Third Coast Percussion – Madeira River
An evening pause: This music by Philip Glass, seems quite appropriate for December.
Hat tip Doug Johnson.
Category: The Evening Pause
A nightly pause from the news to give the reader/viewer a bit of classic entertainment.
Lidija Bacic Lille – Stop
Sam Cox – The Doodle House
An evening pause: Apparently it took two years to make this video, painting the house along the way. More information here.
Hat tip Cotour.
Why We Fight: The Nazis Strike
An evening pause: For tonight, the anniversary of the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, I think this documentary created by Frank Capra for the U.S. government in 1943 is most appropriate.
Though created to rally Americans to the war effort, the film is not propaganda. It is a remarkably accurate telling of the history leading up to Pearl Harbor in detailing how Hitler was able to gain control of almost all of Europe, through lies, force, and the weak-kneed opposition of his opponents. Only with Soviet Russia and its secret pact with Germany to divide up Poland does the film fail to tell the facts thoroughly, but here it fails by omission, not lies. In the end, however, it is accurate, because the Soviet Union’s pact, intended to bring it security from German invasion, failed. Hitler had lied once again, and the U.S.S.R. became only another victim of his greed for power.
It is worthwhile for Americans to watch it now, because the same lies and greed for power is eating away at our own country from within. Any honest open-minded viewing of this mid-20th century history cannot help but see the parallels.
I should add that Capra knew how to make movies, and he made sure this history was told in a riveting and compelling manner. You will not be bored.
Reitze Smits – J.S. Bach’s Passacaglia in C minor
An evening pause: Performed live November 29th 2013 at the Lutheran Church, The Hague. There is something hypnotic about this. Watch and try to distinguish the different melodic lines produced by his feet vs his fingers.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Sara Evans – No Place That Far
Fieldsports Britain – Rat removal using dogs
An evening pause: Best to play this with the captions on, considering the thick accents. As noted on the youtube webpage:
Andy Crow is clearing the barn of straw which has become home to lots and lots of rats – and he wants them off the farmyard. As a final effort to get rid of as many as possible Andy has enrolled the help of a couple of terriers, a lurcher and a lab/springer cross. As he moves the bales the dogs and sticks start flying.
Hat tip Diane Zimmerman.
Allison Williams – Nature Boy
An evening pause: The producers of this video, VideosRecordedLive, describe this as music used as the theme for the television show, Mad Men, to which they added lyrics from a Nat King Cole song. However, Annie Haslam performed this song with these lyrics as far back as 1997.
No matter. They do a beautiful job.
Hat tip Wayne Devette.
Haley Reinhart – Creep
Deepest underground structures
An evening pause: This is not a complete list, as it leaves out some very deep caves and mines that I myself have actually visited, but it truly does provide a sense of scale. It also mixes artificial structures with natural features.
Hat tip Cotour.
Alice In Wonderland – I’m Late
An evening pause: This pause is my apology for forgetting to schedule something tonight. Pauses shall resume as normal tomorrow.
Lucy Thomas – Hallelujah
An evening pause: A brilliant simple cover of the Leonard Cohen song. Seems right to start the holiday season, right after Thanksgiving.
Hat tip Dan Morris.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
An evening pause: As Linus most correctly notes, “Ours is the first country in the world to make a national holiday to give thanks,” and then adds, in saying grace before the dinner:
In the year 1621, the Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving feast. They invited the great Indian chief Massasoit, who brought ninety of its brave Indians and a great abundance of food. Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Standish were honored guests. Elder William Brewster, who was a minister, said a prayer that went something like this: “We thank God for our homes and our food, and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice.”
Accurate and well put. Keep Brewster’s prayer in mind the next time someone tries to slander the U.S.
Charo – Malagueña
An evening pause: For Americans, Charo is mostly known as a buxom crazy comic. Few know she is also considered a world class flamenco guitarist, having won awards.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Dick Cavett – Burt Lancaster in the circus
An evening pause: This interview of Burt Lancaster on the Dick Cavett Show took place on July 21, 1969 (the day after Neil Armstrong took that first step on the Moon).
I could not help noting how humble and gracious Lancaster seemed. He might have been one of the world’s most charismatic actors, but he surely did not appear full of himself. The second part of this interview can be watched here.
Hat tip Cotour.
Kathia Buniatishvili – Debussy’s Claire de Lune
An evening pause: Isn’t it amazing how one person’s fingers, making music, can hold an audience of thousands in utter silence.
Hat tip Dan Steele.
Clara Cernat & Thierry Huillet – Monti Csardas
An evening pause: Stay with it. If you don’t recognize the title you will definitely recognize the music.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
The Highwaymen – Loving Her Was Easier
Heart – Crazy On You
Joe Bonamassa – Boogie Woogie Woman
The Allman Brothers – One Way Out
An evening pause: Performed live at the Fillmore East in NYC in 1971. Fuzzy and rough, but also a bit of rock ‘n roll history.
Hat tip Dan Steele.
The Battle of Samar
An evening pause: For Veterans Day, a story about the men who in World War II risked their lives and died to make it possible for freedom to reign for the next three-quarters of a century.
Hat tip Mike Nelson. For a much longer and more detailed documentary describing this battle, go here.
Poulenc – Trio for piano, oboe and bassoon
An evening pause: The players are Henri Sigfridsson, Rachel Bullen and Etienne Boudreault. The music is late 20th century classical. Though this can sometimes be grating, this piece is quite comparable in sound and melody to a lot of great 20th century art rock. And the instruments are unusual, the playing is grand, and it definitely gives us some variety.
Hat tip Diane Zimmerman.
Andy Kim – Rock Me Gently
An evening pause: Performed live in 2019, when he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Hat tip Dan Morris.
Taylor Davis – Nostalgia
The Beths – Expert In A Dying Field
An evening pause: Nicely done, in this age of no memory and a forgotten past.
How does it feel
To be an expert in a dying field
How do you know
It’s over when you can’t let go
You can’t stop
Can’t rewind
Love is learned over time
‘Til you’re an expert in a dying field
Hat tip Gavin Packard.
Moyun
An evening pause: Unfortunately, there is no translation on the youtube webpage to identify the music.
Hat tip Alton Blevins.
Carly Simon – You’re So Vain
An evening pause: Performed live in 1987 on Martha’s Vineyard.
Hat tip Alton Blevins, who sent it as a memorial for the passing of Simon’s two sisters last week.
Bob Fosse – Cuarto de la Banda
An evening pause: A very different dance number from the 1969 film Sweet Charity, the first that Bob Fosse directed.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
The Revenge: Timo Boll vs. KUKA Robot
An evening pause: It is a commercial for KUKA robotics, and it is a bit staged, a competition between a KUKA robot and table tennis professional Timo Bollo playing music on glasses. Nonetheless, the punchline is good. Human creativity can always beat out robotic programming.
Hat tip Alton Blevins.