(July 27, 2026) It has been a while since I’ve been to the Southwest. However, one thing I recall about that part of the country – other than the heat – is the unique and stunning beauty of the desert plant life. Right around dusk when the sun is going down and the light hits the desert right with the mountains in the backdrop is about a beautiful and awe inspiring as it gets.
Seth Applebaum, the founder and leader of Ghost Funk Orchestra, said that a tour stop in New Mexico inspired him to write “Ocotillo,” the song featured in this First Listen. The song’s title refers to the desert plant that grows in Mexico, as well as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern California, and Nevada. Ocotillo grows to a height of 10 to 15 feet and has a clump of up to 75 slender thorn covered branches.
The song’s lyrics speak of the awe Applebaum felt upon seeing the plant with its combination of long thorn covered branches that warn you to stay away and a topped with bright red floral leaves that look like flames that top torches.
Musically, “Ocotillo” has a contemplative and hypnotic quality. That allows the funk bass line to mix with the jazz inspired horns and the improvisations on the keyboard while Julia Zivic’s haunting and atmospheric vocals float above it all. Check out “Ocotillo” by Ghost Funk Orchestra here.
By Howard Dukes
