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The Roots feat. Bilal: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Hotney 3 Streams • 4 years ago

Watch The Roots feat. Bilal play at the Tiny Desk.

Did you know you can watch new Tiny Desk Concerts on npr.org ONE WEEK before they go up on YouTube? Click here: https://www.npr.org/tinydesk

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Oct. 30, 2017 | Abby O'Neill -- Can you believe it? Yes, those are The Roots packed behind the Tiny Desk. Black Thought, Questlove and the crew carved out a few hours in their hectic Tonight Show schedule to visit NPR headquarters in Washington D.C. Why travel four hours for a 12-minute concert when you own the late-night airwaves? The answer can be found in the lyrics to The Roots' new song, "It Ain't Fair."

Armed with the incredible vocalist Bilal, The Roots performed the signature track from Detroit, a film about the race riots in 1967. "It Ain't Fair" glares unflinchingly, takes a knee and raises a fist against the societal construct that has systematically denied equality of experience to those "presumed inferior," to quote one of Bilal's verses. And it achieves all this while covering its heart with its right hand. This reflective hymn tenderly yanks your heart strings and offers a window into the ethos of those who would like to stand for the flag but cannot in good principle, lest these same evils continue to exist.

Those lucky enough to be in the Tiny Desk audience witnessed masters at work. Black Thought is truly one of the most intelligent emcees ever, and his razor-sharp lyricism was on full display. Questlove, a musical and cultural historian nonpareil, was both a metronomical and moral anchor. It felt like the culmination of decades of academic rigor and boom-bap sessions, fittingly backed by a seven-piece horn section. Bilal's falsetto-laced vocals and warm resonance evoked powerful messaging reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield's "Don't Worry," delivered with the eccentricity of Prince.

Late last year, Common premiered "Letter to the Free" at the Tiny Desk and later won an Emmy for the song. It wouldn't surprise me if "It Ain't Fair" becomes another award-winning performance when the Oscars roll around early next year. This is a song that deserves to be heard in the millions of households that watch The Roots every night.

Set List

"It Ain't Fair"

MUSICIANS

Curtis L. Jones Jr (Trombone), Arnetta Johnson (Trumpet), Hiruy E. Tirfe (Sax), Richard L. Tate II (Sax), Joseph Streater (Trumpet), Norman J. Bradshaw (Trombone), Damon Bryson (Sousaphone), Ahmir (Questlove) Thompson (Drums), Tarik (Black Thought) Trotter (Emcee), Bilal Oliver (Vocals)

CREDITS

Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Alyse Young; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR

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Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Hotney 3 Streams • 4 years ago

Watch Damian 'Jr. Gong' Marley play "Slave Mill", "So a Child May Follow" and "Speak Life" at the Tiny Desk.

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Sept. 9, 2019 | Felix Contreras -- There was a distinct feeling of history in the air when Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley took his place in our office with his band, and it wasn't just the legend behind his surname. For fifteen minutes, we were treated to the same socially relevant reggae that his father, legendary Jamaican reggae icon Bob Marley, made popular when he put the genre on the international music map.

With eyes shut, Marley dug deep into the healing power of music with songs from his 2017 album Stony Hill. "So A Child May Follow" addresses the troubles youth confront around the globe and how to persevere to succeed. "Speak Life" sums up the message of his music and his turn behind the Tiny Desk: live a life that will enable us to survive life's slings and arrows with dignity and love. But what makes his music stand out on this session is the prominence of the acoustic guitar and piano in the arrangements, which makes the familiar sound somewhat new.

And let's address the elephant in the room: Damian's father cast a giant, magnificent shadow on the world and it can't be easy to follow in those footsteps as a songwriter and musician. "Jr. Gong" (after his father's nickname of "Tuff Gong") seems to be undaunted by that legacy and instead draws on it for inspiration and guidance. Not to mention there is more than a hint of his father's unmistakable singing voice that so often preached the same messages of self-identity and self-determination that his youngest son is now doing so successfully.

SET LIST
"Slave Mill"
"So a Child May Follow"
"Speak Life"

MUSICIANS
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley: vocals; Roselyn Williams: vocals; Sherieta Lewis: vocals; Sean "Pow" Diedrick: keys; Courtney "Bam" Diedrick: drums; Shiah Coore: bass; Elton "Elly B" Brown: guitar

CREDITS
Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineers: Josh Rogosin, Andy Huether; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Bronson Arcuri, Jeremiah Rhodes, CJ Riculan; Associate Producer: Bobby Carter; Production Assistant: Paul Georgoulis; Executive Producer: Lauren Onkey; VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann; Photo: Shuran Huang/NPR

Led Zeppelin - Best Concert Ever Hotney 2 Streams • 4 years ago

This video is the result of 300+ hours of work over the course of the past 7 months. I have had the idea of making one big Zep concert with all the best versions of most of their songs for a long time, but I finally got to making it this year. I’ve had to battle through copyright hell to get this published, which is why the original videos for a couple of the songs couldn’t be included. But in the end, I was able to use all the audio that I planned on using originally. The video itself has small glitches or blinks from time to time, but that was bound to happen when trying to export over 5 hours of video footage.

I hope you Zep fans out there enjoy this project, as this was made strictly for you guys. I must give a special thanks to Led Zeppelin Boots for all the bootleg audio and to ledzepfilm for the 8mm footage used throughout the video.

0:00 - Intro
1:16 - The Song Remains the Same (June 21, 1977)
6:31 - The Rover/Sick Again (June 23, 1977)
13:30 - Nobody's Fault But Mine (June 21, 1977)
21:26 - Over the Hills and Far Away (June 21, 1977)
28:58 - In My Time of Dying (May 25, 1975 w/ bits of June 25, 1977)
41:40 - Since I've Been Loving You (August 31, 1970)
50:07 - No Quarter (June 21, 1977)
1:19:26 - The Rain Song (October 2, 1972)
1:27:43 - Ten Years Gone (June 23, 1977)
1:38:37 - The Battle of Evermore (June 21, 1977)
1:45:24 - Going to California (September 14, 1971)
1:52:15 - Tangerine (June 25, 1972 and May 24, 1975)
1:56:01 - Gallows Pole (May 3, 1971)
2:02:04 - Black Country Woman/Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp (June 21, 1977/June 25, 1972)
2:08:50 - That's the Way (September 14, 1971)
2:15:35 - White Summer/Black Mountain Side (April 8, 1970)
2:27:33 - Kashmir (August 4, 1979)
2:37:36 - In the Evening (August 4, 1979)
2:46:53 - Trampled Under Foot (June 23, 1977)
2:54:57 - Four Sticks (May 3, 1971)
3:01:34 - It'll Be Me (June 26, 1977)
3:04:48 - How Many More Times (January 9, 1970)
3:26:08 - Dazed and Confused (January 9, 1970 and May 24, 1975)
3:43:20 - Achilles Last Stand (June 21, 1977)
3:53:43 - Stairway to Heaven (September 23, 1971)
4:03:05 - Immigrant Song (September 6, 1970)
4:06:08 - Black Dog (September 23, 1971 w/ versus from March 5, 1971)
4:11:40 - Heartbreaker (September 29, 1971)
4:20:31 - C'mon Everybody/Somethin' Else (January 9, 1970)
4:28:29 - Whole Lotta Love (September 14, 1971 and May 25, 1975)
4:35:35 - Rock and Roll (August 4, 1979)
4:39:11 - Celebration Day (September 4, 1971)
4:45:30 - Communication Breakdown (September 4, 1970)
4:55:50 - Thank You (September 1, 1971)
5:03:36 - Outro

Led Zeppelin Boots - https://www.youtube.com/channe....l/UCr71fBT_pB8pRBEHT
ledzepfilm - https://www.youtube.com/c/LedZepfilm

Bob Dylan - Hurricane (Live on PBS, 1975) [RARE ORIGINAL AUDIO] Hotney 4 Streams • 4 years ago

After many requests, here is the other part of Dylan's appearance at WTTW-TV Studios in Chicago on September 10, 1975. This particular video is very special because most other versions you will hear have overdubbed lines on verses 2, 4, 7, and 10. Here is the explanation: This performance was recorded about a month after the first version of "Hurricane" was recorded (find this early version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4JU-ZdVfgc). This was about to be released as a single when Columbia's lawyers blocked it from release, citing worries about lines regarding Arthur Dexter Bradley and Alfred Bello, the two main witnesses, being false and grounds for defamation lawsuits. Read more about this on the "Controversy and Re-recording" section on this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/....Hurricane_(Bob_Dylan Dylan re-recorded the song again in October. This all happened after this performance, though, so Dylan was still singing his original lyrics. The first broadcast of this concert had the original lyrics, which is what you hear here, but in the second broadcast the following year, controversial lines were overdubbed with the "safe" album version. You can hear the overdubbing relatively clearly at 1:34, 2:52, 5:06, and 7:16 on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H763LZU0Zj4.

He played two songs after this one: "Oh, Sister" (watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smb86Il2sgA) and "Simple Twist of Fate" (watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/watch..../?v=1613108042330095 It's a shame that Dylan's channel doesn't upload good quality versions of this entire concert.

In my opinion, this is the definitive live version of Hurricane; It's so good that I've found myself watching this performance over and over again, and I have "music ADHD" (the habit of skipping songs I've heard after the first verse). I edited this video together using three sources: 1. An original, complete VHS tape is used in the beginning as the host and John Hammond introduce Dylan, 2. A higher-quality transfer I obtained from a bootleg DVD is used for the footage of Dylan's actual performance, and 3. A soundboard audiotape is overdubbed to footage.

This was recorded for the PBS special, "The World of John Hammond", which celebrated the influence and success of legendary talent scout and producer John Hammond; he can be seen at 2:18 grooving along to Dylan's performance. Taping took place at WTTW-TV Studios in Chicago on September 10, 1975, and also included "Hurricane" and "Simple Twist of Fate". This recording was subsequently broadcast that December, and then once more the following year.

Legends such as Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson were also featured on this show. Whereas they accepted PBS's invitation months in advance, Dylan confirmed just two days prior, as is typical! He recruited some of the musicians who played on his recently completed album, "Desire": Scarlet Rivera (violin), Howie Wyeth (drums), and Rob Stoner (Bass & Backup vocals). This band eventually became the core of Dylan's set on the Rolling Thunder Revue tour, which would start touring the next month. So, one could argue that this is the earliest live performance of the Rolling Thunder Revue. The raw, whispy sound that this four-piece band makes is really incredible, so I wish we had more recordings like this.

Interestingly, when Dylan recruited these musicians, he only told them that they were doing a gig in Chicago, mentioning nothing about being broadcasted on a major television station with Columbia executives in the audience, and not to mention John Hammond himself. Here is a fascinating anecdote from Rivera:
"Bob asked me and the trio of Rob and Howie to join him in Chicago for the tribute to John Hammond Sr, who changed the course of music by his vision and courage to sign many greats, including Bob Dylan, to CBS. This was another First. I had never performed on live TV and now it was going to be in front of every senior executive of CBS and a viewing audience of millions! I am amazed still that Bob had confidence in me to pull this extremely important concert off without failing on live TV, especially as this show was before a single live concert to support Desire. I would also perform "A Simple Twist of Fate" with him, and I had only rehearsed it that afternoon once backstage. Appreciating the song and playing it live with the man himself are two very different things! I was incredibly tense and taut, but I indeed pulled it off, and it is my all-time favorite video of playing live with him."

Love & Peace,
~SP

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