Thanks for the comment. If you're aware (or become aware) of any musical examples that feature harp prominently, I'd be interested in hearing about them (I'm thinking of the folk music you often write about, but could be any genre).
Those are good, thank you. Checking out the album the first track is from, I was intrigued to see 'The Parting Glass'. I then realised it's not a version of the old Scottish/Irish song that I used as my final example, but a different song with the same title (I've now read the Mudcat entry on it). I like it.
Wonderful ode to a fascinating instrument richly steeped in history and culture.
Coltrane and Ashby immediately came to mind, and I knew they would feature prominently. I also like how you mention exotica (which you hinted at with your Holiday records post earlier this year) and the Peggy Lee album you picked up.
Curiously, I picked up a Martin Denny album a month or so ago (‘Afro-Desia’) for $5. Ignoring its cultural appropriation and romanticized “otherism” and basing it purely on sounds, I have been really enjoying its loungey vibe. That loungey vibe is also what I have always liked about David Axelrod’s records.
Regarding the Kora, the Lyrichord label has some wonderful ethnography recordings. There is one called ‘Sounds of West Africa’ that features the kora and xylophone, which is brilliant. The Folkways label probably has some as well!
Lastly, the comment of “music I hear at my yoga studio” by your friend is hilarious. Was it intended as a good thing or just an offhand comment about it being relaxing music? 😊
Thanks for this piece, Richard. I always enjoy reading your work and learn something new.
Thanks for these comments, Michael. I have a few Denny albums, including that one, and I do like them. There's a Denny Moog album too, which I have on my Discogs wantlist but haven't secured a copy yet. For several years, I taught a Global Pop class based on different points in musical history over the last century. For mid-century, we focussed on exotica and I would take some of my (quite extensive) collection of holiday, exotica and mood music records into class to discuss the covers, liner notes and music. Students really enjoyed those sessions.
Thanks for the Lyrichord suggestion. I have quite a lot of kora recordings, both instrumental and accompanying griots and other singers. Maybe I'll write about those some day, but it seemed too much for this piece and I'd have had to consider other global lyres too.
I think the yoga comment was meant in a positive way, but it might have been a dig at my slightly untypical dinner party music. I wasn't bothered, but the comment stuck with me in part, I guess, because it can be hard to get away from associations of meditation, wellbeing, mood music etc. when talking about the harp. Nothing wrong with that, but I'd like to think about reflective music without associating it with the health and wellbeing industry sometimes!
Happy New Year to you too, Michael. I look forward to your 2026 posts.
Regarding dinner music, I often receive some interesting comments from friends. Especially when I lived in England. I remember playing some live Grateful Dead show and the banter went through the roof. The Dead are beloved in the States, especially here on the West Coast, so that wouldn’t happen as much in Portland. However, if I play Martin Denny, Axelrod, or a more loungey/disco funk record that veers into the “cheesy” territory and that will raise eyebrows. 🤣
Very interesting, thank you.
Most of that is slightly outside of my musical knowledge/familiarity but, of the pieces I listened to, I really enjoyed "Feeling Good"
Thanks for the comment. If you're aware (or become aware) of any musical examples that feature harp prominently, I'd be interested in hearing about them (I'm thinking of the folk music you often write about, but could be any genre).
Good question. The first person I think of is Carol Rohl, https://gordonbok.com/carol-rohl/
But I think of her playing as more often as accompaniment but, for example, this features her harp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59GzO91_gnU&list=RD59GzO91_gnU&start_radio=1
ETA: Here's another nice duet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1_IGu7sqmo
Those are good, thank you. Checking out the album the first track is from, I was intrigued to see 'The Parting Glass'. I then realised it's not a version of the old Scottish/Irish song that I used as my final example, but a different song with the same title (I've now read the Mudcat entry on it). I like it.
I appreciate the prompt to pay more attention to Carol's harp playing, which is really good.
When I started looking up the songs I realized that I had much less sense of her playing than Gordon's.
Wonderful ode to a fascinating instrument richly steeped in history and culture.
Coltrane and Ashby immediately came to mind, and I knew they would feature prominently. I also like how you mention exotica (which you hinted at with your Holiday records post earlier this year) and the Peggy Lee album you picked up.
Curiously, I picked up a Martin Denny album a month or so ago (‘Afro-Desia’) for $5. Ignoring its cultural appropriation and romanticized “otherism” and basing it purely on sounds, I have been really enjoying its loungey vibe. That loungey vibe is also what I have always liked about David Axelrod’s records.
Regarding the Kora, the Lyrichord label has some wonderful ethnography recordings. There is one called ‘Sounds of West Africa’ that features the kora and xylophone, which is brilliant. The Folkways label probably has some as well!
Lastly, the comment of “music I hear at my yoga studio” by your friend is hilarious. Was it intended as a good thing or just an offhand comment about it being relaxing music? 😊
Thanks for this piece, Richard. I always enjoy reading your work and learn something new.
Happy New Year!
Thanks for these comments, Michael. I have a few Denny albums, including that one, and I do like them. There's a Denny Moog album too, which I have on my Discogs wantlist but haven't secured a copy yet. For several years, I taught a Global Pop class based on different points in musical history over the last century. For mid-century, we focussed on exotica and I would take some of my (quite extensive) collection of holiday, exotica and mood music records into class to discuss the covers, liner notes and music. Students really enjoyed those sessions.
Thanks for the Lyrichord suggestion. I have quite a lot of kora recordings, both instrumental and accompanying griots and other singers. Maybe I'll write about those some day, but it seemed too much for this piece and I'd have had to consider other global lyres too.
I think the yoga comment was meant in a positive way, but it might have been a dig at my slightly untypical dinner party music. I wasn't bothered, but the comment stuck with me in part, I guess, because it can be hard to get away from associations of meditation, wellbeing, mood music etc. when talking about the harp. Nothing wrong with that, but I'd like to think about reflective music without associating it with the health and wellbeing industry sometimes!
Happy New Year to you too, Michael. I look forward to your 2026 posts.
Regarding dinner music, I often receive some interesting comments from friends. Especially when I lived in England. I remember playing some live Grateful Dead show and the banter went through the roof. The Dead are beloved in the States, especially here on the West Coast, so that wouldn’t happen as much in Portland. However, if I play Martin Denny, Axelrod, or a more loungey/disco funk record that veers into the “cheesy” territory and that will raise eyebrows. 🤣