Sunday at Bob's #46 - Superstar

 Hello everyone and welcome back for another hour of music with Sunday at Bob's. I hope you have been doing well. I have been doing great personnally however the keyboard issue I mentionned last time is still unfixed. Don't pay attention to the missing h, j, k, l or 5s, I will do my best with the virtual keyboard.

I usually try to limit the amount of fairly famous musicians in the playlist. Not that I don't enjoy their music but I started the blog as a way to archive music discovered by encounters and to take my turn sharing it. I also have to add that the understanding of who is a "famous" musician is very relative. I noticed that the only fact I moved from Amsterdam to Switzerland, with all the social changes that it implies, had a rather big impact on what I would pic for the playlists. For instance while in Amsterdam, I would be less conflicted by the idea of sharing relatively known French musicians such as Odezenne or MC Solaar, as I'd be confident they would be discoveries for most of my friends. Now that I am here, talking about these artists seem rather pointless. All that to say that in today's playlist, we will have a couple of superstars, hopefully futur superstars in the ears of some.

We begin with the legendary folk singer Sandy Denny, who I discovered through a special show dedicated to her career on NTS. I feel it had been some time we didn't hear good old folk songs here, and when I heard Sandy Denny's voice resonating in my atelier as I was beggining to paint I thought wow this goes in our next playlist no doubt. I think most people remember her group Fairport Convention rather than her solo career (?) but I'd personally put these BBC live sessions in a very reachable shelf and they would rarely get dusty.

Then we have a very beautiful Bossa Blues from the latest album by the brazilian pianist and singer Eliane Elias. It reminds me in a way of the Blues Maqams of  Anouar Brahem. It does not sound at all similar of course but in the statement through a title there is a common mindset, I think. The attempt to build bridges between genres that have more in common in depth than in surface. Something like that.

We go on with a magnificent song by Ángel "El Diferente" Canales. Born in Puerto Rico, he moved with his family to New York at the age of 8. He grew up in East Harlem. He acquired his nickname because of the way he distributes the structure of the choirs of his songs (generally, he uses two choirs with different lyrics in the montuno), his attitude on stage and because of the peculiar timbre of his voice. We have a good taste of it with his timeless hit Nostalgia.

Another hit song by a hit band of the Puerto Rican diaspora with the great Héctor Lavoe & Willie Colón. I highly recommend the song "Que Lio" as well, it has become my top 1 shower song and I now it by heart despite not speaking spanish at all. Special shout out at their album covers, very g.

Oh and then we have another song from this insanely rich musical area that it Brazil, with the very cool, very chill and very dancable Orlandivo. He is followed by a musician I've been wanting to feature here for a while, Tassos Chalkias from Epirus, and you now my love for Epirus music. A compilation of his work recently came out, it is called Divine Reeds, you can get it here and I very much suggest you do so.

The moment you fall in love with Epirote music, a new musical universe will open up to you! This ancient psychedelic folk with jazzy improvisations from the North West of Greece is unique and will touch your soul so deeply that epirotika aficionados always remember the place and the moment when they got to know this hypnotic and mesmerising music. (source)

We go back to Brazil with more superstars. No need to introduce Vinicius de Moraes, Toquinho or Maria Bethânia, I think if you've been folowing this blog for a while you most likely share my love for these monuments of music. Let us simply enjoy in amazement.

Another superstar comes after that, a jazz superstar I had the great honor to see live two summers ago in a magnificent park of Geneva. I had brought some friends along who did not get moved by the music of Ambrose Akinmusire more than that if I recall well. Which I can understand, it is not a super easy music to relate to. The song we have today is not amongst those however, I find it very smooth. You be the judge.

We carry on jazzly with a song from the Jazz is Dead series and before that a very cool love song from Jazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force's latest album. I am in love with her use of the spoken word form. And on this song specifically it vehiculates so well the urge for detachment and careless mindset of a relationship's first sprouts. Her vibe reminds me a bit of Cécile McLorin Salvant, and that's something.

We close today's playlist with a bit of Polish jazz with a beautiful piece by Jerzy Milian.

Well I hope you enjoyed, I must say it was not easy with this annoying keyboard but I had fun. I can't wait to see you in two weeks.

In the meantime, take care and hand in your key before 10h30!

The receptionist

Playlist:

1. Sandy Denny - The Quiet Joy of Brotherhood
2. Eliane Elias - Blue Bossa
3. Ángel Canales - Nostalgia
4. Héctor Lavoe & Willie Colón - No Me den Candela
5. Orlandivo - Um Abraço No Bengil
6. Caetano Veloso - Eleanor Rigby
7. Tassos Chalkias - Dirminitsa (The Bride’s Dance)
8. Vinicius de Moraes/Toquinho/Maria Bethânia - Apelo (Live)
9. Ambrose Akinmusire - An Interlude (that get' more intense)
10. Jazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force - Let Us (Take Our Time)
11. Adrian Younge, Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Apocalíptico feat. Azymuth
12. Jerzy Milian - Wśród pampasów