WNMC Music

The judges who determine which performing artists will receive the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime achievement are now deliberating. Last week I heard from a group that's trying to persuade those judges to consider Nancy Wilson.

During the 1960s a group of Brazilian artists and musicians defied their military government by forming a cultural collaboration that took their protest to the world stage. In this clip from a new documentary about the Tropicália movement the group take to the stage at the Isle of Wight festival in 1970. Tropicália is out in the UK on 5 July

Like so many Kozelek songs, “Mariette” is about a place: in this case, New Orleans — and the clip features many haunting black-and-white still images from and of that city. All the photos were taken by Kozelek between 1999 and 2013, except the one of him and Kirk Douglas from Fallon, which was taken by Kozelek’s longtime publicist (and Go-Betweens bassist) Robert Vickers.The music captures NOLA’s magical, intoxicating essence to even more profound effect. It’s such a great, great song.

Cuban maestro Leo Brower announced that renowned Spanish guitaristPaco de Lucia will return to Cuba perform a flamenco concert after 26 years without appearing in this country.

Cuba is the first Latin American stop of the upcoming tour of Lucia, who will open the 5th Leo Brouwer Chamber Music Festival with Septet, his “ensemble” of young musicians.

“Paco is a great teacher, a genius who feels nostalgic to return to Cuba,” Brower said at a press conference to present a concert of his works performed in flamenco style.

Brower said that the Cuban public will see Paco surrounded by great Flamenco performers, including singer Farruquito, and promised shared anecdotes in the presentation of the concert.

Music is in Davell Crawford’s blood. The grandson of the great James “Sugar Boy” Crawford, Davell has been an active member of the New Orleans music scene since single digits.

Crawford was raised in Baptist and Catholic churches, playing organ, piano, and directing and singing in choirs. Since his early years in the church, gospel has remained the driving force of Crawford’s music, but he is not one to shy away from detours into R&B, blues, soul, or funk.

I've never seen a video clip of pianist Al Haig, have you? Yesterday I found one of Haig playing with James Moody (alto sax), Ray Brown (bass) and Kenny Clarke (drums). It comes from Dizzy Gillespie's Bebop Reunion—a 1975 PBS...

Last week, Neko Case announced in a trailer video that she'd soon release a new album and that the album would have the following goofy title: The Worse Things

Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa will make his U.S. debut with five engagements beginning this Wednesday (June 12) in Santa Cruz, Calif. The tour will also include performances in San Francisco, New York, Baltimore and Cambridge, Mass. Following his U.S. tour, López-Nussa will perform at the Montreal Jazz Festival on July 1. The pianist will perform in duo with his brother, drummer Ruy Adrian López-Nussa. Additionally, López-Nussa is set to release a new album this fall, titled New Day(JazzVillage). 

López-Nussa was one of the featured artists on Ninety Miles, a project that , according to a press release, “came together after Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra conducted a five-day residency in Havana, working and performing with students. The album was released on Concord Picante and also featured Stefon Harris, David Sánchez and Christian Scott. Soon after, Harold released his sophomore album, titled El Pais de las Maravillas (JazzVillage).” 

Ever wonder how iconic California rock album covers came together in the 1960s and '70s? Reader Bob Rosenbaum alerted me to a documentary up at YouTube that details the events behind the scenes through the eyes of photographer Henry Diltz and art director/artist Gary Burden. The documentary also sheds light on the bands photographed. You can buy Under the Covers: A Magical Journey: Rock 'n' Roll in L.A. in the 60's and 70's here.

The Garifuna Collective

Ayo (Stonetree/Cumbancha, 2013)

It’s been some six years since Andy Palacio & The Garifuna Collective introduced the world music community to the rich, ripe sounds of Central America’s Afro-Amerindian Garifuna peoples with the recording Watina.

After much acclaim, some world tours and a Greatest World Music Album of All Time from Amazon.com and then sudden death of Andy Palacio at the age of 47 in 2008, The Garifuna Collective has mourned, reflected and has at long re-energized the Garifuna sound to once again dazzle fans with their latest. Ayo, released in a joint venture between Stonetree and Cumbancha, is set to hit the streets July 2nd as band members gear up for an extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada this summer.

Funk pioneer George Clinton will be releasing a memoir soon. Clinton has teamed up with Ben Greeman, a novelist and editor from The New Yorker, for the project. Greenman also collaborated with Roots drummer Questlove for his book Mo Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove.

The book will take readers on a journey through the career of the 72-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who started out as a member of a New Jersey barbershop quartet and eventually became part of Parliament and Funkadelic.