Artists including Chuck Berry, Elvis Costello, Keith Richards and Shawn Colvin performed at the PEN New England’s first Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Awards, held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on February 26, 2012 when Chuck Berry and Leonard Cohen were honored.
Below is a video of the entire presentation, including Keith Richards and Elvis Costello performing Chuck Berry’s “Promised Land” and Chuck Berry messing up “Johnny Be Good.” The video quality and sound is professional.
I’ve also included two fan clips that provide a different view. Sound is quite is quite good.
Chuck Berry’s “Promised Land”:
Short clip from a different angle:
-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-
Yesterday a private invitation-only memorial was held for Lou Reed at New York’s Apollo Theater.
Attending and speaking or performing were Lou Reed’s wife, Laurie Anderson, Velvet Underground founding member Moe Tucker, Patti Smith, Hal Wilner, Antony, John Zorn and others.
Paul Simon sang “Pale Blue Eyes,” Patti Smith and guitarist Lenny Kaye performed “Perfect Day,” Debbie Harry sang “White Light, White Heat” and Antony Hegarty from Antony and the Johnsons sang “Candy Says.”
Check out the clips below:
Lou Reed memorial 1 Patti Smith A PERFECT DAY with Lenny Kaye
lou reed memorial 2 Paul Simon Pale Blue Eyes
lou reed memorial 3 John Zorn tribute to Metal Machine
lou reed memorial 4 his tai chi teacher
lou reed memorial 5 Hal Wilner and surprise memories
Lou Reed memorial 6 Antony sings CANDY SAYS
lou reed memorial 7 spoken word memories
lou 8 Mo Tucker reads a letter from John Cale
lou reed memorial 9 The Persuasions
lou reed memorial 10 his doctor talks of his patient and his friend
— continued —
Use this link or the one below below to get to the rest of this post.
-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-
In todays New York Times Paul Simon has written an article, “Remembering Days of Miracle and Wonder” about Nelson Mandela, some of Simon’s experiences regarding his Graceland album and the African musicians he worked with and the behind the scenes tensions that arose from the musicians differing politics.
Simon writes:
This week, as we mourn Mr. Mandela and celebrate his life, I am thinking once again of my life-altering experiences with “Graceland.” There was the almost mystical affection and strange familiarity I felt when I first heard South African music. Later, there was the visceral thrill of collaborating with South African musicians onstage. Add to this potent mix the new friendships I made with my band mates, and the experience becomes one of the most vital in my life.
Most, but not all, of the “Graceland” troupe were fervent supporters of the African National Congress, and many had known Mr. Mandela personally or had meaningful memories of him. Hugh, exiled from his homeland since the early 1960s, recalled growing up with the Mandela family as close friends. Hugh’s former wife, Miriam Makeba, also a South African exile, was a longtime friend of Mr. Mandela and his second wife, Winnie.
Bakithi Kumalo, our bassist and the man responsible for that magical and impossible-to-play bass lick on “You Can Call Me Al,” SaveFrom.net recalled growing up in a house in Soweto not far from where the Mandelas lived. He remembered standing outside their home, singing freedom songs and, using Mr. Mandela’s clan name, chanting, “Madiba come home!”
Ray Phiri, our extraordinary guitarist, was a friend and follower of the anti-apartheid leader Steven Biko. Barney Rachabane, who played sax and pennywhistle, had to move his family from their home in Soweto to a nearby hotel every night, while his brother and cousins defended their goods from looters and anti-A.N.C. blacks. On long bus rides after gigs, passionate political debate alternated with music talk.
But then there was Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Its founder and leader, Joseph Shabalala, was from the Township of Ladysmith in KwaZulu, governed by the Inkhatha Freedom Party, led by the Zulu chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Mr. Shabalala was a proud Zulu and essentially apolitical, but there was a long history of tribal animosity, dating back centuries, between the Zulus and the Xhosa peoples. Most of the African National Congress leadership, including Oliver Tambo and Thabo Mbeki, were Xhosa, as were both Mr. Mandela and Miriam, who wouldn’t speak to the members of Black Mambazo.
To read the rest of Simon’s article, head to theNew York Times.
Hugh Masekela – “Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela)”
(Thanks for hipping me to this clip, John Hatzis)
“Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes”:
“You Can Call Me Al”:
-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-
