Blogs

tonight on Jazz After Dark, 8 – 9 pm! September 13 2011

1926 to 1992:
Fats Waller *
Fats Waller & His Rhythm *
Clyde McCoy *
Earl Hines *
Artie Shaw *
Tommy Dorsey *
Louis Armstrong *
Sarah Vaughan (2) *
Mose Allison *
Ella Fitzgerald *
Stéphane Grappelli & Stuff Smith *
Antonio Carlos Jobim *
Frank Sinatra *
Stan Getz *
Gabor Szabo *
Stanley Turrentine *

Next up On the Backlot...Hardwater

And finally, our closing band On the Backlot is Hardwater. Hardwater's practically family, at this point. They played at benefits during our Save KDRT campaign, and closed out the show at DMA's 20th anniversary party in 2008. They've been incredible boosters of KDRT and DMA, and we're grateful they're coming back to play for the Backlot crowd. Hardwater's a fixture around town, playing at many community events. We thank them for their generous spirits.

Hardwater mixes original music with covers from Grateful Dead to Dave Matthews Band, playing a melange of folk rock, blues, jazz, reggae and Cajun, with some North English, Irish and Canadian folk tunes blended in. Bob Lindley plays violin/baritone violin/electric mandolin; John Swann provides vocals and plays acoustic guitar. Eve West Bessier handles vocals/Word/percussion, with Rob Gonzales on bass and Johnny Flores on drums and hand percussion. They'll play during the 9-10:00 hour, wrapping up what is sure to be a stellar evening...On the Backlot.

You can find more info here, and here's a clip to get you started

 

Next up On The Backlot ... Tha Dirt Feelin

I will not embarass Mr. Marque Cass by relating the story of how we became friends over his concussion. Instead, I'll say that Marque--youth media advocate, UC Davis student, poet, Davis Media Access volunteer and so on--is better known these days as front man and lyricist for Tha Dirt Feelin, and that Tha DF is heating up things all over town.

Marque is joined by Colin Borges on guitars and flute; Colin also produces the band’s work. Evan Daly plays guitar and composes;  Ali Sakkal plays saxophone and percussion; and Kevin Martinez plays drums, percussion. To a man, they're all students, grad students and educators, and in fact met through school here in Davis about two years ago. The music started as random jam sessions and turned into shows at bars, restaurants, farmers' markets and large festivals.

Tha Dirt Feelin’s music is a positive and upbeat blend of soulful singing, thoughtful raps and musical accompaniment that always has a solid dance beat, but ranges from acoustic to jazz to funk and rock in style. Music clips and more information available at http://thadf.com, and here's one to get you started. They'll be playing in the 8:00 hour ... On the Backlot ... and I want to thank them for joining us.  Enjoy!

 

 

Voices of Inspiration, New York, performs at Cairo's International Sufi Music Festival

This year, the US participated for the first time in Cairo's International Sufi Music Festival with Voices of Inspiration, a gospel group from Harlem.

This year's festival brought together 12 countries, including Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Algeria, Turkey, Norway and Spain to share their sufi and religious music. The festival was held at the Dome of Al Ghouri, a beautiful building that was built in 1505 in old Cairo near Al Azhar and Hussein Mosques.

ART+ interviewed different music groups and the festival's director Dr. Intessar, who spoke about the Festival's message of peace, friendship and compassion. ART+ also interviewed Share the Mic, which helped bring Voices of Inspiration to perform at the Festival. We will also tell you how American artists can participate in art and cultural events in Cairo. The show will be broadcast on September 7.

To listen to this show, Please Click Here

Next Up On the Backlot

With a backing band, Belle Francisco plays what she describes as acoustic/progressive folk rock. She says, “My songs are an exploration of justice, human bonding, truth seeking, love and loss all in support of soul transformation.” Belle has been playing the area a lot this past year, including shows in Folsom and most recently, the Davis Vibrations Music Festival. You can find Belle on Facebook or ReverbNation, and here’s a clip of some music: We thank Belle & friends for contributing their time and talent to the Backlot! Their play time falls in the 7-8 hour ... On the Backlot.

tonight on Jazz After Dark, 8 – 9 pm! August 30 2011

1931 to 1999:
Glenn Miller * In The Mood
Sidney Bechet * Loveless Love
Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra * Wrappin' It Up
Benny Goodman * Blue Reverie @ Carnegie
Benny Goodman * Life Goes To A Party @ Carnegie
Glenn Miller * Little Brown Jug
Glenn Miller * Johnson Rag
Lena Horne * Out Of Nowhere
Pete Johnson And "Big" Joe Turner * Rebecca
Ella Fitzgerald * I Get a Kick Out of You
Tony Pastor and his Orchestra * Indian Love Call
Cannonball Adderley * I Can't Get Started
Yusef Lateef * The Three Faces of Balal
Eddie Harris * S Wonderful
Dave Brubeck * Lost Waltz
Chico O'Farrill * Sing Your Blues Away (For Ñeca)

tonight on Jazz After Dark, 8 – 9 pm! August 23 2011

An eclectic mix, some old favorites:
James Moody * First Thing In The Morning
Stan Kenton * Sophisticated Samba
Knuckles OToole * Raggin The Scale
Ennio Morricone * Playing Love
Gerry Mulligan * Good Bait
Allen Toussaint * Egyptian Fantasy
Stan Kenton * Skoot
MCFerrin/YoYoMa * Hoedown
Sarah Vaughan * Nice Work If You Can Get It
Backwoods Jazz Quartet * Mood Indigo
Gerry Mulligan * Out Back Of The Barn
Rahsaan Roland Kirk *
Earl Hines * Stanley Steamer

Musicians On the Backlot - Nat Lefkoff

We're getting excited about On the Backlot - Celebrating Local Music & Media, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011 from 6-10 p.m. and today I'll begin profiling some of the musicians and bands who'll be playing.
 
First up is Nat Lefkoff, 17-year-old indie-folk singer-songwriter from Davis with a knack for beautiful melodies and triumphant vocals. According a recent writeup, "Nat's live performance is a great example of his ingenuity as a musician as well as his charisma in his stage presence. Nat uses his music as tool of expression and is known for lyrics of heartbreak and sorrow, as well as self revelation and love, creating a balance of light and dark which is captured in beautiful pigment with each set he plays."
 
Nat is a senior at Davis High School and recently spent some time in the recording studio with Simon & The Fire Breathers. He's been playing all around town, from the Village Home Performer's Circle to The Odd Fellows, and we're mighty pleased to bring him the Backlot audience.
 
You can listen to clip's of Nat's music here:

and at
 
Next up, we'll be profiling Tha Dirt Feeling, Belle Francisco and Hardwater.
 
On the Backlot will feature a celebration of KDRT 95.7 FM’s 7th birthday, and the unveiling of DMA’s newly rebuilt community television studio. A fund raiser for DMA’s programs and services, tickets are $10-$20 sliding scale and will be available at the door. info@davismedia.org for more information.

Lucinda Williams, Cecily Raine, Billy Collins, Alessi's Ark and Van Morrison; Mountain Mama jumps in

http://kdrt.org/node/7463

Hi there … and welcome to Mountain Mama’s Earth Music … and let’s jump in

1) Swimming Pools, Thao 2:08
2) Swimming in your ocean, Crash Test Dummies 3:50
3) Janglin, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros 3:50

"Archaic Torso of Apollo"
by Rainer Maria Rilke
translated by Stephen Mitchell
We cannot know his legendary head
with eyes like ripening fruit. And yet his torso
is still suffused with brilliance from inside,
like a lamp, in which his gaze, now turned to low,

gleams in all its power. Otherwise
the curved breast could not dazzle you so, nor could
a smile run through the placid hips and thighs
to that dark center where procreation flared.

Otherwise this stone would seem defaced
beneath the translucent cascade of the shoulders
and would not glisten like a wild beast's fur:

would not, from all the borders of itself,
burst like a star: for here there is no place
that does not see you. You must change your life.

4) Convince Me, Lucinda Williams 5:46
5) Mama Told Me Not To Come, Three Dog Night 3:20
6) Searching, Cecily Raine 5:42