Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors - "What Would I Do Without You"

Americana band from Memphis and East Nashville in Tennessee, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors formed in 2006. His wife, Ellie Holcomb, who had been a member of the band since 2005, eventually stopped touring with the band to take care of their first child EmmyLou in 2012 and then later began pursuing a solo artist career.

The band has sold over 150,000 albums to date,[not verified in body] and played at over 1,800 concerts in seven countries. So, you’d think I’d have heard of them by now!

They’ve got a sound like classic Jack Johnson, or maybe Ben Harper, mixed with the songwriting of Townes Van Zandt and the casual country folk storytelling of Hank Williams. Basically a perfect blend of music to listen to while driving cross country or sitting on your porch sipping whiskey.

This song popped up today and took me back. It’s such a simple statement, but so gut wrenchingly honest. When you’ve built your life with someone, how do you imagine that life without them. Loving and tender and yet with the specter of fear behind the lines, it is a gorgeous piece of music.

So today, hoping I’ll never know, I choose Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors’ "What Would I Do Without You" as my, When colors turn to shades of grey, When the world is wet with morning dew, when you’ve got the choice of how to feel right in front of you, song for a, The difference between what I've said and done, the choices I’d make if you hadn’t won, my own little story told by just one, Thursday.

Labrynth & Zendaya - "All For Us"

Hearing this song for the first time on the hit show Euphoria, I was struck by how incredibly honest and tender it was. Both Raw and and Sweet it was a brutally visceral audio portrait of this show and this character.

Then I realized Zendaya was singing. While I knew she could sing, or at least had previously had some success with The Greatest Showman, I was entranced by her easy vocal expression. It was tender and raw and edgy all at once.

Not to mention a friend choreographed the number and countless beautiful souls that I know were dancing it!

So today, with nerves open and tingling, I choose Labrynth & Zendaya’s "All For Us" as my, clear out the negative, find your light, humor in the honesty, song for a, tears can be pretty, scars can be beautiful, cracks can create perfection, Wednesday.

John Torres - "Are You There" (from Bare: A Pop Opera)

There are a few voices that you hear and then never forget. John Torres is one of those voices. Now, granted, I knew him (and sang with him) in college so my brain was susceptible to influence, but the truth is, his is one of those rare voices that it at once unique and familiar and completely and utterly listenable.

His music has been featured in popular films and television shows and has received numerous honors, including a John Lennon Songwriting Award, a nomination for an American Independent Music Award, and a short listing for Best Original Song by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He has released four studio albums, as well as numerous singles and music videos.

As an actor, Torres played the lead role of Drew in the first production of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages. He also co-starred as Peter in the first major production of the musical Bare: A Pop Opera, from which this song comes.

Bare, also known as Bare: A Pop Opera, is a coming-of-age rock musical with music by Damon Intrabartolo, lyrics by Jon Hartmere, and a book by Hartmere and Intrabartolo. The story focuses on a group of high school students and their struggles at their private Catholic boarding school, and is loosely based on Romeo & Juliet. The musical was later revised as Bare: The Musical.

The musical debuted at the Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles, running from October 14, 2000 to February 25, 2001. The New York production of Bare at the American Theatre of Actors Off-Broadway, ran from April 19 to May 27, 2004. The Los Angeles and New York productions were both directed by Kristin Hanggi.

I can say that the journey from LA to NYC was difficult for bare, but it did eventually make it. It was stripped of some of it’s grit and given the Broadway Gloss, but it’s heart was still there.

Still, I don’t think I will every forget the sound of John Torres singing this song at the Hudson Theatre in 2001. The perfectly pleading calling tone that he gave was so honest and true, it’s never left my memory. He’s gone on to do great things, with albums and awards all on his mantle. Seriously, give his new music a listen, it’s gorgeous, but today this melody popped into my head (thank you Mr. Intrabartolo) and all I could hear was John’s voice singing it.

Sadly there are no full recordings of John’s performance of this song, so we’ll have to make due with the recorded version that had Matt Doyle, and the revival version that had Michael Arden. Both are incredible singers, but it’s always John that I hear when these songs come to mind. The only recording I was able to find was a Promo Disc recording with most of the song. It also has the original Jason, John Griffin. Skip to 45:02 to hear the song.

So today with light creeping in, I choose John Torres & John Griffin’s version of "Are You There" (from the Pop Opera: Bare) as my, hold on to the sweet parts, memories can make us stronger, know where you’ve been to know where you’re going, song for a, break open that heart, see what you’ve got to offer, know your worth, Tuesday.

Jamie Lidell - "Multiply"

English musician and soul singer, now living in Nashville, Tennessee, Jamie Lidell was formerly a part of Super Collider. He’s known for layering tracks made with his voice into a microphone and performing the percussion and melody as a sequenced, beatboxing one-man band. Then over his augmented voices, he sings soul-inspired songs. This exercise makes for energetic live performances. Lidell has become renowned for his diverse range of genre-exploration. Following the release of his 2008 album, Jim, Lidell commented,[2]

I want it to be about music, I think every musician does. But I think inevitably it ends up becoming about personality, which is what gives rise to the music, so people want to make sure that they get a bit of both. The more things do well, the more people want to know why it does well.

His song "Multiply" was used on the television show Grey's Anatomy, and was also included on its second soundtrack. Another song from his album Multiply, "A Little Bit More", was featured in a series of commercials for the U.S. retailer Target.

So today, with a bit more juice and little less junk, I choose Jamie Lidell’s "Multiply" as my, wake up, go on, make the change, song for a, well there you have it, no more for me thanks, one less problem, Monday.

Caroline Pennell - "Yellow (Coldplay Cover)"

I honestly hadn’t heard of Caroline Pennell before, and it wasn’t until today, driving to work when her delicate cover of this song, both inventive and yet still an homage to the original, that I sat up and took notice. She’s got a specific sound, but she’s an interesting artist who definitely deserves some attention.

Pennell was born in 1995, and is the eldest of Bonnie and Keith Pennell's four children. Pennell cited that music was a huge part of her childhood. Pennell has three younger siblings: Bailey, Lucy, and Davis. Caroline was born and raised in Saddle River, New Jersey, a town located in the New Jersey-New York border and near New York City. She attended Wandell Elementary School. She graduated from Ramsey High School in 2014. She attended Tulane University in New Orleans but later took a break to focus on her music career.

So today, with a song in my heart, I choose Caroline Pennell’s cover of Coldplays "Yellow" as my, crack open that heart, let a little softness in, try to hold on to the sweetness, song for a, forgiveness is the power, love is the weapon, kindness is the key, Friday.

George Gershwin, Lang Lang, & Herbie Hancock - "Rhapsody in Blue"

Arguably one of the most well known pieces of music ever. The Rhapsody in Blue was Gershwin’s incredible arrival into the classical world. This perfect synergy of jazz rhythms and chords with classical piano and orchestration is a classic for a reason. Beyond the many spoofs, the cartoons utilizing the score, the comedic sketches using the music for overdramatic effect, this piece still retains it’s brilliance nearly 100 years later.

It is a masterpiece.

Here Hancock and Lang come together fusing again classical training and jazz soul to take the synergy of the piece and raise the stakes yet again. The magic they have made together is staggering and breathtaking.

The composition was commissioned by the bandleader Paul Whiteman. It was orchestrated by Ferde Grofé several times, including the original 1924 scoring, the 1926 "theater orchestra" setting, and the 1942 symphony orchestra scoring, though completed earlier. The piece received its premiere in the concert, An Experiment in Modern Music, which was held on February 12, 1924, in Aeolian Hall, New York City, by Whiteman and his band with Gershwin playing the piano.

The editors of the Cambridge Music Handbooks opined that "The Rhapsody in Blue (1924) established Gershwin's reputation as a serious composer and has since become one of the most popular of all American concert works."

Lang has performed in major cities and was the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and some top American orchestras. A Chicago Tribune music critic called him "the biggest, most exciting young keyboard talent I have encountered in many a year of attending piano recitals". Lang has been praised by musicians and critics around the world—the conductor Jahja Ling remarked, "Lang Lang is special because of his total mastery of the piano... He has the flair and great communicative power." National Public Radio's Morning Edition remarked that "Lang Lang has conquered the classical world with dazzling technique and charisma." It is often noted that Lang successfully straddles two worlds—classical prodigy and rock-like "superstar", a phenomenon summed up by The Times journalist Emma Pomfret, who wrote, "I can think of no other classical artist who has achieved Lang Lang's broad appeal without dumbing down."

Lang's performance style was controversial when he stormed into the classical music scene in 1999. At that time, pianist Earl Wild called him "the J. Lo of the piano."  Others have described him as immature, but admitted that his ability to "conquer crowds with youthful bravado" is phenomenal among classical musicians. His maturity in subsequent years was reported by The New Yorker: "The ebullient Lang Lang is maturing as an artist." In April 2009, when Time Magazine included Lang in its list of the 100 most influential people, Herbie Hancock described his playing as "so sensitive and so deeply human", commenting: "You hear him play, and he never ceases to touch your heart."

Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer and actor. Hancock started his career with Donald Byrd. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the post-bop sound. In the 1970s, Hancock experimented with jazz fusion, funk, and electro styles.

Hancock's best-known compositions include "Cantaloupe Island", "Watermelon Man" (later performed by dozens of musicians, including bandleader Mongo Santamaría), "Maiden Voyage", "Chameleon", and the singles "I Thought It Was You" and "Rockit". His 2007 tribute album River: The Joni Letters won the 2008 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, only the second jazz album to win the award, after Getz/Gilberto in 1965

So today, with fusion, creation, and fortitude on my mind, I choose the incredible Herbie Hancock & Lang Lang’s version of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” as my, create something new, create something for you, just create, song for a, gently with your heart, firmly with your hand, swiftly with you soul, Thursday.

Alexander Borodín - "Petite Suite: A. Serenade"

“I’m a composer in search of oblivion; I’m always slightly ashamed to admit I compose.” So said one of the most brilliant Russian scientists of his generation, for whom composing was only a hobby. Welcome to the extraordinary world of genius melodist Alexander Borodin.

The place is Baghdad. The year 1955. Howard Keel emerges stage right, legs akimbo, boldly intoning The Sands Of Time at the end of one of the best-sung musicals in Hollywood history: Kismet.

Under André Previn’s direction, MGM’s Studio Orchestra and co-stars Ann Blythe, Dolores Grey and Vic Damone held us spellbound with such unforgettable numbers as Strangers In Paradise, And This Is My Beloved and Night Of My Nights.

Everyone’s wondering who wrote all those haunting melodies – Kern, Porter, Rodgers? Not a bit of it. When Kismet first went into production, its unwitting composer had been dead nearly 70 years. His name? Alexander Borodin.

In a letter of 1877, the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky noted that “Borodin possesses talent, a very great talent, which, however, has come to nothing for want of instruction, and because blind fate has led him into the science laboratories.”

And there you have it in a nutshell. Borodin was indeed one of the most naturally gifted of all Russian composers, yet his principal vocation as a brilliant research chemist and lecturer meant that he spent too little time composing. Had things turned out differently, there’s no telling what he might have achieved, but at least he left us a handful of masterpieces that provide tantalising glimpses of an adorable musical personality.

So today, stealing kismet kisses, I choose Alexander Borodín’s "Petite Suite: A. Serenade" as my, magic in the moonlight, sweetness in the sun, laughter in the living, song for a, hold on to hope, seek out the joy, find only the good, Wednesday.

Brandi Carlile - "Tragedy (Austin Cello Version)"

My love affair with Brandi Carlile goes back many years. Seeing her recently cover Fleetwood Mac with her new supergroup The Highwomen was incredible, but it made me start thinking about when I fell in love with her. This song was the first time I heart her voice, and I immediately knew that this was a musician who sang from the soul. Not with soul, but from the soul.

Her ability to craft a lyric into a perfect little blade that cuts right through your armor and into your heart is incredible.

So today, with an eye to the past and a heart to the future, I choose Brandi Carlile’s "Tragedy (Austin Cello Version)" as my, break open, the more of you that falls away the more you will reveal, cracks let the light out, song for a, broken can be beautiful too, hold yourself together, one more soggy step and you’re home, Tuesday.