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Strange Instruments

You are currently browsing the archive for the Strange Instruments category.

Fist Whistles and Spit Fiddles

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Nelson Barbosa “Gaita Gaita”  Inspiracao Records (Brazil)  Slang for Harmonica:  Mississippi Sax Ol’ Lickin’ Stick Misery Whistle Tin Sandwich French Harp Moustache Trimmer/Trap Pocket Piano Gob Iron
Harp Poor Man’s Saxophone Fist Whistle Soul Biscuit Pocket Orchestra Little Brass Band Poor Man’s Fiddle Blues Burger Cookie Cutter Lady Shaver Starvation Stick Ol’ in and out Box Blues Buzzer
Ten Holer Mississippi Spit Wagon Band in the Hand Moothie (Scottish) Mouth Organ Tone Bone Spit Fiddle Pocket Whistle Bitch Whistle Maniacs Dummy Spit Box Harpoon Snort Organ Toot Sweet

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (21 votes, average: 4.29 out of 5)
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Boss Guitar

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Hymns of the Alpines”  Odeon Records (Italy)  Never seen a “guitar” like this before!  Anyone know what this instrument is called?  Is that guy in the back playing a … kettle?

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (14 votes, average: 3.57 out of 5)
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Top of the Org Chart

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“Orgarama” Golden Album of Favorite Hymns by “Doc” Jorne and the Fabulous Orgarama.  Musitone Records.   Rick Wakeman look out!

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (10 votes, average: 4.10 out of 5)
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What is succes?

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Succes-Musette  Symco Records (France)  Musical stylings of one Luc Harvet son Accordeon et son Ensemble.  Kind of a beatnik vibe here.  I dig her red garter and checkered scarf and bangs!  Lucky Luc.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (21 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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Blow man blow!

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“Gaita Gaiata”  Nelson Barbosa  (1968)  Inspiracao Records (Brazil)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (24 votes, average: 3.71 out of 5)
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Ex-squeeze me!?

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Thanks to LP cover lover, Rob Keith, who we met at the WFMU Record Fair.  A collector of music from the North of Brazil, Rob sent us this nice one with this note:  Zezinho is a forró accordion player from the northeast of Brazil. His group was called “The Rat Pack of Forró.” Song titles include “Sweaty Women” and “Beautiful Balloons.” Forró is well known for double entendre wordplay, so the songs are probably what you would assume they are about… or not, depending on which way you decide to interpret them. The album is surprisingly good and well produced, recorded on 16 tracks in Rio.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (34 votes, average: 3.50 out of 5)
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Cha cha cha d’amour

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“Ambiance”  Avec Nedel Coz  Teppaz Records (France)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (36 votes, average: 3.78 out of 5)
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Stop draggin’ my harp around

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Raymond Devos  Au Theatre des Varietes  RCA/EMI Records (France)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (62 votes, average: 4.47 out of 5)
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“And a one, and a two …”

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Bell Telephone Labs “Music From Mathematics”  (1960)  This is a piece of computer music history, with early examples of music generated by and performed on computers 50 years ago. Composers include Max Mathews, John Robinson Pierce, Newman Guttman, David Lewin, Lejaren Hilller, and S.D. Speeth. Booklet includes extensive notes, diagrams, photos, and score excerpts. NOTE: there is some overlap in content with the Decca records LP “Music from Mathematics,” (also posted here) but the two issues are not identical.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (68 votes, average: 3.76 out of 5)
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Slav to the rhythm

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Balkan Moods   Slavtone Records  A 3-disc,  78-rpm album of America’s finest tamburitza artists, know originally as the Crlenica Brothers Orchestra  The tamburitza is like a balalaika.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (52 votes, average: 3.56 out of 5)
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