YOUTUBIN': Yellow Magic Soul Mass Transit System

I love their matching shirts. Also, this is some pretty good (= bad?) lip synching...

(I Love) Youtubin': Bill Withers Live on the BBC in the Year Nineteen Hundred Seventy-Three

Late night homespun wisdom included.

Youtubin': Yukihiro Takahashi - "Flashback"

Featuring his YMO colleague Harry Hosono on bass. An endearing live performance...

Youtubin': Naná Vasconcelos

Stumbled upon this incredible video of Naná on another plane with his berimbau, thought I'd share it. Complementing it is this breathtaking duet between Naná and Milton Nascimento on the latter's "San Vicente" - I love how Naná's role is pretty much sound ghost on this one. He should start doing solo ambient shows with that delayed mic, or a recording with loops in Brian Eno's Ambient series (if I could turn back time)...

Youtubin': John Fahey, "Red Pony"

I post this video on some social media platform I'd say, oh, every 6 months. It gives me that dose of prime Fahey I need to get through the day. Hope it lights a fire for you.

Max Roach - Percussion Bitter Sweet (1961, Impulse)

Damn, did I see some good jazz tonight... Players working with one another, listening, a mix of individuals styles always contributing to the sound of the whole, rhythm... if you get a chance, see this group when they come to your town.

Jazz is ______:

- Touch, the patience/audacity to work against the beat of the rhythm section, until you burst into sync with arpeggio runs on that sweet sounding hollowbody

- Big ringing McCoy Tyner chords filling it out on baby grand

- The delicacy and deliberation (and wrist control!) on the kit

- Walking bass

- Those BIG open notes jutting out of the trumpet pointed triumphantly at the ceiling/sky

- Green leather boots, polka-dot pocket squares, and a nearly brimless hat 

Going off this rush, I share with you one of my favorite all-around jazz records, one I started thinking of during the evening (probably because of the hand drums on "Garvey's Ghost," a tune that always blows me away thanks to the late, inimitable Ms. Abbey Lincoln). Chances are you know it already, but if not, give it a spin, it'll have you from the start.This is a powerful stuff, with taste at every turn, and the flooring runs of Eric Dolphy on whatever he chooses to blow into at the time. 

A shot of Abbey, just 'cause:

"Garvey's Ghost":

Here

Twofer D.B. Thursday: David Borden & Mother Mallard: "Anatidae" (Cuneiform, 1985) and "Migration" (Cuneiform, 1988)

[The title should read: Twofer D.B. Thursday: David Borden & Mother Mallard: "Anatidae" (Cuneiform, 1985) and "Migration" (Cuneiform, 1988)

Sadly, this post cannot (yet) be a twofer, because I went back and listened to my rip of "Anatidae" and some serious bitcrushing pops up on the second side - not sure how that happened. Also, it's no longer Thursday. I'll re-rip and post the first record soon.]

So, yes, this summer I've been pretty quiet/absent from this blog (though I've been doing a lot of pilfering from other's pages - thanks!)... but now I have a lot of recorded vinyl and mp3s floating somewhere on my hard drive just waiting to be shared. Stay tuned.

In light of this, thought I'd share two somewhat recent finds with you, both by David Borden and his (New) Mother Mallard (Band). Maybe you, like me, heard about Mr. Borden through his being repped by Oneohtrix Point Never, Laurel Halo, etc. (here's the tracks to prove it, though I've not had the pleasure), maybe you knew him already, the important thing is to check these out. Definite Michael Nyman or Steve Roach/Reich (take your pick - less moody than the first) - wave-y synth soundscapes and repetitive rhythms, female vocals riding on top... my kind of classical ;)

"Anatidae" features the guitar stylings of Mr. David Torn (heads up to a certain opium hum-an out there...)

More info on Mr. Borden is here.

Also, this comic strip is a way better promo than mine...

Here ("Migration")

Side A:

1. Trains I (maybe the worst synth timbre I've ever heard on this and "Trains II" - can you spot it?)

2. The Continuing Story of Counterpoint, Part IV

Side B: 

1. Dick Twardzik

2. Enfield in Summer

3. trains II