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| CMJ Music Marathon to Feature Music by Nonesuch Records Artists Nonesuch Records artists-Malian duo Amadou & Mariam, singer/songwriter/guitarist Laura Veirs, and percussionist Glenn Kotche (of Wilco)--will perform music from their recent or upcoming albums at a label showcase on September 15, 2005 at New York’s Hiro Ballroom as part of the annual CMJ Music Marathon. Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia have been making music together since they first met and fell in love at the Institute for Young Blind People in Bamako, Mali’s capital, in the mid-1970s. They have been married and performing as a duo since 1980. While their music is based in a Malian-style blues, it has evolved to include a diversity of styles: French folk, Cuban son, reggae and hip-hop, among others. Their success has recently grown beyond Mali’s borders to other African countries and Europe. In 2003, renowned musician Manu Chao invited Amadou & Mariam to record with him, and the result is Dimanche à Bamako (Sunday in Bamako). The album, which was released in France earlier this year, has been a major breakthrough for the duo, reaching the top of the French album chart, earning a Gold certification, and winning a Les Victoires de la Musique award, the French equivalent of a Grammy. Nonesuch released Dimanche à Bamako to critical acclaim in early August; the Philadelphia Inquirer called it “effortlessly modern and full of natural joie de vivre, ” The New York Times called it “nimble” and “playful, ” and Entertainment Weekly called it “the perfect summer album.” With her band The Tortured Souls, singer/songwriter/guitarist Laura Veirs recorded her new record, Year of Meteors, in Seattle in February of this year. She calls the album “a road record, ” drawing inspiration from being in constant motion for much of 2004, touring in support of the critically acclaimed Carbon Glacier, her first album for Nonesuch Records in the U.S. Year of Meteors, Veirs’ first record released worldwide by Nonesuch, was released on August 23 and was described by The New York Times as “full of lovely and mysterious songs, some spiky with guitar noise and some propelled by graceful sideways grooves.” A Seattle resident by way of Colorado, Veirs’ background in geology and kinship with the rugged landscape meld together with her punk performing roots to form an unusual musical outlook. Her recordings have elicited overwhelming praise in the U.K., where Mojo said, “Laura Veirs might be the bridge between the alt-country ghetto and the Sheryl Crow-revering mainstream.” Chicago-based percussionist Glenn Kotche, whose Nonesuch solo debut Mobile will be released in early 2006, has played on more than 70 recordings in and has written music for film and television. In addition to being the drummer with the rock band Wilco- whose records include the gold-selling Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the Grammy Award-winning A ghost is born-Kotche has recorded three solo percussion records under his own name and released three records with bassist Darin Gray as the duo On Fillmore. He also is a member of Loose Fur with Wilco band mate Jeff Tweedy and Jim O’Rourke; the trio released a self-titled album in 2003. A graduate of the University of Kentucky’s highly regarded percussion program, Kotche recently was lauded by The New York Times as “brilliantly understated” and by The Chicago Tribune for his “unfailing taste, technique and discipline.” write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |