They Also Served

Once again this year we have lost many fine musicians.This is my annual woefully inadequate tribute to some of those whose sad passing may not have received the attention they deserved.

We start with a double loss - both Barbara Dane and Joe Chambers of The Chambers Brothers left us this year - and a sincere apology to Nikki Giovanni. In August I featured her "When I Die" here and a few weeks ago that is sadly what happened. Let's hope that the recording of hers that I have chosen today has similar predictive powers for all of these artists.

"It Isn't Nice" - Barbara Dane & The Chambers Brothers

"A Certain Peace/ When I Nap" - Nikki Giovanni

"Hey Mister" - Sandy Posey

"Sold American" - Kinky Friedman

"Recapture The Thrill Of Yesterday" - Zoot Money

"Thin Line Between Love And Hate" - B.B. Seaton

"Poulore" - Mansour Seck

"Wetetie Mare" - Muluken Melesse

"Tezeta" - Getachew Kassa

"The Hippy Hippy Shake" - Chan Romero

"Water Pumpee" - Tony Tuff

"Hear Me Now Star (with Liza)" - Papa Kojak

The Hits That Happened

It is that time of year when all music bloggers are contractually obliged to tell you about the music they have enjoyed in the last 12 months. I dealt with my live music experience in a post just before Xmas so this one just covers recordings.

Speaking for myself I'm not sure 2024 stands out as a vintage year for new music. I have heard lots of decent stuff, and no doubt missed even more, but relatively little I would describe as exceptional. Hopefully this statement will prompt one of you to tip me off to a record that will go on to change my live forever.

Favourite albums of the year

Ten albums in alphabetical order by artist, with Bandcamp links so you can consider them when deciding how to spend your Xmas vouchers. The usual caveat applies, i.e. at least half the list might be different if I did it again in a few days' time. 

"100% Sahara Guitar" - Etran de L’Air         

"When I'm Called" - Jake Xerxes Fussell 

"The Universal Fire" - Jeffrey Foucault 

 

"Hiddo Dhawr" - Sahra Halgan 

"Strange Medicine" - Kaia Kater

"King Jammy's Unites The Nations With Dub" - King Jammy 

"Funeral For Justice" - Mdou Moctar 

 

"Sage Warrior" - Sonny Singh 

"Easygoing" - Skinny Dyck 

"Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St" - Swamp Dogg

I excluded compilations from the list but if I had not the compilations of vintage Ghanaian, Nigerian and Congolese grooves featured in the last post of the African odyssey would have been contenders. As of course would "Sounds From The Flightpath Estate".

Assorted sounds and visions

We finish off with some of my favourite tracks from 2023 that have not previously been featured here during the year - if only to show that the zeitgeist is infinite.

"Amidinine" – Etran de L’Air

"Imajighen" – Mdou Moctar

"Neene Africa" – Tidiane Thiam

"Coal Miner & Little Boy Blue" – Don Aaron Mixon

"Universal Fire" – Jeffrey Foucault

"My House" – Lola Kirke

"Wild One" – Cindy Lee

"The South Atlantic (feat. This Is The Kit)" – Public Service Broadcasting

"My Father's Sheep is Dead" - Milkweed

"Tafari The Captain" – Xana Romeo

Gigs A Go Go

On Friday and Saturday I went to my 26th and 27th gigs of the year - Smoke Fairies in the hipster haven that is Haggerston showcasing their "Wild Winter" album which is ten years old this year; and then Sharon Shannon, her Big Band and assorted guests brewing up one hell of a hooley at the Shepherd's Bush Empire with a mix of Shane MacGowan songs and some instrumental sets. I enjoyed them both very much.

I have no more gigs lined up until January so I am now in a position to share my annual Gigs of the Year list, whether you want it or not. With the usual caveat about the list being different if I were to do this again next week - the Sharon Shannon show might well creep in to the Top 10 with more time to reflect - in date order they were:

Luiz Bruno & The Adult Children @ Shacklewell Arms

Salif Keita @ Barbican Hall

Peter Case & Sid Griffin @ What's Cookin'

Grupo Pilon @ Peckham Audio

Nana Benz Du Togo @ Dalston Eastern Curve Garden

Lola Kirke @ 100 Club

Nusantara Beat @ Shacklewell Arms

Sahra Halgan @ Greenleaf Baptist Church

Ron Sexsmith @ London Palladium

Dur-Dur Band @ Barbican Hall

I like to take a few photos at gigs when the opportunity arises. Most of them are pretty terrible but every now and then something half decent emerges by accident. In an attempt to ratchet up the self-indulgence even further here a few of them from this year.

In order of appearance: Dur-Dur Band; Les Deuxluxes @ Botanique, Brussels; Nana Benz Du Togo; Sid Griffin & Peter Case; Madou Diabaté, accompanying Salif Keita; Cecile McLorin Salvant @ Bozar, Brussels.

We'll round things off with a seasonal song from Smoke Fairies and a few videos of live performances by acts I saw this year, then that is it from me until after Xmas. Hope you and yours have a good one, with lashings of figgy pudding and cups of good cheer.

"Give And Receive" - Smoke Fairies

Kris Kringle Song Sunday

Welcome to the third of what appears to have become an annual event (unfortunately for all of us) - a Christmas themed Single Song Sunday.

This year it is "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". There are well over 1000 recorded versions of the song. Most of them are completely unnecessary as once you've heard the version by The Crystals from the Phil Spector Christmas album that's everything you want.

Despite that I have put together a short selection. After The Crystals we have some swing with Bing and The Andrews Sisters (a hit in 1947), some Ukrainian punks, Swamp Dogg doing his own thing with it and The Mighty Sparrow with a brief calypso canter through the tune. 

Regular readers will not be in the least bit surprised to learn that the MRV comes from John Holt.

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" - The Crystals

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" - The Dops

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" - Swamp Dogg

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" - The Mighty Sparrow

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" - John Holt

Those of you who like your festive season on the ludicrous side may enjoy all, some or none of these videos.

Do What Sister Says

Here are some Sisters with instructions. Sister Wynona has done what Sister Rosetta told her. If your name is Jack, jump to it. As for the rest of you, straighten up.

"Shout, Sister, Shout" - Sister Rosetta Tharpe

"Jump, Jack, Jump" - Sister Wynona Carr

Child's Play

They're back! And by 'they' I mean of course Taiwanese moody rockers Psychedelic Kindergarten. 

The almost all-female band - 'guitar uncle' Liu Wenchang is the token man - released a double album "話" (Words) way back in 2001. And that was it. 

A study of their Facebook page reveals that they decided to reactivate the band after 20 years in February 2021 after getting together for what was intended to be a one-off gig to mark the drummer's birthday. They have played regularly since then and this September they released their first new material in 23 years.

We have a couple of tracks from "Words" for you. If Google Translate is to be believed, which it usually isn't, the titles translate as "No" and "May God Bless You" respectively. The video is the new single, "With a Head and With a Face". 

"沒有" - Psychedelic Kindergarten

"求主保佑" - Psychedelic Kindergarten

I had planned to finish this post with a vintage clip of Mr Clint Holmes performing his 1973 smash "Playground In My Mind" but I couldn't find any. Never mind, we have something even better. Please marvel at the elaborate routines of these Indonesian line dancers as they reinterpret the song for a new generation.

H.R. Fluff 'n Stuff

I recently belatedly got round to buying "Kassi Valazza Knows Nothing", the album by the aforementioned Ms Valazza that got rave reviews when it came out last year. Rightly so, as it turns out.

I put it on and was listening to the opening track "Room In The City", which sounded familiar. A bit of digging revealed that was because it features on a free sampler issued by Fluff and Gravy Records that I had picked up last year (and which was worth every penny I didn't spend). 

Rather confusingly both the Bandcamp page and the meta data stuff on each track claim that everything dates from 2016, which is not the case at all. My guess is that the Fluffy folk first issued the sampler then and have kept adding tracks over time. 

Anyway, here is the Kassi Valazza song with two other selections from the sampler (both originally released in 2017 it seems).

"Room In The City" - Kassi Valazza

"Billy Burroughs" - Jeffrey Martin

"Surfer Joe" - Son of the Velvet Rat

Readers of a certain age will have spotted the reference in the blog title to the kid's programme that made The Magic Roundabout look like it was created by chartered accountants from Guildford. So just for you, here is Episode 1 in its entirety.