RoCM Playlist (Re-air) and Oaxaca Notes: 24 Aug 2024
For the first time in RoCM history – which is only four years so lets not get too crazy – I have to do back to back re-airs. I am currently in Oaxaca, Mexico on vacation with my family and, not only is time short, but I managed to forget my portable recorded. I’m really using that second item as an excuse, as the days were packed with tourist activities.
So I’ll be re-airing the show from July 13th – the show that features duets between saxophones and percussion. I am pretty sure I will have a new show next week.
We have a history with Oaxaca – Jennifer started visiting here in 2006 as part of her Ph.D. dissertation work, which turned into her working with a non-profit based in Oaxaca after her dissertation work finished. She has visited Oaxaca almost annually since 2006 – until 2020 when COVID put a damper on her visits and the non-profit work had to cease. This trip marks her first visit since 2020 and my first visit since 2009 – and our first visit with our son.
So my last visit in 2009, Oaxaca was still recovering from the events on 2006 – when an annual teacher’s strike became a massive uprising – largely due to the actions of a corrupt then-governor who attempted to disband the strike – and a swell of protests and occupations led to violent confrontations with law enforcement. These events decimated the region economically as tourists were no longer venturing into Oaxaca. As always, trying to briefly summarize these issues in a simple paragraph does not do it justice.
What is amazing is – since my last visit in 2009 – the changes in Oaxaca in both the sheer amount of people here and the absolute overwhelming amount of local artists displaying their work through out the city.
These are just a sampling of some of the artistry we have seen around town – and I am not even touching on the historical sites like Monte Albán and Mitla, or the towns like San Martín Tilcajete and their talent for wood carvings known as alebrijes. Of course, the recovering tourism industry has brought on other issues – fairly similar to those experienced by other tourist economies. But for the most part, the trip is amazing and, dare I say, inspirational in many ways.
You might have noticed that I have not mentioned the food. But yeah… it’s unbelievable.
Anyway – here is the playlist. Don’t forget that you can listen online at KCSB-FM’s website and there’s an online archive available for two weeks after the show airs.
| Time | Artist | Song | Release | Song note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4:00:16 PM | Shirley Bassey | The Summer Wind | Impossible Dreams | |
| 4:05:49 PM | John Coltrane | Mars | Interstellar Space (Expanded Edition) | John Coltrane – tenor saxophone, bells |
| 4:16:28 PM | Rashied Ali & Louie Belogenis | Mahakala | Rings Of Saturn | Rashied Ali – drums |
| 4:30:11 PM | John Stevens & Evan Parker | 19.44 | Corner To Corner + The Longest Night | John Stevens – Percussion |
| 4:42:52 PM | Susie Ibarra & Assif Tsahar | Arrival/Salutations | Home Cookin’ | Susie Ibarra – Drums |
| 4:51:45 PM | Tom Waits | The Last Rose Of The Summer | The Black Rider (2023 Remaster) | |
| 5:00:16 PM | Bebel Gilberto | So Nice (Summer Samba) | Tanto Tempo | |
| 5:05:50 PM | Andrew Cyrille & Jimmy Lyons | Popp-a | Burnt Offering | Jimmy Lyons – alto saxophone |
| 5:21:43 PM | Peter Brötzmann & Hamid Drake | The Uninvited Entertainer | The Dried Rat-Dog | Peter Brötzmann – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet, tárogató |
| 5:39:45 PM | Milford Graves & John Zorn | Deep Within | 50² | John Zorn – alto saxophone |
| 5:52:51 PM | Tom Lehrer | The Masochism Tango | The Remains of Tom Lehrer |
