An interesting piece of rock music history. In a student interview Kurt Cobain talks about the music scene in 1991 and touches on originality, appropriation, and race. Here is a link to the Independent's article.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/kurt-cobain-white-people-dance-rap-music-nirvana-interview-a8651796.html

Here is a link to the actual recording. 

https://deadcitybeat.bandcamp.com/track/my-embarrassing-interview-with-kurt-cobain-sept-20-1991

The debate over the source of the Blues tradition apparently continues without an end in sight. Many want to find roots in Africa, but I think that the Blues is a product of the African Diaspora in North America. I don't thing one can find the 'ur blues' in Africa. This wonderful master's thesis from Cincinnati Conservatory, see link below, makes a great argument for my position.

African Blues: The sound and history of a transatlantic discourse

Thoughts on Theatre Orchestras

For the past several years, the trend in musical theatre has been to reduce the size of orchestras.  This began with synthesizers replacing strings, and has finally come to be everyone being replaced by a "virtual orchestra," a cool name for a really big, sophisticated, synthesizer.

One of the great things about the MUNY in St. Louis, (and there are many, many great things there, management, crew, cast, venue, traditions, it is a long list) is the use of the original orchestrations for the shows.  No tracks, but real voices on stage and real musicians in the pit.  That combination always makes better, more exciting, theatre.

I think that reviews of two current Saint Louis productions, Cats at the MUNY and Promises, Promises, make my point.

From Chris Gibson's review of Cats at the MUNY in Broadway World 7.21.10

“James Cunningham's wonderful music direction, which neatly replaces the dated sounding synthesizers with a full-bodied orchestra, and revitalizes the score in the process.”

From Dennis Brown's  Review of Promises, Promises at Stages St. Louis in the Riverfront Times 7.21.10

“But because this is Stages, the music is prerecorded. The playbill calls this "electronic reproduction" and "orchestral realization." Whatever you choose to call it, the resulting sound is about as exciting as a ride in a 1950s elevator listening to Muzak.”

The critics seem to agree, live musicians make better theatre.  If you are in St. Louis, make sure to come out and support world class musical theatre at the MUNY.  It really doesn't get any better.