SOUNDTRACK: RARE ESSENCE-Tiny Desk Concert #637 (July 19, 2017).
I have learned of go-go music exclusively from Tiny Desk Concerts:
Dominated by drive and momentum, heavy on percussion and bass, go-go music is all about the beat. Live, “songs” can continue on for half an hour, as the percussion continues to simmer and punctuate between and across different pieces. “That’s why we call it go-go, because it goes on and goes on and goes on,” as guitarist Andre Johnson put it in a documentary film.
This visit by Rare Essence perfectly encapsulated the genre’s incomparable meld of soul, R&B and, most importantly, funk (with a dash of Afro-Cuban influence).
So that’s go-go. What about this band?
Rare Essence emerged not long after go-go itself did, beginning as a group in 1976 in Washington D.C. Ever since the group has kept a steady schedule playing around town and around the world.
The band plays seven–SEVEN–songs in sixteen minutes. Many of them are just riffs that go on for a minute or so like “Down for My Niggas.” Whereas “Rock This Party” is a bit more of a call and response piece–with some good congas. “Freaky Deak” is pretty much a riff or two before they start talking to the audience.
They thank Suraya for arranging the show and there’s a lot of shouts outs and hand waving. And then they start with one of their favorites, “One on One.”
All of the songs more or less flow into each other as one long jam. There are multiple lead singers and everyone participates in the responses.
After a spell of their name (R-A-R, Double E, S-S-E-N, C-E) the lead guitarist sings lead on “Bad Bad” (he’s the oldest looking guy but he still has the power in his voice).
As they segue into “Lock It,” We apologize we could play this song for ever but I know everyone got to go back to work. We’re gonna play the short version We could play this for at least an hour. They keys plays a nice Cuban sounding melody–almost like xylophones.
“After three minutes, he says this ant even the first part of the song–we still got about fifty more minutes.” Then they segue into “Overnight Scenario” which everyone sings along t o.
Anthony Andre “Whiteboy” Johnson (guitar, vocals); James “Funk” Thomas (vocals); Charles “Shorty Corleone” Garris (vocals); Leroy “RB” Battle, Jr. (keyboards); Calvin “Killer Cal” Henry (vocals); Michael Baker (bass); Kenneth “Quick” Gross (drums); Samuel “Smoke” Dews (congas); Kym Clarke (trumpet); Derryle Valentine (sax, flute)
[READ: July 23, 2017] “Bonebreaker”
I find Nell Zink’s stories to be weird but compelling. She writes about strange things in unusual ways. The people are often peculiar but compelling.
But this story was especially odd to me because the two characters seem really stupid
Both Jed and Laurie are fleeing the States. As the story begins they go to the airport with a lot of cash. But they knew that the TSA would be suspicious of that. So when they see the “money sniffing” dogs, they know the TSA is on to them. They leave their stuff at the airport and return home–which puts them on the no-fly list.
After a few more aborted attempts, they decide to take a barge–a real refugee situation. Not only do they not get where they are going, they lose a lot of money and are mostly miserable.
Why are they fleeing? (more…)
