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Post by slb2 on Apr 16, 2007 10:56:50 GMT -5
This past weekend was a busy one for me. On Saturday, by 8:00 in the morning, I was over at the high school setting up for the Girl Scout's Badge Workshop. This year my troop (five 8th graders, including my 14 y.o. who doesn't talk to her parents) ran the whole deal. With participation at around 200 girls, it went very well, but we didn't finish until 2:00, then my co-leader and I took our girls to a huge waterpark. On the drive there, Emlyn asked me if I minded if she used vulgar language "to repeat what someone said to me, not that I use vulgar language." I stated that the only thing I wouldn't tolerate is using the Lord's name in vain. Guess what I (sorta) did whilst flying through a pitch black tunnel of water as my body propelled down the Hurricane water slide? Actually, I wasn't saying anything in vain. I was as serious as an owl. Oh, Lordy. I did not want to ever feel that way again so I showered, dressed and went up into the eating area and studied French. Took the kids home around 7:00, which is when I snuck in 15 minutes of APHC and heard Frigg. I am so pumped about Frigg I can hardly contain myself!! I checked and I confirm that they are playing a 7:30 concert on the 26th at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. My pal Zack Kline with a group I haven't heard before, Orange Mighty Trio, will open. I'm so happy for Zack. He's out there, the same as I, pitching himself wherever he can get gigs. This could be a big break for him. If APHC ever wanted to debut an up and coming fiddler, Zack's your man! I have no legitimate reason to attend except that I am wild about Frigg. Did y'all hear them? If so, then I need not explain my fanatical passions any further. Ace no longer will listen to fiddle music, so I can't set up a date night. But back to my Saturday, last. I attended a show by Gangbe Brass Band, a band from the Congo. It was a great evening and today I've got my story to write. ( Meet me in Idle Chatter II briefly) But I also learned that the Cedar will be hosting Konono #1 the evening prior. On April 25th this band, out of the Congo as well, will be playing. Go here and listen to some of their music. It's mesmerizing. It's captivating. It's nothing like you've ever heard before. www.thecedar.org/frontpage?page=1 You might need to dig around for them, I'm not sure if this link will take you right to their spot on the Cedar's calendar. I'll be pitching a story on Konono #1 to my editor over at Mshale today. I've just gotta go hear them!
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Post by Trusty on May 14, 2007 12:01:32 GMT -5
Found some sexy violinists playing their instruments. Need to know if THIS VIDEO is as good for you as it was for me. ;D
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Post by slb2 on May 14, 2007 18:39:58 GMT -5
Trusty, you naughty, naughty boy. Does Strawberry know you're watching this sort of sordid stuff?!
btw, what a difference between your violinists and mine!
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Post by jspnrvr on May 14, 2007 18:59:41 GMT -5
Are them girls really playing them fiddles? I don't care what anybody says, that there will put the resin on your bow, yessir.
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Post by SeattleDan on May 14, 2007 19:33:46 GMT -5
Thank God that they escaped so they can play subversive music another day!
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Post by gailkate on May 15, 2007 9:25:34 GMT -5
Great video, but I don't get it. (See adjacent thread.) Not having seen Bond, I don't know what the political subtext is.
I hate when I'm dense. Are we all supposed to be thinking of mad Muslims throwing burkas over women and killing music?
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Post by slb2 on May 15, 2007 9:58:43 GMT -5
I took it as simply attempts to subdue those lordless, untamed violinists de femme. If you want to look at a broader theme then consider that the militia went after the wrong people. Instead of hushing those vixen fiddlers they rounded up the users of the product.
What they really wanted were the makers of the merry.
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Post by Trusty on May 16, 2007 5:16:11 GMT -5
btw, what a difference between your violinists and mine! Gotta be the beard. ;D Political subtext? Political subtext? I guess I'll have to view the video AGAIN to see the "political subtext".
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Post by slb2 on May 16, 2007 7:50:17 GMT -5
btw, what a difference between your violinists and mine! Gotta be the beard. ;D That and a couple other things.
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Post by booklady on Jun 30, 2007 6:51:05 GMT -5
I just got Dylan's Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3 yesterday. Now do not roll your eyes at me. I've only had a chance to hear the third CD, which I went to first for some specific reasons (i.e., Mark Knopfler, Mick Taylor, Alan Clark, Sly Dunbar, and Robbie Shakespeare). It is extraordinary, fabulous, moving, wonderful, terrific, earth-shaking, [glow=red,2,300]almost as good as sex[/glow]. I heard "Blind Willie McTell" for the first time, and the world will never be the same place again.
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Post by Trusty on Jul 7, 2007 14:45:23 GMT -5
I heard "Blind Willie McTell" for the first time, and the world will never be the same place again. Nobody can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell.
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Post by doctork on Jul 7, 2007 15:32:49 GMT -5
Booky, I am not rolling my eyes at all, that is great music. And Trusty, it hurts my heart a bit to re-read that biography of Blind Willie McTell.
Contrary to the assertion that he was not rediscovered during the 60's folk music revival, I recall very vividly the tales of his work, and renditions of his music, presented by the likes of Reverend Gary Davis, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Lemon Jefferson, even Bonnie Raitt (now she was on into the 70's) - all very careful to pay tribute appropriately.
Those were the days!!!
Of course, I was fortunate enough to live in New York City and in New Orleans during the 60's, be part of the "revival" in NYC, and live in NOLA, the home of jazz. NOLA drew heavily from the Chicago blues influence, musta been some direct line or something, and then all music is welcome in the Crescent City.
A brief tour down Memory Lane.
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Post by slb2 on Aug 17, 2007 1:20:03 GMT -5
Last Sunday I took 17 y.o. and 7 y.o. to the Irish Fest at Harriet Island over in St. Paul. We all had a super time. Because we had a child with us, the parking barker discounted the parking fee by five bucks. And then as Sarah and I stood in line for fish-n-chips, she exclaimed that it would take nearly all of our food tokens. A woman ahead of us turned around and said, "I'm leaving and I've got a handful of tokens left. Here, take mine after I pay for my order." Net result: eleven extra food tokens! And Sarah played with Carl at the kids area and with this really cool game, but I can't remember the name of it. I'll keep searching for it and post later. During this time I went over to listen to the Sweet Colleens who were playing right on the Mississippi bank, on a platform. Of course I danced to every song; no one else did. I scooted to the back of the seating area so I wouldn't be so conspicuous. We had a wonderful time. I can hardly wait for next year's show.
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Post by slb2 on Aug 17, 2007 1:28:03 GMT -5
Oh yeah. I guess I was not quite so hidden as I'd hoped. While I was leaving the island, with my kids, a pair of men passed us and one said to the other, "Lemme tell ya, that guy can dance!" as he pointed at me. I said, "Thanks," but what I should have said is, "Yeah, but I'm not a guy. I thought that was obvious." said with a smile, of course
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Post by doctork on Aug 17, 2007 1:55:55 GMT -5
Oh yeah. I guess I was not quite so hidden as I'd hoped. While I was leaving the island, with my kids, a pair of men passed us and one said to the other, "Lemme tell ya, that guy can dance!" as he pointed at me. I said, "Thanks," but what I should have said is, "Yeah, but I'm not a guy. I thought that was obvious." said with a smile, of courseslb will you be at the street dance after the PHC show on Sept 15? I bought a ticket to the show, temporarily ignoring the fact that I don't yet have the time off work, airfare or hotel arranged yet. But maybe I should make an extra effort to attend, if you will be there dancing. Sounds like your dancing is one of those 1,000 things in life that shouldn't be missed!
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Post by slb2 on Aug 17, 2007 12:00:53 GMT -5
lol You know, docK, I've got an ego that knows no limits. sorta guy-ish in that respect, yes? Who's playing at the street dance? I hadn't planned to attend, but maybe. Heck, I could just come to the dance and not the show in the Fitz, if time is a factor. Time is usually a factor for me. :/
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Post by slb2 on Aug 21, 2007 11:06:16 GMT -5
Oh help. I've fallen and I can't let go. Fallen for...I don't wanna say it...reggae. Maybe specifically for Lucky Dube's reggae, I don't know. But I didn't much care for that music before last night. But I had such a good time and I've got some of his songs stuck in my head, hence, I can't let go--of the memory or the tune.
I'd like to write more, but I need to finish the article about Lucky and then write another one about Andy Palacio and the Gunifuna Collective all in seven hours. It's harder than you'd think. Having the kids around makes it....interesting.
Hey Thomas, does GK ever have to work on his monologues whilst tending his little one? Although she's not terribly little anymore. Thank goodness for Wii sports.
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Post by Seattle Taz on Aug 21, 2007 14:34:24 GMT -5
Creativity doesn't depend on weather, it depends on a person's willingness to put the seat of the pants into the chair. --Garrison Keillor
Um. I don't think that's original with Keillor. I heard it at least forty years ago.
Anyway. Good reggae is very good. Mediocre is bad. For awhile there it was all the 'in' thing and lots of mediocre to bad atuff went flying forth and the one who failed to appreciate it was termed a racist. Big help.
My own self loves Ladysmith Black Mombaso, which strictly speaking is more the mother of reggae than reggae.
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Post by slb2 on Aug 21, 2007 16:22:06 GMT -5
You think, SeattleSue? I like Ladysmith, too, but not as much as I like the Soweto Gospel Choir. And I do think that reggae grows from Jamaica moreso than from South Africa. Just consider the people and climate and environment. Reggae is organic to Jamaica, imo.
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Post by Trusty on Aug 21, 2007 18:48:39 GMT -5
Creativity doesn't depend on weather, it depends on a person's willingness to put the seat of the pants into the chair. --Garrison Keillor Um. I don't think that's original with Keillor. I heard it at least forty years ago. How about "Weathering the storm depends on a person's willingness to creatively fly by the seat of his pants." ?
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Post by Seattle Taz on Aug 21, 2007 21:47:42 GMT -5
Well, it does make me wonder about the origin of 'navigating by the seat of one's pants'
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Post by Seattle Taz on Aug 21, 2007 21:55:17 GMT -5
Only occasionally. I'm usually too zonked on this stupid pain stuff to do much of it, though. I certainly agree with you that reggae is organic to Jamaica, but I was thinking of Jamaica's connection to West Africa and the uniquely sub Saharan use of mouth music and intricate layered rhythm, both of which are evident in reggae. Though Ladysmith is South African it's pan African in musical sensibility. On the other hand, I wept for the devil once so error is not beyond my capabilities. <G>
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Post by slb2 on Aug 22, 2007 0:18:19 GMT -5
I've become immersed in reggae and west africa and the connection between them with the writing of this article about Lucky Dube. Now I'm working on Andy Palacio. Then the Hennepin Technical College president. Then something about black authors. then a profile of delicious poet Angela Shannon. Then maybe cover a diversity workshop. Then maybe something of my own. I need to pitch my poetry out there soon or I'll be too old to remember that I have it!
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Post by slb2 on Aug 24, 2007 0:48:55 GMT -5
Listening to pandora.com as usual and I hear Darol Anger's first two notes of a song. Immediately I recognize Anger's fiddle, he plays it like no one else can. I check the song and it's Grigsby's Hornpipe. And it's beee-uuu-TTT-ful!! Oh-jibway, but hardly anything's lovelier. I knew that Bruce Molsky also plays that tune, so I pulled out his CD and listened to him. Shhh! Don't tell Bruce I said this. But Darol's version is even more attractive to my ear. It's one of the Top Ten Songs ever. Don't anyone ever make me list my top ten. I couldn't do it. I do know that Michael plays the first two on my list, but after that, I only know that a song's "up there." So, surely you want to know those first two songs, huh? First one's Tasso/McGee's Reel and the band plays it right before intermission. Second one's Me 'n Dennis McGee. I don't recall BeauSoleil playing on APHC. It's a bit newer and the boys haven't been on for a couple years. But maybe. Nope. Can't find it, don't think they've played it yet for APHC.
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Post by joew on Aug 30, 2007 22:37:30 GMT -5
And now for something completely different — I came across this — www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh9GZKqXhkg — today and thought it was pretty good, and the bass's falsetto line was sensational. Enjoy, if you like this kind of thing.
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Post by Brit on Aug 31, 2007 17:27:49 GMT -5
Very good JoeW.
They were miming to a well-known version of that - and they were doing it rather badly too!
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Post by joew on Aug 31, 2007 22:55:26 GMT -5
Now that you mention it, the four guys in the middle look pretty inert, and the gesture by one of them at the end could be a signal to turn off the recording they're using. I'm curious as to whose version it is. I've compared it to versions with the Tokens and with Jay Siegel and the Hippos, and they aren't a capella. Do you know if there is a video of it on YouTube?
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Post by Brit on Sept 1, 2007 4:28:19 GMT -5
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Post by Brit on Sept 1, 2007 4:55:52 GMT -5
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Post by joew on Sept 1, 2007 10:43:27 GMT -5
They sound very similar, but in both clips, there is percussion, and the first line speaks at first of "the mighty jungle," not "the quiet jungle." There are several other differences in the complete versions (trilled r's etc.), and the pronunciation of "village" on the UC version is different from Jay Siegel's in any version I've heard. It sounds to me like a non-native English speaker's accent. (I've noticed that UC, or, more completely UCU, is University College Utrecht.) Maybe there is a completely a capella version of Jay Siegel and the Tokens doing the song. But at the moment, since I haven't found a version which matches perfectly, I'm slightly inclined to think they were doing it themselves or lip-synching to their own recording. But my thinking at this point is quite tentative. Most of what they do is done with sheet music, but this one isn't, and as I noted, the back-up singers don't always seem involved. So I just don't know. The similarities are striking, but there are also differences. Is a puzzlement. Thanks for the links.
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