Under the freeway no more?

An interesting article in the T-P the other day updates the thinking and possible future of the stretch of Claiborne that is now overshadowed by I-10. That area and its history was of the course the subject of an essay in LfNO. Apparently the city has recently landed “a $2 million federal grant to study [...]

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“What you played was what was recorded and that was it”

The Financial Times talks to Richard Thompson about his new album Dream Attic, “recorded live in concert.” The most obvious sign of the live recording is that Thompson’s guitar solos, a concert staple, are longer and more unrestrained than on record. “You’re trading energy for accuracy. In the studio you can take time to do [...]

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Treme listening

While I’m still holding off on forming an opinion about Treme (and may never get around to expressing one here if I can’t think of anything useful to say, which is distinctly possible), I’ve certainly been monitoring the reactions of others. Two quick links of interest on the subject of the show’s music: Friend of [...]

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The melting-pot factor

What makes American music American? Leonard Bernstein gives his answer to the question, in introducing a performance of Aaron Copeland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” (conducted by Copeland himself, no less) in 1958. In short, he says it’s the nation’s “many-sidedness,” “all the races and personalities from all over the globe that make up our [...]

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“One of the doomiest songs ever written”?

Edinburgh Evening News says: I’ve always thought Christmas parties are supposed to be cheery affairs but I’ve just been to a couple where the cabaret acts seemingly wanted us to weep into our wine. Both female, of an age when they have their whole lives before them, as they say. Somebody should have told them. [...]

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“Still Singing The Blues”

I am in receipt of a rather pleasing email from Barry Yeoman, from which I have learned of Still Singing The Blues, a blog chronicling the research behind and making of a radio documentary of the same name. The actual documentary is scheduled to air in the spring of 2010. Still Singing the Blues will [...]

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Uh, okay

Voodoo Fest dispatch: Thousands of folks turned around and headed toward the main Voodoo Stage across the field. Facing them was a black curtain spelling out “KISS” in enormous silver letters – and, on the video screen affixed to the left speaker stack, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s creepy-cool new animated video…. [of "SJI," mentioned [...]

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“SJI” on the uke

Up The Lazy River, a blog about “Learning to play the ukulele,” brings up “SJI” in a post about minor chords. Excerpt: These chord groups are fun to play and practice on a regular basis. They’re grouped in the way you will likely find them in songs, and they almost sound like songs in themselves. [...]

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Dylan deconstructor

Some of the most interesting tips I got while researching the SJI essay came from a Dylan fanatic who had learned of the song by way of Dylan’s “Blind Willie McTell.” That tune pops up on on this list of songs Dylan “didn’t write.” As you can guess if you’ve poked around this site much, [...]

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Folk material

Although I of course loved Spinal Tap, and while I am a big fan of Harry Shearer’s Le Show, I never saw A Mighty Wind. And I’m not likely to go out of my way to do so. But … I was amused at a passage regarding the music in that movie in this post [...]

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