June 26, 2004

Sad Day: Naomi Shemer

Naomi Shemer, one of the most famous voices and songwriters in Israeli folk music began her journey to the next world. She was 74.

Her most famous song was Yerushalayim Shel Zahav -- Jersusalem of Gold - about Jersusalem before the start of the Six Day War in 1967, and is forever associated with that war.

I loved many of her other songs, including Kinnert which used the lyrics of Rachel.

All the news stories gathered by google.

An interview from 2000

In the words of Education and Culture Minister Limor Livnat: "The kingdom of Hebrew singers has lost its queen."

I'll bet she will teach those angels a thing or two about song.


Posted by heartandmind at 03:40 PM

Heidi Talbot

I'm not a big Irish music fan. I don't follow it, don't have a Celtic heritage, but I have been to an Irish festival or two, enjoy watching clogging. So, to my surprise, found Heidi Talbot, a member of Cherish the Ladies, a traditional Irish music band and apparently an "all-star band" or so says AOL online music. Talbot sings and plays bodhran in this band and has released a solo CD Distant Future

I've a chance to see her and Cherish the Ladies quite soon.

Posted by stessa at 02:59 PM | Comments (0)

June 25, 2004

Ariane Lydon

British folk? US singer/songwriter? with Nueva Cancion influences through a childhood lived in Chile, Ariane Lydon combines all of these in richly textured songs. She has several solo CDs available, including an instrumental harp cd. My only sadness is that it seems she performs mostly in the US Midwest.

Posted by heartandmind at 09:35 PM

June 19, 2004

Treasures of DC

I forget that Washington DC is a treasure of singer/songwriters like Grace Griffith and great venues like the Birchmere.

Posted by heartandmind at 08:03 PM | Comments (0)

June 18, 2004

When it rains

it pours new music......thanks to AOL radio folk channel......

British folk up tonight......Kate Rusby singing Caanan's Land from A Little Light (on Compass Records label). She has a new cd coming out at the end of June Live From Leeds.

Judith Edelman Sailor Boy from her cd Drama Queen. Apparently she's now touring with a band and has a past life in bluegrass. Here's a review on Pop Matters of her cd Only Sun
What rock have I been under?

Posted by heartandmind at 09:14 PM | Comments (0)

CD Freedom

More independent singer/songwriters at CDFreedom, including music samples. Reminded me that I haven't heard Carrie Newcomer in a long, long time.

Posted by heartandmind at 08:57 PM

June 05, 2004

Urge for Going

Nothing beats a good, poetic lyric. I love Joni Mitchell's Urge for Going, when I heard Tom Rush sing it. Today, I heard her version, which I hadn't heard in a long time, from Hits. That voice, that guitar, those words -- that's why it's hard to listen to newer singer/songwriters, to Mitchell's own new stuff. Locked in nostalgia? Not really. I am just a sucker for that confessional voice -- in poetry and folk songs.

I awoke today and found the frost perched on the town It hovered in a frozen sky, then it gobbled summer down When the sun turns traitor cold and all the trees are shivering in a naked row

I get the urge for going
But I never seem to go
I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter is closing in

[Urge for Going - Joni Mitchell]

I've long longed for Tom Rush's Circle Game -- he was one of the first to sing Joni's songs in the 1960s. He recorded Tin Angel, Circle Game. Mitchell didn't even record Circle Game until 1970's, Ladies of the Canyon.

Posted by heartandmind at 07:54 PM

June 02, 2004

Public Radio & New Music

Public radio music source lists all the music played on a public radio programs. There's also a (meager) section with mp3s. Public radio -- take a page from 3hive. A better bet is to go to the program's website and find music samples there.

Posted by heartandmind at 10:07 PM