I Hear a New World- Paving the Road to Acceptance and Resolution

As I sit here all warm and cozy inside my four-walled world, heat cranked up to the max on this blustery night, I feel like giving thanks for some fundamental things in my life. I am thankful that I don't have to sleep on a downtown street corner in the bitter cold , that I have the love of a beautiful woman, clothes to wear, medicine to keep me healthy and especially that I have amazing friends and family who are there to help me through the challenges that life poses for me each and every day. Most importantly, I am thankful that I am living and breathing today, because not everyone is so fortunate.

In the past month, the music world has lost three stellar musicians: Hubert Sumlin, Howard Tate and Sam Rivers.

Hubert Sumlin, the masterful guitar player for Howlin' Wolf's band, died of heart failure in a hospital in New Jersey at the age of 80 on December 4th. He left behind a musical legacy that will never be surpassed, and his signature playing style has influenced mutliple generations of blues guitarists. 

Howard Tate was one of the most underrated soul singers from the 60's who never gained the popularity that he rightfully deserved. Recently, on December 2nd, Howard Tate died from complications of multiple myeloma and leukemia at the age of 72. His powerful singing voice combined soulfulness with a piercing falsetto that could bring tears to the listener's eyes, and his music will resonate with us for quite some time.

Last, multi-instrumentalist jazz musician Sam Rivers passed away at the age of 88 on Dec 26th due to complications with pneumonia. Those of you who are not familiar with Sam Rivers seriously need to check out his early straight ahead Blue Note recordings as well as his free jazz explorations on the four Impulse albums from the mid 70's. All three of these artists contributed to the music industry in myriad ways and they will all be sorely missed.

Along with the passing of these three consummate musical artists comes the end of the life for Timbuktunes, Portland's premier record store dedicated primarily to international music. I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the proprietor Andy for fighting the good fight as long as he could muster it.  Since the store could no longer afford to keep operations going, Andy decided to make it's final day of business on New Year's Eve. During it's last week of operation, I paid a visit to Timbuktunes and purchased a stack of CD's ranging from afrobeat and Angola prison worksongs to global psychedelic funk and Bollywood pop.

The latest edition of I Hear a New World is available to listen to here, and to listen\download at http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/.

This podcast is dedicated to Timbuktunes and it's proprietor Andy, and it features a mix of songs from the CD's I purchased during that store's last week of business. I wish the best for Andy and I hope that he is able to pursue some other musical venture that warms his spirit in the future.

I would love to hear what you think of this week's podcast, so please give me a shout in the comments.

Paving the Road to Acceptance and Resolution

1) Henry Flynt- The Snake- 3:40
2) Owanda Wa Agola- Ahenda- 3:22
3) Kamal Ahmed feat Noor Jehan- Yeh Raat Jane Keya Keya- 3:05
4) Ayalew Mesfin-Menew Begerebegn- 3:49
5) Group Doueh- Zayna Jumma- 4:30
6) Rob- Funky Rob Way- 6:15
7) Plearn Promdan- Kosok Tee Det- 3:42
8) Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex- Che Belew Shellela- 4:50
9) Petalouda- What You Can Do In Your Life- 3:57
10) Roosevelt Charles- Let My People Go- 3:48

Hope you are all starting the year on the right foot!