MusicAspasso - Open-air Music
Please consider our next CD which celebrates the Street Musician as Bard.
And join us for some out-door Bardic Endeavours this summer in Italy.
See below on how to help fund Open-air music on Kickstarter.
Please consider our next CD which celebrates the Street Musician as Bard.
And join us for some out-door Bardic Endeavours this summer in Italy.
See below on how to help fund Open-air music on Kickstarter.
Follow us here for updates on the status of our Kickstarter campaign pledges. A mad rush to get the next CD funded through crowd-sourcing in 30 days. Click "PLAY" on the right to support "Open-air Music" or "MusicAspasso".
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Promised You A Miracle,
Simple Minds In Italian
Credo Nei Miracoli
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Simple Minds in Italian. (A work in progress)
Credo Nei Miracoli (Promised You A Miracle). Italian Words by Lorenzo Zacchetti, Music by Simple Minds, Performed by Anacoustic Mind. Simple. From the "Credo Nei Miracoli" session in New York. FB Friend Lorenzo Zacchetti has written Italian words for Promised You A Miracle by Simple Minds (as well as the rest of the NGD album). The words are gr8 and it gives me a chance to workshop some guitar. Hope yeez get the time tae see it an post yer feedback |
Immortal Memory debut in Central Park NYC for Tartan Week
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From William Wallace to my old band-mates Simple Minds, (one a defiant and outspoken defender of human rights for his beloved yet beleaguered sovereign nation; the other musicians sounding liberty's bell through the art of song for an unjustly imprisoned South African statesman) when Scottish people carry the torch and fight for Freedom the whole world watches, acts and continues to pay attention. Even to this day it is so. Yet is it only half the commitment? For what is Freedom without the Peace to enjoy it? The British Isles and its people have (some may say debate-ably) managed to hold on to such a Peace for over 300 years as a United Kingdom, and even managed to export the idea to countless lands throughout the world; no small legacy to to keep in mind and understand its anatomy that it may yet serve us in these globally chaotic times. Let's not throuw the baby oot wi the bath-dub is a' am sayin'. Brits - Let's dress to impress! :) |
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Scotland and Nigeria Unite For Peace
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Dateline: March 5, 2013
Location: Nigerian Consulate, NYC The Bard Of New York presents Nigerian ambassador Usman Sarki with the Robert Burns Universal Peace Workshop at the Panel Discussion on The Cost Of War On Women and Children In Zones Of Conflict. Participating in the Discussion which was organized and moderated by Ugoji Eze of the Eng Aja Eze Foundation, were distinguished guests from Iraq, Sweden, India, Mali, Yale School of Medicine and UNICEF. The Scottish Goodwill Ambassador Mike Ogletree, an ex-member of Scottish rock legends Simple Minds, performed "The Cost Of War" a song he wrote specifically for the occasion and also took the opportunity to brief the guests about the Robert Burns Universal Peace Workshop - and the Peace for Auld Lang Syne (P.A.L.S.) Club. Based on Robert Burns's iconic song Auld Lang Syne (with a chorus of Give Peace A Chance), the workshop is designed to bring individuals together from many diverse social and cultural backgrounds for a practical session on the meaning and application of Peace For Auld Lang Syne. "I think of Mary Slessor on the Clydesdale bank $10 note, a Scotswoman who made such a big impact on Nigeria and hope that Burns's work might have a similar healing effect. Peace through art has always inspired my musical journey. Auld Lang Syne is the best Peace song I know and the power of a song to inspire and motivate others is phenomenal. From these simple beginnings I have lofty goals and really appreciate all the help I am getting along the way." |
"If we wish to create a lasting peace we must begin with the children." (Mahatma Gandhi)
Building on the concepts of kindness/compassion, friendship and peaceful reconciliation as described in the words of the iconic "New Year's song", the Peace For Auld Lang Syne workshop is gentle, participatory exploration into the world of Peace through art. With bardic "teachings", song, dance and poetry, and following along with the P.A.L.S. Coloring Book Mike Ogletree offers a new look at Peace which will appeal to children of all ages, even the one you once were. CLICK HERE FOR A PREVIEW OF "THE COST OF WAR" BY ANACOUSTIC MIND |
The town that made Robert Burns 'The Poet'.
 Robert Burns and Richard Brown
depicted by the harbour in Irvine.
Robert Burns' birthplace is well-known as the Ayrshire village of Alloway but where did Burns really begin his poetic life? Another Ayrshire town is laying claim to that honour and it wants that story to be part of a wider strategy to revitalise areas of the town.
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Irvine Made The Poet
In an upstairs room of the Burns Club in Irvine, low winter sunshine filters through a stained glass window on to a group of fresh-faced school children - most of them, at least, seem to be listening intently.
"First of all we hope you remember," says a club member addressing the group, "that Alloway made the man, but Irvine made the poet." As the words are spoken the children begin to join in. They have spent the morning learning about the poet's connections to their own town. ...More |
New Gold Dream (11-12-13-14) by Anacoustic Mind
In 1982 Mike was the drummer with Simple Minds during their legendary New Gold Dream phase.
Now,
Anacoustic Mind has re-created acoustic versions of every song on the original album with Mike singing, playing guitar, drums, and a few other instruments picked up along the way.
Download the CD here
or
click here for the New Gold Dream (11-12-13-14) CD and T-shirts available too.
Ludwig Van Beethoven and Robert Burns Mashup - New Research Uncovers Never-Before-heard Song.
Ludo an Rabbie
A New "Hidden" Work Brought To Light.
What follows is a brief blog about events whose details and back-story could be expanded upon and developed into the screen-play for a major motion picture full of drama, intrigue, romance, travel, money and more.
After his death in 1796 the Scottish poet Robert Burns's Edinburgh publisher, George Thompson, had sent selections of Scottish poetry and song to the great composer Handel commissioning him to set them to music. The idea being that Thompson would be able to sell such works as new musical interpretations of classic Scots songs by the great Handel himself. However, Handel died before he could complete the project so Thompson, not to be deterred, offered the commission to the great German composer Ludwig van Beethoven who agreed and wrote musical settings for 25 works. One of the songs was called "Farewell Bliss, Farewell Nancy" written by a Mrs Grant of Laggan, a prominent literary figure in Edinburgh at the time. However, the song lacked a third stanza so Thompson had the "bright" idea of tacking on some lines from one of Robert Burns's most beautiful romantic poems, "Ae Fond Kiss And Then We Sever" as a 3rd verse to fill out the song. THE BARD's IMMORTAL WORDS BEING THROWN IN AS FILLER. When I saw this I was a wee bit shocked and decided to set the entirety of "Ae Fond Kiss..." to Beethoven's music and reclaim the work in it's entirety for Burns. Thus a sublimely beautiful hidden work was brought to life for the first time. As far as I know no one has ever arranged or performed "Ae Fond Kiss" in this way, so I am proud in my own little way to have made this discovery and be the first to give it voice.
A New "Hidden" Work Brought To Light.
What follows is a brief blog about events whose details and back-story could be expanded upon and developed into the screen-play for a major motion picture full of drama, intrigue, romance, travel, money and more.
After his death in 1796 the Scottish poet Robert Burns's Edinburgh publisher, George Thompson, had sent selections of Scottish poetry and song to the great composer Handel commissioning him to set them to music. The idea being that Thompson would be able to sell such works as new musical interpretations of classic Scots songs by the great Handel himself. However, Handel died before he could complete the project so Thompson, not to be deterred, offered the commission to the great German composer Ludwig van Beethoven who agreed and wrote musical settings for 25 works. One of the songs was called "Farewell Bliss, Farewell Nancy" written by a Mrs Grant of Laggan, a prominent literary figure in Edinburgh at the time. However, the song lacked a third stanza so Thompson had the "bright" idea of tacking on some lines from one of Robert Burns's most beautiful romantic poems, "Ae Fond Kiss And Then We Sever" as a 3rd verse to fill out the song. THE BARD's IMMORTAL WORDS BEING THROWN IN AS FILLER. When I saw this I was a wee bit shocked and decided to set the entirety of "Ae Fond Kiss..." to Beethoven's music and reclaim the work in it's entirety for Burns. Thus a sublimely beautiful hidden work was brought to life for the first time. As far as I know no one has ever arranged or performed "Ae Fond Kiss" in this way, so I am proud in my own little way to have made this discovery and be the first to give it voice.
Kilmarnock when I was a kid
When I was a kid in my home town of Kilmarnock in Burns Country on the west coast of Scotland we used to listen to a lot of Bob Marley. "Get up stand up, stand up for yer rights", was our anthem. Today with that same conviction I still embrace the reggae style as an expression of my inner rebel and my latest single, "Kilmarnock When You Were A Kid" is a rebellious protest at the loss of old Kilmarnock, the town of my childhood. By the 60's old Kilmarnock had evolved into a fine, if neglected, example of architectural grace and balance. The harmony between old and new, the streets and buildings and the ways of the towns folk gave a familiar and comfortable rhythm to living there. And all had been made possible by the dedicated hard work and innovation of the people who continued to inhabit and create it. With the decline of western industry the need to redevelop overtook the need to preserve and many of those treasured historic locales and edifices were torn down or "converted" for other use. In many cases done piece-meal with no consideration or consultation of the towns-people, the hard workers and innovators who had contributed so much to their creation. With an act of wanton destruction a rich heritage, centuries in the making, was eradicated forever from the heart of the town, taking with it the heart of its people. To show how much I love my hometown I am donating 80% of proceeds from song downloads toward town regeneration.
The song video is a slide-show of photos that recall familiar faces and places of old Kilmarnock as it was. They represent a small fraction of personal sharing, intimate and treasured memories that have been posted to the internet by friends of the FB Group, Kilmarnock When You Were A Kid. Just a wee slide-show to show yer pals what it was like when we were kids in Kilmarnock. We now have a goal to contribute and help to raise awareness and encourage participation in the preservation and restoration of what is left of old Kilmarnock. |
Available on iTunes
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My Nanie O
Lyrics: Robert Burns (1783), Music: Anacoustic Mind (2011)
One of Robert Burns' earliest recorded poems which he introduces in this version in the Stair Manuscript thus "The following songs were all done at a very early period of life and consequently are incorrect". Here he describes himself as a country plow boy with little cash and without a care in the world while he has the love of his girlfriend Nanie. In this last page Burns compares himself with the farmer for whom he works, who for all his wealth he cannot be more at ease with his condition than Burns as a common plow boy with not a care in the world than his love for Nanie. Burns must have written it while at Lochlie farm around 1777. He later on 26 Oct 1792 discusses it with George Thomson with regard to the euphonic value of the name of the river in the first line. Burns' brother Gilbert surmised that Nanie was probably Agnes Fleming, daughter of a neighboring farmer at Coldcothill or Doura.
Lyrics: Robert Burns (1783), Music: Anacoustic Mind (2011)
One of Robert Burns' earliest recorded poems which he introduces in this version in the Stair Manuscript thus "The following songs were all done at a very early period of life and consequently are incorrect". Here he describes himself as a country plow boy with little cash and without a care in the world while he has the love of his girlfriend Nanie. In this last page Burns compares himself with the farmer for whom he works, who for all his wealth he cannot be more at ease with his condition than Burns as a common plow boy with not a care in the world than his love for Nanie. Burns must have written it while at Lochlie farm around 1777. He later on 26 Oct 1792 discusses it with George Thomson with regard to the euphonic value of the name of the river in the first line. Burns' brother Gilbert surmised that Nanie was probably Agnes Fleming, daughter of a neighboring farmer at Coldcothill or Doura.
(Special thanks to David D'Arcy bass and Jonnie Miles cajon)
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W e l c o m e H o m e
BlackBurns Bio Music Video Photo Press Contact Blog Dates Hi!
"One of my favorite favorite things to do is play the small
intimate gigs, among friends in someone's living room.
Contact me an' I'll come and play a live concert
in yer hame for you an' yer pals.
Music in the true auld Scotch taste."
Some of our goals:
1. To immortalize Robert Burns cultural...
2. To effectively introduce and enlighten ...
3. To encourage an understanding ...
1. To immortalize Robert Burns cultural...
2. To effectively introduce and enlighten ...
3. To encourage an understanding ...
The Kilmarnock Edition
Buy Mike Ogletree's first solo CD - The Kilmarnock Edition - Songs Chiefly In The Scottish Dialect.
Click "Buy Now" to pay and have your CD shipped to you wherever you are on the planet.
Listen now on iTunes
Anacoustic Mind Live In Concert
My Nanie O
A wonderful reggae stomp version of this classic tale of longing and determination as Burns crosses hill and dale to be beside the side of his beloved Agnes Fraser, My Nanie O.
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King Is White
Gracing us with their talents and beauty Cathryn Lynn and Mike Milazzo make this version of King Is White truly special and original. Just a taste of the New Gold Dream album arranged and performed by Anacoustic Mind.
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Mike discussing and performing Robert Burns' famous poem and song "Auld Lang Syne". Recorded at Penny's Open Mic for the Neural Imprints TV show. |
Free Downloads
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New York, Jan 25, 2010.
I Had the honor of giving the Immortal Memory at the New York Caledonian Club's Burns Supper. This is a letter of thanks from Lesley MacLennan, the Club's 78th Chief.
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