#4552, The Laraaji Connection

Listen to music by zither player, pianist, and composer Laraaji, aka Edward L. Gordon, and some of his collaborations with guitarist Vernon Reid, Toronto jazzers BADBADNOTGOOD, and with London production and art duo BON.

Experience Laraaji’s electronically enhanced zither (originally a pawnshop autoharp that he customized), from the Brian Eno-produced record, Ambient 3- Day of Radiance, from the dance side of the album (as opposed to the meditation side.) Then, hear guitarist/composer Vernon Reid and multi-instrumentalist Laraaji in a live improvisation, recorded in the sound installation, iForest, from 2016 at Brookfield Place. [iForest is a sound environment by Pete M. Wyer, that captures the dawn chorus recordings from Cornwall, west London and Suffolk in 18-channel surround.

Also, listen to Laraaji’s collaboration with the Toronto-based group BADBADNOTGOOD, who might have started out as jazzers, but have always looked to hip hop and other music (see their collaborations with Ghostface Killah, Floating Points - who adds Buchla on Talk Memory, and a turn as Frank Ocean’s backing band at Coachella in 2012, Blake Gillespie, Bandcamp.) There’s also music by Laraaji and Ohio folk-pop artist Big Bend, along with music from Laraaji’s collaboration with BON, a London-based production, composition, writing, and art duo. Plus, music from Laraaji’s record of piano and autoharp duets, Through Luminous Eyes, and more. - Caryn Havlik

Program #4552, The Laraaji Connection (First Aired 10/20/2021)

ARTIST: Laraaji
WORK: Dance #2 [8:55]
RECORDING: Day of Radiance
SOURCE: Editions EG / Reissued by Glitterbeat
INFO: laraaji1.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Vernon Reid & Laraaji
WORK: Improvisation [9:44]
RECORDING: Live at Brookfield Place, 10/14/16
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: Vernon Reid | Laraaji

ARTIST: BADBADNOTGOOD with Laraaji
WORK: Unfolding (Momentum 73) [4:30]
RECORDING: Talk Memory
SOURCE: XL Recordings Ltd. / Innovative Leisure
INFO: badbadnotgoodofficial.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Big Bend with Laraaji
WORK: Four [4:01]
RECORDING: Radish
SOURCE: Ohie Records
INFO: bigbend.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: BON with Laraaji
WORK: Aya [6:00]
RECORDING: Pantheon 
SOURCE: Shimmering Moods Records
INFO: shimmeringmoodsrecords.bandcamp.com

ARTIST: Blues Control & Laraaji
WORK: Freeflow [7:35]
RECORDING: FRKWYS Vol. 8
SOURCE:  RVNG FRKWYS08
INFO: igetrvng.com

ARTIST: Laraaji
WORK: Through Luminous Eyes 1 [7:14]
RECORDING: Through Luminous Eyes
SOURCE: All Saints Records
INFO: laraajimusic.bandcamp.com