My Love For "Live From Daryl's House" -- Part 1

Music Wed - It is no secret that one of my favorite shows (read: a show that I can get "lost in" for 25-45 minutes and just "float away" with some mindless entertainment) is "Live at Daryl's House" featuring Daryl Hall. At 60+ years of age, his musical chops are still at their peak, while his voice retains the range and elasticity of his youth.  And his band is a musical marvel, with the ability to play just about any style, genre and era of music that is matched only by the mighty E Street Band. This post will be the first of two items this week where I will showcase what I so enjoy about this particular show. This first installment will highlight Daryl's collaborations with more contemporary musicians where he has reinterpreted their songs, while they have joined him in reworking his old, classic material. In both cases, the results are so genuinely enjoyable and will remind you why you all are so hooked on music. Daryl's invitations to certain current musicians have introduced me to wonderful singer/songwriters that I otherwise might not have been exposed to. So this installment will share some of my fave "Daryl discoveries" (at least for me!). The first is Butch Walker's take on one of my truly beloved Daryl Hall songs, "Why Was It So Easy" - http://youtu.be/cMj0VaawMn8. Before seeing this episode, I had no idea of how sweet and rangy were Butch's vocals, and once I did, I became a fan. The next is Daryl's effort to promote a truly talented female performer, who with a little luck should be enjoying the same success as her contemporary, Sara Bareilles - Diane Birch, and here are two great songs from her initial album (as presented by Daryl's incomparable band): "Nothing But A Miracle" http://youtu.be/H9lyrOETXao, and "Fools" http://youtu.be/unoYkG3EUwc. Finally, Daryl teamed up with Finger Eleven to do a breezy, loose version of Bill Withers' classic "Ain't No Sunshine" - http://youtu.be/cbdU9gXeF7w. This is the best of the old and the new. There are so many others I could share, such as Fitz and the Tantrums, Jason Mraz, Nick Waterhouse, Jimmy Wayne and Meyer Hawthorne, just to name a very few. I hope this and my next installment will encourage you to check out this cool show. Enjoy! Bonus cuts -- I love Rumer's appearance featuring "Sara Smile" http://youtu.be/GeXwSL6mh6I, and her song "Take Me As I Am" http://youtu.be/QqgmTGQ8MIU - I love these songs!!