Showing posts with label JD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JD. Show all posts

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Music for St Patrick's Day, by JD

Galway Girl - Mundy with Sharon Shannon (H.Q.)

Finbar Furey - I'll Take A Glass (Official Video)

Bláth na hÓige with Síle Denvir and Colm Mac Con Iomaire | The Tommy Tiernan Show | RTÉ

Not A Theme Night - Glór Shligigh (Niamh Crowley)

The Fields Of Athenry - World's Biggest Street Performance by Athenry Town & KamilFilms 2019

Friday, March 08, 2024

FRIDAY MUSIC: Veronica Swift, by JD

Not all Swifts can sing but this one certainly can. At age 23, Veronica Swift is now being recognized as one of the top young jazz singers on the scene. Not only is she a fine singer she is reviving the 'lost art' of scat singing (originating in vocal jazz, scat singing or scatting is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, the singer improvises melodies and rhythms using the voice solely as an instrument.)

Her parents are renowned jazz pianist Hod O’Brien and celebrated jazz singer and educator/author Stephanie Nakasian. She has appeared on stage with Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Esperanza Spalding, Joe Lovano, Bob Dorough, Kim Nazarian, Danilo Perez, and others. With her family she has appeared at The Great Waters Music Festival in NH, Blues Alley Jazz Club in DC, the Jazz Standard in NYC, the Jazz Cruise, and for the New Jersey and Hilton Head Jazz Societies.

https://www.veronicaswift.com/bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Swift

(There are not many good quality videos so this is but a small selection and as Wiggia has already noted she needs to find better backing musicians although in the last video below she shares the stage with Wynton Marsalis and he looks suitably impressed by her performance.)

At Last - Live at the Strathmore (A Glenn Miller Swing Celebration) Ft. Veronica Swift

Veronica Swift - Moanin'

Veronica Swift sings "This Bitter Earth" at the 2023 SFJAZZ Gala

Veronica Swift 'Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me' Blue Note NYC [Night 3]

"I Just Found Out About Love" Veronica Swift and the SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble

Véronica Swift & Wynton Marsalis "Cherokee" @Jazz_in_Marciac 2019

Friday, March 01, 2024

FRIDAY MUSIC: Music of the Spheeris, by JD

Chris Spheeris is a Greek-American composer of instrumental music. He is a producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.

Chris Spheeris has created some of the most enchanting instrumental music of this era. It has earned him platinum, gold, and Emmy awards. His music has been heard in Olympic skating championships, Miss Universe pageants, documentary films, daytime television dramas, and countless commercials.

CHRIS SPHEERIS - ELECTRA

Cariño - Chris Spheeris

♡ CHRIS SPHEERIS & PAUL VOUDOURIS - Pura Vida

Chris Spheeris - Magaya (Live)

Chris Spheeris - Dia del Sol (Live)

CHRIS SPHEERIS - Narabi - Album Maya

Friday, February 23, 2024

FRIDAY MUSIC: Aegean Jazz: Dig the Thessness! by JD


The Speakeasies' Swing Band! are a seven piece Swing/Jazz band based in Thessaloniki, Greece. The line up features Caterina Sisinni (vocals), Panos Karnoutsos (Electric Guitar), Manolis Stamatiadis (Piano), Panos Voularakis (Upright Bass), Giannis Ntalianis (Acoustic Guitar), Christos El. Papadopoulos (Clarinet) and Grigoris Oikonomou (drums). The Speakeasies' Swing Band! formed in 2010. The band's preview Extended play, Bathtub Gun, was released in 2012 and their debut album Land Of Plenty in 2015

the Speakeasies' Swing Band! - St. James infirmary

O Pasatempos - the Speakeasies' Swing Band! (Official Video)

Walkin' Away Blues - the Speakeasies' Swing Band! (Official Video)

Bright Lights Late Nights

Exile Train (Traino Exorias) - The Speakeasies' Swing Band!

the Speakeasies' Swing Band! - Why don't You do Right?

Friday, February 16, 2024

FRIDAY MUSIC: Joe Brown, by JD

Back we go to the 'good old days' when we were young and enjoying the new sounds of skiffle (Lonnie Donegan, Chas McDevitt, Johnny Duncan and others) and Rock and Roll which introduced young new British performers such as Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard, Billy Fury and many others. 

But the one who stood out from the crowd was Joe Brown because he could actually play the guitar and play it rather well, as can be heard in the first video here. He has now been performing for more than six decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and has primarily been a recording star since the early 1960s.


Joe Brown - Seguidilla (Joe Brown Show, 08.09.1970)

Joe Brown, Vicki Brown & Lonnie Donegan - 
Wasn't That A Party (Starburst, 1981)

Joe Brown - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - Live In Liverpool

Joe Brown - Later With Jools

Joe Brown - I'll See You In My Dreams - Live In Liverpool

Friday, February 09, 2024

FRIDAY MUSIC: Scandiravia! Robert Wells, by JD

 "Robert Henry Arthur Wells (born 7 April 1962) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and musician best known for the musical Rhapsody in Rock, which contains elements of rock, classical and boogie-woogie.

"Wells was born in Stockholm. He attended the Adolf Fredrik's Music School in Stockholm at the age of 7 in 1969 and four years later, at the age of 11, became the youngest person ever to attend the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. At the age of 16 in 1978, Wells won two major Swedish talent contests.
Wells's music was chosen as the official television theme music for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing."
Hungarian Rhapsody! Robert Wells & Linda Lampenius

Robert Wells & Rhapsody Symphony Orchestra . Royal Albert Hall Nov 2011. 
Rhapsody In Rock no 1

Robert Wells - Nut Rocker (and other improvisations)

"Route 66" Performed by Maria Wells & Robert Wells Trio from Swedish TV Show Bingolotto TV4. October 11 2015

Robert Wells Trio - China Moon

Friday, February 02, 2024

FRIDAY MUSIC: Russophonia Dva, by JD

 This time from the Otta Orchestra I mentioned a few weeks ago, a seven piece all female 'orchestra' often supplemented by 'real' symphony orchestras on stage and in their albums:

"OTTA-orchestra is a Russian female instrumental group. Li Otta, whose name formed the basis of the band's name, is the band's composer and arranger. The group plays her music. The mention of the word orchestra is also not accidental. Music is based on the orchestral style of new age, world music.
The origin of the group dates back to 2007. At this time, Li Otta was brought in as an orchestrator to work with Russian guitarist DiDuLay. This is how his album “Music of Unmade Films” was born in 2007, which began the close collaboration of these two creative people working in the genre of instrumental music."
OTTA-orchestra - Dejavu (Unofficial Video)

OTTA-orchestra "Bolero Gorgona"

Otta-Orchestra & SaadiAnvar - "Arabica"

OTTA-orchestra "Husky"

OTTA-orchestra "Royal Safary"(FullHD&HiFi audio)

Thursday, January 25, 2024

FRIDAY MUSIC - early - (Friction) Burns Night - merry capers wi' the lassies!

 As promised and as requested, Friday music with a difference to celebrate Burns Night!

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'The Merry Muses of Caledonia' is among Burns' best known, but least read, work. This collection of bawdy poems, some written by and some collected by Burns, ranges from celebrations of spirited women in 'Ellibanks', to misogyny in 'There was twa wives' and male fantasy in 'Nine Inch will please a lady'. These engaging poems are not lewd or distasteful but possess a great wit and charm.

"Many scholars and Robert Burns enthusiasts prefer not to mention his association with the Merry Muses of Caledonia because they don't like him to be associated with this sort of material. Burns allegedly made no secret of his interest in erotic verse and bawdy song but apparently he kept this in a locked drawer at home. Well, you would, wouldn't you?

"t was first published within three or four years of his death and of the original only two copies are known to exist but it has since been published several times in facsimile editions. Burns both wrote and collected this material so there is no knowing how much of it is actually his. While some of it is local and clearly from the hand of the bard he may also have collected other material during his tours around Scotland.

"It is also worth mentioning that some of Burns's most admired works were sanitised versions of the bawdy originals.

"Many people who read these verses are surprised at Burns' awareness and his macho attitude to sex more than 200 years ago. But then sex is not new and isn't it strange that each successive generation thinks that they have just invented it? It is also worth noting that some of the words used by Burns in this connotation are still in use today, including of course the "F" word. Some recent commentators have compared the Robert Burns of the late 1700's to the rock stars of today. Maybe that's not too far off the mark?"

Life of Robert Burns in 10 Minutes
- you will note the several references to his 'love of the lassies'

Nine Inch will Please a Lady: Jean Redpath

lyrics and partial translation -

And here is the complete collection of bawdy verse (as far as I know) in PDF format -

More recently the film producer Harvey Weinstein was called a predator by quite a few women on his hit list. Just before disappearing from the scene completely he had the cheeky guts to say that he didn’t understand all the fuss that was created around his person. Our bawdy Burns was more open about his behavior and described himself as a fornicator in his poem with the same title. Mitigating circumstances ?

"Wi’ ruefu’ face, and signs o’ grace,
I paid the buttock hire;
The night was dark, and thro’ the park,
I couldna but convoy her.
A parting kiss, what could I less;
My vows began to scatter,
Sweet Betsy fell, fal, lal, de ral, And I’m a fornicator"

Burns knew his sexual flaws and accepted the responsibility like a true Freemason. In one of his letters he described his struggle: ‘[…] I have a sore warfare in this world; the devil, the world and the flesh are three formidable foes’. And he comments on this last foe: ‘[…] but the third is my plague, worst as the ten plagues of Egypt’. Ladies and gentlemen, wasn’t it Burns fellow scribe Oscar Wilde who said ‘I can resist anything except temptation’?"

Friday, January 19, 2024

FRIDAY MUSIC: Russophonia - Otava Yo, by JD

 After Leonid and Friends last year, another excursion into the hidden musical heartland Russia and such a vast country is bound to have more musical talent waiting to be discovered.

"Otava Yo (Russian: Отава Ё, ота́ва meaning "aftergrass") is a Russian folk rock band from Saint Petersburg, formed in 2003.

Alexey Belkin, Alexey Skosyrev, Dmitriy Shikhardin, and Peter Sergeev worked together as buskers on the streets of St. Petersburg for about three years. The positive feedback from the listeners inspired them to officially form a band in 2003. Of the initial members, only Shikhardin had formal musical education; the rest were self-taught. Initially the band was called Reelroadъ and they played The Pogues-styled Celtic punk, but later changed their name to Otava Yo and turned to Russian traditional music."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otava_Yo
https://otava-yo.spb.ru/en/


Отава Ё - Про Ивана Groove (русское готическое R'N'B) - Otava Yo

Отава Ё - Ой, Дуся, ой, Маруся (казачья лезгинка) Otava Yo - (Cossack's lezginka)

Otava Yo - It is time for the lad to get married,

Отава Ё - Средневековое disco (medieval disco)

Two of these videos feature bagpipes. Russian bagpipes? I didn't know they had a tradition of the pipes in Russia so I did a search and found this -

"The Volynka bagpipe (from the word ‘vol’ meaning ‘ox’), valynka \pipe (duda) \goat (kozel) \bubble (puzir) was, until recently, an unexplored part of Russian instrumental music. However, it is also an unexplored spot on the map of European bagpipes. Whilst Russians know relatively little about bagpipes, there are several images of bagpipes in European and Russian travellers’ drawings, references in lists of musical instruments of the Russian Empire before the mid‐19th century, several images in folk pictures (lubock) and in church chronicles as well as references in literature and folklore. In recent years, the media has introduced new, previously unknown, sources."
https://www.bagpipesociety.org.uk/articles/2015/chanter/winter/the-revival-of-the-russian-bagpipe/

Friday, January 12, 2024

FRIDAY MUSIC: Steve Wickham, by JD

You may not know the name but Steve Wickham is/was fiddle player with Scots/Irish band The Waterboys in the 1980s and here are a few songs from his solo career as well as some tales.

Steve Wickham is an Irish musician. Originally from Marino, Dublin, but calling Sligo home. Wickham was a founding member of In Tua Nua and played violin on the classic U2 song "Sunday Bloody Sunday", as well as recordings by Elvis Costello, the Hothouse Flowers, Sinéad O'Connor, and World Party. He is a long-standing member of The Waterboys. Wickham plays both rock and roll and traditional Irish music, and has developed a rock music technique for violin he calls the "fuzz fiddle".
Wickham is also accomplished with the mandolin, tin whistle, concertina, saxophone, piano, guitar and bones.

Not a Theme Night - Saints and Angels (Steve Wickham)

Pascal - Steve Wickham
Recorded live as part of Theme Night #31 - Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo, Ireland.

Steve Wickham plays The Gold Ring

Pascal - Steve Wickham
Recorded live as part of Theme Night #31 - Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo, Ireland.

All Will Be Well - Steve Wickham

Stopping By Woods 

-------- -- -- -

In 1984 Wickham was in a band called InTuaNua who were one of the supporting acts when Bob Dylan played at Slane Castle in county Meath Steve tells how he met Dylan and was invited to perform with him:

"A tall American guy came over and told us that Bob would like to meet ‘the fiddler and the singer’. He brought Leslie Dowdall and myself over to see Bob in his quarters, an oasis of peace and tranquility away from the madding crowd. Bob came out of his tent to greet us, casually smoking a cigarette. Dylan’s eyes were startling and lined with heavy black eyeliner. He was wearing a jungle print shirt hanging open to the waist and a very robust looking pair of biker boots with brass hoops at the ankles. He looked otherworldly and spoke quietly. Bob praised InTuaNua and asked if Leslie and I would join him for a song during his set. Bob suggested that we play ‘Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat’. ‘It’s a regular blues’ he drawled in his familiar voice."

You can read the full tale here -

Friday, January 05, 2024

FRIDAY MUSIC: Linda Ronstadt, by JD

Canciones de Mi Padre - Linda Ronstadt.

"Singer Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson, Arizona, and grew up surrounded by music. One of Ronstadt's early musical influences was the Mexican songs her father taught her and her siblings. Her mother played the ukulele and her father played the guitar. Following in her father's footsteps, she learned to play guitar and performed with her brother and sister as a trio.

In 1987 Ronstadt explored her Hispanic heritage by recording a Spanish-language album, Canciones de Mi Padre (1987), which was filled with traditional Mexican songs like the ones her father loved."

(In Mexico and other S.American countries the word 'linda' means beautiful and her parents and grandparents would be well aware of that when they christened her Linda.)

LA CIGARRA - Linda Ronstadt (Live - 1987)

Linda Ronstadt - El Crucifijo de Piedra - Yo soy El Corrido

Mi Ranchito (2016 Remaster)

Linda Ronstadt - Yo soy el corrido

Linda Ronstadt Opens Up About Health, Career, Mexican Heritage

Linda Ronstadt "Frenesi"

Linda Ronstadt - Lo Siento Mi Vida

Sunday, December 31, 2023

NYE: Dinner For One, by JD

 A perennial celebration in Germany and justly famous. A happy, healthy and successful 2024 to all!

Monday, December 25, 2023

JD's 2023 Advent Calendar: Christmas Day!

In 1858 Camille Saint-Saëns composed his Oratorio de Noël for five vocal soloists, mixed choir, strings, organ and harp. The work, sung in Latin, is based on texts from the Old and New Testaments, the Psalms and Gospels, as well as the Catholic Christmas liturgy. A distinctive chamber music-like instrumentation, with lyrical soloistic parts and a modest choral part combine to create a basic pastoral mood which has led this Christmas Oratorio to become one of the most performed works by Saint-Saëns.

Saint-Saëns: Weihnachtsoratorium / Christoph Poppen / DRP

(00:32) 01 Prelude In the Style of J.S. Bach
(03:54) 02 Et Pastores erant; Gloria (chorus)
(08:40) 03 Expectants expectavi Dominum (soprano)
(11:39) 04 Domine, ego credidi (tenor, chorus)
(14:37) 05 Benedictus qui venit (soprano, bass)
(18:42) 06 Quare fremuerunt gentes (chorus)
(21:58) 07 Tecum principium (soprano, tenor, bass)
(26:42) 08 Alleluja (soprano, soprano, alto, bass)
(28:55) 09 Consurge, Filia Sion (soprano, soprano, alto, bass, chorus)
(34:28) 10 Tollite hostias (chorus)

Sunday, December 24, 2023

JD's 2023 Advent Calendar (24): Christmas Eve

A small selection from around the world of other, and very different, Christmas musical offerings Including what is possibly the earliest Christmas carol (if carol is the right word for it.)

Christmas Song by St. Gregorios Orthodox Church, Trivandrum


Veni Redemptor Gentium
This is the oldest Christmas carol ever documented. Dates back to 4th century Rome. (Come, Redeemer of the nations) is a Latin Advent or Christmas hymn by Ambrose of Milan


Theshbuhtho | Syrian Orthodox Nativity Hymns | Crystal Chords | 4K

Yehoodhiyayile Oru Gramathil Super hit Malayalam Christmas song

Saturday, December 23, 2023

JD's 2023 Advent Calendar (23) - nearly there!

Christmas Must Be Tonight | The Band |

Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong (Official Video)

Amy Grant Vince Gill Tennessee Christmas 1993

Friday, December 22, 2023

JD's 2023 Advent Calendar (22) - music at the Winter Solstice

Today is the winter solstice, at 3:27GMT this morning to be precise. The summer starts here! (possibly)

Yo-Yo Ma, Alison Krauss - The Wexford Carol (Video)

Yorkshire carol Sweet Bells (Kate Rusby)
From BBC programme Songs of Praise 
(Carols from Yorkshire, Sunday 5 December 2010), 
presented by Aled Jones

Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Thursday, December 21, 2023

JD's 2023 Advent Calendar (21)

Today, a mix of Irish, French and French Canadian:

Chieftains - A Breton Carol (1987)

The Christ Child's Lullaby - Celtic Christmas

The "Huron Carol" (or "'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime") is a Christmas hymn, written in 1643 by Jean de Brébeuf, a Christian missionary at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons in Canada. Brébeuf wrote the lyrics in the native language of the Huron/Wendat people; the song's original Huron title is "Jesous Ahatonhia" ("Jesus, he is born"). The song's melody is a traditional French folk song, "Une Jeune Pucelle" ("A Young Maid"). The well known English lyrics were written in 1926 by Jesse Edgar Middleton.

This version is performed by Heather Dale, and sung in Wendat (Huron), French and English.

Dropkick Murphys - "The Season's Upon Us" (Video)

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

JD's 2023 Advent Calendar (20)

A musical mixture for Wednesday 20th December:

Mannheim Steamroller Special Live Performance 
"Traditions of Christmas"

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Bill & Gloria Gaither - 
Angels We Have Heard On High/
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing (Medley) (Live)

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

JD's 2023 Advent Calendar (19) - Old Favourites

 Some more from the old-timers who are perennial favourites -

Louis Armstrong, Benny Carter And His Orchestra - 
Christmas In New Orleans

Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga - 
Winter Wonderland (Official Audio)

The Brian Setzer Orchestra (Stray Cats) 
"Jingle Bell Rock" 18/12/2004 Universal Amphitheatre, L.A.

Eartha Kitt - 
Santa Baby (Official Audio)

Frank Sinatra 
Let it snow

Elvis
Blue Christmas

Monday, December 18, 2023

JD's 2023 Advent Calendar (18)

As noted yesterday there are too many Elvis impersonaters out there and some of them make fake videos pretending to be the 'King'

There is one however who made no secret of his copycat Elvis style and that was the late Les Gray of the pop/rock band called 'Mud' and you have heard the song every Christmas for as long as you can remember.
Mud - 
Lonely This Christmas

Love Unlimited - 
It may be winter outside (but in my heart it's spring)

Darlene Love - 
All Alone On Christmas (Official Video)

25th Anniversary of Darlene Love's annual appearance performing "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" on The Late Show with David Letterman. December 23, 2011. (I think 2014 was her last performance on Letterman with this song)