mood BY MIKKI BRAMMER
arts
SNAARMAARWAAR
PEGGY LEE
VARIOUS ARTISTS
CODY CHESNUTT
BY APPEL REKORDS, 2009
BY DECCA RECORDS, 1956
BY SONY MUSIC, 1997
BY BREAKAWAY RECORDINGS, 2012
Though rather obscure to the rest of the world, Belgian string trio Snaarmaarwaar has become a darling of the European folk-festival circuit since the 2009 release of its self-titled debut album. A fast-fingered fusion of mandola, mandolin and guitar, the threesome’s catchy rhythms have been known to incite mass onsets of folk dancing at their performances, as people discard their inhibitions for the love of a good jig. Combining Irish, French and Scottish folk influences with a touch of jazz, Snaarmaarwaar’s rapid-fire picking and energetic brilliance create an exciting take on folk music.
Born with the less remarkable moniker Norma Deloris Egstrom, Peggy Lee adopted her stage name at age 17, as she was treading her first steps towards jazz stardom. Though possessing a limited vocal range, Peggy’s bewitching style of sultry jazz earned her a place among the most respected chanteuses of the genre. Black Coffee was her very first album, released in 1956, and features some of her greatest classics, including the distinctly sultry trumpet intro of the titular song, as well as ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ and ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’.
The smooth crooning of Bing Crosby might be the requisite Christmas soundtrack for many people, but for those who like their music with a touch more grunt, such classics can wear thin. Though it takes the appearance of a kitsch compilation found on the counter of a petrol station, Merry Axemas is, in fact, a rather stellar offering from some of music’s guitar greats. Lending their six strings to the Christmas classics are electric guitar aces including Jeff Beck, Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani (who does a dramatic, rockinfused version of ‘Silent Night’).
Best known for penning (and singing) The Roots’ hit ‘The Seed (2.0)’, Cody ChesnuTT took a rather long hiatus between his 2002 debut release The Headphone Masterpiece and his second album, released this year. A pensive chronicle of the decade in between, Landing on a Hundred charts the journey of a man evolving from a wayward youth to times of drug addiction and womanising, before ultimately transcending it all to find a sense of peace. Despite the heavy subject matter, Cody’s cheerful melodies and rhythmic neo-soul style are a pleasure to the ears.
snaarmaarwaar
black coffee
merry axemas
landing on a hundred
book BY ERIC LINDGREN
BOOKS SUPPLIED BY MARY RYAN’S BOOKSHOP, MILTON
arts
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WALK IN THE WORLD
COLLECTOMANIA
ON THE MAP: WHY THE WORLD LOOKS THE WAY IT DOES
DRAWN FROM PARADISE
BY JOHN BAXTER
BY CLAUDIA CHAN SHAW
BY SIMON GARFIELD
BY DAVID ATTENBOROUGH & ERROL FULLER
In his memoir of Paris, John Baxter recounts his attempts to enlighten tourists about the wonder of the people and places that contribute to the city’s reputation for being the cultural capital of the world. Here are the artists, Picasso and Chagall; the writers, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce; and the places, Montmartre, hidden alleys unknown to strangers and ornate gates giving entry to who knows where. Thrust into the role of tour guide, the author exemplifies ‘the stranger in their midst’, and reveals his love for the French metropolis.
With her petite bob, she became instantly recognisable as a host on ABC’s The Collectors. Now in print, Claudia Chan Shaw continues to share her passion for things of the past people so love to collect, and things of the present we reluctantly discard. As a fashion designer, board member for the Council of Textile & Fashion Industries of Australia, and selfconfessed collectomaniac, her words come with authenticity. Twenty-one chapters cover almost all we can imagine, and end with making a bequest for when you die – what more could we want?
Ever drawn a map of Treasure Island and burnt the edges? Or mapped directions for a friend? It’s inside us, an inbuilt compass that helps us on our way around our own little worlds. From the first inkling of how to get somewhere, to current Facebook traffic on the web, and GPS, Simon Garfield shows how the changing face of maps has evolved throughout human history. The first map of the known world from 330 BC slowly evolved into the classic Mercator projection of the 1600s and, tellingly, Facebook’s 2010 creation is overlaid onto this. So near, yet so far.
Sir David Attenborough has probably had more influence on the way we see the natural world than any other person on our planet Earth. His documentaries reveal nature in a way that no other has been able to, and the brilliance of his association with the BBC Natural History videographers has led us into realms both unknown and unimagined. Here, within the confines of the old technology – the paper-bound book – Sir David has collaborated with artist Errol Fuller to bring us New Guinea’s birds of paradise. Excellent!
map celebrates 13 years of positive media map magazine
mm148-p42-43-PRELUDE-MDBK.indd 43
THE WANDERLUST ISSUE DECEMBER12/JANUARY13
43
29/11/12 3:38 PM