Kronos Quartet
I was listening to a podcast this morning that used a song in their opening and closing that I recognized but couldn't put my finger on. I knew I knew the song but out of context I just couldn't place it right away. Suddenly, eureka! Kronos Quartet. But which song, which album? They've been releasing albums for over 20 years.
It would have been one of the albums I owned on cassette tape or LP. I would have bought it sometime after seeing them perform live at Carleton College, which means I was living in Northfield. If I was attending an event at Carleton I was probably dating my ex-husband (a Carletonian, in contrast to those St. Olafite Lion Rampant folk) but not married yet. Whittling back through my memories, I could narrow it down to a period between 1991 and 1993. Was it their album of Philip Glass? Deej introduced me to Philip Glass at Rampant House before 1991 and I definitely owned Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass at one point... Still, no, this song has a percussion and lacks Glass's swelling repetitions.
I tell you, it was driving me crazy, like hearing a snippet of a punk song co-opted for car commercial and being unable to place it or shake it out of my head.
Thankfully iTunes came to my rescue. The song was Mai Nozipo ("Mother Nozipo") from their Pieces of Africa album. Of course the search only made the need to hear the whole thing stronger... so I bought both Pieces of Africa and Performs Philip Glass. I'm powerfully transported back to 15 years ago.
It would have been one of the albums I owned on cassette tape or LP. I would have bought it sometime after seeing them perform live at Carleton College, which means I was living in Northfield. If I was attending an event at Carleton I was probably dating my ex-husband (a Carletonian, in contrast to those St. Olafite Lion Rampant folk) but not married yet. Whittling back through my memories, I could narrow it down to a period between 1991 and 1993. Was it their album of Philip Glass? Deej introduced me to Philip Glass at Rampant House before 1991 and I definitely owned Kronos Quartet Performs Philip Glass at one point... Still, no, this song has a percussion and lacks Glass's swelling repetitions.
I tell you, it was driving me crazy, like hearing a snippet of a punk song co-opted for car commercial and being unable to place it or shake it out of my head.
Thankfully iTunes came to my rescue. The song was Mai Nozipo ("Mother Nozipo") from their Pieces of Africa album. Of course the search only made the need to hear the whole thing stronger... so I bought both Pieces of Africa and Performs Philip Glass. I'm powerfully transported back to 15 years ago.
Labels: Kronos Quartet, music, Philip Glass
