Back From the Dead!

It's been quite a while since a proper post. I got ill this Winter and it just seemed to linger, sapping my energy for a month or so. Seems to happen to me every Winter now. After that I was having some connectivity issues and after that our city manager went on vacation, and as assistant city manager I had to work very long hours. On top of that, I've discovered and become obsessed with an online role playing game called Popmundo, where you try and become a rock star. It's a long term game and I'm sucked into the whole world. You can check it out here:

Popmundo

That doesn't mean I've been completely inactive as far as NeverEndingWonder Radio goes. Here's a rundown of some cool stuff recently added:

Tom Dissevelt & Kid Baltan - Song of the Second Moon
Classic electronic weirdness from 1968. Has that 1960s primitive electronic sound I love so much.

Graffiti - Graffiti
Proto-psychedelic grooviness from 1968. Some really nice touched and a really off-kilter vocal arrangement make this band quite interesting.

Widespread Panic - Uber Cobra
Live album from one of my favorite modern bands.

Beatrice Kay
A selection of fun tunes by burlesque dancer, actress and singer Beatrice Kay, who had a lengthy career on the stage, in movies & TV and recordings.

Red Racan
Really cool eclectic experimental band. Love their stuff! Check out their Myspace page:
Red Racan

Savage Resurrection
Another great psychedelic gem from the 60s.

Tingstad & Rumbel - Leap of Faith
Another flawless release from New Age tunesmiths Tingstad & Rumbel.

Martha Reich - Evidence of Life
Beautiful heartfelt songs by singer/songwriter Reich.
Martha Reich

Goodluck Boys - A Gift of Time
Lo-fi, electronic noise ritualistic freakout experimental tribal psychedelic greatness from Japan!
Goodluck Boys

Spencer Hoveskeland Trio - Harbinger
Guitar, violin, bass. Jazz. Perfection.

Bernie Journey - The World in the Eye of the Beholder
Pop electronic tunes with soulful vocals and just a touch of weirdness.
Bernie Journey

And those are just highlights! Tune in please- I miss you all!

NeverEndingWonder Radio
Also available on iTunes in the radio section under "eclectic."

ALLEN GINSBERG, CLASSIC COMEDY, RARE ELECTRONIC, NEW INDIES AND MORE

And even more new additions to NeverEndingWonder Radio:


Jacky & Strings - New Era
Groovin', dramatic expertly executed doses of Latin music. Jacky is one hell of a guitarist, and his compositions show off his skills. They also have an exquisit sense of melody and rhythm. Extremely enjoyable listening.

Jacky & Strings


Timothy Cooper - Light on the Water
Solo piano compositions based around the theme of water. Sweeping, sensual, flowing, majestic- these are all words that describe these compositions.
Timothy Cooper


Richard & Robert Sherman - Tinpanorama
Another of my favorite albums from my rare vinyl collection. A dozen tunes penned by the songwriting team that gave us Mary Poppins and many other Disney musicals. These aren't from their musicals though- these are parodies of various styles of music from Tin Pan Alley to early rock music. Given that these guys really know how to write songs the results are delicious. Their "Boogie Woogie Bakery Man" delightfully sends up "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Likewise "I'm Blue for You (Boo Boo Boo Boo Boo)" sends up Bing Crosby styled crooning and "Rutabega Rag," voiced by veteran voice talent Paul Frees, is a spot on parody of Al Jolson. "Fountain of Teardrops (In the Valley of Sorrow)" neatly sends up the oh so serious Folk Scare of the early 60s and "You Bug Me Ann-Arlene" is a fun little early rock n roll song pre-Beatles invasion. Every song is perfectly arranged and performed by top voice talents with Camarata handling the musical direction. A real lost gem.



The Laugh of the Party
Another gem from my vinyl collection. This collection of comedy bits from the mid 50s is a perfect cross section of the state of comedy of that era. The Buddy Hackett routine "The Chinese Waiter" could NEVER get released today. Highlights include "The VERY Square Dance" by Steve Allen, "World News Roundup" by Bob & Ray, "The Life Story of Henny Youngman" by Henny Youngman, Old Old Vienna" by Eddie Lawrence and "Tea and Ceylon" by an apparently increasingly inebriated Hermione Gingold and Terry Thomas.


Dudley Saunders - The Emergency Lane
Dudley Saunders more closely resembles Jacques Brel or Edith Piaf than a modern singer/songwriter. That's not to say that his songs sound old fashioned- how could something titled "Love Song for Jeffrey Dahmer" be anything but thoroughly modern? No, it's the delicate precision with which each piece is drawn, the detailed look at a moment in time that remind me of Brel & Piaf. Additionally, the arrangements are equally delicate and precise. Saunders' quitar is lent substance by a seven piece band that includes unique instrumental touches from harmonium, strings, mandolin & dobro. Special mention must be given to producer/arranger Milo Decruz. He is completely in tune with Saunders and draws out the best qualities of each song. Saunders is extremely talented. I look forward to his future releases.
Dudley Saunders


Oskar Sala - My Fascinating Instrument
A wonderful artifact from the history of electronic music. Sala's instrument was the Mixtur-Trautonium. This album was recorded in the 1960s, I believe. Reportedly the Mixtur-Trautonium was so intricate that nobody but Sala could play it. Its voices are stupendously varied for an instrument of its time and the compositions beautiful and weird.


Allen Ginsberg - Ginsberg's Thing
Spoken word release from the beat poet master. Typically amazing Ginsberg, one of the great poetic voices of the 20th Century- and now the 21st.



Random Touch - A Box and a Word & Duologue
Random touch is a perfect name for this collective, as it's all about improvisation. Every time they play together it's completely new. They have released ten albums to date. Duologue, aptly named as it's a collaboration between Christopher Brown (drums and vocals) and Scott Hammill (guitars). It's experimental, dense, wide ranging, frightening at times, but always engrossing.
A Box and a Word adds James Day (keyboards) into the mix. These documents are a fascinating journey into a world of experimentation. If you've an open mind and an ability to appreciate music that's not focused around a three minute pop structure, then this is for you. Hearing these pieces unfold in real time as the musicians play with each other musically is joyous. The interplay, the counterpoint, are intriquing, and ultimately rewarding for the listener who appreciates a challenge.
Random Touch


John Keating - Space Exploration 2
Great synthesizer album loosely based around the theme of space. Classicly trippy sounds.


The Tiger Lillies & Kronos Quartet - The Gorey End
It's hard to describe the music of the Tiger Lillies to someone who hasn't heard them. Gypsy Cabaret mixed with alt rock, experimentalism and chanson. Think Kluas Nomi. Their music is breathtaking, and add the Kronos Quartet to their already quirky sound and you have something truly splendid. This album is based on a number of unpublished Edward Gorey stories. What else do you need to know? How much better could it get?

All this amazing music can be heard on NeverEndingWonder Radio

TONS OF NEW MUSIC - GLENN MILLER, PAUL ROBESON, KLAUS SCHULZE, WINE SONGS, CLASSIC ELECTRONIC, SOUNDTRACKS AND MORE

Well, I am getting SO behind! My apologies! (Starting to sound like the old newsletter) TONS of NEW music on NeverEndingWonder Radio. Here's a rundown on some of it:

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME ON EARTH
Great anthology of World Music. South America, North America, Africa, Europe, Asia and several Island nations are represented.

PLATINUM GLENN MILLER
Wonderful two disc set of the Big Band giant.



WINE SONGS 1926 - 1939
Indespensible collection of songs from the Greek Archive, all on the subject of wine and drinking it, all recorded from 1926 - 1939. A marvelous look into the early recording history of Greece.


EPICS - ERICH KUNZEL & THE CINCINATTI POPS ORCHESTRA
Fine recordings of epic movie themes- from classics like Ben Hur, Spartacus and Gone With the Wind to more modern fare like Harry Potter, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Lord of the Rings.


KLAUS SCHULZE - INTER FACE
1985 release from ex-member of Tangerine Dream. Highlight is the 24 minute title track.


PAUL ROBESON - SONGS OF FREE MEN
Live recordings of Paul Robeson, one of the most powerful, pure and impressive voices ever to record music. From spirituals to folk songs to theatre music, every note is a gem.



DANNY ELFMAN - PLANET OF THE APES
Another excellent soundtrack from Danny Elfman - Tim Burton's remake of the classic Planet of the Apes.


PAUL ROBESON - PAUL ROBESON
Another fine collection of Paul Robeson vocals.


THE FILM MUSIC OF ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD
Performed by the BBC Philharmonic, this album features music from the soundtracks of The Sea Wolf and The Adventures of Robin Hood


PHILIP GLASS - THE HOURS
Atmospheric soundtrack from Philip Glass.


BEST OF HENRY MANCINI
All the best known themes from one of the most recognisable and best soundtrack composers ever. All the best loved melodies are here - Pink Panther, Baby Elephant Walk, Moon River, Mr. Lucky, and others.


COLUYMBIA-PRINCETON ELECTRONIC MUSIC CENTER
Collection of early electronic music recorded from 1961-1973 at the first electronic music lab in the United States. Includes pieces by Alice Shields, Bulent Arel, Daria Semegen, Ingram Marshall and Ilhan Mimaroglu.

It can all be heard on NeverEndingWonder Radio

The Naked Carmen and Ragnarok

Well, even the blog is getting the best of me despite all intentions to keep current. I'm now backlogged on two weeks of activity on the station. On to business.

I've recently added two of my favorite albums from my record collection to NeverEndingWonder Radio. I've featured selections from these albums in the years past but now both albums have been added to the library in their entireties. First up is The Naked Carmen.

The Naked Carmen was an "Electric Rock Opera" composed by John Corigliano and David Hess in 1968. It was released on Mercury Records in 1970 and I picked it up for a dollar in a cutout bin somewhere around 1973 or so. It fit nicely with my penchant for odd and unusual music. Pairings of Classical music and pop was still pretty rare back then. There had been Deep Purple's Concerto for Group & Orchestra, Days of Future Passed and a few others. IMO The Naked Carmen was the most successful attempt at melding Classical music with modern pop music, yet it remains a little known footnote in musical history.
I don't know why it never made more of a splash- perhaps it was TOO original- but it was a great composition expertly realized by a wealth of talented artists: David Hess himself, Melba Moore, The Detroit Symphony, Pig Iron and more. The Naked Carmen was conceived of as an updating of Bizet's popular opera, both musically and thematically. Updating the music side meant featuring the Detroit Symphony performing selections from Carmen with the addition of Moog Synthesizer, rock band and even a kazoo, as well as introducing some pop/folk numbers performed by Hess & Moore and other numbers set to tunes from Carmen with new lyrics.
Updating Carmen thematically meant creating a new role for Carmen herself. From the liner notes: "In this modern version of the opera written by Georges Bizet, the traditional vision of Carmen as temptress is rejected. Today, she is a heroine.
In the last 10 years, Carmen has emerged as a compelling spokesman, not only for the concept of women's liberation, but for the whole prospect of an exciting life of free morality; a life in which new concepts of human purpose and tolerance will permit man to refashion his institutions to permit the full development of every individual." Yes, this was the 70s, focused very much on individuality, as well as class issues. This was deftly illuminated using tape montage featuring clips of Adolf Hitler's speeches and Spiro Agnew's infamous "effete intellectual snobs" quote.
The album itself got a deluxe treatment with a booklet that included full lyrics and a series of bizarre collages. Here is one:

John Corigliano went on many other accomplishments, such as penning the soundtracks for "Altered States" and "The Red Violin" for which he won an Academy Award. David Hess went on to star in Wes Craven's infamous "The Last House on the Left," as well as writing the soundtrack for that film. Hess has appeared in many film roles including parts in Zombie Nation and Zodiac Killer. He has also remained active in the music industry.

Here is a link to a webpage with a wealth of info on The Naked Carmen:
The Naked Carmen
Here's a link to David Hess' website:
David Hess


Ragnarok: Electronic Funk by Beaver & Krause was one of the first albums I bought after becoming mesmerized by electronic music. Bernard Krause was an unlikely figure to be part of the electronic music vanguard- he was a former member of The Weavers and was acting as a staff producer for Elektra Records when he met jazz musician Paul Beaver. How these two managed to collaborate on some of the most interesting electronic music to come out of the 60s and 70s is any one's guess. Ragnarok was their second album together (the first was The Nonesuch Guide to Electronic Music- intended as a showcase of the Moog Synthesizer's capabilities) and it's an amazing document of electronic music in 1969. Several numbers display the sheer fascination with electronic sound one could have in the 60s when all of this was still new to us. There are a couple of novelty numbers- Dill Piccolo and Dr. Fox that remind me of Perrey & Kingsley if the had made SIDs. There are also some hauntingly beautiful melodies. Altogether a well rounded example of what electronic musicians were capable of in 1969.
Beaver & Krause recorded four albums together. Paul Beaver recorded one solo album of electronic music before suffering from a heart attack. Bernard Krause went on to pioneer the field of bio-acoustics and released many albums of environmental recordings.

Both of these wonderful oddball albums lost in the cracks of musical history can be heard on NeverEndingWonder Radio

CD REVIEW: Jerry LaRocca - Years of Longing

Jerry LaRocca's 2006 release "Years of Longing" is 14 languid melodies featuring (mostly) piano and synthesizer. If you like pastoral music you likely will appreciate this CD. The melodies unfold at a leisurely pace, as if to accompany you on a contemplative walk through the woods or sitting atop a mountain partaking in the beauty of nature around you. With titles like "Walking to the Sun" and "Dawn on the Mountain," clearly the link with nature is intentional.

There's also a theme of remembering days past, with such titles as "Remembering You," "Years of Longing" and "Dreams of Long Ago." Not all the songs are rooted in the past, however, as the title "Sorrow in Iraq" reveals.

All these elements together reveal an artist very much in touch with his inner landscape and at the same time connected to the outer landscape as well. In the CD liner LaRocca lists his influences as film composer Miklos Rozsa, Ravel, Debussy & Rachmaninoff. The mentions of Debussy & Rachmaninoff are particularly apt- the music evokes their more serene compositions. As tangible evidence of the connection LaRocca includes a photo of himself at Rachmaninoff's gravesite.

Fans of piano music, new age music fans and any that appreciate beautiful intrumental music should all have their days brightened by this music. You can hear samples of the CD at CDBaby:

Jerry LaRocca on CDBaby

You can also hear "Years of Longing" on NeverEndingWonder Radio