By Nilpferd
Wow, what a resounding response to last week's theme. As the echoes of melodic percussion slowly die away in my ears (no, that's not the door-bell) it's time to try and sum up a few impressions.
There seemed to be a clear division between instruments which remain more or less within a particular cultural framework (for example, the balafon) and those which have become ubiquitous across genres and cultures.
Of the latter instruments, I had completely underestimated quite how many different genres would turn out to feature the vibraphone, the xylophone, the glockenspiel and marimba.
These instruments have popped up in many places, but regardless of the decade they always seem to have had their own niche. Initially an equal of the piano in the development of small group jazz in the 1930s-40s, the vibraphone then featured in post-war film and TV soundtracks as an effective "mood maker". It snuck onto a surprising variety of mid-late 60s pop and rock releases, anchored Latin soul and salsa, roared back into jazz's fusion era in the 1970s, and was the melodic percussion of choice for 80s electro-poppers or avant-garde composers (next to the xylo/glock and the marimba in many cases). Diversifying into industrial and indie-rock it offered the perfect down tempo chill-out sound for the acid jazz and trip-hop movements of the 90s. Its fusion heyday was then rediscovered by samplers, and a new generation of jazz players took it into the millennium.
The A-list inevitably reflects this, being dominated by the standard vibraphone and its non-amplified cousins, although I've also tried to feature representatives of the other instrument groups as well.
The B-list should be seen as a continuum, particularly as it gets progressively more primal (in terms of the concept of musical hammering), gradually taking us back to the workshop.
Wildcard suggestions this week form a third list as I had a few too many.
The A-List Playlist:
The Supremes – Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart (AltraEgo)
Jack Ashford on Glockenspiel* for the Funk Brothers backing this stormer in what might be a nod to the classic Flying Home-era Lionel Hampton big band-vibes and a honking sax solo. Diana Ross on lead vocals and you may need to hammer a few loose floorboards back in after playing this one in your living room. (*my guess – sounds a little crisp for vibes.)
The Rolling Stones – Monkey Man (amylee)
Bill Wyman swings the hammers while Mick swings from tree to tree. Great sound depth with the vibes doubling up over a piano, and Keith adding slide guitar over his main riff. Points to the great vibes-guitar-drums-voice combo the Stones could have become.
XTC – Poor Skeleton Steps Out (ShivSidecar)
We needed a "shaking skeleton bones" track and this is it. The marimba apparently inspired Andy Partridge to write this song about a skeleton liberated from its surrounding body for a night out. Multi-tracked percussion and a bouncing bass line all do their best to keep the bones tottering along on their own.
Jaco Pastorius – Opus Pocus (Nicko)
Jaco loved steel drum and it's featured often in his discography. He also played them on occasion, but on this track Othello Molineaux and Leroy Williams do the honours. Wayne Shorter's soprano sax and Jaco's elastic pings wrap the tendons around another bones opus as our reanimated skeleton starts cutting some shapes.
Cults Percussion Ensemble – Autun Carillon (Vikingchild)
Exhilarating grand slam blend of percussion (glockenspiels, xylophones, vibraphones, marimba, plus timpani) featuring a young Evelyn Glennie, one of 11 mid-teen Aberdeen schoolgirls in an ensemble organised and orchestrated by percussion teacher Ron Forbes.
Ballaké Sissoko – Déli (Seth Miller)
Sissoko's kora is accompanied by fellow Malian Fassery Diabaté on Balafon, while bolon and n'goni players round out the ensemble. The balafon has a wonderfully rounded sound, its relaxed burble the perfect underpinning for the string instruments here.
The Triffids – Tarrilup Bridge (ParaMhor)
Chris Abrahams on vibes as the Triffids get seriously gothic, creating the perfect mood for Jill Birt's doomy vocal from beyond the grave.
Benny Goodman Quartet – Moonglow (Magicman)
One of the first great small groups in jazz. Lionel Hampton used a soft, shimmering sound on vibes for this evocative version of Moonglow, over which Goodman's clarinet soars.
Alain Romans – How is The Weather In Paris (TatankaYotanka)
Although vibraphones were often used on soundtracks to create moments of suspense, menace, or seduction, they could also express nostalgia and contentment, as in Alain Romans' perfect soundtrack to Jacques Tati's bittersweet holiday film (Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot). Vibes uncredited as far as I know.
Björk – Cover Me (George Boyland)
The hammered dulcimer is also frequently heard on soundtracks. Here, in the hands of Jim Couza, it creates a mood of otherworldly anticipation for Björk as she goes "hunting for mystery".
Analog Player's Society feat. Missia Saran Dioubate & Famoro Dioubate – Moula (Uncleben)
Guinean Famoro Dioubate on balafon, together with vocalist Missia Saran Dioubate and a group of NY session musicians. The balafon is beefed up with some reverb on the microphones in a more club-oriented setting, although it's still the same basic acoustic instrument.
Steve Reich – Music for 6 Marimbas (megadom)
A number of Reich's compositions have been written for or performed on hammered percussion but this is probably the essential one, even if it was a reworking of six pianos, taken down a semitone. The marimba offers the perfect blend of rhythm, sustain, and melody for Reich's hypnotic sonic mesh. So just relax and float away on a wave of hammered sound.
The B-List Playlist:
J.J. Jackson – But, It's Alright (AltraEgo)
The xylophone/glockenspiel solo is quite remarkable amongst the horns and guitars of this jazz fueled R&B hit.
Cal Tjader – Guajira En Azul (pejepeine)
Absolutely super groove to a latin-jazz classic.
Panic! At The Disco – I Write Sins, Not Tragedies (Loud Atlas)
My daughter made me learn the line about closing the goddamned door, so I've included the non-sanitised version. Xylophone surprising and very effective in the intro and quiet sections.
dEUS- Nothing really ends (swawilg)
As iconic as the saxophone in Careless Whisper, Tom Wouter's vibes carry the emotional weight and mood of this noirish ballad.
Pierre Moerlen's Gong – Expresso (megadom)
Jazz fusion project built around the Belgian multi-instrumentalist, here setting down a nice 10/4 groove on vibes (and drums) while Allan Holdsworth and Didier Malherbe solo on guitar and saxophone respectively.
A Hawk and a Hacksaw – Alexandria (Alaricmic)
Egypt expressively evoked by the hammered dulcimer of Jeremy Barnes, who doubles up on accordion. Heather Trost takes the bowed string instruments.
Violent Femmes – Gone Daddy Gone (happyclapper)
Not one but two xylophone solos here. Knock yourself out.
Marvin Suggs and the Muppophones – Lady of Spain (ajostu)
Knock yourself out again, literally. Things starting to get a little dark here. This is technically an a cappella performance (a cappella here means being hit on the head by a madman with a mallet).
Benestrophe – Dog Lab (saneshane)
We move further into darkness. Trigger warnings: Viruses, needles, animal cruelty.
Test Dept – Hunger (severin)
The hammering intensifies. You know you like it. Violence, desire, feed the fire.
Actually, I wonder if this track – or something similar – didn't inspire the anachronistic musical set piece in the first episode of Babylon Berlin.
Toni Perttula – Rauta/Iron (DiscoMonster)
Dialling back the darkness, but Toni Perttula takes us further into the industrial with a compelling blend of genuine forge percussion and digital accordion.
José Mercé – Martinete y Toná (Maki)
And we close in the most elemental fashion possible, back in the smithy, with a Martinete. José Mercé's voice accompanied only by hammer and anvil percussion.
Guru’s Wildcard Picks:
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Non-stop hits: music featuring instruments struck by hand-held hammers and mallets. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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