Another Round of Updates

More links have been updated. There's some more upcoming, but there are things in real life that needs to be done. There should also be a new post or two next week.

Soloists of the Ensemble Nipponia - Japan: Traditional Vocal and Instrumental Music
various artists compilation - Concert Percussion for Orchestra
George Crumb - Makrokosmos Vol. 1 & 2
various artists compilation - Eastmontage
The Camarata Contemporary Chamber Orchestra - The Electronic Spirit of Erik Satie
Dr. Roger Payne - Deep Voices: The Second Whale Record
various artists compilation - Music for Clarinet and Tape

Dutch Band Organ

Dutch Band Organ - Dutch Band Organ

released on LP (sometime in the 1950s? or 1960s?)

I think I was going to post this before the long hiatus. I found this LP at some thrift store earlier this year if I remember right. Most of the selection there was mostly 1970s and 1980s corporate pop schlock. Anyway, this record is another sweet-sounding and charming album of a mechanical organ. This is the music of the future. ;)
From the liner notes:

Dutch Band Organ is different! All Band Organs are a "gas," quaintly tootling and twittering away, but this Dutch variety is even more so. You have heard Band Organs in carnivals, circuses and fairs. The picture on the front cover will remind you. The straightforward melodies, crazy arrangements and frequent "clams" are nostalgic, taking you back to the fun days of your youth. In Holland, a Band Organ is a thing of achievement. There are lots of them and the builders take much pride in outdoing each other. The particular instrument recorded here is the Pride of Amsterdam, the best of them all! The process of making the music is interesting. after selecting tunes for this album, the list was sent to a roll maker who cuts by hand the appropriate holes in paper rolls which actuate the notes of the instrument as the roll progresses over a tracker, something like an ordinary player piano. The roll cutter in this case, incidentally, is a prominent Amsterdam attorney who cuts rolls as a hobby (try that one!). After cutting, the rolls were played on the Band Organ in a live room for the best sound. By the way, stereo recording equipment included Neumann microphones and the best of other European recording gear, all of which is PLENTY good. The very original adaptations and arrangements of the tunes played is remindful of the difference between domestic and imported Dutch beer. [That sounds good about right now.] Anyway, make yourself comfortable for listening, put this album on your player and you will soon get the idea and want to listen over and over again!


Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Wonderful Copenhagen {2:07}

2. Cuddle Up a Little Closer {1:17}

3. Tennessee Waltz {1:34}

4. Did You Ever See a Dream Walking? {2:02}

5. Du Kannst Nicht Treu Sein {2:29}

6. Patricia {2:19}

Side 2

1. Que Sera Sera {1:40}

2. Pretty Baby {1:18}

3. Should I? {2:00}

4. I Get the Blues When It Rains {2:24}

5. Blue Tango {2:12}

6. Under the Double Eagle-March {3:07}

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Moondog: The Viking of 6th Avenue

Moondog - Moondog: The Viking of 6th Avenue

There was a compilation of Moondog tracks with the same title that was released about several years ago. This one featured in the post is the companion CD to a Moondog biography, Moondog: The Viking of 6th Avenue written by Robert Scotto. I thought that as a biography it is very good. It is well-researched. It offers insight into who Moondog was (yes, he was formally trained in music), the unfortunate situation of his blindness that he had to deal with, how he almost became famous early in his career, why his life went into a different direction (i.e. why he lived in poverty and had to go out on the street to obtain income), his habits and lifestyle, and how he eventually became respected and accepted. I would certainly recommend this book for anyone interested in Moondog and/or interesting artists. Did I mention it comes with a CD of Moondog's music?

I think a lot of the tracks may or may not be familiar to you all, but this one does have some previously unreleased material including performances with Steve Reich, Philip Glass (who wrote the preface in the book), and Jon Gibson. Of course, there is a lot more of Moondog out there if one knows where to look.

Tracklisting:

1. Caribea {1:32}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

2. To a Sea Horse {1:44}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

3. Trees Against the Sky {0:51}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

4. Oo Debut {1:09}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

5. Autumn {2:08}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

6. Moondog Monologue {8:24}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

7. Moondog's Theme {1:54}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

8. Trimbas in Quarters {1:48}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

9. I Came Into This World Alone {1:19}
Performers: Moondog, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Jon Gibson
Composer: Moondog

10. Be a Hobo {1:22}
Performers: Moondog, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Jon Gibson
Composer: Moondog

11. Why Spend the Dark Night With You {1:40}
Performers: Moondog, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Jon Gibson
Composer: Moondog

12. All is Loneliness {1:38}
Performers: Moondog, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Jon Gibson
Composer: Moondog

13. Organ Rounds {2:05}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

14. Canon in F Major, Book I {0:44}
Performer: Paul Jordan
Composer: Moondog

15. Canon in B Flat Major, Book III {1:37}
Performer: Paul Jordan
Composer: Moondog

16. Canon in B Flat Major, Book I {0:43}
Performer: Paul Jordan
Composer: Moondog

17. Canon in B Flat Major, Book II {0:29}
Performer: Paul Jordan
Composer: Moondog

18. Canon in G Sharp Minor, Book I {0:44}
Performer: Paul Jordan
Composer: Moondog

19. Canon in C Sharp Minor, Book II {1:33}
Performer: Paul Jordan
Composer: Moondog

20. 5/4 Snakebite Rattle {3:41}
Performer: Stefan Lakatos
Composer: Moondog

21. Trimbas and Woodblock in 5/2 {1:26}
Performer: Stefan Lakatos
Composer: Moondog

22. When I am Deep in Sleep {2:18}
Performer: Stefan Lakatos
Composer: Moondog

23. Rabbit Hop {2:26}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

24. Dog Trot {2:25}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

25. Bird's Lament {2:01}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

26. Viking 1 {2:56}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

27. Heimdall Fanfare {3:07}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

28. Intro and Overtone Continuum {2:22}
Performer/Composer: Moondog

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Update: This Blog is Not Dead After All

For those of you wondering if this thing is still on, yes it is. I took a hiatus much longer than I expected. I have been busy with work, school, and other real-life matters during these past several months since I last posted. So I offer my apologies for the lack of posts.

Hopefully, there should be some new material here soon. I cannot say exactly when that will be.

There will be a new contributor joining us soon here in the Closet. He has some goodies to offer. His name is Dr. Eyescope. You may have read his comments in some posts. He says he can start sometime in November.

It has been stuffy in here. The dust is accumulating. This place needs some fresh air. I am thinking about making a few minor design changes in this blog along with adding a few new features. I have been also thinking about giving this blog a new look. More on this soon.

Another thing I have considered is offering materials in FLAC format. Recently, I have been ripping my CD collection along with some CDs I borrowed in FLAC. I hope to work on ripping vinyl and tapes in FLAC sometime soon. Future posts may have FLAC files as well as some older posts. More on this soon.

I remember saying around a couple of years ago that I was going to replace old links especially the Sharebee links. I am behind on this project. It has been rather difficult to find time to replace old links plus requests for re-ups. But now I have new links for some posts:

Frank Perry - Zodiac
Morton Feldman - Untitled Composition for Cello and Piano
Karlheinz Stockhausen and Mauricio Kagel - split release on Time [S8001]
Harry Partch - And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in Petaluma
various artists compilation - Dance of the Hareem
John Melby/James Tenney - split release [CRI SD 258]
Donald Erb - Music for Instruments & Electronic Sounds
various artists compilation - Electronic Music/Musique Concrete

More links will be updated soon. That is all from me for now. Stay tuned and take care.