Rickie Lee Jones at the Barrymore

I am so glad I made it out to see Rickie Lee as she made her way back to Madison after a 4 or 5 year hiatus from our fair city. She was radiant in her magical musical ways, transforming the Barrymore Theater into a blast from the past, almost a 1970’s “feelin’ it for the first time” as she attempted to (successfully I believe) go chronologically through her albums and send her voice, words and tunes into that space place a nice sized crowd filled. The stage murmurs as she talks to or around the crowd would make even the exact same show as unique as the artist herself is, and to be in her world for just that few hour period really did make for a time travel experience. While there were many highlights of this night, there was none finer for me then watching Rickie Lee Jones hit the drum kit for a great rendition of Traffic’s ‘Low Spark of High Heeled Boys’ off here 2000 release “It’s Like This”, which she nailed down as her own with her deep lyrical twists and the turns of her bandmates caused this tune to really stand out. The show is still a show and the legend that Rickie Lee Jones has become is just starting to be truly defined and no better way to have your two cents heard then to go see her live and find out for yourself.

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Seth Walker at the Frequency

On certain Tuesdays at the Frequency here in Madison, there is a “BLUES TUESDAY” event that has been building itself quite a solid reputation, and this week it was friend of the show Seth Walker who was in town to show off his Americana Blues sound, his Willie Nelson impersonation and his fantastic ability to craft songs that make you want to listen. Seth writes songs that people have felt before, but the way he puts himself into is vocally makes the song still an unknown that you want to get to know better…..In our recent interview it was easy to tell that Seth Walker loves music, he was raised by parents who were trained classically and was playing the cello by four. I ‘ll let him tell you the rest of the story, hell..I bet he can sing it to you. He played a lot of things off his new album “Leap of Faith” and easily had captured the crowds feet, as the place got a good stomp-a-going….and sometimes even on rhythm. This venue allows all in attendance, (did I mention what a nice big crowd was there?) to feel like the artist is right in your living room, and I think Seth was feeling right at home with us and something tells me we’ll get a chance to see our old pal Seth Walker back here sometime in the near future….and if you happen to see that he is playing out where you can get to, take a chance and go feel good, be a part of that night’s story.

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Ear & Soul Massage

I always am pleased to have artists share their own words as part of the program….especially when they are coming to are near MadTOWN. This week was no exception, heading to town on Tuesday at the Frequency is Seth Walker, redefining American roots and country roll music and then I had the pleasure of having an eye opening chat with sound artist extraordinaire Carmen Rizzo who will be at the Stoughton Opera House this coming Saturday, with Huun Huur Tu. I was honored to call both men friends of the show and look forward to catching each event live, to sooth my being(s). here’s what the sets around the conversations looked like:

Dub Je Je- Antibalas
Zinabu- Bunzu Sounds
Gadget Funk- the Herbaliser
Power to the People- Black Eyed Peas
Metropolis- Particle
———————-
1968- Bill Frisell
Pug- Furley
Gettin’ it Together- Tommy Guerrero
Mo Lovin’- Chris Joss
Shine- LiftOff
———————-
Ffeh- Ed Alstrom
Don’t do it- Salvador Santana

All day Sucker- Stevie Wonder
———————-
In the Dark- Seth Walker
**On air Chat with Seth Walker**
I Don’t Dance- Seth Walker
———————-
Lily Blossom- MarsMobil
Otherwise- Morcheeba (live)
Cloud Cover-Tierra Negra & Muriel Anderson w/Victor Wooten
Dr. Nick- Project Trio

Corrupt- Tigran Hamasyan
Meboli- Balkan Beat Box
———————–
Ancestor’s Call- Huun Huur Tu & Carmen Rizzo
**On air Conversation with Carmen Rizzo**
Tuvan Prayer- Huun Huur Tu & Carmen Rizzo
In Search of a Lost Past- Huun Huur Tu & Carmen Rizzo

EARly bird

Did another early bird fill in this morning from 7-9am. It was a good chance to air out some tunes with a little rock in their roll.

What’s good for me- the Simple Things (live)
White Noise- Trampled by Turtles
Unchain my Heart- Head for the Hills

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Your mind is on Vacation-Van Morrison w/George Fame & Friends
Peace Frog- Smashmouth
Love her Madly- Bo Diddley
Cactus- David Bowie
The Cynic- Kashmir feat. David Bowie

Colour- Delta 5
——————–
Endless Sea- Gus Fafalios
All She Wrote- Ray Davies
Tito, tito- New Wet Kojak
Ballad of Bodacious- Primus
Seas of Cheese- Primus
Galaxina- Turn me on Dead man
Nampa- Enuma Elish
———————
Glamor Hippy- the Fly Brothers (live)
Excentrifugal For Z-Frank Zappa
Apostrophe- Frank Zappa
51st Anniversary- the Jimi Hendrix Experience
———————
Dixieland- Swamp Cabbage
Diddy Wah Diddy- Taj Mahal
Who Knows-the Quantic Soul Orchestra feat. Kabir
Kiko & the Lavender Moon- Los Lobos (live)
Beautiful- G love w/Tristian Prettyman
Sunrise on St. Johns- Teddy Presberg
Disillusion- U Melt
——————
Can’t Come with you- Seth Walker
Hellhounds on Rose Hill- Joe Pitts
Down Along the Cove- Joe Pitts

I know I’ve Been Changed- John Hammond/Tom Waits
Hate to see you go- Moreland & Arbuckle

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NNEKA: Concrete Jungle

The brand new release from Nneka off of the Decon Record label, this album is making a way into my heart via my ears pretty quickly. From the “tell it like it is” vocals that trap rap into a hip hopped up reggae dub dance-a-holic rhythm that speaks to my mind/soul/feet. Nneka has an album here that plays well in a club mix, a world music set or a funky transition track that’ll change the gears of a music program that temps the ears of people with spirits….people that dream to hear the sounds that have never encompassed them before…Concrete Jungle shows love for the listener while sharing with us some uncomfortable truths…challenges our minds vs our hearts through the very rhythms and beats of Africa and all the sounds that have come from her sands.

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Gettin’ ORGAN*IZED

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With Ed Alstrom on the Hammond. After one listen through, I have come to one conclusion thusfar, HOTT!! And now after several listens and some radio airplay, this album is easily a mainstay in my programming as it enters and exits sets of all kinds of music with a fluidity that isn’t easy to find. The album is very backyard on a summer’s day playful and downright groovin’ at times that you cannot help but shake the very things shakeable and sometimes breakable. There are many moods to the album within the grooves…Starting off with melodies rich in reflection and guitar licks (Charlie Jones) hotter than a Bar-B-Q pit, drum beats (Don Guinta) like a sidewinder snakes heartbeat~ and there are some highly ORGANic dashes that are equal parts soul refreshing and body moving and at times making the blues feel a little happy…..For me they style of “Booganova” is something I have loved for so long but never knew the word that went with he sound, in many moments on this album I am reminded that the reason I like musicians like Ed Alstrom is that they keep on re-defining the sounds I recognize pieces of, and turn them into a whole new thang. I believe this album has the power to do that for more people than me.

Sum Funk-N-Stuff

the dig- Teddy Presberg
Scrumpt- Doug Johns
Bop Gun- the Clinton Administration
Video Game, Save me- Salvador Santana
Let there be Horns- RJD2
——————
Baby I’m Black….-Sven Barth & Induce are the Saxual Revolution

Contusion- Stevie Wonder
Salvador Diaspora- Rex Riddem
Kool it man- Liftoff
We got Some (1&2)- Chris Joss
Baby Let’s Dance- Kittu
Funkytastic- Celia Baron
——————
Zuma Preserve- the Brooklyn Funk Essentials
Soul Neo- the Poogie Bell Band
Brownie, Leo & Gus- Skeebo Knight
Psycho- Middle Passage Squad
Amish Pintxos- MMW
——————-
Globalizacion- Fernando Otero
Blue Rondo a la Turk- Project Trio
Wang Dang Doodle-Sam Moore/Keb Mo/Angie Stone

Jambalaya- Jeff Healy
Treme Mardi Gras- Kermit Ruffins
——————
Ina This Time- Tony Brown
Put it on- Bob Marley
Strangers on the Shore- Bob Marley
Kinky Reggae- Bob Marley & the Wailers (live)
Mr. Anonymous- Mr. Anonymous

Is it any Wonder

Did a 7-9amCST Fill in today just to get some extra time as next week I will not be on air. So here is what I put together for the earlier morning hours:

Rocket Baby- Johnnie Mustang
la Gitane- Duane Andrews
Benny’s Tune- Lionel Loueke
Mamang- Kristo Numpuby
——————
Twisto Mambo- the Sort of Quartet
Walter L-Burton/Methany/Swallow/Sanchez (live)
Shine on you Crazy Diamond-Viktor Krauss w/Shawn Colvin
Always Near- Narayan & Janet
——————
Full Throttle- 9th Wave
I Ain’t Human- Leroy Powell & the Messengers
Sopchoppy- Swamp Cabbage
Something Fast- Seth Walker
That’s What Keeps me Rockin’-the Robert Cray Band
——————-
Paralyzed- Gang of Four
Faced you in a Neon Light- Yordan Orchestra
Golden Retriever- Super Furry Animals
Good Old Days(wash away)-Darren Gaines & the Key Party
Fame- David Bowie (live)
Atomic Heels- Secret Machines
I Kid you not- Spain Colored Ornage
——————-
Circumstances- Soulhound
When she Whispers your Name- Buck 69
Let me Roll it->Foxey Lady-Paul McCartney (live)
White Rabbit- Patti Smith
Mile High- Morphine
Around the World- Delaney Davidson
Tremendous Dynamite- Eels
You’re so Fine- John Hammond
You’ll be Mine- John Hammond
———————
Waiting for a Miracle- Jerry Garcia Band (live)

ATLANTIS

Leroy Powell and the Messengers new release ATLANTIS has those moments I treasure in an album, surprises. It has tough rock-N-roll tracks that reminded me why I love it, and deep drifter blues tunes that put me in the boots of the shoveler at final resting time…there are sweet-like country-esque ballads that move the sweet side of those of us with a heart (that has some twists in it). The delivery on Leroy Powell’s work this time around with the Messengers reeks of the truth as someone has lived it…the words come out of him so believable that at times you feel like you are riding next to him in a van on a cross country tour, as he remembers long lost tales of days gone by and things that once happened. I believe as you listen into this album you’ll too find that moment of surprise, as it is somewhere between the words and the notes.

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Project Trio

Harmonyville Records is proud to release: PROJECT Trio’s third studio recording – a self-titled album that continues the ensemble’s unique and heralded musical exploration. Based in Brooklyn, PROJECT Trio emerged from a classical background, but has found an unconventional and energetic voice through the exploration of unique performance techniques. Their obsession with program versatility and contrast of musical style is executed by Flutist Greg Pattillo, Cellist Eric Stephenson, and Double Bassist Peter Seymour. Simply put, their music synthesizes Hip-hop, Rock, Bluegrass, Americana, Jazz, and Classical music to create their truly distinctive sound. Pattillo, Stephenson and Seymour’s roots can be traced back over 13 years to when they met at the Cleveland Institute of Music. After working with famed ensembles including the Cleveland Orchestra and the Houston Symphony, PROJECT Trio got its first big break in 2006 when Pattillo’s groundbreaking beatbox flute videos were featured on youtube showcasing a key part of the group’s signature sound. After 40 million views, PROJECT Trio’s youtube channel, “Freedomworksfilms”, has amassed a following of over 45,000 subscribers. Pattillo has been lauded by The New York Times as “the best person in the world at what he does”. I first listened to this release with a room full of kids and they were the first to recognize the Brubeck track from their own collections at home and we were all hooked on the changes and immediaely I knew this cd was going to be a winner with me. Which will translate nicely into selected airplay and sets of music build right around pieces to create a set of music that Project Trio would be glad to be a part of.

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your ears or mine?

Just thankful for so many listeners that have been becoming regulars….

Hot Rockin’ Rhythm- Hillbilly Hellcats
Ichetucknee Chutney- Dread Clampitt
Outback Booty Call- 8 Ball Aitken
I Don’t Dance- Seth Walker
Soul Satisfying- Joe Pitts

Aquarius Skies- Mama’s Cookin’
New VooDoo BooGaLoo- Swamp Cabbage
—————–
Who’s Makin’ Love- Chris Daniels & the Kings
You’re so Fine- Eddie Floyd
Sweet Feeling- Cracked Ice
Makin’ Whoopee- Joyce Randolph
Ladies Man- Keith Kilgo
—————-
Sweet Child O’ Mine- Project Trio
Danza- Fernando Otero

—————–
Get Down Tonight- Melvin Sparks Band
I’m Gonna Teach You- Maceo Parker
CC Rider- Ron Levy’s Wild Kingdom
Shafro- Chris Joss
the Big Score- Fort Knox Five
We Got Somethin’- Salvador Santana
——————
Then I met you- Alexander Ponomarlenko
——————
Who’s got the Weed- G Love & Special Sauce
Cool & Collect- 10 Ft Ganja Plant
Gas Can- Pressure Cooker
Be Serious- Gabriel Johnson
Fair Weather Friend- Daedelus
Stop the War-(Bring Peace)-Glideascope feat. JFK
Mostly Love- Narayan & Janet
——————
Electric Moonshine- Dr Didg
Snake Charmer- Punjabi MC (DJ Rekha Bhangra Basement)

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Oh Yeah, Yo La Tengo

I have been listening to the ample selections that Yo La Tengo has put out over the years for quite some time now, sharing much on the radio show but this was my first chance to catch the trio from Hoboken. The crowd at the Barrymore was strong in numbers and there was a surplus of cool in the room as the band mixed their sometimes softer calming side (often accompanied with acoustic music) with a moment or two of punked out quickies and my favorite of their work are those psychedelic rock jams that get filled with space and last over seven minutes. So many tunes carry a heavy bass that a heartbeat and pulse formed from the stage……The trio often shows its flexibility as drummer Georgia sings and strums as well as kicking it behind the kit. Ira Kaplan keeps the vibe alive on keys and really sets you back some with his guitar jams and sound exploration while James McNew really was spot on with his bassin’. All three members carry steady harmonies and together, I would surely agree that They’ve got it. They ended the evening with two encores. The first a fine rendtion of a Fairport Convention tune and the final song was a beautifully haunting Velvet Underground sound. After the show had a quick chance to chat with Ira about, well…what else, you guessed it…baseball. So, when the time presents itself again, I will go…Yo La Tengo.

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its pronounced Gee

Back to two hours for the semester, s’all good as I squeeze in all that I have to fill your ears with…here’s what today looked like:

Totally Awesome- Honchie
Destination Unknown-Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Rush- Big Audio Dynamite
Rock N Roll- G Love & the Special Sauce
Body in the Lake-the Codetalkers w/Col Bruce Hampton
Sweet Jane- Lou Reed (live)
Beat on the Brat- U2
Happy Together- the Passive Aggressives
Cold War- the Charms
——————
Extra Virgin- the Josh Roseman Unit
Forget Everything- Was (Was Not)
Manufactured Consent(Cheney’s got a gun)-mamarazzi
Let’s get it on- the Rebirth Brass Band
Second & Dryades-Galactic w/Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
I can See Clearly now-Kermit Ruffins w/Bonerama Horns/Troy Andrews
Struttin’ w/some Doner Kabobs- the N.O. Klezmer Allstars
——————-
Shtick Shift- the Alexandria Kleztet
Picante(Party Time Version)- Charo
Lithuania- Rithma
Gosalo- the Pimps of Joytime
Reading Rainbow- the Mackrosoft
———————-
Salida Con Elegba- Omar Sosa & NDR Bigband
Dio se Misle- Boukman Eksperyans
———————-
My Honey & Me- the Emotions

Funky Belly-the Imperials w/Joseph Henry
Arts & Crafts- Maceo Parker
Basement Bhangra Anthem- DJ Rekha & Sunil Sehgal FT. Wyclef Jean & Bikram Singh

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