Maggie's Farm

I have special and sentimental feelings about this fine state, including time in the elegant Bluegrass and at Keeneland (even saw Secretariat grazing in retirement) - and time working up in the wild hollers of eastern KY where everybody is a cousin of eachother and either works in coal, moonshining, or is on welfare.

I have seen many fine Kentucky mornings, with the mist rising from the fields and crouched in the valleys. I guess I was also only passin' through, but I had a true love there, and I still have her.

Ry Cooder, 1987:

Monotonic music mainly, with lyre, drum, trumpet and flute, with different "modes" to evoke different states of mind. The ancient Greeks considered their music and lyrics to be central to who they were as a civilization, and, of course, to be a gift from the gods. As best I can tell, poetry (the lyrics) was never offered without accompanying music.

The group Melpomen recreates the ancient sounds from surviving fragments. (Samples of the music at the Amazon site.)

Wiki has a fine summary of ancient Greek music. Interesting to read that Plato (c 400 BC) complained about the modern music which defied old forms.

Image: Music lesson, c.460 BC, from this site about ancient Greek music. 

This superb song was an outtake from his album Modern Times. I love it. Lyrics here:

Thanks to Gerard for posting this 1999 YouTube (audio only) of Susan with Cry Me a River.

More from Gerard on Susan. Yes, she is an icon for something.

Maybe the Brits aren't dead yet. From the Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover Department: Susan sings.

One unkind question though: Why do Brit women in their 40s tend to look like Monty Python guys in drag?

The Derek Trucks Band:

Some say that the 55 Bar, a prohibition-era dive bar on Christopher St., is the best place in the city for jazz and blues.

Two groups nightly - and it's cheap. $10. How can you not afford to give it a try?

Here's the Brooklyn Boogaloo Blowout at 55, with good photography:

Josh White (1914-1969) had an interesting life. He might be most well-known for popularizing The House of the Rising Sun.

Here's Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out:

and here he is talking a little about his life, and doing a couple of old tunes:

Dusty Springfield would have been 70 today (h/t, Samiz).

Caledonia with Louis Jordan, thanks to a good site that is new to us, Paco Enterprises. (A good name. Paco is the name of our pup.)

Lyrics here.

 h/t, Marginal Rev.

Our link this morning to the "Make it rain candy, Mr. Obama" bit reminded me of what should be one of the Left's theme songs. Here's the great Burl Ives:

Thus commented a reader who heard this at Theo. This is a fast Flight of the Bumblebee.

Howlin' Wolf, 1960

h/t, Marginal Rev.

The Dyl wants you to hear this. Knopfler, 2005, live.