11.11.2008
Flowers of Evil
Yvette Mimieux / Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Flowers of Evil LP (Connoisseur Society, 1968)
Somewhere along the vinyl time line, the spoken word music album died - not that it was a very rich sub-genre to start with. Though there might have been some classical music/poetry albums that preceded them, my first encounter with spoken word and music records were the Kenneth Rexroth/Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Kenneth Patchen poetry/jazz albums released in the late Fifties. Not only were my first listen to such records, but some of the first things that made me understand poetry. Since then, I've picked up nearly anything that mixes poetry and music. One of my favorite is today's featured album. Here the French actress Yvette Mimieux and Indian master musicians Ali Akbar Khan and Mahapurush Misra take on Charles Baudelaire's classic Flowers of Evil. Flowers of Evil is one of the highlights of French literature, as great set of poems that you should be able to find at any decent bookstore. This record, not so easy. For years I've owned a beat up copy, one that I've been tempted to throw up here, but with this kind of stuff, surface noise is to be avoided and the noise on that record was enough that it could be the fourth participant. Over the weekend, I found a nice clean copy for ten bucks. Not a bargain bin price but still affordable...and clean enough to warrant a post.
# posted by Scott Soriano : 19:42
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Lots of Kenneth Rexroth material is online at http://www.bopsecrets.org/rexroth , including two essays about Baudelaire and links to some of his poetry/jazz readings.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Scott, after four years, your blog continues to rule. I'm currently looking for a particular 45 of Larry Ellis and the Black Hammer's "Funky Thing" and The Five's "I Don't Care if It Rains All Night." I found these songs on links thru yr site a couple of years ago, but I've since lost the mp3s and now can't find the downloads. Anyway, they're both good songs. A version of the Larry Ellis joint is available for 99 cents on amazon.com, but it's not the same version I heard off a 45 on one of the sites you've linked to. If only I could find that site!
Thanks. I am guessing the link was to Funky 16 Corners or Garage Hangover.
They are still in the links list to the side, under Specialists.
They are still in the links list to the side, under Specialists.
nerds, we listened to WCPAEB & kenneth rexroth lps in the high school library basement...
IN YOUR GODDAMN BROOKS BROTHERS SUIT!
... has stuck with me all these years.
IN YOUR GODDAMN BROOKS BROTHERS SUIT!
... has stuck with me all these years.
Thanks man. Found The Five track at Garage Hangover; the Larry Ellis & the Black Hammer track I finally found buried at http://www.tradebit.com/director.php?file=pub/8/Funky-Thing--Pt.-1-.mp3&user=scheme05.
Both are totally worth checking out, the Ellis/Black Hammer joint is SLAMMIN. If you haven't heard them before. Have good weekendings!
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Both are totally worth checking out, the Ellis/Black Hammer joint is SLAMMIN. If you haven't heard them before. Have good weekendings!
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