Inauspicious as this record appears (note the ‘FREE’ cut-out on the corner), it features mind blowing shehnai playing by the great Bismillah Khan, combined with the masterful sitar of Ustad Vilayat Khan. A devout Muslim, Bismillah furthered a delightful hybrid sound within Indian classical music that was part of a tradition his father helped establish. Our man on sitar, the fierce Ustad Vilayat Khan (purported to have been rivals with Ravi Shankar), worked closely with instrument makers to customize his sitars as an attempt to push the traditional sound, and liked to perform without a tanpura drone, instead, filling out the silence with strokes to his chikari strings.

The thee tracks on this record are totally lush and amazing, carrying a distinct palette that’s indebted to Bismillah’s colophon. The tune “Chaiti-Dhun” is one of the finest Indian classical cuts I’ve heard, as the two giants provide a wonderful call and response interplay that’s both wistful and lighthearted.

Capitol Records, ST 10483, 1967

Side One:

1. Duetto (Jugalbandi) (24′48)

Side Two:

1. Chaiti-Dhun (12′56)

2. Bhairavee-Thumree (13′21)

[.zip_pt.1]  [.zip_pt.2]

G.S. SACHDEV, FLUTE: TWO MOODS

Full of feeling, this dreamy workout features flautist G.S. Sachdev, as well as the inimitable Zakir Hussain on trademark tabla. Also in attendance were Jessica Skala, tanpura; and Ilene Marder, swar-peti. Master of the ancient bansuri flute (made of a lone stick of bamboo), Sachdev is not as prolific or well known as some of his contemporaries, but he nevertheless still records and performs today. Zakir Hussain studied classically, but went on to record with East/West rockers like John McLaughlin (among others), and provides a solid foundation to the ragas on this LP, floating in and around the two cycles with effortless rhythm. Recorded in 1981 for Chandi Productions, this is contemplative stuff - so grab your hot beverage in the morning and listen to side A, and when you return in the evening, grab your peace pipe for side B and call it a day!

From Sachdev’s website: “Unlike many musicians, he has shied away from fusion, finding great pleasure and a sense of immense satisfaction with the rigors of infinite exploration within traditional pure classical Indian music. Beyond his worldwide live performances, Sachdev’s music is thoroughly enjoyed in yoga studios, meditation ashrams, massage rooms, spiritual centers and homes everywhere imaginable. His music is considered an antidote to stress, fatigue and cynicism.”

Chandi Productions, CP 102, 1981

Side One:

1. Raga Kaushik Dhwani (Morning Raga) (25′52)

Side Two:

1. Raga Purya-Kalyan (Evening Raga) pt.1 (13′22)
2. Raga Purya-Kalyan (Evening Raga) pt.2 (12′00)

[.zip_pt.1]  [.zip_pt.2]

CARNATIC MUSIC OF SOUTH INDIA: THE VOICE OF K.V. NARAYANSWAMY

Here’s another burner that’s sure to please, featuring the lilting, bright and perfected voice of the great Kollengode Viswanatha Narayanaswamy (don’t know if there’s an alternate spelling, but everything I find differs from how it’s printed on the record). The LP features V.V. Subramaniam, violin; Paighat Raghu, mridangam; Alla Rakha, tabla; and Amiya Das Gupta, tamboura. In addition to the vocal workouts, the record emphasizes the great Alla Rakha’s drumming, providing ample room for his flourishes on side two, while side one features meaty sections of V.V. Subramaniam’s violin hooks. If you like the southern tradition, then turn this up, open your Pañcaratra, light the match, and float your way right into Sriman Narayan’s lap just in time for sunset tea.

“KVN’s concert career spanned over 40 years. He delighted listeners all over India and abroad with his immense classicism and sweet voice. He had a wide repertoire and was capable of extensive variations both of his concert fare and the technical make-up of the concert. He serves as a model musician, who has paid attention to every aspect of music carnatic musicians strive for, be it lyrical purity in various languages, gifted adherence to shruti, vast repertoire and innovative aspects.”

World Pacific Stereo, WPS 21450, 1968

Side One:

1. Ragam Todi (23′54)

Side Two:

1. Ragam Kambhoji (16′52)
2. Ragam Purnchandrika (Tillana) (3′57)

[.zip]

SHANKAR FAMILY & FRIENDS

Moving on, yet down a circuitous path, this oddball record is definitely a departure from the pure representations above, offering a slightly curious hybrid of style, mood, and approach. Nevertheless, it contains contributions from a chunk of the above performers, and with repeated listens, showcases the delightful genius of Ravi Shankar’s songwriting. This was a 1974 release on producer George Harrison’s Dark Horse Records out of Hollywood, all of which was written, composed and arranged by Ravi Shankar (with the exception of “I Am Missing You” which George arranged).

Unfortunately, the version I have contains no inner sleeve with details, but I do know the record included Klaus Voorman, bass; Ray Pizzi, bassoon; Kamala Charavarty, backing vocals; Sharad Kumar, flute; Ashish Khan, sarod and zither; Shivkumar Sharma, santur and vocals; Shubho Shankar, sitar; Ravi Shankar, surbahar, sitar, voice, and synthesizer [Moog]; Lakshmi Shankar, zither [swarmandal], vocals; Hari Georgeson, electric guitar, acoustic guitar; W. Webb, ersaj; G. Sachdev, flute; Tom Scott, flute, handclaps; Hari Chaurasia, flute, cowbell; Al Casey, mandolin; Billy Preston, organ; Fred Teague, organ; Pranesh Khan, dholak; Nodu Mullick, kartal; Alla Rakha, tabla; Nicky Hopkins, piano; Ronald Cohen, sarangi; Malcom Cecil, synthesizer [Moog]; Paul Beaver, synthesizer [Moog]; Robert Margouleff, synthesizer [Moog]; Vinny Poncea, Tambourine; Fakir Muhammad, tambura; L. Subramaniam, violin; Bobby Bruce, violin [electric]; Gordon Swift, violin [electric]; Jitendra Abhisheki, vocals; and Harihar Rao, dholak, voice. That’s a lot of talented friends!

*Side two has no logical breaks, and was recorded as one continuous track.

A&M/Dark Horse Records, SP-22002, 1974

Side One:

1. I Am Missing You (sung by Lakshmi Shankar) (3′39)
2. Kahan gayelava Shyam salone (sung by Lakshmi Shankar) (2′52)
3. Supane me aye preetam sainya (sung by Lakshmi Shankar) (4′14)
4. I am Missing You (Reprise) (sung by Lakshmi Shankar) (3′59)
5. Jaya Jagadish Hare (sung by jitendra Abhisheki and Chorus) (4′55)

Side Two:

(Dream, Nightmare & Dawn - Music for a Ballet by Ravi Shankar) (29′06)

Overture
Part One, Dream
Festivity & Joy
Love - Dance Ecstacy

Part Two, Nightmare
Lust (Raga Chandrakauns)
Dispute & Violence
Disillusionment & Frustration
Despair & Sorrow (Raga Marwa)

Part Three, Dawn
Awakening
Peace & Hope (Raga Bhatiyar)

[.zip_pt.1]  [.zip_pt.2]

THE HABIBIYYA: IF MAN BUT KNEW

If the above is a surreal hybridized departure, then this is even farther afield, yolked as it is in musical traditions that transcend its component parts. Michael Evans, Ian Whiteman, Roger Powell, Conrad Archuletta, and Susan Archuletta comprised this lineup, performing a host of compositions that channel mainly Middle Eastern vibes, but transverse Japan and India, landing somewhere back on the British Isles. The core members Evans and Powell were Brits from an underground outfit called “Mighty Baby” who got to traveling to, among other places, Morocco, where they were influenced by Sufism. Having been profoundly affected both spiritually and musically by the tradition, they became converts, enlisting other members for their musical troupe, thus yielding this their only release from 1972. Although re-issued in the last couple years, I thought I’d post my crusty copy since the re-issue contains extra tracks not found here, plus extensive liner notes that flesh out the rest of their story. This is really beautiful and authentic stuff, a folk-psyche phantasmagoria that should float you into a devotionally purple-haze in no time.

Matthew Amundsen for Brainwashed: “The musicians fasted for three days prior to recording, and then they began each session with an hour of meditation. Their methods paid off, for the music is clear and stunning in their attempts to channel the divine. Using no overdubs, drums often set the tone while the other instruments swirl around them in distinct layers. Tranquil but never boring, these songs are enchanting spiritual explorations that reach to trance-inducing heights. While several songs are instrumentals, when the group does sing, their harmonies are a transcendent pleasure. Further entwining themselves with Ibn al-Habib, the lyrics they sing are actually the master’s own words.”

Island Records, SW-9305, 1972

Side One:

1. Two Shakuhachis (1′41)
2. Koto Pice (4′57)
3. The Eye-Witness (8′16)
4. Mandola (5′48)

Side Two:
1. If Man But Knew (9′00)
2. Fana-Fillah (9′55)

[.zip]

THREE MUSICIANS: MUSIC FROM THE ROCHESTER FOLK ART GUILD

Moving deeper into the zone of culturally hybridized multi-instrumental music, this curiosity yields some really gorgeous stuff, mixing flute, dulcimer, cymbalon, tenor recorder, dombak, dholak, daff, voice, bells and gongs, with some deft craftsmanship and playful arrangements. The songs vary in influence from Middle Eastern, Indian, Greek, Celtic, English minstrel, and North American folk/blues, with only one vocal bit on “The Twenty-third Psalm” which is just that, the singing of the Psalm (to a gorgeous cymbalon backdrop) - It all works. Funny thing about the record, though, no information seems to exists on it (that I could find), and the LP itself doesn’t list any of the personnel - it only says stuff like:

“Where does this music come from? The three come together. They come from their workshops and from the fields. What is created is more than the music of the three who play the instruments. It grows out of the life and work of the Rochester Folk Art Guild, part of the same process that takes place in the workshops and kitchens, in the gardens and fields. We are beginners, or rather, trying to be beginners, looking as we can for the root and branches of the craft of music. This recording reflects our present work. Come listen with us.”

Rochester Folk Art Guild, RFAG 1 Stereo, 1977

Side One:

1. Santori Tuning (3′39)
2. Duet 1 (1′35)
3. Lydian Improvisation (2′58)
4. Brook in the Valley (2′45)
5. Phrygian Waltz (2′42)
6. Twenty-third Psalm (4′34)
7. Merengue (2′22)

Side Two:

1. Up to the Wind (4′18)
2. Duet 2 (1′30)
3. Village Dance (1′25)
4. Phrygian Improvisation (7′32)
5. Muted Meter (3′33)
6. Easter Song (5′31)

[.zip]

THE SKYGREEN LEOPARDS: CHILD GOD IN THE GARDEN OF IDOLS

My favorite Skygreen Leopards album, this was a limited 2005 LP on Jagjaguwar, housed in a delicate paper folded cover with its illustrations glued directly on top. Part instrumental, part field recording, part ballad (and boundless mixtures thereof), the album plays like a sonic vineyard; the tunes moving through themselves like the essential cohesive residue of thick detritus covering ancient forest floors. The music was “received” by Glenn Donaldson and Donovan Quinn, who’s impish improvisations and deeply creative spirit transcends the post post post folk revivalism and neo-punk highroads set forth by a current generation of fashionistas. With most any Jewelled Antler offering you get something else, something new, something unexpected and purely of the moment - if not for the sake of going in another direction where the light is usually better anyway.

Jagjaguwar, 2005

Side One:

1. Parasols Thro’ The Moors (2′50)
2. The Butterfly Dance (4′42)
3. Hill-Dwelling Bride (3′06)
4. The Orchard Daughter (2′59)
5. Christ-Child Dances (5′18)

Side Two:

1. Hobo Sparrow’s Dream (3′05)
2. The Woodsman’s Dance (4′10)
3. Parallel Shadows (Part II)/Mad Loin (Part VII) (4′21)
4. Child God (4′08)

[.zip]

Last month’s Lead Belly 10″ inclusion was pretty popular, so this month I’m posting the great document that encapsulates his final recording sessions, and should convert anyone who isn’t (for whatever reason) already a devotee of his inimitable musical and cultural legacy. These field recordings were done over the course of three evenings in September of 1948, just nine months before he died from Lou Gehrig’s disease. Recorded in he and his wife Martha’s NYC apartment by Fredric Ramsey Jr., they had no idea these would be the last, as he was only 61 at the time. The songs are all one-takes, and appear in the order they were recorded, with only some extraneous dialogue removed to conserve space. Plenty is included however, and contains lively descriptions and personal anecdotes that are (among other things) a rare first-person glimpse into early 20th-century African American experience. The first two sides are a cappella, with all subsequent sides featuring the trademark 12-string guitar (side three containing a version of John Henry that will melt your shoes - just one of many highlights). Lead Belly’s sense of timing, rhythm, musical intuition, virtuosity, personal experience, and vast library of songs (effortlessly plucked from memory), offers the listener an unrivaled compendium of American folk blues - not to mention all the tunes that rock and roll swiped. From the booklet notes:

“At the time of these recordings, recording tape was in its experimental stage. In 1953 when the tapes were taken out of their original boxes and played, some of the tape was found to be damaged and in a few cases it adhered to the next winding. We proceeded then as follows. Peter Bartok re-dubbed all the tape, and Ramsey edited the dubbed tape for a six-sided long-playing records set. However it was found that by eliminating most of the bands as suggested by Ramsey we could get 30 minutes on one side of a 12″ record to make a four-records set.” - Moses Asch

“Perhaps it would be fairest to Leadbelly to say that when he made the recordings contained in this set of long-playing records, he had no idea they were to be his last. Nor were they recorded under “professional” circumstances; in a big studio with swatches of acoustical dampers, a dozen microphones to choose from, a battery of control consoles, and a staff of prompters and technicians. Had they been made this way, they might have been quite different.

A SHORT TECHNICAL NOTE ABOUT RECORDINGS OF LEADBELLY’S LAST SESSIONS: As stated before, the facilities of larger recording studios were not available for this project. The acoustics of the New York apartment were corrected as much as possible with drapes, and the best equipment available in the early days of tape recording was used. For the first evening, a small voice microphone was employed. For the second and third evenings (with guitar) it was thought that a dynamic microphone of good quality would provide the best pick-up.

It would therefore be misleading to claim that, by todays standards, these are “extended range” recordings, although we do believe that for the most part they are adequately clean and crisp, and represent an advance over all other older, acetate recordings of Leadbelly. Everything has been done to clear the tapes of obvious defects due to faulty tape manufacture; some difficulty was experienced with tape purchased in good faith which began to peel off in spots not long after it had been used for recording. Fortunately, a better tape was made available before we had got too far along, and a majority of performances has been well preserved.”

“In the United States, not so long ago, we had a giant of a man with us, a singer and adventurer whose exploits, if we did not know the actual facts of his existence, might one day have been amplified into a sort of Paul Bunyan legend that could hardly have been more colorful than the truth. Leadbelly, or Huddie Leadbetter was Born in Mooringsport, Louisiana, son of a farmer who worked 68 acres of land in the Caddo Lake district. From the beginning, young Huddie was bewitched by music. One uncle had a guitar; his friends played small accordions, or “windjammers’” as they called them in that part-Cajun, part-Negro country. At twelve or thirteen, Huddie started riding off in the canebrakes and bottomlands to play for sukey jumps and breakdowns - Saturday night get-togethers in cabins and little, low dance halls. He was soon “good as they had on a windjammer,” according to his own testimony.

It was a rough crowd. In the North, social workers would probably have intervened. But late 19th century Negro youngsters in the South were allowed to go their way and settle their problems (no one considered them problems, anyway) amongst themselves. They drank, they made love and they got into fights.

It was one of these fights, a few years later, that started Huddie on the hardest part of his life, and shaped his career for years to come. In a bottomland fracas involving Huddie, a man was killed.

They hung the sentence on Huddie, and sent him to a prison camp, or country farm. He broke out of that, but soon got into other troubles. He was too young, too handsome, too powerful. Women couldn’t let him alone, and he couldn’t let them alone. But through it all - from 1918, when he was sentenced in the Bowie County Courthouse, Texas, to 1935, when he was released from the Angola State Prison Farm, in Louisiana  - Huddie kept close to his music. He broke jail, he rambled, he married and remarried, he picked cotton, he worked in a car agency; all this was part of, but strangely incidental to, the main drive of his life - the need to learn more songs, the need to perform them, anywhere.” - Fredric Ramsey

*For the MP3’s (as with the LP’s), songs are in groups within bands (or tracks), and breaks occur between bands not songs. The sides of each LP are listed as Part One - Side One (FP2941A), Part One - Side Two (FP2941B), and so on. There is one .zip archive for each LP side, eight total.

Folkways Records, FA 2941 A/B, FA 2941 C/D, FA 2942 A/B, FA 2942 C/D, 1962

**Part One - Side One (FP2941A):

Band 1
1. Yes, I Was Standing in the Bottom (1′40)
2. Yes, I’m Going Down in Louisiana (0′42)
3. Ain’t Going Down to the Well No More (1′23)
4. Dick Ligger’s Holler (0′43)
5. Liza Jane (2′08)
6. Dog Latin Song (0′52)
7. Leaving Blues (0′31)

Band 2
8. Go Down, Old Hannah (4:59)
9. The Blue Tailed Fly (Jimmie Crack Corn) (2′20)
10. Nobody in This World is Better Than Us (1′26)

Band 3
11. We’re in the Same Boat, Brother (2′18)
12. Looky Looky Yonder (1′33)
13. Jolly O the Ransom (0′57)

Band 4
14. Old Ship of Zion (1′51)
15. Bring Me a Little Water, Silvy (1′27)
16. Mistreatin’ Mama (1′24)
17. Black Betty (1′52)
18. Ain’t Going Down to the Well No More (2′45)

**Part One - Side Two (FP2941B):

Band 1
19. Yes, I’m Going Down in Louisiana (0′28)
20. I Don’t Know You, What Have I Done? (3′11)
21. Rock Island Line (1′03)
22. Old Man, Will Your Dog Catch a Rabbit? (1′29)
23. Shorty George (0′46)
24. Stewball (2′34)
25. Bottle Up and Go (1′25)
26. You Know I Got to Do It (0′52)
27. Ain’t It a Shame to Go Fishin’ on Sunday (1′21)
28. DeKalb Blues (Ain’t Gonna Drink No More) (2′37)
29. Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues (2′18)

Band 2
30. My Lindy Lou (1′08)
31. I’m Thinking of a Friend (3′22)

Band 3
32. He Never Said a Mumbling Word (2′28)
33. Gee, But I Want to Go Home (Army Life) (3′59)
34. In the World (2′01)
35. I Want to Go Home (1′26)

**Part Two - Side One (FP2941C):

Band 1:
36. New Iberia (3′08)
37. Dancing with Tears in My Eyes (3′11)
38. John Henry (4′59)

Band 2
39. Salty Dog (3′29)
40. National Defense Blues (3′30)
41. Easy, Mr. Tom (2′08)
42. Relax Your Mind (4′09)

Band 3
43. Bottle Up and Go (3′36)
44. Polly Wolly Wee (1′45)

**Part Two - Side Two (FP2941D)

Band 1
45. Pig Latin Song (2′10)
46. Hawaiian Song (2′15)
47. Drinkin’ Lum Y A Alla (1′50)
48. The Gray Goose (2′17)
49. Silver City Bound (6′01)
50. The Titanic (5′14)

Band 2
51. Death Letter Blues (3′30)
52. Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep (3′28)
53. He Never Said a Mumbling Word (2′49)

**Part Three - Side One (FP2942A):

Band 1
54. The Midnight Special (2′11)
55. Boll Weevil (3′06)
56. Careless Love (6′29)

Band 2
57. Easy Rider (3′00)
58. Fannin Street (Mr. Tom Hughes’ Town)(Cry to Me) (3′31)
59. DeKalb Blues (Ain’t Going to Drink No More) (3′54)

Band 3
60. Birmingham Jail (2′56)
61. Old Riley  (1′46)
62. Julie Ann Johnson (1′11)
63. It’s Tight Like That (3′12)

**Part Three - Side Two (FP2942B):

Band 1
64. 4, 5 and 9 (4′53)

Band 2
65. Good Morning Babe, How Do You Do? (0′41)
66. Jail House Blues (4′31)

Band 3
67. Well, You Know I Had to Do It (2′56)
68. Irene (Goodnight Irene) (1′22)

Band 4
69. Story of the 25 Cent Dude (2′20)
70. How Come You Do Me Like You Do? (3′24)
72. Hello Central, Give Me Long Distance Phone (5′29)
73. Hesitation Blues (2′17)

Band 5
74. I’ll Be Down on the Last Bread Wagon (3′35)

**Part Four - Side One (FP2942C):

Band 1
75. Digging My Potatoes (4′00)
76. Springtime in the Rockies (3′02)
77. Chinatown (1′12)

Band 2
78. Rock Island Line (1′57)
79. Backwater Blues (3′27)
80. Governor Pat Neff (Sweet Mary) (3′12)

Band 3
81. Irene (Goodnight Irene) (2′44)
82. Easy, Mr. Tom (2′16)
83. In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down (2′54)

Band 4
84. I’m Alone Because I Love You (2′54)
85. House of the Rising Sun (2′23)
86. Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep  (1′58)

**Part Four - Side Two (FP2942D):

Band 1
87. Talk About Fannin Street (3′41)
88. Fannin Street (Mr. Tom Hughes’ Town) (3′36)
89. Sugar’d Beer (1′40)
90. Didn’t Old John Cross the Water? (2′01)

Band 2
91. Nobody Knows You When Your Down and Out (3′19)
92. Bully of the Town (2′08)

Band 3
93. Sweet Jenny Lee (1′54)
94. Yellow Gal (2′04)
95. He Was the Man (3′48)
96. We’re in the Same Boat, Brother (4′16)

Band 4
97. Leaving Blues (2′36)

[.zip_pt.1]  [.zip_pt.2]  [.zip_pt.3]  [.zip_pt.4]  [.zip_pt.5]  [.zip_pt.6]  [.zip_pt.7]  [.zip_pt.8]

KINGS OF THE TWELVE STRING

Released in 1973 by Flyright Records out of the UK, this compilation of tunes by some familiar folk blues artists segues nicely out of the above, and offers another taste of the unique strand of folk-blues as performed on a 12-string guitar. Indeed these are some of the greats, featuring four tracks by Blind Willie McTell, and includes Seth Richard, Willie Baker, Barbecue Bob, George Carter, Charlie Turner, and Charlie Lincoln (aka Charlie Hicks). Prior to digital re-mastering techniques, many of the original 78’s (from which these were direct copies) hadn’t been transferred, making compilations like this a great find for enthusiasts who didn’t have access to the originals. Much of this music has since been re-issued in one form or another, especially Blind Willie McTell’s extant recordings, and here presented is a small sample of that deep sound. Most of these recordings are probably from the 20’s and 30’s.

Flyright Records, Flyright LP 101, 1973

Side One:

1. Dark Night Blues (Blind Willie McTell) (2′56)
2. Mama, Let Me Scoop For You (Blind Willie McTell) (3′10)
3. Ain’t It Grand To Be A Christian (Blind Willie McTell) (3′04)
4. Loving Talking Blues (Blind Willie McTell) (2′37)
5. Skoodeldum Doo (Seth Richard) (3′08)
6. Lonely Seth Blues (Seth Richard) (3′17)
7. No No Blues (Willie Baker) (2′49)

Side Two:

1. How Long Pretty Mama (Barbecue Bob) (3′23)
2. Barbecue Blues (Barbecue Bob) (3′07)
3. Ghost Woman Blues (George Carter) (2′53)
4. Weeping Willow Woman (George Carter) (2′42)
5. Kansas City Dog Walk (Charlie Turner) (2′58)
6. Depot Blues (Charlie Lincoln) (3′00)
7. Mama, Don’t Rush Me (Charlie Lincoln) (3′06)

[.zip]

BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON/SON HOUSE

Blind Lemon is referenced by Lead Belly in the above in a nice anecdote, so I might as well give him his due by posting the only record I have that contains his music. Paired by LP sides with the mighty and incomparable Son House (Eddie James House Jr. - one of my all time favorites), this record is a delightful addition to any folk blues collection. This Biograph record published in 1972 is a step ahead of the “Kings…” LP, in that it provides at least some information regarding the artists (the above containing only artist’s names and song titles), as well as information on the original 78 recordings; labels, dates, etc. I am less concerned with that stuff and more interested in the music, and as contemporaries of Lead Belly, this is a another glance at some lions in the mix of early to mid-century African American folk blues. These tracks were recorded between 1926 - 1941. From the liner notes:

“Son House was born on March 21, 1902, on a farm in Coahoma County, just outside of Lyon, a small town a few miles from Clarksdale, Miss. When he was about eight years old he moved to Louisiana where he spent a good part of his youth. In 1928 he started playing the guitar and two years later through a recommendation by his friend Charlie Patton he began recording for the Paramount Record Company. Of the nine sides he recorded for Paramount only six have been found. These sessions were made in Grafton, Wisconsin in the summer of 1930 and are considered among the greatest blues performances recorded in the thirties” - Arnold S. Caplan

“Yeh, I’ll tell you another guy who used to play. I loved to hear him play but couldn’t nobody never be lucky enough to dance by his music. That was Lemon Jefferson… Lemon was one of the crack-batters in record making” - Son House

Biograph BLP-12040, 1972

Side One:

Son House
1. My Black Mama, Part 1 (3′10)
2. My Black Mama, Part 2 (3′16
3. Preachin’ The Blues, Part 1 (3′01)
4. Preachin’ The Blues, Part 2 (2′50)
5. Dry Spell Blues, Part 1 (3′08)
6. Dry Spell Blues, Part 2 (3′11)
7. Delta Blues (Leroy Williams, harmonica) (5′25)

Side Two:

Blind Lemon Jefferson
1. Wartime Blues (3′07)
2. Weary Dog Blues (2′46)
3. Gone Dead On You Blues (2′50)
4. One Dime Blues (2′50)
5. Lemon’s Cannonball Moan (2′36)
6. Eagle Eyed Mama (2′38)
7. Dynamite Blues (3′00)
8. Big Night Blues (3′12)

[.zip]

THE IMMORTAL CHARLIE PATTON

The music on this 1962 release, although re-issued by various labels over the years, was the first time these songs had been compiled and made available to a wider public, hitherto only enjoyed by the possessive collector of rare 78’s. Additionally, this was the first release for the Origin Jazz Library founded by Bill Givens, and began what was an amazing output of rarely heard (primarily) African American blues, gospel, jazz and folk music releases (I posted another Origin record on the November 08′ page called “In The Spirit…”). Since Charley Patton was buddies with Son House, and according to him, had encouraged him to record his music (as noted above), it seems fitting to include this one. Most country blues fans are familiar with the idiosyncratic, yet powerful sounds of Charley Patton (aka Elder J.J. Hadley), and his tunes yield an infectious and stirring contribution to the genre, with their anecdotal poetry, stark realism, and untamed spirit. In fact, many consider him the father of the Delta Blues, and Musicologist Robert Palmer considered him among the most important musicians that America produced in the twentieth century. See a nice illustrated history about Patton by R. Crumb here. From the liner notes:

“He was born somewhere in the Delta around 1885. He moved to Clarksdale as a young man, remaining there until 1933 when he moved on to the greener fields of Memphis. According to all reports, he died there in late 34′ or 35′ of tetanus resulting from wounds received in a knife fight. Around Clarksdale, Patton had a reputation for hard drinking, fighting, and “courting”. He avoided church, but was always on hand for socials where his singing and playing made him a favorite. His record sessions came in 29′, 30′, and 31′ in New York and Chicago for Paramount, and in 32′ in Chicago for Vocalion. Most of the persistent rumors about Charlie - that he was a part-time preacher, that he died in a Clarksdale fire, for two - are unconfirmed and seem to be based on the words to his songs… pointing to how closely the Country Blues singers were identified with the lyrics they sang in their peculiarly vivid, realistic, and extemporaneous style.”

Origin Jazz Library, OJL 1, 1962

Side One:

1. High Sheriff (3′18)
2. Green River Blues (3′12)
3. Elder Greene Blues (3′03)
4. Moon Going Down (3′16)
5. Going To Move To Alabama (3′00)
6. I Shall Not Be Moved (3′03)

Side Two:

1. Stone Poney Blues (2′55)
2. Frankie And Albert (3′13)
3. Runnin’ Wild Blues (2′57)
4. Some These Days I’ll Be Gone (3′17)
5. I’m Goin’ Home (3′04)
6. Poor Me (3′02)

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NEGRO FOLK MUSIC OF ALABAMA, VOL. 6: GAME SONGS AND OTHERS, RECORDED IN ALABAMA BY HAROLD COURLANDER

These beautiful a capella songs were recorded in the field in western Alabama during January and February of 1950 by Harold Courlander (assisted by Ruby Pickens Tartt & Emma Courlander), and are a unique document rich in the spirit of African Amercian folk music history. Many recognizable tunes here, the first side is comprised of all game songs, or children’s songs (credited to various schools), while the second side features, in addition to work songs and chaingang songs by a host of singers from the region, a series of seven tunes magically performed by Celina Lewis. This record is one in a series of six LP’s that comprised the Folkways set “Negro Folk Music Of Alabama,” and unfortunately is the only one I possess. The cover art by the great Ronald Clyne (who did the graphics and illustration for most of the Folkways records ever produced) is a shining example of his beautiful and minimalist design sensibilities. From the booklet notes:

“The emphasis in these recordings from Alabama is upon musical content and style rather than performance. Selections have been made with a view to documentation. “Performances” have been sacrificed to make way for what seem to be more traditional folk styles. But the sheer music in many of these recordings is not easily excelled.” - Harold Courlander.

Folkways Library FE 4474, 1955

Side One:

1. Mary Mack (Children of Lilly’s Chapel School)
2. Bob A Needle (Children of Lilly’s Chapel School)
3. Watch That Lady (Children of Lilly’s Chapel School)
4. Old Lady Sally Wants To Jump (Children of Lilly’s Chapel School)
5. Loop De Loo (Children of Lilly’s Chapel School)
6. Green Green Rocky Road (Children of Lilly’s Chapel School)
7. Rosie Darling Rosie (Children of Brown’s Chapel School)
8. I Must See (Children of Pilgrim Church School)
9. Bluebird Bluebird (Children of Pilgrim Church School)
10. May Go ‘Round The Needle (Children of East York School)
11. Stooping On The Window (Children of East York School)
12. Charlie Over The Ocean (Children of East York School)

Side Two:

1. Session With Celina Lewis - [a] Catch That Squirrel [b] Sangaree [c] Whoa, Mule, Can’t Get The Saddle On [d] Rosie Gal [e] Bullfrog [f] Kushie Dye Yo [g] If I Had My Way
2. Water On The Wheel (Annie Grace Horn Dodson)
3. Go Pray Ye (Annie Grace Horn Dodson)
4. Captain Holler Hurry (Willie Turner)
5. John Henry (Willie Turner)
6. Going To Have A Talk With The Chief Of Police (Peelee Hatches)
7. Meet Me In The Bottoms (Davie Lee)
8. When The Role Is Called In Heaven (Joe Brown, Harrison Ross and Willie John Strong)
9. I Moaned And I Moaned (Joe Brown, Harrison Ross and Willie John Strong)
10. I’m Standing In A Safety Zone (Rosie N Winston)

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Field recordings by ethnomusicologist Dr. Barbara Schmidt-Wrenger and husband Wolfgang Schmid-Wrenger, recorded on a Stellavox and taken from between 1973 and 1976. Genuinely one of the most beautiful records I own. Superior recording technique meets amazing songs from the Sub-Sahara, featuring some instrumentals, but thriving mostly on choral workouts accompanied by various rhythm devices, including a type of gourd that serves as both a wind and percussive instrument (called an issanji - like a thumb piano - see cover). Additional hand clapping, rhythm sticks and some tongue singing offer a totally joyous non-stop groove machine. The “B” side hosts the only guitar tracks, specifically the last two - the final track “Kabwalala” is worth the whole trip. Try NOT playing this one over and over and over. From the liner notes:

“The music of the Bena Luluwa differs markedly from that of their neighbors in Angola: the Batshokwe, Bapende and Balunda. Particularly impressive to the Western ear is the strong polyrhythmic component in their dances and choir songs, handclapping, rattles and drums are brought together in one piece of music, and form an intricate rhythmic webbing.”

Lyrichord Stereo LLST 7313, 1977

Side One:

1. Festival Dance of the Bena Luluwa of Angola (3′02)
2. “Kabibobo” (4′28)
3. Birth Song (2′59)
4. “Issanji” Orchestra (2′09)
5. “Ntambwe mwalula” (2′10)
6. “Moya mae” (3′07)
7. “Bya mwenya” (2′40)
8. “Nadifwilabiani” (Death through Sickness) (1′53)

Side Two:

1. Dance Command (0′37)
2. “Issanji” Orchestra (3′13)
3. “Melanda a nwambamba” (3′55)
4. “Kanuayi” (5′00)
5. “Kabwalala” (11′04)

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AFRICA WITCHCRAFT & RITUAL MUSIC: RECORDED IN KENYA AND TANZANIA BY DAVID FANSHAWE

More tribal sounding than the above, but that makes sense given the ritual emphasis. Recorded by composer and ethnomusicologist David Fanshawe, the sounds here are unique variations in acoustic complexity, where the practice of spiritual healing and music are inextricably linked. I imagine as I listen what it must have been like to witness this stuff being performed, which according to Fanshawe, were nearly extinct traditions back in 1975 when this was released. From the liner notes:

“In this recording, I have tried to capture the spirit of a musical heritage now nearly extinct. The music on this album comes form a part of East Africa whose musical traditions remain largely unknown to the rest of the world. Particularly fascinating is the manner in which music and medicine are combined in the indigenous practice of witchcraft; music takes on the power of medicine, and medicine becomes associated with the healing sound of drums, interwoven with beautiful threads of melody.

Nonesuch Recrods, H-72066 (Stereo), 1975

Side One:

1. Ngoma ra mrongo (Taita, Kenya) (4′50)
2. Mwari Initiation (Taita, Kenya) (1′52)
3. Coconut Pickers Song (Lamu, Kenya) (3′05)
4. Matondoni Wedding (Lamu, Kenya) (2′07)
5. Marimba (Tanzania) (3′07)
6. Tuken Moral Songs (Kenya) (6′10)
7. Giriama Spirit Dance (Kenya) (2′18)

Side Two:

1. Kayamba Dance: Giriama Wedding (Kenya) (4′35)
2. Alto Bung’o Horn (Kenya) (0′42)
3. Akamba Witch Doctor (Kenya) (4′07)
4. Pokot Witch Doctor (Kenya) (3′03)
5. Pokot Dance (Kenya) (1′34)
6. Song of Dawn (Kenya) (2′57)
7. Lukuji (Kenya) (2′57)
8. Nyatiti (Kenya) (3′06)
9. Funeral Dance (Kenya) (2′32)

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ALBERT AYLER, DON CHERRY, GARY PEACOCK, SONNY MURRAY “VIBRATIONS”

This Arista release from 1975 was from a performance recorded on September 14th, 1964 in Copenhagen, comprised of a fierce lineup that makes for some really intense sorcery. All Ayler compositions, the outfit seems particularly lock-stepped in time and space, yielding amazing improvisational signatures around the characteristic folk-Americana/spiritual undercurrents that characterize Ayler’s compositions. If you love 60’s avant-garde jazz and black spiritual music, then this is the one.

“I like to play something, like the beginning of “Ghosts”, that people can hum. And I want to play songs like I used to sing when I was real small. Folk melodies that all the people would understand. I’d use these melodies as a start and have different simple melodies going in and out of a piece. From simple melody to complicated textures to simplicity again and then back to the more dense, the more complex sounds.”

Arista Records, AL 1000, 1975

Side One:

1. Ghosts (2′04)
2. Children (6′50)
3. Holy Spirit (8′29)

Side Two:

1. Ghosts (7′58)
2. Vibrations (4′55)
3. Mothers (7′06)

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“ROCK ISLAND LINE” LEADBELLY: HUDDIE LEDBETTER MEMORIAL ALBUM, VOL. 2

This 10″ record was produced by Folkways in 1951, and memorialized one of the great lions of extant folk blues from the period, just two years following his death. There is a good reason Huddie Ledbetter was considered one of the greats then (as now), and it’s all in the music - a combination of 12-string guitar, his powerfully harmonic voice, and a playfulness that betrayed the darker side of the blues. The record includes the amazing “Sukey Jump” featuring Huddie on the accordion (which was his first instrument), as well as the legendary “Black Girl” (aka “In The Pines”) that Nirvana covered as “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” on their “Unplugged” record. Not only do we get wonderful renditions of these songs, but also glimpses of late 19th and 20th century American history (albeit dimly lit when viewed through a contemporary lens). Although a tad rough in terms of recording quality (transferred from the original 78’s), revelry in song transcends, as it always does when Leadbelly sinks in.

Folkways Records, FP 14, 1951

Side One:

Band 1. Cotton Song
Band 2. Ha Ha This Way
Band 3. Sukey Jump (Win jammer)
Band 4. Black Girl
Band 5. Rock Island Line
Band 6. Blind Lemon
Band 7. Bottle Love And Go

Side Two:

Band 1. On A Monday
Band 2. Shorty George
Band 3. Duncan And Brady
Band 4. Old Riley
Band 5. Leavin’ Blues
Band 6. Pigmeat

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THE INDIAN BAMBOO FLUTE: TWO MASTERS IN TRADITION, GOUR GOSWAMI AND STEVEN GORN

This is a 1985 Lyrichord release of Western disciple Steven Gorn sharing the LP (split sides) with his teacher Gour Goswami. The recordings were made at separate times, Goswami’s “Rag Marwa (Sunset Raga)” recorded in 1974 (just one year before he died of a heart attack), while Gorn’s “Rag Jog (The Deep Night Raga)” lists no date, but was probably done around the time of the release. Cosmic and thoughtful, this record is a really sweet and meditative standout combining the unique sound of the Indian bamboo flute in service to the great tradition. The performances are patient and melodic, with a certain funkiness and groove - the overall mood befits both ragas. The performers include Sri Samir Mazumder, tabla (on Goswami’s side), and Ray Spiegel, tabla (on Gorn’s side).

Lyrichord Stereo, LLST 7387, 1985

Side One:

1. Rag Marwa (Sunset Raga)

Side Two:

1. Rag Jog (The Deep Night Raga)

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THE VIRTUOSO VIOLIN OF SOUTH INDIA: SUBRAMANIAM

Ganesha’s is a fitting image for this LP, as patron of arts and sciences, he is emblematic of the artistry found within. The term virtuoso gets used a lot to describe masters of Indian classical music, and usually for good reason. In the case of Dr. L. Subramaniam it can’t be used enough. Master of the Karnatic, chakravarti (emperor of violinists), I have yet to hear any playing to rival his, with its ever enveloping combination of precision, style, and improvisation, he reinvigorates my fascination with Indian music every time. The performances here are delicate and measured, carrying the listener deep into the Subramaniam universe. Dig the infinite. From the liner notes:

“The violin looks exactly like the Western instrument of the same name. But it is tuned differently and held in a totally different playing position, with the performer seated cross-legged on the floor, the top of the neck of the instrument resting on his ankle. the bottom of the instrument rests between his collar bone and chest, making it possible for the player’s left hand to use a “sliding finger” technique that is employed to produce the ornaments, i.e., the grace notes and embellishments called gamakas, which abound in this music and are an essential part of the melodic structure.”

*There are two tracks listed on side “A” but no logical break appears, so they are reproduced as one track.

Lyrichord, SUBRAMANIAM - LLST 7390, 197?

Side One:

1. Ragam (21′45)
2. Tanam (5′11)

Side Two:

1. Pallavi (23′00)

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DAVID HYKES & THE HARMONIC CHOIR “CURRENT CIRCULATION”

This 1984 LP features two performances, “Subject to Change” recorded in April of ‘84 at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC, and “Current Circulation” recorded in June of ‘84 at St. Paul’s Chapel at Columbia in NYC. Totally compelling all acoustic works, this recording references liturgical and Himalayan influences (among others), and is a study in ascending tones and vibrational harmonics. Hykes, A fascinating guy, is utterly committed to the use of the voice as a conduit to the universe, and is a student of Dharma and Tibetan Buddhist masters, etc., and continues his vocal/spiritual work today, utilizing one as an extension of the other.

Celestial Harmonies, CEL 010 Digital, 1984

Side One:

Subject to Change (Solo) (5′00)

Current Circulation:
Part 1 Ascending Mount Summation (7′30)
Part 2 (Beginning) (9′46)

Side Two:

Current Circulation:
Part 2 (Conclusion) (3′03)
Part 3 One Above (5′00)
Part 4 Free Ascents (3′30)
Part 5 Flight Patterns (Georgian Joy) (2′30)
Part 6 Rainbow Landing (1′38)

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Recorded at Ramsey Prison Farm in Texas on November 18th, 1965 by Bruce Jackson, this is not only a lyrical expression about the hardships of prison life in rural Texas, but also a document about some essential aspects of the African American experience. Directly grounded in the worksongs and spirituals forged during slavery in North America, J.B. delivers a personal interpretation of a music born out of suffering - you’ll be stunned and amazed. From the liner notes:

“Smitty - J.B. Smith - is eleven years into a forty-five year sentence that begun in 1954; he is 48 years old. This is his fourth time in prison in Texas and he does not expect to be paroled for some time. For him, a song like “No More Good Time in the World for Me”, though it draws heavily on the general inmate song vocabulary, is completely personal; the situation applies to him almost without qualification.”

J.B. Smith: “The oldtimers still sing. That is, if whoever is carrying (in charge of) the squad will let them. In some cases the boss won’t let them sing.”

“The young men don’t get a chance to work with the older men and they haven’t experienced working with older men. A lot of them have never been in the system before. And the crews they work with don’t even know the songs, the worksongs that they work by. But once they get to working with the older men, they learn the songs and they try to carry them on when they can. But like I said, in most cases they can’t because they’re not permitted.”

“All Takoma records should be available from any local friendly superior record dealer, and can be ordered direct from us otherwise for $5 the copy, postpaid.”

Takoma B 1009, 1965

Side One:

1. I Got Too Much Time For the Crime I Done (9′47)
2. The Danger Line (0′43)
3. No More Good Time In the World For Me (13′26)
4. Sundown Man (0′24)

Side Two:

1. Ever Since I Been A Man Full Grown (23′19)
2. Bud Russell (0′54)

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MALAMINI JOBARTEH & DEMBO KONTE “JALIYA”

If freedom has a sound it might be embedded somewhere in the reverberations of the kora, especially as performed here by Malamini Jobarteh and Dembo Konte. This is another communion of voice and kora that elevates the heart and stirs the soul, encouraging countless metaphors relating to warmth, sunshine, etc. (that should fall right off the tip of your tongue cuz your maw will be agape at how gorgeous this record is!). These Gambian fellows are well matched, and carry on as if they have been locked together in spirit and body since the beginning of time. The second side features a track called “Cheddo” which is a longer and somewhat dissonant variation on the form, serving as a standout on the LP. From the liner notes:

“Malamini and Dembo were brought up in the same household as brothers and were taught to play by Dembo’s father, the late Alhai Bai Konte, one of the greatest kora players. Echoes of Bai’s highly individual style can be heard throughout this record.”

Triple Earth Records, STERNS 1010, 1985

Side One:

1. Segou Tutu (2′49)
2. Mbassi (5′02)
3. Solo (4′06)
4. Bamba Bojang (7′28)
5. Tutu Jara (3′11)

Side Two:

1. Fode Kaba (5′29)
2. Cheddo (17′53)

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DAVE EVANS “SAD PIG DANCE: COLLECTION OF GUITAR INSTRUMENTALS”

A really great and confident set of instrumentals, uniquely crafted and totally in-step with both the British folk revival and American Primitive pickers of the 60’s and 70’s. Dave forges his own path, with a distinctly unique finger playing style that utilizes some deft harmonics and percussive techniques. This is virtuosic playing, but remains warm and personal, totally connected to the art of music. Alex Henderson for All Music Guide writes:

“If you consider yourself an expert on folk but aren’t familiar with Dave Evans, it isn’t surprising. The acoustic guitarist never became well known, although not because of a lack of talent - Evans‘ talent is obvious on 1974’s Sad Pig Dance, his first session for Kicking Mule. On this unaccompanied solo guitar outing, Evans‘ focus is instrumental folk that incorporates elements of rock and Mississippi Delta blues.

His great instrumental talents - including techniques involving alternate tunings and percussion-like sound effects - have continued to be an obsession among guitarists from the new age crowd to free improv noise guitar deviates; this fact tends to overshadow Evans’ work as a singer/songwriter. It was in this mode that he first presented himself to the listening public on the 1971 album entitled The Words in Between. It was Evans’ picking, not his singing, that attracted fellow guitarist and record label manager Stefan Grossman who, in the late ’70s, began documenting a variety of guitarists including Evans on the Kicking Mule label. Most of Evans’ best music from the ’70s has been reissued.”

Kicking Mule Records, KM 120, 1974

Side One:

1. Stagefright (3′46)
2. Chaplinesque (1′07)
3. The Train And The River (2′25)
4. Veronica (2′16)
5. Captain (2′32)
6. Knuckles and Buster (2′32)
7. Medley: Mole’s Moan (The Gentle Man Trap) (3′00)

Side Two:

1. Sad Pig Dance (1′28)
2. Raining Cats And Dogs (2′45)
3. Braziliana (1′45)
4. Sun And Moon (3′32)
5. Steppenwolf (2′46)
6. Morocco John (1′41)
7. Sneaky (4′00)

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BALACHANDER, SOUNDS OF THE VEENA, FEATURING THE FLUTE OF RAMANI

Here’s a live recording of our friend S. Balachander and a flautist named Ramani from an unspecified date and location, released in 1966 by World Pacific. This is a lively record with some really playful renditions by Balachander, and is more like a split LP than anything - Ramani gets about the same band width as Balachander, each occupying one of the two tracks on each side (the two don’t perform together, although presumably the performances are the same concert). Also featured are Sivaraman on mridangam, Natesan on tamboura, and Ramabhadran on kanjeera.

Balachander is considered one of the all-time great Veena players, with the unique status of having never studied with a master. Developing his own style while becoming accomplished with a variety of instruments, he’s largely self-taught. Credited with both having elevated the status of the Veena from an instrument for ‘chamber concerts’ to a ‘Pucca’ or concert instrument, as well as having created a style previously “unknown, unattempted, and unexcelled.” In addition to composing film music, Balachander directed his own films which garnered some attention. From the liner notes:

“Ramani’s technical virtuosity and control of the Indian flute (which has no keys) is often remarked, even in India. But his real reputation rests on the “vocal” quality of his playing, which meets the Indian musical ideal - the human voice.”

World Pacific Stereo, WPS-21436, 1966

Side One:

1. Sarasa Saama Dhaana (11′30)
2. Koluvai Unnadae (9′00)

Side Two

1. Kadhanavarike (11′25)
2. Varanaaradha Naaraayana (9′40)

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MAHAVISHNU JOHN MCLAUGHLIN “MY GOALS BEYOND”

When I was in junior high I secretly borrowed a copy of my brothers copy of a live Mahavishnu Orchestra record, and with my music tastes ranging from Yes to The Mothers of Invention, I was pretty sure I had discovered the divine source. My interest in jazz/rock fusion only lasted a few years, and I never fully returned to my fascination with Mahavishnu Orchestra or John McLaughlin (in any of his various guises), with the exception of a record called “Johnny McLaughlin: Electric Guitarist” and this one. Interestingly, this devotional record (dedicated to John’s guru Sri Chinmoy) is split by side into two genres; the A-side containing two blazing E. Indian-tinged orchestrations, while the B-side contains all solo acoustic guitar tunes that incorporate some subtle cymbal and gong.

John McLaughlin can play guitar, almost to the point of absurdity. However, here he shows some restraint, even if he can’t help inserting some lightning scales on “Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat”, a tune that doesn’t really benefit from showboating. The central feature are the two tracks on side one, fitting smack dab into the cauldron of 70’s E. Indian hybrid jazz/rock fusion. John is less foregrounded here, allowing the synthesis of instrumentation to transcend. The A-side features Billy Cobham on drums, Charlie Haden on bass, Airto Moreira on percussion, Dave Liebman on clarinet, Badal Roy on tabla, Mahalakshmi on sitar, and Jerry Goodman on violin.

Douglas Records, Douglas 9, 1970

Side One:

1. Peace One (7′18)
2. Peace Two (12′22)

Side Two:

1. Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat (3′17)
2. Something Spiritual (3′30)
3. Hearts and Flowers (2′11)
4. Phillip Lane (2′38)
5. Waltz for Bill Evans (2′04)
6. Follow Your Heart (3′20)
7. Song for My Mother (2′35)
8. Blue in Green (2′43)

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THE TURKISH INFORMATION OFFICE PRESENTS: SONGS AND DANCES OF TURKEY

Some of the recordings here sound a lot like tracks on Rhassan Roland Kirk’s “Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata”, and it makes sense given that he incorporated an array of ethnic musical influences, as well as his use of a stritch which sounds almost identical to the Turkish zuna. Anyway, this is a fascinating record released by Folkways in 1956, leaving one to guess who might have been grooving to this sort of thing in the 50’s… No insert notes, but some descriptions about the tracks and a little background on Turkey are found on the rear. Basically, this is a comprehensive survey of the diversity of Turkish music styles, and with a geography stretching from the southeastern tip of W. Europe to the heart of the Middle East, it only makes sense the music would be so varied. Istanbul was a major crossroads to the ancient world, and has been occupied by various ethnic influences throughout history, so at times you can hear in its music what sounds like E. Indian, Asian (ala the Himalayas), Middle Eastern, European liturgical influences, and beyond.

Mostly instrumentals with a few vocal accompaniments, the record was recorded and curated by ethnomusicologist Laura Boulton, who probably had a really fun time accumulating this stuff - she presents great variety, and has good taste in music. All the songs are exceptional, the only real surprise being the recording of a military band in Izmir that’s not at all what I expect Turkish music to sound like.

Folkways Records, FW 8801, 1956

Side One:

1. Dance of Kars: clarinet, violin, drum (1′53)
2. Hop, Hop, Hop (love song from Central Turkey), chorus and orchestra (2′08)
3. Zeybek (dance from Izmir), clarinet and darbuka (1′34)
4. Zeybek (dance from Izmir), cura and darbuka (1′18)
5. Girl From Kermen (love song from Central Turkey) chorus and orchestra with bells and spoons (1′58)
6. Dance (from Rize on the Black Sea), tulum (bagpipe) (1′33)
7. Camel Bells (caravan song frm Trabzon on the Black Sea) (1′40)
8. The Waters of the Valley (love song from Erzurum), male solo and chorus (1′59)
9. Kazaska (dance from Kars), clarinet, violin, drums (1′34)
10. Dance (from Rize on the Black Sea), kemence (1′07)
11. Shepherd’s Song (from Rize on the Black Sea), kaval (0′42)
12. The Bacon Is In The Larder (dance from Rize on the Black Sea), male solo with kemence and clicks (1′30)
13. Black Pepper (popular love song from Istanbul), male solo with saz and darbuka (1′35)

Side Two:

1. Classic Song (Istanbul), chorus and orchestra (3′53)
2. Classic Song (Istanbul), chorus and orchestra (2′33)
3. Flute Solo (Istanbul) (1′30)
4. Zurna and Davul (dance from Ankara) (1′45)
5. Zurna and Davul (dance from Ankara) (1′07)
6. Mehter (classical, from Istanbul), chorus (4′58)
7. Izmir, march (3′11)
8. Dance from Kars, clarinet (2′12)
9. Every Morning, Every Dawn (love song frm Trabzan on the Black Sea) male solo with saz (2′29)

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Traditional old timey folk music when authentic and spirited makes for some of the most gratifying sounds I know, and these sweet grass songs of times gone by are just the stuff (and include all the usual death ballads, broken hearts, drifters, liquor, God, etc.). Ola’s voice is a solid driven engine with strength enough to freight the long winding family sound on this 1973 Rounder Records LP recorded by Gei Zantzingerin in 1972 in Devault, Pennsylvania. The record features Ola Belle Reed, banjo and fiddle; Bud Reed, harmonica, banjo and guitar; David Reed, banjo and guitar; John Miller, fiddle; and Alan Reed, banjo and guitar. Genuine and stirring, this is deeply rooted stuff, with tracks like “Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss” and “The Springtime of Life” winning hearts and moving feet - I can only trust that “The Soldier And The Lady” will soften even the hardest among us. Still available in CD format by the folks at Rounder. From the liner notes:

“Unlike many other musicians, Ola Belle’s music is balanced and integrated with the rest of her life. She views music as a part of life that can effectively bring people together and help them work together. Having grown up in a poor but religious atmosphere, she realized that if life can be made qualitatively better for any of us, it can be brought about only by a community sharing and working together. There is a very basic and vital optimism in Ola Belle’s belief that we can positively change our lives for the better by relying upon ourselves and “by taking matters into our own hands and doing something about the problems and situations that come in front of us everyday.” Since any true radical’s battlefield is provincialism and bigotry, Ola Belle has come to deplore many of the recent tendencies of country musicians to become ardently chauvinistic about their tastes in old-timey, bluegrass, etc. to the exclusion of all other music. This development runs directly counter to Ola Belle’s affirmations of music as a unifying and comradely tie among people. Ola Belle herself is aware of her own tastes and roots in music, but jealously defends the rights of other performers to choose their own style and material. Music, she feels, belongs to us all. As concrete support for this assertion, she can point to songs that are adapted beautifully to many different styles.”

Rounder Records 0021, 1973

Side One:

1. Wayfaring Pilgrim (4′29)
2. High On A Mountain (2′32)
3. The Soldier And The Lady (4′12)
4. Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss (2′00)
5. Go Home Little Girl (3′56)
6. Blues In My Mind (3′00)
7. God Put A Rainbow In The Clouds (2′47)
8. Flop Eared Mule (2′21)

Side Two:

1. The Springtime Of Life (4′07)
2. Billy In The Lowground (1′28)
3. You Don’t Tell Me That You Love Me Anymore (3′42)
4. I’ve Always Been A Rambler (3′16)
5. Rosewood Casket (2′38)
6. John Hardy (1′41)
7. My Epitaph (3′07)
8. I Believe (2′46)

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TWO MUSICAL TRADITIONS OF INDIA: DR. L. SUBRAMANIAM AND SMT. LAKSHMI SHANKAR

Although a huge fan of Dr. L. Subramaniam, this live split-LP’s highlight is Lakshmi Shankar’s contribution occupying the entire first side of the record. Her voice is totally captivating, and her versatility and gently patient style make for a really sweet ride into the ether. Lakshmi recorded with both Ravi Shankar and George Harrison, among others, and is well known in the lexicon of eastern Indian greats who have recorded for Western audiences. “Her greatest assets are a brilliant and melodious voice which encompasses three octaves with ease, a polished style, dedication to music, and an intelligent approach to art.” Featured with her are Zakir Hussain, tabla, and Vijayashree Subramaniam, tanpura.

On side two are three tracks by Dr. Subramaniam, the first of which is unfortunately cut short. One of the many great things about Indian classical music is the song durations, but unfortunately, the folks at Ganesh Records felt it better to include a variety of short tunes by the Dr. instead of just one side-long track as they did with Lakshmi. In the end you can’t go wrong with any song duration by Subramaniam, as he always delivers fanfare, and a mind-numbing brilliance of style and form. Featured with the Dr. are Palghat T.S. Mani Iyer, Mridangam, and Vijayashree Subramaniam, tambura. Unfortunately, I was unable to get information about the dates or locations of these performances, nor can I find any information about Ganesh Records (seems to be c. mid to late 70’s).

Ganesh Records, DRL 1008

Side One (Lakshmi Shankar):

1. Supna Ban Aaye, Raag: Rageshri Khyal Vilambit: Ektal

Side Two (Dr. L. Subramaniam):

1. Kriti: Siddhi Vinayakam, Raga: Shanmukhapriya, Tala: Roopakam, Composer: Muthusvami Dikshitar

2. Kriti: Paluku-Kanda Sakkeranu, Raga: Navarasa Kannada, Tala: Adi, Composer: Thyagaraja

3. Thirupugazh, Raga: Todi, Composer: Arunagirinathar

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JON GIBSON: TWO SOLO PIECES

The track “Cycles” on side one is a drop dead gorgeous minimalist drone piece, indeed one of the finest I have heard, containing no overdubs or electronics. Featured instead is what the liner notes describe as “an environmental, textural piece that is essentially improvised on a constantly shifting seven-note melodic progression in four-part harmony… played on a pipe organ… using sustained tones in various groupings, clusters, and stop settings.” Side two of the LP is a more straightforward “structured improvisation” for the flute, but no less interesting in its compositional framework, and as a demonstration of Gibson’s ability as a skilled flautist. The record has been reissued previously on CD by New Tone, and again recently in a package that includes three extra tracks not found on this Chatham Square LP. From the Grove Dictionary:

“Gibson began his own early experimental work as an improviser and composer, performing in the New Music Ensemble, which also included composers Larry Austin, Richard Swift and Stanley Lunetta. Gibson’s compositions reveal an underlying Minimalist/Post Modern vocabulary which he helped pioneer, along with influences from jazz, which he has studied since his teens, notably with saxophonist John Handy in the early 60s; and the South Indian vocal music he studied simultaneously at the Ali Akbar Khan School. Other non-Western musical influences include Indian musicians Pandit Pran Nath, Bismallah Khan and Mahalingam.”

Chatham Square Stereo LP 24, 1977

Side One:

1. Cycles (1973), Recorded December, 1975 at Washington Square Church, New York (22′49)

Side Two:

1. Untitled (1974), Recorded December, 1975 at Big Apple Recording Studio, New York (18′15)

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VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA

Given the field, I think these guys do a nice job with the drone/improv/psych/whatever genre, and find themselves in fine form on this recording of a live performance from 2003 for WFMU radio in New Jersey. The lineup featured the usual Adam Davenport, Bridget Hayden, Julian Bradley and Michael Flower (Neil Campbell stayed home with a new baby), and included special guests John Godbert, Matthew Bower, and Tom Greenwood. Tribal harmonics meets electric atmosphere, with drone as platform for the freewheeling and earnest jams - the thing I appreciate most, though, is the members never stray too far from course, maintaining a cohesion that generally feels like a functional organic mass treading the sympathetic course on the good trip to peak-out mountain. Steve Rybicki writes:

“Vibracathedral Orchestra live is a totally different proposition than their “studio” recordings. Playing live gives them a chance to stretch out their improvisations and set the controls for the heart of the drone. Add to that the fact that they had acquired confidence after having just completed very successful gigs with American sympaticos Sunburned Hand of the Man and Double Leopards, the inspired contributions from their guests, and the soundboard quality you get from these two side-long recordings and what you’ve got is some pretty essential stuff.”

Eclipse Records, ECL 031, 2004

Side One:

1. Ridin’ Free (19′59)

Side Two:

1. Captain Labour (14′55)

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EKKEHARD EHLERS “BETRIEB”

Throughout this double LP are intersections between the cerebral and the poetic, and although rife with both, it’s sometimes hard to discern where the one begins and the other ends. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if you enjoy the fin de siécle minimalist sounds of Ekkehard Ehlers (et al.) in his various guises. “Betrieb” (operating) was Ehler’s first solo release under his own name from 1999 on Mille Plateaux, coming smack dab in the middle of the time when experimental post-digital deconstruction (call it what you will) was really taking hold, and lots of artists and computer music-types started making sounds similar to what you hear on this LP, utilizing among other things, the detritus (samples) from the library of 20th century music. That’s not a bad thing either, and while considering the genre through the austere impulses of this album ten years later, it’s an interesting listen both in its conceptual aspirations, and for the beauty it encompasses. The first two sides contain only song titles, with no source material references other than to Ives and Schoenberg (tucked away in the liner notes by Curd Duca), while the second two sides give credit to the artists covering titles from the first two sides, all more or less stalwarts within the genre (and thus, the détournement becomes the snake eating its tail sort of thing). If I recall, the latter ‘cover’ tracks could only be found on the LP version of the original release.

Mille Plateaux, MP 86, 1999

Side One:

1. Auf (0′49)
2. Innen (3′52)
3. Offen (4′33)
4. Langsam (3′16)
5. Weit (4′39)
6. Schneller (1′20)
7. Früher (6′09)

Side Two:

1. Rund (0′43)
2. Weiter (2′29)
3. Später (3′47)
4. Unten (6′29)
5. Tief (4′46)
6. Immer (1′15)
7. Zu (2′58)

Side Three:

1. Unten (Christian Fennesz) (3′56)
2. Tief (Akira Rabelais) (4′53)
3. Offen (Autopoieses) (5′54)

Side Four

1. Später (Full Swing) (7′22)
2. Weiter (Komet) (5′49)
3. Früher (Stewart Walker) (5′29)
4. Innen (Neina) (7′10)

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CHARLES IVES: THE SONATAS FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO

“My God! What has sound got to do with music!” Ive’s once wrote, and a fitting departure point from the above to deliver a couple more relevant Folkways titles… From the Liner notes by Samuel Charters:

“Although Ives’ theories of music were strongly personal his general aesthetic theories were greatly influenced by the transcendentalism of Emerson, Channing, and Bronson Alcott, which believed that the natural world was the expression of a larger universal reality. He is regarded as one of the first American composers to write music in an American idiom, but he would have been disturbed to find himself thought of as only “American” in his creative expression. He felt that the artist’s only truth was to be found within himself, that what he might express as himself takes on the coloration of a place or environment, but if he has been honest in his artistic search the artistic truth that he has found will be a truth beyond any national or local tradition. Ives was too aware of the difficulties of “scene painting” to pretend that he could describe “… the west wind in the pines and oaks, the running brook… the distant voices of the farmers across the hill getting in their cows and sheep,” but he did insist that an artist could capture some essence of the larger spirit that was at the heart of the experience that concerned him. In the collection of essays that he wrote to accompany the publication of his “Concord” Sonata in 1920, “Essays Before A Sonata,” Ives discussed some of his philosophic attitudes toward music and art. In a concluding Epilogue he raised the question of how much a piece of music could be “descriptive.”

‘The futility of attempting to trace the source or primal impulse of an art inspiration may be admitted without granting that human qualities or attributes which go with personality cannot be suggested, and that artistic intuitions which parallel them cannot be reflected in music… That which the composer intends to represent as “high vitality” sounds like something quite different to different listeners. That which I like to think suggests Thoreau’s submission to nature may, to another, seem something like Hawthorne’s conception of the relentlessness of an evil conscience - and to the rest of our friends, but a series of unpleasant sounds. How far can the composer be held accountable? Beyond a certain point the responsibility is more or less undeterminable. The outside characteristics - that is, the points furthest away from the margins - are obvious to mostly anyone. A child knows a strain of joy from one of sorrow. Those a little older know the dignified from the frivolous - the “Spring Song” from the season in which the “melancholy days have come” (though is there not a glorious hope in autumn!). But where is the definite expression of late spring against early summer - of happiness against optimism? A painter paints a sunset - can he paint a setting sun?’

He then went on to the Emersonian ideal of the duality of artistic expression, with its belief that a work of art is at once its substance, or content, or “soul,” and its manner, or style, or technique. Music, he felt, should be like Emerson’s essays, all substance, contain the essence of some moment of reality. The American composer Elliott Carter, in an essay entitled “Ives Today: His Vision and Challenge,” which appeared in Modern Music in the May-June issue, 1944, recognized this duality in Ives’ music:

‘On the surface of his work, the infinite complexity of nature, the rapidly changing moods of forest and plain, the web of counterbalancing forces appear confused and dissociated. But Ives’ involved texture, while mirroring this superficial confusion, at the same time attempts to show the larger harmony of rhythm behind the natural process.’”

Folkways Records, FM 3346, FM 3347, 1965

Side One, Sonata 1:

1. ANDANTE - Allegro Vivace (8′19)
2. LARGO CANTABILE (8′49)
3. ALLEGRO (9′01)

Side Two, Sonata 2:

1. AUTUMN - Adagio Maestoso - Allegro Moderato (5′30)
2. IN THE BARN - Presto - Allegro Moderato (4′13)
3. THE REVIVAL - Largo - Allegretto (4′47)

Side Three, Sonata 3:

1. ADAGIO, Verse 1 - Andante, Verse 2, allegretto, Verse 3 - Adagio, last verse (14′08)
2. ALLEGRO (4′19)
3. ADAGIO CANTABILE - Andante Con Spirito (10′34)

Side Four, Sonata 4:

1. ALLEGRO (2′25)
2. LARGO ALLEGRO (con slugaroko) (6′09)
3. ALLEGRO (1′51)

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In addition to Folkways there was Asch Records, from which this was a 1968 release of songs recorded in the field by Eric Davidson, Paul Newman, and Caleb Finch. About half a cappella and half instrumental - or vocal with accompaniment, these songs are pretty much just what you’d expect. Another sampling of a N. American regional legacy recognized by Asch and co. as moving rapidly toward extinction, this amazing document is well worth its weight. With origins in the British Isles, these songs are ancestral treats that were categorized for the record as “The Earliest Phase”, “The Early American Phase”, “The Guitar Phase”, and “The Late Tradition”. From the liner notes:

“It has been our purpose in presenting this anthology of songs and ballads from the Blue Ridge to represent and to characterize each of the stages through which the musical traditions of the mountains have passed, from the earliest times of which we have knowledge down to the present. There emerges a complex story of continuous, dynamic alteration in an old and private traditional form, one close to the hearts of its practitioners, as anyone who knows them soon becomes aware. If our study has been successful it may also serve as a guide to the recognition and dating of much Virginia and North Carolina mountain music from other areas.”

Side One:

1. “The Hanging of Georgie”, Paul Joines (1′34)
2. “Returning Sweetheart”, Sarah Hawkes (1′54)
3. “Barbry Allen”, Granny Porter and Wade Ward (2′43)
4. “The Young Men and Maids”, Paul Joines (2′19)
5. “The Green Willow Tree”, Paul Joines (4′21)
6. “Ho Lilly Ho”, Sarah Hawkes (2′15)
7. “Walkin’ in the Parlor”, Kilby Reeves (1′22)
8. “Little Sparrow”, Sarah Hawkes (1′50)
9. “County Jail”, Kilby Reeves (1′50)
10. “Warfare is A-Raging”, Aunt Polly Joines (1′22)
11. “Pig in a Pen”, Spud Gravely and Glen Smith (2′31)
12. “Roving Ranger”, Paul Joines (2′52)

Side Two:

1. “Pretty Polly”, Ivor Melton and Glen Neaves’ Band (2′09)
2. “George Allen”, Spud Gravely (1′16)
3. “Roving Gambler”, Hobart and Larry Delp with Joe Kyles 2:28
4. “Ten Thousand Miles”, Ruby Vass (3′22)
5. “1809″, Glen Neaves (3′12)
6. “Little Maggie”, Claudine Lambert (3′36)
7. “Death of the Lawson Family”, Glen Neaves (1′55)
8. “Lonesome Day”, Ruby Vass (2′13)
9. “Budded Roses”, Paul Joines and Cliff Evans (2′35)

Asch Records, ASCH AH 3831, 1968

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THE PIANO MUSIC OF HENRY COWELL

One of the first Folkways records I ever bought, and still one of my favorites, this absolutely stunning music sounds perennially fresh and inventive (as I imagine it always will). What makes this record unique isn’t simply Cowell’s whimsical explorations and ingenuity, but the fact that it’s Cowell himself playing unaccompanied piano (the only commercially available recording of Mr. Cowell performing his own music). A largely self-taught genius way way ahead of his time, Cowell started composing and experimenting with music in the early 1900’s. There is both a passionate beauty mixed with a measured dissonance and atonality in the music, and a couple of the tracks here are among the most beautiful compositions I have ever heard, in particular, “Trumpet of Angus Og.” Other pieces like “Aeolian Harp”, where Cowell plays the strings of the piano like a lyre, penetrate in beautiful and haunting ways. A playful and complex part of the Ultra-Modernist continuum that developed out of the pioneering works of Cowell and his avant-garde contemporaries in the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. Finally, if the music weren’t enough, the last track provides Cowell giving a brief description of each song in the order they appear, offering a tiny glimpse into an inimitable imagination. From the liner notes:

“Having taken the whole world of music, in both time and space, for his own inheritance, he has never seen greater virtue in any one style or period than in any other, except that he has often said that to make “personal expression” an artist’s chief aim, in the manner of the 19th century romantics, is inevitably crippling because it is limiting. Self-expression is something he feels may safely be left to take care of itself. “If a man has a personality for his own, I don’t see how he can keep it out of his music,” he once told an interviewer who expressed the usual alarm at the breadth of Cowell’s musical interests. “And if he hasn’t, how can he put it in?” the composer added mildly.

Folkways Records, FM 3349, 1963

Side One:

1. The Tides of Manaunaun (2′29)
2. Exultation (1′50)
3. Harp of Life (4′22)
4. Lilt of the Reel (2′02)
5. Advertisement (Third Encore to Dynamic Motion) (1′09)
6. Antimony (Fourth Encore to Dynamic Motion) (3′07)
7. Aeolian Harp and Sinister Resonance (3′43)
8. Anger Dance (1′54)
9. The Banshee (2′35)

Side Two:

1. Fabric (1′24)
2. What’s This (First Encore to Dynamic Motion) (0′59)
3. Amiable Conversation (Second Encore to Dynamic Motion) (0′53)
4. Fairy Answer (2′55)
5. Jig (2′11)
6. Snows of Fujiyama (2′20)
7. Voice of Lir (3′09)
8. Dynamic Motion (3′15)
9. The Trumpet of Angus Og (3′24)
10. Tiger (3′32)
11. Henry Cowell discusses the above works in the order in which they appear on the record (13′16)

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ROBBIE BASHO: ART OF THE ACOUSTIC STEEL STRING GUITAR 6 & 12

It’s not an exaggeration to say it’s virtually Impossible to find vinyl recordings of Robbie Basho (unless you want to pay a fortune), but if you look closely in the new age or folk sections of your local record store, you’ll most likely discover a copy of this Windham Hill/Lost Lake Arts recording from 1979 (for probably under $5), which for some reason seems to get overlooked. I don’t know if it’s because it’s not the coveted Takoma years, or if folks don’t realize it, but despite the Flamenco outfit on the cover and the synonymous new age music usually found on Windham Hill, this record is as good as any of the other Basho recordings I’ve heard. The recording is nice and clean, and the music is all strings o’ fire - even the track where he sings actually works. The song “Pavan India” is the gem in the bunch, and it’s an interesting reminder that the Stones riffed on the same raga variation on “Sing This All Together” from the great “Their Satanic Majesties Request”.

Windham Hill/Lost Lake Arts, LL-83, 1979

Side One:

1. The Grail And The Lotus (6′36)
2. Cathedrals Et Fleur De Lis (7′00)
3. Pasha II (6′33)
4. A Study For Steel String (2′59)
5. Ackerman Special (1′16)
6. Apres Midi American (1′56)

Side Two:

1. Variations On Grieg (5′02)
2. Scottish Rites (4′38)
3. Pavan India (7′11)
4. Variations On Ezumi (4′03)
5. Variations On Clair De Lune (3′36)

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A MUSICAL ANTHOLOGY OF THE ORIENT: INDIA IV

I rarely grow tired of great East Indian classical music, and this lovely sampling of the southern tradition helps keep it that way. Recorded by John Levy for Unesco, the  only fault with the record is that the first track on side one ends abruptly. It’s a bummer too because it’s an amazing slice of Carnatic singing, where vocalist Semmangudi Srinivasa Aiyar sings in Sanskrit “with his master in unison from time to time.” This produces a totally AMAZING effect, sounding as if two vocal tracks were mixed together in the studio from the same singer, when in fact, it’s twin voices that sound identical, drifting back and forth, side to side. Really gorgeous! The second track is a rollicking instrumental that’s toe tapping and dynamic, the third track is another gorgeous and full-bodied vocal-affair with instrumental accompaniment, the fourth track another shorter but equally lovely instrumental, and the last track, a ‘tuning-up’ of the vina that lasts about a minute. Weird.

Baren Reiter Musicaphon, Unesco Collection, BM 30 L 2021

Side One:

1. Dakshinamurte, a kriti by Muttuswami Dikshitar, Shankarabharana raga, Jhampa tala (sung in Sanskrit) (12′29)
2. Pancharagam, an improvisation on five ghanaragas: Nata, Gaula, Arabhi, Varali and Shri Ragam (12′53)

Side Two:

1. Navarasa, a ragamalika (garland of ragas), sung in Sanskrit (18′06)
2. Ehi Annapurne, a kriti, by Muttuswami Dikshitar. Punnagavarali raga, Adi tala. (5′27)
3. Tuning of the vina (0′51)

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CHANTS MONGOLS ET BOURIATES: COLLECTION MUSEE DE L’ HOMME

This is another cross-sampling of regional music, specifically recorded in “Mongolia and Buriatia in 1967, 1968, and 1970 in the course of field work organized in the frame work of the Protocole d’Echanges Culturels between France and Mongolia, and as part of an exchange program with the Academy of Sciences in the USSR.” Some really amazing a capella and instrumental stuff here; throat singing, voices that sound like string instruments, birds, and other undefinable sounds. Some of the most unique vocalization music I’ve heard in fact, replete with crowd sounds and other incidental atmosphere. If you like voice, and hanker for that sweet Central Asian sound, then this is the one for you. Among other things, dig track two on side two that’s an imitation of a flute as played through the performers nose… Fuck! From the liner notes:

“The player flutes with his nose. Some air really does pass through the nose. The player’s lips are slightly parted but do not move: only the corners of the mouth tremble sightly and the cheeks are tensed. This tension brings him out in a sweat. The melody comes from the movements of the tongue. Anyone who possesses this technique is able to reproduce any melody”

“In Mongolian tradition, neither music nor singing can strictly-speaking be described as specialist activities. In the past, everyone was expected to be capable of singing and playing the fiddle at festivals when called upon by the master of ceremonies. If a young man could not do so or put up a bad performance, he was covered in ridicule, was subject to general reproof, and sometimes even to corporal punishment (he was beaten across the cheeks with a sheep’s rib), for there could be neither festival, nor ritual, nor ceremony without at least a song.”

Vogue Records, VG 403 530138, 1973

Side One:

MONGOL SONGS

1. Nostalgic Love Song (2′33)
2. Song To The Glory Of A Horse (2′05)
3. Eulogy Of The Gobi And The Camel (1′41)
4. Long Song: A Hunting Accident (3′00)
5. Short Song: The Four Seasons (1′47)
6. Hymn In Praise Of A Horse (1′35)
7. Long Song Of Filial Love (2′34)

Side Two:

MONGOL SONGS CONTINUED

1. Air Played On The Flute (1′41)
2. Imitation Of The Flute (with the nose) (1′57)
3. Jew’s Harp Voice (1′45)
4. Archery Song (2′10)

BURIAT SONGS

5. Archery Song (1′07)
6. Hunting Song (2′31)
7. Song Sung In Honor Of Parents (1′26)
8. Lamentation On The Lot Of Womankind (1′09)
9. The Daughter-In-Laws Lament (1′02)
10. Ring Dance Song (2′53)

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JOSEPH JARMAN “SUNBOUND, VOLUME 1″

Passion and purpose probably understate the project that was the Art Ensemble of Chicago, while Joseph Jarman’s contributions to both that project and creative music on the whole can’t be overstated. This is an amazing solo performance that feels almost visual at times, immense beauty, range, and complexity of emotion make for a full and colorful plate… best to let an excerpt from Joffre Stewart’s liner notes expand:

“The Art Ensemble of Chicago, minus 4, equates, in this case, to 1 Joseph Jarman in concert (solo) in The New Theatre, University of Chicago, exactly 7 years to the day that federal, state, and local taxes came together in an integrated police plan that pumped dope, lead, and murder into the sleeping bodies of Fred Hampton an Mark Clark, in that time honored political tradition that became all the rage in ameriKKKa since the CIA coupe d’etat at Dallas, Texas, Nov. 22, 1963.

Musicianship is a performing art. A recording is more like a performance than is a set of music (which cannot hope to adequately capture music in the jazz tradition) but the plastic is nevertheless not the same as catching Joseph Jarman live. The element of dance is as much a part of Lefty Dizz’ playing as the sound of his onehandstrumming. Thelonius Monk does a bouncy little dance around the piano & stage. “High Criticism” is blind to this element of dance, which, in Jarman productions, is more sophisticated - and technology has yet to catch up with these acts of creation in their entirety (and what we have here is 48 min. from an hour and a half performance. Applause deleted).

Philosophically, Jarman’s aesthetic is agreeable with the freedom-seeking anti-Statism that an-archists define for themselves as an-archism: that is, social arrangements without coercion: NO COPS NO COURTS NO JAILS NO TAXES. He has indicated a preference for one of my versifications where I define FREEDOM as a balance between discipline and spontaneity, using jazz as a case in point. (”Classical” music lacks the freedom represented by spontaneity. It is over-disciplined.) FREEDOM NOW from politics-racism-patriotism-sexism won’t undo the murders of 4 Dec 1969, but undoing the State prevents future ones. Non a les coups d’Etat: a bas l’Etat!”

There are no logical breaks on the record, so it is duplicated as two full sides:

AECO Records, AECO - 002, 1978

Side One (27′19):

I. Sunbound
A. Calling Together
B. Unity of Energy
C. Moving Together to the Great Light

II. Movement for Piano Players on a Break at 1:30 A.M. Saturday Night in a Big City

Side Two (27′47):

I. Spirit of Eric

II. Universal Mind Force
A. Discovery
B. Confrontation
C. Union

III. Spirit of Trane

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ROEDELIUS SELBSTPORTRAIT

Another gorgeous slab from our friend Roedelius, this record is a suitable companion for stepping onto the spicy ferment of the autumnal, reveling in chilled solitude as you contemplate frost on the underside of a turning leaf. The cover art is terrific too, providing an essential 1970’s minimal German aesthetic for the music it houses. Although this is the third in the lineage of solo outings for Roedelius, these songs were actually composed in the early to mid 70’s during the Cluster years, making it a container for some of his first solo work, while also providing a direct link to the cross-pollination. Far and away my favorite of the ’self-portrait’ records, it feels the most cohesive and fully realized to me. Maintaining his usual graceful, yet child-like simplicity, there is always a deference to harmony and repetition, allowing the record to live up to the expectations that come with being a part of the giant force that was/is 1970’s German electronic music. Eno once wrote “Roedelius’ music… has a quiet intensity and conviction that burns stronger on repeated listenings.” So true!

Best. - Nr. Sky 028, 1979

Side One:

In Liebe Dein (3′45)
Inselmoos (5′42)
Girlande (3′51)
Fabelwein (5′11)
Prinzregent (5′49)

Side Two:

Kamee (3′46)
Herold (4′02)
Halmharfe (3′26)
Arcona (5′06)
Staunen Im Fjord (3′37)
Minne (2′14)

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Born in 1891, Chet Parker had a few years to hone his craft before Patrick Murphy recorded him for this 1966 Folkways release. Although a quiet LP (low levels), the beloved field recording glazes the tunes with a wonderful living room patina, and you can almost feel the late autumn Michigan sun on the cat curled up on the rocking chair by the window. Like ghosts echoing a past we’ll hardly know, these ditties are enchanted by the mesmerizing sounds of the hammer dulcimer played in a natural and easy way. Mostly traditional old-time mountain tunes, things get interesting on the “B” side when Chet starts singing, the only disappointment being there isn’t more of it. From the liner notes:

“In 1900 a friend introduced him to the dulcimer and let him borrow one. It was “as big as a door and was so loud you couldn’t even hear the piano playing chords. Had to open the doors and windows in a house to keep from being driven out by the noise.” In 1904 Chet made his own dulcimer which he still plays.”

*The LP tracks are identified as ‘bands’, sometimes with songs, medleys and quadrills together within each band. Thus, occasionally you’ll hear breaks within the bands, which are identified by the semicolons below.

Folkways Records FA 2381, 1966

Side One:

Band 1: Devil’s Dream; Medly #1 (2′55)
Band 2: Pick Me Up On Your Way Down; Put Your Arms Around Me; Spanish Two Step; Flickstien (4′36)
Band 3: Medley #2; Medley #3 (4′03)
Band 4: Medley #4; Soldier’s Joy; #2 of First Place Quadrills by Cuberdan (4′04)
Band 5: Medley #5; Medley #6 (4′25)
Band 6: The Bald Headed End of the Broom; Medley #7 (3′49)

Side Two:

Band 1: Medley #8 (3′05)
Band 2: Medley #9 (3′30)
Band 3: Fishers’ Hornpipe; Medley #10 (2′56)
Band 4: Medley #11 (2′59)
Band 5: Medley #12 (2′31)
Band 6: Medley #13 (2′34)
Band 7: First, Second and Fourth Set Quadrills from “My Best Girl” (3′27)

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LOREN MAZZACANE CONNORS & CHRISTINA CARTER “MEDITATIONS ON THE ASCENSION OF BLIND JOE DEATH, VOL. 1″

This sinewy and beautifully haunting record is executed with a delicacy and subtle abstraction that befits both the performers and its itinerant titular reference. An almost perfect marriage between the delicate hidden lace intricacy of Carter’s piano musings, as they mystically commingle with Conner’s emotionally gifted guitar work. A passion play for our mythological American Primitive hero, these meditations aren’t so much a reference to the illusory ’smoke’ and ‘mirrors’ of some terrestrial proxy, but rather, an upward wafting incense offering to the risen Joe, and a mirror reflection of the legacy for those who came to worship. This was a brutally limited release on ECSTATIC YOD, and foreshadowed what one could only hope would be a series of similarly devotional odes on the alter of the alter ego.

ECSTATIC YOD, E#101d/FYPL-41

Side One:

1. Smoke pt. 1 (3′09)
2. Smoke pt. 2 (1′47)
3. Smoke pt. 3 (0′55)
4. Smoke pt. 4 (1′27)
5. Smoke pt. 5 (3′56)
6. Smoke pt. 6 (1′16)
7. Smoke pt. 7 (4′07)

Side Two:

1. Mirrors pt. 1 (5′31)
2. Mirrors pt. 2 (1′58)
3. Mirrors pt. 3 (1′38)
4. Mirrors pt. 4 (1′54)
5. Mirrors pt. 5 (2′26)

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THE DOYEN OF CARNATIC MUSIC: DR. SEMMANGUDI SRINIVASA IYER VOCAL, ACCOMPANIED BY DR. L. SUBRAMANIAM - VIOLIN, GURUVAYOOR DORAI - MRIDANGAM, V.R. KRISHNAN - VOCAL SUPPORT

If you get weak in the knees when you hear brilliant expressions of Carnatic singing accompanied by genius E. Indian violin playing, then you should have no problem spending some time with these four densely seasoned LP sides. Combining the undeniable genius violin playing of Dr. L. Subramaniam with the ecstatic and rarely recorded singing of Dr. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, what results is a lofty treat that should have you seeing the blue light in short order. Considered one of the greatest Carnatic singers of the 20th century, Iyer was discouraged from singing as a child because he had a nasal-sounding voice. He nevertheless persisted, and became a legend in his time. Seems a common thread among virtuoso E. Indian musical giants… This record is complex, long, yet very listenable, and although not surprising musically, it is extraordinary in that it’s not only a recording of Iyer, but one in collaboration with Subramaniam.

Oriental Records, BGRP 1015 1016, 1979

Side One:

1. Kshinamai Tiruga, Raga Mukhari (6′32)
2. Birana Brovayithe, Raga Kalyani (12′51)

Side Two:

1. Vinarada Na Manavi, Raga Devagandhari (4′37)
2. Dwaitamu Sukhama, Raga Ritigaula (16′04)

Side Three:

1. Deva Deva, Raga Mayamalavagaula (11′10)
2. Padavi Ni, Raga Salaga Bhairavi (12′29)

Side Four:

1. Srinivasa, Raga Hamsanandi (6′01)
2. Kanakamaya (Manipravala), Raga Huseni (5′20)
3. Parulanna Matta (Javali), Raga Kapi (5′55)

[.zip_pt.1]  [.zip_pt.2]

TIBETAN FOLK SONGS FROM LHASA AND AMDO

Super amazing Lyrichord release of field recordings made in and around Tibetan refugee settlements in northern Himachel Pradesh, during the autumn of 1973. The recordings feature voice as well as an an array of traditional instruments that includes the damyin, a long-necked fretless lute; the yangchin, a zither/dulcimer affair; the peewan, a two stringed fiddle; and the lingbu, or flute. This bounding, light-hearted and stirring music has a universal familiarity, and here, as is often the case, I am amazed at how folk music from worlds apart can have so much in common; the yangchin might as well be a hammer dulcimer, or Persian santur, while the damyin could pass for a banjo or some similar stringed instrument from the African continent. The short a cappella song cycles are nice too, fleshing out what should appeal to one and all.

Lyrichord Stereo, LLST 7286, 1974

Side One:

Music From Lhasa

1. Tung Tung Dhon (Cranes flight) - damyin solo (2′00)
2. Gyagar Shar - lingbu solo (3′18)
3. Namden Tong - damyin and voice (3′34)
4. Yangchin solo (2′25)
5. Ameleho - damyin and voice (2′53)
6. Gor Shey - duet for two girls (1′30)
7. Gar Kershar - damyin solo (3′16)

Music From Central Tibet

8. Dakto Karpo (White Mountain) - yangchin solo (1′56)
9. Khamsun Wangdu - damyin and voice (1′45)

Side Two:

Music From Amdo

1. Rinchen Chabum - yangchin and lingbu (2′45)
2. Desomro - peewan, yanchin, lingbu, damyin, and 2 voices (1′14)
3. Motsache - 2 voices (’48)
4. Getanspa - 2 voices (’57)
5. Gyallu - solo voice (1′53)

Music From Kham

6. Gyata Ma Shone (Don’t ride Chinese horses) - lingbu solo (1′50)
7. Kilalunpa (Happy Country) - damyin and voice (3′27)
8. Patriotic song (’38)
9. Nadnpa - solo voice (’36)
10. Tyamlu - solo voice (1′03)

Music From Western Tibet

11. Ngalam Thongla - Damyin and voice (4′22)

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BALI ETERNEL

Typically louder, faster, and more aggressive than the music of it’s regional counterparts, this is jam packed yet refreshingly light stuff, an unfurling of the creative profusioin that is Balinese culture. Balinesse music and art, like the culture, is a continuum where creative expression is found in all facets of every day life - It’s hard to imagine an entire population whose artistic energies aren’t directly tied to commodity and personal gain. Those familiar with Indonesian and Javanese gamalon music will find similarities here, but these tracks feature short-form variations on the regional style, all with familiar yet unique threads. Unfortunately (for me), the liner notes are in French, so I don’t know much about the production, other than it’s is a really beautiful LP well worth your bandwidth.

Arion 33544, 1980

Side One:

1. Le Legong (5′50)
2. Baris (3′30)
3. Oleg Tambulilingan (4′00)
4. Raja Pala (2′00)
5. Tari Tenun (1′55)
6. Panji Semirang (5′00)

Side Two:

1. Le Ramayana (9′49)
2. Prelude (3′30)
3. Pendet (6′00)
4. Kriss Transe A Kuta (4′30)

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FLOATING PETALS… WILD GEESE… THE MOON ON HIGH: MUSIC OF THE CHINESE PIPA, LUI PUI-YUEN, PIPA

The pipa is a four-stringed fretted lute, introduced to China sometime in the 6th century from the Middle East. Lui Pui-Yuen, gifted prodigy, virtuoso, etc., etc., gets some MASSIVE traction here, playing traditional arrangements with a commanding brilliance - blazing performances that nearly melt the cartridge right off the turntable each time. There are contemporary nods nestled here and there, but the performances are so spellbinding your instantly lost, relinquishing all concern for context, stunned by pure music. The recordings were done by David Lewiston in 1979, and this record is directly mid-point for the great field recording project that was the Nonesuch Explorer series from 1976 - 1984.

Nonesuch Records H-72085-B, 1980

Side One:

1. Shi Mian Mai Fu (Ambuscade From Ten Sides) (6′35)
2. Fei Hua Dian Cui (Floating Petals Decorating The Green Leaves) (3′56)
3. Ping Sha Luo Yan (Wild Geese Descend On The Smooth Sand) (4′24)
4. Gao Shan Liu Shui (High Mountain, Flowing Streams) (3′01)

Side Two:

1. Yang Chun Bai Xue (Snow On A Sunny Day) (3′24)
2. Yue Er Gao (The Moon On High) (8′48)
3. Yizu Wu Qu (Dance Of The Yi Tribe) (6′24)

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Having nothing prepared last month for the sad departure of Ali Akbar Khan from the physical plane (April 14, 1922 - June 18, 2009), I’m posting a fitting rag that is “traditionally performed at sunset, assigned to the rainy season as well as the months of November and December, and maintains a mood of majesty combined with prayerful meditation.” Because of his virtuosity, commitment to educating people, and his relocation to North America in the mid 50’s, his widespread appeal helped proliferate Eastern Indian classical music styles here, encouraging the hybrid East/West sound that infuses so much of 60’s and 70’s (and beyond) rock, jazz and folk music. Undeniably gifted, generous and prolific, Khan was performer, composer, educator, and a seemingly larger than life person utterly committed to the importance of music in people’s lives. Among his accomplishments and myriad other awards, he was recipient of both the MacArthur Genius Grant and the National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship. RIP.

Connoisseur Society, CS-2015 Stereo, 1969

Side One

1. Shree Rag, Alap in Two Parts and Gat (beginning) (20′17)

Side Two

1. Gat (conclusion) (19′34)

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PAKISTAN: NUSRAT FATEH ALI KHAN, EN CONCERT A PARIS - 4

Here’s a delightful record that should have you lock-stepped grooving in short order. Steeped in about 700 years of tradition, the qawwals of Pakistan are vibrant and powerful musical revels that offer audiences an opportunity to spiritually transcend through music, poetry, and dancing. Typically orbiting around ancient mystical love chants of Sufi poets, these performances are rendered by a “group of qawwali musicians, called a party, typically consisting of eight or nine men including a lead singer, one or two side singers, one or two harmoniums (which may be played by the lead singer, side singer or someone else), and percussion.” The greatest lead singer of all time was arguably Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who appeared in ecstatic form for this 1988 Ocora release. As his impassioned trills of unfulfilled, unvanquished, and true love whirl about the ears, they inevitably rush inward, delighting the body and elevating the soul. From the liner notes:

“One has to imagine that the tension and total commitment of ten or so men pouring out waves of poetry and music onto a meditative gathering which is on the point of surrendering into nothingness and opening up to an awareness of spiritual joy. As the qawwali performance unfolds, the faithful show their elation by dancing, giving way to spontaneous gestures and, as an expression of this pleasure, by putting money at the feet of the solo singer, the extraordinary, unique Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.” - Philippe Bourdin.

Ocora, HM 52 558685, 1988

Side One:

1. Mesiye (13′08)
2. Ghazal 1 (14′23)

Side Two:

1. Ghazal 2 (13′00)
2. Ghazal 3 (13′05)

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GEORGE CROMARTY “WIND IN THE HEATHER: COMPOSITIONS FOR GUITAR”

Another wonderful guitar album, this one by the late George Cromarty who recorded only a few albums, some of which are being reissued (including this) by his wife Kathryn Barile, to whom he left the rights to all his music. One track from his debut solo album “Grassroots Guitar” appears on Numero Groups “Wayfaring Strangers: Guitar Soli” that features less recognized American Primitives contemporaneous with Basho, Fahey, et. al. As far as I know, that track is the only re-issue available at present. The tracks here are from Cromarty’s last recording for George Winston’s Dancing Cat label in 1983, and are some really graceful ruminations, all original compositions. Crafting a refined approach that adhered to it’s origins, Cromarty nevertheless forged ahead with a mellower progressive style. But be not deceived, repeated listens to these songs, bronzed as they are in sweet northern California sun, reveal a foreshadowing and beautifully elusive melancholy, befitting a man who would eventually take his own life in 1992. If you love solo guitar, you’ll have no problem letting these tracks float you down stream again and again, one toe dangling in the current on your way back to the source.

Dancing Cat Records, DC-3001-B, 1984

Side One:

1. The Mouse And The Elephant (4′33)
2. Mother With Child (3′08)
3. Wind In The Heather (4′58)
4. The Evergreen (2′25)
5. Bittersweet (4′44)
6. Satie (2′47)

Side Two:

1. Laurindo (4′25)
2. Angelique (3′18)
3. Fanfare #1 (2′04)
4. Fanfare #2 (2′20)
5. The Linden Tree (2′51)
6. De Palma, De Paloma (3′14)
7. Highland Ballad (2′45)

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BERT JANSCH “JACK ORION” WITH JOHN RENBOURN, 2ND GUITAR

Originally issued in 1966, this 1970 Vanguard re-issue included the extra “900 miles” track from the “It Don’t Bother Me” album, and gave John Renbourn the cover billing that the original release didn’t. Since the Vanguard version is oop, I figured I might as well post it. In spite of some of the critic abuse these guys have received, it’s hard not to dig Jansch’s salt and pepper voice, and the plucky imperfect style the two dabble in as they re-animate the folk traditions of their home continent. Relatively early on for both guitarists, the playing is sometimes messy and jammy, but genuinely earnest and soulful, and probably more accurate considering that the balladeers who performed these ditties over the centuries were most likely untrained local musicians experimenting freely with form and style.

Vanguard Recording Society, VSD • 6544, 1971

Side One:

1. “The Waggoner’s Lad” (traditional) (3′32)
2. “Blackwaterside” (traditional)  (3′49)
3. “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (MacColl) (1′45)
4. “900 Miles” (Jansch) (3′08)
5. “The Gardener” (traditional) (1′40)
6. “Pretty Polly” (traditional) (4′07)

Side Two:

2. “Nottamun Town” (traditional) (4′30)
3. “Henry Martin” (traditional) (3′17)
4. “Jack Orion” (traditional) (9′50)

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OREGON “DISTANT HILLS”

Somewhere in the early seventies there existed a potentially magical place where creative multi-instrumentalist white-guys composed music that wasn’t quite jazz, world, rock, folk, traditional, psychadelic or new age, yet seemed to combine all those genres simultaneously. It’s pretty hard to peg just what this stuff is - sometimes like a film soundtrack, other times like free jazz meets your high school music instructor, or Mahavishnu Orchestra unplugged, or prototype Spyro Gyra with a soul, or even a little like if Pat Metheny threw in some Eastern vibes for flavor… Definitely accomplished, the music maintains a rewarding acoustic sensibility that saves it from being too over done. All the tracks are instrumentals that feature Paul McCandless on oboe and english horn; Glen Moore on violin, flute, electric bass bowed bass and piano; Ralph Towner on twelve-string guitar, piano, trumpet and mellophone, and Collin Walcott on tabla, sitar, clarinet, piano, mirimba, congas, tamboura and drums. You’ll probably enjoy this, but if you don’t, I won’t hold it against you.

Vanguard Recording Society, VSD • 79341, 1973

Side One:

1. Aurora (7′42)
2. Dark Spirit (5′50)
3. Mi Chinita Suite - free improvisation (7′00)

Side Two:

1. Distant Hills (6′31)
2. Canyon Song (4′56)
3. Song for a Friend (5′19)
4. Confession - free improvisation (6′24)

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JEAN RITCHIE AND DOC WATSON AT FOLK CITY

Combine a murder ballad pure mountain folk sensibility with flawless guitar and banjo virtuosity, and you get this wicked combination of heart and style. For me, the best aspects of this record are the dynamic accompaniment that supports one of my all-time favorite female folk singers. That said, these two titans sharing a stage is sort of like that thing that happens when your on a subway train and another subway train is on a separate track going a different place in the same direction, and there’s that one fleeting moment when they seem to be moving together, a slight drift forward or back, offering a brief yet close encounter with the faces on the other side… well something like that anyway. I love Jean Ritchies playing and singing, and especially the types of songs she seems drawn to. Doc is as tight as they get, and with the addition of Roger Sprung, this record offers up a one-of-a-kind performance that’s as lively as it is pleasurable — two giants of a nearly bygone era caught live for a night of collaborative old-time goodness.

Folkways Records and Service Corp, FA 2426, 1963

Side One:

1. Storms Are On The Ocean (Sung by Jean Ritchie with Doc Watson, guitar) (3′34)
2. Go Dig My Grave (Sung by Jean Ritchie, banjo acc. by Doc Watson) (3′48)
3. Spike Driver Blues (Sung by Doc Watson with guitar) (2′38)
4. Soldiers Joy (Guitar and harmonica played by Doc Watson) (1′22)
5. Don’t Mind The Weather (Sung by Jean Ritchie with dulcimer, fiddle acc. by Roger Sprung) (2′18)
6. Hiram Hubbard (Sung by Jean Ritchie with banjo acc. by Doc Watson) (3′45)
7. Sugar On The Floor (Sung by Jean Ritchie with Doc Watson, Roger Sprung, and the Folk City audience, Doc Watson, guitar; Roger Sprung, banjo) (2′44)

Side Two:

1. Where Are You Goin’? (Sung by Jean Ritchie, and Doc Watson with guitar) (1′42)
2. Pretty Polly (Sung by Jean Ritchie with dulcimer) (2′24)
3. Willie Moore (Sung by Doc Watson, with banjo) (3′23)
4. What’ll I Do With The Baby-o? (Sung by Jean Ritchie with dulcimer, Fiddle acc. by Roger Sprung) (2′09)
5. Cripple Creek (Doc Watson, guitar; Roger Sprung, banjo) (1′35)
6. Wabash Cannonball (Sung by Doc Watson, with guitar and harmonica) (3′15)
7. The House Carpenter (Sung by Jean Ritchie, banjo acc. by Doc Watson) (4′24)
8. Amazing Grace (Sung by Jean Ritchie, Doc Watson, Roger Sprung and the Folk City audience) (3′50)

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The scene at the end of Robert Frank’s “Cocksucker Blues,” when Jagger et al. dance around like lustful savages on their private jet with tambourines and congas about to pounce some sacrificial groupies is mercifully cut before we witness the blood letting. However, this 1959 FAX record (albeit in far less predatory way) might well serve as the audio counterpart to that deleted scene. Complete with tribal back beats, guttural breathing, grunting, pulsating movements, rhythmic bed squeaks, and blissed-out orgasmic moaning, it’s hard to say if this thing was designed as mail-order masturbation fodder, or if it was actually a serious experimental sound-art project. Either way, it’s a surprisingly listenable (if not novel) collage that pretty much fits both bills. Only the microphones and tape recorder are credited here, but I discovered the drumming and chanting (superimposed with sounds of a couple heartily grinding), are from a guy named Chaino, specifically his record entitled “Jungle Echoes” which featured:

“Chaino playing bongos, congas, steel drums, and other percussion instruments, adding primal grunts, howls, growls, and cries, with almost no other back-up. One typical cut, “Jungle Chase,” has Chaino’s incessant drumming, accompanied by the moans and groans of a man and a woman–supposedly sounding like a couple being chased by a wild animal, but better described, in Jack Diamond’s words, as “the best sex you never had.”

Additionally odd is that the record was found unsuitable for shipment by the USPS in 1960 for containing “explicit material”:

The material here under consideration deals with sex in a manner appealing to the prurient interest of the listener and certainly a thing is obscene if considered as a whole its predominant appeal is to prurient interest. Here we have a record bound to stir up a shameful and morbid interest in sex that goes substantially beyond the customary limits of candor in description or representation of such matters. See Roth v. U.S., 354 U.S. 476 and the definition of obscenity advanced by the American Law Institute Model Penal Code, Section 207.10(2) cited therein.

I therefore find:

1. that the record “Erotica, The Rhythms of Love” is obscene per se and;

2. that the advertisements of this record give information as to where, how and from whom obscene articles may be obtained. I further find that holdings of the Hearing Examiner as to the proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law submitted by the parties hereto are correct and they are affirmed. The Respondent is conducting a business in violation of Section 259(a), Title 39 U.S.C. and order for the suppression thereof shall issue forthwith.

05/17/60

Kelly, Raymond J.

A curiosity for most, the adventurous listener may find it interesting on multiple levels — and you masturbatory kids don’t have to worry, no shipping required!

Side One:

Track 1 (14′32)

Side Two:

Track 2 (13′47)

FAX Records, FAXLP1001, 1959, Hollywood, CA

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RABAB: EGYPTIAN SINGING AND EPIC SONGS

Traditional Egyptian singing is bursting with vitality and emotional depth, always tinged with a longing and sadness that comes from “a very often impossible love. The inflamed passion of man in a regulated, austere tribal context, drives him to a madness widely described in great traditional poems.” This, combined with the epic storytelling tradition prolific in Egyptian and Bedouin culture, informs much of the tenor of these songs, underlying the repeated pleas and laments that pour forth. The atonal drift and heptatonic scale are often unappealing to Western ears, but upon repeated listens with an open mind, one begins to fully realize the devotional passion and poetic (as well as erotic) beauty to be harvested from these songs. Recorded in the field and annotated by Alain Weber. From the liner notes:

The Egyptian “rababa” made of a coconut shell covered with a fish skin and mounted on a long tubular handle, is mainly used to back up local singers and epic poets. It has not undergone any changes since Gustave Flaubert came through the little town of Esna in 18 ?, although from his notes of that time he appears not to have been appreciative of its sound — “The musicians arrived”, he wrote “a child and an old man, the left eye covered with a rag, they both scrape on the ‘rabfabeh’, nothing is more out of tune or unpleasant. The musicians never stop playing, you have to shout to have them stop” — In Egypt today there are still numerous professional ‘rabab’ orchestras, which originates from diverse villages and travel widely to perform at festivals. The orchestra is always conducted by a ‘rais’ (soloist or leader) who is also the group’s lead singer.

Side One:

1. Ya hamam (O Pigeon) (5′53)
2. Ya Habibi, ya asal,… (O honey hasting love) (6′00)
3. Ya Abu Lassa wa Taquiya (O you with the turban and the taquiya) (5′30)
4. “Maoual” and singing (7′00)

Side Two:

1. Abu Zeid El Hilali (My first word is to thank God) (17′36)
2. Hamdi Matkal Kenawi (intrumental to accompany the stick dance) (4′39)

Folkways Records FW 8452, 1982

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THE 37TH OLD-TIME FIDDLERS CONVENTION AT UNION GROVE, NORTH CAROLINA

For whatever reason I’ve never been into the music contest concept — even the battle of the bands in high school, despite it’s overwhelming popularity, bummed me out. Given that this 1961 fiddler’s convention offered “First Place $15, Second $10 and Third $5,” I can’t help but think that competition wasn’t the primary concern for the hundreds of people who showed up to perform (all funds raised went to support the Union Grove middle school). Most likely it was the broader sense of community that brought both musicians and audience together (for this 12-hour event!), much as old-time and traditional folk music always has. The solicitation notice for the convention stated that:

“Judges will pick first, second, and third best fiddle and banjo players performing. Leaders of bands are requested to feature fiddle and banjo players as the performers. Time will not permit single contests except in rare cases decided by the management. Ribbons will be awarded best individual performances. Some of the points judges will be looking for in making their selections are: PROPER TUNING OF INSTRUMENTS, TIMING, QUICK STARTS AND STOPS, BAND BALANCE — PROPER DISTRIBUTION OF INSTRUMENTS, and NEATNESS AND APPEARANCE OF INDIVIDUALS. Clowning, unnecessary comments, jokes, and introduction of other members in the band are discouraged in the interest of time.” - H.P. Van Hoy, Manager.

Regardless of my music contest aversion, I would have neatly set it aside to witness this communal feast… This is pure stuff that puts the sun in the belly, gleeful sounds that float your feet just off the ground. If, as just one example, the undeniably virtuoso rendition of “Lost John” by Red Parham and the Haywood County Ramblers doesn’t turn your dancing shoes to rags, then we simply can’t help you. Although tempted to elaborate here, for safety’s sake I’ll let the liner notes by Mike Seeger check my enthusiasm:

“The music on this record was edited from about six hours of music recorded at the 1961 Convention. Selection was made on a basis of many elements, including: documentary interest to people concerned with folk music; variety of music on this record; quality of performance; balance of instruments around microphone. A number of excellent bands and musicians do not appear on this record due to one flaw or another in the recording. None of the musicians came to the Convention knowing that it was to be recorded. Side 1 includes earlier sounding country bands; Side 2 the more modern. Miscellaneous comments and introductions have been included where possible to illustrate the informal nature of the Convention. All bands have kindly given permission for their music to appear on this record and all proceeds will go to the Union Grove School. Cover photo is of Uncle Charlie Higgins (84 years old!), taken as he performed in the gymnasium during the evening competition.”

Side One:

1. Some introductory Remarks by H.P. Van Hoy (’31)
2. Blackberry Blossom - Uncle Charlie Higgins (1′38)
3. Instrumental - The Old Timers (1′09)
4. Old Richmond - A.L. Hall Band (2′27)
5. River Stay Away From My Door - Charlie Knight & His Country Music Boys (1′47)
6. Lost John - Red Parham and the Haywood County Ramblers (1′26)
7. Hitchhiker’s Blues - Brush Mountain Boys (2′56)
8. Whoa Mule - Yadkin County Ramblers (1′39)
9. May I sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister? - Grandma Davis From Roaring River (1′32)
10. I Shall Not Be Moved - Laurel River Band (2′17)
11. Sally Ann - The Old Timers (2′05)
12. Dance All Night - Kenneth Edwards and the Sunny Mountain Boys (2′05)

Side Two:

1. Twinkle Little Star - Mountain Ramblers (1′23)
2. Ruben - Blue Grass Mountain Boys (2′27)
3. Billy in the Lowground - Lonesome Strangers (1′03)
4. Whiskey Took My Daddy Away - Louise Edmonds (1′43)
5. Teardrops in my Eyes - Friendly City Playboys (2′29)
6. Grey Eagle - Delmer Starling and Esker Hutchins, Surry County Ramblers (1′37)
7. Fire on the Mountain - Dixie Ramblers (1′26)
8. Back Up and Push - Friendly City Playboys (1′52)
9. Sally Ann - Mountain Ramblers (1′58)
10. Some Closing Remarks by H.P. Van Hoy (’59)

Folkways Records album No. FA 2434, 1961

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RICHARD YOUNGS AND SIMON WICKHAM-SMITH, “KNISH”

This three-track workhorse is totally raw and down to earth in all the ways you might expect, combining refreshingly lighthearted yet earnest performances. Featuring Youngs on electric guitar and Wickham-Smith on the baby grand, the record finds the two meshed as they creep in and around some really diaphanous sweet spots. If the intimacy here doesn’t do it for you, then the lack of formality must surely reinforce the necessity for simplicity and unfettered musical expression. Those familiar with Young’s collaborative efforts will find this, among other things, another tantric exercise in repetition and improvisational rapture, interspersed with curious exploration and a tireless deference to the sacred note. This is totally organic one-take stuff recorded live one June 7th, 1995 at WKCR in New York, and released for the Ignivomous label. The cover includes a scotch-taped square with the album name printed on it, while the back has three such squares, one with a picture of the two in a photo booth in Scotland. Nosh the magics.

Side One:

1. Quagmire (17′25)

Side Two:

1. The Librarian and the Monk (12′55)
2. Isabel Wears Pink (9′29)

Ignivomous, 1995

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BOLA SETE, “OCEAN: SOLO GUITAR VOL. 1″

Produced by John Fahey and released on Takoma in 1975, this isn’t the speed decked neo-Fahey stuff that’s currently en vogue, but a uniquely soulful and lyrically impassioned set of tunes that marvel in both execution and style. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest solo guitar records of all time. Blending avant-Americana, classical, jazz, and the Portuguese/African influenced Brazilian sounds, this mastery transcends genre from its playfully delicate ruminations, to its thicker dark-hearted matter, growing and receding like a restless moonlight tide. Beckoning with a tireless emotional depth that’s as intricate as it is accessible, the record maintains its spontaneous clarity and playfulness throughout, often feeling like a warm summer day just dropped on your head. Djalma de Andrade (aka Bola Sete) was one of the great guitar giants of more than one bygone era, whose indelible influence on jazz, classical, and contemporary guitar is undisputed. Perhaps with the exception of his “Windspell” release on Samba Moon, this album stands resolutely on its own as a distinct and unrivaled masterpiece of contemporary classical guitar.

Side One:

1. Viva Mundo Penba (4′18)
2. Guitar Lamento (4′46)
3. Let Go (4′43)
4. Macumba (3′39)
5. The Lonely Gaucho In The Pampas Awaiting The Advent Of Christmas (2′31)
6. Inn of the Beginning, Cotati (2′32)

Side Two:

1. Xengo Xengo (2′39)
2. Ocean Waves (8′55)
3. Jongo (2′16)
4. O Astronauta (3′02)
5. Black Mommy (4′37)

Takoma Records, C-1049, 1975

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RAVI SHANKAR “CHAPPAQUA” THE ORIGINAL SOUND TRACK RECORDING

Relatively condensed short-form tracks make up this sound track to the 1966 Conrad Rooks film “Chappaqua” (entirely shot by the great Robert Frank who just had a major film/video retrospective at the SFMOMA last month). Composed and directed by our man Ravi Shankar (no info on other contributors to the music), the tracks are all fairly upbeat instrumentals that maintain a richly complex emotional range and atmosphere. The music has a tight focused quality, mixing the occasional jazz flourish, where the harp, flute, and clarinet, combined with the Indian classical sounds, have a strong Alice Coltrane feel (given that Swami Satchidananda and Ornette Coleman appear in the film, and the fact that Ornette composed music that was never used, but was eventually released by Columbia on a 2x LP called “Chappaqua Suite”, my guess is this stuff fits right into the continuum that informed “Journey Into Satchidananda”, etc.). Along with its evocative overtones, this stuff is fully cloaked in psychedelic mid-sixties energy –  definitely a one-of-a-kind misfit love child from the period. Check out the TRAILER (NOT utilizing the actual sound track for the film), and don’t miss the shot of Moondog!

Press clip: “Chappaqua is a controversial, startling semi-autobiographical drama following one addict’s wild journey. When Russel Harwick, a young, well-to-do alcoholic and junkie, heads to Switzerland for a “Sleeping Cure”, he enters a psychedelic world set not in reality, but in the explosive, delusional landscapes of the mind. Tormented during withdrawal by a disorienting mingling of recollection and fantasy, Harwick experiences a life-affirming epiphany, which leads him from his nightmare.”

“A mind-blowing movie-biography.” (NEWSWEEK)

“A work of art! Superb!” (THE NEW YORKER)

“It has a compelling purity that makes it universal.” (NEWSDAY)

“A confusing, frightening and weirdly beautiful movie.”(PLAYBOY)

DIRECTOR: Conrad Rooks, CINEMATOGRAPHY: Robert Frank, EDITOR: Kenout Peltier, MUSIC: Ravi Shankar, MUSIC CONSULTANT: Philip Glass, CAST: Jean-Louis Barrault, Conrad Rooks, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Ravi Shankar, Paula Prichett, Ornette Coleman, Swami Satchidananda, Moondog, The Fugs, Ed Sanders.

From the liner notes (interview with Conrad Rooks by Gil Mckean):

G.M.: Tell us about Shankar’s work with the film.

C.R.: He would create music to the absolute segment of the picture. We would project it on a big screen and he would sit there with the musicians. He cannot read music, so we had to hire a young guy to write it down - Shankar would hum the tune and the guy would write it down. then we’d pass it out to the musicians and they’d play it. He would hum exactly the right amount of space - time - beats - everything to the image on the screen. It fit just like building blocks, like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. Infallible. This picture is millions of cuts and it means that every single segment, sequence was hand-tailored. He created it individually for each little piece - looking at it on the big screen.”

Side One:

1. Chappaqua (2′20)
2. Running Deer (2′55)
3. Allah Rocking (4′59)
4. Om (1′33)
5. Raga Miniature (4′12)

Side Two:

1. Back to Earth (4′46)
2. Raga (3′17)
3. Sweet Russell (1′06)
4. Orgy (1′38)
5. Theme (4′24)

Columbia Masterworks, Stereo, OS 3230, 1966

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Although “Dedicated to That Great Cosmic Unseen”, I’m not sure the Peter Max cover gets us there… As delightfully 70’s as it is, it’s more like a Marcel Merceau (RIP) tour poster than a representation of the universal beyond. Visuals aside, the music definitely taps a higher plane, soaring magically with its funky psyched-out jazz, eastern Indian vibes, tape speed manipulations, and dis-harmonic noise. Combined with deep Hammond-style workouts and the usual graceful harp and piano playing, Alice mixes elaborate string arrangements to flesh out these compositions with an upper atmospheric sensibility. Not sure why it remains out of print though, with it’s “Journey in Satchidananda” reprise (”Galaxy in Satchidananda”), and retooled versions of “My Favorite Things” and “A Love Supreme”, you’d think Impulse would have done a re-up by now. Featured here are the great Leroy Jenkins on violin, heavy hitter Reggie Workman on Bass, Frank Lowe on sax and percussion, Ben Riley drums, Elayne Jones tympani, and about 15 other players for the string accompaniment. Additionally, Swami Satchidananda (who, in addition to Alice, had western disciples including John Fahey, Allen Ginsberg, and Carole King) delivers a narration to husband John’s “A Love Supreme.” The tracks were recorded 11/15 and 11/16, 1971 at The Record Plant, and “This record has been mixed for compatible quadraphonic and stereo reproduction, and should provide stimulating and enjoyable music when played on any playback system.” *No logical breaks appear after track one on the first side, so there are only three tracks total in the .zip.

Side One:

1. My Favorite Things (6′22)
2. Galaxy Around Olodumare (4′15)
3. Galaxy In Turiya (9′55)

Side Two:

1. Galaxy In Satchidananda (10′25)
2. A Love Supreme (9′58)

Impulse, Stereo AS-9218, 1972

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INDIA’S MASTER MUSICIANS: ALI AKBAR KHAN & L. SUBRAMANIAM WITH ALLA RAKHA ON TABLA

Remember all those Irwin Allen productions like “The Poseidon Adventure” and “The Towering Inferno”, where the star-studded cast should have made the films better than they were? Well this record is nothing like that… It’s amazing! South vs. North! Two giants of the form go toe to toe on two epic sides of virtuosity, playing variations on the Raga Sindhi Bhairavi, one side slow, one side fast. Deep intensity here, with the two masters maintaining a respectful balance throughout — although, if contemporary recordings of Indian classical music have ever shown a macho streak, it might be on this record. This live recording was captured somewhere in the 70’s early 80’s (?) as part of Ravi Shankar’s Music Circle, and although the liner notes give background on the performers, they offer nothing by way of where or when the performances actually took place. Also featured is Zakir Hussain on tabla (who played with John McLaughlin, George Harrison, and others), and Ramnad V. Raghavan, mirdangam (Ali Akbar Khan RIP 1922 - 2009).

Side One:

1. Sindhi Bhairavi: Alap, Slow Theme in Dadra, 6 Beats, (24′10)

Side Two:

1. Sindhi Bhairavi: Fast Theme In Teental, 6 Beats, (24′28)

Bainbridge Records, RSD-27, 1981

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IAN MATTHEWS “IF YOU SAW THRO’ MY EYES”

At times sounding like a Byrds/Elton John fusion, and at other times something with roots in the UK folk revival of the 60′ s and 70’s (Ian was a vocalist for Fairport Convention), this second solo outing is a solid (if not a bit overproduced) outlay of vocal and songwriting excellence. If you like the 70’s mainstream sound, but wish you could find something fresh from that period (and haven’t heard Ian’s solo work), then this is the record for you. With gorgeous vocal chops and a unique blend of contemporary musical styles and influences, Ian’s songwriting is for the most part never too sentimental or self conscious. Very much its own sound in the end, all the songs are well crafted and embracing, while at the same time circumventing a lot of the hooks that characterized the period (all tracks were written by Ian except for “Reno Nevada”, “It Came Without Warning” and “Morgan the Pirate”). The session included among others Sandy Denny (Fairport Convention), Keith Tippet, and most notably the precision guitar work of Richard (The Fly) Thompson (also Fairport Convention). Definitely a sound that hits you right away, but also seems to grow and develop over time.

Side One:

1. Desert Inn (3′30)
2. Hearts (3′12)
3. Never Ending (2′48)
4. Reno Nevada (4′47)
5. Little Known (2′55)
6. Hinge (1′20)

Side Two:

1. Hinge (’25)
2. Southern Wind (3′10)
3. It Came Without Warning (4′01)
4. You Couldn’t Lose (3′35)
5. Morgan The Pirate (6′41)
6. If You Saw Thro’ My Eyes (2′34)

Vertigo Records, Stereo VEL-1002, 1971

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IRAN VOL. 1 ANTHOLOGIE DE LA MUSIQUE TRADITIONNELLE: SETAR ET TAR PAR DARIUSH TALA’I

So presumably you’ll be intrigued and download this, listen to the first track and think, ‘nice stuff.’ Then, as the second track evolves you’ll say “Holy Shit! I had no idea Iranian music sounded like this!!!” At least that was my reaction the first time I played it… Only three tracks, but what a show stopping workout by Mr. Tala’i! Originally released in 1979, and most likely recorded sometime thereabout, these interpretations are unlike any I have heard on Iranian classical music records. I posted Vol. 2 in this series on the January page which features Santur, while here featured are the setar and the tar (two instruments also highlighted in January on the Unesco “Iran vol. I” record). Dariush plays with wicked timing and emotional reverence, evoking an improvisational stance that seems to draw from western influences (doubtful). If there are other interpreters of Iranian classical music playing in this particular style I definitely want to hear more! From the liner notes:

“If this anthology opens with the tar and setar of Dariush Tala’i, it is because he is unquestionably the best qualified interpreter of these two instruments today, and his esthetic taste attracts him to the purest and richest classical forms of traditional art. Born in 1952, he began studying the tar at the age of 10 with the famous Ali-Akbar Shahnazi, descendant of the illustrious family of musicians. Later he studied ancient repertory with N.A. Borumand, and occupied the latter’s chair at the University of Teheran after his death… instead of following an easy career as a professional musician, he has withdrawn from public life in order to prepare himself to carry on this imposing legacy entrusted to him.”

Side One:

1. Dastgah-e Mahur (16′18)
2. Dastgah-e Chahargah (10′32)

Side Two:

1. Avaz-e Bayat-e Esfahan (17′50)

Ocora Records, 558540 HM 52, 1984, Paris

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:ZOVIET-FRANCE “GRIS”

I don’t know if it’s because these guys were ahead of their time, they were that good, or both, but their music always sounds fresh no matter how often or how little I get around to listening to it. Certainly miles ahead of most noise/drone/experimental music coming out these days, this 1985 No Man’s Land release sounds and feels timeless. ZF’s music seems to always evoke moods that go right for the sinewy emotional and psychological recesses, nestling sounds into both brain and body — sort of the way Mirror’s music coats and embeds with its evocative washes of subtle and haunting beauty — once your infected, it leaves an indelible mark. So give this somnambulent 10″ a listen and ask why it keeps on ticking nearly twenty five years after the fact… and if the roofing shingle tar paper cover with its hand painted Soviet-like star (wreaking havoc on the vinyl and the paper inserts that came with it) don’t enthrall, the Maoist image creates a nice visual touch to accompany the subtle terror/beauty heard on the recordings. I only wish I had more of their stuff!

Side One:

Moresca, Luft, Shekinah (12′23)

Side Two:

Gris (8′45)

No Man’s Land, NML8505, 1985

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JOHN JACOB NILES “I WONDER AS I WANDER: CAROLS AND LOVE SONGS”

This Tradition Records release from 1957 features the lovely and unique expressions of singer/songwriter/preservationist John Jacob Niles, whose personal style was so nonpareil, he might as well have been from another planet — I bet he even dreamed in song. Have you ever seen anyone cradle an instrument so tenderly and adoringly? The above image pretty much spells out how deeply involved he was with music, and after a few listens you’ll surely glean the enigma. Although a few devotional songs are interspersed on this record, many are love songs, most of which (if your from this planet) will send a particular chill through your heart of hearts. From the liner notes:

“As I look back across fifty years of public performances, I’m convinced that a concert singer who is not also a composer and a poet is at a definite disadvantage. Perhaps this point of view goes back to my early years: when I was a child growing up in Kentucky, we made what we needed. The daily life of my people at home was full of interesting snatches of music — perhaps just a single couplet and four measures of melody — none of which could be employed as it was in a concert performance, but much of which was usable in an extended and adapted form. We made our own fun, we made our own music. We also made our own instruments. When I was quite small, my father bought me a three-string dulcimer. But when I was up in my teens and wanted a bigger and better dulcimer, my father told me to get busy and make one. I’ve been making my own dulcimers ever since. The nature of my voice has had much to do with the material of my performances. In the lingo for the concert stage, I did not live in the lower registers. I soon discovered the electric effect of a male alto C-sharp, and this led me to compose a melodic line involving the highest notes in my range.”

Side One:

1. Waken, Little Shepherd (2′06)
2. Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head (2′24)
3. Frog Went A-Courtin’ (2′04)
4. Little Mohee (1′58)
5. The Sea Witch (3′22)
6. The Irish Girl (2′26)
7. Go ‘Way From My Window (2′37)
8. In That Lovely Far-Off City (1′40)
9. Look Down That Lonesome Road (2′26)

Side Two:

1. I Wonder As I Wander (2′26)
2. When Jesus Lived In Galalee (2′15)
3. Lulle Lullay (1′58)
4. Black Is The Color Of My True Love’s Hair (2′07)
5. Venezuela (3′41)
6. I Had A Cat (1′57)
7. The Lass From The Low Country (2′37)
8. John Henry (2′12)
9. I’m Goin’ Away (2.15)

Tradition Records TLP1023, 1957

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