Mdou Moctar - Niger Ep Vol. 2 - VINYL LP

A Riveting Piano Recital (The New York Times, 2017) David Greilsammer's new album venture, Labyrinth, is a project that he has been developing since 2017 in a number of concerts given in New York, at the Ravinia Festival, Illinois, in Lancaster and Sheffield, and at the Flagey in Brussels. The fascinated listener can follow this trail here, while keeping hold of the thread and following the light, encountering composers both well and less well known, from every period and style, with whole works and ephemeral fragments cunningly interwoven. While reconnoitering music by Beethoven, Janácek, Satie and Bach, we also have the surprise of a first world performance of Repetition Blindness by Ofer Pelz - specially commissioned for the program - and of a piano arrangement by Jonathan Keren of Chaos by Jean-Féry Rebel (also a first performance) as well as George Crumb's mesmeric Magic Circle of Infinity.

The creative process can be a difficult one, especially for artists who are constantly questioning themselves and their work. Luc Bradford, better known as ford., has grappled with this issue while writing his third album, 'Guiding Hand.' The title of the album, 'Guiding Hand,' is a symbolic visual representation of the unseen force that helped Luc Bradford, better known as ford., push through the various struggles that came throughout the writing experience. This force represents the collective human spirit, the gentle momentum of positivity that coaxes us forward when we feel we can't move at all. Luc drew on these influences throughout the creative process, using it to pull him through writer's block and moments of doubt. The hands on the album's cover art are a depiction of an actual sculpture that is of personal significance to Luc and his family, a mold of his mother and older brother's hands which were taken before his passing in 2007. He has been and continues to be an unwavering inspiration to Luc in his music. Overall, 'Guiding Hand' is a powerful testament to Luc's artistic vision and his journey to create music that is true to himself. It represents a triumph over doubt and anxiety and showcases the power of the human spirit to guide us through difficult times. For Luc, this album is more than just a collection of songs - it is a reflection of his growth as an artist and as a person.

In the 21st century, the music of the Tuareg people, a diverse group spread across the Sahara encompassing Mali, Niger, and beyond, has reached an unprecedented international audience. Groups including Bombino, Mdou Moctar, Tinariwen, and Les Filles de Illighadad have incorporated the mesmerizing, repetitious qualities of the region's folk music into rollicking, full-band rock and roll, bringing countless new ears to these styles developed in the African desert. Tuareg Music of the Southern Sahara, originally released on Folkways in 1960, traces the origins of these sounds and styles, focusing on the ecstatic vocalizations and singing accompanied by sparse instrumentation. These raw, extemporaneous recordings offer a glimpse at the musical traditions dating back hundreds of years from many tribes and localities from throughout the Sahel. This reissue is part of Smithsonian Folkways Vinyl Reissue Series, bringing to light gems from the extensive collection and revisiting some of the most iconic and influential albums released by the tag. This album is being released alongside other international classics Gambian Griot Kora Duets by Alhjai Bai Konte, Dembo Konte, and Ma Lamini Jabote and Calypso Travels by Lord Invader.