nonesuch explorer series, revived
The super-duper Nonesuch label is reviving its extensive Explorer series of world music recordings. None of that fancy production work on these babies. Producer Stephen Jay was on NPR, talking about his recordings of traditional African music made in the '70s. Then David Byrne talked about discovering the recordings as a youngster in Baltimore, when he checked them out of the library. (Does anyone check music out of the library? I love it.)
Comments
NOW WE HAVE TO WORK ON COLUMBIA TO RE-RELEASE THEIR ETHNOGRAPHIC SERIES, FIRST APPEARING ON EARLY LP. FOUND IT IN THE RADCLIFFE LIBRARY IN THE SIXTIES; AT LEAST A HALF DOZEN OF MY ALL-TIME TOP 100 ARE ON THESE. THE ONE OF THE VENEZUELAN TRIBE WHERE THE MEN KEPT THE SECRET OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FROM THE WOMEN AND USED THEM TO IMITATE THE GODS WHILE THE WOMEN WERE KEPT IN A HUT IS WORTH LISTENING TO THE WHOLE THING. THE LINER NOTES CALL IT "CACOPHANY" BUT ACTUALLY IT'S PHENOMENAL JAZZ--IN SPITE OF THE SEXIST ETHICS AN AMAZING PIECE.
Posted by: E. RL. Barna | October 19, 2002 12:56 AM
Yes, even though my vinyl LP's are in the cellar, I can hardly wait til NONESUCH has all of their complete collection available, especially from India. I swear, the most beautiful song ever made in this world is on their Bauls of Bengal LP. Oh gosh and I hope they WILL NOT DELETE ANY OF THE SONGS FROM THE ORIGIANL LPs! Those Oh Kolthsum albums that don't have all the original orchestra passages in them are so disappointing. It's good news too that their selling price for CDs is inexpensive, in the tradition of the affordable price they always charged for their LPs.
Posted by: valupak | March 23, 2004 8:46 AM