Grex Music Conference

Item 4: NP #1: Music to Conference By

This is the 2006 edition of the tedious, yet popular, item for listing
what music you are listening to as you cruise through the Music 
conference.  No cheating, now!
 
To keep things interesting, try to write a line or two about the album
or song you are naming, especially if it is at all obscure.

 Nustrat Fateh Ali Khan -- "Mustt Mustt"

 The track is off a $0.99 promo sampler CD called "10 out of 10", 
 (probably out of print now, I bought it years ago in Ann Arbor)
 which (as the name implies) presents 10 tracks from 10 artists,
 all of whom were recorded by Peter Gabriel's "Real World" label.  

 Nusrat is (was, I guess) a Pakistani singer who was one of the
 greatest masters of the Qawwali style of Sufi devotional songs.
 This particular track is mixed with a modern western beat and
 works extremely well as a merger of east and west, something many
 artists and DJs shoot for but which, judging from results, must
 be tricky to achieve.

A live performance by singer Mary Gauthier, playing a lunchtime hour 
show on KUT in Austin.    
 
Usually these shows turn up on the http://kut.org website for replay, 
so there is a chance you could get to hear it later. 

A recording of the Milan Area Schools Collage Concert, December 2000. (You
won't be able to find a copy anywhere, unless possibly at a yard sale.) Quality
-- of musicianship and of recording -- is not high, but there's a few songs I
don't have recordings of anywhere else, and the nostalgia factor is high --
this was my eighth grade year, and I think my last concert before my voice
started changing. I'm listening to this at the moment because I'm producing a
list for my own use of what the songs are.

 Playing at the moment, The Band, performing "I Shall Be Released",
 courtesy of the film "Festival Express", a documentary of a late 60's
 rock-and-roll tour across Canada featuring many of the most famous
 artists of the day.

"Crash," a preview track from an upcoming Croft No. 5 album, from 
BBC Radio Scotland.  Have not been able to find anything on the web
about when this might be released, argh.  Croft No. 5 go into a 
pigeonhole I describe as "folk-techno," though that probably isn't 
the best definition.

Playing (or, rather, just finished, with its replacement waiting until I finish
entering this response) now: a MIDI version of Britten's "Young Person's Guide
to the Orchestra." One of my favorite pieces of music, but unfortunately my
computer isn't quite up to compiling something, sshing into Grex, and playing
it at the same time, so it got behind.

Now playing (and actually playing, this time): The Earle of Oxford's March by
William Byrd, played by (IIRC) the Austin Symphonic Band.

nick drake bryter later

The Armenian Navy Band, a brass band thingie getting some promo push
on the BBC.  Apparently a nominee for one of their World Music awards.
The programme is Celtic Connections on BBC Radio Scotland, with a guest
host this week because Mary Ann Kennedy was off in Austin.

(A converted MIDI file, but still ...)

John Rutter's "What Sweeter Music." Rutter is my favorite living composer, and
I can't think of anything of his that I don't like. This is one of my favorites
among his pieces.

Again, a MIDI version.

This time, it's the Vivaldi _Gloria_, a series of pieces setting the text of
the Gloria section of the Mass. I've sung the "Gloria in excelsis," the first
part, and fell in love with the whole thing. However, the sound files have now
gotten past the point where I can recognize the text from the tune.

The House Band's cover of Richard Thompson's song "Pharaoh", 
from a mix mini-disc I made Leslie, wow, we can't remember how long
ago.  Actually it started life as a mix cassette...

Some Mozart symphonies, conducted by Bernstein.

Elgar, Enigma Variations.

(Again, a MIDI converted to OGG.) A tune called "When I'm 64." (Originally by
the Beatles, I believe, though I've heard it at dulcimer jams enough times ...)

A song called "The Lines of my Earth" by Sixpence None The Richer. Some lines
from the refrain: "This is the last song that I write / 'Til you tell me
otherwise. / And it's because I just don't feel it." This could be a depressing
song if one were happy when listening to it, but when one is feeling sad,
apathetic, <insert negative emotion here>, it's nice to know that one is not
the only one to go through it.

Whirling Pope Joan, SPIN.  This was a one-shot project from Nigel Eaton
of Blowzabella on hurdy gurdy, and Julie Murphy on vocals.  
My vague recollection is that this 1994 recording was Julie Murphy's
debut.

Track #9 -Just Another Day- from Eno's Another day on earth. First time 
listening, picked it up at the library. Pretty good quality, multi 
tracked, etc. Typical Eno.

television: adventure

 I haven't listened to it yet, but Eno produced Paul Simon's
 latest album.  I'm not sure whether I think that's a good idea
 or not..

Eileen Farrell, PUCCINI ARIAS.   American singer who was most active in the 
1950s and 1960s but who continued recording pop songs and standards until
her recent death.

Peter Gabriel, SO.  Gack, a 20 year old CD!   (both the music, and my 
copy of it)

You could have a steam train
If youd just lay down your tracks
You could have an aeroplane flying
If you bring your blue sky back

Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez, "Let's Leave This Town."  
Austin-based (I think?) country-flavored singer-songwriters, nice
harmonies.

Toumani Diabate's Symmetric Orchestra, BOULEVARD DE L'INDEPENDENCE.
Review upcoming I hope, but in short this is the most enjoyable 
African album I have heard in some time.

Zero 7- "The Bizarre"  The whole album sounds like an electronica group
covering hits from the 70's. It's kind of bizarre. Har har.

MOUTH MUSIC, the first album from 1990, by Martin Swan and Talitha 
MacKenzie, who had quite a noisy falling-out.

Patrick Street, "Music for a Found Harmonium," via the Mike Harding
BBC radio show.

Kadril & Alumea, LA PALOMA NEGRA.  I've been excavating in a few boxes.
This is a gem I'd forgotten about.  Kadril is (mostly) a bunch of 
Belgian instrumentalists, and Alumea is a band of Spanish women singers
and tambourine players (panditeiras).  So far as I know this album
is the only collaboration.

Talking Heads, MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD

Runrig, a best-of collection, right now the song "Alba."  
Playing a lot of old music loud this afternoon, since Leslie is out.

Bits and pieces of Remain in Light have been popping into my head lately. I
really need to get the CD.

James Gang, "Rides Again"

An opera compilation, "Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy - My Favorite 
Moments."  I'm a sucker for packages like this.  Wonder if 
Mr. Pavarotti really picked the tracks...   This is part of a 
series of about 20 budget CDs.

February 2007 edition of FRoots Radio, a world music hour from 
the magazine which I have followed for 22 years.  Streams at a 
quite respectable 64K Real Audio, so the sound is better than 
all those BBC shows.   http://www.frootsmag.com      
and look for the Radio link.

On the radio (WBLU, Blue Lake Public Radio's transmitter in Grand Rapids), the
Faure Requiem.

Makam, ALMANACH.  Rather good Hungarian band playing music from 
around the Balkans, with an exceptional singer, Szilvia Bognar.

BBC Radio Derby, the FOLKWAVES show, which has become one of my 
favorites.

Wow, nobody listened to anything in March? :) I'm currently playing Ketil
Bjornstad, a Norwegian pianist, playing incredible *live* musical settings
of the poetry of John Donne. I wish I knew the name of the female vocalist.
It's just the two of them, recorded a the 2002 London Jazz Festival --- truly
a gem of a performance from the early days of my (and krj's) BBC listening
on the 'Net --- rather a good capture, as well, at 192Kbps encoding.

My recollection is that the woman who sang all of the London Jazz Festival
performance, sang a few songs on the studio recording of this project,
which was titled GRACE.  That would make the singer Anneli Drecker,
who was in the group Bel Canto.

A recent Genevieve Tudor "Sunday Folk" radio show, with accordion 
master John Kirkpatrick joining in as assistant DJ.

A Hawk and a Hacksaw, "The Way The Wind Blows."  Spinoff from 
Neutral Milk Hotel, if I remember correctly, though now focussed
completely on Eastern European folk.

 I'm listening to Tom Petty's most recent album, "Highway Companion",
 which was released last year to OK, but not rave reviews.  I considered
 buying it at the time but changed my mind when I read that it had been
 produced by Jeff Lynne, who produced two albums for Petty in the 90s,
 the smash commercial hit "Full Moon Fever" and its follow-up, "Into the
 Great Wide Open".  Though his skill is undeniable, I've never really
 enjoyed Lynne's hyper-glossy production, whether we're talking about his
 own work (ELO) or Petty's.

 But when I saw "Highway Companion" in the CD rack at the library last
 night I decided to check it out and give it a listen.  I've gotta say,
 it's not a timeless classic of an album but I still enjoyed it enough
 to listen to it all the way through twice.  Lynne's production weighs
 much less heavily on this album and though I could wish for something
 even sparer, such as the production work Rick Rubin did on Petty's
 excellent 1994 (wow, has it been that long?) album "Wildflowers",
 the latest album works pretty well.  Petty's in fine form, alternately
 (or occasionally simultaneously) melancholy and then energetic.  And
 though it was the anthemic hits on his early albums that made him 
 famous, I like the more personal direction his songwriting's been headed
 for a while now.
 
 Mostly, just a pleasant surprise from an album I approached with pretty
 low expectations..  

I agree with your comments about Lynne. And do think that Petty, for all his
popularity, is probably still under-appreciated for his songwriting. I think
time will reflect well on his legacy, and have already noticed he is one of
those acts the younger generation likes, probably due to exposure from
parents. I always find that phenomenon quite interesting.

Pharaoh's Daughter, OUT OF THE REEDS.  Band that played Detroit Festival
of the Arts a couple years back.

Bill Evans, PLAYS BANJO.  Not that Bill Evans; this is a San Francisco
player who is somehow associated with fiddler Suzi Thompson, though she
does not appear on this CD.

Boston Camerata, SING WE NOEL: CHRISTMAS MUSIC FROM ENGLAND AND 
EARLY AMERICA.  This is the bestest Christmas album ever; it can't 
be Christmas if I don't dig it out and play it.
 
Now, where's my copy of the Nutcracker Suite?

Joan Armatrading, INTO THE BLUES.  Gah, I hadn't listened to anything
current by Ms. Armatrading in almost 30 years, but I used to love her
at the end of the 70s, so when I saw this recent album at the library
I had to give it a spin.  So far, it's decent, except for the skips  :/ .

(Side note:  Joan Armatrading's recording backup band around the time
of her biggest success ("Love and Affection," "Water in the Wine") was
substantially Fairport Convention people.

the Late Junction radio show from last Thursday, BBC Radio 3.
We seem to be in an African mood to start the show, with something
jazz/orientalish from South Africa, followed by -- well, I can't
tell, something with choral singing which might be African.
Upcoming is some Bach, and then a concert recording from Trio Medaieval.

Puccini's MADAMA BUTTERFLY, 1958 recording with Renata Tebaldi, Carlo 
Bergonzi and a lot of tape hiss.  The library wants it back.  

For some reason I seem to be studying up for this month's movie-cast
of BUTTERFLY, which goes out live tomorrow; I'll catch the repeat on 
Wed. 18 March.

We are also planning to attend the repeat on the 18th.  But I think I'll 
show up cold and ignorant and hope for the best. ;-)

Finlay MacDonald Band, "Re-Echo":  Scottish piper with a band of 
fiddle, guitars, bass and drums behind him.  The settings are a little
jazzy.  This is from 2007 and was rather frequently played on the 
BBC radio shows.

Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele player extraordinaire, will be doing a show at 
the Ark on Thursday, November 12th.  Mark you calendars!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k

I saw Jake at the Philadelphia Folk Festival last year.  He was fun.

"10 Green Bottles" -- A never-before-heard variation of "99 Bottles of Beer"
wife is previewing for her children's English class.
Previously: "The Greatest Showman" soundtrack.

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