Subject: [Harp-L] Music

EGS1217@xxxxxxx · Thu, 28 May 2009 17:13:51 EDT

Hmmm...I'm not so sure, Robert. Have you given a listen to all of the
tracks of Jason Ricci's latest (brand new) CD: 'Done with the  Devil'?
Undoubtedly some of the songs will fit your category of  'guitar driven' (given that
there are two guitars in the 4 piece band), but  I suspect his version of
'Enlightenment' as well as a couple of other  tracks just might give you
pause. Enlightenment is the Sun Ra tune..opens  with Chord and Bass
harmonicas...(Jason and Todd playing).

Separately, I'm thoroughly enjoying the 'Playing for Change' YouTube videos
 (now out on CD/DVD)....Musicians around the world playing and singing
'together'  on some old standards such as 'Stand By Me', 'One World', etc. even
while they  were worlds apart.

 But....there is now a song called 'Chanda Mama'...from Chennai, India
they all learned in the original language as well, and some of the singers
don't sing even the American songs we're familiar with in English but keep  to
their native tongues to wonderful effect. The 'beats' are  unfamiliar to one
growing up on purely Western music. The result is absolutely  soul stirring
and even haunting at times.

The Spring 2009 tour - the beginning - when the musicians finally met  in
person (in New Orleans?) and now begin to tour together:

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJbTpaq9au8_
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJbTpaq9au8)

Chanda Mama

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I23Bkk92124_
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I23Bkk92124)

Don't Worry (Good Vibrations)

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAjFnJuk1Aw_
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAjFnJuk1Aw)

And - last but not least...where it all began:

Stand by Me

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM_
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM)

(With your work with Native American youth, I thought you'd especially
appreciate the Zuni Indian tribe's drumming on this track...as well as the
next video showing the building of a music school in South Africa.)

Incidentally - Roger Ridley (the first singer here - who triggered the
entire idea of playing for change and was filmed back in 2005), died that  same
year (November 2005) which very few people seem to realize.  His  is an
interesting musical bio.

Hope you find something to enjoy out of these. There are lots more at  the
Playing for Change website....the Irish Omagh youth choir with  beautiful
voices. Definitely worth checking out.  I found some of the  'foreign'
musicians  wonderful. I'm planning to get the CD/DVD set this  weekend.  It's said
to be widely available (even at Starbucks).  They've already built one music
school in Capetown, South Africa.

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTORG0HipZU_
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTORG0HipZU)

and purely because I love this version: Clarence Bekkers and Grandpa
Elliot  fronting the Playing for Change Band in New Orleans singing  Sam Cooke's
brilliant:

A Change is Gonna Come

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvayzIktTJ4_
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvayzIktTJ4)

Frankly, when people this amazing can sing R&B songs from the 50's  and
60's this soulfully,  I have no worries about where music is going..as  long as
songs like this one aren't ever allowed to die. To my mind, people  will
rediscover what to them might be 'old' music and incorporate it into their
lives as new and fresh, and even that from other countries never heard before.
 What's not to appreciate about this idea?

Elizabeth

"Message: 5
Date: Wed, 27 May 2009 22:46:38 -0400
From: Robert  Bonfiglio <bon@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Music
To: _harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx)

> It's time for music to go somewhere else.  It's not that  the
> players aren't good at what they do; it's that we've heard it  all
> before.  We know where they are going before they get  there.
> Everything is so bloody safe!

I sent that  comment a while back and got several examples of
different music with  different instruments. I have finally had time
to listen to all of the  cuts.

Most of it was modal with virtuosic players jamming over the  mode
with sometimes odd plucked instruments.  All of it was in  one groove
through the piece; all of it was in song form, all of it  was guitar
driven, all of it was fast, loud and male.

Here were  some of the things I found missing - change of groove, most
grooves  stayed the same through the song.  Complicated forms, most
were  jams on a song.  Big changes in dynamics, texture.  A move away
from guitar based everything.  Modulations into new keys.  Use  of
diminished and half diminished harmonies or any odd  harmony.   Good,
strong melodic structure.   Development.  Extended forms.  Disturbance
of the groove,  form or harmony. Complete mood changes.  Anybody
playing  pianissimo. and on and on.  The tools available for Beethoven
are  now longer being used.

In other words, most everybody is blowing their  brains out on fast
stuff over the same groove throughout a song.   Is this music?  or is
this mine is bigger than yours?

I  still say, it's time for music to go somewhere else.  It's not that  
the players aren't good at what they do; it's that we've heard it all
before.  We know where they are going before they get  there.
Everything is so bloody safe!

Makes me want to go  shopping at Walmart.

harmonically yours,

Robert  Bonfiglio
http://www.robertbonfiglio.com

**************We found the real âHotel Californiaâ and the âSeinfeldâ
diner. What will you find? Explore WhereItsAt.com.
(http://www.whereitsat.com/#/music/all-spots/355/47.796964/-66.374711/2/Youve-Found-Where-Its-At?ncid=eml
cntnew00000007)