ALYSSA GRAHAM'S list of "MUSIC YOU SHOULD HEAR"
(in no particular order)

1. ON THE BEACH - NEIL YOUNG - "Motion pictures" breaks my heart every time I hear it. The title track just makes me want to help Neil put the pictures back on his wall. This album has been my all time favorite since I was about 15. It is only surpassed by "The Bottom Line, New York, May 16, 1974 bootleg." "Pardon My Heart" is one of the greatest love songs, saddest love song I've ever heard.

2. LOVE SHOUT - ETTA JONES - Her inflections are so reminiscent of Billie Holiday but her elegance and style are all her own. "Love Walked In" and "Don't Go To Strangers" (on separate recording) both capture her true essence. I just adore her sound. She makes me want to be a better singer.

3. SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND - BEATLES - Ok, this is an obvious one but couldn't leave it off the list as it changed music as we know it by establishing the idea of the concept record and the recording of "A Day In The Life." I wouldn't be who I am today with out the Fab Four. Perhaps especially John Lennon.

4. MILES of AISLES - JONI MITCHELL - Some of the new arrangements were exciting but mostly the intensity and seriousness of Joni's romantic vision on songs like "A Case of You" and "Blue" take my breadth away. This version of "All I want" set me free when I was a kid.

5. ENTRE AMIGOS - ROSA PASSOS & RON CARTER - My absolute favorite vocalist in the world. The sweetest sound you will ever hear come out of a human voice. Her precision, pitch, complexity, freshness, and honesty will capture your heart and mind. "Bahia Com H" is one of my favorites.

6. JOAO GILBERTO (1973) - JOAO GILBERTO - This album, and in fact, all of Joao's albums changed my perspective as a musician and as a vocalist. Though many credit the late Frank Sinatra with teaching them about phrasing, Joao is my teacher. His entire being goes into his playing and singing. He says so much more than most with his soft, almost inaudible, vocals and his effortless guitar playing. Every word screams with passion.

7. PERCEPTUAL - BRIAN BLADE FELLOWSHIP - These guys are just beyond category. They are influenced by rock, country, folk, jazz, and classical and it all comes out in their music. Listening to the Fellowship is indeed a religious experience. If you listen closely you're likely to reach enlightenmentÉ if only for a moment. Jon Cowherd's performance on "Variations of a Bloodline: From The Same Blood" will help get you there.

8. MILTON - MILTON NASCIMENTO - Coupled on this album with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. I can't get over the different colors of Milton's voice. The richness of his bass tones and the beauty of his falsetto. The Afro-Brazilian and Jazz rhythms take you on an unforgettable journey. It's haunting.

9. NATTY DREAD - BOB MARLEY - Just one of those must have feel good albums. righteous, rhythmic, and sexy. The I-Three's are always sweet too! Though Bob is addressing the ghetto realities of Jamaica's Trenchtown, he is able to do it with joy and that makes it irresistable. I had this album playing in my car for over two years straight.

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