KUNM Studio Sessions

Tonight's feature is the first part of a two-part Studio A session with the instrumental trio Pray for Brain.

After releasing their debut CD "None of the Above" this spring, Pray for Brain have discovered a sizable online  audience in India.  We caught them just after they'd booked themselves for a tour to meet their unlikely fan base with a host of unrecorded tunes.

Pray for Brain are:
Mustafa Stefan Dill: Guitars
Christine Nelson: Stand-up Bass
Jefferson Voorhees: Drums, percussion

Engineered by Ethan Stein with Kevin Kisiel.  
Video by Jefferson White.

Keep up with this band on their website www.pray4brain.com or on Facebook/PrayForBrain.

Tonight's featured artist is Albuquerque's Todd Tijerina Band, part one.

Tijerina came to local prominence as a Blues specialist, but his new CD "Shine On" finds him moving into new territory, as you can hear in this performance with this latest edition of the band:

Todd Tijerina: vocals, guitar
Dave Heidt: bass, vocals
Donnie Frank: drums, vocals

Engineered & edited by Kevin Kisiel.

Keep up with the group & hear selections from the new CD "Shine On" at www.tijerinaband.com.

In tonight's feature we catch up with Albuquerque rockers Double Plow for a high energy session of originals plus a preview of their appearance at Launchpad's "Night of the Living Cover Bands" as rock immortals Queen.

Double Plow are:
Dwayne Norris: lead vocals, rhythm guitar, "Freddie"
Jimmy James Norris: lead guitar
Jason Orona: bass, vocals
Frank Tijerino: drums, cowbell
Engineered & edited by Roman Garcia

Find Double Plow on Facebook and reverbnation.com.

Easily one of the best rock bands in Albuquerque, they've also been making a name for themselves nationally. The basic trio is Steve Hammond on electric guitar and vocals, Noah Wolters on keys and Andy Lutz on drums, often incorporating numerous other local musicians.

     Principal songwriter Steve Hammond is adept at melding country and metal genres almost seamlessly, and with an oddball sense of humor that often draws comparisons to Ween or similar hybrid musical surrealists.

The Leeches performed live on Music to Soothe the Savage Beast on October 14th.   Engineered by Simon Welter.  DJ Caterwaul hosted the show.

Find more Leech lore at leechesoflore.com.

In assembling KUNM's 5-hour coverage of the 10th annual Globalquerque! Festival of World Music and Culture in September, we had to leave out some great performances. Below you can find full audio from the action on all three stages over both days of the Festival.

Working with the Audio Excellence group and NHCC's technical staff were KUNM engineers Roman Garcia, Ethan Stein, Eli Willard, Marshall Broyles and Alex Williams. Video by Jefferson White.

To find links to any of these artists go to www.globalquerque.org.

Lo'Jo (France) Plaza Mayor stage

Rocky Dawuni (Ghana) Plaza Mayor stage

Los Texmaniacs (Texas) Plaza Mayor stage

Afro-Cuban All Stars (Cuba) Plaza Mayor stage

Oumar Konate (Mali) Plaza Mayor stage

Golem (New York) Plaza Mayor stage

Beto Jamaica (Colombia) Journal Theater stage

Liu Fang (China) Journal Theater stage

Calypso Rose with Kobe Town (Trinidad and Tobago) Journal Theater stage

Robert "Tree" Cody and Native Wisdom (Maricopa/Intertribal) Journal Theater stage

Gaby Moreno (Guatemala) Journal Theater stage

Eli Secody (Dine) Fountain Courtyard stage

Los Primos featuring Lenore Armijo (New Mexico) Fountain Courtyard stage

DVA (Czech Republic) Fountain Courtyard stage

The Cowboy Way (New Mexico) Fountain Courtyard stage

Liu Fang with Rahim AlHaj (China, Iraq) Fountain Courtyard stage

Lo'Jo (France) Fountain Courtyard stage

Today's feature is a preview of an upcoming Studio A session with the Albuquerque trio Wildewood.  Since their self-titled debut release last spring the group has been rolling out new material live before local audiences.  As their second release approaches, the band stopped by our Studio C to offer an unplugged take on the newer material & to talk about the last year.

Wildewood are:
Greg Williams: harmonica, snare drum
Alex McMahon: vocals, guitar
Meredith Wilder: vocals, guitar

Matthew Finch was the audio engineer.

Keep up with Wildewood at www.wildewoodband.com.

This "Ear to the Ground" feature previews the forthcoming local compilation CD from The ABQ Music Lab with a Studio A performance by contributing band Youngsville:

Carlos Garcia: vocals, guitar
Mickey Sanchez: bass, vocals
Ryan Sclarrotta: drums, vocals

We also get some time with the brains behind the Music Lab series & the compilation, Clark Libbey & Joey Gonzalez.

Engineered by Roman Garcia.

Keep up with Youngsville at www.theyoungsville.com.
Follow the ABQ Music Lab at www.facebook.com/MusicLabABQ for news on the live music series, find the compilation at www.musiclab.bandcamp.com.

    Led by veteran vocalist, master musician, multi-genre, multi-instrumentalist Rodney Bowe alongside multi-lingual, multi-genre vocalist/musician Sina Soul, Sweet Life brought the funk to the main stage at the 5th annual Route 66 Summerfest street festival.  KUNM was there to capture the performance. 

Details at their website: www.onlysweetlife.com.

    Chris Dracup, a life long resident of New Mexico, began performing at the age of sixteen in his hometown of Taos, NM.

Since then he has been a singer and lead guitarist with some of New Mexico's favorite bands, including "The Muttz", "The Rattle Cats", "The Chris Dracup Trio" and "The Chris Dracup Project".  

KUNM was there at the Route 66 Summerfest street festival to capture their live set.  

Mixed by Eli Willard.  

Find details on Chris Dracup at http://www.chrisdracup.com.

Mala Maña is Albuquerque's own all-female vocal and percussion ensemble, playing a variety of traditional and original Latin American music. They took the stage mid-afternoon to open the festivities at Route 66 Summerfest and KUNM was there.

Find out more about Mala Maña at www.malamanamusic.com.

One week after their in studio appearance, Las Alegres Ambulancias took the stage at the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe.

This 9 piece group visiting from Columbia came to the 11th annual Folk Art Market to share their unique Afro-Columbian music and culture. KUNM was there to capture it live!

Tonight's feature is a rebroadcast of our July 11, 2013 visit with Albuquerque Native soul rockers Saving Damsels.  The group arrived fresh from the national stage, their second CD "Find My Way" having received the Native American Music Award (NAMY) for Best Rock Recording.

For this session Saving Damsels were:
JJ Otero: lead vocals, guitar
Chuck Hawley: lead guitar, mandolin
Doug Bellen: keyboards, vocals
Joe Pacheco: bass
Isell Garcia: drums

Roman Garcia engineered the original session.

Keep up with Saving Damsels at www.savingdamsels.com.

For this week's feature we step back six whole days to Desert Diamond's live appearance in Studio A on KUNM's "Singing Wire."

This as-yet unrecorded group from Laguna Pueblo includes veterans of many Native Rock and Country bands and features original songwriting.  

The Desert Diamond Band are:

Keith Day: lead vocals, guitar
Dominick Pancho: lead guitar
Phillip Riley, Jr.: bass
Anthony Duran: drums

Live engineering and post-production by Roman Garcia.
Find them at www.facebook.com/thedesertdiamondband.

For tonight's feature we hear Rahim Alhaj's all-original set from the KUNM Members' Concert held on May 16th at the Albuquerque Museum Amphitheatre.

Rahim Alhaj: Oud
Issa Malouf: percussion

Live sound: Travis Hill; Recorded/Mixed: Eli Willard; Edited: Roman Garcia.

For tonight's feature we hear The Iyah Band's all-original set from the KUNM Members' Concert held on May 16th at the Albuquerque Museum Amphitheatre.  

The Iyah Band are:
Ijah Umi: vocals, keyboards
Jah Son: guitar, vocals
Otiamba Umi: bass
Irving Trujillo: drums

Live sound by Travis Hill; recorded and mixed by Roman Garcia.

Austin Piazzolla Quintet specializes in the music of the late Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. APQ continues in the Nuevo Tango tradition with unique arrangements of Piazzolla's classic compositions, breathtaking original compositions, and talented improvisation. The quintet features some of the finest talent on the Austin music scene today, with experienced musicians coming from diverse backgrounds and educated at some of the world's finest music schools.

The group dropped by our studios for a live performance and interview with Afternoon Freeform host Harry Norton.

The ensemble consists of James Anderson (violin), Jonathan Geer (keyboard), Mike Maddux (accordion), Tony Rogers (cello) and Pat Harris (bass).

Find info about the band here at http://apqtango.com/

During his live performance for RAÍCES (May 3rd), Cipriano Vigil, New Mexican musicologist and musician shares his songs, and his new book, “New Mexican Folk Music/Cancionero del Folklor Nuevomexicano” (UNM Press, 2014).

Find out more about Cipriano Vigil at newmexicofolkmusictreasure.com

Tonight we step back into the Studio A archives to excerpt this live recording of The Tribute Trio.

The Trio came together initially with a simple premise: to celebrate the great piano-led jazz trios of the 20th century they would go both broad and deep.  In a year long series of concerts that criss-crossed New Mexico they played full shows in the spirit of one trio/composer per month.  

The artists celebrated included Oscar Peterson, Lenny Tristano, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Ray Brown and others.  This performance was recorded early in the series in 2010 by Roman Garcia. The series finale featured original pieces -- "Dedications" -- based on all they'd absorbed along the way.

The Tribute Trio are:
John Rangel: piano
Michael Glynn: bass
Cal Haines: drums

The Tribute Trio have released two CDs of those originals.  Find them at www.tributetrio.com.

The Black Lillies, led by multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter Cruz Contreras, are currently on tour. They stopped by KUNM to perform live on Afternoon Freeform (April  23) with Carol Boss. The band’s blend of country, alt-rock, neo-folk and Appalachian soul has earned them critical acclaim nationwide and their most recent album, Runaway Freeway Blues, was included on numerous Best Albums of the Year (2013) lists.

Cruz Contreras: guitar, bass, vocals
Trisha Gene Brady: vocals
Tom Pryor: guitar
Robert Richards: bass, guitar
Bowman Townsend: percussion

Find out more about The Black Lillies: theblacklillies.com.