via WFMU’s Beware of the Blog:

(lots of nice mp3s at the above link)

Two more via Daniel, the first a duet between master ZOUMANA DEMBELE from Burkina Faso on djembé and tambourine wizard CARLO RIZZO:

and in this one your attention is particularly called to the musician at 2:20 and 3:50… and of course to the boots at 0:55 and 3:00. Do I hear “lobsta lobsta” in the refrain?

…and if you wander into the YouTube comments, you’ll get a whole edjakashun in ethnocalumny…

Pretty good job of filming his playing:

(this one thanks to Daniel, again)

Perhaps only Daniel and I are fans of excesses like this, by the Baraná Trio:

and just as wiggy:

via BoingBoing:

Today’s excursion starts with Dave Apollon (1897-1972), arguably one of the most adventurous mandolinists of the 20th century and an inspiration to this day. Here he is with with Victor Borge, playing a Chestnut (Hora Staccato, written by Grigoras Dinicu in 1906):

(might be worthwhile to watch Jascha Heifetz playing it too).

Dave Apollon mostly made his living playing vaudeville in the 1920s, and then as a night club performer. One of his signature pieces was Russian Rag, George Cobb’s 1918 take on Rachmaninoff’s C# minor Prelude. Alas, there’s no YouTube of Dave Apollon playing it, but these three versions are in the same spirit, and each has its own charm:

Russian Rag by Velvet Sun (Japanese ensembles are often enlightening, and sometimes have great hats):

Modern Mandolin Quartet:

The Old 78s: