American Song

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This is part one of a two-part focus on Reggae music.

The heart of Reggae music has always been politics and spirituality. 

In this two part episode, you'll learn about some of the musical and political forces in Jamaica's colorful past that all contributed to the music that we celebrate as reggae today.   From Marcus Garvey, the modern-day prophet who  had a vision for the black people living in the new world, and Ethiopia's Emperor Hailie Salassie, whose formal title included "Lord of Lord, King of Kings, and Conquering Lion of Judah", and claimed to be a direct descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Shebah, to great early reggae musicians like Derrick Morgan, and Desmond Dekker, to the firey Peter Tosh, and the brilliant reggae, who brought reggae to the rest of the world, Bob Marley - they're all here and you'll learn their stories, hear their music, and understand the major forces that fused to create a brand new genre.

In this latest episode of American Song, you'll see how a tiny Spanish colony developed to become Jamaica as we know it today, and how Reggae was instrumental in helping Jamaican culture 'conquer the world'!

In This Episode

Paul Simon - Mother and Child Reunion
The Flying Lizards - Money (That's What I Want)
Bob Marley  - Redemption Song
Bob Marley and the Walers - 400 Years
Burning Spear - Slavery Days
Sly Mongoose - Count Lasher
The Folkes Brothers - Oh Carolina
Toots and the Maytals - 54-46 Was My Number
Marcus Garvey (Political Speech)
Derek Morgan -  Forward March
Ernest Ranglin - Below the Bassline
Derrick Morgan - Tougher than Though (Rudie's in Court)
Desmond Dekker - 007 Shantytown
Desmond Dekker - Israelites
Stephen Marley (with Ziggy Marley) - Selassie is the Chapel
Peter Tosh - Let Jah be Praised
Culture - Behold
Sonjah Stanley - (Academic discussion)
Third World - 96 Degrees in the Shade
Peter Tosh - African
The Skatalites - The Guns of Navarrone
Mutabaruka - (Jamaican Poet; Dis Poem)
Bob Marley and the Wailers - No Woman, No Cry
Peter Tosh - Steppin' Razor
Burning Spear - Lion

Continue the experience online:
Visit the American Song Podcast facebook page. 

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In today's episode, we’re going further up the musical family tree – into the funk.  Funk grew in the shade of jazz, soul, R&B, gospel and rock.  In time it’s going to give rise to other branches – for instance, disco, and hip-hop.  It will influence branches that have been growing for a while already, like rock, jazz, even classical music believe it or not.   Funk is growing in some difficult environments, like urban ghettoes.  It’s impacted by some heavy weather, like the Civil Rights movement, and the war in Vietnam.  There’s been a ton of cross-fertilization along the way.   Funk’s going to become another important branch in our tree.   

Funk has a direct lineage out the blues and plantation communities, jazz, Pentecostal gospel music, soul and R& B.   In a lot of ways, funk is a proud, positive re-telling of the African American social story.  Heavy with improvisation, and syncopation – just like its musical grandparents are.  Like the blues, jazz, R&B and soul, funks driving rhythms were the hardpan roadways that carried its soulful vocals.  Likewise, funk sprang out of rock and roll which also grew out of the blues and soul.  Funk and rock are first cousins in music’s family tree.  And like soul, funk is steeped in emotion and feeling.

In This Episode:
James Brown
The Meters
Sly and the Family Stone
Stevie Wonder
George Clinton/ Parliament-Funkadelic

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In this second episode of our third season, we pick up the trail and continue our exploration of jazz rock - a journey we started in episode one.  In this episode, we'll take a close look at the amazing work done by three great bands in that genre; Steely Dan, Traffic, and Supertramp. 

Great songs, and interesting artist interviews abound!  Here's what you can look forward to:

INTERVIEWS WITH

Donald Fagen
Dave Matthews
Jim Capaldi
Dave Mason
Steve Winwood
Roger Hodgson
John Helliwell

FEATURED SONGS

Steely Dan
     My Old School
     Deacon Blues
     Bodhisatva
     Reelin' in the Years
     Aja
     Cousn Dupree

Traffic
     Mr. Fantasy
     John Barleycorn (Must Die)
     Medicated Goo
     The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys

Supertramp
     All Along the Watchtower
     Surely
     Your Poppa Don't Mind
     Dreamer
     School
     Hide in Your Shell
     Easy Does It
     The Meaning
     Fool's Overture
     Breakfast in America
     Goodbye Stranger
     Don't Leave Me Now

CURIOUSITIES
     Tom Lehrer - World War Three Blues
     Jay and the Americans - Capture the Moment
     The Joint - Freak
     Argosy - Mr. Boyd
     Argosy - Imagine
     

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The first generation of jazz rock musicians had been heavily influenced by some of the pioneering jazz musicians who forged jazz fusion, beginning with Miles Davis.  Miles was the first of the great jazz artists to venture into the new, amplified and electronic sounds of 1960’s rock music, and in doing it he recruited a number of very young, incredibly talented, and mostly unknown musicians who became giants in their own right,

As a number of jazz musicians embraced elements of rock music, rock’s audience re-discovered jazz.  Music is a living, breathing part of our culture, it is changeable in the hands of both listeners and players.  We take it up and use it as it gives us pleasure.  Just as jazz musicians were blending rock music into their art, rock musicians were equally influenced by jazz players, and they also added jazz elements into their own music. 

This is the first of a two-part deep dive into the world of jazz rock.  In this episode, you'll see how some of rock's greatest musicians have been influenced by jazz.  We'll also spend some time on a deeper dive into a few of the great jazz rock bands of the past, including Blood Sweat and Tears, and Chicago.  In part two, we'll come back and explore the music of Steely Dan, Traffic and Supertramp.  I think you'll enjoy it!

Music In this episode:

Weather Report: Boogie Woogie Waltz
The Grateful Dead: Help On the Way
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme
Duke Ellington: Take the A Train
The Modern Jazz Quartet: Bluesology
David Bowie: Life On Mars
Keith Richards: Blues Jam
Nat King Cole Trio: Straighten Up and Fly Right
Ornette Coleman:
Jimi Hendrix: South Saturn Delta
John McLaughlin: Devotion
Charlie Watts: All or Nothing at All
Tim Ries: Miss You
Ginger Baker's Air Force: Da Da Man
Miles Davis: Guinnevere
David Crosby: Amelia
Bob Dylan: Like a Rolling Stone
Blood Sweat and Tears: I Love You More than You'll Ever Know
Blood Sweat and Tears: God Bless the Child
The Buckinghams: Kind of a Drag
Chicago: Questions 67 and 68
Chicago: Make Me Smile
Chicago: If You Leave Me Now
Chicago: It Better End Soon
Chicago: Alive Again

Interviews in This Episode
Al Kooper
David Crosby
James Pankow
Danny Serafine

This episode is dedicated to the memories of:
Charlie Watts
Wayne Shorter
David Crosby
Thank you for all the beautiful music!

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In today's podcast episode, we pick up our exploration of jazz fusion by looking at the amazing careers and music produced by a number of genius musicians who came out of Miles Davis' bands.  We'll visit with Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin and his band, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Joe Zawinul, Jaco Pastorious and the band Weather Report, Chick Corea and his bands Return to Forever and the Elektrik Band. 

The forces that Miles pioneered and set in motion continued to evolve in multiple directions. You'll discover in today's episode, and you'll be able to hear from the musicians themselves about what it was like to play in these bands and create this adventurous, beautiful new music!

IN TODAY'S EPISODE:

Interview;  Herbie Hancock from a lecture given at Harvard University
Herbie Hancock
       Chameleon
       Watermelon Man
Interview:  John McLaughlin talks about what it was like to play with Miles Davis.
Graham Bond Organisation:  Train Time
The Mahavishnu Orchestra
       Inner Mounting Flame
       One Word
       Eternity's Breath Pt. 1
Weather Report
       Birdland
       Nubian Sundance
       Tears
       Herandnu
Interview:  Jaco Pastorious talks about his collaboration with Joe Zawinul
Jaco Pastorious/ Weather Report
       Teen Town
Interview:  Pat Matheny
Interview:  Chick Corea talks about joining Miles Davis' band.
Return to Forever
       Return to Forever
Interview:  Chick Corea talks about forming his band,  Return to Forever
       Spain
The Elektrik Band:  Rumble
Steely Dan:  Aja

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As jazz musicians started realizing that rock and electric bands were stealing their audiences, Miles Davis, who’s alternately been called most important musician in the history of jazz, the man who transformed jazz, and even the man who changed music itself, took the music in a new direction when he invented jazz fusion.  In fact, during his lifetime, Miles didn’t change music just once, he did it five times. 

Fusion started happening in the late 1960s and early 1970s.   Like trad jazz, it uses acoustic instruments like trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano, guitar, bass, and drums, but to all that, fusion also adds heavy use of synthesizers, electric piano, drum machines, and effects-saturated electric guitars.

IN THIS EPISODE:

Santana:  Welcome
Interview:  Teo Macero; Miles Davis' legendary record producer.
The Free Spirits (featuring Larry Coryell) - Girl of the Mountain
Gary Burton 
             Norwegian Wood 
             I Want You
Steve Marcus
            Tomorrow Never Knows
Interview:  Larry Coryell talks about his early days in '60s New York City
Miles Davis
             So What
             Stuff
             Tout de Suite
             Mademoiselle Mabry
             In a Silent Way
Interview:  John McLaughlin talks about playing with Miles Davis
Interview:  Teo Macero
Jimi Hendrix
             Little Miss Lover
Miles Davis
             John McLaughlin
             Miles Runs the Voodoo Down
             Time After Time
Interview:  Miles Davis talks about Prince

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First of all, Happy Independence Day everybody!  I'm so pleased to publish another episode of American Song on America's birthday!

Back in America, ever since the plane crash in the winter of 1959 that ended the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, the Big Bopper, American rock and roll had been sort of losing steam.  By 1964, it very easily could have just petered out.   Certainly, the likes of Frankie Avalon, and post-army Elvis were not going anywhere exciting.  It was a new day, what was needed was music for a new generation.  The British Invasion shot a whole new attitude, excitement and energy right into the veins of American culture. 

Just like American culture changed England, the Brits changed American music.   You can see that play out in the competition between the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and the Beatles.  The English band's changed American culture, too.  Sex was prolific.   Drugs were everywhere.   On the Merv Griffin show,  Timothy Leary told his audience he'd used LSD 311 times and predicted a coming age when kids would be educated through the use of psychedelic drugs, unlocking their internal Smithsonian Institutes or Libraries of Congress. 

The British Invasion also caused a chain reaction all across America when local musicians formed new bands, for instance Roger McGuinn and David Crosby who formed the Byrds.  It was a powerful response to the excitement, new sounds, perspectives, and inspiration that bands like the Beatles, the Stones, and the Who injected back into our rock scene.

All this, and lots more, in this month's episode of American Song!

IN THIS MONTH'S EPISODE:

The Who - My Generation
Bob Dylan - 4th Time Around
The Beatles - Norwegian Wood
The Beatles - You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
Bob Dylan - Got to Serve Someone
John Lennon - Serve Yourself
The Rolling Stones - Crackin' Up
The Beatles - Rain
The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice
The Beatles - Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
Brian Wilson - Our Prayer/ Gee
John Lennon - Promo for Tower Records
Elton John - Texan Love Song
Led Zepellin - Whole Lotta Love
John Lennon - Cold Turkey
Paul McCartney - Interview 1967
The Beatles - Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
The Rolling Stones - 2000 Light Years from Home
Dr. Timothy Leary - Interview 1967
Blind Faith - In the Presence of the Lord
John Lennon - God
John Lennon - Interview 1966
The Byrds - Eight Miles High
The Standells - Dirty Water
The Monkees - The Last Train to Clarksville
Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze
Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Indian Reservation
The Turtles - Happy Together
The Lovin' Spoonful - Do You Believe in Magic
Simon & Garfunkel - Mrs. Robinson
The Young Rascals - Good Lovin'
The Mama's and the Papa's - California Dreaming
Tommy James and the Shondells - Hanky Panky
The Beatles - Revolution 9
The Doors - The End
Vedder/ Tierney/ Krieger/ Manzarek - Doors Induction to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Velvet Underground - Heroin
The Strokes - Walk on the Wild Side
Sonic Youth - European Son
U2 - Satellite of Love
REM - Femme Fatale
David Byrne - Candy Says
Bowie/ Reed - Waiting for the Man
Queen - God Save the Queen

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With the big English interest in blues music, suddenly, America’s original bluesmen started hearing about the chance to reignite their careers with English, French and German audiences.  Unbelievably, they found themselves welcomed, even celebrated. American Bluesmen like Big Bill Broonzy, after living years in poverty, discovered they could actually have careers in Europe.   The Cunard Yanks, and the American Folk Blues Festival were the catalysts behind cultural and musical changes that revolutionized Britain in the years after World War 2.

The impact on young English musicians was epic.  The bands and musical brilliance of the period has been an inspiration for several generations that followed.   You know the names: The Beatles,  the Rolling Stones, the Who, The Kinks and many more.  Now, hear the music, and learn the history!

In this episode, you'll hear the stories, the music, and the artists who lived and created this formidable library of music that millions around the world are still listening to!

Inspired by American music, sculpted, painted, and built by the English, the music is in many ways, still with us today.  Enjoy this second installment in the story of the British Invasion!

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England was caught between two cultures: the old order and whatever came after it.  The rigid class distinctions between upper and middle classes were disappearing, and government reforms had a lot to do with it.  The Conservative Party with their slogan, “Set the People Free,” won the 1951 election, and popular culture began to replace stuffy, upper crust stuff like classical music, opera, theatre, and fine art with mass-market media like radio, movies, and television.

The BBC believed they had a responsibility to the nation to uphold the pre-war idea of ‘respectability’, or, at least, not broadcast music that could threaten the morality of England’s youth.  It was a lot like the U.S. stations refused to broadcast black music in the U.S. in the ‘20s and ‘30s.  More than that, they believed they claimed a responsibility to inform and educate the public in what it perceived as ‘good music’.  

English kids were being seduced by the rhythm and forward thrust of American entertainment with movies like Blackboard Jungle (where Rock Around the Clock was heard for the first time), Elvis, and Bill Haley & the Comets.  Both these bands were MAJOR influences on those four guys from Liverpool, England.  The other musical influencers from America were the living legends of American Blues.

The timing was perfect for a musical revolution that would impact two continents!

Welcome to Episode Eight, Season Two in the American Song series:  American Song Ushers in a Changing of the British Guard.


Thanks to Mark Davis, for the new bumper music included in this episode.
You can learn more about Mark and his music at www.towakeyou.com!

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Before the arrival of Colombus and the Spanish, Puerto Rico was peopled by the Taino tribe.  They’d called it home – and paradise – for over 1,000 years, having come either from the Amazon river basin, or maybe from the Colombian Andes before they arrived on the island.  In our March episode, we talked about the Jones Act – a law made during the Wilson presidency.  The chief goal of that act was to help the U.S. shipping industry recover after World War I.  It also annexed Puerto Rico, and gave citizenship to everyone living there.  

U.S. citizenship started major migration to the U.S. mainland.  At first, Puerto Ricans settled into East Coast cities like New York and later Miami where mostly they were stuck in the bottom end of the labor market, working as domestic workers, in manufacturing jobs (back in the old days when we still had those in America, and maintenance industries.  

Puerto Rican Americans, on both sides of the US coast, have contributed beautiful music to the American Song jukebox.  These songs echo the rich cultures that became Puerto Rico, their love for their island home, their struggles in the United States and their determination to succeed, despite the hardships.  

Today's episode builds on what I began in March, adding more current sounds to the mix.  I think you'll find it equal parts fascinating, and entertaining!

In This Episode:

Bomba street musicians in Old San Juan Puerto Rico
Fiel a La Vega
Field Recording of La Tierruca (old Puerto Rican woman)
Haciendo Punto en Otro Son
Hector Carrasquillo Sr.
Original Cast from West Side Story
Pablo Milanés 
Piri Thomas
Ricky Martin
Roy Brown
Steven Colbert
Taina Asli