Digable Planets live for KEXP (November 4, 2016).
Setlist:
The May 4th Movement
Black Ego
Pacifics
What Cool Breezes Do
Jettin'
Important People:
Host: Cheryl Waters & Kevin Cole
Audio Recording & Mixing: Kevin Suggs & Matt Ogaz
Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Alaia D'Alessandro, Luke Knecht & Justin Wilmore
Director: Scott Holpainen
Editor: Jim Beckmann
Last week was Fela’s birthday and I’ve been jamming this live ‘Pansa Pansa’ ever since. And since I am a generous person, I thought you might like to jam too.
From the Youtube page:
“One of the few pro-shot concerts of legendary musician Fela Kuti with his band Africa 70, playing for the jazz festival in Berlin, 1978. Fela was a social activist and leader who fought for freedom and justice in Nigeria. He died in 1997.”
Erykah Badu performs for NPR’s Tiny Desk. 08/15/18.
Felix Contreras says:
“Some folks around the NPR Music office said they felt an almost spiritual connection to Erykah Badu during her visit to the Tiny Desk. And that was before she and her band even played a single note. It came from the waft of earthly scents that followed in her wake, to the flowing dreads and clothes that hung on her like robes.
After her self-introduction, which included a rundown of her spiritual and creative aliases, Badu rolled into one of her earliest musical calling cards, "Rimshot." It's an ode to the sound the percussionist makes when a drumstick is struck against the metal edge of the snare drum. On this performance, as on her 1997 album Baduizm, it becomes a device to play with time — stretching it, stopping it, suspending it. Propelled by jazz chords on the piano and the steady pulse of the acoustic bass, the playful performance unfolded in the tradition of the best bebop.
But the panoramic song "Green Eyes" is the centerpiece of Badu's Tiny Desk performance. It's wide-ranging in scope and musical arrangement and brilliantly executed by the jazz and hip-hop musicians in her backing band. The story of heartbreak is striking enough, but her interpretation showcases her formidable vocal skills. By the time it was over, we were all just as emotionally and spiritually spent as she was from the experience.
Erykah Badu is an artist for the ages. To old-school jazz fans like myself, names like Nina Simone, Betty Carter and Shirley Horn come to mind as much as Billie Holiday because of Badu's singular approach to a lyric. They all cut their own creative path and left behind a legacy that you can identify with just one note. Erykah Badu is on that same path, and one day her name will be mentioned along with the other Elders who share her spirit of musical adventure.”
Setlist:
"Rimshot"
"Green Eyes"
Players:
Erykah Badu (lead vocals)
RC Williams (Keys)
Braylon Lacy (bass)
Cleon Edwards (Drums)
Frank Moka (Percussion)
Kenneth Whalum (Sax)
Keyon Harrold (Trumpet)
Dwayne Kerr (Flute)
Credits:
Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Khun Minn Ohn, CJ Riculan
Production Assistants: Catherine Zhang, Téa Mottolese
Photo: Morgan Noelle Smith/NPR.
Today we set aside 30 minutes for Explosions in the Sky live for KEXP in 2016.
Come on, you know you want to.
Setlist:
Wilderness
Infinite Orbit
The Ecstatics
Colors In Space
Disintegration Anxiety
Important Details:
http://KEXP.ORG presents Explosions In The Sky performing live in the KEXP studio. Recorded September 3, 2016.
Important People:
Host: Troy Nelson
Audio Engineer: Jackson Long & Kevin Suggs
Audio Mixers: Jeff Byrd & Jay Demko
Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Alaia D'Alessandro & Scott Holpainen
Editor: Justin Wilmore
I don’t live somewhere with seasons. I live in a place that is hot or less hot. In the middle of a desert and I don’t understand why anyone ever thought it was a good idea to build a major metropolitan city here, Phoenix (or its adjacent suburbs.
But I still have a soul. And I miss seasons. I mean, I have experienced them, they’re just currently part of my imagination and not my life.
And even though I don’t like Christmas music, music, music often has a strong seasonal element for me. Not that this is Christmas music, but it was recorded in the midst of a snow storm. Elkhorn (usually a guitar duo made up of childhood friends, Jesse Sheppard and Drew Gardner was scheduled to play a show with (third guitarist) Turner Williams Jr. but the show was snowed out as the group was snowed in (see what I did there?). Making the most of the night, the group hunkered down in Gardner’s home studio and improvised some jams. The first installment, The Storm Sessions was released earlier this year and we are now treated to the acoustic counterpart, The Acoustic Storm Sessions.
The resulting two pieces evoke the crispness of winter and the crackle of a first snow. Meditative but not lulling. Meandering but not lost. These are musicians at ease with themselves and the music flowing through them. Slowly unfolding, the first song plays with interlocking and intertwining patterns that sometimes resolves themselves and sometimes simply morph into something else.
The record is hitting mailboxes this week and I can’t wait for you to hear this one.
Café Tacvba performs for Sessions at West 54th (1997).
I’ve never been a huge fan of a lot of what been called “Christian Music.” I don’t listen to Christian radio stations. I don’t follow Contemporary Christian Music. In fact, I have often wondered: “Why "Christian" Music Is Often So Bad.”
But there have always been exceptions. For example, I highly recommend you spend some time with my playlist Joyful Sounds: An Introduction to Sacred Steel. And, during college, there were a handful of bands who openly identified as “Christian Artists” (whatever that means) and incorporated their faith into their music without diluting either. Bands like Five O’Clock People, Plankeye, Poor Old Lu, Soulfood 76 and others. But, my favorite band of that time is by far Black Eyed Sceva (later known as Model Engine).
I still remember the first time I heard the group’s first album Way Before The Flood. I was in college and also serving as a volunteer Jr. High youth group leader. I had just found out that a longtime girlfriend had cheated on me and I remember sitting in the back of a car as we drove a couple of hours North for a Jr. High weekend winter retreat when my friend put that cassette.
I also remember buying Model Engine’s The Lean Year’s Tradition the same time I bought Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind at the old Zia Records location at 7th Avenue and Indian School. I was lucky enough to see the band several times in both incarnations and am happy to report that they were a terrific live band on top of everything else.
Your Google-Fu skills are probably better than mine but here are the three videos I could find on Youtube. The two were part of a promotional video that I’m pretty sure I had and included both the tour video and the live “Mudhouse” video. The other one is (to my knowledge,) the band’s only official music video and it is for one of their best-known tracks: “Justified.”
Enjoy!
And please let me know if you have other videos not included here (or audio recordings!).
Taj Mahal live for Sessions at West 54th, Season One, 1997.
Setlist:
"She Caught the Katy,"
"Corrina, Corrina"
"Mr. Pitiful."
Albita performs
"Corazon rumbero,"
"El son del tahurete,"
"Valca el brillo de tus ojos"
"El chico Chevere."
But one of the Youtube comments says: 'Queen Bee'.
I actually don’t know if 75 Dollar Bill and Natural Information have played together before or not, it just seemed like a fun headline.
Back in July, Jesse Jarnow posted a link to this live set from the Roulette Concert Archive at Soundcloud and I just now had a chance to put it on and listen, and, OH MAN!!!!!
Aside from being two of my favorite bands (see posts tagged 75 Dollar Bill here or Natural Information posts here), the sound on this recording is phenomenal.
Sit back and let it unwind.
The Roulette Concert Archive says:
“75 Dollar Bill return to Roulette to celebrate the release of their new double album I Was Real (Thin Wrist Recordings / Black Editions). With guests Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society.
Having emerged as a vibrant musical force with their previous effort WOOD/METAL/PLASTIC/PATTERN/RHYTHM/ROCK (Thin Wrist 2016), 75 Dollar Bill have spent the last few years bringing their music to new people and places, delivering what NYC locals have had the chance to hear for years, and experimenting with the ever-deepening set of musical ideas for which they are known. The fruits of this work can be heard on their expansive new double LP I Was Real. Recorded over a four year period, in four different studios, with a range of ensemble configurations featuring the band’s closest friends and collaborators, I Was Real is the band’s most ambitious album yet. The music that unfolds on the album’s four sides doubles down on the group’s penchant for sprawling, unusual grooves and blown out microtonal guitars, while at the same time introducing textures and tonalities that point in completely new directions. For this event, the group will present a set of new and reimagined material from the album, with a special soon-to-be-announced group of guest musicians. 75 Dollar Bill is pleased to be joined this evening by Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society, whose own double LP, Mandatory Reality, was released by Eremite Records in April.”
Support 75 Dollar Bill at Bandcamp.
Purchase 75 Dollar Bill’s music at Amazon.
Listen to "Beni Said" by 75 Dollar Bill rom the album 2016 album Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock on Episode 07 of the Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow.
Browse all Holiday at the Sea 75 Dollar Bill posts
Visit the official website.
Support Joshua Abrams and Natural Information Society at Bandcamp.
Purchase Joshua Abrams and Natural Information Society’s music at Amazon.
Listen to “Maroon Dune” by Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society (From the 2017 album Simultonality) on Episode 43 of The Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow.
Browse all Holiday at the Sea Natural Information Society posts
Another gem from the Sessions at West 54th vaults. Listings say that Tricky was also on this episode but I can’t find video of that. This was Season one with Host Chris Douridas and aired 12/13/97.
Sorry, no setlist. Maybe you know it?
Enjoy.
Here’s Liz Phair live for Sessions at West 54th. Sorry, I don’t have a setlist for this one, do you? It was with host David Byrne which means that it was Season 02. This one originally aired 10/11/98. The video intro says that the Lounge Lizards also appeared on this episode but I couldn’t find that video. Please let me know if you come across it.
Oh, and Ronald Vaughan really wants us all to know who uploaded the video. We should thank him.
Enjoy.
Yesterday’s Daniel Lanois double-whammy reminded me of this 20-minute instrumental jam. Daniel Lanois, Jim Wilson and Steve Nistor are caught “rehearsing” but no other context was given. Maybe you know? Maybe you don’t.
Enjoy.
I am fascinated by these two short live sets from Daniel Lanois. Both feature the same trio of Lanios, Jim Wilson and Brian Blade. The two videos appeared less than a month apart but represent two very different live sets. The WFUV set says it was posted 12/29/14 (recorded on 11/11/14) and the NPR Tiny Desk show says it was posted 01/14/15 (not sure of the recorded date). So, like 16 or 17 days apart, these two videos both appeared representing the same trio with wildly different results and I can’t get enough.
In the WFUV set, Lanois focuses on pedal steel guitar and bassist Jim Wilson plays what appear to be the foot pedals of an organ? Anyone more knowledgeable than me as to what he is doing over there? The NPR Tiny Desk set features Blade on drums, Wilson on bass and Lanois on knobs. Seriously, I understand that things like modular synthesizers exist, it’s just beyond me how someone can get those sounds to come out of a switchboard.
Notes/Setlist:
"Aquatic/Sonho Dourado/JJ Leaves L.A." live in Studio A. Recorded November 11th, 2014.
Important People:
Host: Darren Devivo
Cameras: Caroline Inzucchi & Deirdre Hynes Editor:
Caroline Inzucchi & Deirdre Hynes
And, the Tiny Desk Concert is one of my favorite things ever. I even downloaded the audio from the NPR site and cut it into individual tracks and I listen to it all the time.
The Tiny Desk Concert Youtube page says that Lanois “led an all-instrumental, somewhat improvisational trio based on the sort of studio processing for which he's become famous. In essence, he brought the studio out of the studio — with the aid of two great players, drummer Brian Blade and bassist Jim Wilson — and directly to my desk. The title of Lanois' new album, Flesh And Machine, describes the music well. He never says a word, but he sculpts some serious, hypnotic sounds.”
Setlist:
"Sci Fi"
"Elevator"
"Apres Calypso"
Important People:
Producers: Bob Boilen, Maggie Starbard;
Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait;
Videographers: Colin Marshall, Maggie Starbard;
Assistant Producer: Susan Hale Thomas;
photo by Susan Hale Thomas/NPR
PJ Harvey live for Sessions at West 54th with host David Byrne. 11/10/98.
Setlist:
Catherine
Civil War Correspondent
Taut My Beautiful Leah
I Think I'm a Mother
Is This Desire?
Singer-songwriter (and former front-man of Soul Coughing) Mike Doughty and long-time collaborator Andrew “Scrap” Livingston have formed a new group called Ghost of Vroom. Their debut EP, Ghost of Vroom 2 is due out September 25 on Mod y Vi Records.
The lead single “Rona Pollona” was recently released and features production and mixing work by Mario Caldato Jr.. According to a recent interview with Stereogum, Doughty has intentionally begun to revisit the spirit of Soul Coughing, a part of Doughty’s history that he has expressed mixed feelings about to say the least. The same energy is definitely present and the new track resembles Soul Coughing a bit more than some of Doughty’s more singer-songwritery stuff. I’m excited to hear the rest.
Enjoy.
Pre-Order "Ghost of Vroom 2" Vinyl on Mike Doughty's online store: http://bit.ly/VroomVinyl
I first came across Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba when doing the Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow and featured their track “Miri” in February, 2019 on Episode 37.
Bassekou Kouyate started playing the Ngoni at age 12. The Ngoni is a traditional Malian guitar. The body of the instrument is made of wood or calabash with dried animal skin head stretched over. This traditional instrument is believed by many to be the precursor to the banjo.
In 2015, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba played a live set for KEXP and today seems like as good a time as any to revisit that wonderful set.
Setlist:
Musow Fanga
Jama ko
Abe Sumaya
Siran Fen
Important People:
Host: Rhythma
Audio Engineer: Kevin Suggs
Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Scott Holpainen & Justin Wilmore
Editor: Scott Holpainen
Today we return to the Sessions at West 54th archives. Meshell Ndegeocello live for Sessions at West 54th. Season 01 with host Chris Douridas (09/13/97).
Setlist:
Step in to the Projects
The Way
Ecclesiastes - Free my Heart
God Shiva
Players:
Meshell Ndegeocello - bass/keys/vocals,
Gene Lake - drums,
David Dyson - bass,
Federico Gonzalez Pena - Keys,
Allen Cato - guitar/vocals,
Byron Jackson - vocals,
Alfredo Mojica - percussion
I have made no secret of my love for Dub music. And you can’t love Dub music without reckoning with Lee “Scratch” Perry.
Yesterday we watched the
Today we’re watching another documentary about Perry. This one narrated by Benicio Del Toro. The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry.
Enjoy.
