The Folk Brothers for May 4, 2022: Curlew sounds in the Simmerdim

Wed, 05/04/2022 - 11:10am | Peter Schiffman

It's getting to be the time of year when the Arctic Circle experiences "Simmerdim," the Scottish term for the long twilight when the sun drops just below the horizon for only a few hours each night. Orcadian singer-songwriter Merlyn Driver's forthcoming album honors the (now endangered) Eurasian Curlew, which wades and sings on the shorelines of those northern islands, during those hours of dim light. Proceeds from his forthcoming album Simmerdim: Curlew Sounds will support efforts by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to restore Curlew habitat.

The Folk Brothers playlist for 05/04/2022

Davisville, May 2, 2022: By finding tiny crocheted Triceratops, UC Davis students are finding each other

Mon, 05/02/2022 - 5:30pm | Bill Buchanan

As the Covid pandemic dials down in Davis, people are finding different ways to reconnect. Today’s story presents a way that’s off the scale in charm and whimsy -- it involves tiny crocheted triceratops that students are making and hiding on the UC Davis campus, for other students to find. Just for the fun of doing it. A Discord server for the project has more than 3,400 members so far, and Berkeley might be next.

Today we hear from the founder and two co-leaders of the Davis Triceratops community: UC Davis undergraduates Jennine Eng, Ada Lei, and Sebastian Carpintero. This photo (from left) shows Ada, Jennine, and Sebastian with three of the hundreds of dinosaurs created so far.

Alex Jenkins discusses his music and life as a percussionist, on Listening Lyrics, April 29, 2022

Fri, 04/29/2022 - 5:10pm | Pieter Pastoor

Due to his in-depth study of the music of different cultures, Alex Jenkins' playing transcends musical traditions and boundaries. His expression of rhythm is heavily influenced by his study of tabla (a north Indian classical percussion instrument), and he is known for his creative approach to music and for his unique ability to fuse rhythmic ideas from various disciplines into one cohesive sound.

Alex has studied music, drums and percussion at California State University Sacramento, the Ali Akbar Khan School of Music in San Rafael, and Drummers Collective in New York. He spent three months in India studying north Indian music. He performs and records regularly, around California and beyond, playing a variety of music (on both drums and tabla) including jazz, Afro-Cuban, rock, blues, fusion, Indian classical, and just about everything in between.

Alex leads The Alex Jenkins Trio, which keeps a very busy performing schedule. He also teaches workshops and clinics for various schools, including Sacramento State, American River College, Cosumnes River College, California College of the Arts in Oakland, UC Merced, and many more. His extensive private teaching roster has more than 50 students per week. He will appear with the trio on:

  • 5/2  @ Luna's Cafe Sacramento, 8 p.m., all ages
  • 5/6 @ Drakes (West Sacramento), 6-9 p.m., all ages
  • 5/15 @ Jets (Sacramento, Midtown), 7:30-10 p.m., all ages
  • 5/21 @ Shady Lady (Sacramento), 8-11 p.m.
  • 7/8 @ Morgan's Mill (Woodland), 7-9 p.m., all ages

The Folk Brothers for April 27, 2022: Transatlantic collaborations

Wed, 04/27/2022 - 11:10am | Peter Schiffman

This morning we presented tracks featuring exciting new musical collaborations between American and Scottish artists: Orcadian Kris Drever and Rachel Baimans' cover of Eliza Gilkyson's "Hard Times In Babylon"; Heidi Talbot and Lousiana-based Dirk Powell with "Empty Promise Land"; and Brooklyn-based Hannah Read (fiddle) and Michael Starkey (banjo), who met at an Appalachian old-time musical session in Edinburgh.

Also today: new tracks from Kate Rusby with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, The Unthanks, Peter Rowan, Nashville Honeymoon, and more!

The Folk Brothers playlist for 04/27/2022

Jazz After Dark, April 26, 2022

Tue, 04/26/2022 - 5:00pm | Don Shor

jazz logo 2021.jpg

Tonight on Jazz After Dark, five longer pieces:

  • Johnny Hodges and the Ellington Men -- Texas Blues (1957)
  • Grant Green -- Blues in Maude's Flat (1961)
  • Don Ellis -- Image of Maria, live in India (1978)
  • Ramsey Lewis Quintet -- Blues for the Night (1973)
  • Gabor Szabo -- Impression of My Country / Foothill Patrol, live in Stockholm (1970s recordings released in 2001)

Album of the Week: Procol Harum's 'Shine On Brightly'

Mon, 04/25/2022 - 5:38pm | Pieter Pastoor

This information comes from Wikipedia:

English rock band Procol Harum recorded Shine On Brightly in 1967 and 1968 in London, and released it on A&M in September 1968. Denny Cordell produced. The record clocks in at 39 minutes and 9 seconds. It's considered an early example of progressive rock, and usually gets classified in the genres of progressive, art, and/or psychedelic rock.

The album's single, "Quite Rightly So," failed to repeat the success of Procol Harum's first two singles ("A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Homburg"), but the album was a commercial success in the United States, outperforming their first album. It didn't chart in the band's home country, but reached #26 in Canada.

Brenden Tull in the studio, on Listening Lyrics, April 22, 2022

Fri, 04/22/2022 - 5:10pm | Pieter Pastoor

Brenden Tull/basil tell/Dunno is … an artist … simply because of his specific attention to beauty/each moment on the path to becoming a passive, Taoist non-action. He tastes life wide-eyed and … without a shell of hardness … and in his art, the person takes precedence over the product, the product is nearly extraneous -- something of his nature is carried over.

This week's Paul McCartney featured song will be "Ever Present Past" from his Memory Almost Full album. Brenden will play and re-invent the song.

Listen to Listening Lyrics over the air, via streaming at www.kdrt.org, or as a podcast on most podcast apps.

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