Buckwheat Zydeco - Make a Change

by Nomad

Musician Stanley Dural Jr., better known by his stage name Buckwheat Zydeco died of lung cancer on September 24 at the age of 68. 

An American accordionist, Dural played music from the Louisiana bayou for 30-plus years. The term Zydeco refers to a musical genre born in southwest Louisiana, blending blues,rhythm and blues, and music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles and the Native people of Louisiana.

His Grammy- and Emmy-winning band collaborated with Willie Nelson, U2 and others.
Here's "Make a Change" from 1989.

Good and Better: Why Roger Ailes' Fall from Grace Couldn't Happen at a More Appropriate Moment

by Nomad

Rarely has there been much good news to report of late. Here's one item I've found.

According to reports, CEO of FOX News, Roger Ailes, will soon be forced to resign after allegations of workplace sexual harassment. 

The former anchor Gretchen Carlson alleged that Ailes made it crystal clear that if she had sexual relations with him her problems (which included among other things "ostracizing, marginalizing and shunning") would magically disappear.  

Office hanky-panky was the suggested cure-all for what ailed Roger Ailes. 

In the court records, Carlson claimed that Ailes told her :

I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago, and then you'd be good and better and I'd be good and better.

That's about as logical as anything else presented on Fox News, I guess. Good and better was not a standard that Roger Ailes generally aimed for.
Bad and worse was closer to the truth. 

Musical Sanity Break- The Wailing Wailers- Simmer Down

by Nomad

Has there ever been an election like this?
Some excellent advice comes from the 1965 debut album from The Wailers, consisting of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer.

Sanity Break- Kraak & Smaak feat. Janne Schra - Never Too Late

by Nomad

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The Power of the Beat

by Nomad

Never ever underestimate the power of the beat.

Sanity Break: Banners- Start A Riot

by Nomad

If your world falls apart, I'd start a riot.

Sanity Break: John Prine- Beautiful World

by Nomad

Musical Sanity Break- A Change is Gonna Come- Aretha Franklin

by Nomad

In Remembrance of John Martyn

by Nomad

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the death of British singer and musician John Martyn. Here's May You Never, which comes from his 1973 album, Solid Air.

His biography reads:

In a world that lacks compassion, John Martyn and his music, is a breath of fresh air. John was an incurable romantic who sang from his heart; no other artist sang with such commitment and emotion. People have fallen in and out of love listening to the most enduring and magical songs of deep sensitivity that have been sung over his forty year plus career.  

Musical Sanity Break: Eric Whitacre and the Virtual Choir

by Nomad

This is certainly a time that calls for a little harmony and calmness. For that reason, I wanted to take a moment to introduce you to a special person.

Meet Grammy-winning American composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre. Although you might not have heard of him before, The Daily Telegraph has called Whitacre a "rare thing, a modern composer who is both popular and original."

He has won numerous awards for his work, including awards from the Barlow international composition competition, American Choral Directors Association, American Composers' Forum. 

But that's only half of the story.

By combining his choral, orchestral and wind ensemble music, the power of the Internet and thousands of talented strangers- as well as Whitacre's determination- his Virtual Choir projects have  pushed the boundaries and inspired the world. 

I will let him explain the concept in this 2011 TED lecture the rest of the details.

Musical Sanity Break: Van Morrison- And It Stoned Me

by Nomad

The magical power of water is the theme in this Van Morrison song. From the downpour that nearly spoils the day, to dive into the fishing hole, to the quenching of your thirst.
"Oh, the water. Get it myself from the mountain stream." 

Musical Sanity Break: Austin Criswell

by Nomad

One of the best things about the Net is that gives people a stage where they can shine. Take the example of Austin Criswell, a singer-songwriter from Pennsylvania. 

Not your typical pop idol type, but what a fantastic voice. 

By the way, although Adele made this song a hit it was actually written by Bob Dylan from his 1997 album Time Out of Mind .It was first recorded and released commercially by none other than Billy Joel.

Pete Seeger: The Passing of a Troubadour with a Conscience

by Nomad

At the age of 94 folk singer Pete Seeger has died. Many younger readers may not know who this man was. During the 1960s, Seeger harnessed the power of music to rally a nation. At that time, the relatively obscure folk music market suddenly became a tool of protest for causes such as  international disarmament, civil rights, counterculture and environmental causes.

"Where have all the Flowers Gone?" written by Seeger with Joe Hickerson in 1955, is one of my personal favorites. It has been sung by a large number of artists from Vera Lynn, Bobby Darin, Olivia Newton-John to U2. Marlene Dietrich recorded her own version, Sag mir, wo die Blumen sind. (It's surprisingly good too!) 

This anti-war song has been translated in dozens of languages. In Turkish- Söyle Çiçekler nerde? In Russian- Где цветы, дай мне ответ? and even in Hebrew איפה הפרחים כולם

Let's listen to Seeger rendition.

If you are interested in learning more about the man, PBS produced a documentary saluting his life. It's worth your time.

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Musical Sanity Break - Crazy Baldheads

Perhaps reggae music is becoming a little passe nowadays- a little too much "No Woman, No Cry" in waiting rooms?)  but this has always been one of my favorite Marley songs. I thought you might like this music to go voting by.

By the way, don't let the opening rooster scare you. He's harmless. 

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Musical Sanity Break- Three by Prine

Some Humans Ain't Human 

  

Hello in There

Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore

Musical Sanity Break- Two by CCR

Don't Look Now

Who will take the coal from the mine?

Who will take the salt from the earth?

Who'll take a leaf and grow it to a tree?

Don't Look Now, it ain't you or me.

Who will work the field with his hands?

Who will put his back to the plough?

Who'll take the mountain and give it to the sea?

Don't Look Now, it ain't you or me.

Someday Never Comes

First thing I remember was asking papa, why,

For there were many things I didn't know.

And daddy always smiled and took me by the hand,

Saying, someday you'll understand.

Friday Sanity Break: In A Capella

After dealing with Nazis and saluting bishops, I felt it was time for us leave the oft-discouraging world of politics, to clear our heads with some refreshing music. 
Here are three very different versions of the song, "Somebody that I used to know" by Gotye Here is Matthias Harris from London. 

I don't suppose he will touring any time soon. 
Let's go highbrow with The Netherlands Radio Choir, arranged by Jetse Bremer,  Very classy.

The last rendition is from Staten Island's PS 22. If you've never heard of this school then I invite you to spend some time at YouTube listening to any of the many songs they've put online. Their love for music is both infectious and inspiring.

You can find a few other interesting covers of this song but I will leave it there. By this time, after those three you may never get the song out of your head.  :) 

Have a great weekend.

And Now for Something Completely Different...

by Nomad

I thought I would offer you something exotic on this Sunday afternoon. A break from the grimy political scene. I'd much prefer to put a little music in your soul today. I stumbled across this Youtube video and it seemed so wondrous that I thought my faithful, patient readers might also enjoy it.

First some background. That UFO-shaped instrument is akin to a steel drum only inverted. It is called a "hang" and although the musicians are street performers (very talented ones) the hang is not a cheap to purchase. (Nevertheless I want one really really bad.) The reason they are so expensive is because they are manufactured by one Swiss firm by hand. I suppose they are each hand tuned, but that's just a guess. I do know that in order to have one you have to go to Switzerland to pick it up. That right there would add to the cost. I saw one on e-bay selling for.. grip your armrest, 8000 clams. Used. Oh, that's enough information. Here are three songs played on the Hang drum. 

Hangdrum Performance By James Winstanley & Daniel James Waples  shot in Arambol, Goa, India by Suzi & Rakesh Kashyap, Shimla

Sanity Break: Sinnnerman Remix

For a small sanity break:

Normally I don't like remixes. I mean, half the time remixes are made by people with half  the talent of the original and it depresses me to think that a whole generation is going to listen to the remix version and think that this is the original. (Look what Vanilla Ice did to Bowie/Queen's Under Pressure) 

However, the clip below, (taken from the great Nina Simone's Sinnerman has taken a hypnotic and powerful song - without ruining it- and used the best part without spoiling the effects. Added to that, some bright young thing has taken a superior video and combined them. (Perhaps this can be a tribute to Andrew Breitbart who died this week.) 

I hope you like it as much as I did. 

And here's a remix of the video of the remix of the audio. http://www.yooouuutuuube.com/m/?yt=0hcEiEyylEA
Unfortunately there's no way to embed the video (as far as I could see) but it's perfectly safe. By the way, every time you watch it, it seems different so I suppose the scenes are selected randomly.

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So what do you think? Thumbs up or thumbs down?