Les Paul was a gifted designer of electric guitars, and was a brilliant “tinkerer” whose innovations for recording studios made him a giant in 20th century music. He was 94. Until recently, he drove into NYC every week to perform. I greatly enjoyed seeing the documentary “Les Paul – Chasing Sound” (2007) on DVD recently.
(Via New York Times Music)
The Big Picture has a fine set of photographs showing the fans and musicians at Somerset, England’s Glastonbury Festival. Looks like a lot of fun in a beautiful setting.
My cat just hopped out of the litter box, and though it’s only 9:30 pm, I’m getting sleepy. Soon I’ll slip into bed, and the cat will follow, and curl up around my knees.
I’m needing ideas for a new book to read, preferably nonfiction.
I recently read rocker Juliana Hatfield’s absolutely superb memoir, about her life on the road, recording, and more: When I Grow Up. Which led to me to her excellent new CD, How to Walk Away.
In Focus | The Photographer James Mollison: “James Mollison’s current show, ‘The Disciples,’ at Hasted Hunt Gallery begs the question, ‘When should one stop appearing in public dressed like a rock god?’”
(Via The Moment.)
Stones film opens Berlin festival: “The Rolling Stones’ hotly awaited concert movie, directed by Martin Scorsese, kicks off Berlin’s Film Festival.”
(Via BBC News.)
A great profile of the gifted composer Nico Muhly.
Eerily Composed: “Nico Muhly, a composer, was bounding through Chinatown, his hands thrust into the pockets of a black jacket, and a too small Icelandic knitted cap pulled halfway down over his ears, heading for the market under the Manhattan Bridge. Muhly, who is twenty-six, had a violin concerto that needed…”
(Via The New Yorker.)
Another great artist is gone. Imagine the master drummer Roach, as a teen, playing on stage with Charlie Parker!
Max Roach, a Founder of Modern Jazz, Dies at 83: “Max Roach rewrote the rules of drumming in the 1940’s and spent the rest of his career breaking musical barriers.”
(Via NYT > Arts.)
Wherever you stand on downloading music or other copyright-related issues, this is a fascinating “sign of the times” list, noting some of the outlandish twists and turns of
Intellectual Property Run Amok [Mother Jones]:
(Via Library Link of the Day.)
Archaic Sounds Reach Modern Ears: “From ragtime tunes to historic speeches, vintage cylinder recordings come back to life, thanks to a nifty device and a California library’s impressive campaign to digitize. By Rachel Metz.”
(Via Wired News.)
Elizabeth Esselink is the dynamic band Solex. I liked reading her 2004 U.S. tour diary. She does a fine job of capturing the spirit of a musician’s life on the road across the vastness of America. Her Dutch perspective provides plenty of pithy remarks about long van drives with the Icelandic group Worm is Green & Ovian (Portland, Oregon). She gives realistic & funny turns on touring, on a shoestring. There’s the unpredictable quality of rock clubs and budget motels, the pleasures of making new friends, and high praise for the hashbrowns at Denny’s.
Esselink lives in Amsterdam. As Solex, she mixes up a great blend of samples from CD’s in the record shop she owns, pairing them with found sounds and her lyrics.
“The Laughing Stock of Indie Rock” is Solex’s new (Sept. 2004) CD.
I also like to scan lists of bands I like, getting ideas for other groups to check out. Some good leads here, including a nice plug for NYC’s On!Air!Library from Iceland’s Worm is Green
Worm is Green is a hot electronica band from Arkanes, a small fishing town in Iceland. Their performances and Automagic CD are getting rave reviews in Europe and the U.S.. They’re on tour, coming to Portland, Oregon this month (wish I could attend). They’re in NYC on Halloween.
August 20, 2004, Copenhagen, Denmark. Public Service Festival (Photo by Birta).
San Francisco’s Exploratorium has a lively Science of Music section on its web site. Take a look at the Questions section, and read about “Why Some Songs Get Stuck in Our Heads.” One researcher calls them “earworms.” And, check out the online drum circle.
Reading about Bjork and her involvement with choral groups in Iceland reminded me of The Rose Ensemble.
This stellar vocal group is based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Their recent CD, Fire of the Soul: Choral Virtuosity in 17th-Century Russia and Poland is an amazing work.
New Yorker writer Alex Ross’s personal look at Iceland’s music scene in the online version of the New Yorker.
Ross’s lengthy article on Bjork in August 24 New Yorker is a good read too. I was in Reykavik 10 years ago, for only a few days, on one of Icelandair’s stopovers, on the way to Scotland. It felt like no other place, a quiet place of great beauty. It’s a place I often think about, and long to return to.