Last Libretto Music

I've wanted to start a record label for a long time. So I did. Certain things have coalesced around me to make this possible: good working relationships with musicians, the maturation of digital platforms, my own technical and digital marketing skills, my knowledge of the music industry particularly in the digital era; and so it seemed like an obvious next step up from what I was already doing for a few friends.

My label is called Last Libretto. It's a nod to the band my father was in as a young New Zealander, The Librettos (my son actually came up with the label name). I'm starting out by helping Auckland artists with digital releases via Bandcamp or Soundcloud; I create press releases and contact bloggers, I get the ISRC codes (International Standard Recording Code), and I help with the promotion and digital marketing, as well as the distribution to streaming services. I've found that while bands can do a lot of this themselves these days, it can be a lot of work, and there's a lot of specialist skills involved that I've acquired over the years but that many haven't got the time, or inclination to develop themselves. 

The first release for Last Libretto will be skinriddletestament in a few days time by Waiheke artist Bede Taylor, with hopefully more to come soon after that. Check out the page I've made for the label - http://lastlibretto.tumblr.com and get in touch if you're interested in what we're doing.  

Happy 80th Willie Nelson!!

Well after all the obituaries we've had around here of late it's great to be able to celebrate a good ol' birthday. Happy birthday to Willie Nelson who turned 80 years old today. Here's a fairly new one by Willie ... a new gospel song as he says, called "Roll me up and smoke me when I die" which is also the name of his new autobiography, memoirs, musings.

RIP George Jones

"The Possum" has died. From gritty Texas honky tonks to the glitzy country of Nashville George Jones had the golden voice that most could only envy. During his fiery marriage to Tammy Wynette in the 1970's the couple became "Mr. and Mrs. Country Music" and toured extensively, but their tempestuous relationship was marked by alcohol abuse and even gunplay, and ended after six years mostly due to Jones' alcoholism.

Throughout his long career, Jones made headlines often as much for tales of his extreme drinking, stormy relationships with women, and violent rages as much as for his prolific career of making records and touring and this wild lifestyle led to Jones missing many performances, earning him the nickname "No Show Jones."

As Waylon Jennings once said though, "If we could all sing like we wanted to, we'd all sing like George Jones."

RIP Ritchie Havens

Ritchie Havens, who famously opened the '69 Woodstock Festival with a 3 hour long set, has died of a heart attack in New Jersey. He was 72.

Scrapper Blackwell

Francis Hillman "Scrapper" Blackwell was an exceptional guitar player who's single-note picking style anticipated the electric blues of the '40s and '50s. He was a self-taught guitarist, building his first guitar out of cigar boxes, wood and wire. Known for being withdrawn and hard to work with, Blackwell established a rapport with pianist Leroy Carr, whom he met in Indianapolis in the mid-1920s, creating a productive working relationship. Carr convinced Blackwell to record with him for the Vocalion label in 1928; the result was "How Long, How Long Blues", the biggest blues hit of that year.

Blackwell also made solo recordings for Vocalion, including "Kokomo Blues" which was transformed into "Old Kokomo Blues" by Kokomo Arnold before being redone as "Sweet Home Chicago" one of Robert Johnson's most famous recordings.

Blackwell's last recording session with Carr was in 1935  but the recording session ended badly with both musicians leaving the studio mid-session and on bad terms, stemming from payment disputes. Two months later Carr died due to heavy drinking. Blackwell recorded a tribute to Carr ("My Old Pal Blues") before retiring from the music industry. He returned to the music industry in 1958 and was ready to resume his blues career when he was shot and killed during a mugging in an Indianapolis alley. He was 59 years old. Although the crime remains unsolved, police arrested his neighbour at the time for the murder. Blackwell is buried in New Crown Cemetery, Indianapolis.

Jack White's Voice-o-Graph debuts on Record Store Day

On Saturday, April 20th (Record Store Day), Jack White and Third Man Records are unveiling their Third Man Recording Booth, a refurbished 1947 Voice-o-Graph machine that records up to 2 minutes of audio and dispenses a one-of-a-kind 6" phonograph disc to the user. The Voice-o-Graph machine was an arcade staple through the middle of the 20th century but fell out of vogue in the 1960s and 70s. Like the records of old, users of the Third Man Recording Booth are encouraged to mail their recording to a loved one.

The Third Man Recording Booth is apparently the only machine of its kind in the world that is both operational and open to the public.

Read more at the Third Man Records site.

Dan Auerbach produces Bombino's "Nomad" album

 

Tuareg guitarist and singer Omara “Bombino” Moctar has recorded an album with producer Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, called "Nomad" on Nonesuch Records. Bombino and his band traveled to Nashville to record in Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound in Nashville.

Moctar was born and raised in Niger and is a member of the Tuareg Ifoghas tribe, a nomadic people descended from the Berbers of North Africa; for centuries they have fought against colonialism and the imposition of strict Islamic rule.

This is African blues with a Nashville touch.