“Oz for Africa was an Australian concert held on 13 July 1985 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was broadcast locally and internationally as part of the worldwide Live Aid performances to raise money for famine relief in Africa.” (Wikipedia)
Setlist:
Original Sin
Listen Like Theives
Kiss the Dirt
The video’s Youtube page says:
“Armed with the incredible vocalist Bilal, The Roots performed the signature track from Detroit, a film about the race riots in 1967. "It Ain't Fair" glares unflinchingly, takes a knee and raises a fist against the societal construct that has systematically denied equality of experience to those "presumed inferior," to quote one of Bilal's verses. And it achieves all this while covering its heart with its right hand. This reflective hymn tenderly yanks your heart strings and offers a window into the ethos of those who would like to stand for the flag but cannot in good principle, lest these same evils continue to exist.”
Setlist:
"It Ain't Fair"
Musicians:
Curtis L. Jones Jr (Trombone)
Arnetta Johnson (Trumpet)
Hiruy E. Tirfe (Sax)
Richard L. Tate II (Sax)
Joseph Streater (Trumpet)
Norman J. Bradshaw (Trombone)
Damon Bryson (Sousaphone)
Ahmir (Questlove) Thompson (Drums)
Tarik (Black Thought) Trotter (Emcee)
Bilal Oliver (Vocals)
Important People:
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Alyse Young
Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR
Roy Ayers’ stopped by the NPR Tiny Desk in March 2018 with keyboardist Mark Adams, bassist Trevor Allen and drummer Christopher De Carmine.
Setlist:
"Searching"
"Black Family"
"Everybody Loves The Sunshine"
Musicians:
Roy Ayers, Mark Adams (keyboards)
Trevor Allen (bass)
Christopher De Carmine (drums)
Important People:
Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith;
Creative Director: Bob Boilen;
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin;
Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Kara Frame, Bronson Arcuri, Dani Lyman;
Production Assistant: Joshua Bote;
Photo: Jenna Sterner/NPR.
David Crosby and Graham Nash live at BBC Studios in 1970.
Setlist:
Simple Man. (Graham Nash song)
Marrakesh Express
Guinnevere
Song With No Words (Trees With No Leaves)
Teach Your Children
Right Between the Eyes
The Lee Shore
Traction in the Rain
Digable Planets live for KEXP (November 4, 2016).
Setlist:
The May 4th Movement
Black Ego
Pacifics
What Cool Breezes Do
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
Today we set aside 30 minutes for Explosions in the Sky live for KEXP in 2016.
Come on, you know you want to.
Setlist:
Wilderness
Infinite Orbit
The Ecstatics
Colors In Space
Disintegration Anxiety
Important Details:
http://KEXP.ORG presents Explosions In The Sky performing live in the KEXP studio. Recorded September 3, 2016.
Important People:
Host: Troy Nelson
Audio Engineer: Jackson Long & Kevin Suggs
Audio Mixers: Jeff Byrd & Jay Demko
Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Alaia D'Alessandro & Scott Holpainen
Editor: Justin Wilmore
Café Tacvba performs for Sessions at West 54th (1997).
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!).
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'.
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.
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.
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.
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
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?
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.
Pre-Order "Ghost of Vroom 2" Vinyl on Mike Doughty's online store: http://bit.ly/VroomVinyl
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
Today we return to the Sessions at West 54th archives. Meshell Ndegeocello live for Sessions at West 54th. Season 01 with host Chris Douridas (09/13/97).
Setlist:
Step in to the Projects
The Way
Ecclesiastes - Free my Heart
God Shiva
Players:
Meshell Ndegeocello - bass/keys/vocals,
Gene Lake - drums,
David Dyson - bass,
Federico Gonzalez Pena - Keys,
Allen Cato - guitar/vocals,
Byron Jackson - vocals,
Alfredo Mojica - percussion
