"
One day, in the early 1960's, Mongo Santamaria called up Herbie Hancock and asked him to sit in as a pianist with Mongo's band, which was then performing at Club Cubano InterAmericano on Prospect Avenue, a popular Latin music spot. Herbie was reluctant to do it because he never played Latin before, but accepted the offer and was doing pretty well by the end of the first set. Then during intermission, Donald Byrd, who was there, asked Herbie to play his original composition "
Watermelon Man" for Mongo. When Herbie started doing this, Mongo's band, especially his huge percussion section, started joining in, and before you knew it the whole club was dancing. Mongo was so excited by what happened that he asked if he could record the song.
He did, and it became his greatest hit."
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posted by MartinWisse
on Feb 11, 2013 -
26 comments
The
Canto Ostinato is a minimalist classical composition written in 1976-1979 consisting of "small, entirely tonal cells which are repeated - how many times is left to the performer". Usually performed by
two or
four pianos, it's also been adapted to other instruments
like the harp. The Canto Ostinato ("stubborn song") was written by Dutch composer
Simeon ten Holt, who passed away yesterday.
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posted by MartinWisse
on Nov 26, 2012 -
6 comments
Book illustrator Leo Dillon, who in partnership with his wife Diane Dillon, illustrated and did the covers for many of your favourite childrens' books,
has passed away on May 26th.
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posted by MartinWisse
on May 29, 2012 -
18 comments
Role Playing Game pioneer Mohammed Al Rahman Barker
died last week (PDF). Inspired through playing
dungeons and Dragons, M. A. R. Barker created what is possibly the world's second RPG,
Empire of the Petal Throne, set in the world of Tekumel, a world he would continue to keep building for the rest of his life.
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posted by MartinWisse
on Mar 19, 2012 -
28 comments
