Friday 21 November 2008
Two-Faced Friday
Listening back over the last week, and forward to what’s on The Daily Planet next week.
Past Programs
Audio
Thursday 20 November 2008
La Cherga
Tito's experiment of a united, peaceful and prosperous Balkans under the one name of Yugoslavia may have failed eventually in its intended form, but the group La Cherga have certainly realised his aims in a small way, even if they had to form in Austria to do it. The band fuses a variety of Balkan styles with dub and elctronica to form an exciting, if sometimes challenging whole.
The band is led by Kosovar expat singer Irina Karamarkovic and Croatian electronics wizard Nevenko Bucan. They're joined by two Macedonian brass masters and a pair of Bosnians on guitar and bass. The CD notes for Fake no More describe the band as representing a pan-Balkan consciousness ... ripe, bright and tasty as stuffed peppers - with a shot of rakija!
Tuesday 18 November 2008
Juan Carmona
Juan Carmona was born in France of Spanish Gypsy background. The gift of a guitar for his 10th birthday set him on the path of discovery of his roots which has led to the CD's Caminos Nuevos and Orillas which we feature today.
He blends the expected sounds of traditional and contemporary flamenco ... guitars, singers, hand clapping and percussion ... with the more unexpected textures of a Morrocan orchestra, complete with strings, brass and woodwinds. The result is a fine exploration of the Moorish roots of flamenco.
Monday 17 November 2008
Silk and Bamboo
Simply titled Traditional Chinese Music , the new CD from UK-based The Silk and Bamboo Ensemble delivers exactly what it promises ... beautifully.
Silk and Bamboo music gets its name from the fact that the instruments use both materials in their construction, and comes from an ancient (8th Century BC) classification of musical instruments according to their construction. This CD features 5 virtuosi on a wide range of instruments including erhu (upright fiddle), pipa (upright lute), guqin (unfretted zither), Guzheng (plucked zither), yangqin (hammered dulcimer), sheng (mouth organ), guanzi (oboe or shawm), dizi and xiao (flutes) and hulusi (gourd-based reed pipe)
CD of the Week - Taj Mahal
40 years as a significant figure in the diverse worlds of blues, soul, reggae and world music is no mean feat, and rather than just compiling a greatest hits retrospective, Taj Mahal has celebrated this milestone by putting out a brand new album Maestro.
In keeping with recent trends, he has decided to include many tracks which are collaborations, and so has joined up with a very fine list of well-known acts for this record, including Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Toumani Diabate, Angelique Kidjo, Los Lobos and Ziggy Marley. As you’d expect, the result is a CD which covers everything from hard-edged blues through reggae and soul to West African sounds.
Friday 14 November 2008
Two-Faced Friday
Listening back over the last week, and forward to what’s on The Daily Planet next week.
Thursday 13 November 2008
Kamerunga
After a decade or two waiting in the doldrums, Australian Bush Music has finally been given the revitalisation and rejuvenation it needed to allow it to return to festival headline status - thanks to a new band from far north Queensland - Kamerunga.
The band and their debut CD The Push are the brainchild of guitarist and singer Tony and multi-instrumentalist Peter Ella, who for many years have toured in the band Snake Gully. Kamerunga takes traditional Aussie songs like South Australia and the Lachlan Tigers as a starting point, adding elements of rock, classical, jazz, reggae and even rap to the mix to make a well-crafted, accessible and respectful synthesis. As well as the usual suspects like mandolin, fiddle and guitar, there's saxophones, bass, drums, keyboards and didgeridoo. The final touch is the production help by former Steeleye Span drummer Nigel Pegrum. It's a lively journey!
Wednesday 12 November 2008
BB King
There aren't too many musicians still producing records after 60 years, and even fewer producing records that are as good as this new release One Kind Favor from BB King. He's still singing the blues beautifully at 83 and his trusty guitar Lucille is also in good voice.
The CD is produced by T Bone Burnett and features a star cast of session musicians too many to list individually. There are tight grooves and a big lazy horn section, supporting a song list drawn from such favourites as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Howling Wolf and Lonnie Johnson. And all this was recorded two years after BB King's farewell concert tour.
Tuesday 11 November 2008
Fireside Bellows
In 2007, Australian Singer/Songwriter Jordie Lane met recently-arrived Canadian musician Tracy Mitchell at a gig in Fitzroy. Over a couple of long days sharing wine, guitar and stories they discovered they could sing together like they'd been doing it for centuries, and so the Fireside Bellows were born.
Their debut CD No Time to Die covers the full gamut of country styles from tragic murder ballad to oh-so-clever love ditties via rockabilly and a touch of western swing. There are some memorable guest appearances from Garrett Costigan (pedal steel), Andy Baylor (fiddle) and the horn section known as the Hoodangers. But the real strength of this CD is the sweet harmony vocals and classic lyrics.
Monday 10 November 2008
CD of the Week - David Sanborn
If you've listened to popular music over the past 30 years chances are you've heard the alto saxophone of David Sanborn. His list of session credits is impressive and diverse. And he's also managed to record more than 20 albums under his own name in that time. Here and Now is the latest.
This new disc is a fine collection of jazz tinged with blues and soul, with David leading a band including Christian McBride on bass, Steve Gadd on drums, Russell Malone on guitar and producer Gil Goldstein on various keyboards. There are some lovely duets including with Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks and Sam Moore. Not bad for someone who took up the sax after a doctor told him it would help with his rehabilitation from polio.
Solas
American Irish band Solas has been described by the Washington Post as ’one of the World’s finest Celtic folk ensembles’, and by the Austin American Statesman as ’the standard by which contemporary Celtic groups are judged’. That may or may not be a bit of jingoistic hyperbole, but there is no doubt that they are the real deal ... no pun intended.
They’ve been around for enough time to have had both a "best of" CD and a re-union concert, which means that they’re veterans of the scene. They now how to perform, how to write and arrange, and how to make really good records. Their new disc For Love and Laughter is no exception. It features the fine tune writing of multi-instrumentalist Seamus Egan, accordionist Mick McAuley and fiddler Winifred Horan, and has special guest appearances by Canadian roots-and-beyond band The Duhks.
