Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: MUSIC: Lockdown Grooves

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  • Russell Brown,

    Oh yeah. I also did that A-Z of artists you’ve seen live thing that’s been going around on Facebook:

    A -> Alpaca Brothers
    B -> Butthole Surfers
    C -> The Clash
    D -> De Le Soul
    E -> Everything But the Girl
    F -> Flaming Lips
    G -> The Go-Betweens
    H -> Headless Chickens
    I -> Iggy Pop
    J -> Janine and the Mixtape
    K -> Kraftwerk
    L -> Look Blue Go Purple
    M -> Madonna
    N -> Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
    O -> Sharon O’Neill
    P -> Prince
    Q -> Queen Latifa
    R -> Lou Reed
    S -> Sun Ra and the Arkestra
    T -> Toy Love
    U -> Underworld
    V -> The Verlaines
    W -> Paul Weller
    X -> X-Features
    Y -> Neil Young
    Z -> Zed (ouch)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts

  • Robert Harvey,

    Hi Russell,
    Nice that your music column is back. May I suggest a jazz album of great distinction: “John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman” on Impulse? It’s on YouTube for a listen, but worth putting through a decent hi-fi. Coltrane’s sax is definitive, and Hartman’s voice is like audible chocolate (85% cocoa). Especially recommend the superb version of the fiendish “Lush Life”.
    Bob

    Westmere • Since Nov 2006 • 66 posts

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Robert Harvey,

    May I suggest a jazz album of great distinction

    You may!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts

  • bob daktari,

    Some nice distractions I’ve enjoyed –

    Montreux Jazz Festival have made over 50 Festival concerts available to stream for free, including performances by Ray Charles, Wu-Tang Clan, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Deep Purple, Carlos Santana – you do have to sign up and use a special player (slight pain) but well worth it

    https://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/en/50-concerts-to-stream/


    The Sound of Belgium award-winning documentary film is available to stream for free from EBM and New Beat to Belgian house and techno! Director’s cut with 7 tracks that weren’t included in the official release.

    Stay warm and safe

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 540 posts

  • Ethan Tucker,

    Thanks for the music post, Russell. I’ve always been a bit wary of jazz, and chimed with Glen Hansard’s throwaway line in The Commitments (‘jazz is for tossers’), but I admit that’s a shallow view. There’s just a lot to explore and some of it can be rather obtuse. But not Miles Davis’ first film soundtrack, for Louis Malle’s Ascenseur pour l’échafaud / Elevator to the Gallows. Formidable!

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 119 posts

  • Malcolm Dale,

    Have you listened to Betty Davis (Miles’ second wife)? She’s great!

    Waterview • Since Jan 2019 • 1 posts

  • Peter Darlington,

    New Nicolas Jaar tune Mud is sounding pretty great!

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts

  • Trevor Nicholls,

    Arguing with fools on Twitter can get you suspended (I speak from experience). The fools never seem to get banned, unfortunately.

    Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 325 posts

  • andin,

    Dollar Brand is a goody & Miles did a few film scores which are worth listening too..

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts

  • Matthew Littlewood,

    I just wanted to say that I’m really enjoying Nadia Reid’s new album. It’s more expansive musically than anything she’s done previously, but it’s still very direct lyrically and vocally.

    For an album about trying to find your own place in the world (both literal and metaphorical), it’s surprisingly well grounded, if that makes sense.

    And I like the arrangements- some of them have a soulful swing to them, and the countrified touches sound natural too.

    As for appropriate “lockdown” songs, you can’t go too much further than Al Green’s “Can’t Get Next to You”, one of his toughest and most forceful songs. Even the horns sound like they’re rooted to the ground.

    I’ve also been listening to a lot of early Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, and what’s really struck me is how adult their music was. It was the music of people who had lived long and complicated lives, and there’s something quite scary about their emotional honesty.

    Anyway, hope everyone is staying safe!

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts

  • Sacha,

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts

  • Nik Dirga,

    Boy, I’ve been listening to a LOT of Miles lately. Particularly love the late 60s/early 70s era where he just started to stretch out in all sorts of directions. Yeah, he was apparently a fairly flawed and often awful human like so many artists are, but I have to say that in these plague days his horn can still put aside my worries like few sounds can. Jazz is more soothing to me now than ever.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 26 posts

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Stooge fright
    I just caught the last half of ’Gimme Danger’ Jim Jarmusch’s Stooges documentary on Maori TV – luckily it is on their ‘on demand’ site for a wee while
    https://www.maoritelevision.com/shows/feature-documentaries/S01E001/gimme-danger

    While there you also have two (2) days left to watch the excellent
    ’Rumble: The American Indians who rocked the world’


    and 16 days to see the Janis Joplin doco ’Janis – Little Girl Blue’

    and over at tubitv there is a great doco on Aussie ‘punk’ pioneers
    Radio Birdman
    https://tubitv.com/movies/487390/descent_into_the_maelstrom_the_radio_birdman_story

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Malcolm Dale,

    Have you listened to Betty Davis (Miles’ second wife)? She’s great!

    She really, really was. The 2017 documentary They Say I’m Different is quite compelling – and left me thinking she deserved a lot better than she got.

    I got a copy from, um, the internet, but it looks like it can be rented or bought from Vimeo with no geoblocking.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts

  • Mike O’Connell, in reply to Matthew Littlewood,

    Nice to hear from you Matthew. Yes Nadia Reid was also one of the first to do a Facebook concert – the first Sat in quarantine – in lieu of a cancelled Dunedin gig.

    Delaney Davidson also canned his upcoming southern tour. But we got this instead, a live rendition of ‘Purea Nei’ sung with Marlon Williams – snuck in in time, in a church in Le Bons Bay.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts

  • Mike O’Connell, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    While there you also have two (2) days left to watch the excellent
    ’Rumble: The American Indians who rocked the world’

    Thx Ian for tip. Always wanted to see this and may even squeeze in Gimme Danger again. Oh gosh, and Radio Birdman too, I’m in heaven!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts

  • Russell Brown,

    Hello! This is worth watching while it lasts – a new documentary about Eel Pie island on the Thames, site of successive scenes that helped deliver the Yardbirds, the Stones, David Bowie, Elton John and many more. Its claim that rock music was spawned there certainly has some merit:

    Warning: contains a lot of old blokes reminiscing.

    There’s a story about the doco here.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts

  • Mike O’Connell,

    Some of you may have heard that the musician Peter Stapleton passed away in Dunedin on March 22. He was in the Vacuum, Pin Group and the Terminals to name but a few bands.

    Here’s some footage that surfaced in the last few days, Peter with Roy Montgomery, Helen Greenfield and Mikey Summerfield, from Dec 2013, a Lou Reed tribute.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts

  • Robert Harvey,

    Coming from a different world, the 2004 doco “Rhythm Is It!” is worth tracking down (with subs in English, if you’re like me, monolingual). Berlin Philharmonic under Simon Rattle, Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’, and ~230 schoolkids from hhigh and low decile schools around Berlin, most non-dancers, performing the ballet.

    Westmere • Since Nov 2006 • 66 posts

  • Hugh Wilson,

    Good to see a music post RB!

    Lockdown and jazz go together quite well, although its a vast field and you really need to find those niches, artists or periods you like. And then there will be more, artists you’ve heard of and those you hear of. Unfortunately it’s often the passing of folks that makes you realise how much more there is out there. Mike Longo, McCoy Tyner and Bubbha Thomas all in the last little while.

    And Bitches Brew is 50: https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/miles-davis/bitches-brew-50-anniversary/

    And Nathan Haines did a Lockdown jazz special.

    https://soundcloud.com/thisiszootmusic/march-29-2020-sunday-jazz-special-lockdown

    Melbourne • Since Feb 2013 • 168 posts

  • Fentex,

    About the only thing I’ve been capable of is rewatching episodes of Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2013 • 3 posts

  • Mike O’Connell,

    Ever since my daughter won a copy off Music 101 recently, I’ve been listening quite a bit on the sly to Benee. Pretty inventive video too.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Hugh Wilson,

    And Nathan Haines did a Lockdown jazz special.

    Oh, nice!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts

  • Ian Dalziel,

    On a grimmer note – here’s Joan Baez dedicating a song to John Prine – who has covid-19.


    there’s an update here

    Here he is in his prime

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts

  • Matthew Littlewood, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Yeah that’s really sad news about John Prine. His debut is simply masterful songwriting: sometimes haunting, sometimes funny, but always felt., if that makes sense.

    Anyway, seeing as there will be several couples locked away in lockdown with (ahem) much time on their (ahem) hands, I would like to recommend this Serge Gainsbourg/Jane Birkin classic.

    The whole record is a gas- sultry, sexy, funny and groovy- but it’s the tune below that stays the longest for (ahem) obvious reasons. You look at Serge Gainsbourg and wonder how he had the pick of so many beautiful women, and then you hear something like this…and it all makes sense.

    (Possibly NSFW)

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts

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