I just got back from my recital. Everyone in the recital played Liszt pieces, and I was the third (and, one of the two girls out of sixteen performers, also I was the only first-year). A lot of pressure.

The piano was really nice, though. I could have played the softest note and it would have still come out beautifully.

My legs seemed to be shaking uncontrollably, I have no idea why :( But at least it's over with...



^ One of the most incredible performances I've seen in a long while. A cello and a kora. It is like watching two instruments make love, but instead of love, it is music. This is what I'm talking about when I say that music is constantly unfolding. Just listen to how immaculately it enters your ears...

Vinicius Cantuária & Bill Frisell - Lágrimas Mexicanas

2011; 10 tracks

Bill Frisell and Vinicius Cantuária's Lágrimas Mexicanas epitomizes the junction of extraordinary musicians. Though the music of both artists have clear and distinct origins, their styles are complelementary. Through the combination of emotive rhythms and harmonies, and the mixture of classical and experimental sounds, the two artists have found the perfect mix of classical, jazz, and experimentalism.

As a guitarist, composer, and bandleader Bill Frisell is a recognized visionary talent in American music, best known for his innovative and improvisational guitar playing. The singer, guitarist and percussionist Vinicius Cantuária flawlessly merges the sounds of bossa nova with contemporary music, creating distinctive compositions and arrangements.

Having played together on many occasions during the past 25 years, Lágrimas Mexicanas is an opportunity to work together in a complete project.

When he came to New York from his home in Brazil, Cantuária discovered an amalgam of sounds from the streets of the city. What influenced him, particularly, was Hispanic diversity. Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Mexicans and many others were a rich multi-cultural collage. When these sounds filled the hearts and minds of Vinicius, he began writing Lágrimas Mexicanas in his apartment in Brooklyn.

Similar to the bossa nova movement of the 50s and 60s, Cantuária and Frisell's collaborative album merged Mexican traditional Latin rhythms with jazz improvisation methods. Bill understood the vision of Vinicius, and spontaneity inspired musical orchestration. While Vinicius wrote the lyrics in Portuguese, Spanish and English, both musicians went into the rhythm and together wrote the arrangements. At the heart of this album, Frisell and Cantuária demonstrate their ability: Frisell experimenting with arrangements and poetic lyrics whil Cantuária weaves the rhythms into motion. Together, these two great guitarists create a sublime, beautiful and accessible musical universe, one that will communicate a passionate sense of optimism, opportunity and hope.

Also, the title track fucking owns. I KNOW I've heard it in a movie at some point in time, but I have no idea which one! :(

Download.

Pogo - Texturebox

2010; 13 tracks

I have been extremely obsessed with Pogo lately. He is Nick Bertke, an an emerging electronic music artist in Perth, Western Australia known for his work recording small sounds from a single film or scene and sequencing them to form a new piece of music. Many of the clips are from old Disney movies from when I was a little kid. *sigh*

Texturbox is his only full-length, and consequently his most recent release. Every single song on here is fucking amazing.

try / buy