Author Archives: urbangraffito

About urbangraffito

I am a writer, editor, publisher, philosopher, and foole (not necessarily in that order). Cultural activist and self-described anarchist.

Sunday Big Note – Listening Session #9

As I chose today’s Sunday Big Note Listening Session, I was struck at how, over time, the details of many of these concerts and broadcasts are either lost or omitted by successive trader, poster, torrenter. Venue. Date. Location. Line-up. Important … Continue reading

Posted in Alumni, Jean-Luc Ponty, Music, Sunday Big Note | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Women Drummers – The Black Page

Once considered a boy’s only club, more and more women are taking up the drums as an instrument of choice – such as Lucy Landymore* (above) who performs Frank Zappa’s “The Black Page Drum Solo”, as well as Heather Thomas … Continue reading

Posted in Frank Zappa, FZcovers, Miscellany, Music, YouTubery | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

KUR’s Vinnie Colaiuta Primer Mix

Back on November 26th, 2010, I suggested the idea of a Vinnie Colaiuta inspired mixtape. Little did I know at that time the actual extent of Colaiuta’s extensive recordings. Although he only played with Zappa from Spring 1978 to Fall … Continue reading

Posted in Alumni, Frank Zappa, Music | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

Sunday Big Note – Listening Session #8

For as long as I have been a Zappa/Mother‘s freak – going four decades strong and showing no evidence of slowing down – almost every fan of Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention I’ve encountered has also been a … Continue reading

Posted in Frank Zappa, Miscellany, Music, Sunday Big Note | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Sunday Big Note – Listening Session #7

I had a completely different artist in mind for this week’s listening session before the sad, untimely passing of poet, painter, musician and all round iconoclast, Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart).

Posted in Alumni, Captain Beefheart, Sunday Big Note | Tagged | 13 Comments

Beautiful & Heartbreaking – Vliet Recites Poetry, 1993

Both beautiful and heartbreaking, Don Van Vliet recites his offbeat poetic lyrics:

Posted in Captain Beefheart, YouTubery | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Sunday Big Note – Listening Session #6

For this week’s Sunday Big Note, I’ve got a fantastic gem of a listening session in store – a soundboard of Wishone Ash from 1976. Although short (approximately one hour in length), the sound quality is excellent, and the performance, … Continue reading

Posted in Miscellany, Music, Sunday Big Note, YouTubery | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mike Miller Quintet – Live At The Baked Potato, 2008

Mike Miller, known around Los Angeles as a guitarist’s guitarist, along with the rest of the Mike Miller Quintet – Jimmy Johnson, Chad Wackerman, Walt Fowler, and Albert Wing – performed a live set at Los Angeles’ The Baked Potato … Continue reading

Posted in Alumni, Miscellany, Music, YouTubery | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Sunday Big Note – Listening Session #5

From the very start, Led Zeppelin was a band whose essential ingredients were a ”crushingly loud interpretation of the blues”, “heavy, guitar-driven blues-rock sound”, a style that crossed many music genres, and their unbound male sexuality. It pulsed beneath the … Continue reading

Posted in Music, Personal, Sunday Big Note | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Gentle Giant’s “Funny Ways” – Brussels, 1974

A little something special for all you aficionados of Gentle Giant music. “Funny Ways” is the second track from Gentle Giant‘s debut album of the same name released in 1970. Vocals were provided mostly by Phil Shulman, with Derek Shulman … Continue reading

Posted in Interview, Miscellany, Music, YouTubery | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments