One of the last pictures taken of David Bowie, in the fall of 2015. Photo: Jimmy King
If you liked our Hear the Music playlist for March 2016 and want to hear more, you’ve come to the right place. For this month’s Extended Play, Tracks 1-2 relate to the Music Notes section: the final song on David Bowie’s final album and a “Final Thought” from our Who’s News pick of the month, saxophonist Kamasi Washington. Tracks 3-8 are connected to our feature on Muscle Shoals, beginning with the first hit single produced by Rick Hall and continuing on with notable tracks recorded at FAME and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios over the years. Tracks 9-14 occupy the World Beat corner of our playlist, presenting additional music from Turkey. Finally, Tracks 15-16 demonstrate the sound of the hurdy-gurdy: unaccompanied on the Richard Thompson track and blended into a dense sonic mix on the Arcade Fire song—it’s the instrument that sounds like a creaky fiddle in the left channel. For extra hurdy-gurdiness, scroll down.
Want to see how the hurdy-gurdy works? Check out this video demonstration by folk musician Caroline Phillips.