NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Dee Dee BridgewaterApril 2, 2018 | Suraya Mohamed -- "This is me coming back full circle in my life," Dee Dee Bridgewater told NPR right before this Tiny Desk performance. Ever since her teenage years, she's wanted to make her latest album, Memphis... Yes, I'm Ready. Now, a gorgeous 67 years young, Bridgewater is connecting openly with her roots, her birthplace and the town she's loved all her life.
When she was just three years old, her family moved from Memphis, Tennessee, to Flint, Michigan. Years later, Bridgewater could still hear the soul sounds of Memphis on WDIA, the first radio station in America programmed entirely by African-Americans for African-Americans. She recalled, "I could catch it when I was in Flint as a teenager and I would listen to it after 11:00 at night, because that was the only time I could get it — when all the other stations were off the air. I know it was real, 'cause I went through it and these were all songs I heard on WDIA."
Bridgewater brought three of these songs to the Tiny Desk: First, is the celebrated blues hit, "Hound Dog," first recorded by not by Elvis Presley but by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. What makes this presentation special is not only Bridgewater's sultry and soulful interpretation, but her adorable Daisy, perhaps the cutest "Hound Dog" to ever bless this song.
The first lines of the next tune will quite actually send chills down your spine. Bridgewater and backup singers Sharisse Norman and Shontelle Norman-Beatty's close harmonic voicings add a spiritual dimension to the already hallowed song. "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)?" was written by Roebuck "Pops" Staples in response to the harassment of the Little Rock Nine, brave students who decided they had the right to attend an all-white Arkansas high school in 1957.
Last here is "B.A.B.Y." Bridgewater recorded this song and the entire album in Memphis' historic Royal Studios and told NPR this story, "I stepped outside of the studio right after they started mixing 'B.A.B.Y.' and I said a prayer. I said, 'God I need a sign, that I'm moving in the right direction because I am completely stepping completely away from jazz music.'" Before Bridgewater could get back into the studio to record the next track she got a surprise visit from Carla Thomas, the Memphis soul queen herself and daughter of Rufus Thomas, influential entertainer, singer-songwriter and former WDIA radio DJ. It was a true return to her Memphis roots, a memorable and beautiful moment for Bridgewater.
SET LIST
"Hound Dog" (Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller)
"Why (Am I Treated So Bad)?" (Roebuck "Pops" Staples)
"B.A.B.Y." (Isaac Lee Hayes & David Porter)
Dee Dee Bridgewater's latest album, Memphis... Yes, I'm Ready, is available on iTunes and Amazon.
MUSICIANS
Dee Dee Bridgewater (headliner), Barry Campbell (bass), Charlton Johnson (guitar), Bryant Lockhart (sax), Sharisse Norman (background vocal), Shontelle Norman-Beatty (background vocal), Curtis Pulliam (trumpet), Carlos Sargent (drums), Farindell "Dell" Smith (piano)
CREDITS
Producers: Suraya Mohamed, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Bronson Arcuri, Morgan Noelle Smith, Tsering Bista, CJ Riculan; Production Assistant: Jenna Li; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast.
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Nate Smith + KINFOLKNov. 3, 2017 | Suraya Mohamed -- Rhythm is the foundation for many a musical experience. Its driving pulse yields a power that quite often demands movement - a toe to tap, a body to sway. But drummer Nate Smith provides more than just a beat. He intentionally weaves nuanced rhythmic counterpoint in and out of his catchy melodies and dulcet harmonies.
Just try to discern the multiple time signatures in the first tune, "Skip Step" Syncopated yet steady, its rhythmic motifs bolster Jon Cowherd's keyboard riff and the song's melodic statement, played in unison by saxophonist Jaleel Shaw and guitarist Jeremy Most.
The quintet slides right into "Retold," a beautiful song with a nostalgic melody that suggests a quiet moment for personal reflection and self-discovery. On "Pages," Smith welcomed vocalist Amma Whatt to the stage (so to speak). She wrote the lyrics for Smith's 2017 album Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere, his first eponymous record after a 15-year career performing with other jazz artists like Chris Potter and Dave Holland.
What really impressed the audience was the performance of Smith's self described "short but angry" final tune, "Rambo: The Vigilante." Hypnotized by its shifting time signatures, this fusion jam is punctuated with a haunting rock lick played simultaneously by the entire band, and seamlessly aligned with Smith's dazzling display of dexterous genius.
Set List
"Skip Step"
"Retold"
"Pages"
"Rambo: The Vigilante"
Musicians
Nate Smith (drums); Jaleel Shaw (saxophone); Amma Whatt (vocals); Fima Ephron (bass); Jon Cowherd (keyboard); Jeremy Most (guitar)
Credits
Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Producers: Suraya Mohamed, Morgan Noelle Smith; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Niki Walker, Nicholas Garbaty, Alyse Young; Editor: Niki WalkerProduction Assistant: Salvatore Maicki; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR
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NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Roy AyersMarch 1, 2018 | Abby O'Neill -- Roy Ayers arrived at his Tiny Desk performance beaming with positivity. The 77-year-old funk icon and vibraphonist sauntered through the office with a Cheshire grin on his face, sharing jokes with anyone within earshot. Accompanying him was a trio of brilliantly seasoned musicians — keyboardist Mark Adams, bassist Trevor Allen and drummer Christopher De Carmine. Later during the performance, pride washed across Ayers' face as his bandmates took the spotlight. (Be sure to watch as Adams woos not just the room but brightens Ayers' face during his solo.)
The set began with one of Ayers' more recognizable hits: an extended version of "Searching," a song that embodies the eternal quest for peace and love. During "Black Family" (from his 1983 album Lots Of Love), you'll hear him call out "Fela" throughout. That's because Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti was a huge influence on Ayers in the late 1970s; the two eventually collaborated on an album, 1980's Music Of Many Colors. "Black Family" is, in part, a tribute to Fela, even if the original version didn't include his name.
Concluding this mini-concert, Ayers closed the set out with his signature tune, "Everybody Loves the Sunshine", a feel-good ode if there ever was one. The essence of this song flowed right through him and out to the NPR audience.
SET LIST
"Searching"
"Black Family"
"Everybody Loves The Sunshine"
MUSICIANS
Roy Ayers, Mark Adams (keyboards), Trevor Allen (bass), Christopher De Carmine (drums)
CREDITS
Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Kara Frame, Bronson Arcuri, Dani Lyman; Production Assistant: Joshua Bote; Photo: Jenna Sterner/NPR.
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - August Greene (Common, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins)Feb. 21, 2018 | Abby O'Neill -- August Greene, the collaborative effort of Common, Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins, was born at the White House in 2016 during a special Tiny Desk concert. It was during that unprecedented performance that the then-untitled ensemble premiered the powerful "Letter to the Free," an original song for Ava DuVernay's Netflix documentary 13th that eventually won an Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.
For the trio's first visit to NPR headquarters, they brought some special guests: vocalists Brandy, Maimouna Youssef and Andra Day. The band performed four tracks from its upcoming self-titled album (out March 9 on Amazon Music), an impromptu freestyle, and Day's Oscar-nominated collaboration with Common, "Stand Up For Something," from the film Marshall. Common described the theme of the Tiny Desk as "Foregrounding Women," alluding to the attendance of Brandy, Day and Youssef, as well as the spiritual presence of Glasper's younger cousin, Loren, who passed just a few days prior.
The past year has been a pivotal time for women, between #MeToo and social and financial equality, and the lyrics to these songs frame women's contemporary frustrations as civil rights issues. That's important in hip-hop, which has long been dogged by an old-line adherence to misogyny, as it lays claim to the world's most popular genre.
In a spontaneous moment midway through Maimouna Youssef's verse on "Practice," the crowd gushed and you could see the joy in her eyes. Then the ebullient pop icon Brandy reprised Sounds Of Blackness' 1991 classic "Optimistic," and the magic held everyone rapt. Andra Day followed up with "Stand Up for Something"; her powerful voice blew the hinges off the doors.
August Greene's latest single, "Black Kennedy," connotes dreams of an African-American dynasty, the kind only a royal family assumes. The stark contrasts of disenfranchisement are highlighted by every wish expressed. Later, in "Let Go," vocalist and August Greene collaborator Samora Pinderhughes sings of overcoming darkness within yourself and finding hope at the bottom of Pandora's box. It's about releasing the demons so the hands can hold the blessings.
August Greene is what happens when talent embraces intention and humility. This edition of the Tiny Desk inspired me, its audience, and the artists behind the stage. We hope it has the same effect on you.
SET LIST
• "Black Kennedy" (feat. Samora Pinderhughes)
• "Practice" (feat. Maimouna Youssef)
• "Optimistic" (feat. Brandy)
• "Stand Up For Something" (feat. Andra Day)
• "Let Go" (feat. Samora Pinderhughes)
MUSICIANS
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins, Burniss Travis, Samora Pinderhughes, DJ Dummy, Brandy Norwood, Andra Day, Maimouna Youssef
CREDITS
Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, CJ Riculan; Production Assistant: Joshua Bote; Photo: Eslah Attar/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast.
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Ravi Coltrane QuartetSuraya Mohamed | June 26, 2017 — Yes, Ravi Coltrane is the son of the John Coltrane, one of the most famous and important jazz saxophonists and composers of all time. He's also the son of multi-instrumentalist, composer and spiritual leader Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda. (In fact, all members of the band here are performing artists in their own right and come from artistically rich families; drummer E.J. Strickland is the brother of saxophonist Marcus Strickland; Adam Rogers parents performed on Broadway and Yunior Terry is Yosvany Terri's brother, both heirs to Cuban music royalty.) But pedigree is not what makes him (or them) special. It's the ability to draw on ideology and theory from the past and give already-great music the room to transform. As Coltrane told NPR back in 2013:
As improvisers, that's really our goal — not just to state the themes that people wrote. In the course of time, night after night you search for better ways to present the music.
Not only did Coltrane and his band offer new interpretations from his repertoire, but varied the rhythmic presentations of the numbers, too. The first song in the set, "Cobbs Hill," was written by Coltrane's good friend and colleague Ralph Alessi. Beginning with Yunior Terry's funky and deliberate bass line, further enhanced by intentional drum rolls the 2/4 time signature, two beats per measure, captures a march-like proclamation.
The second song is Coltrane's own composition, "Three For Thee", a fan favorite from the 1998 Moving Pictures album; the original recording included Ralph Alessi on trumpet. Only 32 years old when that record was released, it could be taken as a sign of things to come: Ravi Coltrane, an old soul in a young body, mature and capable of creating work so robust and important. Almost 20 years later, hearing that music again here, even better, is affirming and a testament to Coltrane's ever-evolving artistic journey. And E.J. Strickland's opening drum intro couldn't be more spunky; he teases the audience into the groove with effortless, intentional punctuations.
This performance is likely to be a historical footnote in the book of great jazz moments. The quartet demonstrates its marvelous technical capabilities and keen musicianship, and their imaginative interpretations suggest strength and resolve, a fluid embodiment of question and answer, push and pull, and rising action followed by hypnagogic culmination.
In Movement is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/in-movement/id1099363356
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Movement-Jack-DeJohnette/dp/B01CP7WXDW
Set List
"Cobbs Hill"
"In Three For Thee"
"Phrygia"
Musicians
Ravi Coltrane (sax); Adam Rogers (guitar); Yunior Cabrera (bass); EJ Strickland (drums)
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Bill FrisellThe brilliant and nimble guitarist reinvents the songs of John Lennon at the NPR Music offices.
Set List:
Nowhere Man"
"In My Life"
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - TrokerFelix Contreras | May 19, 2017 — Mexico City is not known as one of the international jazz capitals of the world. New York, Tokyo — even Havana. But not CDMX (the new abbreviation of Ciudad de Mexico).
There is, though, a fairly rich history of jazz in the country, going back to a guy named Tino Contreras, who has been swinging since the late 1940's (sadly no longer active) through to the Toussaint brothers (Eugenio, Enrique, Fernando), who formed a way cool fusion band, Sacbe, in the late '70s. There have been others, of course, but never enough to make Mexico a place known for jazz — until now.
The young lions of Troker hail from Guadalajara, in the north of the country, but call CDMX their home now. From that home base they are making the rounds of festivals, clubs and concerts around the world, gathering fans of their smart, creative and singular brand of jazz.
As you'll see on this Tiny Desk, this is music you can dance to. In fact, when I saw them slay a post-midnight crowd at this year's SXSW, trumpeter Isaias Flores was a dancing machine, twisting and grooving to the band's mix of swing, funk, ska, psychedelic and Mexican music.
The band's compositions are journeys — as you watch them live, keep in mind that you are indeed witnessing history being made. Hopefully, Troker and others can make CDMX a jazz destination.
1919 Música Para Cine is available now.
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/1919-m%C3%BAsica-para-cine/id1099417890
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/1919-M%C3%BAsica-para-Cine-Troker/dp/B01DQA6SSI
Set List
"Principe Charro"
"One Thousand Million Eyes" (feat. Solange Prat)
"Chapala Blues"
"Tequila Death"
Musicians
Frankie Mares (drums); Christian Jimenez (keys); Diego Franco (saxophone); Samo Gonzalez (bass); Chay Flores (trumpet); DJ Sonicko (turntable); Solange Prat (vocals)
Credits
Producers: Felix Contreras, Bronson Arcuri; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Colin Marshall, Bronson Arcuri, Morgan Noelle Smith; Production Assistant: A Noah Harrison; Photo: Marian Carrasquero/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Trombone ShortyHe can play the horn. He can sing. And that's made him the latest musical star of a great New Orleans tradition. But Trombone Shorty mainly just wants you to dance: "I know you came here to move," he sings to an office full of NPR staff.
Set List:
"Dumaine St."
"Lagniappe"
"Do To Me"
For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Antonio LizanaFelix Contreras | April 28, 2017 — In many ways, the traditions of flamenco and jazz could not be further apart, but in the hands of a few Spanish jazz musicians, these two worlds commingle and find common ground. Antonio Lizana is one such musician, both a saxophonist and vocalist with one foot firmly planted in each tradition. As a vocalist he has mastered the Moorish, note-bending improvisations that make flamenco singing so beguiling, while the fluidity of ideas he expresses as a saxophonist place him in the time-honored tradition of composing while playing.
The magic of Lizana's performance behind Bob Boilen's desk happens when the two musical worlds wrap around each other, like helical strands of sonic DNA. One is no greater than the other — perfect complements that point to a common African root.
Oriente is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fronteras/id1210891657?i=1210891909&app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=Bwpv6h7mlx2btfpmexfr7e57zn4&tid=song-Tqtkb2v62yv6qccfne6fi7xhaba
Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/3FB1YyFCe9lj3x0zOKQlsB?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open
Set List
"Airegría"
"Déjate Sentir"
"Viento De La Mar"
Musicians
Antonio Lizana (vocals, sax); Jonatan Pacheco (percussion); Andreas Arnold (guitar)
Credits
Producers: Bob Boilen, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Morgan Noelle Smith; Production Assistant: A Noah Harrison; Photo: Marian Carrasquero/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Father FiguresIn a small, packed Washington, D.C., living room late one December night, I heard a cacophony of horns, keys, drums and guitars that simply floored me. It was brash, zany, brainy, scary and danceable. At the end of a long year of amazing live music, this would turn out to be one of the most memorable concerts I'd seen.
I walked up to Adam Schatz, the man behind the saxophone and chief instigator in Father Figures, and told him his band needed to play the Tiny Desk. How this music would translate to the brightness of day — to say nothing of a busy office — was hard to anticipate. But from the moment the band squeaked its first squawk, it was clear that it would conjure up an adventure. These guys mix rock and jazz the way King Crimson did at its fiercest.
Father Figures formed at New York University in 2007 with Adam Schatz on sax and effects, Jas Walton on sax, Spencer Zahn on upright bass, Ian Chang on drums and Ross Edwards on keyboards. If they come to a club or living room near you, drop all plans and go. This video is just the beginning.
Set List
"Doomed To Fail"
"This Is The Way We Mean"
"Where Did You Come From?"
Credits
Producer: Bob Boilen; Editor: Denise DeBelius; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Gaby Demczuk, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo; photo by Elizabeth Chen/NPR
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Dirty Dozen Brass BandBob Boilen | February 28, 2017 — They're simply an abundance of euphoria. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band blasted the Tiny Desk with a Sousaphone, trumpets, saxophones, guitar and drums, at stunning volume, for a joyful celebration.
This band has been mixing be-bop and funk for 40 years. Around this time of year, when Mardi Gras revelry is fueled by New Orleans jazz, it was so good to feel their sounds in the office. Since today is Fat Tuesday — just before Lent and its fasts begin for some — we are sharing the party we hosted, filled with brass and sass from this fixture of great American music. Enjoy.
Funeral For A Friend is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/funeral-for-a-friend/id18219592
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Funeral-Friend-Dirty-Dozen-Brass/dp/B00020HBZA
Set List
"Use Your Brain"
"Best Of All"
"Tomorrow"
"My Feet Can't Fail Me Now"
Musicians
Roger Lewis (baritone sax); Gregory Davis (trumpet, vocals); Kevin Harris (tenor sax, vocals); Efrem Towns (trumpet, vocals); Kirk Joseph (sousaphone); Julian Addison (drums); Takeshi Shimmura (guitar)
Credits
Producers: Bob Boilen, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Morgan Noelle Smith, Bronson Arcuri; Production Assistant: Maia Stern; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - No BS! Brass BandJust southeast of the Virginia Commonwealth University campus in Richmond, Va., lies a compact neighborhood called Oregon Hill. Historically, it's been a (white) working-class part of town, affordable for students and various bohemian types. Recording engineer Lance Koehler was drawn to the place when he moved to Richmond from New Orleans; it's where he eventually found a two-story garage and converted it into his own recording studio and home. It didn't take him long to start doing business across the Richmond music map: Koehler is good at his job, and he's affordable. His business is called Minimum Wage Studios for a reason.
He's also a drummer, and though he grew up in Southern California, his time in New Orleans left a deep impression. Inspired by the Crescent City's modern brass bands, in 2006 he started the NO BS! Brass Band with trombonist Reggie Pace. They had a place to fit between 10 and 13 musicians for rehearsal, and they had the means to document their work. And, owing to VCU and its conservatory program — with a history of producing top-notch jazz players — they had plenty of great horn players at their disposal.
Funky and danceable, the NO BS! Brass Band takes after the full black-music continuum you hear in groups like Rebirth or the Hot 8. But it's also proggy, and a bit brutalizing, and full of pride in a different Southern outpost. The group's new album is called RVA All Day, after all. And about that jazz cred: In July, it'll release another album called Fight Song, so named because it features the band's arrangements of Charles Mingus compositions.
Recently, Koehler, Pace and nine other musicians piled into a bus and journeyed up the freeway to NPR Music's Tiny Desk in Washington, D.C. They blasted us with songs from the new album — it was so loud, you could hear the music on the other side of the building, a floor down. And this summer, when Pace isn't out with Bon Iver's touring band, they'll strike out from Oregon Hill to fly the Richmond flag up and down the East Coast.
--PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
Set List
"RVA All Day"
"Run Around"
"Infamous"
Personnel
Lance Koehler, drums
Reggie Pace, trombone
Bryan Hooten, trombone/vocals
John Hulley, trombone
Dillard Watt, bass trombone
David Hood, alto saxophone
Marcus Tenney, trumpet
Sam Koff, trumpet
Ben Court, trumpet
Taylor Barnett, trumpet
Stefan Demetriadis, tuba
Credits
Producer: Patrick Jarenwattananon; Editor: Gabriella Garcia-Pardo; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - BADBADNOTGOODBobby Carter | January 23, 2017 — BADBADNOTGOOD made a name for itself by reworking songs from the likes of Nas and Ol' Dirty Bastard, eventually catching the attention of Odd Future leader Tyler, the Creator. The masses took notice in 2015 when the group produced an entire LP for Ghostface Killah, Sour Soul. BADBADNOTGOOD has been called a hip-hop ensemble, but its foundation is clearly jazz, which provides a gateway to countless genres. On IV, the group allows that gateway to widen, adding soul and funk to the repertoire.
Still only in their 20s, the band's members never seemed intimidated by the intimate nature of the Tiny Desk; if anything, it accentuated their enthusiasm. This was their zone. They played three selections from IV — including "Cashmere," which only slightly veered from the studio version, and "In Your Eyes," which features Charlotte Day Wilson's vocals. The tight arrangement allowed Wilson to hover gently above the instrumentation, showing off the band's most promising work to date. It was a pleasure to have BADBADNOTGOOD at the desk for IV — and exciting to imagine what's in store for V, VI and beyond.
IV is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/iv/id1112802198
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/IV-2-LP-Incudes-Download-Card/dp/B01FIB7N4Q/ref=pd_sbs_15_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6VQGGTTW3TEYMRH46ZXP
SET LIST
"And That, Too."
"In Your Eyes" (Feat. Charlotte Day Wilson)
"Cashmere"
MUSICIANS
Alexander Sowinski (drums); Chester Hansen (bass); Leland Whitty (sax, flute, guitar); James Hill (piano); Charlotte Day Wilson (vocals).
CREDITS
Producers: Bobby Carter, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Colin Marshall, Kara Frame; Production Assistant: Jenny Gathright; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Matt Ulery's LoomThe next time you go to see live jazz in a club, and the band is playing original compositions, look closely in front of the musicians. Sometimes there'll be stands holding sheet music. There's nothing wrong with this per se, especially if the music is a bit complicated. But sometimes there'll be no need for stands, as the musicians have memorized the material. It's impressive, but it also signals a certain commitment, one borne of having rehearsed and performed together often. You frequently see this in tight bands that know what they're doing.
The Chicago bassist Matt Ulery writes beautiful music in an unpretentious way. It's intricate stuff, with interlocking parts and segmented structures. It often borrows from Eastern European scales, orchestral tone colors, folky textures. (On his backpack, he sports a SXSW patch from when he toured with a rock band called In Tall Buildings.) But it doesn't sound like calculus class, as in some other ambitious works of modern jazz. It never seems to stray too far away from pretty melody over undulating rhythms, and that deceptive simplicity sets it apart.
Last year Ulery put out a grand two-disc set of music you might call "chamber jazz." By A Little Light had strings, orchestral horns and singers — the whole nine yards. But he has also long done lavish on a smaller scale with a band called Loom. A rejiggered quintet lineup (note: bass clarinet, accordion) produced this year's Wake An Echo, which the band brought to our office during a brief summer tour. Listen for yourself and decide whether you think the music is as rich as this description makes it out to be. But at least note how the band was playing without sheet music — having committed to getting this overlapping, precise stuff down pat. --PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
Set List
"Coriander" (Ulery)
"My Favorite Stranger" (Ulery)
Personnel
Matt Ulery, bass
Marquis Hill, trumpet
Geof Bradfield, bass clarinet
Rob Clearfield, keyboards/accordion
Jon Dietemyer, drums
Credits
Producers: Denise DeBelius, Patrick Jarenwattananon; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Parker Miles Blohm, Chloe Coleman, Denise DeBelius
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Donny McCaslinBob Boilen | January 9, 2017 — David Bowie had long wanted to make a record with a jazz band, and on Jan. 8 of last year, he realized his dream with the release of Blackstar. Two days later, he was gone. Donny McCaslin's band helped him make that record, and now, a year later, we pay tribute to Bowie and Blackstar by bringing McCaslin's band to the Tiny Desk.
It's been exciting to see jazz find its way into the broader music world in recent years; think Kendrick Lamar and hip-hop in general. Musicians such as McCaslin often play in their own small circuit, but have much to offer popular music. As a bandleader and sax player, he's put out a dozen albums, the most recent of which is Beyond Now, with musicians Tim Lefebvre on bass, drummer Mark Guiliana and keyboardist Jason Lindner.
Beyond Now was recorded after Blackstar, features a few Bowie covers and stretches the band's own usual boundaries. For this Tiny Desk concert, you can hear an extraordinary group playing extraordinary music — including an instrumental version of "Lazarus," from Blackstar. Just as Bowie brought these musicians into his rock-leaning world, I hope this set takes you down McCaslin's jazz path.
Beyond Now is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/beyond-now-deluxe-edition/id1135903858
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Now-Donny-McCaslin/dp/B01J6SD77Y
SET LIST
"Shake Loose"
"Lazarus" (David Bowie)
"Glory"
MUSICIANS
Donny McCaslin (saxophone); Jason Lindner (keys); Tim Lefebvre (bass); Mark Guiliana (drums).
CREDITS
Producers: Bob Boilen, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Nicole Boliaux; Production Assistant: Anna Marketti; Photo: Raquel Zaldivar/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Rudresh MahanthappaThe saxophonist's new repertoire salutes electric funk, South Indian modes and swarming improvisation. It's impressive on record, but it becomes a bug-eyed, mouth-agape experience live. Naturally, you could spot a few contorted faces when he played the NPR Music offices.
For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - William BellSeptember 6, 2016 by RACHEL HORN • When we invited William Bell to the Tiny Desk, we looked forward to witnessing part of a veteran soul hitmaker's journey back to the spotlight. Bell is known for writing and performing several of the R&B classics that emerged from Memphis' Stax Records in the 1960s, "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "Everybody Loves A Winner" among them. After decades away from Stax — and away from sizable record labels entirely — he returned to his old label home earlier this year to release This Is Where I Live. So we were ready to be won over by Bell's rich, expressive voice and bandleader's charm; we were prepared for emotionally dense songs that say a lot in only a few words. We just didn't expect so much yellow.
Bell, who's 77 and now makes his home in Atlanta, worked suavely through two new songs from This Is Where I Live. The title track follows an autobiographical structure common among soul singers of a certain age (see: Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Aaron Neville). It narrates the story of Bell's life in specific detail, from the first time he heard Sam Cooke to the memorable hotel stay when he wrote "You Don't Miss Your Water," the song that "took [him] all around the world." And "The Three Of Me" is a love song of measured regret, typical of earlier Bell ballads but for its patina of time-worn wisdom.
To close his performance, Bell led the Total Package Band through one of the most enduring songs he's written: the blues standard "Born Under A Bad Sign," which has been covered by folks like Cream and Koko Taylor since Albert King first recorded it in 1967. When Bell's co-writer on the song, Booker T. Jones, played it at the Tiny Desk in 2011, his solo organ work lent the tune an appropriately eerie cast. For Bell and company, though, "Bad Sign" became a joyous, communal celebration. Nearly every member of the 12-piece band took a chorus before settling into an energetic vamp, their leader's grin as bright as his band's T-shirts.
This Is Where I Live is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/this-is-where-i-live/id1093323883
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/This-Where-Live-William-Bell/dp/B01CZGU4ZM/
SET LIST:
"This Is Where I Live"
"The Three Of Me"
"Born Under A Bad Sign"
CREDITS:
Producers: Rachel Horn, Niki Walker; Audio Engineers: Suraya Mohamed, Josh Rogosin, Andrew Huether; Videographers: Niki Walker, Colin Marshall, Kara Frame, Maia Stern; Production Assistant: CJ Riculan; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Mary Halvorson QuintetToday, when you see a saxophonist and a trumpeter in front of a jazz group, it's par for the course. It's a particular combination that's defined many landmark recordings: Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry, John Coltrane andMiles Davis. Done right, it's a classic meat-and-potatoes sound: open to reinvention, comfortable with tradition.
Guitarist Mary Halvorson didn't come to this standard practice just by playing standards. As a sidewoman, she's often tapped to play in open improvising situations; her mentors include the unclassifiable composer Anthony Braxton and the free-jazz guitarist/bassist Joe Morris. Among her sonic signatures are craggy distortions, bent strings and delay-pedaled blurts through a hollow-body guitar.
Yet Halvorson has now recorded two albums with her quintet, one with alto saxophone (Jon Irabagon) and trumpet (Jonathan Finlayson) up top. (The rhythm section is also among New York's finest, with John Hebert on bass and Ches Smith on drums.) From the way her songs balance order and entropy, you can hear that she's studied how golden-era hard bop blended those voices, and how later generations morphed, rephrased and imploded those ideas.
We thought we'd spring this particular sound of surprise on the Tiny Desk. So when they showed up in town to perform, we invited Mary Halvorson and her quintet to NPR Music's headquarters, where they got comfortable enough to get rad.
Set List
All compositions by Mary Halvorson.
"Love In Eight Colors" (No. 21)
"Hemorrhaging Smiles" (No. 25)
Credits
Producer: Patrick Jarenwattananon; Editors: Denise DeBelius, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Christopher Parks, Lauren Rock; photo by Ryan Smith/NPR
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Gregory PorterJuly 18, 2016 by BOB BOILEN • Gregory Porter's healing soul music sends a message of compassion, and he's got a baritone voice that resonates love. When Porter visited NPR, we'd just learned that our colleague, photojournalist David Gilkey, had been killed while working on a story for NPR in Afghanistan. When Porter began singing the calmly beautiful "No Love Dying," he may not have known how much it would mean to us. Yet this song of compassion and hope, from his Grammy-winning 2013 album Liquid Spirit, was just what we'd needed.
Porter and pianist Chip Crawford continued their thoughtful, entrancing set with "Take Me To The Alley" (the title track to Porter's new album), a song about how we treat and think about those who live on society's margins. Closing this Tiny Desk concert is "Don't Be A Fool," another new song of love, loyalty and trust. For us, Porter's set provided a timely reminder that we can all use comfort, counsel and guidance — and that music can be serious and heartwarming without losing its sense of wonder and delight.
Take Me To The Alley is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/take-me-to-the-alley/id1088093080
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Take-Me-Alley-Gregory-Porter/dp/B01CJVIUPE
Set List:
"No Love Dying"
"Take Me To The Alley"
"Don't Be A Fool"
Credits:
Producers: Bob Boilen, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Nick Michael; Production Assistant: Marissa Lorusso; Photo: Bob Boilen/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Moon HoochPeople ask me all the time to name my favorite Tiny Desk Concert. It's my desk and I've seen almost all of the nearly 400 concerts up close. So you'd think this would be easy. Moon Hooch have made it a lot easier.
Up there with the ear-shaking voice of Adele, the desk dancing of Gogol Bordello, the stripped down version of Phoenix — not to mention magic moments with Alt-J, Angel Olsen and Lucius and more — Moon Hooch blew me away with just two saxes and a drummer. Their music is a mix of the best jazz, EDM and rock have to offer. It's out there, it's danceable and you may find yourself feeling a sense of reckless abandon!
The band is saxophonists Mike Wilbur and Wenzl McGowen, and drummer James Muschler. They all studied in New York at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and every single moment of every song I've ever seen them perform has been full throttle. They call their music "cave music," taking the best elements of electronica — the brutal stops, starts and shifts — and performing those unnaturally precise hairpin turns organically by blowing on horns and banging on drums. This for the boldness in all of us. Embrace Moon Hooch. --BOB BOILEN
Set List
"Tubes"
"Number 9"
"Bari 3"
Credits
Producers: Bob Boilen, Denise DeBelius; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Olivia Merrion; Production Assistant: Alex Schelldorf; photo by Alex Schelldorf/NPR
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Omar Sosa & Paolo FresuYou don't really listen to an Omar Sosa concert so much as experience it. The Cuban-born pianist's overall demeanor exudes a sense of calm and deep reflection, while a spiritual connection to music and his ancestors comes through in his piano playing.
You can hear Sosa draw on more than 100 years of Cuban piano in the recognizable rhythms of his country's music. But in Sosa's hands, it's not all fiery and bombastic; he's most effective when he uses Afro-Cuban tradition as a guide to his distinct, subtle and nuanced approach.
In Paolo Fresu, Sosa has found a sympathetic musical partner. Fresu's work on trumpet and flugelhorn provides a perfect foil for Sosa's introspective intersection of jazz, Afro-Cuban sounds and a chamber-music mentality.
Sosa and Fresu's quietly energetic performance behind Bob Boilen's desk enveloped everyone in attendance like a soft mist. Fresu's use of digital delay never clashed with Sosa' acoustic piano, instead adding another color to the palette; at times, Fresu uses it to add a layer of rhythm with either the ring on his finger or a blowing technique into his horn.
Omar Sosa and Paolo Fresu were as much fun to watch as they were to hear. Watch this Tiny Desk Concert and see for yourself. --FELIX CONTRERAS
Set List
"Alma"
"S'Inguldu"
Credits
Producer: Felix Contreras; Editor: Denise DeBelius; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo; photo by Elizabeth Chen/NPR
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Vijay Iyer TrioVijay Iyer is probably best known as a pianist and bandleader in the African-American creative improvisational tradition — most say "jazz" for short — though he's also several other things in music. He's a composer of chamber, large ensemble and mixed-media works; a Harvard professor; a student of Indian classical music; a father and New York City resident. Committed as he is to multiplicity, there's one place you can see many of his interests distilled at once: the trio he's led for nearly a dozen years.
The long-standing relationship he's forged with Stephan Crump (bass) and Marcus Gilmore (drums) accommodates all sorts of risk and translates into reward. The three play daring games of rhythmic interaction. They take Iyer's pieces designed for strings or big band and reduce without losing vitality. They do John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, Flying Lotus and M.I.A.
The morning after a gig in Washington, D.C., the trio got up to visit NPR headquarters before a noon train back to New York. (There was a lot of espresso involved.) In one continuous performance, Iyer, Crump and Gilmore treated us to a few pieces from Iyer's deep catalog, including two from the new album Break Stuff — ending on the scintillating "Hood," inspired by pioneering Detroit techno DJ Robert Hood. After the blaze of the main set, they played a calm and pretty theme dedicated to the late poet and activist Amiri Baraka – it originally came Iyer's suite for string quartet and piano Time, Place, Action. There's excitement, daring, overload, and speed in Vijay Iyer's music, but, as we were reminded: Just like anyone else, he looks for beauty too.--PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
For more from the Vijay Iyer Trio, check out its performance for Jazz Night In America on Wednesday, May 6, and archived afterward.
Producers: Bob Boilen, Colin Marshall; Audio Engineer: Brian Jarboe; Videographers: Colin Marshall, Morgan McCloy, Maggie Starbard; Assistant Producer: Olivia Merrion; photo by Olivia Merrion/NPR
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Jane Bunnett and MaquequeJuly 12, 2016 by FELIX CONTRERAS • Jane Bunnett knows a few things about Cuban music. She and her husband, trumpeter Larry Kramer, have been traveling to the island from their home base of Toronto for more than 30 years. They've collaborated with musicians there, as well as back home in Canada and on tours around the globe.
So it should come as no surprise that when Bunnett chose to perform with some of the top young women musicians from the island, she'd choose some of the best of their generation. As you can sense from this video, the members of Maqueque are conservatory-trained, but also schooled in Afro-Cuban tradition.
If you want to hear what Cuba sounds like today, then be sure to listen. It's a pleasure to watch and listen as Jane Bunnett and Maqueque share their passion with the world.
Jane Bunnett & Maqueque is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/jane-bunnett-and-maqueque/id1084876857
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Bunnett-Maqueque/dp/B00KALMCFA/ref=ntt_mus_dp_dpt_1
Set List:
"Little Feet"
"Maqueque"
"25 New Moves"
Credits:
Producers: Felix Contreras, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Colin Marshall, Maia Stern; Editor: Claire Hannah Collins; Photo: NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Eddie PalmieriAugust 19, 2016 by SURAYA MOHAMED • Different Tiny Desk performers pop up in NPR Music's workspace just about every week, and frequently more often than that. While every artist is special, it's rare to have a true legend come through.
Eddie Palmieri is that once-in-a-lifetime musician, bandleader, composer and arranger. An icon for both modern and Latin jazz, he continues to break tradition and innovate within many musical styles, including salsa, fusion, Latin funk and more.
His parents were born in Puerto Rico and later moved to New York City; Eddie Palmieri was born in Spanish Harlem and grew up in the Bronx with a large family that nurtured his musical talent. He studied classical piano when he was young and gave a piano recital at Carnegie Hall when he was just 11. But all he wanted to do at that time was play the drums. When he was 13, he joined his uncle's orchestra to play timbales. He later gave up the drums and started playing piano in the early 1950s in various Latin dance bands, working with Eddie Forrester, Johnny Segui and the popular Tito Rodriguez Orchestra. You can hear his continued passion for the sticks in the percussive vamps that pervade his discography.
Recorded in 1962, Perfecta was the first of nearly 50 albums Eddie Palmieri has released. The Sun Of Latin Music, a groundbreaking album released in 1975, won him the first-ever Grammy for Best Latin Recording. He later went on to win nine more Grammys, along with a host of other prestigious honors.
It was an honor to have Eddie Palmieri perform at the Tiny Desk in a special, intimate setting — without his usual big-band accompaniment. We get close enough to hear him growl; you can check out the iconic sound he's been making since his early recordings. He's said it's his inner spirit coming out to help him play. The first composition here, "Iraida," was written for his wife, who died several years ago. The second, "The Persian Scale," is a rare treat — a tune you won't find on any of his recordings. The set closes with "La Libertad," a statement on social justice and poverty from the classic Vamonos Pa'l Monte album, released in the early '70s. Even without the band, the audience clapped and danced as the musician played his freeform dance music, deeply rooted in beautiful yet simple chord changes and his signature Afro-Cuban rhythmic style.
The Sun Of Latin Music is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-sun-of-latin-music/id170767682
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sun-Latin-Music-Palmieri/dp/B00000JPAN
Set List:
"Iraida"
"The Persian Scale"
"La Libertad"
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Gary BurtonIn 1963, the jazz pianist George Shearing, an enormously popular act in his day, made an album that was unusual for him. He asked his new, 20-year-old vibraphone player to write an album of contrapuntal, classical-music-inspired compositions, and recorded them with a woodwind quintet atop a jazz rhythm section. It's out of print now, but Out of the Woods received good reviews, and it remains an early career highlight for its young architect, Gary Burton.
Gary Burton is 70 now, and that's just two pages' worth of his new autobiography Learning to Listen. Here's a guy who played with Stan Getz and Chick Corea, was an early adopter of jazz fusion, and became the Dean of Berklee College of Music. But when he stopped by the Tiny Desk, he saluted that moment by calling an unrelated tune called "Out of the Woods." For his next number, Burton called "Remembering Tano," a piece he wrote for another man with whom he's worked briefly but meaningfully: new-tango pioneer Astor Piazzolla.
Burton has a long history of hiring great guitarists, and his current band is no exception. Julian Lage is just 25, but his own band already played the Tiny Desk once; his jabs and lean threading brighten this session. Their dialogue accentuates another thing about Burton: He may be past retirement age, but he can still dazzle. He concocted an impromptu blues for his final number, and sent his signature four-mallet grip slaloming up and down the instrument. --PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
Set List
"Out Of The Woods"
"Remembering Tano"
"The Tiny Desk Blues"
Credits
Producers: Denise DeBelius, Patrick Jarenwattananon; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo, Becky Harlan
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Ryan Keberle & CatharsisEven if you've never been to a jazz concert in your life, it's likely that you've heard Ryan Keberle play trombone. He's toured with Sufjan Stevens, backed up pop stars like Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake, recorded for a Woody Allen film, played in Broadway pits and directed music for a church in Manhattan. Left to his own devices, though, Keberle likes to put himself into improvising situations. You'll see him wherever jazz musicians want trombones — read: he's in a lot of big bands — and, increasingly, leading the groups himself.
He's hit upon something with his working band, a quartet called Catharsis consisting of Keberle's trombone, Michael Rodriguez's trumpet, Jorge Roeder's bass and Eric Doob's drums. That lineup indulges the intersecting parts of his tunes, but preserves the melodic through-lines and swinging undertow. Here, as on their new record, Into The Zone, they're joined by Camila Meza, who came from Chile to study guitar and applies that training to her largely wordless vocals. All five drove down from Brooklyn (well, one from Queens) just to showcase that sound for NPR Music.
You get the sense that playing for so many different audiences affects how Keberle thinks about Catharsis. Certainly, his time with Sufjan Stevens rubbed off — he leads off with a lovely arrangement of Stevens' "Sister." More generally, Keberle knows he's not going to impress anyone with complexity; he's not after any high-concept framing. He's just targeting the sweet spot where a nifty arrangement meets a solid groove, and after three songs, everyone seemed pretty satisfied at his aim. -- PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
Set List:
"Sister" (Sufjan Stevens)
"Gallop"
"Zone"
Credits:
Producers: Patrick Jarenwattananon, Maggie Starbard; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Colin Marshall, Maggie Starbard, Susan Hale Thomas; Assistant Producer: Nick Michael; photo by Colin Marshall/NPR
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - René MarieJuly 27, 2016 by PATRICK JARENWATTANANON • The Colorado River — better known for running through majestic National Parks and powering hydroelectric dams — forms an unlikely backdrop for the creation of a jazz song. But René Marie was answering phones at Denver's jazz radio station KUVO when she sat down across from a fellow volunteer fundraiser. He would soon invite her on a canoeing trip and, without yet having seen the eponymous river, she wrote the giddy "Colorado River Song" on the way there.
René Marie's is the sort of voice which first comes to mind when someone asks for a jazz singer — big and expressive, at home in classic swinging settings and comfortable in crowds. There's plenty to set her apart, though. She made her first recording in her early 40s, so she's a late bloomer by any standard. Her tastes admit many influences, and she's got a penchant for original songwriting, especially where social justice intersects with personal biography. Her folky story-song "This Is (Not) A Protest Song" addresses homelessness and mental illness even in her own family.
Joined by her Experiment In Truth band (John Chin on piano, Elias Bailey on bass, Quentin Baxter on drums), Marie visited NPR headquarters to play songs from her new album Sound Of Red. She never specified the exact nature of that synesthetic idea, though the title track would seem to indicate that it's about the addictive and lusty blood-rush of performing — of seeing red while singing the blues. In the audience was the bold KUVO volunteer from that day 10 years ago. His name is Jesse, and they're now married and live in her home state of Virginia; they drove up together for this Tiny Desk concert.
Sound Of Red is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sound-of-red/id1092317407
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Red-Ren%C3%A9-Marie/dp/B01C5UNE1O
Set List:
"Colorado River Song"
"This Is (Not) A Protest Song"
"Sound Of Red"
Credits:
Producers: Patrick Jarenwattananon, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Claire Hannah Collins, Morgan McCloy; Editor: Kevin Chiu; PA: Sophie Kemp; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Arturo O'FarrillLatin jazz works best when the musicians involved are as fluent in Afro-Cuban rhythms as they are in the deep grooves and advanced harmonics of bebop. Arturo O'Farrill has that pedigree in his DNA: His father, Chico O'Farrill, was part of a groundbreaking group of musicians who created the mash-up of Afro-Cuban music and jazz back in late-'40s New York.
The octet you see in this video is a stripped-down version of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, which is at least twice as large — don't think I didn't try to get the whole band behind Bob Boilen's desk — and dedicated to both preserving the legacy of the elder O'Farrill and documenting the younger musician's efforts to move the music forward.
The musicians with whom Arturo O'Farrill surrounds himself all play with intensity that draws from both traditions. It was a thrill to hear such tremendous late-night music so early in the morning — and an honor to have O'Farrill ask me to sit in with the band and share the conga chair with Tony Rosa. Playing with musicians of this caliber always steps up your game, and on this day, I did my best and had a lot of fun in the process. --FELIX CONTRERAS
Set List
"In Whom"
"Compay Doug"
"Mass Incarceration Blues"
Credits
Producers: Felix Contreras, Denise DeBelius; Editor: Parker Miles Blohm; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Parker Miles Blohm, Denise DeBelius, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Charles Lloyd & Jason MoranJune 28, 2016 by FELIX CONTRERAS • Together, saxophonist Charles Lloyd and pianist Jason Moran make jazz that draws from the past while looking to the future. Lloyd's body of work stretches back to the mid-1960s, and has always shown a disregard for boundaries and cliches. He seems determined to work through the later part of his career with artistically and spiritually motivated playing that simply astounds.
Moran is the sound of today and tomorrow. You can hear reverence in his duo playing with Lloyd — and you may also notice playing that taps into Lloyd's ever-present youthful spirit. Together, their performance behind Bob Boilen's Tiny Desk was as refreshing and energizing as deep meditation.
Hagar's Song is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hagars-song/id602766411
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hagars-Song-Charles-Lloyd/dp/B00ARX2WLK
Set List:
"Hagar's Lullaby" (by Charles Lloyd)
"Prayer" (by Charles Lloyd)
"Sand Rhythm" (by Charles Lloyd & Jason Moran)
Credits:
Producers: Felix Contreras, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Kara Frame; Production Assistant: Jackson Sinnenberg; Photo: Brandon Chew/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Robert Glasper ExperimentThe third song in this Tiny Desk Concert, explains the jocose pianist Robert Glasper, first appeared on one of his trio's albums of acoustic, instrumental jazz. It was called "F.T.B." then, though it later acquired words and a singer and was retitled "Gonna Be Alright" on the record which won the 2013 Grammy for Best R&B Album. That in itself provides a sense of the worlds to which Glasper has access; depending on your point of view, he either freely traverses or explodes those boundaries.
Glasper has released two albums of what you might call neo-soul, or maybe organic R&B, featuring a core band (The Robert Glasper Experiment) and guest stars like Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco and Norah Jones. Black Radio and last year's sequel, Black Radio 2, aren't heard much on "urban" radio, but the point is that they ought to be. Glasper builds his songs with old-school values: singers and MCs who don't need software to carry a melody, improvising within a band, hand-building beats and vamps with live instruments.
That's what you see at the Tiny Desk. "Trust" features Marsha Ambrosius, formerly of the duo Floetry, and it's a good example of the Black Radio concept in raw, unpasteurized form. The middle tune is an ad hoc improvisation, and a good example of how Glasper and his Experiment have so dialed in their communication that they can plant seeds of noise and harvest blooms of music. By the time "F.T.B" (a.k.a. "Gonna Be Alright") rolls around, the mood is familiar and at ease. It's the sound of a band whose members speak many musical languages, but decide to converse in one that feels like its native tongue.
--PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
Set List
"Trust"
"NPR Tiny Desk Jam"
"F.T.B. (Gonna Be Alright)"
Personnel
Robert Glasper, keyboards
Derrick Hodge, bass
Mark Colenburg, drums
Marsha Ambrosius, voice
Credits
Producers: Bob Boilen, Denise DeBelius; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Becky Harlan, Meredith Rizzo
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Chick Corea & Gary BurtonJune 13, 2016 by SURAYA MOHAMED • Sometimes big-name artists need special attention. But in this case, it wasn't because they've been jazz pioneers and innovators since the 1960s and are considered to be founding fathers of jazz fusion, not to mention two of the most important jazz figures performing today. It's not because they've collectively recorded more than 100 albums and won 29 Grammy Awards. The agitation was because both of their instruments couldn't fit behind Bob Boilen's Tiny Desk.
There were logistical hurdles to overcome before the jazz giants' arrival. We had to move the desk to make a bigger "stage." Piano movers hauled the 900-pound Yamaha C7 grand piano from our first-floor performance studio up the freight elevator to the fourth-floor Tiny Desk area. But weeks of meticulous measuring and planning paid off when the rented vibes were delivered and just fit alongside the piano.
Gary Burton and Chick Corea were in town for the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters Concert. The NEA Jazz Masters fellowship is the highest honor our nation bestows on jazz artists. Each year, the program honors a select few living legends who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz. Burton was a newly appointed 2016 recipient, while Corea received the honor in 2006.
These friends first played together 44 years ago, when they recorded their very first album, Crystal Silence. In his autobiography, Gary Burton tells the story:
We set aside three days for the recording. Except for ... one tune in Munich, Chick and I hadn't worked together before Berlin, so we figured we would need a fair amount of time to choose songs and finalize arrangements. But to our amazement, it all went incredibly fast. We would spend maybe twenty minutes creating an arrangement, and then record. We did every song in just one take, except that we required a second spin through "Senor Mouse."
The record was finished in just a few hours, and the two realized they had a unique musical chemistry with the ability to anticipate each other's improvisational ideas. That album went on to become a classic: flawless yet fresh and forever new.
A few thousand concerts later, the jazz masters showed up at NPR HQ to perform a concert at our newly expanded Tiny Desk. On this day, it had been almost two years since Chick Corea and Gary Burton had played together — the longest break they'd ever had. But once again, their remarkable ability to connect was demonstrated in two songs they play together all the time.
Hot House is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hot-house/id554867808
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hot-House-Chick-Corea/dp/B0076IH1KG
SET LIST:
"Love Castle"
"Crystal Silence"
CREDITS:
Producers: Suraya Mohamed, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Kara Frame, Morgan McCloy; Production Assistant: Jackson Sinnenberg; Photo: Brandon Chew/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Monsieur PerinéMarch 4, 2016 by FELIX CONTRERAS
Monsieur Periné hails from Colombia, a country known for its Afro-Colombian cumbia, as well as New York-style salsa. Instead, however, the band has embraced 1920s-era, guitar-driven jazz from the U.S. The unlikely inspiration has resulted in a large and international following, as well as a Latin Grammy not too long ago: Monsieur Periné was named 2015's Best New Artist.
Words don't do this band justice. Play the video and discover Monsieur Periné's magic for yourself.
Caja De Música is available now
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/caja-de-musica/id1000830433
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Caja-De-Musica-MONSIEUR-PERINE/dp/B00YJKH3AM
Set List:
"Nuestra Canción"
"Sabor A Mi"
"La Muerte"
Credits:
Producers: Felix Contreras, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Colin Marshall, Kara Frame; Production Assistant: Jackson Sinnenberg; Photo: Brandon Chew/NPR.
For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510292/tiny-desk-concerts-video
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Ernest RanglinAt 82, legendary guitarist Ernest Ranglin still plays the ska, reggae and jazz that he's championed and helped perfect for more than half a century. Ranglin was a key figure in shaping the sounds of ska — influenced by New Orleans jazz and R&B — in Jamaica in the late 1950s. But most of the world wouldn't hear of ska until producer Chris Blackwell teamed Ranglin up with a Jamaican singer named Millie Small. Together, they recorded "My Boy Lollipop," a song that became a smash at the height of Beatlemania and helped put ska and Jamaican music on the map forever.You've probably also heard Ranglin if you've seen the James Bond film Dr. No — particularly the scenes set in Jamaica. The effects of Ranglin's fluid and rhythmic playing on Jamaican music, from mento to reggae, are deep and long-lasting. But his work as a jazz artist is equally amazing, and here at the Tiny Desk he does a bit of everything, including music from his lyrical and wonderful album Bless Up. So watch as this humble, charming gentleman makes magic on guitar, with his talented young band Avila holding down the beat. --BOB BOILEN
Set List:
"Surfin"
"Jones Pen"
"Avila (Oscar's Song)"
Credits:
Producers: Bob Boilen, Denise DeBelius; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Colin Marshall; Production Assistant: Sarah Tilotta; photo by Sarah Tilotta/NPR
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Teddy AbramsNovember 30, 2015 by TOM HUIZENGA
If we're relying on the younger generation to help boost interest in classical music, look no further than Teddy Abrams. The 28-year-old pianist, clarinetist, conductor and composer has just begun his second season as music director of the Louisville Orchestra and he's brimming with ideas on what to do with Bach, Beethoven and music made today.
For his first week on the job in Louisville, Abrams played jazz piano in the streets and took his orchestra players into nightclubs and African-American churches. PBS made a web series on his first season. Earlier this year, he put two first symphonies on the same program — Brahms' First and a debut symphony by Sebastian Chang, a composer still in his 20s — just to gauge audience reaction. Abrams filled the hall by giving out free tickets to first-time symphonygoers. He was happy to hear that many of them liked the new piece best, saying they appreciated hearing the composer introduce it onstage.
Abrams doesn't treat composers like museum exhibits to be handled with white gloves. For this Tiny Desk performance, Adams decided to begin the opening movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30 with a short improvisation, noting that the great composer was known for riffing at the piano for hours on end.
The set opens and closes with tunes by Abrams himself. The first, "Big Band," swirls with jazz history. Hints of Thelonious Monk fly by, along with tips of the hat to the stride style from the early 20th century. Abrams ends with a bluesy number, "The Long Goodbye," describing it as a slow ballad halfway between "My Funny Valentine" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." How fascinating it will be to watch him as he continues to delight and challenge audiences.
Set List
Abrams: "Big Band"
Abrams: Improvisation/Beethoven: Sonata No. 30 in E, Op. 109, I. Vivace, ma non troppo
Abrams: "The Long Goodbye"
Credits
Producers: Tom Huizenga, Morgan Walker; Audio Engineer: Suraya Mohamed; Videographers: Morgan Walker, Julia Reihs; Production Assistant: Kate Drozynski; Photo by Jun Tsuboike/NPR
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NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Preservation Hall Jazz BandOur goal for this special holiday Tiny Desk Concert is simple: to bring you joy. Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a hot and historic outfit from New Orleans, and its members brought us a tuba-wielding Santa and some original holiday cheer and praise — what they call a Cajun Christmas from the French Quarter.
We lit some lights and decorated my desk and shelves as best we could, but it's this amazing band — complete with saxophone, trombone, trumpet, drums and a couple of tubas — that lit this place up. We've never had so much dancing from the NPR crew at a Tiny Desk Concert. So enjoy the show, and happy holidays to all from NPR Music. --BOB BOILEN
Set List
"Sugar Plum"
"I Think I Love You"
"Happy Holiday"
"Dear Lord"
Credits
Producers: Bob Boilen, Denise DeBelius; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo, Becky Harlan, Abbey Oldham
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Christian Scott aTunde AdjuahOctober 09, 2015 by PATRICK JARENWATTANANON
Artists don't usually tell long, rambling stories at the Tiny Desk, and if they do, those stories don't usually make the final cut. But this one felt different. It was about the time Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, a young black man, says he was stopped by New Orleans police late at night for no reason other than to harass and intimidate him. And how his pride almost made him do something ill-advised about it. And how he finally channeled that pent-up frustration into a piece of music whose long-form title is "Ku Klux Police Department."
"K.K.P.D." was the emotional peak of the septet's performance, though it wasn't a new tune. That's notable, because Scott stopped by the Tiny Desk on the very day his new album came out. It was played by something of a new band, though: Flutist Elena Pinderhughes, saxophonist Braxton Cook and guitarist Dominic Minix are new, younger additions to the group. It had new textures, too: Drummer Corey Fonville (another new member) used a djembe as a bass drum, and also brought a MIDI pad so he could emulate the sound of a drum machine. The effect was something like an evocation of African roots, juxtaposed with a trap beat.
The first two numbers were, in fact, from Scott's new album Stretch Music. That's his name for the particular type of jazz fusion he's up to: something more seamless than a simple collision of genre signifiers; something whose DNA is already hybridized and freely admits sonic elements which potentially "stretch" jazz's purported boundaries. (You may note that he showed up in a Joy Division sleeveless T-shirt and gold chain.) It's sleek and clearly modern, awash in guitar riffs, but also bold and emotionally naked. Scott is particularly good at getting you to feel the energy he sends pulsing through his horn, and he never shies away from going all-in on a solo. The least we could offer was to let him explain himself in doing so.
Stretch Music is available now.
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stretch-music-introducing/id1024394279
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01399S7GC?keywords=christian%20scott%20stretch%20music&qid=1444351505&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
Set List
"TWIN"
"West Of The West"
"K.K.P.D."
Personnel
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, trumpet; Elena Pinderhughes, flute; Braxton Cook, alto saxophone; Lawrence Fields, piano; Dominic Minix, guitar; Kris Funn, bass; Corey Fonville, percussion
Credits
Producers: Patrick Jarenwattananon, Morgan Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographer: Morgan Walker, Nick Michael, Cameron Robert; Production Assistant: Julia Reihs; photo by Julia Reihs
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NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Sam Amidon & Bill FrisellSam Amidon takes traditional music and makes it his own. He might begin with a traditional murder ballad and then morph it into something of his own, fueled by Bill Frisell's languidly atmospheric guitar, Shahzad Ismaily's minimal but essential percussion and Amidon's own yearning voice. At other times, Amidon weaves his own new tunes into worn, weary, seemingly ageless sagas.
Amidon has been doing this for a long time. In 1998, back when he was 16, NPR aired a story about his Vermont contra-dance band Popcorn Behavior, a group he'd assembled with his friend Thomas Bartlett (a.k.a. Doveman). Sixteen years later, Amidon has made a gorgeous new album, Lily-O, and performed a pair of its songs at the Tiny Desk — followed by "Short Life," from his 2013 album Bright Sunny South. -- BOB BOILEN
Set List
"Blue Mountains" 0:01
"Pat Do This, Pat Do That" 4:57
"Short Life" 10:45
Credits
Producers: Bob Boilen, Maggie Starbard; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Nick Michael, Maggie Starbard; Assistant Producer: Susan Hale Thomas; photo by Susan Hale Thomas
