Black spiritual featured at BBC Celtic Connections
The famous spiritual is often associated with American country music and Merle Travis but it was a black spiritual long before that.
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I Am A Pilgrim by Aaron Neville
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Category Archives: Music
James Taylor Free Guitar Lesson # 3
Famed singer songwriter is offering his fans free guitar lessons – how cool is that?
James Taylor (picture James Taylor)
James Taylor is offering to teach the world how to play his unique finger picking guitar style. Free. On YouTube.
The project started in October and he just posted Lesson 3 called Second Wheel. Continue reading
Chimes of Freedom all Bob Dylan all the time
What’s not to like about a 4-CD 76-song tribute to Bob Dylan and Amnesty International for $20
Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan is a lot of Bob Dylan songs for only $20 sung by artists famous and not-so-famous. The project will raise money for Amnesty International.
Amnesty International are fighting for human rights and freedom around the world. They deserve our $20 and more for defending people from oppression.
It’s the 50th Anniversary of Amnesty International, Bob Dylan’s 50th anniversary of recording. The project seems like a winner. Continue reading
iStrobosoft guitar tuner app review
Peterson iPhone and iPad apps are accurate and low cost strobe instrument tuners
iStrobosoft iPhone app
Peterson has two apps for the iPhone and iPad that give the musician strobe tuning accuracy for about $10. The iPad app is being discounted to $9.99 until January 31st, 2012.
I wanted to see just how accurate the iPhone Peterson would be. I was not disappointed, although the under $20 Snark SN-1 clip on tuner was almost as accurate.
Last night I was practicing guitar while the news was on. It was handy to refresh my tuning without looking for a tuner. I’m not sure if musicians will risk damaging their iPhones in a studio or stage environment to use the iStrobosoft app. The practicality of the iStrobosoft tuner for those uses is up to each person to decide.
Peterson Strobe Tuners have been the pinnacle of stringed instrument tuners for decades and known for accuracy and high cost. Continue reading
VoiceLive Play and VoiceLive Play GTX announced
TC Helicon introduces downsized VoiceLive stomp boxes with harmony and effects for singers and guitar playing vocalists
VoiceLive Play - harmony and vocal effects at 1/3rd the price
TC Helicon has just announced at NAMM 2012 the latest version of the VoiceLive family – VoiceLive Play and VoiceLive Play GTX.
Both give vocalists harmony and vocal effects from the top-drawer VoiceLive family. The GTX model also has guitar effects and amp emulations so you don’t need a Marshall to get that sound. Continue reading
One day internet blackout works but it’s not over yet
Massive blackout of internet sites on Jan 18 influences lawmakers
The media stories have Hollywood corporate fat cats reeling from Wednesday’s shutdown or blackout of more than 12,000 websites like Wikipedia, Reddit and Wired. NJN Network did its small part by wearing black all day.
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Harlan Pepper on the move
Performance at Seniors Home showcases alt country appeal with Kitchen Rag and Wine
It takes guts to video your gig playing in the lobby of a seniors home. It’s a tough room but Harlan Pepper turns a few smiles and gets them dancing in the aisles.
Since graduating from high school almost three years ago, Harlan Pepper have honed their chops with a fresh mix of alt country, folk and rock.
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Bob Dylan performs Blind Willie McTell at Critics Choice
In honor of Martin Scorsese Dylan actually sounds like an old blues man
This video may not play in all regions. It will also not play on iPhone or iPad. VH1 is controlling who can see the video.
A recent Bob Dylan performance of Blind Willie McTell with Mark Knopfler follows the break.
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Building a stand for K+H O 300 monitors
Horizontal active monitors present a challenge solved with K+H bracket and The Stand from Blue Sky
Blue Sky's The Stand with K+H O 300 mounting bracket (Figure 1)
The heavy and horizontal Klein + Hummel O 300 monitors need a sturdy monitor stand. At 30 lbs each and costing $5,000 a pair, you don’t want them dropping to the floor from 3 feet up.
This article is the second in a two part about speaker stands and the K+H O 300. The first part provides details on Blue Sky’s The Stand.
When I got the monitors in 2009, Studio Economik suggested the Sound Anchors STUDADJR for monitor stands at $800 a pair.
I didn’t get a cheaper solution than Sound Anchors but I did get one that looks better and has more flexibility in speaker location. Continue reading
Bonnie Raitt and her father John Raitt on Letterman
An amazing, spine-tingling duet on Letterman
Researching Bonnie Raitt set to launch first new CD in 7 years, I came across a video that brings a tear to the eye.
Broadway great John Raitt sang a few duets with his daughter, blues musician Bonnie Raitt. They both have great pipes.
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Bonnie Raitt set to launch first new CD in 7 years
Slipstream will feature Raitt’s bluesy singing and hot slide guitar coming April 2012
Bonnie Raitt Slipstream (photo Redwing Records)
After taking a 7 year break for personal reasons, Bonnie Raitt is roaring out of the gate with a new record, new record label and a national tour during 2012.
Raitt has had a long career in rock and blues with highlights like the award winning Nick of Time and rock classics like “Something to Talk About”, and the ballad “I Can’t Make You Love Me”.
On the new CD, Raitt covers two Bob Dylan songs Million Miles and Standing in the Doorway. Continue reading