I finally sorted through this year’s pictures of Winfield. They’re here and here. I’ll annotate them when I have more time.
Category: Music
Steve Morse’s favorite Benedictine
Request
If you are a werewolf, and should the opportunity arise to rip out Kid Rock’s lungs, please do so. Listen to “All Summer Long,” and you will understand why.
Xanadu, Kansas
Robert posted “Kublai Khan” today. I just happen to have here a damsel with a dulcimer. She’s Wenzhuo Zhang, who took first place in the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship at Winfield Saturday. Although Zhang lists her address as Fredonia, NY, I believe she’s originally from Beijing, and she plays the Chinese dulcimer, the yangqin. Here’s a view of her instrument, showing the multiple bridges.
Here’s one of the pieces she played in the competition.
Oldternative tunes and more
The crowds were smaller than usual at Winfield, and the camping and campground picking were off-site this year, but the music as as good as ever. I’ve got a bunch of pictures and some field recordings to survey and edit. Until then, here are some videos of this year’s discoveries, The Wiyos ((This actually was their second year at Winfield, but I missed them last time.)) and Doug Smith.
What happens when you combine Irish dancing with Talk Like a Pirate Day?
Cutlass dancing.
My friends and I stopped at the relocated Carp Camp on the way home from Winfield last night. Here’s a bit of the music we heard:
The sound isn’t wonderful (crank it up), but it might give you an idea of the energy flowing there.
There will be many more pictures of Winfield and Carp Camp when I have time to sort and edit everything in the camera.
You got a light, Mac?
Apropos of absolutely nothing, here are lines from songs that have caught my fancy for some reason or another over the years:
“You probably think this song is about you.”
“His hair was perfect.”
“Grunt, howl, grunt, howl.”
“And.”
“… with a soulful, bounding leap ….”
“I’m dead but I don’t know it.”
“Pippikippippippi!” ((Not to be confused with “Pipiru piru piru pipiru pi.”))
“Someone get me a ladder.”
“Today, I am two separate gorillas.”
“Fridays I go painting in the Louvre.”
“What a pumpkin.”
“We can’t even think of a word that rhymes.”
“No, but I’ve got a dark brown overcoat.”
Update: How could I forget:
And so, I broke into the Palace
With a sponge and a rusty spanner.
She said: “Eh, I know you, and you cannot sing.”
I said: “That’s nothing — you should hear me play piano.”
Not to mention, “I didn’t realize you wrote such bloody awful poetry.”
Animated music
Cartoon Brew notes that today is the centenary of Raymond Scott‘s birth, whose music is “genetically encoded in every earthling.” If you spent your childhood Saturday mornings watching Bugs Bunny, you know this tune.
Here’s a radio show about Scott, featuring Irwin Chusid and Scott’s music.
I wonder if the PC police would let anyone get away with this nowadays.
Arrrrgh, etc.
I heard yesterday that one of the great progressive rock bands, Gryphon, has reunited to record a new album and perhaps give some concerts after disbanding more than thirty years ago. I just did a little searching to verify that. While the main Gryphon fansite does announce their reunion, their MySpace page states that it’s been suspended. Grrr.
Here’s an example of the sort of music I’d been hoping to hear more of, their “Glastonbury Carol”:
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If you have things to do and have absolutely no time to spare, don’t click here. (My best so far is 466 528 576 pounds of fish, plus logs, boots and cell phones.) (Via Dale.)
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Kids, be your favorite martyr for Halloween. (Via large furry animals.)
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Warmth. (Via a small furry animal.)
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To put the Democratic convention in perspective, read Dave Barry. His coverage begins here.
Ornithology and music
(Via Frëd.)
Is there a musicologist in the house?
Does the background music to this clip sound familiar? Steven thinks that it’s 19th-century, but I don’t recognize it. My guess is that the tune was composed specifically for the show. ((The clip is from the anime Strike Witches, which I don’t recommend.))
Redwing
I’ve heard this one many times as a bluegrass tune, but I think I like it better as a stride piano piece:
Nice footwork
A little something for Rush fans:
9/16
Via Robert, Glenn Gould and Bach:
Seven
Aziz listed seven songs that he is currently “into.” I might as well, too. Most of these you’re not likely to hear on the radio, so I’ve uploaded mp3s.
Naftule’s Dream, “Speed Klez.” John Manning is the Tony Levin of tuba players.
Polysics, “Rocket.” The eccentric ending theme of the eccentric show Moyashimon.
Don Ross, “Dracula and Friends (Part One).” Motown on six strings.
Alkan, “Finale: Presto” from Symphony for Solo Piano, Op. 39, #7. (Marc-Andre Hamelin, piano). It is not true that Alkan was crushed to death by the Talmud, nor did his obituary begin, “Alkan is dead. He had to die in order to prove his existence.”
Gilbert and Sullivan, “Three Little Maids from School Are We.” If you want your kids to grow up hating Gilbert and Sullivan, play Iolanthe twice a day every day. Many years have since passed, and I can now appreciate the craft of G&S without too much pain. This number is from The Mikado.
Mayumi Kojima, “Poltergeist.” I’ve posted this one before, but it remains a favorite.
Kou Otani, “Ailes Grises.” A favorite for several years now.
Update: Here are the official directions.
List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring summer. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.
I’m not gong to tag anyone (though I would be curious to find out what Steven’s, Erik’s and Maureen the Suburban Banshee’s current enthusiasms are). If you feel like playing along, go right ahead.