Thank you for the music, is a new blog for Jazz Jurassica fans. We invite guests to tell us about the music that’s important to them and why.
Thanks for the Music – Jonah Hitchens
Here, JONAH HITCHENS, West Country born singer-songwriter and regular performer at Jazz Jurassica, lists 10 of his favourite tracks. You can hear his selection as a Spotify playlist (Thanks for the music – Jonah Hitchens) on Jazz Jurassica’s Spotify channel HERE.
“Usually I’d find this task challenging. 10 tracks to sum up everything I am right now? Yet, I’d recently been doing this during writing and recording a new LP. I was thinking about the elements of music and songwriting that move me. I shared this with my band and channeled it into my new music. These tracks remind me why music is great.
Category 1: ‘Awhhhhh yeahhhhh’.
‘So in Love’ (Curtis Mayfield) and ‘Oh Honey‘ (Delegation) are the type of songs that make time stand still. Whilst you float in a bath of sonic bliss. Very simple tunes that go on for as long as they need to. When you’ve found something good in music, there’s no need to rush away. S0, it’s okay to stay in that moment – as in life.
I’m including ‘Brokedown pts 1 & 2’ (California Honeydrops) in this category even though it’s a bit more energetic. It’s still a lovely song that makes me feel good.
#notetoself – make people feel good with your music.
Category 2: ‘It’s all about the song’.
Good recording can only ever equal good songwriting. ‘I Think I’ll Call it Morning’ (Gil Scott-Heron), ‘Can We Pretend’ (Bill Withers) and ‘Dream’ (Terry Reid) are examples. There is no studio magic happening in any of these tracks. A good song and then played live in a studio. The recordings are so dry and you can hear the bunch of people in a room playing a well written song.
#notetoself- write good songs.
Category 3: ‘Childhood Magic’.
The songs ‘Time’ (Pink Floyd) and ‘Machine Gun’ (Jimi Hendrix) are songs from my musical upbringing in classic rock. I’d forgotten my love for this sort of music. I almost thought that to grow as a musician I had to branch more into jazz. All it did was make me suck.
Recently, I’ve re-discovered that I bloody love classic rock and blues! Jimi Hendrix was my first love. Since then I’ve been channeling that side of me. And I’ve never felt better as a writer and musician.
#notetoself – be yourself. You’re good at being who you are, much better than someone else who isn’t you.
Category 4: ‘Keep it Funky’.
There’s no better feeling than getting down to some funk. Pure, unadulterated, funky funk. This relates back to ‘awhhh yeahhhh’. Because funk musicians like Mokaad – ‘I don’t know’ – are in no rush to end a song! They find that feeling and stick with it. Damnnn it feels good!
Another lesson from the funketeers – especially Parliament- ‘Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication’. Don’t take things too seriously. So long as you have the fundamentals (a good groove and a good message), then anything else is there for the ride.
#notetoself – keep it funky!
And there you have it. All these songs (apart from Brokedown..) are from the 70’s, my favourite decade of music. I hope you enjoy going on a journey into my musical soul. And of course, I hope you’ll buy a copy of my LP when it comes out…that’s a plug!”
