Spitball Army

There were 10 of them. There was an 11th – a virtual Sampler – that was not pressed as a CD, but existed as audio streams on the store’s website (which was dismantled as of 1 July 2008).

2,000 copies of each CD were created and given out as promotional items at Laser’s Edge Compact Discs each year (there were two separate Samplers in 2006, one of them was comprised wholly of classical music). After the closing of Laser’s Edge at the end of 2007, I found myself in possession of two to three cases of each Sampler, all original pressings (that is, these are not burned CDs).

Seeing as I really only require one copy of each Sampler myself, I would be happy to share the rest of them with you. If you’d like one or more of these, or even multiple copies of certain titles, consider each disc worth five dollars in shipping, packing materials and time costs, and do a swap with me with something(s) from my Amazon.com Wish List (viewed by using the link below), or with an Amazon gift card of equivalent value. I can be contacted via my e-mail address: spitballarmy (at) aol (dot) com.

The cover art for each CD Sampler follows, including a full track listing. Each one of these collections was professionally mastered at Airwave Recording Studios (sadly, also no longer in business) in Homewood, Alabama. The 2002 Sampler was awarded First Prize for Advertising (Special Media) at that years’s NARM convention, ahead of efforts by competitors such as Best Buy and Tower Records. The majority of these Samplers contain at least one musical track by local Alabama talent. The packaging and artwork sometimes veers off in the direction of “elaborate,” making them – to some degree – collectible.

CD Sampler 1996 “5ive”
1. Keb’ Mo’ “You Can Love Yourself”
2. The Kennedys “Life Is Large”
3. Paul Westerberg “Century”
4. The Delevantes “Driving at Night”
5. The Cox Family “Cry Baby Cry”
6. The Red Mountain White Trash “Sequatchie Valley”
7. Patty Griffin “Mad Mission”
8. Martin Sexton “Black Sheep”
9. Jane Kelly Williams “Show Me How to Catch a Fish”
10. Ralph McTell “Summer Girls”
11. Suzanne Vega “Caramel”
12. Diana Krall “I’m an Errand Girl for Rhythm”
13. Sinti “Que Pasa?”
14. Robert Moore “I Can Wait”
15. Nicholas Payton “Whoppin’ Blues”
16. Bryn Terfel “Mozart: Non piu andrai”
17. Gil Shaham “Prokofiev: Sonata for solo violin in D major, Op. 115 [II. Theme and variations]”
18. Cecilia Bartoli “Giordano: Caro mio ben”
19. Wynton Marsalis “Charpentier: Prelude from Te Deum, H. 146?

CD Sampler 1997 “Dice”
1. Jay Ungar & Molly Mason “The Lovers’ Waltz”
2. Madeleine Peyroux “Always a Use”
3. Wycliffe Gordon & Ron Westray “Rhythm Cone”
4. Robert Cray “Not Bad for Love”
5. Diana Krall “Peel Me a Grape”
6. Elvis Costello “Harle: O Mistress Mine”
7. Alison Krauss & Union Station “There Is a Reason”
8. Bill Frisell “Go Jake”
9. Shawn Colvin “Wichita Skyline”
10. Roberto Alagna & Angela Gheorghiu “Puccini: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta”
11. Gil & Orli Shaham “Dvorak: Sonatina in G major, Op. 100 [III. Scherzo]”
12. Kim Richey “Lonesome Side of Town”
13. Boz Scaggs “I’ve Got Your Love”
14. Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny “Spiritual”
15. Mormon Tabernacle Choir “My Lord, What a Mornin’”

CD Sampler 1999 “American”
1. Rachel Barton “The Star Spangled Banner”
2. Josh Rouse “A Simple Thing”
3. Doc & Merle Watson “Big Spike Hammer”
4. Bobby Horton “Abraham’s Daughter”
5. TS Monk “Bright Mississippi”
6. Paavo Jarvi & CBSO “Bernstein: West Side Story Symphonic Dances [I. Prologue]”
7. Renee Fleming “Gershwin: Summertime”
8. Marcus Roberts “The Entertainer”
9. Ruben Gonzalez “Cumbanchero”
10. Elvis Costello “Tears at the Birthday Party”
11. Lucinda Williams “Metal Firecracker”
12. Slaid Cleaves “Key Chain”
13. Willie Nelson “Home Motel”
14. Bobby Horton “Lorena”
15. Robbie Robertson “Unbound”
16. Lynn Miles “Sunset Blvd.”
17. Martin Sexton “The Beast in Me”
18. Ellis Paul “The World Ain’t Slowin’ Down”
19. Russell Malone “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”

CD Sampler 2002 “Photo Album”
1. Stacy Rowles “Love Song for Kirsi”
2. Ed Harcourt “Something In My Eye”
3. Wilco “Kamera”
4. Gigi “Guramalye”
5. Blind Boys of Alabama “Amazing Grace”
6. Garrison Starr “Silent Night”
7. Josh Rouse “Miracle”
8. Gov’t Mule “Soulshine [rock mix]”
9. Cousteau “Last Good Day of the Year”
10. Caitlin Cary “Shallow Heart, Shallow Water”
11. Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise “See Her”
12. Norah Jones “Nightingale”
13. Richard Hawley “The Nights Are Cold”
14. Hem “Stupid Mouth Shut”
15. Asie Payton “I Love You”
16. Ely Guerra “Profunidad”
17. Patty Griffin “Rain”
18. Zero 7 “This World”

CD Sampler 2003 “Stick It In Your Ear”
1. Lucinda Williams “Ventura”
2. Gingersol “Sleep Alright”
3. Joe Jackson “Dirty Martini”
4. Josh Ritter “Come and Fine Me [Jackdrag remix]”
5. Rosanne Cash “Closer Than I Appear”
6. Lizz Wright “Salt”
7. Sean Watkins “Chutes & Ladders”
8. Oteil & the Peacemakers “Get Ready”
9. Jesse Harris “All My Life”
10. Jeff Black “To Be With You”
11. Hem “St. Charlene”
12. Sondre Lerche “Suffused With Love”
13. Budapest “Evade the Pain”
14. Gemma Hayes “Back of My Hand”
15. The Jayhawks “Angelyne”
16. Tim Easton “Black Hearted Ways”
17. Ashley MacIsaac “I Don’t Need This”
18. The Damnwells “Everybody Knows”
19. Ed Harcourt “All of Your Days Will Be Blessed”

CD Sampler 2003 “Little Golden Book”
1. Andras Schiff “JS Bach: Goldberg Variations [I. Aria]”
2. Elvis Costello: “Fallen”
3. Geoff Muldaur’s Futuristic Ensemble “There Ain’t No Sweet Man That’s Worth the Salt of My Tears”
4. Josh Rouse “Come Back (Light Therapy)”
5. Marc Broussard “Blue Jeans [live at Workplay]”
6. Randy Newman “Sail Away”
7. Sondre Lerche “Living Lounge”
8. The Stills “Lola Stars and Stripes”
9. Patrick Park “Past Poisons”
10. Emerson String Quartet “JS Bach: The Art of Fugue [Contrapunctus IV]”
11. The Fire Theft “Waste Time”
12. Po’ Girl “Cold Hungry Blues”
13. Nadine “Different Kind of Heartache”
14. Peter Malick Group featuring Norah Jones “Deceptively Yours”
15. Oh Susanna “Mama”
16. The Sleepy Jackson “Good Dancers”
17. My Morning Jacket “One Big Holiday”
18. Robert Randolph & the Family Band “Squeeze”
19. Hilary Hahn “JS Bach: Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041 [I. Allegro moderato]”
20. Emmylou Harris “Strong Hand”

CD Sampler 2004 “Another Bloomin’ Sampler”
1. Patty Griffin “Love Throw a Line”
2. Darden Smith “What Are We Gonna Do”
3. Josh Rouse “Princess on the Porch”
4. Ken Stringfellow “Any Love (Cassandra et Lune)”
5. Clare Burson “Poplar Tree”
6. Accademia Bizantina “Allessandro Scarlatti: Il Giardino di Rose”
7. The Streets “Dry Your Eyes”
8. Ron Sexsmith “Dandelion Wine”
9. Rachael Yamagata “Worn Me Down”
10. The Damnwells “Kiss Catastrophe”
11. Jamie Cullum “Twentysomething”
12. Ollabelle “Soul of a Man”
13. Los Lobos “Somewhere in Time”
14. Oliver Mtukudzi “Hear Me Lord [live]”
15. Fastball “‘Til I Get It Right”
16. Jim Lauderdale “Tales from the Sad Hotel”
17. Jackie Allen “Love Is Blue”
18. Preservation Hall Jazz Band “So Long Blues”

CD Sampler 2005 “Loves You”
1. Jackie Greene “A Thing Called Rain”
2. Ry Cooder “Muy Fifi”
3. Chad Fisher Group “Dog Parade”
4. Son Volt “Jet Pilot”
5. Athlete “Half Light”
6. Carey Ott “You Got Love”
7. Jeff Black “Hollow Of Your Hand”
8. Caitlin Cary “Two Different Things”
9. Josh Rouse “Streetlights”
10. Darek Oles “Conclusion, Part Two”
11. Caesars “It’s Not the Fall That Hurts”
12. Nic Armstrong & the Thieves “Back In That Room”
13. Pernice Brothers “There Goes the Sun”
14. The String Cheese Incident “Sometimes a River”
15. John Butler Trio “Zebra”
16. Joshua Redman “Put It In Your Pocket”
17. Lizz Wright “Trouble”
18. The Greencards “Time”

CD Sampler 2006 “Canary”
1. Goran Sollscher “Milano: Fantasia in F major”
2. Gabrieli Consort “Monteverdi: Nisi dominus”
3. Magdalena Kozena “Mozart: Vado, ma dove? o Dei! K. 583?
4. Hilary Hahn “Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 6 [II. Adagio]”
5. Vladimir Ashkenazy “Shostakovich: Festive Overture, Op. 96?
6. James Galway “The Magic Flutes for two flutes and orchestra [II. Minuet]”
7. Renee Fleming “Richard Strauss: Wie umgibst du mich mit Frieden [from Die Liebe der Danae]”
8. Anne Sofie von Otter “After the Rain”
9. Maurizio Pollini “Chopin: Berceuse in D flat major, Op. 57?
10. Bryn Terfel “Mozart” Soave sia il vento [from Cosi fan Tutte]”
11.-13. Venice Baroque Orchestra “Vivaldi: Concerto in B flat major, RV 163?
14. Sting “Dowland: Come Again”
15. Anja Lechner & Vassilis Tsabropoulos “Gurdjieff: Bayaty”
16. Andras Schiff “Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 14/2 [III. Scherzo. Allegro assai]”
17. Thomas Quasthoff “JS Bach: Betrachte, meine Seel [from St. John Passion]”
18. Helene Grimaud “Brahms: Sonata for Piano and Cello No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38 [II. Allegro quasi Menuetto]”
19. Jascha Heifetz “Weill: The Ballad of Mack the Knife”
20. Thomas Demenga “Gaspar Cassado: Danse du diable vert”
21. Gustavo Dudamel “Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 [IV. Allegro con brio]”

CD Sampler 2006 “Parakeet”
1. The Black Keys “Your Touch”
2. Joseph Arthur “Enough to Get Away”
3. IV Thieves “Catastrophe”
4. Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood “Little Walter Rides Again”
5. Moses Mayfield “Fall Behind”
6. Duquette Johnston “Beneath the Streets”
7. Sparklehorse “Don’t Take My Sunshine Away”
8. Toumani Diabate’s Symmetric Orchestra “Ya Fama”
9. Lewis Taylor “Lovelight”
10. Pat Metheny & Brad Mehldau “Ring of Life”
11. Ray Lamontagne “Three More Days”
12. Sister Hazel “Mandolin Moon”
13. Billy Bragg “Must I Paint You a Picture?”
14. Citizen Cope “Back Together”
15. Regina Spektor “Fidelity”
16. Mason Jennings “If You Need a Reason”
17. Robert Randolph & the Family Band “Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That”
18. Teddy Thompson “I Should Get Up”
19. Shawn Colvin “The Bird”
20. Hem “Curtains”

CD Sampler 2007 “Virtual” [not on CD]
1. Earth, Wind & Fire “Moment of Truth”
2. Sondre Lerche “She’s Fantastic”
3. Vulture Whale “Red Hot”
4. Laura Veirs “Don’t Lose Yourself”
5. America “Always Love”
6. Josh Rouse “Hollywood Bass Player”
7. Nick Lowe “People Change”
8. Rufus Wainwright “Going to a Town”
9. The Avett Brothers “Shame”
10. Ryan Adams “I Taught Myself How to Grow Old”
11. Jesse Payne “Thief Among Us”
12. The Aliens “Only Waiting”
13. Ed Harcourt “Every Night”
14. Great Lake Swimmers “Changing Colours”
15. Marc Broussard “Come In From the Cold”
16. Honk “Hesitation”
17. Josh Ritter “Rumors”
18. Joan Armatrading “My Baby’s Gone”
19. Mofro “Country Ghetto”
20. Ruthie Foster “Harder Than the Fall”
21. Ry Cooder “Farm Girl”