‘western’ musics – Pelican Yoga

Zebra finches at waterhole (#15 in SA/NT “outback” single image teaser series + suitably fleet musical bonus)

Published July 11, 2023 by Pelidoug

Zebra finches at waterhole (#15 in SA/NT “outback” single image teaser series + suitably fleet musical bonus)

This post’s photo is far-from-perfect.

Nonetheless, I think/hope it conveys a sense of just how fleet-and-flurrying (and splashy) is the to-and-fro of zebra finches at a drinking/bathing “station”.

In arid regions such “stations” can themselves appear and vanish, very rapidly.

The pictured pool sat at the base of the eastern wall of Jessie Gap on 14 June 2023. (photo is copyright Doug Spencer. Jessie Gap is a short drive from Alice Springs)

Musically, I agree with the listener who suggested that if J.S. Bach had heard Chris Thile play, there’d be a set of Bach mandolin suites.

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3.5 amazing hours, Namib Desert (final episode, with musical bonus)

Published April 18, 2023 by Pelidoug

3.5 amazing hours, Namib Desert (final episode, with musical bonus)

The featured image looks north/ish, to the silhouetted edge of the Namib’s “sand sea”, circa 40 kilometres east of Sossusvlei.

I took the photo at 7.37 pm – Sossusvlei’s sunset time on 21 November 2022.

This little series’ final image was captured 7 minutes later.

Had I had available the necessary time and technology, I would then have loved to listen to a particularly sublime musical creation which I first heard in 1989, and which amazes and inspires me, still.

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Oft-encountered “8” – butterfly, with musical bonus (#17 in series of single-image south India series)

Published March 28, 2023 by Pelidoug

Oft-encountered “8” – butterfly, with musical bonus (#17 in series of single-image south India series)

South India’s large terrestrial mammals hog the limelight, but its insects, amphibians, birds and reptiles are equally worthy of appreciative human attention.

The non-mammals offer an enormously higher number of individuals and species, with a mind-bogglingly diverse array of shapes and colours.

Butterflies abound.

The pictured individual is a member of this region’s (probably) most oft-sighted butterfly species.

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Revelatory covers (#23 in series – Brad Mehldau plays The Beatles)

Published February 1, 2023 by Pelidoug

Imagine (no, not that song) this:

The Tardis delivers a very surprised J.S Bach into the present day, with no briefing.

He finds himself seated at an interesting “new” keyboard – a grand piano.

Atop it is a device, pre-loaded with a diverse selection of music/s from the second half of the 20th century.

He is given absolutely no “background information”.

The printed instruction to him says, “press button to listen to these pieces, then improvise upon whichever one most pleases you”

JSB is intrigued by I Am The Walrus.

Q: what would he do with/to it?

A: perhaps, something like what you are about to hear….

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Footprints: literally, mostly (with musical bonus)

Published January 8, 2023 by Pelidoug

Footprints: literally, mostly (with musical bonus)

This post’s actual footprints come from bears in Alaska, birds on the Indian subcontinent and continental Australia, a Tasmanian wombat, and humans in an African desert and Australian suburbia.

The musical bonus is courtesy of one of the greatest jazz musicians – equally so as composer, virtuoso instrumentalist and inspired improviser.

There’s also a metaphorical footnote which involves New Zealand’s largest farm…

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“Ugly Beauty” – warthogs rule, ok? (#13 in Namibia single-image series, with musical bonus)

Published December 15, 2022 by Pelidoug

“Ugly Beauty” – warthogs rule, ok? (#13 in Namibia single-image series, with musical bonus)

Arguably, this particular oxymoron nicely describes Phacochoerus africanus – the common warthog.

Ugly Beauty is also the title of an unequivocally beautiful composition by one of jazz’s greatest composers.

This post’s kneeling hero was neither injured, nor pious, and although the fire in this image was part of a lovely dinner experience, warthog was not on the menu.

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Revelatory covers (#22 in series – Jerry Jeff sings Guy)

Published June 30, 2022 by Pelidoug

Revelatory covers (#22 in series – Jerry Jeff sings Guy)

The opening couplet from Guy Clark’s “Old Time Feeling”:

And that old time feelin’ goes sneakin’ down the hall

Like an old grey cat in winter, keepin’ close to the wall

As it happens, just a few days after the recent winter solstice, I happened upon an old grey cat who was keeping close to a wall…but, more crucially, taking advantage of the steps in front of it.

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Hope

Published January 28, 2022 by Pelidoug

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all…

So begins a justly celebrated poem by Emily Dickinson.

In this post “hope” is viewed through photographic, musical and poetic “lenses”.

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Deep Time, Geology, Parting…beautifully spare music…

Published December 18, 2021 by Pelidoug

Deep Time, Geology, Parting…beautifully spare music…

..from Scotland, with a connection to Margaret Atwood.

Even rocks melt in the sun

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Revelatory Covers (#21 in series – special bumper edition)

Published August 9, 2021 by Pelidoug

Revelatory Covers (#21 in series – special bumper edition)

This post includes my favourite cover of a wistful, very famous Johnny Cash song, and a singular version of a less famous, more urgent song, authored by Stuart Adamson.

Both are “live” performances.

Darrell Scott is their American singer-guitarist, Danny Thompson their English double bassist.

And that’s not all…

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Category: ‘western’ musics