Listening, Party for Ninety-Six

Ah, jeez. Today is the first day of school. But lately I've been doing nothing but tour prep. And, looking forward, I see nothing but tour prep on the horizon.

Looks like I'll be winging it in class -- again! Hooray.

Here's my stopgap: until I can get into a true lesson-plan mindset, I'm gonna host a listening party for all 96 kids in my school. You know: play them some cool shit, let them respond, and then try to start a conversation about it.

(Kind of inspired by this.)

Anyway, to that end, here's the mix CD I just made:

1. “New Me” – Acoustic Ladyland (from Skinny Grin)

2. “Indoda Yejazi Elimnyama” -- Amaswazi Emvelo (from The Indestructible Beat of Soweto)

3. “Sardegna Amore (New Is Full Of Lonely People)” – Lester Bowie (w/ Arthur Blythe, Malachi Favors, Amina Claudine Myers, Phillip Watson) (from The 5th Power)

4. “Fem (Etude no. 8)” – The Bad Plus (from For All I Care)

5. “Radomirsko Horo” – Balkan Brass Band (from Balkan Brass Band)

6. “Casey Jones” – Billy Murray

7. “Ahulili” – Bonsai Garden Orchestra (from Take One)

8. “You Got it Made” – Buddy Johnson and his Orchestra (from Rock n Roll)

9. “Parchman Farm Blues” – Bukka White (from High Fever Blues)

10. “Okwukwe Na Nchekwube” - Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National (from Nigeria Special)

11. “There’s a Higher Power” – Charlie Louvin (from Steps to Heaven)

12. “Red Cross” – Charlie Parker

13. “Mardi Gras Waltz” – Clark Terry (from Top and Bottom Brass)

14. “Fresh Born” – Deerhoof (from Offend Maggie)

15. “Stillness is the Move” – Dirty Projectors (from Bitte Orca)

16. “Like Life” – Django Bates (from Like Life)

17. “Ntsikana's Bell” – Dollar Brand (from Good News from Africa)

18. “Hard Times Come Again No More” – Edison Male Quartet

19. “The Cell” – Erykah Badu (from New Amerykah)

20. “Cape Fear” –Fantomas–Melvins Big Band (from Millenium Monsterwork)

21. “Cattle Call” – LeAnn Rimes / Eddy Arnold (from Blue)

Hope you think no less of me because of this approach.

[Photo credit: OliBac]

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By the way, did you know that the Industrial Jazz Group is currently going berserk with our fall fundraiser, in support of our October tour? You can find out more, and contribute to the cause (for as little as $1!), here. Thank you!