Unusual Instruments: Found Objects Edition

Herbie Hancock: Watermelon Man

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Billy Jonas: Old St Helen

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As we have seen all week, human beings have built an amazing variety of musical instruments, and made an amazing variety of music with them. But I wanted to close with two songs that feature objects that were never intended to be musical instruments at all.

The first is one you may remember as a science experiment from back in your school days. If you take a bottle and fill it part way with water, you can blow over the top of it and it will make a musical sound. Fill several bottles with different amounts of water, and you can get different notes this way. For his 1973 album Head Hunters, Herbie Hancock had his (usually) percussionist Bill Summers do this, and the result was the unusual sounds that open and close the song Watermelon Man. I know of no other case of anyone recording this “instrument”, and I can’t imagine how it was done live, but it still sounds amazing after all these years.

On the other hand, I know of plenty of cases of Billy Jonas‘ unique “drum kit“ being recorded, and I have had the great pleasure of seeing him play it live. This “kit“ consists of a seemingly random collection of plastic objects played with wooden spoons and other household objects. This is the only percussion Jonas plays, and, in concert he invites his audience to join in on shaken car keys, claps and finger snaps, or any other method of percussing you can find. I like to slap the knees of my jeans myself. A great time is had by all.

Earth Day = > Samples and Found Sounds: Some Houses

Billy Jonas: Some Houses

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In our journey through Samples and Found Sounds, we will be hearing plenty of music that uses electronically sampled sounds. But I want to start off with found sounds, specifically home made instruments. I can think of no better example of that than the music of Billy Jonas. In Some Houses, Billy Jonas takes the listener through a list of various materials that a house might be made of. But, in the end, Jonas reminds us that our most important home is this planet. Listen closely, and you will notice that the percussion in each verse corresponds to the material that house is made of. Most of the instruments used will not sound familiar; Jonas uses a percussion kit made of common household items. So there are pot lids and trash can lids, even a bicycle horn, but nothing you would normally think of as a musical instrument. All of this could be put together with samplers, but Jonas plays all of these instruments in real time. This makes his live performances wonderous events. Try to sit where you have a good view.

Late: The Late, Late, Late Edition

Billy Jonas: Late

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Susan Werner: Born a Little Late

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Todd Snider: Age Like Wine

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As soon as this week's theme was announced, I knew I wanted to present the Billy Jonas song of the same name, which illustrates a very good reason for being late - then when Anne submitted her post, it made me think of Susan Werner's Ode to the baby boomer. BWR's offering sparked my remembrance of Todd's tune - then it just made me smile that we are truly a collaborative blog, in every sense of the word... :-)

Cool Kidsongs: What Kind of Cat Are You?

Billy Jonas: What Kind of Cat Are You?

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I've written of Billy Jonas before - in my opinion, he's one of a handful of musicians who writes and performs children's music that adults not only don't mind listening to and sitting through... but actually enjoy. His style is "bangin' and sangin' ", as he uses homemade recycled object instruments to kick up the fun and the rhythm - Billy engages everyone with his charm, wit and melody...

He often encourages audience participation... with "call-and-response lyrics, open-ended questions, and quiet instructions that inspire movement and imaginative thought" - this song is a challenge to kids of all ages, as the questions become increasingly more difficult!

One: One

Billy Jonas: One

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My introduction to Billy Jonas took place about 1:00 a.m. my first night of my first Folk Alliance (Albuquerque, February 1999) - I was instantly captivated by his shining spirit, uplifting songs and boyish charm (complete with long curly hair, which has since been shorn)... not to mention xylophone sticks duct-taped to his shoes and plastic trash cans and paint buckets inverted and bungee-corded together ("industrial re-percussion instruments", as he calls them... :-)

I smiled through my tears during his tunes, equally feel-good and thought-provoking - he also encouraged audience participation... and it was sheer delight to be part of a roomful of people shouting out "One!" at the appropriate time...

A Billy Jonas performance is an explosion of energy. In singalongs, bangalongs, whisperalongs, as well as improvised songs, his primary instrument is the audience... from there a whimsical trajectory carries listeners through stories of life, love, and triumph over 'Murphy's Law.'

I am blessed to say our paths have crossed many times since... at various concerts, festivals and conferences - a Billy Jonas show promises life at its most interactive: in your face... seize the day... kiss the sky... smell the roses... bang the drum!

Civics Lessons: The Bus

Billy Jonas: The Bus

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Billy Jonas is a singer/songwriter based in the Philadelphia area who plays acoustic guitar and percussion on various found objects. He has split his recorded output between adult material and kids’ music, both of which he does very well. I have wanted to introduce him to all of you for quite some time.

As you listen to “The Bus”, you may wonder, “where’s the civics lesson?” I offer this one with a gentle touch, not a raised voice. As the election approaches, we hear statistics drawn from various studies to support one point or another. I just wanted to remind everyone that, as Jonas says, “it gets more complicated”. Behind each number in these studies is a good person in a bad situation, especially in these trying times. As you enter the voting booth, don’t forget to care about the people behind the numbers.