Country Joe McDonald at Woodstock, RIP
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FIxin’ To Die Rag
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Category Archives: Music
Teaching in Prisons and More: Andy Teirstein Part 2
“Hi this is Jack Shalom, Last week we began our conversation with composer, professor, performer, activist Andy Teirstein. I had met Andy through our mutual immigration rights work at the NYC immigration courts for the New Sanctuary Coalition. In the process of getting to know him I learned that he had taught music and theater at a couple of upstate prisons. We left off our conversation as Andy was describing what it was like for both him and the men in prison to learn in that setting. So here’s Andy…”
Click on the small triangle or mp3 link above to hear Part two of my interview with Andy Teirstein on the Arts Express radio program broadcast on WBAI FM NYC, WBAI.org and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.
You can find Part One here:
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Of Immigration Court And Teaching in Prisons, Part One: Andy Teirstein
“We’re going to do something a little bit different today. My guest is someone who I just only recently met a few Fridays ago at an immigration court accompaniment, under the auspices of the New Sanctuary Coalition here in NYC. We started talking and I found him to be a fascinating guy with a really eclectic, creative, and political background including all kinds of awards and honors. So, I’m happy to be speaking today with actor, musician, composer, professor and political activist, Fellow at the Center for Ballet and the Arts, and also BMI Woody Guthrie Fellow, Andy Teirstein…”
Click on the small triangle or mp3 link above to hear my wide ranging conversation with Andy, as heard on the Arts Express radio program broadcast on WBAI FM, WBAI.org and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.
And you can find Part Two here:
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Cast Your Fate To The Wind
As we shovel out, or just look out the window Monday morning, George Winston plays the Vince Guaraldi composition with some improvisation of his own.
More at George Winston
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Newport And The Great Folk Dream PT 2
We’re back this week with more of our conversation with Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro, director and producers of the film Newport and the Great Folk Dream, about the Newport Folk Festival in the years 1963 to 1966. The festival, started by George Wein and Pete Seeger–where all artists got paid the same–led to an incredible diversity in the music showcased there.
Click on the mp3 link or small triangle above to listen to the interview as broadcast on the Arts Express radio program, heard on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica stations across the nation.
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Newport And The Great Folk Dream
In the cultural and political explosion that became known as the 60s, music was an incredible unifier, and arguably the most important cultural and political form of expression. But what culminated in Woodstock in 1968 had its precursor in the Newport Folk Festival from the early 60s. Now, a new documentary about the Newport Folk Festival based on archival footage that hasn’t been seen in sixty years has been released called Newport and the Great Folk Dream. I was happy to talk with the director and producers of the film, Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro.
Click on the small triangle or mp3 link above to hear the interview, as heard this week on the Arts Express radio program, broadcast on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.
And you can find Part 2 here:
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Join ICE
Jesse Welles, as always, up to the minute, gives some recruiting advice, in lieu of the current budget allocation of 75 billion dollars to reward our national gestapo/paramilitary
More at Jesse Welles
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The Great Caucasian God
Guitars!
Monday morning finds Jesse Welles with just the greatest smile and joy singing about his true passion in life! What a kick.
More at Jesse Welles
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Sweet Baby James
That Sunday
Monday morning, Nat King Cole reminisces about a summer Sunday.
Thanks to YouTuber catman916
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Lead Belly!
The great Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Lead Belly, King of the 12-string Guitar, one of the most important musicians in American music, is the subject of a recent film documentary, titled Leadbelly: The Man Who Invented Rock and Roll. Perhaps it would be more telling to subtitle the film, The History of Being an Exploited Black Musician in America. What makes this film special is that the producer of the film, Alvin Singh II, is the great-nephew of Leadbelly, and the film includes not only his remembrances of Leadbelly, but also the wonderful on-screen memories of Tiny Robinson, Lead Belly’s niece. And to top it off, we get plenty of first-hand accounts of Leadbelly from interviews with a dazzling array of musicians— Odetta, Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, BB King, Oscar Brand and more…
Click on the small triangle or mp3 link above to listen to my review (and more Lead Belly music!), as broadcast on the Arts Express radio program, heard on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.
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Bourgeois Blues
Monday morning, Huddie Ledbetter, the great blues and folk singer known as Lead Belly, talks and sings about being thrown out of a whites-only boarding house in Washington DC. The recording is listed as made in 1936.
Thanks to YouTuber Traveler Into The Blue
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Something To Cheer Us Up
Josh Turner (without guitar!) focuses on the singing this time, with Martina DaSilva, Sonny Step, Luke Bob Robinson, and David Linard. Written by Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James, with lyrics by Don George.
More at Josh Turner Guitar
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Fentanyl: Jesse Welles
The Best Folk Singer/Songwriter Of His Generation?
“Jesse Welles has got a voice like John Prine, plays guitar like Bob Dylan, and can write a song that’s as topical and clever as the songs of Phil Ochs or Tom Paxton or Woody Guthrie. It turns out, despite his handsome shaggy-haired babyface look, he has been making songs for a long time. In an age where so much music is artificially created with plastic lyrics and digitally manipulated instruments, it is refreshing to hear a protest song on a simple acoustic folk guitar that doesn’t just talk about generalities, but actually names names, and has a political point of view…”
Click on the mp3 link or triangle above to hear the rest of my commentary on Welles, as broadcast this week on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the country.
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If I Had A Hammer
Monday Morning, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, and Seeger’s grandson, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, belt their song out.
Thanks to YouTuber Evan
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Bullsh!t
Monday morning, It is what it is. Another Jesse Welles gem. This guy is writing topical songs as fast or faster than Phil Ochs and Tom Paxton used to in the Sing Out! days.
More at Jesse Welles
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‘Estudio No. 5 in B Minor’ by Fernando Sor
La Llorona: Chavela Vargas
What a voice. You can read about the singer here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chavela_Vargas
And the eerie legend of La Llorona:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Llorona
Thanks to YouTuber Milan Music
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This Is The Life
Monday morning, Shut Up and Kiss Me wonder where’re you gonna sleep tonight.
This catchy song was originally a big hit for its singer-songwriter, Scottish Amy Macdonald, who wrote it when she was only 16. The song made its way all through Europe a decade and a half ago, and landed here with this Romanian band.
Thanks to YouTuber Shut Up & Kiss Me!
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Slaves
Monday morning, it’s Martin Luther King Day, and Capitalist Class Leader Inauguration Day, but Jesse Welles reminds us how things actually work.
More at Jesse Welles
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Which Side Are You On?
Sad Eyed Lady
Monday morning as we contemplate the omission of Dylan’s greatest love, Sara Lownds, from the recent biopic, we might listen to this epic written by Dylan for her
More at Bob Dylan
And we’ll post tomorrow as we missed yesterday.
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Sultans of Swing
Monday morning, 450 million + YouTubers can’t be wrong. Mark Knopfler’s and Dire Straits “Sultan of Swings” was an original lyrical, musical and guitar instrumental rock achievement.
More at Dire Straits
