mick’s blog

Mohammad Reza Shajarian Memorial

October 9, 2020

Mohammad Reza Shajarian, one of the most important performers of Persian classical music, passed away today, October 8, 2020 in Tehran, Iran. Shajarian’s son, acclaimed vocalist and tombak player, Homayoun Shajarian, disclosed the news in an announcement on Instagram, stating he “flew to meet his beloved“.

Mohammad Reza Shajarian was a living legend In Persian classical music, with one of the most distinguishable voices in Iran. His vocal style was enjoyable, soulful, and energetic. Shajarian was regarded as a national treasure and was a key source of inspiration for musicians and music lovers. His singing was technically faultless, powerful, and emotional. In the music of Iran, traditional singing is the most demanding art to master, but Shajarian achieved this at a very early age.

Born in 1940 in the city of Mash’had in northeastern Iran, Mohammad Reza Shajarian started singing spiritual songs at the age five under the supervision of his father. Only a few years later his gifted talent was to be renowned throughout the town of Mash’had. His effort at first was on the local folk music of his native province, Khorasan (East Iran). At the age of 12, Mohammad Reza Shajaria was familiarizing himself with the traditional song repertoire, studying the Radif, but he also became interested in traditional music from Khorasan and the other regions of Iran.

Shajarian became a schoolteacher and had liberty to study all forms of traditional music and gradually relinquished religious singing. On his arrival in Teheran, Shajarian met Ahmad Ebadi, the great setar maestro. He studied under some of the most distinguished artists such as Reza Gholi Mirza Zelli, Ghamar-ol Molouk Vaziri, Eghbal-Soltan Azar, Taaj Esfahani Noor-Ali Khan Boroomand and Taher Zadeh Esfahani.

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Flamenco Fridays with María José Llergo

October 9, 2020

Fandango de Huelva is a fundamental palo (style) of flamenco. Within the branch of flamenco known as fandango there are styles known as ‘fandangos locales’ or ‘fandangos comarcales’ and also ‘fandangos personales’ which are sometimes known as ‘fandangos artisticos’ or ‘fandangos naturales’. Fandango de Huelva is a regional style of fandango (fandangos locales) and within this regional style there are even more variations that are connected to local areas within Huelva as well as personal styles of different singers. Fandango de Huelva is unique in that is has a strict compás and structure that may be danced whereas most other styles of fandango are free of compás (cante libre). The compás of Fandango de Huelva is 12 but it is generally counted as a 6 beat cycle.

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Daily Roots with Phyllis Dillon & Hopeton Lewis

October 9, 2020

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Surviving the Pandemic and Realizing Racial Justice

October 8, 2020

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The Cosmos with LHA 120-N 44

October 8, 2020

ESO’s Very Large Telescope has been used to obtain this view of the nebula LHA 120-N 44 surrounding the star cluster NGC 1929. Lying within the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our own Milky Way, this region of star formation features a colossal superbubble of material expanding outwards due to the influence of the cluster of young stars at its heart that sculpts the interstellar landscape and drives forward the nebula’s evolution. distance 170,ooo ly

 

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Bunny Striker Lee Memorial

October 8, 2020

Highly influential reggae producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee, a cornerstone of Jamaican music, passed away on October 6, 2020.

Edward O’Sullivan Lee was born in the Greenwich Farm section of Kingston, Jamaica in 1941. He joined the music industry in 1962 through his brother-in-law, singer Derrick Morgan, obtaining a job as a record plugger (promote) for Duke Reid’s famed Treasure Isle label.

By the mid-1960s, Lee was working with Ken Lack’s Caltone imprint, producing his first record, Lloyd Jackson & the Groovers’ “Listen to the Beat,” in 1967.

His first significant hit, Roy Shirley’s “Music Field,” followed later that year on the WIRL label, and upon founding his own label, he produced a series of well-received sides including Morgan’s “Hold You Jack,” Slim Smith’s “My Conversation,” and Pat Kelly’s “Little Boy Blue.”

Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee pioneered the art of dub, developing new studio along with his engineer, the famous King Tubby.

In his later years, Lee was one of the key contributors to the celebrated re-issue label Blood & Fire, contributing songs from his own catalogue of recordings to the well-regarded imprint. He continued to produce music throughout his life, independently releasing his work with partners Jet Star, Greensleeves, Super Power and VP Records among others.

Highly influential reggae producer Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee, a cornerstone of Jamaican music, passed away on October 6, 2020.

Edward O’Sullivan Lee was born in the Greenwich Farm section of Kingston, Jamaica in 1941. He joined the music industry in 1962 through his brother-in-law, singer Derrick Morgan, obtaining a job as a record plugger (promote) for Duke Reid’s famed Treasure Isle label.

By the mid-1960s, Lee was working with Ken Lack’s Caltone imprint, producing his first record, Lloyd Jackson & the Groovers’ “Listen to the Beat,” in 1967.

His first significant hit, Roy Shirley’s “Music Field,” followed later that year on the WIRL label, and upon founding his own label, he produced a series of well-received sides including Morgan’s “Hold You Jack,” Slim Smith’s “My Conversation,” and Pat Kelly’s “Little Boy Blue.”

Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee pioneered the art of dub, developing new studio along with his engineer, the famous King Tubby.

In his later years, Lee was one of the key contributors to the celebrated re-issue label Blood & Fire, contributing songs from his own catalogue of recordings to the well-regarded imprint. He continued to produce music throughout his life, independently releasing his work with partners Jet Star, Greensleeves, Super Power and VP Records among others.

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Johnny Ramone

October 8, 2020

John William Cummings (October 8, 1948 – September 15, 2004 Forest Hills, NY), known professionally as Johnny Ramone, was an American guitarist, songwriter, actor and author, best known for being the guitarist for the punk rock band the Ramones. He was a founding member of the band, and–along with vocalist Joey Ramone–remained a constant member throughout his entire career.

In 2009, he appeared on Times list of “The 10 Greatest Electric-Guitar Players”. He ranked No. 8 on Spins 2012 list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and No. 28 on Rolling Stones similarly-titled 2015 list.

Alongside his music career, Johnny appeared in nearly a dozen films (including Rock ‘n’ Roll High School) and documentaries. He also made television appearances in such shows as The Simpsons (1F01 “Rosebud“, 1993) and Space Ghost Coast to Coast (Episode 5 “Bobcat”).

His autobiography, entitled Commando, was released posthumously in 2012. The book was reviewed by numerous well-known publications including Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, the Houston Chronicle, the National Post, PopMatters, and MTV, which called the book a must-have for any Ramones fan. In the book Johnny talks passionately about his love of baseball and of collecting baseball cards and movie posters, particularly horror-related posters. He was a devoted and lifelong fan of the New York Yankees.

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Dick Burnett

October 8, 2020

Richard Daniel (Dick) Burnett (October 8, 1883 – January 23, 1977) was an American folk musician and songwriter from Kentucky.

Burnett was born near Monticello, Kentucky. Blind for most of his life, he was a full-time travelling entertainer. With fiddler Leonard Rutherford he formed a long touring partnership, and a brief recording career in which they cut a number of popular and influential sides with Burnett on banjo or guitar. Both men also sang.

Burnett has been described as “one of the great natural songsters, a man who collected, codified, and transmitted some of our best traditional songs. Dick was also a skilful composer and folk poet of considerable skill; his “Man of Constant Sorrow” remains one of the most evocative country songs.”

Burnett was born in the area around the head of Elk Springs, about seven miles north of Monticello. He remembered little of his farming parents. His father died when he was only four and his mother died when he was twelve. Burnett did say that his mother told him how his father would carry him in his arms when he was only four years old and he would help his dad sing. It is notable that Burnett’s grandparents were of German and English descent and that particular ancestral influence would be instrumental in forming Burnett’s musical career. At the age of seven, Burnett was playing the dulcimer; at nine he was playing the banjo, and at thirteen he had learned to play the fiddle. Unusually for the time, he also learned the guitar, which was still a novelty in that area.

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Pepper Adams

October 8, 2020

Park FrederickPepperAdams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a sideman. He worked with an array of musicians, and had especially fruitful collaborations with trumpeter Donald Byrd and as a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band.

Pepper Adams was born in Highland Park, Michigan, to father Park Adams II and mother Cleo Marie Coyle. Both of his parents were college graduates, with each spending some time at the University of Michigan. Due to the onset of the Great Depression, Adams’ parents separated to allow his father to find work without geographic dependence. In the fall of 1931 Adams moved with his mother to his extended family’s farm near Columbia City, Indiana, where food and support were more readily available. In 1933 Adams began playing piano. His father having reunited with the family, they moved to Rochester, New York, in 1935 and in that city he began his musical efforts on tenor sax and clarinet. Two years later Adams began deepening his developing passion for music by listening to Fats Waller‘s daily radio show. He was also influenced at a young age by listening to Fletcher Henderson‘s big band radio broadcasts out of Nashville, Jimmie Lunceford, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway. Adams would later describe “[his] time up until the age of eight or so [as] really just traveling from one place to another”. As early as 4th grade, Adams sold cigarettes and candy door-to-door in order to contribute to his family’s income for essential items.

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World Music with Xiao Dong Wei

October 8, 2020

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Daily Roots withe Desmond Dekker and the Aces

October 8, 2020

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Surviving the Pandemic and Realizing Racial Justice

October 7, 2020

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The Cosmos with Ou4 and Sh2-129

October 7, 2020

The Giant Squid Nebula cataloged as Ou4, and Sh2-129 also known as the Flying Bat Nebula, are both caught in this cosmic scene toward the royal royal constellation Cepheus. Composed with 55 hours of narrowband image data, the telescopic field of view is 3 degrees or 6 Full Moons across. Discovered in 2011 byFrench astro-imager Nicolas Outters, the Squid Nebula’s alluring bipolar shape is distinguished here by the telltale blue-green emission from doubly ionized oxygen atoms. Though apparently completely surrounded by the reddish hydrogen emission region Sh2-129, the true distance and nature of the Squid Nebula have been difficult to determine. Still, a more recent investigation suggests Ou4 really does lie within Sh2-129 some 2,300 light-years away. Consistent with that scenario, Ou4 would represent a spectacular outflow driven by HR8119, a triple system of hot, massive stars seen near the center of the nebula. The truly giant Squid Nebula would physically be nearly 50 light-years across.

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Yo-Yo Ma

October 7, 2020

Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris, France to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, United States, Ma was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from The Juilliard School and Harvard University, and has performed as a soloist with orchestras around the world. He has recorded more than 90 albums and received 18 Grammy Awards.

In addition to recordings of the standard classical repertoire, he has recorded a wide variety of folk music such as American bluegrass music, traditional Chinese melodies, the tangos of Argentinian composer Ástor Piazzolla, and Brazilian music. He has collaborated with artists including jazz singer Bobby McFerrin, guitarist Carlos Santana, Sérgio Assad and his brother, Odair, and singer-songwriter and guitarist James Taylor. Ma’s primary performance instrument is a Montagnana cello crafted in 1733 and valued at US$2.5 million.

He has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2006. He was awarded The Glenn Gould Prize in 1999, the National Medal of Arts in 2001, Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, and Polar Music Prize in 2012.

Ma is included in Time magazine ‘s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

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Larry Young

October 7, 2020

Larry Young (also known as Khalid Yasin [Abdul Aziz]; 7 October 1940 in Newark, New Jersey – 30 March 1978 in New York City) was an American jazz organist and occasional pianist. Young’s early work was strongly influenced by the soul jazz of Jimmy Smith, but Young later pioneered a more experimental, modal approach to the Hammond B-3Raised in Newark, New Jersey, Young attended Newark Arts High School, where he began performing with a vocal group and a jazz band.

Young played with various R&B bands in the 1950s before gaining jazz experience with Jimmy Forrest, Lou Donaldson, Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobleyand Tommy Turrentine. Recording as a leader for Prestige from 1960, Young made a number of soul jazz discs, Testifying, Young Blues and Groove Street. When Young signed with Blue Note around 1964, his music began to show the marked influence of John Coltrane. In this period, he produced his most enduring work. He recorded several times as part of a trio with guitarist Grant Green and drummer Elvin Jones, occasionally augmented by additional players; most of these albums were released under Green’s name, though Into Somethin’ (with Sam Rivers on saxophone) became Young’s Blue Note debut. Unity, recorded in 1965, remains his best-known album; it features a front line of Joe Henderson and the young Woody Shaw. Subsequent albums for Blue Note (Contrasts, Of Love and Peace, Heaven On Earth, Mother Ship) also drew on elements of the ’60s avant-garde and utilised local musicians from Young’s hometown of Newark. Young then became a part of some of the earliest fusion groups: first on Emergency! with the Tony Williams Lifetime (with Tony Williams and John McLaughlin) and also on Miles Davis‘s Bitches Brew. His sound with Lifetime was made distinct by his often very percussive approach and often heavy use of guitar and synthesizer-like effects. He is also known for a jam he recorded with rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix, which was released after Hendrix’s death on the album Nine to the Universe. In March 1978 he checked into the hospital for stomach pains. He died there on March 30, 1978, while being treated for what is said to be pneumonia. However, the actual cause of his death is unclear.

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Mel Brown

October 7, 2020

Mel Brown (October 7, 1939 – March 20, 2009) was an American-born blues guitarist and singer. He is best remembered for his decade long backing of Bobby Bland, although in his own right, Brown recorded over a dozen albums between 1967 and 2006.

Brown was born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, and was presented with his first guitar as a teenager while recovering from a bout of meningitis. By 1955, after performing backing duties for both Sonny Boy Williamson II and Jimmy Beasley, Brown had a two year long stint backing Johnny Otis. This led to work with Etta James, where he swapped his Gibson Les Paul for an ES-175 to give him a richer and fuller tone to his guitar work, that set him apart from his contemporaries.

The stress of constant touring led him to Los Angeles, California, to resume work with Otis, spending an extended residency at the Club Sands. Further session duties saw Brown back Bobby Darin and Bill Cosby among others, as well as performing on T-Bone Walker‘s Funky Town. ABC Records producer Bob Thiele offered Brown to chance to record his own material, and Brown released Chicken Fat in 1967.

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Papa Joe Jones

October 7, 2020

Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 – September 3, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. He was sometimes known as Papa Jo Jones to distinguish him from younger drummer Philly Joe Jones.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Jones moved to Alabama, where he learned to play several instruments, including saxophone, piano, and drums. He worked as a drummer and tap-dancer at carnival shows until joining Walter Page‘s band, the Blue Devils in Oklahoma City in the late 1920s. He recorded with trumpeter Lloyd Hunter‘s Serenaders in 1931, and later joined pianist Count Basie‘s band in 1934. Jones, Basie, guitarist Freddie Green and bassist Walter Page were sometimes billed as an “All-American Rhythm section,” an ideal team. Jones took a brief break for two years when he was in the military, but he remained with Basie until 1948. He participated in the Jazz at the Philharmonic concert series.

He was one of the first drummers to promote the use of brushes on drums and shifting the role of timekeeping from the bass drum to the hi-hatcymbal. Jones had a major influence on later drummers such as Buddy Rich, Kenny Clarke, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, and Louie Bellson. He also starred in several films, most notably the musical short Jammin’ the Blues (1944).

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World Music with Folklore Urbano Orchestra

October 7, 2020

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Daily Roots with Don Carlos

October 7, 2020

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Surviving the Pandemic and Realizing Racial Justice

October 6, 2020

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Interviews