MetaFilter posts tagged with musicians and music

Joyous juju from the king

madamjujujive — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:45:26 -0800

Me Le Se and Dance Medley - live clips of King Sunny Ade and his African Beats in Seattle last month just before being inducted into the AfroPop Hall of Fame. More clips from the show ... More clips from KEXP: Iyi Ti Odidere Ni Oluwa No'o Jeun Kan / Sijuade Mori Keke Kan Also, hear his 10 minute interview with Jon Kertzer and view a clip from the Afropop Hall of Fame induction ceremony. In a 2005 interview, KSA talks about how as an actual king in his native Nigeria, he had to defy his family and break with tradition to become a musician. So good he persisted - he and his 20+ band of talking drummers, guitarists, vocalists & dancers were early pioneers in bringing Afropop and juju music to the world at large. More stuff: Juju Music - a 4 minute trailer for a documentary, which features KSA among others Ja Fun Mi (not live) - his signature song, which means "Fight for me" Afropop - a great resource for African music nickyskye's awesome post on glimpses of the African Rock n' Roll Years -You really can't go wrong with surfing any of the africa+music tags on Mefi!

Online to Onstage

netbros — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:36:07 -0800

Guitar Noise is a free guitar lesson website with hundreds of articles, tips and reviews for students of this versatile instrument. Whether you are a beginner, a lefty, a bass player or a singer, Guitar Noise has lessons on nearly everything and anything to do with the guitar. There are many talented musicians out there. The artist profiles section includes interviews with dozens. The forums, blog and podcasts help you keep up with this thriving community.

Willie Mae's grab-you-in-the-gut blues

madamjujujive — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:24:48 -0800

Elvis rode to fame on one of her covers and Janis got rich on her signature song, but you haven't truly heard Hound Dog or Ball & Chain until you've experienced Big Mama Thornton belting them out. A seminal blues figure who could play the harp with the best of them, she was true original. In her heyday, Willie Mae was a 6-foot tall, 350-pound, gun-toting crossdresser who led a rough and colorful life and took no guff whatsoever. Emaciated but still powerful, she gives a final raw and expressive performance of Ball & Chain and Hound Dog shortly before her death in 1984. Orig. 1953 Peacock 78RPM of Hound Dog sound only; the Elvis version came out in '56. And two more clips from 1971: Rock Me Early in the Morning

Taj Mahal, roots music man extraordinaire

madamjujujive — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 16:50:23 -0800

Taj Mahal (sound alert) has been delighting audiences for more than 40 years since his debut with Ry Cooder in the pacesetting Rising Sons. He's a multi-instrumentalist most noted for blues, but his life's work spans gospel, Caribbean, Hawaiian and many other genres. Much respected by fellow musicians, he's a 2-time Grammy winner and official blues artist of MA. He loves to go fishin' and if you like fishing too, you can join him on his next Taj Mahal Fishing Blues Tournament, a benefit to aid southern musicians. [more Taj music inside]

You're just mad because I f***ed MetaFilter!

KevinSkomsvold — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:13:20 -0800

The on-stage rantings of various famous musicians.

The blues had a baby and they called it rock & roll

madamjujujive — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 18:19:00 -0800

John Lee Hooker performs Gloria and It Serves Me Right to Suffer with Van Morrison; I'm in the Mood with Bonnie Raitt; The Healer with Santana; Boogie Chilluns with the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton; and Roadhouse Blues with Jim Morrison & the Doors (audio only). [Also, Muddy Waters, Etta James and more blues legends & rock combos inside]

The Indie Band Survival Guide

Ira.metafilter — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:34:05 -0800

The Indie Band Survival Guide: A fantastic, free, 101 pages collection of useful information for musicians - covers topics such as recording, copyright, major label contracts, commercial radio, promoting your music, band websites, distribution, filesharing and live shows.

let's go crazy

madamjujujive — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 17:45:08 -0800

The 50 Craziest Pop Stars Ever - unsurprisingly, there is some crossover with the 50 Most Awesomely Dead Rock Stars.

Chords, chords, chords

Ogre Lawless — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:37:39 -0800

If you can stomach (and run) Windows Media Player and are a musician*, perhaps you might find the Muse On Visualizer somewhat interesting. It attempts to extract chord names from the music stream and display them realtime. Then again, maybe you are looking to experiment with chords and music theory or else figure out what you've been banging out. * Yes, I realize +1 of you probably have problems with one or the other of these. Deal. Also, MuseOn is more fun-toy than genius-spot-on-makes-TABs-for-you.

Cocaine decisions

starkeffect — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 20:41:01 -0800

For most musicians, it's difficult to pinpoint a particular event that forever sullied their image and destroyed their popularity. For 80's rocker Billy Squier, however, the reason is clear. [YouTube]

Standin' at the crossroads

madamjujujive — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 00:00:23 -0800

After nearly 70 years, blues legend Robert Johnson's guitar has recently surfaced. It's up for sale, but you may need to sell your soul to afford it. Maybe Legba will lend you the purchse price. [more]

"Get ready for the Third Millennium, people!"

Dr. Wu — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 20:39:25 -0800

Anthony Braxton and the Tri-Centric Foundation | Wesleyan University recently hosted a semester-long 60th birthday celebration for visionary composer and musician Anthony Braxton. Learn about Braxton's foundation for musical exploration, and his peculiar system for naming his compositions; read a few of his dense and cryptic research papers on many subjects (full contents here); peruse a remarkably comprehensive discography of his works; read a brief and interesting interview with him, and if that doesn't feed your curiosity, dive head-first into an absolutely gargantuan interview with this important composer; listen to interviews with Braxton from 1971 and 1985; and, finally, give a listen to Composition No. 186, part of Braxton's "Ghost-Trance" series.

Clarence Gatemouth Brown - dead at 81

madamjujujive — Sun, 11 Sep 2005 10:52:05 -0800

Things ain't what they used to be. Blues, jazz, Cajun and country music great Clarence Gatemouth Brown dies at 81. Brown safely evacuated his home in Slidell, but was said to be broken hearted by the devastation wreaked by Katrina on his beloved Louisiana. Alligator bio (sound alert).

Luther Vandross: RIP

trip and a half — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 19:31:50 -0800

Luther Vandross is gone. The great R&B balladeer died today, apparently due to complications from a stroke he suffered two years ago. Believers in an afterlife can hope he's enjoying a dance with his father. After all, he did believe in the "Power of Love". RIP.

Mississippi Musicians

gimonca — Sat, 12 Mar 2005 08:56:52 -0800

Mississippi Musicians as compiled by the students of Starkville High School, Starkville, Mississippi.

Deep Inside Jon Bon Jovi

KevinSkomsvold — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 09:14:32 -0800

Deep inside the poetic stylings of John Bon Jovi. To begin, I'd like to look at the opening verses of "Bed of Roses". You may think you understand the meaning behind this poem - that John Bon Jovi likes a lady, and is upset about it. This is just a sign of the brilliant, interweaving complexity of Bon Jovi. You can love the poem at that level, and many have, but let's go... inside.[Coral Link - In case the other doesn't work]

Hello MUDDA

eustacescrubb — Wed, 11 Aug 2004 18:39:40 -0800

Hello, MUDDA. "The relationship of artist to the business has most often been one of contract and servitude. We believe the way forward must be a partnership in which the artist can take a much bigger role in how their creations are sold, but also have the chance to stand at the front of the queue when payments are made instead of the traditional position of being paid long after everyone else." - Peter Gabriel

Claud Johnson is finally enjoying the fruits of the legendary Robert Johnson's estate

matteo — Wed, 02 Jun 2004 10:02:30 -0800

Son of a Bluesman The legend was that if you touched Robert Johnson you could feel the talent running through him, like heat, put there by the devil on a dark Delta crossroad in exchange for his soul. It is why Claud Johnson's grandparents would not let him out of the house that day in 1937 when Robert Johnson, his father, strolled into the yard. "They told my daddy they didn't want no part of him. They said he was working for the devil. I stood in the door, and he stood on the ground, and that is as close as I ever got to him. He wandered off, and I never saw him again." Today, in the working-class neighborhood where he raised his children, Claud Johnson, a rich man, lives in a grand house on 47 acres of property. (After Claud won his court battle in 1998 and was recognized as the son of the blues legend, his lawyer handed him a six-figure cashier's check and begged him to quit hauling gravel. Claud kept hauling gravel for five months. "After 29 years, it just gets in your blood"). His victory stands out in the annals of Mississippi probate law. It took 10 years, two trips to the State Supreme Court and two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court. Not to mention, most of the first two or three generations of blues musicians died without securing rights to their composition. Explains Thomas Freeland, a Mississippi attorney and blues historian: when the San Francisco-based band the Grateful Dead recorded songs by the North Carolina blues musician Elizabeth Cotten, Freeland said, "the story is, [she] bought a dishwasher with the royalties." (more inside)

NickDrakeBBC

srboisvert — Mon, 24 May 2004 16:26:18 -0800

Nick Drake BBC2 Special narrated by Achilles [brad pitt].

Drums of the bohicans

crunchburger — Fri, 07 May 2004 00:13:23 -0800

The great studio drummer Steve Gadd is of the most important musicians of the 1970's. Gadd brought bassist Tony Levin (Buddy Rich, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson) into the business in New York 30 years ago, and that alone is enough to secure a place in history. You may remember his unforgettable groove on "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", one of many brilliant contributions Gadd made to classics of the 70's pop charts

John Coltrane's Home

lilboo — Tue, 09 Mar 2004 20:03:22 -0800

John Coltrane composed many of his later works, including A Love Supreme in this house. Now local preservationists are battling to save the home from demolition. If you want to see this home preserved just send them an email to show your support.

Greatest Week in Rock History

madamjujujive — Sat, 20 Dec 2003 06:31:58 -0800

The Greatest Week in Rock History (Salon link) - 34 years ago today, Billboard Charts had a outstanding album lineup - perhaps not the best albums ever, but for a single point in time, arguably unmatched for quality, originality, and longevity. Take a look back at the roster: the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Tom Jones, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Stones, Santana, the Temptations, Blood Sweat & Tears, Crosby Stills & Nash, and Easy Rider.

Lester Bangs - Rock critic god.

ashbury — Tue, 07 Oct 2003 07:32:06 -0800

Lester Bangs, rock critic. Some reviews to read and enjoy. Patti Smith. Astral Weeks. Captain Beefheart. The Shaggs. Black Sabbath. Weather Report. Lou Reed. There are books you can read about him, too. (Previous mention in this thread.)

Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson

ehintz — Sun, 07 Sep 2003 18:49:13 -0800

They've booked arenas, and have an announcement scheduled for Tuesday. Simon and Garfunkel, together for their first tour since '93 (if they don't get into an argument first). I'd suggest those interested get a ticket for one of the early shows, just to be safe...

The roots of Hip Hop Culture will no longer be ignored.

monkeymike — Thu, 29 May 2003 12:02:17 -0800

"The roots of Hip Hop Culture will no longer be ignored. Hip Hop's pioneer MC's, DJ's, B-boys and Graffiti Artists finally get to tell their stories. Travel with the real Hip Hop historians (Ralph McDaniels, DJ Red Alert, Grandmaster Caz, Kool Herc) through their old stomping grounds and listen to them reminisce as we drive down memory lane. Hush Tours takes you to all the hot spots Uptown (Harlem and the Bronx) giving Hip Hop Culture more than a venue... also a voice."