Paul Simon
Paul Simon Helps Singer With ‘Old Friends’ While Working on New LP
Paul Simon has been working on an album of new material at New York’s Reservoir Studios, but that’s not the only music he lent a hand with there this week. According to a Facebook post from cabaret singer Barbara Fasano, Simon, 80, guided her on a rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Old Friends” that was already in progress before she realized the rock legend was rolling tape in the same building. “We had laid down four tracks and were about to record ‘Old Friends,’ so how could I resist?,” wrote Fasano, a regular at New York jazz clubs such as Birdland. “Around 4:00, there was Mr. Simon having lunch in the communal kitchen. I introduced myself and said I was sorry to interrupt, but we were actually about to record his song. His face lit up and he was on his feet, walking into our studio...
Joni Mitchell Makes Rare Concert Appearance at Newport Folk Festival
Joni Mitchell made a rare public performance tonight (July 24) at the Newport Folk Festival, her first at the event since 1969. Mitchell, 78, was helped onstage with the aid of a cane to join close friend Brandi Carlile during her set, and sat in a large chair while singing “A Case of You,” “Just Like This Train,” “Both Sides, Now,” “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Summertime” and “Circle Game.” She even stood up to play some electric guitar at one point. Carlile is a longtime Mitchell devotee and has even performed the latter’s classic album Blue in its entirety. Carlile also inspired Mitchell to perform two songs on stage at her own MusiCares’ Person of the Year tribute on April 1 in Las Vegas, her first multi-song appearance in public since 2013. [embedded content][embedded content] Last night Paul ...
Watch Paul Simon Play Newport Folk Festival For First Time During Nathaniel Rateliff’s Set
It’s hard to believe that Paul Simon has never played the Newport Folk Festival before, but there’s a first time for everything. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats brought out the beloved singer-songwriter during their set, which happened to be a tribute to Simon. “This has been a real joy and an honor to do these songs and learn these songs as a tribute to our good friend Paul Simon and the work he’s done,” Rateliff said near the end of his set. “And I’d really love it if I could invite Paul Simon to the stage.” Together, they played “Graceland,” and then Simon handed Rhiannon Giddens the mic for a special updated rendition of “American Tune.” He then sang “The Boxer” with Jerry Douglas, Lucius, Rateliff and his “old family friend” Lukas Nelson, and closed the evening out with a chil...
The 50 Best Albums of 1972
Last year, when helping assemble SPIN‘s 50 Best Albums of 1971, I wondered if that year could have been popular music’s absolute peak. Now I’m asking myself that same question all over again. As I built a spreadsheet for 1972, gathering our writers’ votes alongside my own weird choices, I was once again struck by how many bronze-cast classics came out that year: LPs from David Bowie, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, The Allman Brothers Band, Yes, Stevie Wonder, Roxy Music, and on and on. Run down basically every genre – glam, soul, prog, art rock, Southern rock, metal, folk, MPB — and you’ll find the very best shit, whether eternally famous or sadly obscure. (My poor spreadsheet, swelling each day, originally had hundreds of worthy records. But you have to start chopping eventually.) Here’s wher...
Nigerian doctor named one of TIME’s Most Influential People in the world
TIME named Nigerian physician Tunji Funsho to the 2020 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The full list and related tributes are available now at time.com/time100, and Mr Funsho’s TIME100 profile is available here. The list, now in its seventeenth year, recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals. Mr Funsho, a cardiologist based in Lagos, Nigeria, is the first Rotary member to receive this honour for the organisation’s work to eradicate polio, having played an essential role in ensuring Africa’s certification as wild polio-free in August of 2020. “I’m honored to be recognized by TIME for my part in ensuring that no child in Africa will ever again be paralyzed by wild polio, a disease that once disabl...
