when it’s time to rock out, this album is where I’m headed.
7. “Ashes to Ashes,” Joe Sample (from “Ashes to Ashes”) – Joe Sample Pandora radio is always my Sunday morning choice. When he passed away last weekend I was heartbroken. He was on my short list as someone I’d be so thrilled to present as our Great Artist at SCMC. I really love all of his albums and find his music to be so soothing and calming and yet musically sophisticated.
8. “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Michael Jackson (from “Off the Wall”) – What can I say? I was in high school in the ’80s so Michael was a mainstay. But I really love his earlier music before the “Thriller” phenomenon. The other night, my husband and I spent about two hours looking up cool videos of Michael Jackson when he was younger and watching him move like no one else can. I remember the day he died I came home from work and my husband said, “Michael Jackson died today,” and I said, “No, he didn’t – that’s ridiculous.” I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.
9. “Glad Tidings,” Van Morrison (from the album “Moondance”) – This is a song that was featured at the end of an episode of The Sopranos and I couldn’t find what it was for a while. My friend was actually the music director for the show and I almost called her to figure it out but I finally found it, on one of what is probably Van Morrison’s most popular albums. Cool song that now is inexplicably linked to that show for me and reminds me of driving across country back to Michigan to move back in 2006.
10. “Alive,” Glen Danles (from “the glendanles brand”) – This is my local pick for this list. Glen entered this into ArtPrize two years ago and I really like the song. It definitely stood out for me. I thought, “I’d go buy the whole album of that guy!” During ArtPrize when I met Glen during the Showcase concerts, we figured out that we actually went to high school together though I’m a little older than he is. I think he’s got a great sound.
Listen to “Alive” here: http://glendanles.com/music/
CATHY HOLBROOK’S GUEST PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY
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