Ukrainian band’s DakhaBrakha urgent message to U.S. audiences; Celebrating Mingus’ centennial

Plus, turning to Bach during hard times.

View this email online April 23, 2022 by Marissa Lorusso This week, we’re sharing a reflection on the sturdiness of Bach’s music; plus, a celebration of Charles Mingus in honor of the jazz icon’s centennial. GMD Three/Courtesy of the artist As music fans, we all have those albums or artists we return to during hard times. This week, I was moved when I heard my colleague Tom Huizenga talk about the great Johann Sebastian Bach. I asked him to kick off this week’s newsletter by telling us about the comfort he finds in Bach’s music: When the going gets tough, I know I can always turn to Bach. There’s something about Johann Sebastian’s music that is solid as a rock — sturdy and immovable. You can lean hard on it for support, which I did yet again this week. I’ve not been on an airplane in over two years because of my fear of the virus, but when a dear friend in New Mexico passed, I knew I had to be there for her memorial service. But then, two days before my trip, the mask mandate was struck down and I just couldn’t get on that plane. It breaks my heart. And there was Bach, just waiting for me. He popped up in the form of a new album of violin music arranged for guitar by Jason Vieaux, a guitarist with killer chops, a clean, transparent sound and soulful delivery. Vieaux taps into the blissful and mournful sides of Bach’s music — just listen to the euphoric “Presto” movement to his Violin Sonata No. 1 or the aching “Largo” from the Third Sonata. In the booklet notes, Vieaux writes, “Every note gives the feeling that Bach has totally been there, done that, but somehow 1000 times more.” I agree. There’s something in the music that says, “It’s going to be okay. You can make it through this.” Is it how Bach rigorously builds his music? Is it the way he turns a phrase or harmonizes a lovely, or sparkling, melody? It’s hard to express it in words. You just know it, feel it. And it can assuage your pain or uplift your happiness even higher. Bach isn’t just some fusty composer we tend to put on a pedestal. He knew firsthand the joys and sorrows of life and you can hear it in his music, whether it's the comforting intimacy of a cantata like Ich habe genug, an exuberant Brandenburg Concerto or a virtuosic prelude and fugue. Many of his 20 children never made it past infancy; he knew the stress of hard work, writing reams of music each week for the church, for coffeehouses and for his talented musician sons in the form of finger-twisting exercises. Bach, the badass, was even thrown in jail for pulling a sword on a bassoonist.   While I won’t be hanging with my friends, commemorating our dear loved one, I do have, at least musically speaking, a giant, wise shoulder to cry on named Johann Sebastian. And for that, I’m grateful.  Tom Huizenga, NPR Classical Newsletter continues after sponsor message Featuring The Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha calls itself "ethno-chaos." And for years, the band has also called itself "ambassadors of free Ukraine.” It recently kicked off a U.S. tour — just weeks after Russia invaded its home country — and spoke to All Things Considered about delivering an urgent message to U.S. audiences.  This week was the centennial of iconic jazz bassist Charles Mingus, and we celebrated the occasion with a pair of essays. Our colleague Nate Chinen wrote about how Mingus “was a uniquely American creation, and a bramble of contradictions” — and how racial protest was always woven into his music. And broadcaster and bass player Greg Bryant examined Mingus’ playing on a technical level — explaining how Mingus’ technique, timing and even the strings he used were powerfully instructive to Bryant when he came to pick up the instrument himself. Black women's contributions to pop music have long been erased or misunderstood. In a recent essay, writer Ashawnta Jackson explores how several recent books — including Danyel Smith's Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop, which came out this week — focus on these stories, offering a richer and more complete record of history. Plus, our friends at It’s Been A Minute spoke to Smith about writing Shine Bright and how the women she profiles in the book changed pop — and Smith’s life — forever. Bassist Stanley Clarke is the latest artist featured in Jazz Night in America’s series about 2022 NEA Jazz Masters. This week on Jazz Night, hear stories from his collaborators and travel through sonic landmarks in his storied career. Featuring This week on New Music Friday from All Songs Considered, hear our panel discuss Pusha T’s first new album in four years, plus space-rock from Spiritualized, a newly discovered live recording from Charles Mingus and more. Bonnie Raitt says she has long admired artists who continued to challenge themselves well into their careers. On her latest album, Just Like That…, she does the same, acknowledging the passage of time without surrendering to nostalgia. She spoke to WNXP’s Jewly Hight about the character-driven songs on her new album, the changing qualities of her voice and the courage it takes to lead a band. Listening to composer claire rousay’s music “often feels like experiencing the world through someone else's ears,” says writer Jonathan Williger. rousay’s latest album, everything perfect is already here, combines field recordings, ripples of synthesizer and melodies played on harp and keyboard. The result “gestures towards big feelings without fully succumbing to them,” Williger writes. Tiny Desk NPR S. Carey's music often evokes the comforts of home, so it only makes sense that the singer-songwriter performed his Tiny Desk (home) concert in his hometown of Eau Claire, Wis., surrounded by household appliances and a handful of his closest collaborators. His performance includes several songs from his latest album, Break Me Open, which Carey wrote in a period of deep introspection after his divorce and the death of his father. Also this week: Curren$y’s Tiny Desk (home) concert features three key elements that make the New Orleans rapper who he is: cars, weed and, of course, music. In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, Jazz Night host Christian McBride shared a playlist of his favorite Tiny Desks. Plus, we shared a compilation video featuring the 2022 Tiny Desk Contest community.  One More Thing 🎵 “You'll never find another like … millipede” 🎵 Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). Need a new playlist? 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