Dear Doctor, I go to a regular life-drawing class, where we like to listen to music while we draw. How about choosing some inspirational tunes for us?
I’m afraid that the first thing that springs to this doctor’s mind is a whole handful of dreadful puns: Turner-round Bright Eyes (Bonnie Tyler), I Just Called Picasso Love You (Stevie Wonder), On The Banksy Of The River Jordan (Aaron Neville). I know, terrible, but as I write this it is a miserable drizzly, grey August day, and the Doctor finds puns as amusing as any painting.
But back to your question. I would imagine you need some long-running and soothing music that doesn’t demand too much attention. The groove master JJ Cale is a perfect place to start: line up his Rewind: Unreleased Recordings for a glorious 40 minutes of class songwriting and understated elegance.
Follow that with Musique De Nuit, the brand new album by Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal (whose previous album was also recently recommended by the Doctor). Many of the tracks were recorded on Sissoko’s roof in Bamako, Mali. It bursts with atmosphere: the sounds of the city at night are clearly audible, including a lowing sheep, and this sonic night-scene cushions the entwining cello and kora motifs. You’ll enjoy the front cover, too – a sketch of the two musicians playing to the Van Gogh-like starry night sky.
And finally this week, a little old-time, to nudge the class along. Stick on Cumbria-based Sycamore Sykes’s If Big Chief Dies. The banjo riffs will help with those final strokes and bring an uplifting end to the life-drawing session. Hope this helps, Dalí-ng (groan).
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