Here’s what’s coming up at LPR in Jazz and Folk.
OCCIDENTAL BROTHERS DANCE BAND INT’L FEAT SAMBA MAPANGALA
file under: jazz, world
Chicago’s Occidental Brothers Dance Band Int’l recently announced their collaboration with legendary Congolese singer Samba Mapangala. The first OBDBI/Mapangala collaboration was the greatly applauded tribute song “Obama Ubarikiwe” in celebration of the aspiring presidential candidate, and a favorite son of Chicagoans and Africans alike. Mapangala and the OBDBI began performing together in the fall of 2009, and have recently begun recording music for release in 2010. Check out a video of Occidental Brothers Dance Band Int’l performing live on KEXP below.
Click here to get tickets to their show tonight at LPR!
NEEL MURGAI ENSEMBLE and SAMEER GUPTA’S NAMASKAR
file under: indian, jazz, world
It’s not every day that a sitar player gets a phone call at home from Cyndi Lauper. It’s even less likely that such a call would result in the appearance of said sitar player on David Letterman’s Late Show, plucking his many, many strings alongside Lauper and bhangra bastion DJ Rekha over Wyclef Jean’s “Slumdog Millionaire.” Neel Murgai might now claim the distinction of being the man who brought Indian instrumentation to 21st-century late-night television. (“A s-s-sitar? Is that what it is?” Letterman stammered at a cross-legged Murgai, who sat on the floor. “Can I get you a chair?”)
Check Neel Murgai Ensemble’s “Space Twang,” which was recently featured as NPR’s Song Of The Day, below.Click here to get tickets to their show on July 23rd with Sameer Gupta’s Namaskar.
LAURA CANTRELL
file under: alt-country, blues, folk, singer-songwriter, indie
After growing up in Nashville, Laura Cantrell moved to New York City to study law and accounting in college, and later juggled a career in finance with her sidelines as a musician and DJ for WFMU. In 1999 she released Not the Tremblin’ Kind to rave reviews, most notably from legendary British DJ John Peel who called it “my favorite record from the last ten years, and possibly my life.” Check out a video of her performing “When the Roses Bloom Again” below.
Laura Cantrell will perform at LPR on July 27th as a part of NYC <3 Nashville Benefit Concert, the proceeds of which will go to raise funds for the flood relief efforts in Nashville, Tennessee. Other participants include host and Broadway veteran Nicolette Hart, Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris, Stuedabakerbrown, Caleb Hawley, Jennings and Milton. Click here to get tickets.
MARC COHN
file under: blues, country, folk, pop, singer-songwriter
Many people know Marc Cohn from his hit “Walking in Memphis” off of his 1991 self-titled debut, which was later covered by Cher. After a bout of writers block and a carjacking that left him hospitalized, he returned in 2007 with his critically acclaimed album Join the Parade. On his latest release Listening Booth: 1970 Cohn reinterprets songs from that era that inspired him to be a musician from artists such as Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, and Neil Young. He recently performed on NPR’s Mountain Stage. You can stream the performance over here.
Marc Cohn is playing two shows at LPR on July 28th. Click here to get tickets to the early show and here to get tickets to the late show.