XPN and Podcasts - World Cafe Shortcuts

For those of you interested in taking a little bit of the World Cafe wherever you go...introducing World Cafe Shortcuts. A new weekly podcast of World Cafe interviews can be delivered to the MP3 player of your choice. For more info you can check it our here

Cover songs

I relish those occasions when an artist quite familiar to you does a cover of a song that you love but didn't expect from that artist. Any number of things about that performance can stir you.
It can be a great note for note version, but I am most delighted when its a slightly different take that creates a double experience. First is that memory of the song itself and the chord it strikes within you. Second, a different approach reinvents the song and allow you to hear it differently and maybe even relate to it differently in the context of the artist covering it. Then there's just the "wow" of the surprise.

Last night, at the Bruce Hornsby/Ratdog show at the Mann, I had such a moment on hearing Bruce sing and play Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." A wonderful song, performed evocatively by a very different type of artist than the original band. The ripple of recognition of the song was soon followed by palpable appreciation for Hornsby's interpretation. Ironically, the crowd's chanting of "Broooce" at song's end is a cover of Springsteen crowds chanting the same.

Obviously, there are variations on this theme. Bob Dylan often seems to do cover versions of his own songs, reinventing them year by year. Then, there's the twice removed approach such as Bob Weir covering a song that Jerry Garcia used to cover with the Dead. While this always makes me miss Jerry, sometimes it's an interesting comparison. Last night Hornsby joined Weir and the band (who sound great and extremely tight by the way) to perform Dylan's "When I paint My Masterpiece", a song Garcia used to perform regularly. you also get the downside when the audience is singing along with the phrasing of the previous version, clashing with the version you're hearing. (My singalong complaints are elsewhere on this blog) This happens from time to time with Weir exploring the tune anew but the crowd is singing the Jerry version.

I welcome comments and please share any similar great, surprising Live cover moments you've experienced.

Philadelphia Folk Festival

Thanks to everyone who came to listen to the music on the WXPN Local Stage at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. Two wonderful days of music with a touch of rain (much more than a touch)..but great performances on Saturday afternoon

Chinua Hawk www.chinuahawk.com,
Birdie Busch www.birdiebusch.com
Beaucoup Blue www.beaucoupblue.com

Sunday afternoon

Darcie Miner www.darcieminerband.com
John Francis www.johnfrancismusic.com
Kate Gaffney www.kategaffney.com

Each of the above artists have new music and are playing in the area...

If you were at the PFF you probably saw Mutlu walking around with our friend Amos Lee....both attended the festival ...it was great seeing Amos.. I haven't seen him for quite awhile...but we have a live performance of "Arms of a Woman" on the new World Cafe Vol 20 CD!!! and Amos will be back in town playing at the Troc on Oct 8.....Mutlu of course you know will be performing on the radio this friday 9/2 - our Free at Noon Broadcast from the World Cafe live upstairs....be listening...don't want you to miss a very special Free at Noon.