blower's daughter

What can I say about Damien Rice? Such an intensity about his singing and his simple arrangements. I saw him on Austin City Limits a few years ago.

Fairy Tale

Yes, I am a melancholic and love this video which seems everyone from Asia knows. 童话, Tong Hua, Fairy Tale by Michael Wong (Guang Liang) . It seems so apt at the moment in this time of mourning..

Rest In Peace

I heard today of Margaret's passing. She was an international student I talked with last semester. She was sad and depressed and struggled desperately for acceptance, which she could not feel even when offered. Gabriel Fauré's Pie Jesus

Pie Jesu Domine, Dona eis requiem. (O sweet Lord Jesus, grant them rest)

the back of the neck

Aiko is one of those interesting stars I came across early on in my introduction to J-pop. As a singer, Aiko seems also to be able to sing a more lounge and light jazz styles as well as pop. えりあし, eriashi is one of my favourite songs by her. This song is certainly one of her more mature style songs. Lost love, unrequited love is one of those themes for songs common to my playlists. This is a song of memories and regret of what might have been.

Who knows where the time goes

One of my friends from the neighbourhood where I grew up introduced me to Fairport Convention, now a legendary band in the Folk Rock movement in England. They were formed in Muswell Hill not far from where I grew up. Sandy Denny sadly passed away but the others are still kicking around though pretty old in the tooth now. Her voice has a haunting, lingering quality and I still remember her performances. Where has time gone?

In Paradise

Faure's Requiem is just so French! The lush harmonies and pure floating voices. This movement is a favourite that I've sung quite a few times. It signifies journey's end and the rest that will come. Often it something I long for as I've always found living life tough.

Calling Elvis

What is good guitar playing about? Dire Straits are a band of par exemplar guitarists. Just listen to Mark Knofler, but then to the slide guitar and that incredible banjo-roll style style. Don't you love that driving rhythm.

Misia

How can such a big full sound come out of such a small woman! Misia should enjoy much more success nevertheless as a Japanese R&B singer she is quite something. I believe is one of my favourites - find my other Everything (here).

Nada Sou Sou

Rimi Natsukawa sings a classic Okinawan folk song which has become a pop classic.It is probably one of my favourite japanese pop hits, but then I'm pretty sentimental. I also enjoy the shamisen, the plucked tradition instrument.

papageno! papagena!

This is my favourite opera The Magic Flute by Mozart. A story of the search for love through trials.Tamino, the hero, succeeds in a test and finds his Pamina. Papageno the birdcatcher failed the test and seeks to end it all but is willing to give love one last chance. Eventually after despairing he returns to try his magic bells. (This version is from Ingmar Bergman's version sung in swedish.) Many years ago I took a girl friend to see a live performance and strangely she saw herself as Pamina to my Papageno! Well that's life isn't it?

orinoco flow

The Celtic influence is part of the cultural influences of my non-classical background. I became interested through the folk club scene. Then you add Enya and also Clannad somehow both capture a deep ambiance, something that points to a great expanse beyond itself.

Something sublime

"...You have often heard of the famous Miserere in Rome, which is so greatly prized that the performers are forbidden on pain of excommunication to take away a single part of it, copy it or to give it to anyone. *But we have it already*. Wolfgang has written it down and we would have sent it to Salzburg in this letter, if it were not necessary for us to be there to perform it. But the manner of performance contributes more to its effect than the composition itself. Moreover, as it is one of the secrets of Rome, we do not wish to let it fall into other hands...." Leopold Mozart

Gregoria Allegri wrote 'Miserere mei'. Setting of Psalm 51 for nine voices (two separate choirs of 4 and 5). The story goes that it was only sung in the Sistine Chapel in Rome Maunday Thursday and Good Friday and the music was closely guarded. Then enters the 12 year old Mozart who visited Rome with his father Leopold, who on one listening transcribed the parts Thursday evening and on Good Friday corrected his score.

In my choir days I sung it in service one person per part and when the top treble/soprano sung a top C my heart bursts open with utter impossibility, that which is beyond me, ineffability and transcendence.

Kansai Blues

Tak Matsumoto is quite a guitar legend in Japan with even a Gibson signature guitar. He is, I think lead guitarist of the Bz's and TM Group. This track is from the cd Hana. I inherited it from one of my returning international students and this is one of my favourite tracks. It's blues but very Asian blues even the scale is different. Shut your eyes and listen carefully, very carefully.

The Trout Piano Quintet

This is one of my favourite chamber pieces. As a young cellist, I was lucky to spend a few summers and music courses playing the Trout. We were not in this league but it's such a fun piece and it taught me so much about ensemble playing.This just an incredible line-up of names Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, Itzhak Perlman, Jacqueline Du Pre, and Pinchas Zuckerman

Japancakes

Hailing from Athens, Georgia, Japancakes - on paper - sound like they’d be your worst sonic nightmare: at their outset they were performing full 45 minute gigs using only a D chord. eoghan at cluas.com

Ever since I came across their early cd If I could See Dallas, Japancakes' brand of ambient music has held my attention. It is extremely mellow and almost generic and reminds me of Phillip Glass. I should say I actually like Phillip Glass a classical minimalist composer. I should also say to date I haven't found anyone else who likes him! I still like Japancakes because of their meditative quality. The presence of cellist/keyboardist Heather MacIntosh has also kept my interest.

Anyhow here's their myspace account where you can hear some of their recent audio tracks issued (click)
See what you think.

Romance

From my main blog you might know cello is the instrument to which I am deeply attached. Probably the Elgar concerto is one of my favorite works and Du Pre is in my top few performances. Just feel the emotions being squeezed out and the lyrical lines singing above the intensity.

Jorane -French Canadian vitality

I'm been able to see Jorane live twice and both were incredible experiences of stage presence and incredible abandonment to the music. This clip captures some of that for me.

Dead Children in Newspaper

Cold Fairyland, a Shanghai band has interested me for quite a while. They bring a significant fusion of ideas and musical styles, almost protest.

Something lost

Piana is a strange japanese singer who must almost be described as folk electronica. I discovered her a while back and the use of strings and cello has also caught my attention.

Homecoming

I'm great lover of ballads, probably the product of spending so much time talking and listening to music with Matt. I've posted about Vienna Teng on my other blog but wanted to post this video of her live performance from youtube.




The haunting line "I've come home" lingers in my ears

Blues and Robert Cray

I've been quite a blues fan for a long time and I love the intensity and really clean sound of Robert Cray's guitar playing together with his vocals. I was really happy to see him live at the Toronto Blues Festival quite a few years ago.