Alexandra (Ali) Garrison // Blog

Okay, I admit it, I've been wanting to do this list for a while. Thanks Rich Brown for inspiring me with your list (a while back) to delve into my past and my record collection(yes, we still have our turntable and yes, we've raised our only son to know how to use it, while his fourteen year old friends stand back, half-mocking, half-envious, half-perplexed).

1.   Jim Kweskin and Jug Band Music (with Maria Moldaur of “Midnight at the Oasis” fame)-Downhome, earthy, sensual, folk music, great arrangements. One of the first albums my parents bought me cause they always got us kids music they could stand to listen to 5,000 x ad nauseum.

2.   The Original Soundtrack Recording from the Royal Ballet Film of Peter Rabbit and Tales of Beatrix Potter-My Mom bought it for me to cheer me up when I was home sick. I started feeling better when I danced around my room to it or was it the other way around?

3.   The Band-Music from the Big Pink-One of my parent's faves...years later Moya's groovin' grade one teacher taught the class "The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down" while they all made Jambalaya!

4.   Beach Boys - Wild Honey-My older brother bought this for me when I was 6 or 7. my first "cool" record. The cute guys on the front cover gave me a funny squoozy feeling in my stomach.

5.   Judy Collins-Wildflowers-I always think of my Mom in the seventies with this one. Judy has such a soft, beautiful tone and great phrasing.

6.   Cat Stevens-Catch Bull at Four-My parents brought this as a present to Chileno friends in Santiago in the middle of the general strike in 1973. They couldn't stop listening to it cause they were thirsty for anything from abroad. It was so exotic to them!

7.   Quilapayūn - ¡El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido!-When my Dad and I were caught in the middle of a mini coup in Santiago in 1973, this folk group, who were later exiled, babysat me for the day and sang protest songs on the roof of the hotel while the battle raged below.

8.   Elton John-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road-The first album I bought myself when I was 10 years old. It cost $10 which took me forever to save up and I walked by myself all the way from my house to Yonge and Bloor to Sunrise records where Holt Renfrew is now to buy it. Every song was a hit.

9.   James Taylor-Gorilla-I played this all through my parents’ breakup; don't ask me why, it just made me feel better.

10. The Carpenters-The Singles-Same as the above.

11. Billie Holiday-Giants of Jazz-Time Life Series-I was 14 and I felt like I found a whole new world of expression. I sang Nice Work If You Can Get It with a Dixie Land Jazz band and thought "Sheesh, have I ever got a whole lot more to learn".

12. Ella Fitzgerald-Duke Ellington Songbook-The idea of vocal virtuosity combined with incredible musicianship blew my ignorant teenage mind.

13. Joan Sutherland-Death Defying Arias for Dramatic Coloratura-Same as the above. I used to literally run home after school so I could listen to these albums. I think I probably know every melismatic run by heart.

14. Glenn Gould-Goldberg Variations (2nd time round)-I got this album for Christmas in 1980 and took it still wrapped to listen to at the house I was babysitting at. After putting the kids to bed, I reverently unwrapped it and put it on their really good stereo system and lay down on their couch to chill and listen to it. All of a sudden, I heard this moaning from somewhere in their house. I FREAKED OUT, thinking there was a mass murderer that was after us. It slowly dawned on me as I walked around wielding a broom that the sound was coming from the stereo speakers and that it was in fact the ecstatic weirdo, Glenn Gould, who would get transported and groan when he played. Same thing happened when I first heard Oscar Peterson’s rumble.

15. The Emotions-Rejoice-I discoed the nights away to this one. Their harmonies were awesome! Three girl harmony idea starts to sink in.

16. Stevie Wonder- Songs in the Key of Life-Who knew anyone could say so much on one album. Like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road…every single song was a hit.

17. The Pointer Sisters-Live at the Opera House- My all time favorite live album. Incredible arrangements and crazy, giddy performing energy.

18. The Boswell Sisters-You Oughta Be in Pictures-These gals were certifiably nuts. Again, check out the arrangements…waaaaaay out there. This recording inspired the group I co-founded called, The Waverlies, to start thinking outside the box.

19. Joan Armatrading-Show Some Emotion-I heard her live on her first tour to Canada when I was an usherette at Massey Hall. She was all shy and too scared to look at the audience, which I found endearing along with the fact that she played and sang so beautifully. The next time she rolled around, she had been around the block and put on a more bold, self-assured concert which meant I got to see her evolve. I also love her songwriting.

20. Phoebe Snow-Phoebe Snow or Second Childhood-All I can say is WOW! Just check her out, and you’ll see why I have her on this list.

21. The Specials-Specials-My girlfriends and I thought we had died and gone to ska heaven…skipping to that irresistible and political beat at the Masonic Temple…remember that anyone?

22. Ricki Lee Jones-Girl at Her Volcano-Cried over my first major heartbreak(s) to this one. It’s her waif-ish street mouth that gets me every time.

23. Strauss Four Last Songs-Jessye Norman and the Gewandhause Orchestra-My all time favorite album. Heard her sing this live with this orchestra at U Mich in 1989 and wept through the entire concert. She is my High Priestess of Song and I worship at her altar of Straussessence.

24. Betty Carter –the Audience with Betty Carter-No one and I mean NO ONE sings like this dame. This is my second all time favorite album.

25. Sarah Vaughan-Copacobana or Gershwin Live! –I never knew a woman’s voice could drip with ambrosia like that. She gave me permission to sing like chocolate mousse.

26. Händel’s Rinaldo-CBS Masterworks-One of the few operas I enjoy listening to all the way through many times over. I love how the strings have this almost breathy quality.

27. Prince and the New Power Generation-The funk and sex of it all just hit me like a ton of bricks.

28. Sounds of Blackness-the Evolution of Gospel- When I first met Brainerd, subbing at St. Paul‘s Anglican church on Bloor where he was choral director, we liked each other immediately. One time after practice, we decided we both had to go down to HMV that instant and buy this Cd, cause we just had to hear it ASAP. We felt kindredly obsessed. Nothing’s really changed with that feeling.

29. Nina Simone-Forbidden Fruit-My friend Shannon made me a cassette of this and I wore it out. I finally found it again on cd after looking forever for it. Kwanza and I slow dance to one of my favorite ballads, “I’ll Look Around”. It has a magical, suspended moment in time when Nina has her most beautiful tone ever. Check it out. This will become your new favorite Nina album, I guarantee it.

30. the Nathaniel Dett Chorale-Listen to the Lambs-A one-of-a-kind- historical recording and a privilege to have been a part of it.  Nathaniel Dett and Brainerd and the Chorale have taught me about finding the spiritual core in all my music and I am forever changed.

31. Victor Wooten-What Did He Say? Moya and Kwanza and I just stand there with our mouths hanging open in astonishment and delight. We are infected by his fun everytime and quote this album regularly.

32. Mary Lou Williams-Black Christ of the Andes-When I first read about the “lady who swings the band”, her life story amazed me and continues to carry great significance. This album inspired me to request a whole program with the Chorale to honour her and her vast, unsung legacy.

33. Sara Tavares-Balancé-This Cape Verdean from Lisbon calls her songs “lullabies for adults”. I never, ever tire of this album. It will be forever fresh to me.

33a)Ulali-Mahk Jchi -First Nations Women acapella trio. I’m sticking with the number 33 but I just remembered another album which I forgot about because I lent it to a student three years ago and haven’t got it back yet. My friend the composer Barbara Croall introduced this group to me when Kwanza and I were working in Manitoba on a project of hers a while back. These three women are wonderful singers and have really made innovations to First Nations music writing incredible harmonies and arrangements. You should hear their vocal range too...HO!

I think I could maybe write a few more thousand but I'll stop now before I start getting self-indulgent.

Thanks for reading y'all...that was fun.