Most of us have songs in our memory that call out different experiences in our lives. When the music hits we are immediately transported to a moment from our past. Looking back on the moments of my life that define my experience, I think of the following list of songs. Each one of them is entangled in some way with memories, some are more significant than others but all are meaningful and unforgettable.

Billy Joel – Uptown Girl, Three Dog Night – One

Two of the earliest songs I remember from my childhood that I was addicted to for whatever reason. My dad was a huge Billy Joel fan, was for as long as I remember. I remember having an old cassette player a miniature boombox and I remember playing these songs over and over. Both tapes I got from my dad and I was hooked soon after. I had a basement bedroom in my mom’s home at the time right up next to a furnace that hummed sounds that put me to sleep at night. The music gave those memories greater resonance.

Bell Biv Devoe – Poison

As a young kid I spent a lot of my time hanging out with my childhood friend Steven. We hung out to play sports, create football playbooks and reenact Seahawks moments in our backyards. Besides sports and many hours of video games we often geeked out to Bell Biv Devoe and Boyz II Men songs. We were both completely addicted to the album Poison from Bell Biv Devoe. We knew every lyric and thought we were incredibly cool for it.

Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges – Stompy Jones

This song off the album Side by Side was the first that really turned me on to jazz music. I was in middle school just learning the trumpet and starting to just discover the genre. The solos on this track are awesome but Duke’s solo and its interplay with the drummer was what hooked me. The strange chords, the syncopated rim shots, pretty awesome stuff.

Maynard Ferguson – Birdland

The first song I ever heard of Maynard Ferguson thanks to my high school band instructor and his collection of old records. I was immediately hooked and was stunned at what Maynard and his players could do on the trumpet. After hearing a bit in class, I went to a local music shop in my hometown and bought Maynard Ferguson, This is Jazz #16. One of the greatest musical discoveries of my life. I have heard just about every recorded Maynard song since and sought every album I could find. My all-time favorite jazz artist by a long shot. I was lucky to see Maynard live a few times before he passed away. So many songs of his are my favorites. “Give it One,” “La Fiesta,” “L-Dopa” among many others.

Buddy Rich – Channel One Suite, Don Ellis – Final Analysis

Two other outstanding big band charts that defined my high school jazz trumpet playing days. Love both of these and their originality. Don Ellis’ electric trumpet was awesome and made me want to incorporate this into to every band I played with. We played/attempted these songs in high school band. Difficult charts, but very memorable. The live original recordings of these songs are wonderful.

Bob James – Farandole L’Arlesienne Suite #2  – All Around The Town

Also in high school, got into a listening streak of Bob James and his third stream music. He blended classical and jazz in a real exciting way and had some great bands especially in the Seventies. I listened to many of his songs during this time but the version of Farandole was by far my favorite. The trumpet battle on this live version is off the hook.

Radiohead – Kid A 

Discovered this album on a high school band trip to Seattle Center. Heard “Everything in it’s Right Place” and hadn’t heard anything like it before in my life. An album that soundtracked my senior year and opened my imagination regarding music and its possibilities.

Sigur Ros – Svefn-g-englar, Modest Mouse – Night on the Sun, Helio Sequence – Knots

Some iconic songs from my early college days in Seattle. Lived in a house full of dudes in Wallingford who were all music heads. Played in a some nerdy angst-driven bands with my friends Matt and Pete. Was a huge fan of Sigur Ros, Mouse, and the Sequence. Saw Helio Sequence for the first time at the EMP in the Sky Church raised stage and they were totally on it. Awesome performance that completely “wowed” me. Have been huge fans of Helio Sequence ever since. Love their huge, airy guitar sound and drumming is always super powerful.

Mars Volta – Deloused in the Comatorium, The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Two albums that defined my later days in college. Lived in Seattle in a house full of loons and close friends. In between the constant Halo battles and jam sessions in the basement, these two albums shaped the era. Some incredible music. The Mars Volta album is out of this world.

Arcade Fire – Wake Up, The Chemical Brothers – Where Do I Begin, M83 – Beauties Can Die, Mercury Rev – Holes

A handful of songs that captured a phase of my life as a student in Edinburgh, Scotland. Nights spent in my dorm with my girlfriend Georgia were always immersed in great music. The dorm network enabled people in the building to share music throughout and I expanded my collection of music during this period possibly more than any other time in my life. So many songs, that didn’t make the list but very easily could have. These songs remind me of the early days there, the cloudy lemonade moments, laying out, staying in late and remembering one of the most fun times of my life.

The Guillemots – Made Up Lovesong #43, Mates of State – Running Out

Songs that remind me most of the times I spent with Georgia in Scotland. A very meaningful relationship in my life and one that was experienced often with a song that captured the moment. Knowing that our time together would not last given my short time in Scotland as a student, the songs were often accompanied by a sense of time running out but appreciation for the moments we spent together.

Fleet Foxes – Ragged Wood, Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Rich, Band of Horses – Monsters

More meaningful songs from my past that remind of Seattle and a past relationship. My girlfriend at the time was hooked on Yeah Yeah Yeahs when we met and the music takes me back to the days when we met. Band of Horses was huge at this time. I remembering listening to the song Monsters over and over again on my way up to Bellingham one weekend to see her. This was towards the end of our relationship, the weather was gloomy but I remember the warmth of the drive and the excitement I had to see her and visit with her at home. I have a memory of us driving around Ferndale when this massive thunderstorm hit and the amazing scenery and thunderclap in the farmlands.

Count Basie – Freckle Face

Over the years I have played trumpet with some big band jazz groups in college and many times afterwards. From my experience, you can hardly call yourself a big band unless you have a few Count Basie charts in the book. Freckle Face is a song I have played with multiple bands and is one of my favorites. It’s a simple laid back piece with a badass shout section and great trumpet moments. I have good memories playing this chart and the live Count Basie recordings of it always hit the spot.

Yogoman Burning Band – You’re My Everything, Pepper Rabbit – Red Wine

When my wife Ingrid and I first met I lived on Capitol Hill in Seattle and there was always a close concert nearby. We went to a Yogoman show at Neumo’s when we were first dating and it was on that night that we really shared that we liked each other. The music of this band is awesome, dancable, and the You’re My Everything track turned out to be our wedding dance song. Pepper Rabbit is a band we also saw live around this time. They played a live show at the Capitol Hill Block Party that showed off just how creative and melodic they could be. Their music helped define the period and finds its way into my playlists often still today.

Hair Envelope – Forced Ecstatic, 60 Watt Kid – 2012

In what could easily be called the most hipster phase of my life I played in a rock band that toured the west coast a couple times from Seattle to LA. My friend Matt and I formed a quirky band called Hair Envelope that mashed catchy electronic samples, with guitar noise, and heavy drumming. During this phase we played all around the city of Seattle and got to enjoy some cool venues up and down the coast. “Forced Ecstatic” was always our opening song and takes me back to some great live show memories. 60 Watt Kid is a band we played with in LA at a house party that I really liked that always brought a creative, psychedelic sound and tons of energy.

M83 – Outro

An epic song that inspired some of the more lofty passages of my book. This song has been the soundtrack of so many movie trailers, epic youtube videos, and the like. One listen through and you understand why. Great musical moment and a great soundtrack for writing.

People Get Ready – Physiques, The Corries – Loch Lomond, The Walkmen – In the New Year

People Get Ready is a strange indie pop band out of Brooklyn with one of my favorite sounds. I have played a lot of their songs to pick up countless moments but Physiques when I first heard it blew me away. I was traveling in Germany at the time and dropped into Bamberg on a perfectly sunny day. Discovering this track I walked through a beautiful medieval city, had an amazing dinner, and enjoyed one of my greatest solo travel memories. The Walkmen and The Corries also made this trip memorable especially on the three day leg through the Scottish Highlands – some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.

Coves – Last Desire, Vacationer – Onward & Upward, Thee Oh Sees – Web

Songs that filled my home my first year living in the Bay Area. Background music to writing, sunny backyards, and adjusting to a new life. We remodeled an old house in Menlo Park and during this time lived essentially in a construction site pinned into a tiny room with a tarp door and a single bathroom to use. No kitchen, never microwaved so much food in my life.

Morgan Delt – Some Sunsick Day, Buddy Rich – Ya Gotta Try, Hubert Laws – Malaguena, Frank Ocean – American Wedding 

Colorado music. Spent 6 months in Colorado as part of my grad school program. Good long days generating term papers and developing a social enterprise concept for a final project. Made a lot of progress with my book and met some great fellow MPAer’s. Frank Ocean was the song on the Uber ride home my last night in Denver. Right song at the right time.

John Denver – Take Me Home Country Roads, The Collectors – What Love,  The Album Leaf – Window

Songs that remind of when my dad passed away. He fell off a roof in a freak accident that took his life the following evening. He was a big inspiration for my love of music and was a huge John Denver fan. Spent close to a week with my family in the hospital visiting with him as they prepared his body for organ donation. Have so many great memories of life, many musical ones as well. Created a playlist to find comfort and think of him after the tragic accident. Some of the most memorable songs above.

Chuck Mangione – Land of Make Believe (Mercury Records 1973) 

I had heard many versions of this song from Chuck Mangione over the years but came across this version in 2019 right around the time Ingrid and I discovered we had a baby on the way. It was an exciting and nervewracking time for us, but this song was always encouraging and got me pumped to listen when Ingrid and I would go for workout sessions in Menlo Park. The soprano sax solo in this song is extraordinarily good and I would loop back to it again and again when riding the bike during our workouts or pumping the song out at home on a bluetooth speaker.

Nick Drake – Northern Sky & Saturday Sun, Count Basie – Lil’ Darlin 

During Ingrid’s pregnancy we developed a playlist to play for Miren when she was in her mom’s belly. It was a playlist we also played in the hospital after Miren was born to welcome the moment and celebrate. The songs above were the first few on the list, the Nick Drake songs were played the most around the house at this time and I often played the playlist to help Miren sleep in her first few months and she seemed to recognize the tunes when we played them. I still pull out the songs to play for her every now and then.