help for a friend in chemo

[EBodious]

hey gang

so here is my situation. this is one of my very dearest friends and she is going thru chemo treatments rite now. she has a very good support network where she lives. i, unfortunately, moved half way across the country several years ago. i find it very frustrating and upsetting that i can't be there for her too. i have been trying to come up with things i can do from far away. so far it is mostly just supportive emails etc. i have two requests of y'all:

1) a mutual friend mentioned that she has to travel about 1.5 hrs to her treatments and is always looking for new cd's to listen to (she is a big music lover). so, i am putting together some cd's. i've got some rootsy americana stuff and some beatles stuff. but she is also a big fan of funky, soulful dance music. i am pretty out of the loop on what is hip and new in this genre. i would like to send her something upbeat, positive, and funky -along the lines of spearhead's first album, "home."

any suggestions?

2) if there is anything else i could do (from a distance) that would be supportive that anyone can think of (or maybe have done yourselves), i am open to all suggestions.

thanks, in advance, gang

[warwick.hoy]

Anything by Soulive

Anything by Medeski, (Scofield), Martin and Wood.

Anything by Umphrey's McGee

People Under the Stairs = Stepfather

[EBodious]

ooh, soullive. good call. i forgot about them. thanks

[WashburnBasser]

If she likes funky soul music, get her some Tower Of Power.

[machine gewehr]

Originally Posted by WashburnBasser

If she likes funky soul music, get her some Tower Of Power.

Just finished an album of their's.Great for a road trip.

[Jim Nazium]

Funky, soulful dance music? Joss Stone, Joan Osborne, The Brand New Heavies, of course all the old Motown stuff, James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, Earth Wind & Fire.

As for long-distance support, it's tough, but most people like getting surprise packages in the mail. Candy, magazines, coffee, movie tickets, etc. Doesn't have to be super expensive, just some little fun things to let her know you're thinking of her.

[two fingers]

I don't know her living situation so I'll guess at it. Take something off of her mind. If she lives in an apratment, call a cleaning service and have them go clean her house. If she lives in a house, get her yard done. Get her car detailed. Make something about her life "nicer". If I were dealing with something like that, and my house were cleaned, or my yard was pretty to hang out in, I think it would make me feel a little better while at home. If you used to live there you know some locals who can help get it done. (You mail them a check and they handle it etc.)


By the way, you're a good friend.



Oh! And yes, Tower of Power! Who can be down while groovin to TOP?

[warwick.hoy]

Try to find here some choice Phish shows. They are always great for long distance trips. I could be here all day recommending show but the one show I highly recommend is the "Drum Logos" 6.14.00 from Fukuoka, Japan. There are soundboard/professionally mastered recordings available of that show (livephish.com) and many others. It will wind up being about 3 CDs and is usually around 3 hours of music but if she has a disc changer or an iPod...your golden.

[MakiSupaStar]

The Meters. All of it. I wish her all the best.

[Joe Gress]

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

The Meters. All of it. I wish her all the best.

+1 Great stuff.

Some moe. would also go well for the long songs, upbeat jams type stuff.

[two fingers]

Lunch time "good vibe" bump.

[PSPookie]

I know it's not of the genre you named but Steel Pulse's "True Democracy" album always puts me in a good mood.

[EBodious]

thanks everybody

i really appreciate the ideas. because she has a lot of older music, i am trying to find stuff that is new and "now" in hopes that i might turn her on to something she hasn't heard yet. i know i mentioned the beatles but i am sending her "love" and the soundtrack from "across the universe" cause they are new takes on the known stuff.

i am happy to receive any and all advice. with bands that have a lot of material (top, meters) would you mind including any discs that are your personal favorites?

again, thanks a whole bunch. we were very close when i lived out west. it is incredibly hard to not be there to at least give her a hug or a ride to chemo or whatever.

please keep the ideas coming...

[GeneralElectric]

Invitation by Jaco... Pretty varied, in my opinion, and that version of Continuum is beautiful.

If she likes Motown, they have those greatest hits volumes that are like ten bucks. You can find stuff like Al Green in bargain bins. I just bought two of his CD's at a drug store for $6 each. Maybe Wilson Pickett?

I think the penultimate gift would be getting her an MP3 player, and a car adapter, with a bunch of songs that you think she'd enjoy on it and mailing it to her.

[BillyRay]

I always like to pop some Weather Report (especially 8:30) on the ole cassette player* when I'm driving long distances, wich happens a lot.

Jamiroquai is another favourite of mine when it comes to upbeat stuff. If you want other Beatles tunes, check out McLemore Avenue. Booker T and the MG's take on Abbey Road.

* Yes, I still do mix tapes since my car doesn't have a CD player.

[Sandvich Hero]

Originally Posted by BillyRay

* Yes, I still do mix tapes since my car doesn't have a CD player.

Annnnnd solution :

[EBodious]

Originally Posted by BillyRay

I always like to pop some Weather Report (especially 8:30) on the ole cassette player* when I'm driving long distances, wich happens a lot.

Jamiroquai is another favourite of mine when it comes to upbeat stuff. If you want other Beatles tunes, check out McLemore Avenue. Booker T and the MG's take on Abbey Road.

* Yes, I still do mix tapes since my car doesn't have a CD player.

jamiroquai, good one. i don't know their albums though.* any have a specific suggestion?

and, i never heard of mclemore ave. that sounds killer, two of my favorite bands, and i never heard of it. go figure. i may have to grab that one for myself.

*yes, i have a cd player in my car (got one last year), but i still refer to bands' discs as albums.

[Joe Gress]

For some good moe. I suggest No Doy, Tin Cans and Car Tires, and Warts and All Vol. 1 and 5.

[BillyRay]

Originally Posted by Sandvich Hero

Annnnnd solution :

I have one of those and I was never happy with the sound level I would get out of it using my cheapo mp3. Maybe I'll try one of the radio freq. ones.

Enough thread hijacking for now.

Jamiroquai: Return of the Space Cowboy is the strongest album by far in my mind. Travelling without Moving and Synkronized are also good, altough the more or less you advance in time after Space Cowboy, the more "Jay" is tyrannical within the band and this reflects on the music somewhat. He is like a funky Axl Rose.

Post Stuart Jamiroquai is a different flavor, one that I don't like very much.

And please to be picking up McLemore Avenue. It rocks.

[EBodious]

monday morning (whoops, where does the day go?) bump.

just in case there are some other good ideas out there looking for me.

thanks again to everyone for helping me out!