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Common At The White House: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Common At The White House: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Hotney 4 Streams • 4 years ago

October 4, 2016 by BOB BOILEN • We've never done a Tiny Desk Concert that wasn't behind my desk at NPR. But when the White House called and said they were putting on an event called South by South Lawn, a day-long festival filled with innovators and creators from the worlds of technology and art, including music, we jumped at the chance to get involved. We chose Common as the performer and the White House library as the space.

This Tiny Desk Concert was a convergence of art and soul, mixing politics with heart. Common's choice of songs dealt with incarceration as the new slavery, imagined a time where women rule the world and honored the man he looked up to all his life, his father. For this occasion Common put together a special six-piece band of close friends that includes the great Robert Glasper, with his eloquent and delicate touch, on keyboards and Derrick Hodge, whose music spans from hip-hop to folk and has made a big imprint on the world of jazz, on bass. Common also asked his longtime friend and collaborator Bilal to sing on two songs. The performance includes three brand new songs, along with one classic, "I Used To Love H.E.R."

Common was born on Chicago's South Side and grew up in President Obama's city. His rap career began in the early 1990s, back when he was known as Common Sense, and he's always taken on big ideas without easy answers in his songs, from abortion to social justice to the legacy of hip-hop itself. 25 years later, morality and responsibility continue to play significant roles in his songs. In 2015, he won an Academy Award alongside the singer John Legend for their song "Glory" from the movie Selma.

Common told us that he'd been invited to the White House many times before, including by Michelle Obama for a poetry reading back in 2011, but he was thrilled by the prospect of performing his music during Barack Obama's final months as president. One look at this Tiny Desk Concert and you'll see that thrill on his face and hear it throughout this magnificent performance on this very special day.

Common will release his 11th studio album, Black America Again, in November.

Set List:
"I Used To Love H.E.R."
"Letter To The Free"
"The Day The Women Took Over"
"Little Chicago Boy"

Credits:
Producers: Bob Boilen, Abby O'Neill, Niki Walker; Directors: Mito Habe-Evans, Niki Walker; Audio Engineers: Josh Rogosin, Kevin Wait; Videographers: Niki Walker, Mito Habe-Evans, Nick Michael, Cameron Robert, Nikki Boliaux; Animator: CJ Riculan; Supervising Producer: Jessica Goldstein; Executive Producer: Anya Grundmann; Photo: Becky Harlan/NPR.

For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/51....0292/tiny-desk-conce

Chick Corea & Gary Burton: Tiny Desk Concert

Chick Corea & Gary Burton: Tiny Desk Concert Hotney 5 Streams • 4 years ago

June 13, 2016 by SURAYA MOHAMED • Sometimes big-name artists need special attention. But in this case, it wasn't because they've been jazz pioneers and innovators since the 1960s and are considered to be founding fathers of jazz fusion, not to mention two of the most important jazz figures performing today. It's not because they've collectively recorded more than 100 albums and won 29 Grammy Awards. The agitation was because both of their instruments couldn't fit behind Bob Boilen's Tiny Desk.

There were logistical hurdles to overcome before the jazz giants' arrival. We had to move the desk to make a bigger "stage." Piano movers hauled the 900-pound Yamaha C7 grand piano from our first-floor performance studio up the freight elevator to the fourth-floor Tiny Desk area. But weeks of meticulous measuring and planning paid off when the rented vibes were delivered and just fit alongside the piano.

Gary Burton and Chick Corea were in town for the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters Concert. The NEA Jazz Masters fellowship is the highest honor our nation bestows on jazz artists. Each year, the program honors a select few living legends who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz. Burton was a newly appointed 2016 recipient, while Corea received the honor in 2006.

These friends first played together 44 years ago, when they recorded their very first album, Crystal Silence. In his autobiography, Gary Burton tells the story:

We set aside three days for the recording. Except for ... one tune in Munich, Chick and I hadn't worked together before Berlin, so we figured we would need a fair amount of time to choose songs and finalize arrangements. But to our amazement, it all went incredibly fast. We would spend maybe twenty minutes creating an arrangement, and then record. We did every song in just one take, except that we required a second spin through "Senor Mouse."
The record was finished in just a few hours, and the two realized they had a unique musical chemistry with the ability to anticipate each other's improvisational ideas. That album went on to become a classic: flawless yet fresh and forever new.

A few thousand concerts later, the jazz masters showed up at NPR HQ to perform a concert at our newly expanded Tiny Desk. On this day, it had been almost two years since Chick Corea and Gary Burton had played together — the longest break they'd ever had. But once again, their remarkable ability to connect was demonstrated in two songs they play together all the time.

Hot House is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/al....bum/hot-house/id5548
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Hou....se-Chick-Corea/dp/B0

SET LIST:
"Love Castle"
"Crystal Silence"

CREDITS:
Producers: Suraya Mohamed, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Kara Frame, Morgan McCloy; Production Assistant: Jackson Sinnenberg; Photo: Brandon Chew/NPR.

For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/51....0292/tiny-desk-conce

This Indian girl prefers to sing R&B music (she nails it)

This Indian girl prefers to sing R&B music (she nails it) Hotney 2 Streams • 4 years ago

👇 Learn the story of this video, and find some links that may interest you
I went to Santa Monica, CA to ask random people to sing with me for my series called "Sing With Me." That's when I met Sara Beth, Mounica, and Mannie.

Mounica (born in India) sat and watched me play for several people who were singing. Then, eventually her friend convinced her to sing with me. I’m glad she did. Not only did Mounica have a good time singing, but she made us all happier listening to her. Also, it gave her an opportunity to share her great singing talent with the world.

Sara Beth sang several songs with me that day as well. Mannie helped us finish the show with one last song. And then, after 5 or 6 hours, I was done for the day!

As a musician, I'm all about creating musical experiences that have people feeling happy and free, and that's why the "Sing With Me" series exists. Since 2018, I have asked thousands of random people to sing with me on camera. A lot of people have said no, some have said no initially but changed their minds to yes, and some have said yes right away. I ask these people to sing with one purpose: to create a way for them to experience a sense of happiness and freedom they did not feel before. And much of the time, this actually works (and that makes ME happy).

Would you like me to host a "Sing With Me" at your next private event? Contact me for pricing and availability. https://www.guitaro5000.com/singwithmeprivate

Would you like to assist me in doing "Sing With Me for Free" publicly in your city? If you can provide travel from New York and/or lodging, let me know. guitaro5000shows@gmail.com

► Get the Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/guitaro-5000-store
► Check out my guitar! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tya-PfBAvfc&t
Consider a $10 donation in my virtual tip jar. It helps pay for guitar strings, plane tickets, and keeps videos coming regularly!
http://paypal.me/guitaro5000 (PLEASE CHOOSE "SENDING TO A FRIEND" (not "Paying for Items or Services))
http://venmo.com/guitaro5000
Zelle: Guitaro5000@gmail.com

Follow me on Instagram:
http://www.instagram.com/Guitaro5000
Facebook:
http://www.Facebook.com/guitaro5000

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artis....t/0diDSun3zXrDkAKU9A (please click "follow")
za

EQUIPMENT USED:

Ovation Guitar: https://amzn.to/3odO8Ky8

JBL Eon One Compact (speaker): https://imp.i114863.net/Xx55y3
Shure SM58: https://imp.i114863.net/x9qq9y
Samson Mic stand: https://imp.i114863.net/6bRRWm
XLR Cables: https://imp.i114863.net/gbQzyB

0:00 - Intro
0:35 - Sara Beth sings Paramore - "Misery Business"
1:26 - Meet Mounica
3:22 - Mounica sings Daniel Ceasar - "Get You"
7:42 - Get to know Mounica
9:52 - Meet Mannie
10:17 - random biker sings Cielito Lindo
10:44 - Mannie sings Fleetwood Mac - "Dreams"
11:30 - Get to know Mannie
12:47 - Cool shot of the moon

Blue Man Group: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Blue Man Group: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Hotney 2 Streams • 4 years ago

September 26, 2016 by BOB BOILEN • They came, they measured, and they returned to perform a show like no other. It was the great NPR Tiny Desk Takeover by Blue Man Group.

If you've not seen this performance ensemble and their production in New York, Las Vegas, Orlando, Boston, Chicago or Berlin, then you've missed a night of magical fun. These Blue Men may never say a word, but the performances make for poignant looks at who we are as humans. They also make unusual music on instruments of their own design.

Josh Rogosin, our engineer for the Tiny Desk, first saw them in their early days, some 25 years ago at New York's Astor Place Theatre. He told me how the Blue Men would retrofit some of their theatrical magic — including their custom-made instruments, confetti cannons and streamers — to fit this small desk space.

Every band that plays the Tiny Desk must work within the restrictions of the space. So instead of installing their entire signature PVC instrument, what ended up behind the desk was about a third of it. On the right side of the desk, their Shred Mill makes its internet debut: It's a drum machine triggered by magnets that changes rhythm depending where they are placed on the home-made variable-speed conveyor belt. They also invented something called a Spinulum, whose rhythmic tempo is controlled by rotating a wheel that plucks steel guitar strings. (You can read a full description on the instruments below.)

In the end the Blue Men and their dressed-down accompanists performed a Tiny Desk concert like no other. I've been familiar with their music since my days as director of All Things Considered in the 1990s, when I would play their tunes between news stories. Seeing all this come to life (and I know this is true for Josh, as well) was simply unforgettable. From the unique sounds of the PVC to the strumming sounds of the Spinulum to their "Meditation For Winners" mantras, you'll get a taste of why this troupe's art is so universal and so much fun.

THE INSTRUMENTS

(as told to us by the Blue Man Group)

Chapman Stick: A combination of a guitar, a bass guitar, and a washboard, the Chapman Stick is 10 strings and all neck. While it can be played with fingers, we often bow the Stick with a bass string. This method, pioneered by Blue Man Group, is called the Mandelbrot Stick Technique.

Cimbalom: An old hammered chromatic string instrument from Hungary that we gave a plywood update to. It's normally played gently with soft mallets, but Blue Man Group hits it aggressively with drumsticks.

Shredmill: Making its internet debut, this new Blue Man Group creation is a treadmill-shaped, electro-mechanical sequencer that a Blue Man (or anyone else) can use to create rhythmic patterns. Placing and/or moving the Shred Mill's tiny little magnets in order to change the sequence ("shredding") is dangerously addictive. If you are ever presented with the opportunity to shred, proceed at your own risk.

Spinulum: Have you ever watched Wheel of Fortune and thought to yourself, "I wonder what would happen if I took that wheel, shrunk it down to about a foot in diameter, mounted it to a stand, and replaced that little white flipper with steel guitar strings?" Us too! The Spinulum is a brand new Blue Man Group instrument that is part slide guitar, part bicycle wheel, and 100 percent dynamite!

PVC: Blue Man Group's signature instrument is comprised of several lengths of polyvinyl chloride pipe that make an almost synthesizer-like sound when struck with a closed-cell foam rubber paddle. This performance only includes the center, high-octave section of the PVC. This is not because we have a problem with the other sections of the PVC. We actually really like them. There just wasn't enough space. It's a tiny desk.

MIDI PVC: The signature Blue Man Group PVC instrument shrunk down and electrified.

SET LIST:
"Vortex"
"The Forge"
"Meditation For Winners"

Blue Man Group's Three is available now:
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/al....bum/three/id10866038
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Three-B....lue-Man-Group/dp/B01

CREDITS:
Producers: Bob Boilen, Josh Rogosin, Niki Walker; Blue Man Group Producer: Anita Shah; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Colin Marshall, Nick Michael, Kara Frame, Claire Hannah Collins; Blue Man Group Music & Creative Director: Jeff Turlik; Blue Man Group Director: David Bray; Production Assistant: CJ Riculan; Special Thanks: Blue Man Group Crew; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR.

For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/51....0292/tiny-desk-conce

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