Living In Rhythm

So today, while enjoying some downtime after deadlines, a friend of mine asked me a question I wasn't prepared for.

The question was this: "What 5 musicians would you most want to sing with?"

Sounds simple, right? I'm sure most people would rattle off five names and that'd be that. Not me. I had follow up questions. Would it be studio recording or live performance? What kind of venue are we talking? Can the artists be dead or alive? Any specific genre?

You get the idea. So she set the parameters as such: The artist must be alive, it would be a live performance in a small-ish venue (1,000-5,000 people). And yes, we got that specific, or it would have taken me ages and ages to compile my list of five people. The links will take you to some awesome live videos.

1: John Mayer. This one wouldn't matter what the details were. Dead, alive, performance or studio. I'd just love to pretty much do anything with him. Write a song, lay down some vocals, sit and watch in awe as he took a solo. Whatever. That said, I've got a wicked harmony part worked out for Slow Dancing in a Burning Room. Just sayin'.

2: Vince Gill. One of my all time fave singers. Totally brilliant musician who, though he's been nominated for and won almost every award out there, is so underrated it's not even funny. His was the second concert I ever went to. He was brilliant. I was 12 years old, and I fell in love with his music even more. That love affair hasn't ended.

3: Marc Broussard. Marc and I could get it funky, and I don't mean that in any dirty way (the guy's married and has three kids!). His music just makes you smile. He could pick any song and tell me to sing the BGs and I'd be game. Hell, he could tell me to sing on every song and I'd be game. Just love this soul/R&B/funk vibe he's got himself into. It's his sound; no one else out there has it.

4: Patty Griffin. You know how I feel about her. I can hear myself singing Trapeze or Burgundy Shoes with her. Or Heavenly Day, the song that can turn my mood around no matter what.

5: This is a tie, because I simply cannot choose between these two men. Brian McKnight and D'Angelo. Love them both immensely. It's ridiculous, really. Brian is a master. D'Lo can sing like nobody's business. Don't know what else to say. These two are each geniuses in their own right. With Brian, I'd want to sing 6, 8, 12. With D'Lo, probably Send It On or Untitled (How Does it Feel) or maybe Brown Sugar.

So there you have it. My list of five. Sort of. I know it's a cop out to have a tie, but...well, it's my list, and I say it's allowed.

This post is archived under brian mcknight, d angelo, john mayer, marc broussard, music, patty griffin, vince gill