Recording of WFMU interview

Here is a link to a recording of my interview with Scott MDowell on his show "The Longest Rally" last night on WFMU. Playlist was:

1. Harris Eisenstadt Kaolak/N'Wolof Guewel Clean Feed
2. Orchestre Baobab N'Wolof live mini disc recording
3. Sing Sing Juniors Barambiye live minidisc recording 2007
4. Harris Eisenstadt Dayourabine/Thiolena Guewel Clean Feed
5. Youssou N'Dour Li Ma Wessu Bercy 2004 Live DVD
6. Canada Day Don't Gild the Lilly Canada Day

Check out my lo-fi but more-than-audible minidisc recordings of Orchestra Baobab and more! Also, here's a link to a vid I made of Baobob the same night as the MD recording.

Tune into WFMU Wed Jan28 11pm-2am

Tune into the singular WFMU Wednesday, January 28th from 11pm - 2am EST if you're in the New York/New Jersey area or on-line. I'll be joining Scott McDowell on his excellent show "The Long Rally."

Scott's preview of the evening here:

"Harris Eisenstadt is a drummer/composer known for his exquisite melding of West African music and free jazz, as heard on his amazing 2008 Clean Feed release, Guewel, He'll be bringing along a clutch of records from his travels. In addition to some of his own music, expect mbalax, sabar and other West African sounds to float from your speakers, interspersed with personal stories and chat."

It's been gratifying to get lots of positive response to Guewel. I hope its brought Senegambian music to the attention of some listeners who hadn't checked it out much. There's an amazing tapestry of musical history even just in the last 30 years in Senegal and Gambia - where Guewel draws its inspiration from - and sorting out the history can be a labyrinthian task since its so under-documented.

Oh ya, its a Boy!

Fascinating doc about birthing here. Go Ricki Lake! Ok, in the interest of full disclosure, Sara and I are having a boy!!!!!!!! She's due May 30!

Every day is Obama Day

Link to a 1964 BBC interview with Martin Luther King predicting a black president in less than 40 years. Pretty close... here we are!

Every Day is Dr. King's Day

Left, Right, and Center

KCRW has another excellent program available as a podcast that I highly recommend. Left, Right, and Center is a great listen, especially since the much more coherent Tony Blankley took over on the right from David Frum (yep, not a typo) a few years back. Bob Scheer sounds a little over-offended at times way over on the left (but do check out his excellent blog truthdig.com), and Blankley's Washingtonian via brit public school (?) accent is a tad distracting at times, but props to the show's excellent host Matt Miller for keeping everyone pretty much on task and mad props to the darling of intellectual independents Arianna Huffington. Check it out.

To the Point is it

Been getting into podcasts alot of late, and the LA-based NPR station KCRW's program To the Point with Warren Olney is one radio program that I'm happy to download and listen to as much as time allows. Its even on the AM NPR station in New York but I guess I'm just digging on podcasts in general. More on these I have a feeling in future posts. I used to listen to Warren Olney a bunch during the 6 or so years and thousands of miles driven while I lived in LA 1999-2006. It was on at a very convenient 1pm time and I somehow often caught it. But tuning into podcasts when I want rather than when they're broadcast is the way.

ps For what its worth, I will say that To the Point is so strong precisely because of Warren Olney, and when he takes a (deserved!) break from time to time the show is the weaker for it. His interviewing style, demeanor and improvisational proficiency is deep.

The Century Club

Link to Alex Ross' excellent New Yorker article on concerts celebrating the centenaries of Elliot Carter and Olivier Messiaen. Ross writes wonderfully. So do Carter and Messiaen!