Monday Music - Sultans of Swing... on ukulele?

"Eclectic" means it can even go beyond my taste. Not a big fan of this song, the original group, or the ukulele... yet what this gent does is pretty wonderful. Thanks to reader Randy Talley for the tip:

Monday Music - Bela Fleck's Christmas music feast

It's been a very Flecky, banjo-y month, so we close with a really terrific assortment of Christmas songs by banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck. Enjoy!

Music starts about 0:58.

Monday Music - Victor Wooten's Christmas jam from 2009

As with classic Chicago, each musician in Bela Fleck and the Flecktones is amazingly talented. Not one whit less than Bela himself, Victor Wooten is an absolutely amazing bass player.

Sorry this is an audience recording, with all the rude and inconsiderate chatter, but hear Wooten's Christmas jam from 2009:

Monday Music - The Wexford Carol, with Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss

Monday music - Charlie Brown Christmas music, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

Only wish the quality were better:

Monday Music - Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins

Nothing about this isn't fun — particularly how clearly tickled a guitarist as great as Clapton is to be playing with his elder counterparts.

(Thanks to Jeremiah Halstead for the recommendation)

Monday Music - "Smooth Criminal," on cello, live

Monday Music — Misirlou / Miserlou

I know. Strangest Title Ever. But I like to start the week with something light and fun if possible, and This is That.

Strange title, yes. But you know it, probably by the spelling "Miserlou."

"I don't know it at all," you say? Give THIS a listen. It's a recording titled "Mousourlou," by Greek bandleader Michaelis Patrinos, from around 1930.

Didn't do it for you? How about this sultry version from around 1947, sung in Greek by a crooner named Danai? Here are the lyrics, according to Wikipedia

Greek
Μισιρλού μου, η γλυκιά σου η ματιά
Φλόγα μου 'χει ανάψει μες στην καρδιά.
Αχ, για χαμπίμπι, αχ, για λε-λέλι, αχ,
Τα δυο σου χείλη στάζουνε μέλι, αχ.

Αχ, Μισιρλού, μαγική, ξωτική ομορφιά.
Τρέλα θα μου 'ρθει, δεν υποφέρω πια.
Αχ, θα σε κλέψω μέσα από την Αραπιά.

Μαυρομάτα Μισιρλού μου τρελή,
Η ζωή μου αλλάζει μ' ένα φιλί.
Αχ, για χαμπίμπι ενα φιλάκι,άχ
Απ' το γλυκό σου το στοματάκι, αχ.

Translation
My Misirlou (Egyptian girl), your sweet glance
Has lit a flame in my heart.
Ah, ya habibi, Ah, ya leh-leli, ah (Arabic: Oh, my love, Oh, my night‎)
Your two lips are dripping honey, ah.

Ah, Misirlou, magical, exotic beauty.
Madness will overcome me, I can't endure [this] any more.
Ah, I'll steal you away from the Arab land.

My black-eyed, my wild Misirlou,
My life changes with one kiss
Ah, ya habibi, one little kiss, ah
From your sweet little mouth, ah.

I bet you're getting it now.

Here's the version you're likelier to know.

Pretty funny, in some ways. My, rock videos have changed. Dale himself looks like he's having fun, but the band... yikes. Double-yikes on the drummer. He seems troubled. I thought drumming was fun. And - no idea what the saxophonist is doing.

Back to the song. What you may not have known — as I did not know — is that the song is very old, not American, and probably was written in the 1800s. It is (as you see) about an enchanting little Egyptian girl.

But then in the 1960s, a ten-year-old kid challenged Dick Dale (King of the Surf Guitar) to play a song on just one string. Dale told him to come back the next day. Dale was actually Lebanese-American, born Richard Mansour; he thought of music he'd heard at weddings, picked Misirlou/Miserlou, and decided to ramp up the speed. Hence, Miserlou.

Here's a more recent version, by Dale. Music begins at 1:25.

Sources:

Wikipedia
Dinosaur Gardens (which says the Wikipedia article contains many errors)

Monday Music - Fal$e Teacher$, by Shai Linne

Given the recent discussions of false teaching in connection to the Strange Fire conference, this seems like a timely performance to feature. (Could not find a live performance).

Here's Shai Linne himself giving some back-story.

Monday music — highlighting mastery of Terry Kath in "What's This World Comin' To?"

On of my favorite never-was-a-hit Chicago tunes comes from the sixth album and is titled "What's This World Comin' To?" I just found a real treat of a version of that song.

Warming up to the treat, first you can listen to the very tight, rockin' studio version. Lead vocals from the three main singers (Kath, Lamm, Cetera), all sorts of funk.

Then watch this, from their (I think) 1973 TV special "Chicago in the Rockies":

Ah, the best band at their best. But wait, there's more! Listen to this track that isolates Terry Kath's frenetic guitar work on the song, just the horns and him:

Awesome, underappreciated talent.

UPDATE 1: ack. It was up yesterday, it's down today. I'll keep this post up, and see if I can either find out what happened or find another source. Sorry!

UPDATE 2: All day, no explanation. If it becomes available again, I'll probably create a new post. It's that fun.

UPDATE 3: Yay, it's live again (as of 1/24/2014, anyway)!

Monday music - father/son Beatles duet

Maximum cuteness ensues:

Monday music — Laurel and Hardy gettin' down

I last shared this over 5 years ago, not for Monday Music. But it's come back to mind, we've got a lot of new readers, and I figure you could use a chuckle. This is it!

Monday Music - "For Unto Us a Child Is Born," Handel's Messiah

Monday music — God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, by Chicago

Sorry, audio only. But I do like this version.

Monday Music - "The Way You Make Me Feel," Honeywagon

So here's the thing. I really like the Michael Jackson original, and I like the video — except the nasty gestures that poor, twisted soul spattered throughout it, making it unusable for this site.

I like this for the musicianship, cleanness... but eh, it doesn't really work for me. Not a huge bluegrass fan; even more, it probably suffers from my liking the original as much as I do.

So why share it? Because others do like bluegrass, and I like this song.

Monday Music - pure fun: Tom Thum's Beatbox Brilliance at TEDxSydney

(Thanks, Jeremiah Halstead, for the suggestion)

Monday music — "If You Leave Me Now," cover by Suzy Bogguss

Country singer Suzy Bogguss was inspired by her son to do a slightly different take on Chicago's hit:

Here's the studio version, without all the background chatter. Very nice.

Monday music - happy birthday edition

Longtime reader threegirldad celebrated his birthday on the 16th. EWF's hit "September" was released 11/18/1978, two days after his eighteenth birthday. We join the celebration with my favorite version of that song:

Monday music - fastest guitarist in the world?

Monday Music - "Sweet Child o' Mine" covered on the guzheng

...which is like a Chinese plucked zither:

(Thanks, Webster Hunt)