"Abdullah Ibrahim (b: 1934) )is currently residing in South Africa and Germany with his partner Dr. Marina Umari, paediatric orthopaedic doctor and osteopath. Fazioli Grand Piano his first choice. Abdullah has over 100 albums and over 300 compositions to his name, and played last week at Berklee Performance Center - internet machine. click link for more"
Sat morning, wandering around the French Quarter, brilliant day and early, so the crowds weren't out. I stopped to watch a brass band setting up in front of Café du Monde and within earshot, a woman singing…I walked in her direction.
"Berlin-based Danish born Obel (b 1980: ) is a classically trained pianist. This cut, off her debut studio release, chamber-pop. Click link for more. "
This excerpt taken from a film by Ron Mann and rescued from an unreadable CD-ROM compiliation of twenty-four celebrated poets thanks to WMBR's inimitable Will Kuhlman. Alagarin (1941-2020) was a Puerto Rican poet, writer, co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café, and a Rutgers University professor of English. In 1973, Algarín was using the living room of his apartment in Manhattan as a gathering place for poets and artists. By 1975, there were so many poets and artists gathering and reciting their works in the apartment, that Algarín decided to look for a more comfortable location. Algarín,] Miguel Piñero, Pedro Pietri,] and other poets rented a location on East 6th street and named it the Nuyorican Poets Café. In 1980, Algarín purchased a building on East 3rd street to expand the café. The Café is now a non-profit organization that offers programs which include poetry and prose readings, theatrical and musical performances, and visual arts exhibits. It is one of the key cultural institutions of the Nuyorican Movement. The Nuyorican Poets Cafe popularized slam poetry. -- wiki
Considered one of a handful of _ visionary folk luthiers_ by Matt Marble in his article in the AMP (American Museum of Paramusicaology , New Jersey farmer Arthur Kirk Ferris (b. 1871, Madison, Wisc., d. after 1943, New Jersey)...began crafting his unique instrument with his wife Bertha following a powerful paranormal experience, when a voice spoke to him. ‘I’m Gabriel,’ it said, ‘you write this vision and make it plain that people may run and read it. You make these instruments and show these people that the word of God is true.' Ferris is noted, too, for Ferris’s Big Fiddle (1924), listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest viol in the world, coming in at over 14 feet tall by 6 feet wide. (click link for more on this fascinating musician). Further, he explains, the term “paramusicology” was first coined in 1993 by author Melvyn Willin to address psychic and pagan histories of music. Musicology being the study of music, paramusicology is the study of paranormal music experience. Though the term has struggled to find solid footing, the paranormal generally refers us to that which is _beyond_ or “outside” the normal—to experiences or phenomena which cannot be explained by scientific reasoning, objective perception, or causal agency. This points our awareness to what may be called the numinous* in human experience. The term _haint_ (aka haunt) is derived from the Gullah Geechee culture, an African-American community that settled in the Carolina low country. The Gullah Geechee believed in malevolent spirits that could cause harm or misfortune.
"Homage to Jones (b: 1954 in Chicago), who I randomly encountered last week in New Orleans. Se was dressed in two shades of orange, and it turns out she's been dating one of my radio colleague/acquatainces for 6 years. We talked a bit about substack (click link), about her daughter Charlotte (living in Paris), and mostly I was able to tell her that I loved her...how important she'd been to me, and what a gift she is to the world.She's been at it since 1979, and still inventing and pondering the world as she goes. Amen. "
Group from Llanfyllin, UK made up of Sioned Camlin - Drums/Percussion Rob Harrison - Saxophone/Recorder/Whistle/Guitar Jack Hunter - Bass/Keys/Recorder/Vocals David Thomas - Guitar/Cello/Vocals. Much of their work is improvisational. They derived their name from a magician. From wiki: Mascot Moth was considered by English magician David Devant (b.1868–d.1941) to be his masterpiece, which he created in 1905. In full view of the audience and in the center of a lighted stage, a lady (dressed in a moth-like costume) disappears as soon as the conjurer attempts to grasp the her. She immediately vanishes out of sight as she folds her wings in, although the figure is not concealed in any way during the illusion. Click link to watch Devan performing another magic trick.
"Lai (1932-2018) won the 1970 Oscar for Best Music, Original Score and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for the film Love Story. The soundtrack album went to No. 2 in the Billboard album charts and the film's theme, _Where Do I Begin_, was a hit single for Andy Williams.- wiki"
"The church commissioned this piece an is, according their website, a Roman Catholic Church formed in the 16th century on the site where a sailor found an image of Santo Nino, which as it turned out had miraculous powers (see link). They commissioned this work. "
Band formed in Seattle in 1974 (click link for wiki page) Chris Eckman – Vocals, Guitar; Terri Moeller – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals; Glenn Slater – Piano, Organ, Synthesizer [Moog], Accordion; Carla Torgerson – Vocals, Guitar, Cello; Michael Wells (3) – Bass, Harmonica, Backing Vocals
"The group performed a rarely scene ritual funeral dance/chant to honor David. Cherice made a point to explain the intention -- deep honor and respect for David, as it's rarely if ever performed for anyone outside their group. Read more about this group of Black Indians, indigineous to New Orleans, click link
"Not infrequent visitor to the margin, Multi instrumentalist, vocalist, interdisciplinary artist and proud member of the Navajo Nation. I have abiding interest in surrealism and surrealistic expression. Stream of consciousness, automatic writing and oblique strategies. Play all the instruments if I can. Thank you and share the Love.- Bandcamp bio"
"Axion Estin aka _It is Truly Meet_ is a megalynarion and a theotokion, i.e. a magnification of and a Hymn to Mary used in the Divine Services of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches. It consists of a troparion and a sticheron composed in honor of the Theotokos (i.e. the Virgin Mary). - wiki"
My friend David Freedman passed away earlier this year. He was a legandary figure in New Orleans…born & raiased there, he spent 3 decads of his life building up WWOZ, 'the guardian of the groove,' and in the process exported the music and heritage of the city across the world. I was among those gathered to celebrate him last week. So much music and eating and, yes, grooving. I was invited to give remarks, and I share with you today as a way of extending the observation of David.
Marie Catherine Laveau (1801–1881 was born a free woman of color in the French Quarter of New Oreans, and a Louisiana Creole practitioner of Voodoo, herbalist and midwife who was widely renowned. Her daughter, Marie Laveau II (1827 – c._1862), also practiced rootwork, conjure, Native American and African spiritualism as well as Louisiana Voodoo and traditional Roman Catholicism. During her life Marie Laveau was known to have attended to prisoners who were sentenced to death. Rumors circulated that some prisoners would receive poisons or other substances before going to the gallows, but this was never proven. - wiki. See link for full bio
Water is fundamental to life, and this piece, based on a traditional Persian folkloric tune, pays homage to the influence of Master Pashang Kamkar, a renowned Iranian musician and master of the santur, celebrated for his contributions to Persian classical music as a member of the acclaimed Kamkars ensemble, which has significantly influenced Kurdish and Persian music traditions. This song reflects the importance of water and life, continuing the album’s theme of essential elements.
Recorded on a hot night in a one-room gospel music studio in the New Town district of Accra, comes Gb_fal_i — a remarkable record exploring the edges of contemporary African music. Ghanaian trombonist Elikplim Kofi and American guitarist Nathaniel Braddock had met at a concert at Accra’s Alliance Française in 2017 when they both performed as members of the Abiza band. When Eli heard that Braddock was returning to Ghana in 2019, he reached out via WhatsApp to suggest a collaboration, sharing a sketch of a song and asking Braddock to produce a collaboration record. That August, they set up the session joined by two percussionists, known as Black and Brown. This session is the product of that night. -bandcamp
"Little info available on the artist. The song (Ne me quitte pas/Don't leave me) I was written in 1959. Wiki says that, in a 1966 interview, Brel said that this was not a love song, but rather a hymn to the cowardice of men, and the degree to which they were willing to humiliate themselves. He knew, he said, that it would give pleasure to women who assumed it was a love song, and he understood that."
Little info available on the artist. The song (Ne me quitte pas/Don't leave me) I was written in 1959. Wiki says that, in a 1966 interview, Brel said that this was not a love song, but rather a hymn to the cowardice of men, and the degree to which they were willing to humiliate themselves. He knew, he said, that it would give pleasure to women who assumed it was a love song, and he understood that.
