Bang & Jangle Radio Hour, Season 2, Episode 4: Masters of their Instrument

Wu Man with pipa

Like I said on the show, some musicians stand out for their genre-defining playing or their godlike mastery of multiple styles. Last night we took a look at virtuosos across more than a dozen instruments:

Clara Rockmore (theremin) - Summertime
Augustus Pablo (melodica) - East of the River Nile
Dick Dale and his Del-Tones (surf guitar) - Hava Nagila
Bill Monroe and Doc Watson (mandolin, flatpicking guitar) - Watson's Blues
Del Wood (ragtime piano) - Down Yonder
Kronos Quartet and Wu Man (pipa) - Royal Wedding
The Chieftains (bodhrán) - The Morning Dew
Yma Sumac (voice) - Tumpa (Earthquake)
Kodo (taiko) - Lion
Evelyn Glennie (percussion) - Clog Dance
Thelonious Monk (jazz piano) - Epistrophy
Kongar ol-Ondar and Paul Pena (throat singing) - Eki A'ttar (Good Horses)
Les Claypool (bass) - Cosmic Highway

Last night was a chance to play more classical, world, and jazz material than we've had yet on the Bang & Jangle Radio Hour. Kodo was so intense I literally started sweating (look at the picture below and you'll see why). I'm also going to be listening down deep into Evelyn Glennie's back catalog soon. Just as soon as I finish with the new Tom Waits record, that is. So much to listen to...

The Bang & Jangle Radio Hour airs Mondays 9:00-10:00 p.m. on Trent Radio, 92.7 in Peterborough, or online at http://www.trentradio.ca/stream.htm.

Listen to this episode:

Season 2, Episode 4

Kodo in action