Knit to This
Knit to This: Andrew Bird
Back in olden times, when our music lived on single dedicated devices called iPods and they didn’t make phone calls or open front doors or keep track of how long the spotted dick was in the oven, we spent hours and hours making playlists and sorting and resorting the songs on them and, oh, the world was a better place when we had the time to spend to do that
I myself had several playlists called ”Sunday Morning Apology Time” (Saturday nights were, uh, quite lively back then) so I was brought up short when I saw that the prolific Andrew Bird—this time around as The Andrew Bird Trio—had put out a record recently called “Sunday Morning Put-On,” but I’ll tell you what: he has exactly the same ideas that I do when it comes to what does and what does not consist of a Sunday morning listen.
My Sunday morning playlists were basically, oh, Erik Satie, Nina Simone, and Cole Porter. Bird’s includes covers of Lerner & Lowe, Duke Ellington and…Cole Porter.
I have a friend who pointed me to this record and she was quite excited about the cover of Ellington’s “Caravan,” and she’s not wrong: it’s the highlight of the album.
But every single thing on it is a low-key jewel, all mood and hushed tones and rainy Sunday mornings. I’ve got a soft spot for Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” (I collect versions of it), so I’ll point that out as well.
If you’re already a Bird fan, the usual hallmarks are there and pushed to the forefront: a significant amount of violin (the instrumental “Django” is jam packed with it; it’s a stunner) and plaintive vocals and blank space—though he doesn’t start up with the whistling until the fifth track, so if whistling’s your thing, that’s your hot tip. If whistling is NOT your thing, that’s your warning.
I like the whistling, though.
Anyway! If you’ve lost your iPod or your Zune or whatever it was you listened to music on back in 2002, don’t worry about it. Andrew Bird has you covered; “Sunday Morning Put-On” is every Sunday morning playlist you never made…only better.
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Tasty. Thank You DG
Thank you for introducing us to Andrew Bird – lovely! Reminds me of Pink Martini, another wonderful group of musicians who do cheerful and soulful contemporary crossovers.
Love Pink Martini, thanks for this comment, will def have to check him out then!
My word! “Caravan” was a favorite back in pre iPod times when my siblings and I spun my uncle’s 78 collection on the turntable.
Thank you for bringing those days back to me.
Andrew Bird has been a performer at the Big Ears festival in Knoxville, TN. If you like him, look it up. Great weekend (mostly indoors) festivals in late March
Big Bird fan here … stop laughing. You know what I meant.
Lol – forever more I shall refer to myself as a Big Bird Fan!!!
And no one but Andrew Bird could make me actually like the whistling!
You never point us wrong. Thank you
There is a completely charming children’s book of short stories (The Van Gogh Cafe by Cynthia Ryland); “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” features in it. I loved playing the song in the background while doing a reading group with my students.
Thanks for this. Yes! 78s. I can hear that staticky scratch.
I’ll have to load Andrew up on my ancient iPod that I kept stashed in my old truck (because the battery doesn’t hold a charge anymore and it only charges with the car charger???). But my old truck died and I haven’t quite figured out the ins and outs of the audio system on my brand new truck and there’s no cassette tape deck to connect the iPod adapter to the also non-existent radio. I’ll probably need to enlist my 8 yo granddaughter’s help. She’ll get it straightened out in no time. Stand by…
I looooove the whistling, and have been lucky to see Andrew Bird live twice. It’s an experience. (Me and my dad are whistlers – it’s probably annoying but it’s our thing.) Thanks for sharing this today! Sunday playlist indeed.
Yes, live he is AMAZING! I’d never heard of him and saw him several years ago–maybe the Pulaski at Night tour. Blown away. I am also a whistler but try to keep myself confined to the car and sometimes the grocery store.
NEW TO ME AND I THANK YOU.
Very cool! Jazz tends to be our every day listen. I’m a Classical listener on Sunday mornings (reminds me of my father). Thank you for the introduction to Andrew Bird, he’s now on our devices.
Thank You ! Your Knit to this is my favorite column! I love forward to your writing! Really enjoy your thoughts every time !
I think you meant “duck”.
Great listen by the way!
Live and learn. Thanks https://www.daringgourmet.com/traditional-spotted-dick-english-steamed-currant-pudding-with-vanilla-custard/
Spotted Dick, a pudding in the British mode.
Yes :).
I just saw Andrew Bird live at Interlochen, MI (one of the best outdoor venues) a few weeks ago, he does not disappoint. If you are new to Bird and want to continue the exploration, I highly, highly recommend the album “My Finest Work Yet.” It lives up to the name 🙂
Excellent. Thank you DG <3
For all you bird nerds out there, Big or little, you might enjoy listening to Andrew’s fiddley and whistley bit he put together for Audubon’s “The Birdsong Project.” His track contribution is aptly called “Rare Birds.” This YouTube link (below) is fun to watch too, as many of our avian friends are featured and annotated to test your identification skills. I only wish the full Grammy winning “For the Birds: The Birdsong Project Vol. 1” boxed set (172 tracks, y’all…) was available on more than just, you guessed it, vinyl.
https://youtu.be/oQ_wSKpOvLU?si=hrcoqhJ9LS1IUt_z
Hope the link works; if not, just search for Andrew Bird Birdsong Project.
Thank you for this recommendation! I haven’t heard of him but am listening right now. Exellent! I learn so much about so many things reading mdk!
Thanks DG! I haven’t enjoyed an unanticipated musical find as much as this one since I misplaced (permanently, alas) the iPod where a friend uploaded Banco de Gaia 🙂
I love Bird. I hope you saw him recently on Stephen Colbert’s show with Louis Cato and his band. Thanks for bringing attention to Bird!