Audio: Etta James — “The Sky is Crying”
[Email subscribers can click the title of this post to listen to the song for free.] . “The Sky is Crying” is included in the 2004 CD Blues to the Bone. … Continue reading
Video: “Symphony in Black” by Duke Ellington (featuring Billie Holiday’s first filmed performance)
. In September of 1935, Paramount Pictures released a nine-minute film — Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Negro Life, an early cinematic depiction of African-American culture. It features Duke … Continue reading
Video: Lou Reed’s screen test filmed by Andy Warhol
Between 1964 and 1966, Andy Warhol shot close to 500 short movies of friends, celebrities, and models at his studio known as The Factory. The indie-rock duet Dean and Britta … Continue reading
Video: “Kulning” — Ancient Swedish Herding Call
. Swedish artist, photographer, and blogger Jonna Jinton says, “Kulning is the word for the ancient Swedish herding call that has its roots in the nordic medieval age. Because … Continue reading
Video: “Orangutango” — Animation set to music by Igor Tkachenko
Orangutango (Graffiti Tango} is an award-winning animation set to music by Igor Tkachenko. Best Music Award – FIFI (International Internet Film Festival, France), 2001 Audience Prize – FIFI (International Internet … Continue reading
Audio: ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ by Edith Piaf
. Édith Piaf, also known as “The Little Sparrow,” was born in Belleville, on the outskirts of Paris, on December 19, 1915, and rose to international stardom in the late … Continue reading
Video: Room Service
. Something strange is going on in this hotel. — Directed by Ghaith Al-Talli, Vincent Brossard, Yannick Dondi, Julie Evain, Marie Greff. Music by Daisy Herbaut. .
Video: “Groove in G” by Playing for Change
Playing for Change: “We started this track in West Africa with a musical group named Tinariwen. We asked them to play a groove in the key of G, then … Continue reading
Video: Andante — Playing Bach at the top of the world
. Ruth Boden straps her cello on her back and climbs 10,000 feet to a peak in Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains for a solo performance. Directed by Gavin Carter for Aeon. … Continue reading
Video: The Sea Organ
The Sea Organ (Croatian: Morske Orgulje), a piece of architecture designed by Nikola Bašić, is located in Zadar, Croatia. Unveiled in 2005, the organ–made of 35 polyethylene pipes beneath white marble steps–turns … Continue reading
Video: Crosby, Stills, Nash — Woodstock
We are stardust, we are golden,
We are billion year old carbon,
And we got to get ourselves back to the garden.
Video: Bessie Smith sings “Back Water Blues”
. Bessie Smith (1894 – 1937) was an American blues singer born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Nicknamed the Empress of the Blues, she was the most popular female blues singer of … Continue reading
Video: ‘Crows’ — a short film by Akira Kurosawa starring Martin Scorsese
. This ten-minute clip is taken from Dreams, a feature-length series of eight sketches by Akira Kurosawa released in 1990. Martin Scorsese, sporting a red beard and an unmistakable New York … Continue reading
Video: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings perform “Stranger To My Happiness”
. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings’ CD Give the People What They Want, where this song appears, represents a welcome revival of the soul music of 1960s Motown. — To … Continue reading
