Sanity Sunday- Three by Don McLean

by Nomad

Whenever we think of singer and songwriter Don McLean, we remember his classic "American Pie" and the immortal "Vincent."

However, on that same 1971 album (American Pie), there were so many other great songs. I have chosen a selection of three.

Sanity Sunday - Four by Jim Croce

by Nomad

Even though they may not have ever realized it at that time, on 20 September 1973, music lovers lost a rising star. Upon takeoff from an airport in Natchitoches, La, the single-engine plane in which singer/songwriter Jim Croce and five others were riding failed to gain altitude and crashed.
All aboard died.

At the time, Croce was well on his way to fame and fortune.
Tragically, his career was abruptly cut short.

Born in South Philly on 10 January 1943, Croce learned music at an early age. For most of his short life, he struggled to earn a living and music was not a dependable profession. In an interview he once said:

"I've had to get in and out of music a couple of times, because music didn't always mean a living. You don't make that much in bars; I still have memories of those nights, playing for $25 a night, with nobody listening."

Sanity Sunday- Five by The Seekers

by Nomad

Formed in Melbourne in 1962, the Australian pop/folk group, The Seekers were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Sanity Sunday- Five by 2Cellos

by Nomad

In my opinion, there's something incredibly seductive and expressive about the sound of the cello. So. what could be better than two cellos with two extremely gifted musicians playing them?

If you've never heard of the dual 2Cellos, allow me to introduce you. Both accomplished musicians independently, Croatian cellists Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, have become something of phenomena by pushing the cello to new levels and attracting new audiences.

Sanity Sunday- Four by Antonio Carlos Jobim

 by Nomad

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1927, Antônio Carlos Jobim, also known as Tom Jobim, became known for as the moving force for bossa nova style in the 1960s.  Jobim was a composer, pianist, songwriter, arranger, and singer.
He was described by friend

He was a gentle man highly interested in all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to Brazilian, Latin and American popular music. Even then he was a great talker when the subjects were music and women.

If that photo is anything to go by, I am sure he was a hit with the ladies. Make no mistake, Jobim was a serious artist.

Generally speaking, he was much more intelligent than most musicians, but he respected the ones he considered talented and intelligent. Usually, he lost patience easily when someone argued things without a musical base, with nonsense arguments.

Sanity Sunday- Three by George Harrison

by Nomad

I  wanted to dedicate this Sunday sanity break to George Harrison who died 16 years ago next November. Hard to believe so much time has passed already.

A few trivia notes about George Harrison:

• Harrison was the youngest member of the Beatles.
• George and Paul McCartney were the first two Beatles to meet. Back in 1954 when Paul was 12 and George was 11, they rode on the same school bus. 
• George played 26 different instruments. 
• George's greatest joy was gardening. He claimed to have "planted 10,000 trees" in his lifetime. In 1980, he published his autobiography I Me Mine. The book was dedicated "to all gardeners everywhere."

Sanity Sunday- Five by Sam Maher and his Hang Pan

  by Nomad

Without any doubt, the gut-wrenching events of this week require some deep cleansing.

From the weary prince who fooled us by not dying, to the horrific Congressional health care vote, from Trump's attempt to destroy the separation of Church and State by decree, to the FBI director's defense before the Senate. All in all, it's been a painful few days.
Nevertheless, despair cannot be a nomad's creed.

For me, one of the most effective ways to relax is to sit back and listen to the hand pan (one of the names for this percussion instrument.) I think I may have featured this instrument before but not this particular musician. 

Let's meet Sam Maher, a talented West Australian instrumentalist, and drummer who has journeyed around the world. In fact, he has used the hand pan to finance his travel as well as a means of wordless communication to other cultures.
To date, Mr. Maher has now performed in over 22 countries.

Sanity Sunday- Three on a Theremin

by Nomad

The year 1928 produced a lot of technological marvels. British inventor John Logie Baird broadcasted a transatlantic television signal from London to New York.
Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic as a passenger on June 18th of that year.
And the first machine sliced, machine- wrapped loaves of bread were sold in Chillicothe, Missouri.

It was also in that year that Russian inventor, Léon Theremin (Термéн), patented the electronic musical instrument known as thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox and later shortened to simply the Theremin.

Sanity Sunday: Four by Glass Duo

by Nomad

For this Sunday's sanity break, I have chosen the husband-wife pair from Poland, Arkadiusz and Anna Szafraniec. This pair of unique musicians go by the name GlassDuo. They create hypnotically beautiful music using only their fingers and an elaborate arrangement of sparkling wine glasses.
Their bio states:

Some time ago, being charmed with the sound of musical glasses, they abandoned their places in the symphony orchestra in Gdansk and started to realize their own idea of performing.
Today they play the glass harp in duo and with other musicians as well. They've successfully performed with string quartets and various chamber ensembles.
GlassDuo have worked together with the majority of Polish orchestras including The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra and Sinfonia Varsovia as well as with orchestras from outside Poland.

Their latest album, Glassified, is available on Itunes.

Sanity Sunday- Four by Tom Rosenthal

by Nomad

Thirty-year-old British singer and composer Tom Rosenthal's self-description is plain and simple.

I live in London, have 2 young daughters, and I write songs. I've released 3 albums to date, and the 4th is coming in Spring 2017. Aside from the main albums, I've released a trilogy of EP's and one underrated Christmas single.

The first three videos I have chosen, for your listening pleasure,  provide us with a little poetry, haunting music backed by expansive, lush landscapes.

The Story of the Secret Violinist of Mosul

by Nomad

In the song, "American Pie" we hear the phrase "the day the music died" but few could ever imagine a time or place when making music would become a capital crime.
Journalist Josie Ensor, writing for The Telegraph, recently introduced us to a young man named Ameen, the secret violinist of Mosul.

A Reign of Terror

On 10 June 2014,  jihadists of ISIS marched into the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. For this fighters, the city was conquered lands and its inhabitants were a subjugated population. And as crusaders of their strict interpretation of Islam, one of their first tasks was to implement Sharia law upon the residents of the city. Among many other prohibitions, there were bans on all things Western. This included a ban on Western sins like cigarettes and alcohol. There were also strict rules on dancing and music.
The punishment for violators? Death.

For 26-year-old Ameen Mokdad, it really was "the day the music died." Music was more than a pastime for Mokdad. Since childhood, it had always been a means of self-expression.
Now all that had changed.

Sanity Sunday- Music from Mongolia

by Nomad

This week's musical sanity break takes us far away from the dread-inspiring world of politics. And this is about as far away from that sordid mess as you can and remain on the planet. But, seriously, you all need a break. It's been a hellish and nerve-racking week (It did, however, have a happy ending for almost everybody.)

In any event, nomads deserve nomadic music so I present to you, the music from Mongolia.

Sanity Sunday- Three by Melody Gardot

by Nomad

The artist of this week's musical sanity break, Melody Gardot, is by special request. Thanks for the suggestion!

It is easy to see why the New Jersey-born Gardot has been compared to that of Nina Simone. In fact, her influences are an eclectic mix from Latin music artists such as Caetano Veloso to Janis Joplin and George Gershwin. She certainly has a classy sound.

And, like all true nomads, Gardot considers herself a "citizen of the world".

First up is one I have dedicated to the president. It is called "Cry Wolf."

Sanity Sunday- Three by George Ogilvie

by Nomad

Singer/songwriter George Ogilvie was born in Canterbury England and began writing music at 18. His uploaded videos showcased his talents and helped him build a large fanbase.

Here he is singing "Dust in the Wind." (That's not, by the way, a cover for the Kansas tune of the same name.)  The lyrics to this song can be found here.

Sanity Sunday- Two Songs by Zee Avi

by Nomad

Here are two selections from Malaysian-born Zee Avi. This talented singer/songwriter is also a guitarist, ukulele player, and visual artist.
For more about her biographical details, click here.

Let's start off with "Bitter Heart."

Sanity Sunday- Please Don't Go by Barcelona

by Nomad

This Sanity Sunday song is by the Seattle-based group Barcelona. It is here coupled with the view of Japan's Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. It certainly provides a few soothing minutes.
Lord knows, we can use it.

I dedicate this song to the outgoing president- Barack Obama to whom we owe a heartfelt thank-you for 8 years of hard and largely unappreciated work.

We are definitely going to miss you in a hundred ways we can't now even begin to imagine.

For what it is worth, this song was listed in their top 10 relaxing songs by researchers at Mindlab International, an independent research consultancy. (Legitimate or not, I can't tell you.)

Sanity Break: Three Holiday Songs by Sufjan Stevens

by Nomad

I think it's time to take a break from politics for a few days and enjoy the holidays. Whether that means Christmas, or Hanukkah or a belated recognition of winter solstice, whatever, just consider this post a bit of relief from the relentlessly depressing political news.

To take our minds off of all that, I have selected the ever-quirky Sufjan Stevens who apparently has a particular fondness for this time of year. He has not one but two Christmas collection albums. 

Here he performs "Lumberjack Christmas / No One Can Save You From Christmases Past."

Sanity Sunday- Two by Jack and the Weatherman

by Nomad

The two-man-band, Jack and the Weatherman, is an acoustic duo from Haarlem in the Netherlands. Both songs come from their latest album, Some Kind of Purpose.

First up is the song, "Rock Bottom."

This one is called "Stolen."

Musical Sanity Break: Scala & Kolacny Brothers - Use Somebody

by Nomad

Originally this was a Kings of Leon song which sounds very different than this version. This rendition is sung by Scala & Kolacny Brothers, a Belgian women's choir.
Hope it brings you a little calm on this Sunday night.  

Musical Sanity Break - Scala & Kolacny Brothers - If You Could Read My Mind

by Nomad