On the Playlist 22MAY2021…

On a tip from a friend I discovered a new artist for the playlist. I was out camping this weekend and by recommendation of a friend I checked out Holly Bowling. Luckily, I downloaded the tracks I had before I lost cell signal and am very happy that I did. While I usually listen to audio books from my local library on this trip I decided to check out Holly Bowling. I purchased a couple of her albums on Bandcamp and had the foresight to download them. So, at that point on a trip when radio stations and cell signal fades and I usually put on a good audiobook. I instead put on Holly Bowlings album Seeking All That’s Still Unsung. This album is a collection of classic Grateful Dead songs arranged for solo Piano. Holly is a classically trained pianist from San Francisco that has brought the jam band vibe of Phish and The Grateful Dead to her instrument, the solo piano.

While I certainly appreciate the Grateful Dead’s music a lot of their songs didn’t really do anything for me as songs. I guess for a lot of them they just seemed like a foundation for a long extended jam and the song just sort of disappeared into wall of sound that is the Grateful Dead. Well, arranged for solo piano their songs take on a very different sound and really stand as classic songs. The sound stage of this album of a solo piano that is closely mic’d really makes you sit up and notice the songs for their musicality. It was a bit off at first hearing these songs in this way but I soon got used to it and quite enjoyed this album as I headed up into the mountains for a weekend of camping. There is quite a collection of music that she has on Bandcamp that in an odd way captures the jam band vibe of the Grateful Dead but with a classical piano sound to it. Try it, I am sure you will like it.

On the Playlist 20/MAY/21…

What could be simpler than playing a guitar with only one string. Would that even be music? Well on the playlist today is Brushy One String, a Jamaican guitar playing who plays a guitar with only one string. And, well yes it does sound like a gimmick but it is one that works for Andrew Chin who is better known as Brushy One String. I am listening to his 2013 album called Destiny which includes his “hit” Chicken in the Corn which was used in the 2007 documentary “Rising Up” and first brought attention to his unique style of playing the guitar. He uses one string on his guitar and the body of the guitar for percussion and rhythm for his songs to get a very unique kind of folksie/bluesie combined with reggae sort of sound. This is something quite different and well worth giving a listen to.

On the Playlist 19/MAY/21…

Listening to a J.Period live mixtape this afternoon while getting some work done. The one I am listening to today is called the Story to Tell Edition. I first started listening to J.Period with his The Messengers edition with Knaan. I am a big fan of Fela Kuti and he did a tribute to Fela Kuti in this series. J.Period is a Brooklyn based mixtape producer who puts together themed mix tapes on a theme. He also is a hip hop producer working with many of the greats in the hip hop scene. His live mixtapes are recorded in one take right through which gives them a presence that I enjoy. I usually buy them on Bandcamp as they are released. Another aspect is that I enjoy the artwork for the covers. As you see below this one features interesting artwork. Others in the series have different artwork in various modern urban styles.

On the Playlist 2/APR/21…

When I was in high school I played tenor saxophone in both band and jazz band. I was the only person who played tenor saxophone so my band teacher wanted me on these groups. I got credit for both classes and the jazz band was at lunch so it kept me from just hanging out at the mall across the street from my school so I didn’t mind. I was already into jazz anyway so I enjoyed playing some of the selections in jazz band. One of those selections was Children of Sanchez by Chuck Mangione who plays flugelhorn. I enjoyed the music and discovered Chuck Mangione. Fast forward many many years and I purchased the CD recently to bring back the memories of that music. So enjoying listening to this one a lovely afternoon here while I am reviewing documents for work.

This album was the soundtrack of the movie of the same name in 1978. The song won a Grammy for best pop instrumental. The album was recorded quickly and with the musicians assembled a lot of the tracks were captured on the first take. This album came after his “Feels So Good” which was his first big success. This whole album because it is a soundtrack follows a common theme to it. I still like albums and especially when they really express a cohesive theme of music. Someday, I should get around to watching this movie.

On the Playlist 17/MAR/21…

Getting back to doing these posts again. Not that I haven’t been listening to music but just not posting. Actually, truth be told I am listening to less music that I was a couple years ago. Today’s album is Tour of Light 2014 by Children of Uganda. Very interesting story of this album that had me reaching for the buy button in Bandcamp almost immediately. Children of Uganda is a charity organization that is concerned with serving the large numbers of orphans in Uganda as a result of the AIDS epidemic there. As part of their fundraising they put together a musical group composed of kids who had been helped by their program. There is also a similar album from 2012. The music is mostly vocal with simple African accompaniment which consists of drum, percussion, marimba, and banjos. The songs are a mix of African gospel and uplifting music. The live show includes traditional African dance as well. I am really enjoying listening to it as I love the sound of African harmonies which is something I grew up with.

When I was growing up in Zambia there was a movement within the country to promote native skills and self sufficiency as a result our school had to have the students participate in various relevant activities. We basically got to choose between gardening (hard work in the sun) or native dancing and music (led by my favorite teacher). I was the only non-Zambian kid who went it for the dancing and music. I actually performed with the school group and we got to do drumming during the singing of the national anthem every morning for assembly. When I was a kid, I had very blond hair and I stood out quite obviously as the only blond kid doing Zambian traditional dance and music. So I come by my love of African singing and rhythms quite honestly.

On the playlist 12JUN2019…

Heard an interesting story about Radiohead not sure where I first heard it but it was all over by the time I thought about it. They had some working tapes of one of their members pirated and the perpetrators were holding the music ransom for some amount of money. So, the band decided to just release the stolen material publicly. I had heard of Radiohead but my only exposure to them was through the soundtrack to the modern Romeo + Juliet movie and their song "Talk Show Host".

I love that movie as it was the first time I really got Shakespeare. My daughter was reading Romeo and Juliet in school. I had showed her that movie forcing her to watch the first ten minutes when she first told me she would be doing it in school. She didn't get it. Later when she had read the play though she told me that they had watched it in class and she did get it. Since she read it in school my daughter has taken to calling me sir and every once in a while when I frustrate her she bites her thumb at me. 

So, on the playlist today is the soundtrack to Romeo + Juliet.

Soundtrack from Romeo + Juliet

On the playlist 11JUN2019…

Been looking forward to this one for a couple weeks after hearing a story on NPR about this album. The album is Kieth Jarrett  and his album "The Koln Concert". The best selling jazz solo album of all time and the best selling piano album is the result of a near disaster. The story goes that 17 year old Vera Brandes was a huge fan of Jarret's and convinced him to do a concert. She was able to get the opera house to agree but only late in the evening after an opera performance. So, this unusual concert was booked. Jarrett was very particular about the piano he played in his completely improvised performances. When he arrived, the specified piano was not available and a practice piano in rather poor shape was in its place. Suffering from back pain and sleep deprivation from his drive up from Geneva, he almost cancelled the concert but Vera convinced him to play. The piano was readied and attempted to be tuned. The concert was sold out and started at 11:30 pm. Despite the hardship of the conditions Jarrett went on to play and worked with the piano to produce what is probably some of his best work. What is amazing is that despite the hardships he played in a way to bring out the best he could of the instrument. A testament to an amazing musician. 

Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert

On the Playlist 10JUN2019…

One of the musical styles I love but have not mentioned yet is Klezmer and I have discovered a new group called Nu Klezmer Army. Klezmer as a style originates from Ashkenazi jews from Eastern Europe. It has a strong resemblance or kinship with Romani or gypsy music. It is usually happy music but can also include some sad themes. My introduction to Klezmer was due to the usual inclusion of clarinet and a particular style of clarinet playing that I really enjoy listening to. There is an early jazz feel to the music as well that is interesting and you can see some klezmer sounds in a several areas of the evolution of jazz music. I also enjoy the folk music aspect of it. This music originated in the Eastern Europe and was all but forgotten as a popular style until a revival in the 1970s. The Nu Klezmer Army is a Seattle based group that put out an album called "Funeral Afterparty" in 2014. Not sure what happened to them after that but this is as good a Klezmer album as I have heard in a long time.

Nu Klezmer Army - Funeral Afterparty

Been a while since I have been down this musical alleyway. May end up in interesting explorations.

In the Playlist 7JUN2019…

Listening to a newly discovered group called The Raah Project. They are based out of Melbourne Australia. Interesting idea of a large ensemble sort of like a jazz big band but with a modern twist while still paying homage to the big band ideas and music. While organized somewhat like a big band they are playing modern electronica, dance, soul and hip hop music. They have two albums and I am currently listening to their most recent album "Take Me Elsewhere". 

The Raah Project - Take Me Elsewhere

On the Playlist 6JUN2019…

Tribute to Dr. John today was listening to his last studio album "Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch". In case you aren't a fan or haven't heard Dr. John passed away this morning from a heart attack. So had to put on his last album to listen to this afternoon. This album is of various Louis Armstrong (another New Orleans native) standards that are turned inside out and upside down in different and modern styles. The album features a cavalcade of guest musicians including the Blind Boys of Alabama (mentioned elsewhere in these posts). 

Dr. John was a prolific performer and session musician in the New Orleans scene for a long time. His live shows were legendary for the costumes, voodoo themes and general New Orleans Mardi Gras feeling to them. He was influenced by and has played with a lot of greats and has had a colorful life. This album is a fitting last album of his career as his first influence to be a musician was listening to Louis Armstrong in his father's appliance and record shop. 

Dr. John - Ske-Dat-De-Dat The Spirit of Satch

On the Playlist 5JUN2019…

Discovered a new trove of releases on Bandcamp of Sun Ra and his Arkestra recently and was listening to "Taking a Chance on Chances." This has been recently remastered and sounds great considering the original source material. A great example of free form jazz with great solos in it especially by Sun Ra himself on piano showing his own style. 

Sun Ra was an innovator in Jazz and performed throughout his life with a collective called Akestra which featured a rotating group of musicians. He was mainly a keyboard player and had his own style of piano playing. He was an early adopter of electronic keyboards. The Arkestra still plays although without the unique character of Sun Ra leading it. 

Sun Ra and His Arkestra - Taking a Chance on Chances

On the Playlist 4JUN2019…

Listening to a very interesting album today by Abigail Washburn and Shanghai Restoration Project called "Afterquake". Going to be a bit of a story here on this one. First of all Abigail Washburn is a folk banjo player. She was also an exchange student to China and studied folk music in China. So she has connections within China. Shanghai Restoration Project (I am a huge fan and can't believe I haven't referred to it more in these posts) consists of David Liang who is based in NY but does a lot of work in China. He is an electronic artists who collaborates with various musicians and incorporates traditional Chinese sounds into his music. So that is the background to the artists here. This album is a collection of music from Sichuan province exploring themes about and after the large earthquake that happened there a couple years back. This is important because that earthquake for a whole host of reasons has not got a lot of global attention. So these two artists have collaborated to produce an album exploring those themes and using found sounds from the region and the people affected by the quake itself. A portion of the proceeds from this album is being donated to quake relief charities. The music on this album is haunting especially when the themes being explored are considered. A good listen and even better if you take the time to look up the background to the music while listening to it.

Abigail Washburn and the Shanghai restoration Project - Afterquake

On the Playlist 3JUN2019…

Was listening to Tomita today and his album "Tomita's Greatest Hits". Isao Tomita was a very early pioneer in electronic music. He used early Moog synthesizers and created complex soundscapes that were the progenitor of many electronic musical styles well known today including synth-pop and trance. He also did some amazing work with recreating classical music in an electronic style. He won several Grammys during his life and worked with Disney on several occasions. He passed away in 2016 in Tokyo from heart failure. I love his music today for its lo-fi and yet complicated electronic sound. When I think about when he was creating this music it is quite amazing.

Isao Tomita - Tomita's Greatest Hits CD

On the Playlist 31MAY2019…

Been a while since I have posted a playlist post and I can't believe that I haven't posted this artist yet. James Keelaghan and, in particular, his second album "Small Rebellions" which I originally had on tape and played a lot on road trips in my Honda Civic when I was in graduate school. James Keelaghan is originally from Calgary and studied at University of Calgary which is where I did my master's degree. I don't recall where I acquired the tape but once I had it, I played it a lot and was one of the tapes that was on a heavy rotation in the car. When I was in graduate school I bought a new Honda Civic hatchback. I loved that car and did a lot of camping in it. I would often just take off for a weekend and drive around Southern Alberta and British Columbia. I remember one particular trip down through Southern British Columbia driving through snow and listening to this album on the tape deck in between getting local CBC stations on the radio. Years later I was watching TV and there was a show about those roads called "Highway to Hell" and it brought back some memories of road trips back in the day. I love all the songs on this album but my favorite has to be Departure Bay. This is a song about taking the BC Ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo. The harbor where the ferry leaves from is amazing and this song captures it perfectly. If you are ever in Vancouver you need to go out there just to see the ferry terminal and small town of Horseshoe bay. Keelaghan was a history major and his songs all relate to Canadian history or social concerns. Great stuff and the memories are flooding back of good times in Western Canada.

James Keelaghan - Small Rebellions

On the Playlist 24APR2019…

Geino Yamashirogumi collective is a relatively unknown Japanese musical collective and I am pretty sure that when I mention them no one has heard of them but when I mention the album that is on the playlist today, I am going to venture that some of you have heard of it. I am listening to the soundtrack for the movie "Akira". I love the chanting style of music that was chosen for this soundtrack and went to the trouble of finding the musical recording of it. Getting back to Geino Yamashirogumi though they are very interesting and have been around for a long time. They are famous for faithfully recreating various styles of folk music and also for integrating with electronic music - perfect for the Akira soundtrack. I remember becoming fascinated with this movie in VHS format when I saw it in a deep dark corner of the rental place and thought that it might be an interesting movie. The movie is set in a dystpoian 2019 and is a classic Japanese cyberpunk manga story. I think it is one of the greatest science-fiction movies ever and the sound track is a big part of that. In fact, I think I may need to watch it again. If you haven't seen it watch it and enjoy the soundtrack.

Geino Yamashirogumi - Akira Soundtrack

On the Playlist 23APR2019…

Went for a long walk during my daughter’s tennis lesson at the Great Park and put on some music that was recommended in the comments after one of my previous posts. I was listening to Heilung and their album Ofnir. As I was walking around the less developed areas of the Great Park and around the old buildings of the old El Toro Marine Air Base this music was perfect for that. So, Heilung is a very interesting band playing "folk" music from the early iron age in Northern Europe. To call their music "folk" is stretching the traditional meaning of that word a bit as it is a very interesting sound that you would be hard pressed to call folk if you listened to it. They use instruments that are made from things that would have been available to early iron age people so a lot of drums and things clanging together. What got me interested in them is their use of a Mongolian and Inuit singing technique called throat singing which loosely sounds like someone droning. This band is quite a trip. Their videos are something else as well with quite the performance and costumes. Thanks to Chris for the suggestion to check them out.

Heilung _ Ofnir

On the Playlist 22APR2019….

Started this week off with listening to Tori Amos and her album "Under the Pink". I have always enjoyed her style which reminds me of Suzanne Vega in her early days.

Tori Amos - Under the Pink

On the Playlist 15APR2019…

On a binge of Penguin Cafe Orchestra right now. I know I have mentioned them before on these posts. I just loaded up a bunch of their albums and let it rip. Good stuff to listen to as I am doing a bunch of very boring data review right now. Not much more to say except check them out if you haven't already.

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

On the Playlist 12APR2019…

New discover today in a young LA singer called Billie Eilish and her first album "Don't Smile at Me". She has a recently released second album as well called "When We Fall Asleep Where Do We Go". I heard about her and then once I listened to the album I recognized one of the songs from the playlist on our 48 States trip that my daughter curated. Come to discover that she is my daughter's favorite artist. Song that was a big hit for her is "Ocean Eyes". She collaborates with her brother who produces her music. Not bad for a girl who is 19 years old and started in the business at 16. Great songs with a lot of teenage angst. I feel like she may be like the Nirvana of this generation only hope she doesn't go the way that lead singer of Nirvana went.

Billie Eilish - Don't Smile At Me

On the Playlist 29MAR2019…

Doing some data review and wanted some good music to work to. Found something that was in the library but hadn't paid much attention to Billy Jones and his album "My Hometown". This is a modern blues, funk, soul album that reminds me of an update of Marvin Gaye's famous album "What's Goin' On" for modern times. It is a bit edgier but has a similar vibe to it. Good music, good lyrics and a good vibe to it. Enjoying it!

Billy Jones - My Hometown