Tom Schnabel's Rhythm Planet
New and Noteworthy Releases
To end 2015, we sample some new releases by Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express, Youssou N’Dour featuring Peter Gabriel, Gregorio Uribe’s big cumbia orchestra, and the redoubtable Wynton Marsalis and his Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra Live in Cuba.
By Tom Schnabel • • 38m ListenThis Christmas Day I’m on the air doing Christmas Becomes Eclectic once again, something that’s become a holiday tradition at KCRW.
We’ll start this Christmas Day’s Rhythm Planet with a great new CD by Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra – wowing the crowd in Havana, Cuba. I love the playing of Dan Nimmer, the pianist. He plays with precision and intensity, and great ideas too.
Gregorio Uribe’s big band cumbia is next, featuring a vocal by Ruben Blades. After that it’s a live set from Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express, featuring Alex Ligertwood on vocals. This band has been playing since the late 1960s, and just sound better than ever now. I love this song “Happiness is Just Around the Bend”. Let’s have that as a New Year’s resolution.
Finally a great live version of Peter Gabriel’s love ode, “In Your Eyes”, in Athens, Greece, in 1987. It’s on Youssou N’Dour’s new Real World CD. I don’t know why they waited so long to put this out!
Rhythm Planet Playlist for 12/25/15
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra / Inaki’s Decision / “Live In Cuba” / Blue Engine
Gregorio Uribe Big Band / Cumbia Universal (Feat. Ruben Blades) / “Cumbia Universal” / Zoho Music
Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express / Happiness Is Just Around the Bend / “Live In Los Angeles (feat. Alex Ligertwood)” / Freestyle Records
Youssou N’Dour Et Le Super Etoile De Dakar / In Your Eyes (Live with Peter Gabriel) /“Fatteliku (Live in Athens 1987)” / Real World