What are you listening to right now? (VOL III)

Started last night, finished this morning - has been a real grower this one



Now an old fave:

Tangerine Dream - live in Brussels 76

again!

An amazing series of historic blues recordings. Can't get enough of it, the French Saga label did a fine job selecting these recordings IMHO.

Part I. 40’s Blues and Gospel from the Soul
Part II. 50’s Rhythm & Blues

The music called soul was born out of a confrontation between the blues experience and the spirituality of gospel. But before Ray Charles and Sam Cooke became the genre’s official godfathers, female voices had already lit the fuse to reconciliation between the sacred and the profane. That gave us such sacred divas as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mahalia Jackson and Wynona Carr, whose influence over Aretha Franklin was decisive. In the world of song, two major trends accompanied this movement: propelled by big band swing, Nellie Lutcher and Ella Johnson, Julie Lee and Myra Taylor made similar experiments, whilst Dinah Washington, Big Mama Thornton, LaVern Baker, Ruth Brown and Little Esther Phillips gave a quasi-mystic colour to their blues. Taking example from these exceptional singers, soul music would soon unveil all the diversity of its Black soul.

Playing a guitar with the aid of a bottleneck (or slide) is one of the blues’ essential traits. In Chicago, this style inspired by the great Hawaiian guitarists was dominated head and shoulders by Tampa Red (nicknamed “The Guitar Wizard”). His popular success was considerable for over three decades, and his velvet touch, evocative and languid, influenced slide guitarists (who all more or less emulated him), from Robert Nighthawk to Muddy Waters. One of them, Elmore James, would develop this style even further and, in turn, become a model for many musicians in both blues and rock.

Venus in Furs - i love the violins..

On vinyl..

Beethoven Symphony No. 9 - Reiner/Chicago

Two new ones that you will enjoy, Haim: Maxim Rysanov (Brahms) and John Holloway (J-M Leclair), respectively.

Probably the last one until the evening's TV viewing is done, delivering just the right measure of warmth.

5 Disc set of Robert Wyatt Ep's

The Fireman - Electric Arguments

beethoven symphony no. 7 reiner/chicago

Bob Marley- Live at the Boarding House San Francisco 7/7/75