Music to chew by: what to play during Thanksgiving dinner?
The Amateur Gourmet's current post about music and food got me thinking. I already have an "old reliable" playlist on my itunes for cooking and baking. But I'm assuming not everyone at my thanksgiving table will have the same music taste, so I'm at a loss as to what to put together for my Thanksgiving Day Playlist.
Growing up, my parents pulled out the same "101 Strings" album during Easter and Thanksgiving dinner, probably thinking that since candles were lit and the meals took hours to make, we should have classical music. I'll probably include some traditional music in the list, but what other songs or artists would you like the hear (at a low volume, to facilitate conversation, of course) as you give thanks through food?
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17 Comments:
We've got a great jazz station here in NJ, WBGO, that everyone can agree on. so we tune that in for the day.
VerasTastyFreeze at 12:42PM on 11/07/07
Jazz is a great place to start. That reminds me of my Herbie Hancock album where he plays with current artists like John Mayer, Annie Lenox, and Paul Simon.
I'm also thinking about some tracks from Wilco's Sky Blue Sky album, and some David Gray and Jamie Cullum - they feel like fall to me.
LizNYC at 12:47PM on 11/07/07
I'll be watching this thread because I have no idea what to play during dinner. I know that sometime during the feast, we'll listen to Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant. It's tradition.
chiff0nade at 12:57PM on 11/07/07
Soundtrack from March of the Wooden Soldiers (Babes in Toyland); that is, if I could find a copy. Watching that movie was a tradition both on Thanksgiving and Christmas, which doesn't seem possible, but still...
Barbara Hanson at 1:33PM on 11/07/07
I'll put on the local classical station.
NanaJoie at 1:36PM on 11/07/07
It takes all my will power not to play Christmas music on Thanksgiving. But the next morning, all bets are off!
And in secret, I'll probably listen to Christmas tunes while I bake a few days before Thanksgiving.
LizNYC at 3:29PM on 11/07/07
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
bearsilber at 5:41PM on 11/07/07
The tv is blaring with whatever game is on at that precise time. In my family that is the tradition.
JerzeeTomato at 6:41PM on 11/07/07
I'm deeply impressed that there are households where you can actually hear music at the Thanksgiving dinner table. The only time ours calms down is during the brief respite of first few bites, when there's a slight drop in the ambient noise and then the family's favorite pastime, even more than eating, starts up again: Talking.
lemons at 9:03PM on 11/07/07
No music here, just 25+ voice shouting to all be heard at the same time. There are always 10 different conversations going on from politics to religion to babies and children screeching and the old, "When I was kid" stories from the grandparents.
elderberry44 at 9:22PM on 11/07/07
LizNYC - I'm with you on the Christmas tunes! I *almost* wish I could start listening to them now - but I always save them until after Thanksgiving is over, so as not to take away from Turkey Day.
Littlebluesiren at 10:51PM on 11/07/07
I love being reminded of all the different ways people celebrate this holiday. Growing up it was just my parents and my sister (the extended family lived far away) so it was always calm and quiet - hence the string music. This year, I'll have a ragamuffin crowd of random people descending on my tiny new york apartment, so who knows what the volume level will be!!
I'm sure as the wine flows, we'll drown out whatever music I've planned :)
LizNYC at 11:06PM on 11/07/07
Family tradition... we listen to Alice's Restaurant (Arlo Guthrie) every year. It's usually on the radio once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening.
Megs915 at 4:17PM on 11/08/07
the melody at night with you by keith jarrett, followed by wbgo
astarteny at 8:12AM on 11/09/07
We usually just eat and talk.
jorach at 10:19AM on 11/09/07
Football on the TV in the living room and conversation at the table. Thanksgiving is about family and tradition, right?
Bearnaise at 12:40PM on 11/12/07
If you are including any elder folk in your celebration, they may not be so crazy about the background music, since it interferes with hearing what people are saying close up. You might want to ask them discreetly if it would bother them, since some are shy about speaking up if it's already on. (I thank an older friend who once spoke up at a Christmas party about this issue - she couldn't hear people speaking to her when there was music competing in the background, and was brave enought to say so instead of faking it.)
Likeswords at 4:26PM on 11/12/07