The Whole Music Experience

Since 2012 was a light year as far as reviewing jazz and classical recordings and heavier on world music recordings, this year I'm only including 7 recordings in the top classical and top jazz CDs for the year.  The Top Jazz CDs will appear a week from today.  You will also find two surprises on my list if you were expecting only European classical CDs. 1. Arcanto Quartett with Olivier Marron, Franz Schubert String Quintet op. 163, Harmonia Mundi 2. Kristian Bezuidenhout & Freiburger Barockorchester, Mozart Piano Concertos K. 453 & 482, Harmonia Mundi 3. Javier Perianes, Beethoven Moto Perpetuo, Harmonia Mundi 4. Isabelle Faust, J. S. Bach Sonatas & Partitas, Harmonia Mundi 5. La Nueova Musica with David Bates, Handel's Il Pastor Fido, Harmonia Mundi (box-set) 6. Ravi Shankar, The Living Room Sessions Part 1, East Meets West Music 7. Mahsa & Marjan Vahdat, Twinklings of Hope (Persian/Iranian classical), Kirkelig Kulturverksted

Ravi Shankar Tenth Decade DVD In Concert: Live in Escondido East Meets West As Pandit (term of reverence in India) Ravi Shankar made his way to the concert stage, the 91 year old sitar player looked exhausted and dispirited.   Accompanied by his right-hand man tabla player Tanmoy Bose, master percussionist (also on tabla) Samir Chatterjee, student Ravichandra Kulur on bansuri flute (and percussion on one track), and another student Parimal Sadaphal on sitar, Shankar opened with the Alap to the evening raga, Yaman Kalyan .   By the time the musicians had joined in jod portion of the raga (when the tabla introduces beats), Shakar’s face emitted a rosy glow.   An hour and twenty-four minutes later as the musicians played the fiery last notes of the final raga, Ragamala , (based on an Indian folksong), Shankar resembled a new man, glowing from a spectacular performance. The second raga, Khamaj in slow and medium tempo teen taal (or 16 beats per ...

photo by Patricia Herlevi It happens to all of us.  Trying to stay in a good mood and beat the positive drum, and the blues comes seeping through the cracks.  Pretty soon, the funk gets deeper and the moods spiral downward.  Some people take pills, but for mild to moderate depression, try music instead. Obviously, turning to music with self-defeating lyrics or a vocalist lashing out venom to his or her listeners won't uplift any moods.  Sometimes when people feel a funk coming on, they choose music that will only take them deeper into depression. However, working in increments of positivity goes a long way in battling a bad mood. For moderate depression, you need to move to the next level which is anger.  For this you might need something along the lines of Beethoven's 5th Symphony or classic American blues (not the self-pitying blues).  But you don't want to wallow in anger to then you find music that will take you to the next level.  I r...

Jørn Simen Ǿverli Markaviser Folk songs from Oslo Kirkelig Kulterveksted While many cities boast a monument at their center, a forested region marks Oslo’s center both geographically and for the recreational purposes.   This scenario ties into Norwegian folksongs from Oslo.   The press notes cite, “Folk songs from Oslo do not come easily to mind, even though they exist...”   Stretching the boundaries of folksongs from ones with anonymous authors of songs past down for several generations to folk songs composed by known artists, but also passed down, folksinger Jørn Simen Ǿverli joins Ǿyonn Groven Myhren (vocals on two tracks, 15 & 16), Frode Haltli (accordion) and Stian Cartensen (accordion, flute, banjo steel guitar, guitar...) on the accordion-centered Folk songs from Oslo. The songs on the CD enchant and remind me of French bals-musette sung to the Norwegian language.   The jaunty accordion set to polka and waltz melodies sound more...

World and folkloric recordings make up the bulk of CDs I reviewed in 2012.  Because of that, I came up with two top 10 lists for World Music.  You'll find the other list on World Music Central later this month, http://worldmusicentral.org For the purpose of this list, World Music includes Americana and Native American along with Latin American, African, and European recordings (excluding jazz and classical).   This list is not in any specific order. 1. Antonio Zambujo, Quinto, World Village (Portugal) 2. Le Vent Du Nord, Tromper Le Temps, Borealis Records (Canada) 3, Radmilla Cody with Herman Cody, Songs for the People, Canyon (Navajo/US) 4. Lo'Jo, Cinema el Mundo, World Village (France) 5. Hijos de Agueybana, Agua del Sol, Tumi Music (Puerto Rico) 6. The Mountain Music Project, A Musical Odyssey from Appalachia to Himalaya, Independent release (US/Nepal) 7. Good Lovelies, Let The Rain Fall, Warner Music Group (Canada) 8. The Toure-Raichel Co...

Rodrigo Romaní As Arpas de Breogán Folmusica Oddly, Galician harpist Rodrigo Romaní new album As Arpas de Breogán (The Breogán Harps) arrived in my mailbox right after I completed a section in my book Whole Music on harps.   I knew that harps played a role in traditional and most likely classical music of Galicia (Spain), but I believe this is the first harp recording I’m hearing from Northwest Spain.   While Galicia has Celtic influences, the bagpipes, frame drums, and other instruments differ from Celtic instruments of the British Isles.   Galicians also have their own styles of Celtic music with distinguishing features. The press notes tell the story of how the harp was introduced to Galician folk and popular music.   Rodrigo Romaní and lute-maker Ramon Casal introduced the harp to the University of Vigo in 1996.   Romaní who plays the roles of producer, composer, educator, conductor and broadcaster has built a solid reputation thro...

Techung Songs from Tibet Arc Music (2006) My first encounter with Tibetan music occurred when I attended a concert featuring Tibetan Buddhist choir in 1994.   My friends and I were exploring various “new age” spiritualities and felt curious about the Tibetan Buddhist monks and the Dalia Lama.   In 1998, I saw Yungchen Lhamo perform Tibetan songs a cappella at WOMAD USA and then I saw her perform at WOMAD again in 2001.   Then in 2006, I saw performances by former Tibetan Buddhist monk-turned musical performer Nawang Khechog.   I also interviewed Lhamo and Khechog during those times.   Now, I’m introduced to a new performer to my ears, Techung, who resides in San Francisco and performs mostly secular folkloric songs with traditional Tibetan instruments, Damnyen (a long-necked lute) and Piwang (spiked fiddle). I doubt I would have found this material on a Nawang Khechog recording which leans towards more spiritual aspects of living or on Yu...

Thai Elephant Orchestra Dave Soldier & Richard Lair Mulatta Records (2000) Thai Elephant Orchestra Dave Soldier & Richard Lair Elephonic Rhapsodies Mulatta Records (2003)     Thai Elephant Orchestra Dave Soldier & Richard Lair Water Music Mulatta Records (2010) Never in my wildest imagination did I ever expect to review CDs by elephant musicians.   True elephants play music differently than humans, but when we consider that they are limited to a trunk and their front feet, the music they do make seems extraordinary.   Little did I know ten years ago, living in Seattle and testing recordings out on squirrels and crows that musicians with a scientific bent in New York were actually playing music with birds and elephants.   While there are likely animal advocates who will think that human musicians encroach upon the non-human’s space for ego gratification, I would disagree.   The musical interaction and interludes...

Ceumar Dindinha Sons Do Brasil Arc Music Falling somewhere between Brazilian pop diva Badi Assad and Afro-Samba chanteuse Monica Salmaso, Ceumar brings us effervescent songs on her new recording Sons Do Brasil (Songs of Brazil).   Ceumar (a name that marries the sky to the sea), blends regional folk music with pop, jazz, and samba performed on this acoustic album.   Her lilting voices recall Badi Assad, but the instrumental arrangements, minimalistic of woodwinds, Portuguese guitar, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, percussion, piano and violin (these instruments appear on the various tracks) recalls Monica Salmaso, as mentioned earlier. Songs of Brazil is one of those albums where sweet revelry meets sensuality, and at times melancholy such as on the titular track, which speaks about the Portuguese “sodade” a term not easily explained in English--a longing sadness comes close.   Fans of the late Cape Verdean vocalist Cesária Evora will re...

Kristian Bezuidenhout Freiburger Barockorchester Mozart Piano Concertos, K. 453 & 482 Harmonia Mundi Within the past 48 hours, I learned that Mozart had a pet starling who he taught to sing and that the music he taught the bird to sing was Mozart’s Piano concerto K. 253 .   The bird, like most of us humans could not grasp the complexities of Mozart’s compositions, much less sing it perfectly.   However, the famous Austrian composer’s student Fräulein Babette had no trouble learning the delightful concerto and performed it at a private concert in Vienna.   According to the liner notes, Mozart decided to forge a career as a freelance musician, composing for aristocratic families, performing in private homes, and teaching piano.   While this might sound arduous to a modern pianist/composer, this allowed Mozart freedom to explore his virtuosity and innovative ideas without an archbishop or emperor breathing over his shoulder. We learn some...

Birds do it, dogs do it, and children do it.  And before humans develop our analytical and rational minds, we also responded to music and sometimes without inhibitions.  Put on some Cuban or Brazilian or really, any type of music then watch what happens to a room full of toddlers.  They don't get out pens and paper, grab music theory books, or pontificate about perfect fifths.  They are the lucky ones who respond to music purely and in an uncomplicated manner. A few years back, David Rothenberg (a musician/philosopher turned researcher) wondered why birds sing.  Yes, they sing for survival, mating, and defending of territory, but did they also sing for pleasure? Rothenberg leaned towards yes.  More recently, while reading Elena Mannes book The Power of Music--Pioneering Discoveries in the New Science of Song ), I learned that Thai elephants can play music and that cockatoos among other creatures can synchronize to the rhythms of human made music....

Lo’Jo Cinéma el Mundo World Village It takes a global village to make a Lo’Jo album, but then Lo’Jo, hailing from Angers, France, feels more like a collective of nomadic musicians, than a structured sextet.   After a hiatus from North America, the French band has returned with the eclectic Cinéma el Mundo (Cinema of the World) that harks back to Lo’Jo’s Mojo Radio of the late 1990s, but minus rousing songs such as Mojo Radio and Sin Acabar .   The new album possesses a more contemplative sound and like the cinema in its title, conjures floating images. I have yet to come across a world music act that fuses whirling circus music with traditional instruments from Africa, Asia, and Europe in the manner of Lo’Jo--“original” doesn’t come close to describing this band’s music.   I imagine any music journalist new to the scene will choke on adjectives trying to describe this band that defies any labels.   Then with each album, the musicians del...

photo by Patricia Herlevi, Angels in the Sky A strange idea came up for this post.  I feel that since many people are going through divorce, separation or breakups, I'll blog on healing music for these circumstances.  And of course, you would listen to different types of music during the various stages of your soul's evolution after a breakup or divorce.  I'm including music that is familiar to most people, mainly popular types of music such as rock, jazz, show tunes, and bluegrass. Let's start with the tension felt by a couple when separation is inevitable.  The couple has tried therapy, learned better communication skills, but the spark has left, and so have any reasons for keeping the relationship together.  This stage also reveals the inner workings of each person in the couple, if they tune into that silent space inside them.  The souls yearn for a different life, and not just the grass looking greener in the neighbor's yard. For this stage, ...

Roberta Donnay & The Prohibition Mob Band A Little Sugar Motema American jazz chanteuse Roberta Donnay takes a journey through jazz history on her juicy CD, A Little Sugar .   The songs range from 1897 to present day while showing off blues, Dixieland, and swing roots.   Donnay immerses herself in the feminist sentiments of Roaring twenties and Depression Era women jazz singers, and Donnay’s softer vocals take on a gritty edge even with songs by Irving Berlin and Hoagy Carmichael. Woman empowerment, though tongue and cheek on songs such as One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show come into play.   Playful is the right word to describe this recording a nd if you want sexy innuendos listen to (Tropical) Heatwave or (I Want a Little) Sugar in My Bowl .   If you look for clever lyrics, you’ll find plenty here and you’ll chuckle at the witty one-liners too.  After listening to this CD, I feel like watching Hollywood classics, even Silent Era mov...

Silvana Kane La Jardinera Six Degrees Records Silvana Kane (Canadian band Pacifika) offers an enchanting solo debut La Jardinera , featuring nueva cancion (new songs) from South America.   The minimalist approach of Kane’s yearning vocals set against a framework of acoustic guitar, banjo, bass and trumpet gives off an intimate feeling as if we sit in Silvana’s living room while she shares her favorite songs.   Kane reaches back to her childhood living in Peru, Canada and the United States when she discovered celebrated Latin American singer-songwriters such as Mercedes Sosa, Violeta Parra, and Chabuca Granda.   Kane transforms the folkloric songs into contemporary lullabies, which Kane sings in sweet, whispery Spanish.   Since I’m a fan of South American folk songs and warm acoustic music, I enjoy immersing myself in Kane’s recording.   When I first listened to the CD, I also visited YouTube to watch Kane’s sensual and touching videos. T...

photo by Patricia Herlevi, Happy Flowers Consider how music affects our moods.  When we listen to songs from our formative years, we wax nostalgia, but this can have therapeutic effects too.  We hear of people listening to romantic music to get them in the "mood" and marches and political anthems often accompany rallies.  But how conscious are we of shifting or creating moods with music? I've already mentioned rhythmic entrainment and resonance on this blog so we're not heading in that direction today.  Hopefully, you have kept a music journal where you have tracked emotional and physical responses to music and sound exposure.  I would even go as far as asking you to listen to music you heard as a child, even if this music was the favorite of a sibling or parent.  Then track your emotions, feelings, and thoughts. Where does your mind wander to, which memory surfaces? How does this memory cause you to feel? Do you feel angry, sad, or elated? And ac...

Antonio Zambujo Quinto World Village The waves of the Atlantic ocean, lost loves, and family nostalgia color the poetry of Portuguese fadisto Antonio Zambujo’s second World Village release, Quinto .   Certainly, you can hear the trembling, aching fado voice here, but you can also hear strains of Brazilian bossa nova.   I watched a few of Zambujo’s live performances on YouTube where the artist collaborated with a Bulgarian women’s choir, a duet with Raquel Tavares and a performance with a Portuguese traditional men’s choir, Rancho de cantadores da Aldeia de S. Bento (who also appear on What has become of her? on Quinto) . Clarinet, Portuguese guitar, ukulele (which finds its origins in Portugal), classical guitar and double bass accompany Zambujo’s sexy vocals.   Flagrante sounds like it came out of Brazil’s Bahia region with its lilting rhythms and spritely melody.   José Miguel Conde’s clarinet takes a Brazilian flavor too and only the shimme...