Music from the Mailbox

I’m a Trop Rock fan. Big surprise. If the song is about beaches, bars, or boats, chances are I will like it. Lucky for me, there are literally HUNDREDS of artists out there these days singing about my three favorite subjects – and I’m discovering new ones every week.  As a fan, I listen to this kind of music most of my waking hours anyway. But, I’m also a mobile dj – the only one that I know of in my part of the country that features Beach Music and Trop Rock as a regular part of my playlist, from weddings to pool parties. So, I also get a regular chance to play these tunes for other people - not just Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Bob Marley, and the Beach Boys – but independent singer/songwriters and bands. My wife and I also have a business – Bahama Llama – that brings “great food and a tropical vibe” to festivals around the Atlanta area. Our booths are always beach themed and, of course, the music we play all day is Buffett and Trop Rock. At some festivals, that could mean tens of thousands of people passing by our booth (hopefully, at least some stopping) and hearing what we’re playing. On top of all that, I have this blog. One of the main reasons I started it was to help expose people around the world to Trop Rock and the folks who play it - hence the second word in the title. 

For all those reasons, hardly a week goes by that I don't walk out to my mailbox and find a package full of cds from somewhere around the country. Some are new releases from artists and bands I have known about for some time, others are from people I've only recently been introduced to. Either way, I'm like a kid in a candy store - I can't wait to get back inside and hear what the mailman has brought me.

Here are some of the more recent releases I have gotten in the last few weeks... 

 Paul Roush "Today's The Day" - Paul is a veteran music maker from Missouri with a storied history. He was a founding member of the band Phins, 2008 winners of the Trop Rock Horizon Award, and also fronted the 12 Volt Band. He decided to go solo last year and the result is this cd. Recorded at Orca Sound Studios in Maryland, it was produced by Captain Quint's Kevin Johnson, who also plays keyboards, bass and drums on the disc. The ten tracks include a few notable covers; "Layin' My Life On The Line" comes courtesy of Jerry Jeff Walker, "Daddy Was A Sailor" is a Nitty Gritty Dirt Band composition, "I Wanna Be A Pirate" was originally found on the Captain Quint cd, "Unsinkable Still", and it doesn't take a die hard Springsteen fan to immediately identify "Thunder Road". The rest of the material is all original, including "Bad Day On Vacation" - a glass-half-full look at a bike ride on the beach, "Today's The Day" - a feel good ditty about discovering a love you already had, and the retrospective "Just To See If I Could". Two of the more melancholy songs, "Three Sailors" and  "Fools, Drunks, And Children", are updated versions of Paul's tunes originally penned for Phins projects (the former can be found on "Welcome To The Beach", the latter is the title track to their 2002 cd). Howard Livingston fans will also appreciate Paul's hilarious ode to the multi-award winning Florida Keys' musician, "I Wanna Be Howie" (with a nod to Brent Burns).  http://www.paulroush.com/ 

Captain Josh "Whitecaps & Nitecaps" - Josh Ramsteck, aka "Captain Josh", hails from the Orlando, Florida area and is a true Parrot Head - member of the Parrotheads of Central Florida. "Whitecaps & Nitecaps" is his third cd - following up on 2008's "If I Had A Hammock" and "Music In The Lower Keys" from 2007. Like the first two, it consists of original material with some carefully chosen covers, most notably on this one Ricky Nelson's 1972 hit "Garden Party" and the Motown Classic (later re-recorded by Linda Ronstadt) "Ooh Baby Baby". Josh's original tracks often take a humorous look at the Parrot Head lifestyle, and this cd is no exception:  "Parrotheads in Paradise" boogies along on a bed of Buffett references, the double entendre filled "Deep Vee Bottom" is a tongue firmly in cheek look at boats, "Room Key" tells the (true?) story of an amorous fan at a festival date Josh played in Panama City, Florida, and "I'm Into Leather But I Could Be Suede" speaks for itself. Of the "serious songs", "Ship To Shore" would be a great one to listen to as the sun sets and the title track is a nautical ditty with squeeze box accompaniment. Guests on the cd include Trop Rocker Jimi Pappas and guitarist Rob Seay. http://capt-josh.com/

John Patti "Cabana Breeze" - From appearances on various Trop Rock records, to a tropical take on the Folger's Coffee theme with John Reno (top ten finalist in a national contest), to the recent Coral Reefer Soul show in Tampa, and upcoming dates in Costa Rica with Jim Morris, John Patti is a busy guy these days. Playing the steel drum from an early age, Patti cites a chance encounter with the Coral Reefers in Key West back in 1998 as a turning point in his musical career. "Cabana Breeze" is his second cd and features Buffett band members Peter Mayer, Doyle Grisham, and Nadirah Shakoor, who adds vocals to the soulful and sexy "Steamer". The other ten tracks are all-instrumentals. Songs like "Start The Party", "Catamaran Race", "Tiki Groove", and "Tauranga" make you want to run, not walk, to stick a lime into a long neck and your toes in the nearest sand, and "Wonderful Tonight" is his reggae-fied (and slightly more upbeat) take on the Clapton classic. John is a member of the Deb Grisham Music group of artists, which also includes Nadirah Shakoor, and both Peter and "Uncle" Jim Mayer. http://www.johnpatti.com/

Scott Kirby "Row Me Home" - As an unabashed Scott Kirby fan, I was thrilled to connect with him via telephone recently to conduct an extended interview (found elsewhere on this very blog) and talk about some of his music, including tracks on this - his sixth cd, released last year. Produced by world renowned drummer Russ Kunkel (Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Dan Fogelberg and countless others) and featuring an all star cast of musicians like Leland Sklar, Dean Parks, and Coral Reefers Jim and Peter Mayer and Roger Guth, "Row Me Home" is full of Kirby's trademark warmth and poet's eye for detail. Favorite tracks include "Blow Me Down To Cayo Hueso" - an ode to his own song line, which has taken him from New England to Key West, "Port Outbound Starboard Home" - a catchy Jackson Browne type rocker about not looking back, the pretty, country tinged "Out Here Near The Edge" and the cleverly titled acoustic ballad "Row Me Home To Juliet". Kirby recently kicked off his Spring/Summer tour in New Hampshire and will be travelling South and West, with dates in Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Washington and more through July.  http://www.scottkirby.com/

 Hana & Satchwell "Chillaxin" - Another group featured in a full length interview on this blog, Ricky Hana and Alan Satchwell split their time between the California coast and Hawaii. Successful musicians in their own rights, 2010's Chillaxin is their second cd as a duo and the second to win a Hawaii Music Award as "Pop Album Of The Year". As the name implies, "Chillaxin"' is all about slowing down and taking things one day at a time. "Island Daze Island Nights" rides a lazy horn-driven groove, the beautiful and relaxing "My Sunset" features their trademark smooth vocal harmonies, "Duval Street" and "Cali Samba" are jazzy instrumentals, "Island Gurl" is the perfect soundtrack for a cruise along the North Shore, and "First Day Of Summer" and "Lighten The Load" are reggae tinged and danceable. Much Aloha!  http://hanasatchwell.com