The Weekend Planet

Abbey Lincoln is a great jazz singer. Her current CD is splendid, but not a ‘jazz’ album. The 77-year-old was 76 when she recorded Abbey sings Abbey. Abbey’s survey of her own songbook has grace, wit and emotional depth, with tasty slide guitar, accordion and cello, but no horns or piano. As Larry Blumenfeld observed, here is a singer-songwriter who ‘manages to exude both an elder’s wisdom and a child’s wonder.’ Abbey has never looked back since that 1960’s day when she {literally} burned her little red dress - the one formerly filled {literally} by Marilyn Monroe.

Abbey Lincoln site:
www.verve musicgroup.com/abbeylincoln

For the story behind her current CD, click its link to Larry Blumenfeld’s article from the Wall Street Journal of July 18, 2007.

Playlist

HAVING TROUBLE READING OUR PLAY-LISTS?
READ THIS AND EVERYTHING BECOMES CLEAR (WE HOPE!)
Details of each track are presented in the following order:
BROADCAST TIME
TRACK NUMBER AND TITLE
COMPOSER
PUBLISHING AND COPYRIGHT DETAILS
RECORDING COMPANY AND CD NUMBER
( distributor/ source details, in brackets like this, in lower-case)
ARTIST AND CD TITLE
Duration of track
Description of track, in lower-case.
Where relevant, further info links to information, gigs/events/related programs

’THE WEEKEND PLANET’ SAT 8.3 .08.

2205
THEME:
(details below, as per the original CD.. This cut is also on these compilations Ketama - ’Nuevos Medios Coleccion’ - Nuevos Medios NM 15 820
{ in Australia via MGM www.thegroovemerchants.com
worldwide, via: www.flamenco-world.com/noticias/nuevos.htm }
and ’Jarabi - the best of Toumani Diabate’ (Hannibal 334352 )

CD CUT 1, ’JARABI’
TRAD, ARR TOUMANI DIABATE
HAMILCAR MUSIC LTD
HANNIBAL HNCD 1323
( in Australia, some releases through Stomp Enquiries to: ben@stomp.com.au
worldwide: www.rykodisc.com )
KETAMA, TOUMANI DIABATE, DANNY THOMPSON - ’SONGHAI’
THIRTY SECONDS (EXCERPT)
(retains a stately-Manding air, whilst also embracing flamenco elements. Toumani Diabate’s kora, Danny Thompson’s beautiful double bass and Ketama’s flamenco guitars )

2208
CD CUT 5, ’THE WORLD IS FALLING DOWN’
ABBEY LINCOLN
PUB NOT SPEC
VERVE B008900-02
( may be available in Australia through Universal, on indent
www.vervemusicgroup.com/verve/default.asp
readily available via any major online supplier )
ABBEY LINCOLN - ’ABBEY SINGS ABBEY’
3:38
( wry, loping-blues-walker with a grin - song in which the world’s gone to the proverbial dogs, but she remains undefeated and still in love with humankind and music. Larry Canpbell’s slide resophonic guitar and Shawn Pelton’s drums are prominent )

SEGUE

2212
CD CUT 3, ’SOLOMON SANG’
CASSANDRA WILSON
PUB NOT SPEC
BLUE NOTE 83711832 (through EMI)
CASSANDRA WILSON - ’NEW MOON DAUGHTER’
5: 54
(erotic-reverential { ’Song of Solomon’- referring }: lustrous deep black female voice in English w ac guitar, ac resophonic slide guitar, percussion)

SEGUE

2218
CD CUT 3, ’IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE LOVE’
ABBEY LINCOLN
PUB NOT SPEC
VERVE B008900-02
( may be available in Australia through Universal, on indent
www.vervemusicgroup.com/verve/default.asp
readily available via any major online supplier )
ABBEY LINCOLN - ’ABBEY SINGS ABBEY’
4: 44
(Mex-cum-country-rhumba-tinged song for its septuagenarian author’s still-splendid female voice and acute phrasing. Her ditto lyric addresses ’love’ and the violence inflicted on women by men. She’s much too good a writer to deploy a tedious phrase like ’domestic violence’, but this is a very potent song. With Larry Campbell’s pedal steel and other guitars, and a beautifully-delivered groove. Gil Goldstein on accordion, Scott Colley’s ac bass and Shawn Pelton’s limber brushes )

2226
CD CUT 10, ’WHAT IS THE COLOUR OF THE SOUL OF A MAN?’
JIMMY DRIFTWOOD
COMBINE MUSIC
ROUND TOWER RTMCD 55
( available direct via: www.barrencewhitfield.com/buy.htm )
BARRENCE WHITFIELD WITH TOM RUSSELL - ’HILLBILLY VOODOO’
2: 51
(Barrence’s cheerfully gritty black male voice w elec guitar, slide, guitar ( lap steel, played by Larry Campbell ), thunking ac bass, drums, rocking beat. The song’s author was a remarkable bloke: the six thousand-plus songs are just part of Jimmy Driftwood’s legacy.

LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT JIMMY DRIFTWOOD (1907-1998) ?

This is a good place to start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Driftwood )

SEGUE

2229
CD CUT 7, ’DOWN HERE BELOW’
ABBEY LINCOLN
PUB NOT SPEC
VERVE B008900-02
( may be available in Australia through Universal, on indent
www.vervemusicgroup.com/verve/default.asp
readily available via any major online supplier )
ABBEY LINCOLN - ’ABBEY SINGS ABBEY’
6: 29
( Ostensibly, a prayer directly addressed to the Creator. Both poignant and celebratory, its quiet potency in no way depends on the listener having any capital ’b’ Belief. It’s about living and loving life, as a knowing mortal. Uncanny performance - the singer-author was 76 when she recorded this. With cello, ac guitar, accordion and a ’simple’, crucial ac bass part - exquisitely played by Scott Colley.

YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE LYRIC?

It is here:
www.rhapsody.com/abbeylincoln/abbeysingsabbey/downherebelow/lyrics.html
NOTE:
On the new recording she makes a crucial change to one line, as you will hear if you compare her last part with the ’official’ lyric )

SEGUE

2235
CD CUT 7, ’BESAME MUCHO’
CONSUELO VELÁSQUEZ
ALLAN’S MUSIC
JAZZHEAD HEAD090
( www.jazzhead.com )
JOE CHINDAMO - ’DUENDE: THE ROMANTIC PROJECT’
6: 13
(AUSTRAL PERF: Solo piano, ’live’ at the 2007 Melbourne International Jazz Festival. The familiar Latin love-song gradually emerges in this tender-rhapsodic, improvisatory rendition. Its Mexican author wrote it just before her sixteenth birthday, in 1940. The convent-educated teenager was inspired by a couple she observed, smooching in the street. Her first, most famous composition is likely the best-loved Latin love song, ever.

LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE SONG AND ITS MEXICAN AUTHOR?
{ who lived on until 2005}

Read the obituary here:
www.guardian.co.uk/news/2005/jan/26/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries1

LIKE TO SEE FESTIVAL DETAILS FOR ’MELBOURNE JAZZ 2008’?

It runs April 29 through May 4: www.melbournejazz.com )

2244
CD CUT 1, ’DE LOS AMORES’
COMP JAVIER LAZO
PUB NOT SPEC
LUAKA BOP 72438-48912-2-0
( in Australia through Shock. www.shock.com.au
worldwide: www.luakabop.com )
SUSANA BACA - ’ECO DE SOMBRAS’
5: 10
(Black female Peruvian voice - a great one with depth and focus. Hypnotic-erotic-unhurried, in Spanish : w ac bass, nylon guitar and percussion to fore)

SUSANA BACA CONCERT ALERT (last-chance! Adelaide-only)

She is exclusive to WOMADelaide, Friday 7th - Sunday 10th of March.
Her final concert is Sunday lunchtime - 1215.
Full festival details here: www.womadelaide.com

YOU MISSED THE SPECIAL WOMADELAIDE EDITION OF ’THE MUSIC SHOW’? ( it aired immediately before this show)

You can still catch it!
Like ’The Weekend Planet’, for four weeks after broadcast ’The Music Show’ lives on, via the program website ’- yours to demand , at any time.

’The Music Show’ with Andrew Ford - Saturdays 10am-noon,
Repeat broadcast Sat night 8pm-10pm

NOTE: on Saturday March 8th, the WOMADelaide night-time broadcast is NEW - not a repeat.
Website (includes audio): www.abc.net.au/rn/musicshow
There is also a pod-cast of some of the special WOMAD edition )

SEGUE

2249
CD CUT 3, ’DUERME NEGRITO’ ( SLEEP, LITTLE BLACK ONE )
ATAHUALPA YUPANQUI
PUB NOT SPEC
BISCOITOFINO BF-585
PAULO MOURA AND YAMANDÚ COSTA - ’EL NEGRO DEL BLANCO’
3: 56
( Brazilian duo - respectively, clarinet and nylon-stringed ac guitar. The wistful tune comes from a lullaby popular throughout Latin America. Its lyric {not sung, here} adopts the persona of a mother singing to her baby. The mother is a poor, black south American, who is enslaved - in fact, or in effect. Its very significant Argentinean author/ original performer was born Hector Roberto Haram; his stage name referred to two Inca kings.

YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE SINGER-AUTHOR?

Atahualpa Yupanqui {1908-1992} is widely considered Argentina’s most important folk musician. Start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atahualpa_Yupanqui

YAMANDÚ COSTA GIG/ MAJOR FESTIVAL ALERT

His trio performs in Melbourne on the night of Friday May 2nd.
That’s part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival

The Festival runs April 29 - May 4: www.melbournejazz.com

Yamandu’s gig is here: www.melbournejazz.com/v2008/index.php?act=artists&aid=1 )

2255
CD CUT 6, ’ELEGY FOR RITA/ ASTORIA’
DOUG DE VRIES
(PRESUMABLY) APRA
JAZZHEAD HEAD090
( www.jazzhead.com )
JOE CHINDAMO - ’DUENDE: THE ROMANTIC PROJECT’
4: 10 ( excerpt )
(AUSTRAL COMP AND PERF: no Joe on this cut. Doug De Vries alone, playing solo nylon-stringed acoustic guitar - wonderfully. The first piece honours the memory of his late mother. The second, more robust , tango-esque part salutes Astor Piazzolla - and also Yamandú Costa )

------
11PM NEWS
-----

2305
CD CUT 3, ’LAZ’
TRAD, ARR ARA DINKJIAN & BRIAN KEANE
KRIKOR MUSIC(BMI)/ BRIAN KEANE MUSIC (ASCAP)
CELESTIAL HARMONIES 13092-2
( In Australia, through The Planet Company/ MGM
email: info@theplanetcompany.com
website: www.theplanetcompany.com
worldwide: www.harmonies.com )
OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK - ’MYSTICAL GARDEN’
3: 53
(Turkish dance - neo-Arab-clasical, with whiff of Balkan - a lively and cheerful swirl for nay (flute), oud, kanun {plucked zither}, ac guitar, percussion. The piece-proper is actually Armenian. The leader is Turkish. At least one member of this ensemble is Armenian

OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK AND ENSEMBLE: AUSTRALIAN TOUR ALERT

Featuring Omar Faruk Tekbilek - vocals, baglama, ney, zurna and percussion,
Savas Özkök - kanun; Itamar Erez- guitar; Yannis Dimitriadis- keyboards;
River Guerguerian and Murat Tekbilek - percussion.

Sunday 16 March Hamer Hall, Melbourne
www.theartscentre.net.au

Monday 17 March Perth Concert Hall
www.perthconcerthall.com.au

Friday 21 - Sunday 23 March Four Winds Festival, Bermagui
www.fourwinds.com.au

Tuesday 25 March Sydney Opera House
www.sydneyoperahouse.com )

2311
CD CUT 2, ’THROW IT AWAY’
ABBEY LINCOLN
PUB NOT SPEC
VERVE B008900-02
( may be available in Australia through Universal, on indent
www.vervemusicgroup.com/verve/default.asp
readily available via any major online supplier )
ABBEY LINCOLN - ’ABBEY SINGS ABBEY’
5: 46
(buoyant new version of one of her signature songs - genially philosophical. Features some nice accordion from Gil Goldstein.
Her lyric - in part - says this:

’Throw it away. Throw it away.
Give you love, live your life..
Cause you can never lose a thing
If it belongs to you.’ )

SEGUE

2317
CD CUT 11, ’LAZY AFTERNOON’
J. LATOUCHE AND J. MOROSS
CHAPPELL AND CO INC/ SONY ATV TUNES LLC (ASCAP)
BLUE NOTE 0946 3 70281 2 4
( Through EMI...at least notionally
www.bluenote.com )
JOE LOVANO AND HANK JONES - ’KIDS: LIVE AT DIZZY’S CLUB COCA-COLA’
8: 15
( ’Live’ and in absolutely no hurry. Still, this seemingly-languid song has brooding drama as well as elegance, here. Jones’ piano, Lovano’s soprano sax. Jones was just shy of his 88th birthday at the time of this 2006 gig )

2327
CD CUT 8, ’THE MUSIC IS THE MAGIC’
ABBEY LINCOLN
PUB NOT SPEC
VERVE B008900-02
( may be available in Australia through Universal, on indent
www.vervemusicgroup.com/verve/default.asp
readily available via any major online supplier )
ABBEY LINCOLN - ’ABBEY SINGS ABBEY’
3: 53
( Cubano - and Latin-rock - tinged, with a nice groove. Larry Campbell’s chunky elec. guitar, Shawn Pelton’s drums-cussion and Scott Colley’s fat-toned ac bass are crucial. Most especially so is the spirited vocal from herself - aged 76 at the time )

SEGUE

2331
CD CUT 7, ’KIDS ARE PRETTY PEOPLE’
THAD JONES
D’ACCORD MUSIC (ASCAP)
BLUE NOTE 0946 3 70281 2 4
( Through EMI...at least notionally
www.bluenote.com )
JOE LOVANO AND HANK JONES - ’KIDS: LIVE AT DIZZY’S CLUB COC-COLA’
7: 30
( Sauntering-swinging, loping, part-marching genial jazz duo - wonderful (at times decidedly ’stride’) piano from Hank in conversational mode with Joe’s limber and luscious tenor sax )

2340
CD CUT 4, ’SHOULD’VE BEEN’
ABBEY LINCOLN
PUB NOT SPEC
VERVE B008900-02
( may be available in Australia through Universal, on indent
www.vervemusicgroup.com/verve/default.asp
readily available via any major online supplier )
ABBEY LINCOLN - ’ABBEY SINGS ABBEY’
5: 26
( Bitterwseet tango-tinged ballad which does not wallow in regret and nostalgia. It’s about the virtues of acceptance, of continuing to embrace life. Beautifully delivered by herself, with ac and quiet elec. guitars, ac bass, cello, accordion and brushes/percussion )

2347
CD CUT 3, ’GOD BLESS THE CHILD’
HERZOG/HOLLIDAY
EDWARD B. MARKS MUSIC CORP
ENJA CD 7037-2
(in Australia through Fuse Music
www.fusemusic.com.au
worldwide: www.enjarecords.com )
ABBEY LINCOLN - ’ABBEY SINGS BILLIE’
5: 22
( ’live’ in 1987. She does not ape Billie (acknowledged by Abbey as her key influence) but she really addresses the song.. and slyly gives it a feminist tint. Abbey’s voice with pianist James Widman, Harold Vick’s tenor sax, Tarik Shah’s ac bass and Mark Johnson’s brushes )

2254
CD CUT 5, ’BIRTH OF A BUTTERFLY’
ENRICO RAVA
PUB NOT SPEC
ECM 2020/ 1737322
ENRICO RAVA, STEFANO BOLLANI - ’THE THIRD MAN’
4: 30 (Excerpt)
( duet: Rava’s trumpet, Bollani’s piano. Open, improvisatory, but very lyrical too.

ABC RADIO NATIONAL RAVA-BOLLANI ALERT

Their duo CD is explored on ’The Daily Planet’ next week - March 10-14, inc

’The Daily Planet’ with Lucky Oceans airs Monday to Friday at 2.20pm
Except on Fridays, it has a second airing at 11.20 pm
website {includes audio} : www.abc.net.au/rn/dailyplanet )

Presenter

Doug Spencer

Producer

Doug Spencer