Woke Up on the RIght Side of the Bed

I do have plenty to be thankful about.
How about you?

The longer version of this tune is in the Sound Recordings archive at CulturalEquity.org.  The online repository is packed with Lomax's field recordings, films, interviews, festival performances, photographs, and so much more--the living history of our country's sonic and visual culture.

Marcel The Shell with Shoes On

Happy New Year!

This will make you smile (not a typical post for me).

Marcel's been around a while, but he seems to be more and more popular lately, like the year when ironic, spastic, bizarre t.v. commercials became accepted as "oddvertizing".  Like that but way more clever and adorable. The voice makes it, as does the quixotic dialogue, all provided by Jenny Slate with husband Dean Fleischer-Camp.  Enjoy!

R.L. Burnside & Alan Lomax

Alan Lomax is well known as the pre-eminent field recordist and folklorist who helped bring the musical traditions of Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta to the public interest (setting aside his trove of recordings from around the world).  Together with his pioneer folklorist father, John Avery Lomax, their impact on American culture reverberates still. 

For a narrow slice of the Lomax legacy--and a subject close to my heart--collected here are films he made of R.L. Burnside of Holly Springs, Mississippi. I came to know Burnside's music after a series of late 90's remixes on Fat Possum Records and listened back from there.  On a trip to New Orleans, I spotted him in these historic photos, probably taken before he was ever recorded.

These clips offer a look into a verdant, peaceful place where, after long sweltering workdays, Burnside cultivated his sound, picking at home into dusk and playing juke joints into night.

The first tune below is from Sound Machine Groove, an album released in 1997 but recorded in1979 & '80. The film was shot two months before I was born.  In college, I listened to this song over and over--couldn't get enough of that shuffling feel!

Here Burnside's sons get into it.  You can imagine these kids playing along with their dad before they could manage instruments.

Those 90's remixed blues tunes, oddly enough, put R.L. Burnside on folks' radar.  It's where I first heard him, and in one of the tunes he calls out, "On drums, my grandson, Cedric Burnside...".

I've since seen Cedric Burnside playing live to a sparsely occupied venue in Athens, GA.  Most people there didn't understand the tradition that this young guy was carrying forward.  Despite the meager crowd, he was as solid singing behind the drum set as his grandfather was behind a guitar.

One of the comments under this video says it all:  Cedric Burnside is "the best example of a self-actualized person I have ever seen. Pure joy!" Here he is doing a mean hambone with longtime collaborator Trent Ayers.  See if you don't agree.

R.L. Burnside - bio and discography at Fat Possum

R. L. Burnside - Delta Boogie interview

Alan Lomax - at CultureEquity.org, field recordings & plenty more

Hot Club of Athens with K. Ishibashi

Dave Rawlings Machine Plus

Two from Live and Breathing & two from me.  Enjoy.

Like, The Grand Budapest Hotel

Like most folks, I like Wes Anderson--at least enough to post this trailer. I've even posted about him in the past. Like, surely, his next film will be something I'll also like.

 

The Grand Budapest Hotel

¿ Sí ? NO

Mad Men revealed the sexy side of advertising amidst the swinging cultural/consumerist evolution of the early-to-mid-60's. With more historical focus, NO illuminates the significant social impact of a marketing campaign when political momentum needs shifting.

Set in Santiago and the California-like coast of Chile, NO portrays the life of creatives--led by Gael Garcia Bernal as real life ad-man René Saavedra--with a steady throughline to the BS that is PR and buzzbuilding. Angles converge at the forefront of a change movement to bring back true democracy in a country paralyzed by the oppression and fear-mongering of General Augusto Pinochet's authoritarian regime. In moviemaking terms, the era is the star; director Pablo Larraín deploys every tacky 80's t-shirt and tennis shoe, every pastel storefront, every classic Toyota and VW to achieve a convincing feel.

Chilenos celebrating referendum results in 1988 

Photo: ripley.za.net

The Southern Cone is, today, one massive legacy of liberty and perseverance triumphing over a minority of powerdrunk agents of corruption and violence; many South American societies have the vibrant economies and growing middle classes to prove it, yet a healthy skepticism for elected officials prevails. No doubt Chileans will be offended by my oversimplification of the remarkable phase of socio-political change represented in NO (At least I studied Latin American life under military dictatorships in college). You should probably just find an outlet to watch this one, with all its lo-fi videotaped scenes seamlessly spliced into archived amateur footage, fine casting, and straightforward screenwriting; the result is solidly entertaining and informative.

Still not convinced? ~ NY Times "One Prism on the Undoing of Pinochet"

Closer to home, public policy guru Robert Reich is hoping Americans will join him in a campaign to address the scourge that is economic inequality in the US.  Who will be his Rene Saavedra?
Reich's film to spearhead the movement ~ Inequality for All

Twilight Americana Fest 2013

A couple songs recorded at...

Twilight Americana Festival

More Amazigh Kateb

Like that?  Here's more.

Charles Bradley on WNYC

America still hasn't lost its soul. 
And here's proof.



Find more music from Charles Bradley on Daptone Records.

Check out more videos from WNYC's Soundcheck.

"Pass the fetal learning, please!"

It's becoming quite the little vlog around here isn't it?  That's not intentional, but time does dictate the word count, unfortunately.  Here's a little something you might enjoy: interesting facts about in utero learning. 

This one goes out to K.A. who's been 'round town for a few trimesters now, pretty much. I hope the lil guy has been having some spicy, good times so we can enjoy habaneros and chili chutney and piri piri when he starts on the solid foods!  Ay!

And  N.S. I know you'll find this fascinating too.  Enjoy.

ⵜⵏⵔⵓⵏ Tinariwen: Making of 'Tassili'

With the prospect of finally seeing Tinariwen, a Touareg group out of Northern Mali, I went sifting and found this beguiling documentary short which features the band, 'in situ', laying down tracks amidst the wind and sand and crackling fire of Tassili n'Ajjer located in southeast Algeria.

The album, called simply Tassili, promises to entrance listeners as ever, although this time leaning more heavily on acoustic instruments rather than the electrified mesmerizations of the group's past projects.  Take a moment to drift with Tinariwen.

For the observant, the guys in this video "thumbnail" are Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe of the American indie rock band TV On The Radio who decided to make the trip over for some desert collaborations on a handful of tunes.

Tinariwen - official website

Tassili - more on this wind-sculpted region, like an Arches or a Zion N.P. of North Africa.  Actually, it turns out, because of its amazing rock formations and abundant cave paintings, Tassili is a national park, too!

I'm Glad Krulwich Wonders

These two little oddities come from a great NPR blog called Krulwich Wonders.  The author and radio host is better recognized as one half of the team, along with Jad Abumrad, responsible for the always enthralling WNYC show and podcast series called Radiolab.  A good while ago, I lumped Radiolab in with a few other podcasts I still enjoy when I can (mostly while walking the poochie), so check those out here.

In the meantime, enjoy this optical illusion from Krulwich's cool post on visual trickery -- "This Can't Be Happening" -- followed by a hypnotizing video from some clever geeks at Harvard.

Here are Krulwich's directions for this first image:

Below, you will see two circles composed of parallelograms. There's a dot in the middle of the image. Focus on the dot. Move your head in, then move it out.

image by B. Pinna



Thai Funk Gems : สามอัญมณีไทย

Our relatively local college radio station, WRAS (88.5) out of Georgia State University, has put a couple of Southeast Asian compilations, called Thai Dai and The Sound of Siam, into fairly heavy rotation lately, and I've been loving their power to transport and amaze. 

The following selections are considered luk thung, a brand of Thai pop that incorporates plenty of emotive, vibrato singing, but these picks do it with a distinctive flair, blending many international influences. Mighty entertaining!

Sroeng Santi -- an unforgettable style that most modern hipsters would die for!

Sroeng Santi covers Black Sabbath and manages to non-rhyme better than Dylan.

Sangthong Seesai -- some playful English thrown into this one!  Happy!

ดังนั้นจึงน่าเกรงขาม!

Portlandia: Smart, Funny, Timely TV

Portland map art via chemofski

This new series on IFC was featured at the close of NPR's Morning Edition. It seems like NPR is sort of the "exposure machine" to rival the Kodak Brownie in its day. Fred Armisen (of Saturday Night Live fame) and Carrie Brownstein (of the band Sleater-Kinney and an NPR alumna) riff on what it means to be a Portlander, with all the granola pride and flakey-punk goodness that entails.

This is the kind of comedy that we could use a little more of in the mainstream. Enjoy!

Have you ever been engaged in one of these "one-upsman" kind of conversations about art or books or music? I absolutely love how they literally devour the written word at the end. IFC's Portlandia is a spin-off of a shorts project found at THUNDERANT. Another irrevrent segment, "Dream of the 90's" is hilarious, too, in a Flight of The Conchords vein -- check it!

Georgia Guitar Quartet & Robert Sims

Featuring Brian Smith, one of the musical neighbors from across the street:

Georgia Guitar Quartet & Robert Sims from Paul Hamilton on Vimeo :

I [created this] brief demo with the Georgia Guitar Quartet & Robert Sims.

As a pianist I have collaborated with Robert since 1997 - we are long time friends/colleagues. His talent is immeasurable. In 1999 he won the Gold Medal in the American Traditions Competition, in Savannah, Georgia. He also made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2005, and returned to Carnegie Hall in 2009 as a guest of Jessye Norman, as part of her HONOR! festival. I was fortunate to play the piano for him on his second appearance, and this was my Carnegie Hall debut. We're performing together in Gibraltar this month (Dec. 20)!

His new partnership with the GGQ is nothing less than extraordinary.
Their arrangements are completely original: with Southern twang and classical
arch! Their artistry is of the highest calibre.

Caleb Vinson (Vimeo user) and I filmed this with two Canon 7D's, in Dekalb, Illinois. The audio was recorded live.

Caleb's exceptional camera moves are his trademark. I have not seen anyone use a DSLR the way he does: it proves that with practice and discipline it is possibe to achieve extremely fluid and unique moves. Well done Caleb!

We're both proud to have captured this short rehearsal with the GGQ and Robert!

Please support these exceptional musicians, you can purchase the music here:

Georgia Guitar Quartet & Robert Sims

Find out more:

The Georgia Guitar Quartet - classical guitarists and more

Robert Sims - the superb lyric baritone

The Musicsmiths - flute and guitar duo

The Odd Trio - jazz, funk, original compositions, varied freakouts

Maps and Transit - ethereal folk and electronic music

Tres Selecções Brasileiras

Sometimes I find myself in a mood, and there is a sound that accompanies it. Other times, it's the sound itself that dictates the mood or deepens it. Enjoy these three selections, old classics captured for the masses, to put you in a state or bring you out of one.

The vintage styles here are pretty bold -- some might say gaudy -- but these must be two of the most relaxed singers in this genre, regardless of wardrobe issues!

The dog barking in the background is so sweet, and the last line gets a little cheeky smile out of Caetano Veloso, when Chico sings, "And I'm just a woman."

Here Almeida's right hand is superiorly fast and smooth; it all blurs together as he introduces Antonio Carlos Jobim's famous "Samba de Uma Nota Só".

And the crowd shows some appreciation after some nice solos and a fine fade away.

Finally, a legendary take from the willow-voiced João Gilberto proves why the world became so infatuated with bossa nova in the 1960's.

A scat to rival even Ella Fitzgerald! Another Brasilian band, Novos Baianos, does another rendition with a solid scat and an even bouncier tempo. Bem bom!

David Byrne: Housing Sound & Music

Here's a lecture from David Byrne, the greatest college professor you never had! Recording for TED, below is his lecture about the relationship between sound and its contextual space.

He travels sonically from grimy New York nightclubs to West African al fresco drumming to organ-filled European cathedrals to the booming trunks of what folk-singer Greg Brown calls "thump-thump" cars and finally into the forest canopies.

Byrne is knowledgeable and relaxed, oddly handsome and totally enthralling. He's wise and experienced, yet he remains energetic and humorous, and based on his practiced delivery, he's done this talk a few times. Enjoy.

* TED is "a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design."

You'll find so many more intriguing and informative segments. Go. Learn. Enjoy.

Chucho Valdés: 'El Maestro' del Jazz Cubano

From my bootleg vault, here's a live selection recorded at an inspiring concert in Marquette, MI in the Winter of 2003. The legendary Cuban pianist Jesus "Chucho" Valdés leads a group of young jazz players whose ages perhaps just add up to that of Sr. Valdes at the time.

Chucho Valdes --2-- Live by afctank

El Maestro's work can be found in so many manifestations from his recent recordings with his father Bebo Valdés all the way back to the groundbreaking Afro-Cuban jazz project with the supergroup he helped form in 1972, Irakere.

From the abridged Irakere discography by Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews:

In 1979, members included Jesús "Chucho" Valdés, piano; Enrique Plá, drums; Carlos Emilio Morales, guitar; Paquito D'Rivera, clarinet and sax; Arturo Sandoval, trumpet; Carlos Del Puerto, bass; Oscar Valdés, vocals and percussion; Carlos Averhoff, flute and sax; Jorge Varona, trumpet; Jorge Alfonso and Armando Cuervo, percussion. D'Rivera and Sandoval left 1980; José Luis Cortés joined.

Various laudatory comments for Irakere on FlyGlobalMusic:

“One of the finest jazz ensembles in the world” LA Times

“One of the best big bands in the world” Itunes

“Among Cuba’s most influential bands” Discogs

“Chucho Valdes is the greatest jazz pianist in Cuba, perhaps one of the greatest pianists in the world” Time Magazine

“Arturo Sandoval is arguably the most prodigious trumpeter of his generation” The Guardian

Lhasa De Sela

This clip features a very appealing animation style, and the song by Montreal-based artist Lhasa de Sela is subtly beautiful yet melancholic, managing to avoid the suicidal tendencies of so much contemporary art/folk pop -- sleepy and gorgeous! The old world, harp-fed sparkles add to the ambiance, as though the streets of the French-Canadian landscape were translated to the shores of the Baltic Sea.



Other tracks from her self-titled album Lhasa carry the same drifting style, making you feel as if you're in a row boat with her, lolling in the tide of life's irrational regularity. Even in the mundane, there is mystery, and Lhasa's soulful timbre helps take you there.

Link to Lhasa De Sela's official website & MySpace to listen to other tracks. Her biography reveals the roots of her ethereal, spiritual sound. Explore!