Black Sabbath at California Jam (1974)

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MC’d by Don Imus, this reminds us all of a time when concert lineups were interesting. The 1974 California Jam lineup was:

  • Rare Earth

  • Earth, Wind & Fire

  • Eagles

  • Seals and Crofts Black Oak Arkansas

  • Black Sabbath

  • Deep Purple

  • Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Today we’ve featured Black Sabbath’s set which includes the following list (Of course there are various setlists for this show, but here’s the one I’ve typically gone with):

  • Tomorrow's Dream

  • Sweet Leaf

  • Killing Yourself to Live

  • War Pigs

  • Snowblind

  • Sabbra Cadabra (with Jams)

  • Sometimes I'm Happy

  • Supernaut

  • Iron Man (with "Sabbra Cadabra" reprise)

  • Orchid

  • Paranoid

  • Embryo
    Children of the Grave


  • Visit Black Sabbath’s official website

  • Purchase Black Sabbath’s music at Amazon


Digable Planets Live At KEXP

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Digable Planets live for KEXP (November 4, 2016).



Setlist:

  1. The May 4th Movement

  2. Black Ego

  3. Pacifics

  4. What Cool Breezes Do

  5. Jettin'

Important People:

  • Host: Cheryl Waters & Kevin Cole

  • Audio Recording & Mixing: Kevin Suggs & Matt Ogaz

  • Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Alaia D'Alessandro, Luke Knecht & Justin Wilmore

  • Director: Scott Holpainen

  • Editor: Jim Beckmann


  • Follow Digable Planets at Facebook

  • Purchase Digable Planets’ music at Amazon


Erykah Badu at NPR's Tiny Desk

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Erykah Badu performs for NPR’s Tiny Desk. 08/15/18.

Felix Contreras says:

“Some folks around the NPR Music office said they felt an almost spiritual connection to Erykah Badu during her visit to the Tiny Desk. And that was before she and her band even played a single note. It came from the waft of earthly scents that followed in her wake, to the flowing dreads and clothes that hung on her like robes.

After her self-introduction, which included a rundown of her spiritual and creative aliases, Badu rolled into one of her earliest musical calling cards, "Rimshot." It's an ode to the sound the percussionist makes when a drumstick is struck against the metal edge of the snare drum. On this performance, as on her 1997 album Baduizm, it becomes a device to play with time — stretching it, stopping it, suspending it. Propelled by jazz chords on the piano and the steady pulse of the acoustic bass, the playful performance unfolded in the tradition of the best bebop.

But the panoramic song "Green Eyes" is the centerpiece of Badu's Tiny Desk performance. It's wide-ranging in scope and musical arrangement and brilliantly executed by the jazz and hip-hop musicians in her backing band. The story of heartbreak is striking enough, but her interpretation showcases her formidable vocal skills. By the time it was over, we were all just as emotionally and spiritually spent as she was from the experience.

Erykah Badu is an artist for the ages. To old-school jazz fans like myself, names like Nina Simone, Betty Carter and Shirley Horn come to mind as much as Billie Holiday because of Badu's singular approach to a lyric. They all cut their own creative path and left behind a legacy that you can identify with just one note. Erykah Badu is on that same path, and one day her name will be mentioned along with the other Elders who share her spirit of musical adventure.”

Setlist:

  • "Rimshot"

  • "Green Eyes"

Players:

  • Erykah Badu (lead vocals)

  • RC Williams (Keys)

  • Braylon Lacy (bass)

  • Cleon Edwards (Drums)

  • Frank Moka (Percussion)

  • Kenneth Whalum (Sax)

  • Keyon Harrold (Trumpet)

  • Dwayne Kerr (Flute)

Credits:

  • Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith

  • Creative Director: Bob Boilen

  • Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin

  • Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Khun Minn Ohn, CJ Riculan

  • Production Assistants: Catherine Zhang, Téa Mottolese

  • Photo: Morgan Noelle Smith/NPR.


  • Visit Badu World Market

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  • Purchase Erykah Badu’s music at Amazon

  • Follow the Musical Worldview posts.

  • Read about the Musical Worldview Project here.

  • Browse all the installments in the Musical Worldview Project.

  • Browse the master list of all the Musical Worldview Project posts.


Sidi Touré Live At KEXP 2013

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Sidi Touré is a songhaï blues musician from Bamako, Mali. Here he is performing for KEXP in 2013.




  • Browse Sidi Touré’s site at Thrill Jockey

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  • Purchase Sidi Touré’s music at Amazon


Iggy Pop Sessions At West 54th (1999)

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Iggy Pop live for Sessions at West 54th, 1999. Season 03 with host John Hiatt.


Setlist:

  • Nazi Girlfriend

  • Wild One

  • Interview

  • I Felt the Luxury

  • Lust for Life

  • Passenger


  • Visit Iggy Pop’s official website

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  • Follow Iggy Pop at Twitter

  • Purchase Iggy Pop’s music at Amazon


Remembering Black Eyed Sceva

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I’ve never been a huge fan of a lot of what been called “Christian Music.” I don’t listen to Christian radio stations. I don’t follow Contemporary Christian Music. In fact, I have often wondered: “Why "Christian" Music Is Often So Bad.”

But there have always been exceptions. For example, I highly recommend you spend some time with my playlist Joyful Sounds: An Introduction to Sacred Steel. And, during college, there were a handful of bands who openly identified as “Christian Artists” (whatever that means) and incorporated their faith into their music without diluting either. Bands like Five O’Clock People, Plankeye, Poor Old Lu, Soulfood 76 and others. But, my favorite band of that time is by far Black Eyed Sceva (later known as Model Engine).

I still remember the first time I heard the group’s first album Way Before The Flood. I was in college and also serving as a volunteer Jr. High youth group leader. I had just found out that a longtime girlfriend had cheated on me and I remember sitting in the back of a car as we drove a couple of hours North for a Jr. High weekend winter retreat when my friend put that cassette.

I also remember buying Model Engine’s The Lean Year’s Tradition the same time I bought Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind at the old Zia Records location at 7th Avenue and Indian School. I was lucky enough to see the band several times in both incarnations and am happy to report that they were a terrific live band on top of everything else.

Your Google-Fu skills are probably better than mine but here are the three videos I could find on Youtube. The two were part of a promotional video that I’m pretty sure I had and included both the tour video and the live “Mudhouse” video. The other one is (to my knowledge,) the band’s only official music video and it is for one of their best-known tracks: “Justified.”

Enjoy!

And please let me know if you have other videos not included here (or audio recordings!).


  • Follow Model Engine/Black Eyed Sceva on Facebook (FULL DISCLOSURE: I don’t know the legitimacy of this page)

  • Purchase Black Eyed Sceva music at Amazon

  • Purchase Model Engine’s music at Amazon


Taj Mahal Sessions at West 54th

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Taj Mahal live for Sessions at West 54th, Season One, 1997.



Setlist:

  • "She Caught the Katy,"

  • "Corrina, Corrina"

  • "Mr. Pitiful."

  • Albita performs

  • "Corazon rumbero,"

  • "El son del tahurete,"

  • "Valca el brillo de tus ojos"

  • "El chico Chevere."

But one of the Youtube comments says: 'Queen Bee'.


  • Visit Taj Mahal’s official website

  • Follow Taj Mahal at Facebook

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  • Purchase Taj Mahal’s music at Amazon


Ani DiFranco: Sessions at West 54th

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Another gem from the Sessions at West 54th vaults. Listings say that Tricky was also on this episode but I can’t find video of that. This was Season one with Host Chris Douridas and aired 12/13/97.

Sorry, no setlist. Maybe you know it?

Enjoy.


  • Visit Ani DiFranco’s official website

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  • Purchase Ani DiFranco’s music at Amazon


Liz Phair Live at Sessions At West 54th

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Here’s Liz Phair live for Sessions at West 54th. Sorry, I don’t have a setlist for this one, do you? It was with host David Byrne which means that it was Season 02. This one originally aired 10/11/98. The video intro says that the Lounge Lizards also appeared on this episode but I couldn’t find that video. Please let me know if you come across it.

Oh, and Ronald Vaughan really wants us all to know who uploaded the video. We should thank him.

Enjoy.


  • Visit Liz Phair’s official website

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  • Purchase Liz Phair’s music at Amazon


Daniel Lanois, Jim Wilson and Steve Nistor Rehearsing (August 2013)

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Yesterday’s Daniel Lanois double-whammy reminded me of this 20-minute instrumental jam. Daniel Lanois, Jim Wilson and Steve Nistor are caught “rehearsing” but no other context was given. Maybe you know? Maybe you don’t.

Enjoy.




  • Visit Daniel Lanois’ official website

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Daniel Lanois :: WFUV and Tiny Desk

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I am fascinated by these two short live sets from Daniel Lanois. Both feature the same trio of Lanios, Jim Wilson and Brian Blade. The two videos appeared less than a month apart but represent two very different live sets. The WFUV set says it was posted 12/29/14 (recorded on 11/11/14) and the NPR Tiny Desk show says it was posted 01/14/15 (not sure of the recorded date). So, like 16 or 17 days apart, these two videos both appeared representing the same trio with wildly different results and I can’t get enough.

In the WFUV set, Lanois focuses on pedal steel guitar and bassist Jim Wilson plays what appear to be the foot pedals of an organ? Anyone more knowledgeable than me as to what he is doing over there? The NPR Tiny Desk set features Blade on drums, Wilson on bass and Lanois on knobs. Seriously, I understand that things like modular synthesizers exist, it’s just beyond me how someone can get those sounds to come out of a switchboard.

Notes/Setlist:

  • "Aquatic/Sonho Dourado/JJ Leaves L.A." live in Studio A. Recorded November 11th, 2014.

Important People:

  • Host: Darren Devivo

  • Cameras: Caroline Inzucchi & Deirdre Hynes Editor:

  • Caroline Inzucchi & Deirdre Hynes

And, the Tiny Desk Concert is one of my favorite things ever. I even downloaded the audio from the NPR site and cut it into individual tracks and I listen to it all the time.

The Tiny Desk Concert Youtube page says that Lanois “led an all-instrumental, somewhat improvisational trio based on the sort of studio processing for which he's become famous. In essence, he brought the studio out of the studio — with the aid of two great players, drummer Brian Blade and bassist Jim Wilson — and directly to my desk. The title of Lanois' new album, Flesh And Machine, describes the music well. He never says a word, but he sculpts some serious, hypnotic sounds.”

Setlist:

  • "Sci Fi"

  • "Elevator"

  • "Apres Calypso"

Important People:

  • Producers: Bob Boilen, Maggie Starbard;

  • Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait;

  • Videographers: Colin Marshall, Maggie Starbard;

  • Assistant Producer: Susan Hale Thomas;

  • photo by Susan Hale Thomas/NPR


  • Visit Daniel Lanois’ official website

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  • Purchase Daniel Lanois’ music at Amazon


PJ Harvey at Sessions At West 54th

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PJ Harvey live for Sessions at West 54th with host David Byrne. 11/10/98.














Setlist:

  • Catherine

  • Civil War Correspondent

  • Taut My Beautiful Leah

  • I Think I'm a Mother

  • Is This Desire?


  • Visit PJ Harvey’s official website

  • Follow PJ Harvey at Facebook

  • Follow PJ Harvey at Twitter

  • Purchase PJ Harvey’s music at Amazon


Ghost of Vroom :: "Rona Pollona"

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Singer-songwriter (and former front-man of Soul Coughing) Mike Doughty and long-time collaborator Andrew “Scrap” Livingston have formed a new group called Ghost of Vroom. Their debut EP, Ghost of Vroom 2 is due out September 25 on Mod y Vi Records.

The lead single “Rona Pollona” was recently released and features production and mixing work by Mario Caldato Jr.. According to a recent interview with Stereogum, Doughty has intentionally begun to revisit the spirit of Soul Coughing, a part of Doughty’s history that he has expressed mixed feelings about to say the least. The same energy is definitely present and the new track resembles Soul Coughing a bit more than some of Doughty’s more singer-songwritery stuff. I’m excited to hear the rest.

Enjoy.


  • Visit Ghost of Vroom’s official website

  • Follow Ghost of Vroom on Facebook

  • Follow Ghost of Vroom on Twitter


Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba Live at KEXP (2015)

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I first came across Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba when doing the Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow and featured their track “Miri” in February, 2019 on Episode 37.

Bassekou Kouyate started playing the Ngoni at age 12. The Ngoni is a traditional Malian guitar. The body of the instrument is made of wood or calabash with dried animal skin head stretched over. This traditional instrument is believed by many to be the precursor to the banjo.

In 2015, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba played a live set for KEXP and today seems like as good a time as any to revisit that wonderful set.

Setlist:

  • Musow Fanga

  • Jama ko

  • Abe Sumaya

  • Siran Fen

Important People:

  • Host: Rhythma

  • Audio Engineer: Kevin Suggs

  • Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Scott Holpainen & Justin Wilmore

  • Editor: Scott Holpainen


  • Visit the official Bassekou Kouyaté website.

  • Follow Bassekou Kouyaté on Facebook.

  • Follow Bassekou Kouyaté on Twitter.

  • Purchase Bassekou Kouyaté’s music at Amazon


The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry

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I have made no secret of my love for Dub music. And you can’t love Dub music without reckoning with Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Yesterday we watched the

Today we’re watching another documentary about Perry. This one narrated by Benicio Del Toro. The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry.

“The definitive life story about Jamaican musical legend Lee 'Scratch' Perry, narrated by Benicio Del Toro and directed by Ethan Higbee & Adam Bhala Lough.”

Enjoy.


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  • Purchase Lee “Scratch” Perry’s music at Amazon


Lee Scratch Perry's Visions of Paradise

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I have this personal website compartmentalized because I realize that not every one of my friends is interested in exactly the same set of things that I am. And that’s not only “OK”, it’s beautiful.

However, I think everyone should love Lee “Scratch” Perry. If you’re not familiar with this brilliant artist, I suggest you get familiar with Google.

And I also suggest starting with this off-beat documentary: Lee Scratch Perry's Vision of Paradise | True Godfather of Reggae.


  • Follow Lee “Scratch” Perry at Facebook

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  • Purchase Lee “Scratch” Perry’s music at Amazon


Fiona Apple at Sessions at West 54th

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Fiona Apple for Sessions at West 54th, 1997. Season one with host Chris Douridas.




Setlist:

  1. Sleep To Dream

  2. Shadowboxer

  3. Criminal

  4. Never Is A Promise


  • Follow Fiona Apple on Facebook

  • Purchase Fiona Apple’s music at Amazon

  • Browse all other Holiday at the Sea Fiona Apple posts


Fulu Miziki Kinshasa Music Warriors

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This is one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time. Someone on Twitter posted a link to the live video for the song“Quarantine time with Warrior music” (which I have included below) and I was hooked.

Back when I was doing the Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow, this definitely would have been featured prominently. Enjoy these three videos and do some digging on your own. Lots to discover.

The group’s Youtube says:

“Fulu Miziki is a collective of artists who comes straight from a future where humans have reconciled with mother earth and with themselves. This multidisciplinary collective of artists is based in the heart of the Congolese capital city Kinshasa and was founded by Pisko Crane. For several years now, it’s founder Pisko has spent an amount of time conceptualizing an orchestra made from objects found in the trash, constantly changing instruments, always in search of new sounds.

Couples of years ago, Pisko Crane joined efforts with performing artist Aicha Mena Kanieba who, with Le Meilleur, DeBoul, La Roche, Padou, Sekelembele, and Tche Tche formed the Eco-Afro-Futuristic punk ensemble Fulu Miziki. Making our own performance costumes, masks and instruments is essential to their approach of Fulu Miziki’s musical ideology. Their unique sound supports a pan-African message of artistic liberation, peace and a severe look at the ecological situation of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the whole world. For Fulu everything can be recovered and re-enchanted.”


  • Follow Fulu Miziki on Facebook

  • Follow Fulu Miziki on Instagram


Joe Henry Live At Sessions at West 54th

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Joe Henry live for Sessions at West 54th, season 02 with an introduction by Billy Bob Thornton pretending to be Joe Henry. Sadly there is more Billy Bob than actual Joe and music on this but the two songs featured are great. Have you seen the full set anywhere around?


Setlist:

  • “Like She Was A Hammer”

  • “Great Lake”


  • Visit Joe Henry’s official website

  • Follow Joe Henry at Facebook

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Sinéad O'Connor Sessions at West 54th (1997)

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Sinéad O'Connor Sessions at West 54th (1997). Season one with host Chris Douridas.





  • Visit Sinéad O'Connor’s official website

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  • Purchase Sinéad O'Connor’s music at Amazon