THE BIRD ENSEMBLE - POST "C"

DOUG HERE. YEAH I KNOW - I'M HAVING AN ALPHABETIC MALFUNCTION HERE. BAD BIRD. NOTTY BIRD. I'LL SAVE YOU MY AUTHENTIC & OVERWHELMINGLY CONVINCING EXCUSES. ALL THE SAME, DON'T GO GETTIN' YOUR FEATHERS IN A RUFFLE DEAR FRIENDS, CAUSE I'M GONNA MAKE IT UP TO YA. NOT ONLY AM I HERE TO DELIVER A POST OF EXCELLENCE, BUT I HAVE A CHALLENGE AS WELL. BUT FIRST THE POST...

AROUND THESE PARTS WE LISTEN TO A LOT OF MUSIC. A LOT. LEAH AND I LOVE IT. OUR CHILDREN LOVE IT. OUR DOGS LOVE IT. NO REALLY, THE KIDS CLEARLY ENJOY MUSIC A GREAT DEAL. THEY LOVE TO DANCE TO IT, TO CREATE IT WITH THEIR MANY INSTRUMENTS & AND TO SING SONGS THEY ARE LEARNING HERE OR THERE. TO A GREATER EXTENT, THIS APPLIES TO MY THREE AND A HALF YEAR OLD DAUGHTER SADIE. SHE REALLY RECOGNIZES MUSIC THAT SHE HAS HEARD BEFORE AND LIKES. QUITE A WAYS BACK, TO MY SURPRISE, THERE WAS ONE PARTICULAR SET OF SONGS THAT SHE WAS TOTALLY ENAMOURED WITH - A FREE SESSION RELEASED BY A BAND THAT GOES BY THE NAME THE BIRD ENSEMBLE (MORE ON THEM LATER). SHE ENDLESSLY REQUESTED THAT WE PLAY THEM MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY. SHE WOULD CLOSE HER EYES AND START DOIN' HER LITTLE BIRD ENSEMBLE GROOVE THING. IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE I WOULDN'T HAVE EXPECTED IT. FOR ONE THING, THE MUSIC IS TOTALLY INSTRUMENTAL, WHICH IS NOT UNCOMMON AROUND HERE, BUT WORDS SEEM TO BE IMPORTANT TO HER. THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE MUSIC IS NOT WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER TO BE HAPPY, CLAPPY MUSIC - THE KIND THAT KIDS NATURALLY WANT TO JUMP AROUND TO. SO...WHAT'S THE ATTRACTION?

I PUZZLED OVER THIS. BUT I FINALLY CONCLUDED THAT THEY LIKE IT FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT I LIKE IT. ON THE FIRST LISTEN YOU'LL AT THE VERY LEAST CONNECT WITH THE BUILDING GROOVES THAT ARE PRESENT THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE SONGS, BUT THE THING THAT GOT ME THE MORE THAT I LISTENED TO IT WAS THIS UNDERLYING SENSE OF HOPE THAT THE MUSIC SEEMED TO PRODUCE IN ME. THERE IS A LOT OF MUSIC OUT THERE OF THE SAME STRIPE THAT STARTS OFF SLOW AND MYSTERIOUS AND BUILDS AND BUILDS TO THIS MOMENT OF REALIZATION AND THEN FIZZLES OUT, BUT THESE GUYS DO IT IN A MEANINGFUL AND ENGAGING WAY. THEY CONSISTENTLY TAKE ME DOWN A ROAD THAT LEADS ME TO A GOOD PLACE. THE MUSIC HAS IT'S MOMENTS OF DARK CONTEMPLATION AND RESTLESS QUESTIONS, BUT IT ALWAYS DELIVERS A WARM ANSWER. THE DRUMS ARE OFTEN SLOW, JAZZY AND PLODDING, TRANSITIONING INTO A GROWING, POST-ROCK MARCH OF EXALTATION. THE GUITAR IS ONLY EFFECTED ENOUGH TO GIVE IT A DREAMY, LIQUIDY QUALITY TO COINCIDE WITH THE WARMTH OF THE FAITHFUL RHODES. WITHOUT THE RHODES I SERIOUSLY DOUBT THIS MUSIC WOULD STAND UP SO WELL - IT'S PERFECT. AGAIN, THE MUSIC IS FREE RIGHT FROM THE BAND'S SITE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE DOWNLOADING IT AND I'LL SEE IF I CAN HELP. AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AS WELL - I WANT TO KNOW. http://www.thelastsongbook.com/essay.html.

NOW FOR THE CHALLENGE. THE WINNER OF THIS CHALLENGE WILL HAVE A HIGH CALIBER MUSIC MIX WITH HOMEMADE PACKAGING SPECIALLY DELIVERED FREE OF CHARGE TO YOUR FRONT DOORSTEP (OR BACKSTEP/CURBSIDE/POST OFFICE BOX/ETCETRA, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOUR MAILHUMAN LEAVES YOUR MAIL). I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKIN' - WOW, HOW GENEROUS OF YOU DOUG. NOT REALLY. I HAVE ULTERIOR MOTIVES. I'M HOPING TO GET A SENSE OF HOW MANY OF YOU FINE FOLKS ARE ACTUALLY ON BOARD THE BIRD BLOG TRAIN. SO IF YOU LIKE SOME GOOD FOLK MUSIC AND SUB-GENRES THAT BRANCH AWAY FROM THERE, THEN WARM YOUR FINGER TIPS AND PREPARE TO GET YOUR GOOGLE GROOVE ON. HERE GOES:

IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW, THERE IS RESURGENCE IN FOLK MUSIC HAPPENING THAT IS A SOMEWHAT UNDERGROUND PHENOMENON. IT'S BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE NEW FOLK MOVEMENT, THE NEW WEIRD AMERICA, THE FREAK-FOLK MOVEMENT, AND A FEW OTHERS. THERE'S A LOT THAT COULD BE SAID ABOUT THIS, BUT FOR TODAY'S PURPOSES, I'LL JUST SAY THAT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, WIN THE CONTEST, CAUSE LOTS OF THIS GOOD MUSIC WILL BE ON THE MIX. ANYHOW, MANY OF THESE MUSICIANS HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR UNEARTHING OLD RECORDINGS OF SOME FANTASTIC FOLK MUSICIANS FROM THE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES. THESE ARE OBSCURE ARTISTS WHOSE MUSIC NEVER GAINED COMMERCIAL SUCCESS IN IT'S TIME. MUCH OF IT IS BEING REISSUED AND DOCUMENTED NOW AND FOLKS LIKE MYSELF ARE REALLY ENJOYING IT. YOUR CHALLENGE IS TO NAME ONE OF THESE MUSICIANS (SORRY JOSH, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD BE FAIR FOR YOU TO PARTICIPATE, AND NO HELPING SHANNA EITHER). HERE ARE TWO HINTS: 1.) THE FOLLOWING ARE THE INITIALS OF A FEW OF THE MUSICIANS THAT I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO: S.B. - V.B. - K.D - L.P. 2.) ALL OF THE INITIALS THAT I JUST GAVE YOU ARE OF FEMALE MUSICIANS. WHEN YOU HAVE AN ANSWER, SEND IT TO commonwings@gmail.com. ENJOY.