JosieJo's Great Big Pair
of Tips
The JosieJo Show
Welcome to the JosieJo Show.
Each week I try and bring you two tracks from two different bands or
artists. I dig around on the internet, I go to gigs, I listen to
lots and lots of music from all around the world, across many genres
and I find tunes that really appeal to me. Then I put them into this
show and upload it for you to enjoy in your own time, wherever and
whenever you like. Share it around, introduce friends to it or just
sneak a listen to it on your own and make it your special treat.
Just give it a go. This is
the JosieJo Show.
First track is by a really
special lady. Leyla McCalla was born in New York to Haitian parents
and her solo music is really informed by this cultural influence.
After spending time in Accra, Ghana and returning to America to study
music she found herself playing her cello on the streets of New
Orleans. Leyla found the spirit and French influences of New Orleans
really inspiring and joined the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an
African-American string band. Her solo album “Vari-Coloured Songs”
is a tribute to American poet and author Langston Hughes and calls on
his work as well as her own original music and Creole influences from
Haiti. She also calls on her friends from The Carolina Chocolate
Drops as well as New Orleans' Don Vappie on tenor banjo and Luke
Winslow King on guitar. I was introduced to Leyla's work by a friend,
Charmion who is fascinated and passionate about world music. One of
Leyla's track featured on a compilation CD that came with Charmion's
subscription to Songwriter magazine and she immediately found Leyla's
tunes inspiring. She plays the album whenever she needs a lift. She
plays it to her children and in the car, whenever she needs a bit of
oomph.
The album is really quite
awesome and can be found on Leyla's website www.leylamccalla.com
This track “Girl” is available as a free download on her bandcamp
page. It maybe isn't the jolly track you might be expecting
considering the introduction so far, but it's a moving story told
with an exceptional voice, with an unexpected string section that
bends and weaves through the tale. Its slow start, bluegrass pace
and directional changes make the abrupt end shocking every time I
hear it. Crafted and thoughtful this is Leyla McCalla and “Girl”
Yep. It gets me every time.
Leyla is gigging crazy right now. What I've seen of her on YouTube
she is beautiful and dignified live. So what's next I hear you cry?
3 Daft Monkeys of course. This is essentially a band of wanderers.
Formed in 1999 by Tim Ashton and Athene Roberts. They have extremely
strong celtic roots and a theatrical style that goes through and
beyond the music and these guys have music in their very souls.
Athene the fiddle player started playing at just four years old when
she started using an tiny violin which was an ornament on a friend's
wall. The drummer, Richie used coloured pencils as drumsticks on
empty ice-cream containers when his percussion education began. Luke,
the bass player, has his own solo projects and is on the bill to play
Ferocious Dog's December festival Dogfest in Warsop England. I'll be
there and I can't wait. 3 Daft Monkeys are playing a gig in La
Verriere in France on the 21st March 2014 and lots of UK
Festivals, amongst others, Bearded Theory, Boomtown and on the 12th
April they are on the list of superb acts to play Dan's birthday
bash. That's Dan from Ferocious Dog. I really will have to play you
some of their tracks, but for now back to 3 Daft Monkeys.
Their sixth and new album
“Of Stones and Bones” is out right now and it is rooted in the
landscape and heritage of Cornwall, England. The tracks are based
round the stories and myths of this mystic and celtic land. This
track “Morwenna” is no exception. It is evocative and emotional
and has a swirling gypsy feel. It feels almost mesmeric which is
beautifully fitting since it is a tale of a watery siren drawing the
hero into an impossible relationship. It's heart breaking stuff, but
the track really takes off in a very life affirming way. It's folk,
rock, gypsy madness in the best possible way.
Get seduced by 3 Daft
Monkeys and “Morwenna”
If you want to hear this
track then go to www.josiejoshow.com
and click listen to the show and choose Show 19
You can hear 3 Daft Monkey's
“Sarah, The Devil and Jack” on their website
http://www.3daftmonkeys.co.uk/
or other 3 Daft Monkey
tracks here
Such a great track and a
superb ending. Follow me on twitter @josiejoshow for news, events,
gigs and releases, find me on Facebook for extra content and read a
text version of the show on Blogger and Tumblr under the handle
JosieJo Show.
Tell your friends about me
and up my likes on Facebook for some juicy good karma. I'll going to
play you one more track by Hatmendo, the solo project of the late,
great Andy Ropek. Andy used to run the amazing music evenings the
Icarus Club in and around London. His legacy is continued by his
good friend Phil Dearing. This is a great track and Dave played it
on show 60 of Round At Milligan's. To hear that whole two hour show
go to my website www.josiejoshow.com
and click on the link to listen to Round At Milligan's. They are all
there just waiting for you to listen to. Thanks to you for listening
to the JosieJo Show. Here's Hatmendo and “I Could Be Persuaded”
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