SOUNDTRACK: JIMMY CLIFF-Tiny Desk Concert #68 (July 12, 2010).
Jimmy Cliff is a treasure in reggae music. Although I recently leaned that despite his Jamaican heritage and reggae connections, he actually does more than reggae music. As in this Tiny Desk where Cliff (wearing some amazing glasses) sings and plays acoustic guitar in a more folk-like style.
he plays three songs–two are from the 70s and one in brand new.
“Sitting in Limbo” is classic song that sounds more like a folk song than a reggae song (although the original didn’t sound all that reggae, actually).
“I Got to Move On” is a new song about the present (the present is a gift, that’s why it’s called present). The simple structure and Cliff’s vocal tone reminds me a bit of “Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
“You Can Get It If You Really Want” is another Cliff classic, instantly recognizable, but somehow sounding more profound with Cliff’s older voice singing it.
I can’t say that I listen to a lot of Jimmy Cliff, but this was a nice sampler of his positive vibe.
[READ: August 31, 2015] Wartime Nursery Rhymes
I love getting these unexpected reprints. This is a collection of nursery rhymes that were created in 1918. I don’t know who Nina MacDonald was (there is a foreword, but it doesn’t give any context), but I gather that she is the author of all of these pieces.
And so MacDonald has taken familiar (and unfamiliar to me, although perhaps they were common in England before the first world war?) nursery rhymes and songs and modified them for patriotic use–presumably among children.
There are renditions of all manner of nursery rhymes: “O Dear, What Can the Matter Be?” “Simple Simon”
Or this one of “Little Miss Muffet” (more…)
I Just Read About That... 