{"id":2508,"date":"2021-02-10T21:16:43","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T03:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=2508"},"modified":"2021-06-24T16:58:21","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T21:58:21","slug":"joni-mitchell-theo-bleckmann-westerlies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/joni-mitchell-theo-bleckmann-westerlies\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections Through Geography with Joni Mitchell and Theo Bleckmann and The Westerlies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Fifty years ago, Joni Mitchell released the most iconic album of her career, one that changed the trajectory of music forever:&nbsp;<em>Blue&nbsp;<\/em>(Reprise, 1971). Writing uniquely warm, evocative lyrics and integrating folk guitar, piano, and dulcimer with adventurous harmony,&nbsp;<em>Blue<\/em>&nbsp;was widely successful upon its release and continues to influence new works today. However, part of its excellence derives from something rarely discussed: its deep lyrical reflection on themes of place. As a Canadian living in Los Angeles, a foreign city Mitchell viewed ambiguously, she cynically compares the dry climate of Southern California to personal stagnation and despair. She longs to leave even as she sings of traveling abroad and missing the people of Los Angeles. She seeks a world without \u201cstreets\u2026 full of strangers\u201d and wishes to be home with those she loves. The album reflects the contradiction this duality brings: falling in love and falling out of love, mourning and dancing in joy, traveling and coming home\u2014twin aspects of life. On&nbsp;<em>Blue<\/em>, Mitchell brings things we all live through into sharper focus via geography, illuminating the universal. From a contemporary perspective, it seems unsurprising that the record would achieve the following it did when it came out and that it would retain its popularity. This includes influencing countless works since, among them Theo Bleckmann and The Westerlies\u2019&nbsp;<em>This Land<\/em>&nbsp;(Westerlies Records, 2021).&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite its appeal,&nbsp;<em>Blue<\/em>&nbsp;also relates distinctively to Mitchell\u2019s own experience as an ex-pat in the United States and an activist. Not merely a treatise on love and life, Mitchell also frequently argues points linked to the social issues of the day. Of course, looking beyond&nbsp;<em>Blue&nbsp;<\/em>into her wider discography, Mitchell shows a proclivity for protest music. Her most widely known song, \u201cBig Yellow Taxi,\u201d is a protest song. \u201cWoodstock,\u201d which has repeatedly charted with versions by various artists since its release, is one of the definitive songs about the \u201860s.&nbsp;<em>Blue&nbsp;<\/em>may not seem as openly political or protest-oriented as some of Mitchell\u2019s other work, but it still is deeply linked to protest in more subtle ways\u2014partially through geography. To Mitchell, California is not only her home. It is also the land of protest and progress. A place where rather than being \u201cold and cold and settled in its ways,\u201d the push for social change is vibrant, constantly moving forward, and invigorating. Whenever Mitchell writes about California, it appears partially linked to this ideal, accompanying her mixed views on the state. Is the counterculture movement \u201cjust a dream some of us had,\u201d or is it still alive and meaningful? The album doesn\u2019t give answers, but it lets the listener contemplate.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_l6tlDUqRMUo\"><div id=\"lyte_l6tlDUqRMUo\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/l6tlDUqRMUo\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/l6tlDUqRMUo\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/l6tlDUqRMUo\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, following the success of&nbsp;<em>Blue<\/em>, Mitchell continued to develop in enigmatic directions and kept asking these questions, further emphasizing the link between geography, emotion, protest, and music. Five years later, she released&nbsp;<em>Hejira<\/em>&nbsp;(Asylum, 1976), her jazz fusion magnum opus that stands alongside&nbsp;<em>Blue&nbsp;<\/em>as a cornerstone of her discography.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recounting her exodus by car across the United States and Canada, the restless and wandering songs of&nbsp;<em>Hejira&nbsp;<\/em>are driven by thundering rhythm guitar and Jaco Pastorius\u2019 characteristic melodic fretless bass. They tell dark tales of journeys across deserts, forests, and prairies as we encounter those who Mitchell contemplated on the journey, strange fantasy figures haunting desolate worlds on the border between myth and reality. Stories emerge through these meditations with friends and acquaintances representing archetypes in the tradition of North American art. They also expose Mitchell\u2019s introspection while animals cross the empty skies as they stalk their prey and women like Amelia Earhart and Lady Liberty cast an inescapable shadow; Mitchell explores her view of both America and herself, journeying on a pilgrimage to discover her soul and the land under her feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn search of love and music my whole life has been,\u201d Mitchell wails on \u201cBlack Crow.\u201d Constantly in pursuit, it\u2019s clear she means it. She seeks something\u2014 music, meaning, a home, and a journey\u2014 richly connected to the land she passes through on her way.&nbsp;<em>Hejira<\/em>&nbsp;is about a place as much as it is about Mitchell herself: the geography of her journey and the meaning derived from it cannot be separated, especially regarding America, whose imagery is omnipresent in the album. As the United States endures a time of crisis, Mitchell\u2019s meditations seem even more relevant today: how does the land we live on and pass through affect the way we live and think? What role does the American mythos play in our lives? How should we relate to it? How should we deal with issues in the world like urban decay, violence, or the restricting roles of gender, race, and class? Is the dream of love, of music, of Beale Street and of Laurel Canyon dead?<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_cuxJm33eGHU\"><div id=\"lyte_cuxJm33eGHU\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/cuxJm33eGHU\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cuxJm33eGHU\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/cuxJm33eGHU\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>As we approach the milestone of&nbsp;<em>Blue&nbsp;<\/em>turning fifty, many works &#8211; in writing, art, and of course music &#8211; will emerge in the lineage of Joni Mitchell. However, one of the first albums of this year to build on the tradition of Mitchell\u2019s work does more than simply emulate her musical elements. Instead, it delves rewardingly into a Mitchell-esque exploration of what it is to contemplate America today, capturing the geographic power which is so characteristic to Mitchell\u2019s work. Innovative German singer Theo Bleckmann and American brass quintet The Westerlies\u2019 collaborative album,&nbsp;<em>This Land,<\/em>&nbsp;provides a gripping artistic take on America, social justice, and immigration. It provides a contemporary perspective applied to Mitchell\u2019s vision that may help us address her questions anew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Bleckmann and The Westerlies are both based in New York,&nbsp;<em>This Land<\/em>&nbsp;was conceived in Putney, Vermont, in the heart of the place most often branded \u201cAmerican\u201d in classical music; rural New England. That is not a coincidence.&nbsp;<em>This Land&nbsp;<\/em>reflects its thoughts on America through the details of its music, encapsulating the American tradition from classical music, folk, traditional protest songs, and modern vocal jazz. The album feels like a mixtape, fluctuating from the traditional and consonant (including bright, optimistic instrumental marches which appear between the darker numbers) to the modern and dissonant to reflect the musical and thematic landscape of the world and to jump through time, relating messages of the past to modern issues. This eclectic nature feels like a strength, though, not a weakness. It reminds us that historical concepts, like the power of labor organization and necessity of protest, still ring true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This Land&nbsp;<\/em>opens with a haunting solo vocal on \u201cThe Fiddle and the Drum,\u201d a Joni Mitchell cover from her album&nbsp;<em>Clouds<\/em>&nbsp;(Reprise, 1969). The song takes the perspective of an immigrant in America and addresses the nation to ask why it must go to war and pleading the nation to remember \u201call the good things you are\u201d with alternatives to violence and warmongering. In many ways, the song outlines the themes of the album: an immigrant questioning America\u2019s contemporary struggles and whether there can be a return to stated ideals, topics Mitchell reflected on for much of her career.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"120\" style=\"position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/v=2\/track=1117657070\/album=2846559178\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, on the track, \u201cLand,\u201d lyrics by another immigrant, Agha Shahid Ali, discusses America and its struggles, casting America as a \u201cpromised land\u201d but one in need of spiritual redemption to overcome its struggles with judgment and xenophobia. What gives this song, and several others on the album, power is its combination of elements of America\u2019s culture, geography, political and social issues, and its music of great depth. Rarely does an album so effectively combine musical and lyrical elements; it truly feels like the two merge into one much deeper work. Bringing together musical and lyrical hallmarks of America makes the music not only political but profoundly emotional. A further illustration of this is found on \u201cAnother Holiday,\u201d a moving ballad whose lyrics reflect aspects of the lived American experience that feel deeply personal and current \u2014a family dinner during a holiday, football on TV, trying futilely to tune out the politics of today and focus on the people nearby. The song asks whether the separation of daily life from politics is even possible today, pulling between internal conflict and American sentimentality. While the song specifically focuses on the plight of the LGBTQ+ community, its meaning can apply in many different areas. It shows how what may seem like political issues are not solely matters of policy but deeply linked to our family structures, how we relate to each other, and indeed American identity itself.<\/p>\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"120\" style=\"position: relative; display: block; width: 100%; height: 120px;\" src=\"\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/v=2\/track=338003403\/album=2846559178\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/artwork=small\/\" allowtransparency=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While&nbsp;<em>This Land&nbsp;<\/em>echoes the voices of the past by casting itself in the mold of Mitchell, it is decisively modern and necessary today. The closing song \u201cThoughts and Prayers,\u201d serves not as merely a reflection but as a call to action enticing all of us to \u201cbe the change we need to see\u201d in working towards progress. Answering the questions proposed by Mitchell decades earlier,&nbsp;<em>This Land<\/em>&nbsp;has an ultimately rousing message: to get to work and create progress. Far from doomed, American activism holds great promise so long as we take action ourselves and further the decades-old dream. Though we may be in a time of crisis, we have the responsibility, obligation, and opportunity to better the country.&nbsp;<em>This Land<\/em>&nbsp;exposes some of America\u2019s contradictions even as it encourages action to repair our nation. As Bleckmann sings, \u201cthe hour has come to redeem the pledge,\u201d to embody in our actions American values and work for true social change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thewesterliesmusic.bandcamp.com\/album\/this-land\"><em>This Land by Theo Bleckmann and the Westerlies is now available on Bandcamp<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fifty years ago, Joni Mitchell released the most iconic album of her career, one that changed the trajectory of music forever:&nbsp;Blue&nbsp;(Reprise, 1971). Writing uniquely warm, evocative lyrics and integrating folk guitar, piano, and dulcimer with adventurous harmony,&nbsp;Blue&nbsp;was widely successful upon its release and continues to influence new works today. However, part of its excellence derives [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2509,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"iawp_total_views":46,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/mitchell-westerlies.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peRkRR-Es","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3196,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/forward-motion-ndegeocello\/","url_meta":{"origin":2508,"position":0},"title":"Forward Motion: Meshell Ndegeocello","author":"Forward Motion","date":"August 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This episode features George in conversation with bassist-vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello. Ndegeocello\u2019s artistic genius has been long documented. So has her expansive scope. Funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae, rock, and more all have a place in her music. As one critic noted, she even helped \u201cspark the neo-soul movement.\u201d Her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Forward Motion with George Burton&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Forward Motion with George Burton","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/forward-motion-with-george-burton\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BeFunky-design.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BeFunky-design.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BeFunky-design.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/BeFunky-design.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11285,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/vics-zuraitis-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":2508,"position":1},"title":"Review: Nicole Zuraitis\u2019 \u2018Live at Vic\u2019s Las Vegas\u2019","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"September 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Go ahead and try this - Ask your friends who the most prominent female jazz vocalists have been in the past five years. Or, do a Google search with the question. More often than not, you won\u2019t find Nicole Zuraitis\u2019s name on the list. That\u2019s criminal. Consider the Grammy Awards.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1498.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1498.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1498.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/img_1498.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3429,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/sara-schoenbeck-exploration\/","url_meta":{"origin":2508,"position":2},"title":"Sound World Exploration: A Conversation with Sara Schoenbeck","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"November 14, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"With its double reeds and complicated fingerings, the bassoon is one of the most difficult wind instruments to master. But for an artist dedicated to conquering the tool, great music can result. With its somehow equally mysterious and romantic tone, the bassoon provides tonal color unlike any other instrument. And\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Lev-Radin1.jpg?fit=816%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Lev-Radin1.jpg?fit=816%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Lev-Radin1.jpg?fit=816%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Lev-Radin1.jpg?fit=816%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2332,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/universal-chord-jarrod-lawson-on-be-the-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":2508,"position":3},"title":"Universal Chord: Jarrod Lawson on &#8216;Be the Change&#8217;","author":"Avery Logan","date":"January 15, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Portland-based singer-songwriter\/pianist Jarrod Lawson made waves in 2014 with his self-titled debut album, quickly garnering an international fanbase who have been clamoring for a sophomore project ever since. 2019\u2019s VISIONS groove tape quelled those appetites briefly\u00a0 (available on Bandcamp under the pseudonym Orpheus) and demonstrated Jarrod\u2019s range and production skills.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/jlawpromo5-47141.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/jlawpromo5-47141.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/jlawpromo5-47141.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/jlawpromo5-47141.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10205,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/space-roscoe-mitchell\/","url_meta":{"origin":2508,"position":4},"title":"SPACE: A Conversation with Roscoe Mitchell","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"March 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Confucius noted that \u201csilence is a true friend who never betrays.\u201d To many creators, silence takes on supreme importance. Without silence, sound has no relevance. Silence is more than just the absence of organized sound, it is something to be given reverence. This is certainly the case for multi-instrumentalist Roscoe\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1334-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1334-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1334-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/img_1334-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9397,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/nicole-mitchell-bamakochicago\/","url_meta":{"origin":2508,"position":5},"title":"Collision and Coexistence: A Conversation with Nicole Mitchell on &#8216;Bamako*Chicago Sound System&#8217;","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"August 11, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Judeo-Christian theology tells the story of the Tower of Babel to explain the existence of different languages and cultures. In the Book of Genesis, a united humanity aimed to build a tower to the heavens until God struck them down and forced the people to have different tongues to confuse\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Interviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/interviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/https___s3.amazonaws.com_l2-disco-data-us_media_businesses_5157-fpe-records_artist-image_image-clsw3k42f0t05356k62vszf7h.jpg?fit=778%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/https___s3.amazonaws.com_l2-disco-data-us_media_businesses_5157-fpe-records_artist-image_image-clsw3k42f0t05356k62vszf7h.jpg?fit=778%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/https___s3.amazonaws.com_l2-disco-data-us_media_businesses_5157-fpe-records_artist-image_image-clsw3k42f0t05356k62vszf7h.jpg?fit=778%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/https___s3.amazonaws.com_l2-disco-data-us_media_businesses_5157-fpe-records_artist-image_image-clsw3k42f0t05356k62vszf7h.jpg?fit=778%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2508"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2514,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2508\/revisions\/2514"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}