Kuumba Singers, “Ride On,” “Hold On” (with Bobby McFerrin), live, Germany (Leipzig), 2002
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lagniappe
musical thoughts
Imagine a United States as great, in every way, as its music.
two takes
More from the Motor City.
“What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” (W. Weatherspoon, P. Riser, J. Dean)
Jimmy Ruffin (1939-; David’s brother), 1965
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Mitch Ryder (with Don Was, bass, et al.), live, Detroit, 2008
alone
R.L. Burnside (1926-2005), “See My Jumper Hanging on the Line,” live, Independence, Miss., 1978
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lagniappe
reading table
Harvest in progress
a crane stands
in the rice paddy—Matsuo Basho (1644-1694; translated from Japanese by David Young)
What would a day without music sound like?
serendipity
Yesterday. Late afternoon, working on an old murder case. Happen upon this: windows open, letting in a breeze.
Mary Halvorson Quintet (MH, guitar, compositions; Jon Irabagon, alto saxophone; Jonathan Finlayson, trumpet; John Hebert, bass; Ches Smith, drums), “Love in Eight Colors,” “Hemorrhaging Smiles,” live, Washington, D.C., 2013
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lagniappe
reading table
From now on
it’s all clear profit,
every sky.—Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827), on his fiftieth birthday (translated from Japanese by Robert Hass)
last night*
Savages (Jehnny Beth, vocals; Gemma Thompson, guitar; Ayse Hassan, bass; Fay Milton, drums), live, England (Glastonbury Festival, Somerset), 2013
*I saw them at Metro, a club on Chicago’s north side, near Wrigley Field. The way drummer Fay Milton rode the beat, like a wave that kept surging, surging, surging, reminded me at times of Keith Moon. Is there any higher compliment?
From Musical Scripture (3:7):
And when they heard the angels singing,
A hush came over them and they understood:
Heaven can be found anywhere—even Detroit.
The Temptations (David Ruffin [1941-1991], lead vocals), “My Girl” (S. Robinson & R. White), vocal track, 1965
back to church
Heavenly Gospel Singers, “Jesus Traveled On This Road Before”
Live, St. James Missionary Baptist Church, Canton, Miss., 1978
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lagniappe
reading table: more of Seamus Heaney
Reading (New York), 2011
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Funeral (Dublin), September 2, 2013
old school
Charlie Musselwhite (1944-; vocals, harmonica) with Big Walter Horton (1918-1981; vocals, harmonica), live, Chicago, 1981
Charlie’s playing is wonderful: it both swings and sings. And he’s got great presence. But listen to Walter, whom I had the chance to work with in the ’70s when I was with Alligator Records. He’s not onstage long; this was only months before his death. But there are moments, when Walter’s playing, where time seems to stop (16:11, 18:03, 18:22, 19:57, etc.).
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lagniappe
reading table
You can fall a long way in sunlight.
You can fall a long way in the rain.The ones who don’t take the old white horse
take the morning train.—Robert Hass (1941-), “August Notebook: A Death” (excerpt)
what’s new
Have you heard the new Julia Holter? This is honestly, seriously good. It may be the best album I’ve heard this year.
—my son Alex (now twenty-five), before playing me this track
Julia Holter, “World,” 2013
music clip of the day 