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Patti LaBelle: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert Hotney 3 Streams • 3 years ago

NPR Music's Tiny Desk series will celebrate Black History Month with Tiny Desk (home) concerts featuring legends in the world of R&B, jazz, gospel, and hip-hop. Each artist in this legacy lineup has helped to define Black music as we know it and will be performing a Tiny Desk concert for the first time.

Bobby Carter | February 23, 2022
The first song in Patti LaBelle's Tiny Desk (home) concert sets the tone and quickly sums up the entire 15-minute performance. "Something Special (Is Gonna Happen Tonight)" from her 1986 album Winner In You is a highlight from one of many chapters in her fabulous career. A backstage corner of a concert hall in Austin, Texas, is transformed into Patti's world, furnished with a throne, flowers and trunks full of shoes. Options are a must, given a knack for kicking off her shoes during shows. The entire band managed to fit onto the set: thirteen people, including fierce background vocals, keys, horns and more, to recreate some of the best from the Godmother of Soul.

LaBelle and company go straight into hits mode after the first number. "Love, Need and Want You" is delivered with the same vibrancy as the 1983 original, with a wink to another hit, "Dilemma," by Nelly, who sampled it 19 years later. The ballads continue with "If Only You Knew." She closes with the anthem "Lady Marmalade," which was also revived in the early 2000s by Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink and Lil' Kim.

Ms. Patti had already made Black History with Cindy Birdsong, Sara Dash and Nona Hendryx as the powerhouse group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles (later Labelle). After the group disbanded, she forged through on her own as a pioneer in music, style and entrepreneurship. Sixty years and counting. Whether big stage or Tiny Desk, the standard-bearing icon continues to exude elegance and grace as a performer.

SET LIST
"Something Special (Is Gonna Happen Tonight)"
"Love, Need and Want You"
"If Only You Knew"
"Lady Marmalade"

MUSICIANS
Patti LaBelle: vocals
Stan Lewis: keys/music director
Danny Nixon: keys
Daryl Robertson: keys
Eric Seats: drums
Alex Evans: bass
Eric Dubose: guitar
Jeff Bradshaw: trombone
Melvin Jones: trumpet
Michael Burton: saxophone
Debra Henry Ramsey: vocals
Brenda Roy: Background vocals
Anthony Williams Jr: vocals
Aja Marie Grant: vocals

CREDITS
Video Director: Whitney Thomas
Audio Engineer: Dwayne Jones
Recording Engineer: Brandon Snell
Management: Zuri Edwards
Production Manager: Joe Falcon
Road Manager: Pamela Hobson
Guitar Tech: Alfonso Perez
Backline Tech: Gabriel Santana Falcon, GearHeadz Inc.
Technical Director: Blake Addyson

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Video Producer: Joshua Bryant
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Tiny Production Team: Bob Boilen, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Ashley Pointer, Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis
Executive Producer: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

Too $hort: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert Hotney 3 Streams • 3 years ago

NPR Music's Tiny Desk series will celebrate Black History Month with Tiny Desk (home) concerts featuring legends in the world of R&B, jazz, gospel, and hip-hop. Each artist in this legacy lineup has helped to define Black music as we know it and will be performing a Tiny Desk concert for the first time.

LaTesha Harris | February 17, 2022
In his Tiny Desk (home) concert, Too $hort asks: "How many artists you know that got relevant records in five decades?" The Oakland rapper answers by performing seven songs from his own discography, showcasing his extensive (yet still underrated) contributions to the growth of hip-hop on the West Coast. The expedition opens on a quiet, reflective note with a performance of $hort's influential 1990 single "The Ghetto" before roaring to life with 1988's "Life Is... Too $hort." From his spot in downtown LA, BoomBox Studios, $hort delivers a dynamic, funk-laden performance, seamlessly cycling through scenes of women-chasing debauchery and politically-minded meditation.

Of course, Too $hort's set list shows off the development of his sound, but it also underscores hip-hop's evolution from a socially polarizing genre to a touchstone of cultural capital. Combined with an enthralling presence of persona, $hort's jaw-dropping lyrics and minimal delivery influenced West Coast peers, like Snoop Dogg and Lil B, and beyond, like Lil Jon and UGK; his career, one of moving cassettes with local independent success to moving multiple platinum albums with national acclaim, established the Bay Area as a credible rapping hotspot, pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. Too $hort honors this history by shouting out his many collaborators over the years and sharing his legacy as a hip-hop titan with a spirited group of musicians – notably Curtis Crump Jr. and Techdizzle who steal the show with, respectively, their sax and drum work on "Gettin' It" and "Blow The Whistle." It's a monumental moment for the Tiny Desk, and for those wondering, there's more than enough of Too $hort's favorite word to celebrate with.

SET LIST
"The Ghetto"
"Life Is ...Too $hort"
"Gettin' It"
"Blow the Whistle"
"Ain't My Girlfriend"
"Big Sexy Thang"
"Big Subwoofer"

MUSICIANS
Too $hort: vocals
Robert L. Mitchell "Techdizzle": music director / drums
Curtis Crump Jr.: keys
Frank Abraham: bass
Ash Jangda: guitar
Maurice Smith: vocals

CREDITS
Recording Engineer: Migui Maloles
Monitor Engineer: Mateo Rodriguez
Mixing Engineer: Zach "Ekzakt" Perry
Directed By: Patrick "Embryo" Tapu
Camera Operator: Bryan Ramos and Robert Teegarden
Editor: Bryan Ramos
Coloring: Bryan Ramos
Gaffer: Mike Nelli
Grip: Jeremy Kemp

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Abby O'Neill
Video Producer: Joshua Bryant
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Tiny Production Team: Bobby Carter, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Ashley Pointer, Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis
Executive Producer: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#too$hort #tooshort #nprmusic #tinydesk #bhmxnprmusic

Cui Jian: Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST 2023 Hotney 3 Streams • 3 years ago

For the third year, Tiny Desk concerts team up with globalFEST for a thrilling online music festival — Tiny Desk meets globalFEST.

Bob Boilen | January 28, 2023
Hosted by Angélique Kidjo, the series echoes globalFEST’s live flagship event in spirit but is centered in the framework of the Tiny Desk concert series. This collaboration presents exclusive video performances from nine artists filmed in their respective homelands, on the road and in exile all over the world. There will be three nights of concerts, each featuring three bands, on consecutive nights beginning Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET. The globalFEST team wrote the following biographical information about each performer.

Cui Jian, China
The most influential rock musician in China is Beijing-born, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and vocalist Cui Jian. The former leader of Chinese rock band Ado, Jian's solo music is continually embraced by new generations: his albums having sold more than 10 million copies in Asia. The Wall Street Journal said, "Cui Jian continues to be an inspiration for China's disenchanted youth." However, Jian's prime inspiration comes not from politics, but from personal issues. He said, "I talk about serious things in my heart and people's lives, including, of course, love. But, mostly it's about Chinese culture, the modern culture. They're not political songs. It's just the truth, the modern truth. I talk about our life in China."

SET LIST
"Fake Monk"
"Go On"
"Wild in the Snow"

MUSICIANS
Cui Jian: lead vocals, guitar
Liu Yuan: saxophone
Eddie Randriamampionona: guitar
Liu Yue: bass
Lu Chao: drums
Gao Xing: hand percussion
Wu Na: Chinese guqin
Zhou Tian: vocals
Li Yanan: vocals

CREDITS
Art Director: Cui Jian
Executive Producer: Yoyo
Executive Director: Ken Deng
Live Music Recording Engineer: Li Feng
Live Music Supervisor: Wang Zheng
Live Recordist: Zheng Xiaofei
Program: Wang Zheng
Live Monitor Sound Engineer: Xu Xuan
Audio Equipment Coordinator: Wang Chaojie
Sound Mixing/Mastering: Li Make
Musician Assistants: Yang Haitao, Gao Shuo
Videographers: Ken Deng, Li Bingwei, Xu Zhu, Li Qianpeng, Jiao Mingjie, Jin Siwei
Assistant: He Chang
Gaffer: Sun Qunliang
Assistant: Sun Xujie, Cao Yawei, Wang Xinqiao, Cao Junfei
Coordinator: Wang Zebin, Sira
Special thanks to East Shore Jazz Club

TINY DESK TEAM
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Editing: Joshua Bryant
Tiny Desk Team: Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer

GLOBALFEST TEAM
Co-Directors: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer, and Bill Bragin
2023 Curators: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer, Bill Bragin, and Meera Dugal
Event Producer: Ian Thake
Host: Angélique Kidjo
Legal Services: Tamizdat
Legal Services: Duane Morris
Video Production: Karim Tabbaa

FUNDERS:
The Mellon Foundation
The National Endowment for the Arts
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

SPECIAL THANKS:
Ken Umezaki
Fabian Alsultany
Steven Kirkpatrick
David Komar

Septeto Santiaguero: Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST 2023 Hotney 3 Streams • 3 years ago

For the third year, Tiny Desk concerts team up with globalFEST for a thrilling online music festival — Tiny Desk meets globalFEST.

Bob Boilen | January 29, 2023
Hosted by Angélique Kidjo, the series echoes globalFEST’s live flagship event in spirit but is centered in the framework of the Tiny Desk concert series. This collaboration presents exclusive video performances from nine artists filmed in their respective homelands, on the road and in exile all over the world. There will be three nights of concerts, each featuring three bands, on consecutive nights beginning Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET. The globalFEST team wrote the following biographical information about each performer.

Septeto Santiaguero, Cuba
Septeto Santiaguero was founded in 1995 by members of Melodías de Ayer, a group formed in the early 1960s, together with the Estudiantina Invasora and the Cuarteto Patria, had for over three decades animated many a day and night at the Casa de la Trova in Santiago de Cuba. In 1993 and 1994, a number of young musicians from other septets — such as Sones de Oriente and Septeto Luz — joined Melodías de Ayer, and Fernando Dewar, a tres player, took over the leadership of the group. Seeking to return to their roots, the group decided to give up the mambos and stick to the discipline of the traditional septet: guitar, tres, bongo, clave, maracas, acoustic bass and trumpet, with the addition of the drum, which it retained in honor of Arsenio Rodríguez. In the Santiago de Cuba style, the two singers maintain the first and second harmony with equal emphasis. The group preserves and pays homage to one of Cuba’s most important musical forms, with a vitality demonstrating that the septeto tradition is still fresh and alive in Santiago de Cuba today.

SET LIST
Inocencio Heredia Castillo: "Y Sigo Pa'lante"
Rudens Matos Matos: "Recuerdos del Ayer"
Ignacio Piñeiro: "La Meneadera"

MUSICIANS
Fernando E. Dewar Webster: tres, vocals
Giraldo Bravo: güiro, vocals
Inocencio Heredia Castillo: maracas, vocals
Rudens Matos Matos: guitar, vocals
Dairon Robert Salazar: bajo
Gabriel Montero González: conga Low, conga high, jam block
Carlos Danger Plana: bongos, cencerro, tools
Alain Brito: trumpet, vocals

CREDITS
Producer: ALLEGRO Productions | Yanni Labori, Alexander Legro
Assistants: Yasmany Dutel, Gustavo Savigne, Vivian Puebla
Audio: Fernando Dewar Romero, Norge Matute Pelegrin, Damian Busqueta Mineto
Director of Photography / Camera 3: Adrian Rey
Camera 1: Ray Mila Vega
Camera 2: Freddy Miguel
Special thanks to Salón del Son en Santiago de Cuba, Centro de Patrimonio Cultural de Santiago de Cuba, Centro del Libro de Santiago de Cuba, EGREM Santiago de Cuba, Centro Cultural Interactivo ALLEGRO

TINY DESK TEAM
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Editing: Joshua Bryant
Tiny Desk Team: Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer

GLOBALFEST TEAM
Co-Directors: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer, and Bill Bragin
2023 Curators: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer, Bill Bragin, and Meera Dugal
Event Producer: Ian Thake
Host: Angélique Kidjo
Legal Services: Tamizdat
Legal Services: Duane Morris
Video Production: Karim Tabbaa

FUNDERS:
The Mellon Foundation
The National Endowment for the Arts
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

SPECIAL THANKS:
Ken Umezaki
Fabian Alsultany
Steven Kirkpatrick
David Komar

Bia Ferreira: Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST 2023 Hotney 3 Streams • 3 years ago

For the third year, Tiny Desk concerts team up with globalFEST for a thrilling online music festival — Tiny Desk meets globalFEST.

Bob Boilen | January 29, 2023
Hosted by Angélique Kidjo, the series echoes globalFEST’s live flagship event in spirit but is centered in the framework of the Tiny Desk concert series. This collaboration presents exclusive video performances from nine artists filmed in their respective homelands, on the road and in exile all over the world. There will be three nights of concerts, each featuring three bands, on consecutive nights beginning Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET. The globalFEST team wrote the following biographical information about each performer.

Bia Ferreira, Brazil
Bia Ferreira is a Brazilian singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and activist. Her music, which she defines as "MMP — Música de Mulher Preta," discusses topics such as feminism, anti-racism and ****phobia. She makes music that harnesses a combination of funky beats, reggae and soulful ballad grooves while lyrically pushing her listeners toward the discomfort that generates "movemente,” or action. Her lyrics have been described as "escrevivência,” a term Conceição Evaristo uses to “tell our stories from our perspectives.” It represents the subjectivity of a Black woman in Brazilian society.

SET LIST
"Antes De Ir"
"De Dentro do Ap"
"Levante a Bandeira do Amor"
"Aquela Moça"
"A Conta Vai Chegar/Cota Não É Esmola"

MUSICIANS
Bia Ferreira: vocals, guitar
Maurilio Santiago dos Santos Nascimento "Pé Beat": drums
Mariana Lima Valim: guitar
Erica Souza da Silva: bass

CREDITS
Producer: Zeferina Produções, Rafaella Bonatti
Audio: Dj Go Locadora, Renato Venom
Video: Quixó Produções
Direction and photography: Luan Cardoso
Photography: Camila Picolo
Gaffer: Marcela Katzin
Editor: Beatriz Dantas
Special thanks to Zeferina and Rafaella Bonatti, Erica Silva, Mari Lima, Pé Beat

TINY DESK TEAM
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Editing: Joshua Bryant
Tiny Desk Team: Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer

GLOBALFEST TEAM
Co-Directors: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer, and Bill Bragin
2023 Curators: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer, Bill Bragin, and Meera Dugal
Event Producer: Ian Thake
Host: Angélique Kidjo
Legal Services: Tamizdat
Legal Services: Duane Morris
Video Production: Karim Tabbaa

FUNDERS:
The Mellon Foundation
The National Endowment for the Arts
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

SPECIAL THANKS:
Ken Umezaki
Fabian Alsultany
Steven Kirkpatrick
David Komar

Taraf de Caliu: Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST 2023 Hotney 3 Streams • 3 years ago

For the third year, Tiny Desk concerts team up with globalFEST for a thrilling online music festival — Tiny Desk meets globalFEST.

Bob Boilen | January 30, 2023
Hosted by Angélique Kidjo, the series echoes globalFEST’s live flagship event in spirit but is centered in the framework of the Tiny Desk concert series. This collaboration presents exclusive video performances from nine artists filmed in their respective homelands, on the road and in exile all over the world. There will be three nights of concerts, each featuring three bands, on consecutive nights beginning Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET. The globalFEST team wrote the following biographical information about each performer.

Taraf de Caliu, Romania
After more than three decades of relentlessly touring all over the world, the founding members of Taraf de Haidouks reunited for a new project: Taraf de Caliu. The musicians from Clejani, Romania are the last generation of “lautari” that carry on this authentic traditional music from southern Romania, the music that defined them as one of the best gypsy bands in the world. Under the lead of Caliu, the iconic violinist of the taraf, they are on the road again.

SET LIST
"Ca la Breaza"
"Hora lui Caliu"
"Dragostea de la Clejani"
"Ciocârlia"

MUSICIANS
Gheorghe Anghel “Caliu”: violin
Robert Gheorghe: violin
Iulian Vlad: double bass
Marin Manole: accordion, vocals
Ionuț Gulună: vocals
Cristinel Turturică: cimbalom

CREDITS
Production: Șaraimanic & DWMT Production
Producer: Călina Purje
Director: Andrei Gheorghe
1st AD: Tudor Costache
Camera operators: Alexandru Yatesey, Răzvan Leucea, Paul Chirilă
Camera assistant: Daniel Sandu
Live recording: Mihai “Mushu” Popa
Mix and master: Mihai “Mushu” Popa, Andrei Boanță
Video edit and colorization: Paul Vlăsceanu
Props on set: Dan Statache
Special thanks to Larisa Perde, Răzvan Murgu, Șaraimanic Community, Diud, Michel Winter, Isabel Soffer

TINY DESK TEAM
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Editing: Joshua Bryant
Tiny Desk Team: Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer

GLOBALFEST TEAM
Co-Directors: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer and Bill Bragin
2023 Curators: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer, Bill Bragin and Meera Dugal
Event Producer: Ian Thake
Host: Angélique Kidjo
Legal Services: Tamizdat
Legal Services: Duane Morris
Video Production: Karim Tabbaa

FUNDERS:
The Mellon Foundation
The National Endowment for the Arts
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

SPECIAL THANKS:
Ken Umezaki
Fabian Alsultany
Steven Kirkpatrick
David Komar

Khadija El Warzazia’s Bnat el Houariyat & Esraa Warda: Tiny Desk Meets globalFEST 2023 Hotney 2 Streams • 3 years ago

For the third year, Tiny Desk concerts team up with globalFEST for a thrilling online music festival — Tiny Desk meets globalFEST.

Bob Boilen | January 30, 2023
Hosted by Angélique Kidjo, the series echoes globalFEST’s live flagship event in spirit but is centered in the framework of the Tiny Desk concert series. This collaboration presents exclusive video performances from nine artists filmed in their respective homelands, on the road and in exile all over the world. There will be three nights of concerts, each featuring three bands, on consecutive nights beginning Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. ET. The globalFEST team wrote the following biographical information about each performer.

Khadija El Warzazia’s Bnat el Houariyat & Esraa Warda, Morocco / Algeria / USA
Khadija El Warzazia’s Bnat el Houariyat & Esraa Warda is a pairing composed entirely of women artists: Bnat el Houariyat from the heart of Marrakech performs women’s celebratory and trance music, including chaabi and houara. The group’s percussion and call-and-response singing and complex polyrhythms build into a deeply transporting sonic experience. It is accompanied by the mesmerizing Algerian-American dancer Esraa Warda, a “rebellious spirit” known for her profound performances of the trance-like jedba hair-swaying dance.

SET LIST
"Dyaf Allah Rjal el Bled"
"Ya Rajel (Wal Mra Sabra)"
"Li Guer imout"

MUSICIANS
Fatiha Benmsinane
Malika Nouader
Khadija el Warzazia
Nouzha Lagrimi
Touria Nouader
Esraa Warda: dancer

CREDITS
Producer: Esraa Warda
Audio: Simo Chafai
Director, Producer, Camera: Ahlam Maroon
Camera: Oussama Mountassir
Lighting: Amine Houmam
Special thanks to Azzedine & Abdelghafour Art

TINY DESK TEAM
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Editing: Joshua Bryant
Tiny Desk Team: Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer

GLOBALFEST TEAM
Co-Directors: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer, and Bill Bragin
2023 Curators: Shanta Thake, Isabel Soffer, Bill Bragin, and Meera Dugal
Event Producer: Ian Thake
Host: Angélique Kidjo
Legal Services: Tamizdat
Legal Services: Duane Morris
Video Production: Karim Tabbaa

FUNDERS:
The Mellon Foundation
The National Endowment for the Arts
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

SPECIAL THANKS:
Ken Umezaki
Fabian Alsultany
Steven Kirkpatrick
David Komar

Jorge Glem and Sam Reider: Tiny Desk Concert Hotney 1 Streams • 3 years ago

Felix Contreras | March 6, 2023
It’s a very special thing when two musical cultures come together to create something that didn’t exist before. That’s exactly what we got to witness in this performance from Venezuelan cuatro master Jorge Glem and extraordinary accordionist Sam Reider, as they set up behind the Desk for a set of highly creative, original music from their project Brooklyn Cumaná.

Glem’s dexterity on the small, traditional guitar-like instrument is evident from the very first notes of “Skeleton Rag,” as he plucks out a percussive, staccato pattern that is more Brazilian than the sweeping strums of Venezuelan folk music, as Reider leans into a melody that could easily be folkloric if it wasn’t something he dreamed up. Even as they end the tune at a breakneck speed, it’s only the beginning of the fireworks. “Sábana Blanca y Fuga con Estribillo” which follows, is based on a traditional Venezuelan folk tune and eventually erupts into a rustic exhibition of Glem’s vocals.

After a brief explanation in Spanish about the traditional song forms they work from, the duo eases into “Malagueña Cumanesa,” a lament based on a memory from Glem’s childhood.
“Coroticos” is a fiery exercise in an odd time meter that is actually part of Venezuelan tradition and it’s a showcase for how these two virtuoso musicians test the limits of their instruments while they expand our expectations of the accordion and cuatro. The magic of this music is watching both artists completely enjoy each other’s playing, with knowing glances and spontaneous vocal encouragement.

SET LIST
“Skeleton Rag”
“Sábana Blanca y Fuga con Estribillo”
“Malagueña Cumanesa”
“Coroticos”

MUSICIANS
Jorge Glem: Venezuelan cuatro, vocals
Sam Reider: accordion, vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Felix Contreras
Director/Editor: Sofia Seidel
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Sofia Seidel, Zayrha Rodriguez
Audio Assistant: Alex Drewenskus
Production Assistant: Jill Britton
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Pilar Galvan, Maia Stern
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #jorgeglem #samreider

Mama's Broke: Tiny Desk Concert Hotney 2 Streams • 3 years ago

Bob Boilen | March 8, 2023
A couple of chairs, a small room and a cozy crowd describes the last eight years of tour stops for Mama’s Broke. Having performed in intimate venues including homes and cabins, as well as stages, being at the Tiny Desk may have felt right at home for the Canadian duo. Lisa Maria Bates and Amy Lou Keeler make powerful songs with haunting harmonies and a mesh of fiddle, banjo, mandolin and guitar. You’ll hear unique rhythms as Amy takes her chopsticks to Lisa’s fiddle and Lisa takes her heels to the floorboard.

Elements of Appalachian folk, Celtic ballads, Nova Scotian traditions and Ukrainian folk from Lisa’s grandfather’s collection are woven into the duo’s music. The frantic pace of touring came to a halt for Amy and Lisa when the COVID pandemic started, like it did for much of the world, and they had some time to write tunes and try out new tunings. The opening song, written in Lisa’s uninsulated Nova Scotia cabin in the throes of the first pandemic winter, is filled with poignant resignation.

Just pick one, it’ll hurt some if it needs to
I know weakness is a sickness and a virtue
And cold bitter winds are never-ending
So just pick one, it’s a season, it’ll run through

The songs come from Mama’s Broke’s new album, Narrow Line, and its2017 debut, Count The Wicked. There are moments of hope in this set of somewhat dark songs: “What Can May Come” is one of those moments, and also, in the final tune “The Ones That I Love,” where Amy and Lisa put down their instruments and send love through those perfect harmonies.

SET LIST
“Just Pick One”
“Wrecking Need”
“What Can May Come”
“Even Though”
“The Ones That I Love”

MUSICIANS
Lisa Maria Bates: vocals, fiddle, foot board, mandolin
Amy Lou Keeler: vocals, guitar, banjo, fiddlesticks

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bob Boilen
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Engineer: Alex Drewenskus
Audio Mix: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Sofia Seidel
Audio Assistant: Josephine Nyouani
Production Assistant: Jill Britton
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Kara Frame, Ashley Pointer, Pilar Galvan
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk #nprmusic #mamasbroke

Tye Tribbett: Tiny Desk Concert Hotney 4 Streams • 3 years ago

Suraya Mohamed | March 20, 2023

It was a bit of a tight fit, getting the choir, horns and full rhythm section properly situated behind the center nook of the Desk where Tye Tribbett would eventually stand. As the band warmed up, there was concern that his voice might not carry over the fullness of the talented ensemble. During the rehearsal, he stood nearby, directing music cues, occasionally taking a moment to make “grrrr” vocalizations as the band adjusted to bring the loudness down. They quickly found just the right level and when Tribbett moved into place for sound check, his lead vocal both blended into and soared above the magnificence of the band’s high energy praise music.

Even before the production crew pushed their record buttons, an excitement filled the air. As the first song developed, the intensity rose to an even higher level, setting the tone for an emotional, spiritual experience. Musical excellence was abundant as the singers lifted their voices with precise intonation, and Tribbetts’ vigor was infectious. The complex instrumental arrangements included jazzy licks and funky beats that drove spontaneous but smooth transitions in and out of six inspiring songs.

Before the last tune, the encouraging “Be Alright,” Tribbett exclaimed, “There is hope! You’re never hopeless. I know your world gets dark and you feel all by yourself. You think nobody sees you but God sees you and not only does he see you but he’s been with you the whole time.”

SET LIST
“No Way”
“Get Up”
“Victory”
“Everything”
“He Turned It”
“Be Alright”

MUSICIANS
Tye Tribbett: vocals
Joseph Bethea: keys
Brandon Jones: keys
Thaddaeus Tribbett: bass
George "Spanky" McCurdy: drums
Jabari Johnson: guitar
Kevin Woods: trumpet
Joseph Streater: trumpet
Frank Rein: trombone
Jalisa Faye: vocals
Jewell Jones: vocals
Jocelyn Bowman: vocals
Sharon Ann: vocals
Billy Crayton Jr.: vocals
Brandon Edwards: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault
Audio Mix: Josh Rogosin
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Sofia Seidel, Maia Stern
Audio Assistant: Josephine Nyounai
Production Assistants: Jill Britton, Ashley Pointer
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Pilar Galván
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#tinydesk nydesk #nprmusic #tyetribbett

Andrew Combs: Tiny Desk Concert Hotney 2 Streams • 3 years ago

Tom Huizenga | March 15, 2023
The concept of our Tiny Desk is to capture artists up close and personal, a design that couldn't be a better fit for Andrew Combs' recent music. He and his band loaded in the standard drums, bass, guitar and keys — even a saxophone or two — behind the Desk, but Combs deploys the instruments sparingly in transparent arrangements that delicately undergird his soft, high tenor and falsetto vocal stylings.

He is a risk-taker in his singing, songwriting and even in his visual art. The Nashville-based artist boldly moved away from his Americana pigeon-hole on his album Ideal Man, brilliantly flirting with rock and pop. His latest, Sundays, which this Tiny Desk set relies heavily on, was another left turn. Inspired by his personal struggles amid the height of the pandemic, Combs recorded the album in mono, giving these contemplative songs the intimacy of living room performances.

Combs builds this set artfully. He starts with the incantatory "Shall We Go?" inspired by Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, sliding right into "Anna Please," based on Ingmar Bergman's devastating film Cries and Whispers — two theatrical works exploring the absurd nature of life and the quotidian horror of death. That a song like "(God)less" follows, should be no surprise. "It's about finding beauty in the chaos," Combs says.

And then, as if to remind us that not all is lost, he ends with a love song so sweet and pure it could take your breath away. Combs is an artist who keeps challenging himself and us. And isn't that what great art is supposed to do?

SET LIST
"Shall We Go?"
"Anna Please"
"(God)less"
"Like A Feather"

MUSICIANS
Andrew Combs: vocals, electric guitar
Caleb Hickman: piano, sax
Dominic Billett: drums, electric bass, vocals
Jerry Bernhardt: electric guitar and bass, vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Tom Huizenga
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Keren Carrión, Kara Frame
Audio Assistant: Alex Drewenskus
Production Assistants: Sofia Seidel, Jill Britton
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Pilar Galván
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

#nprmusic #tinydesk #andrewcombs

The Naghash Ensemble: Transcendent Armenian Classical Music | Music Interview 2023 Hotney 2 Streams • 3 years ago

Our co-founder, Darek Mazzone, spoke to John Hodian, the composer behind the Armenian Ensemble, Nagahash. We at SAMA love Armenian classical music. The range and emotional power of the form creates a transcendent state in the listener.

John Hodian is an Armenian-American composer who is known for creating and leading The Naghash Ensemble. The ensemble is a group of Armenian musicians and singers who perform classical Armenian music, specifically the poetry of the medieval Armenian poet Mkrtich Naghash. Hodian was inspired to form the ensemble after hearing the voice of Hasmik Baghdasaryan singing medieval Armenian spiritual music in an ancient pagan temple outside of Yerevan, Armenia.

The band is starting their US/European Tour in March of 2023

The Naghash Ensemble's Members
Hasmik Baghdasaryan • soprano
Tatevik Movsesyan • soprano
Arpine Ter-Petrosyan • alto
Harutyun Chkolyan • duduk
Emmanuel Hovhannisyan • duduk
Aramayis Nikoghosyan • oud
Tigran Hovhannisyan • dhol
John Hodian • piano/composer

John's BIO:
John Hodian is a composer, conductor, and pianist who has worked in a wide variety of idioms—from classical to jazz, and traditional to avant-garde theater. The soulful intensity and intricate rhythms of his music reflect both his Armenian roots and his formal classical training.
Hodian received Masters degrees in composition and conducting at The Philadelphia College for the Performing Arts. John also spent several summers at the Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado where he studied piano and improvisation with Art Lande, Ralph Towner as well as literature and poetry with Allen Ginsburg and William Burroughs.
While teaching composition and music theory at the University of the Arts, John was conductor of the Philadelphia New Music Ensemble.
John has collaborated with leading theater figures such as Anne Bogart and Israel Horowitz and is the founder of “The Naghash Ensemble” and “Epiphany Project”.

About SAMA:
Seattle Sacred Music & Art (SAMA) curates, produces, and collaborates on an immersive series of music and art performances that share the healing power of global sacred music. New videos presented every Thursday. We are dedicated to share with you the best and most compelling artists in the world.

SAMA was launched in 2019 as a way to foster understanding and dialogue through global music during a time of extreme political and cultural polarization. Co-founders Darek Mazzone and John M. Goodfellow, both long-time Seattle residents, have created SAMA in order to help expand global sacred music’s impact on the human spirit.

“We want to open people’s hearts,” says Mazzone, a KEXP DJ and Polish immigrant who moved to the US as a child, “that’s what imbues our sense of humanity.” SAMA aims to help bring as many outstanding international artists to the Pacific Northwest to perform as possible as life resumes in public spaces. Through musical performances, global artists have the power to challenge out preconceived notions of what “the other” thinks and feels.

Follow SAMA below:

⇢ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaseattle/
⇢ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samasacred
⇢ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeattleSama
⇢ Website: https://www.seattlesacredmusic.com

#thenaghashensemble #johnhodian #armenia #armenianmusic #samaseattle #classicalmusic #classic #darekmazzone #music #international #global #globalmusic #musicinterview #dhol #duduk #oud #oud_music #livestream

Thanks for watching the video: The Naghash Ensemble: Transcendent Armenian Classical Music | Music Interview 2023 on SAMA: Seattle Sacred Music and Art.

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