Search Results

Boston born saxophonist Charlie Mariano (November 12, 1923 – June 16, 2009) is one of those musicians who, although highly prolific and universally revered by all who are exposed to his work, remains almost unknown to the general public. This is a great shame - his music is as interesting and varied as many of his contemporaries and deserves it's place every jazz collection. The Guardian's Obituary is essential reading for those interested in Mariano's pedigree and extensive career, but for sunneversetsonmusic it was the sublime " Jyothi ", his 1983 ECM collaboration with the Karnataka College Of Percussion that drew our attention. The album is the perfect meeting of what The Guardian called "Mariano's haunting sound and frequent migration to a high, imploring register", and the vocal and musical traditions of the southern Indian state. Link to Spotify playlist , or click on the image above.

There's nothing else like it in the social calendar, that attracts artists of all stripes to produce their best (and sometimes worst) in a common cause that encompasses Advent, Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, Winter Solstace, Boxing Day, New Year and more. So here at sunneversetsonmusic we celebrate with the release of our third annual Christmas Playlist, alongside our Favourite Christmas Albums and Classical Christmas Albums playlists. Highlights this year include new Christmas albums or EP's from Samara Joy, Gregory Porter, Cher, Stax Records, Chris Isaak and more. Play album-by-album or shuffle. LINK TO 2023 HOLIDAY PLAYLIST LINK TO ALL CHRISTMAS PLAYLISTS

Popular musicians have been sounding the alarm for more than 60 years now - since Malvina Reynolds' 1962 satirical "Little Boxes", made popular the following year by folk singer Pete Seeger As world leaders prepared for Cop26 in Glasgow in October 2021, The Guardian's music critic Alexis Petridis published a soundtrack, with music ranging from Gojira’s metal fury to gorgeous environmental paeans by Childish Gambino, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell It's a few years old, but it's still a goof read - and an even greater listen. Here are the links - Read the full Guardian article The greatest climate crisis songs - ranked! Listen to Spotify Playlist The greatest climate crisis songs - ranked!

Sixto Rodriguez (July 10, 1942 – August 8, 2023), From Detroit, Sixto Rodriguez (who recorded as simply, Rodriguez), led one of the most remarkable lives and careers of all. A pair of early albums - 1970's Cold Fact and 1971's Coming from Reality - sold few copies in the US, failing to break into a market saturated with white, male, singer-songwriters. Dropped by his label Sussex, Rodriguez withdrew to live modestly, lifestyle, in a derelict house purchased for $50 at a government auction and working in construction, demolition and production line work. But by the mid-70's his albums were getting airplay in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa. When imported copies of his Sussex albums were sold out, an Australian record label, Blue Goose Music, bought the Australian rights to his recordings. Blue Goose released his two studio albums as well as a compilation album, At His Best, that featured unreleased recordings from 1973. The album went platinum in South Africa and Rodriguez was being compared to contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens. Rodriguez was also successful in Australia and performed two concert tours across the country in 1979 and 1981. In 1991, both of his albums were released on CD in South Africa for the first time, which helped preserve his fame. However, few details of his life were known to his fans and it was rumored that he had killed himself during a concert in the 1970s Despite his success abroad, Rodriguez's fame in South Africa had remained unknown to him until 1997 when his eldest daughter, Eva, came across a website dedicated to him. This became a catalyst for a career resurgence, with Rodriguez touring to festivals and sell out concerts in South Africa and Australia, and his songs being used in movie soundtracks and covered by other artists. He would enjoy even greater success in 2012, with the release of Searching for Sugar Man, an Oscar-winning documentary about his life and the South Africans’ quest to find him. The film won BAFTA and Academy Awards in 2013. Subsequently, Rodriguez appeared on the David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jools Holland shows, 60 Minutes and his touring schedule broadened to include Glastonbury and Montreux festivals Rodriguez toured the United States and Canada as recently as 2018. He headlined a tour in August 2018, ending with a hometown show at Detroit's Garden Theater. Rodriguez and the process of his rediscovery was the subject of a 2022 episode of Outlook on the BBC World Service. Link to Playlist Read more: Wikipedia Link to The Guardian Obituary

Carla Bley (born Lovella May Borg; May 11, 1936 – October 17, 2023) Carla Bley was an American jazz composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader and an important figure in the free jazz movement of the 1960s. She is perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator Over the Hill (released 1971 as a triple LP set), as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other artists, including Gary Burton, Jimmy Giuffre, George Russell, Art Farmer, John Scofield, and her ex-husband Paul Bley. In recent years she recorded a series of sublime albums for ECM, the most recent of which was (ironically, perhaps mischievously) entitled Life Goes On in 2020. Bley was a pioneer in the development of independent artist-owned record labels and recorded over two dozen albums from 1966. In an article published upon her death, Jazzwise noted that she loved to laugh. She thought it hugely funny when, on her first tour Europe of Europe, the audience pelted her and her band with fruit and the occasional bottle. Delighted, she said she started throwing it all back at the audience, and as her band joined in the melee she was in stitches. “It was so wonderfully funny,” she related, “It was like something out of Buster Keaton, those old black and white movies. Who else gets fruit thrown at them? I loved every moment.” Her sense of humour was, perhaps, one of the most misunderstood aspects of her music; a case in point, her 1977 track ‘Spangled Banner Minor and Other Patriotic Songs’ from The Carla Bley Band album took aim at nationalism. Po-faced critics called it “subversive,” “provocative,” or “avant garde.” It was hilarious. Link to SunNeverSetsOnMusic's "Celebrate Carla Bley" playlist

As he has done so well, so many time before, Paul Kelly captures the essence of the moment. IF NOT NOW It’s a splinter in the mind, a whisper in the heart A feeling something’s missing, some crucial little part It’s business that’s unfinished, a reckoning that’s due If not now, then when? If not us, then who? It’s a simple proposition to join the new and old A chance to make our country larger in its soul It’s an invitation offered to set our course anew If not now, then when? If not us, then who? How long can we keep walking with this stone in our shoe? If not now, then when? If not us, then who? We may never get another chance like this again If not us, then who? If not now, then when Too many falling far behind, shut out of the deal If you called and no-one heard you, imagine how you’d feel This land was never given, it was taken and then sold But its ancient songs and stories are a gift greater than gold The status quo is busted, let’s stop kicking that old can If not us, then who? If not now, then when? It’s business that’s unfinished, high time to see it through If not now, then when? If not us, then who?

SunNeverSetsOnMusic supports YES23, while celebrating the diverse excellence of Australia's indigenous musicianship. All selections from 2022-2023! Artists represented include Ngulmiya, William Barton, Bumpy, King Stingray, Charlie Needs Braces, Jess Hitchcock, Jem (and Troy) Cassar-Daley, Thelma Plum, Mo'Ju, Miiesha, Aodhan, Robert K Champion, Ziggy Ramo, KIAN, Budjerah, Aachem, Tasman Keith, Yirrmal, Electric Fields, Andrew Gurruwiwi, Izy, Pirritu, Emma Donovan, Aimee Hannan, Loren Ryan and many, many more. There's a mix of albums, EP's and singles and a wide range of approaches from the spiritual to the profane, folk to hip-hop, country to urban. Select your favourite artists, discover new treasures or shuffle-play and enjoy! PLAYLIST LINK HERE OR ON LOGO

YUSSEF DAYES is a tour-de-force behind the drums. Widely recognised as one of the most electrifying live performers of his generation - an exhilarating performer who combines technical prowess, intensity and emotion, leaving audiences in no doubt as to the role of rhythm in channelling spiritual energy. It's over four years since Dayes released his last studio solo album " What Kinda Music ", but he's been very busy in the years since then and his new release " Black Classical Music " is due in September. In the meantime, for the first four tracks from the new album and all the other releases and collaborations in between - there's a playlist for that: Youssef Dayes Recent Releases & Collaborations

SunNeverSetsOnMusic prefers not to wallow in nostalgia but, as an exception, I recall how even in my teens, my musical interests were already broad-based and embracing folk, blues, jazz, "world" and classic rock, and open to more. Influence(r)s at that time included ABC radio's "Room To Move", TV's "GTK" and the vinyl collection at the house of my friends Doc and Jim. Listen to complete Spotify playlist " Banyan Street, 1972 "

For those who have ever had the pleasure and privilege of attending the annual Gnaoua festival in the Moroccan coastal city of Essaouira, it is an experience never to be forgotten. The festival not only showcases the mesmerizing mystical music and dance of the Gnaoua traditions, but also attracts jazz, pop, rock and folk artists from around the world, many forming one-off collaborations on the numerous sound stages and other venues throughout the city, invigorating the tradition and expanding their own musical journeys. For those who are unable to attend attend this year (and even those who can, but want even more Gnaoua when the stages are quiet), here's a playlist mad up of most of the artists scheduled to perform this year. I hope you enjoy - and look forward to joining you in Essaouira again in the future, In sha'Allah! To enjoy the playlist - link HERE or click on the poster!

This week we celebrate NAIDOC Week (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Organising Committee) with a playlist from 2022/2023 that highlights the diverse excellence of Australia's indigenous musicianship. Artists represented include Ngulmiya, William Barton, Bumpy, King Stingray, Charlie Needs Braces, Jess Hitchcock, Jem (and Troy) Cassar-Daley, Thelma Plum, Mo'Ju, Miiesha, Aodhan, Robert K Champion, Ziggy Ramo, KIAN, Budjerah, Aachem, Tasman Keith, Yirrmal, Electric Fields, Andrew Gurruwiwi, Izy, Pirritu, Emma Donovan, Aimee Hannan, Loren Ryan and many, many more. There's a mix of albums, EP's and singles and a wide range of approaches from the spiritual to the profane, folk to hip-hop, country to urban. Select your favourite artists, discover new treasures or shuffle-play and enjoy! PLAYLIST LINK HERE OR ON LOGO

The question to be put to the Australian people at the 2023 referendum will be: “A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?” The proposed law that Australians are being asked to approve at the referendum would insert a new section into the Constitution: "Chapter IX Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia: There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice; The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.” Background By all measures, the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians has deteriorated progressively for 250 years. Beginning as a British penal experiment, colonisation of "New Holland"disrupted a proud ancient culture and failed to recognise and respect the knowledge and practices that sustained indigenous society, in a fragile symbiosis with the land, for 60 millenia. Colonial, Federal, State and Local governments treated Indigenous Australians and the natural environment as expendable commodities, by equating "progress" with the value of produce for export, first to the Homeland (remember, all Australians remained British Citizens until 1948) and subsequently, to the highest bidder. For Indigenous Australians, equality under the law (has and still) advances slowly: 1962: Federal right to vote for Aboriginals 1967: Aboriginals included in Commonwealth Census 1972: Self-determination adopted as policy for Indigenous people, 1975: First land returned to native title, Racial Discrimination Act. 1976 - 1993: Aboriginal Land Rights Acts (States) to Native Title Act (Federal), 1997: Stolen Generations Report, PM Howard makes personal, not Government, apology. 1998: Native Title Amendment Act (seen by many to reduce native title rights) 1999: Howard Government's Preamble Referendum (" honouring Aborigines [sic] and Torres Strait Islanders, the nation’s first people, for their deep kinship with their lands and for their ancient and continuing cultures which enrich the life of our country") fails. It offered only symbolic recognition, lacked wide consultation and failed to gain support of a majority of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians - a clear lesson for future referendums. 2007: Howard Government's Northern Territory "Intervention" 2008: PM Rudd 'Sorry' apology to the Stolen Generations. 2008: Yolngu and Bininj Leaders "Statement of Intent" to PM 2010: PM Gillard plans to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution; The Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is established. 2023: PM Albanese election promise of Constitutional Recognition in first term of Government Opposition Opponents of the Voice claim that there's insufficient detail to decide, that it will subvert Australian Democracy by offering Indigenous Australians "two votes", that it constitutes a "Third Chamber" of Parliament, that it will result in a flood of (unspecified) litigation to the High Court, that it should advise Parliament but not Executive Government; that it should Regional, not Federal and that it's scope is too broadly defined. These claims are demonstrably false or misleading. Self-determination of Indigenous Australians has been Government policy for half a century. The Voice provides a meaningful avenue to satisfying this Human Right. The Voice is constituted as an "advisory" instrument: it remains the Parliament & Executive Government's responsibility to prepare and legislate. Various models for the Voice have already been developed, but agreement upon a "fully detailed" (i.e. final) model for the Voice is planned to occur after the Referendum. If the proposed law is approved at the referendum, there will be a process with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the Parliament, and the broader public to settle the Voice design. Legislation to establish the Voice will then go through standard parliamentary processes to ensure adequate scrutiny by elected representatives in both houses of Parliament. In reality, the proposed Voice is already the outcome of one of the longest and most consultative processes in memory. This process has been exhaustively documented. It is disingenuous of anyone involved to claim otherwise. Design Principles The following principles were developed by the First Nations Referendum Working Group and endorsed by the Australian Government. The Voice will give independent advice to the Parliament and Government The Voice will be chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on the wishes of local communities The Voice will be representative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, gender balanced and include youth The Voice will be empowering, community-led, inclusive, respectful and culturally informed The Voice will be accountable and transparent The Voice will work alongside existing organisations and traditional structures The Voice will not have a program delivery function The Voice will not have a veto power. Conclusion The only reasonable response is "YES". To support the status quo is to prolong injustices since Colonisation of Australia. Vote "Yes" to give Indigenous Australians the chance to be heard. Further Reading Anybody seeking sufficient information should check following sources. The Uluru Statement The Uluru Statement home page is www.ulurustatement.org a beautifully put together site that explains the full history of the community consultation that has already taken place, includes full details of what's proposed, a comprehensive history of the 12 Regional Dialogues and downloadable copies of the 10 reports to Government in a process that dates back to 2008, when Yolngu and Bininj Leaders expressed their desire for constitutional protection for traditional land and cultural rights, in the form of a Statement of Intent to Prime Minister - the same year Kevin Rudd made formal apology to Indigenous Australia. NDIA / NIAA The National Indigenous Australians Agency website has a succinct summary of the proposed legislation and links to relevant documentation. The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) is leading preparation for the referendum through First Nations engagement, coordination across the Australian Public Service and supporting government processes. Yes Case Support Groups in the Community The Albanese Government has drafted the proposed Referendum Question, but reluctant to lead the campaign, or to fund Yes and No cases. Instead (with a recent electoral mandate to legislate) it will fund a public education campaign that promotes the referendum itself (an approach that has been criticised as partisan). The Government will relying on community-funded groups, especially those in the Indigenous Community, to lead the public discussion. This may be argued to be consistent with a philosophy of empowering Indigenous Australians (bottom-up), rather than perpetuating of paternalistic (top-down) models of leadership. The Uluru Dialogue Created in 2017, the Uluru Dialogue is a collective of academics and lawyers based at the University of New South Wales. Yes23 Funded by Australia’s largest philanthropic organisation, the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Yes23 is supported by Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition (AICR) - co-chair Rachael Perkins. Together, Yes Together, Yes is a campaign by the Victorian Women’s Trust as Trustee of the Dugdale Trust for Women & Girls a proudly independent feminist organisation established in 1985, to support women, girls and gender diverse people. Uphold and Recognise Uphold and Recognise was founded in 2015 by Damien Freeman, a lawyer at the PM Glynn Institute at the Australian Catholic University, and Julian Leeser, who is now the Coalition spokesperson on Indigenous Australians. From the Heart Launched in 2020, From the Heart operates under the auspices of the Cape York Institute, Noel Pearson’s thinktank in north Queensland. (No website available). The Parliamentary Friends of the Uluru Statement. Launched on 13 February, this “non-partisan forum” is co-chaired by Labor’s Gordon Reid, Liberal Bridget Archer and independent Allegra Spender. (No website available). Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition (AICR) is a powerhouse organisation of prominent Australians co-chaired by the lawyer and director of the Business Council of Australia, Danny Gilbert, and Arrernte-Kalkadoon film-maker Rachel Perkins. (No website available).