Sunday, South Africa; Monday, Morocco; today let’s head to the center—the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).
Konono No. 1, “Lufuala Ndonga”
Morocco—it’s just a click away.
Musical Brotherhoods from the Trans-Saharan Highway, excerpts (2007)
Weathermen redux?
Speaking of M.I.A., who else conjures the ’60s like this—its mix of ferocity and nuttiness?
M.I.A., “Born Free” (2010)
When your kids go back to college (as my older son Alex did Saturday and my younger son Luke ten days ago), it’s not just their voices you no longer hear around the house; it’s also the voices they listen to—like this guy, for instance (a Luke favorite).
Mike Posner, “Cooler Than Me,” live, Los Angeles, 2010
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lagniappe
So where would she [M.I.A.] live if visas and tour plans weren’t a factor? She pauses for a moment, then says, “Space. I’m over Earth.” She laughs. “Earth is so 2000-and-fucking-9.”
—M.I.A. (Rolling Stone, 8/5/10)
street music
Whatever it is, this guy’s got it.
I’m the person I see least of over the course of my life, and even what I see is not accurate.
—Gil Scott-Heron (New Yorker, 8/9/2010 [Alec Wilkinson, “New York Is Killing Me”])
Gil Scott-Heron, “I’m New Here” (2010)
More? Here.
Actually, you don’t even need a single string.
Steve Reich, “Clapping Music” (1972)/So Percussion, live, California (Palo Alto), 1/8/10 (music starts at 3:35)
More Steve Reich? Here.
Last week I wrote: “Guitar, drums—that’s all it takes.”
Actually, all it takes is a single string.
Lonnie Pitchford (diddley bow), live, Mississippi, 1978 (The Land Where The Blues Began [1979])
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lagniappe
? and the Mysterians—still more (take #4 [NYC, Great Jones Cafe; 7/31/10])
*****
mail (makes me want to be [yikes!] a grandfather)
The other day Oran Etkin, whose music was featured here a while back, wrote:
I’ve been checking in every once in a while to your blog— you’ve got some really amazing and diverse music up there!
***
I wanted to let you know about a new project I have and a great video I just posted yesterday. I have a project for kids called Timbalooloo (www.timbalooloo.com), which has music classes for 0-10 year olds using a new approach I developed to reach that age group, CDs, Videos, Books, etc. I am putting out a kids CD next month called Wake Up, Clarinet! based on this whole approach. It’s with my band featuring Jason Marsalis, Curtis Fowlkes, Fabian Almazan, Garth Stevenson and Charenee Wade. Anyways, I put up this video from a live concert, and I thought you might enjoy it and see if it would be cool for your blog.
***I’m loving the videos up on the site!
—Oran
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Oran Etkin, “Wake Up, Clarinet!”; live
my new mantra
Say ‘bye bye, bogeyman.’
—Whispering Jack Smith
Whispering Jack Smith, “Happy Days” (Happy Days [shot in 1929, released in 1930])
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lagniappe
more music to chase away the bogeyman
Sidney Bechet (clarinet, with Henry “Red” Allen, trumpet; J.C. Higginbotham, trombone; James Tolliver, piano; Wellman Braud, bass; J.C. Heard, drums), “Egyptian Fantasy” (1941)
