Recording Global Music with Producer Ian Brennan Part 3: Azerbaijan, Malawi, Parchman Prison

This is my third conversation with Ian Brennan in this mini ongoing series with him, within my podcast.

If you missed Parts 1 and 2 they are linked in the show notes for you. Today you’ll hear about how he recorded some of the oldest voices in the world in Azerbaijan, and some of the bonus tracks including the Kronos quartet and The Good Ones. Ian shared how he met the Malawi Mouse Boys and then brought them to international attention, and what that has meant for them. We talked about the Chicago Gunfire Survivors project, Ian’s book Peace by Peace, 99 Steps Toward Violence Prevention and De-escalation, and the powerful Parchman Prison albums. At the end I asked him about his Grammy-nominated album with Ramblin’ Jack Elliot “I Stand Alone”.

In the show notes you’ll find photos from the album covers by Ian’s wife the Italian-Rwandan filmmaker and photographer Marilena Umuhoza Delli.

You'll find the track information for the excerpts in the timestamps and everything is linked in the show notes on my website. You can also watch the video on my YouTube or listen to the podcast on your preferred platform and I've also linked the transcript. Have a look at the show notes where you'll find all the links, including different ways to support this podcast . Please note that I’ve linked suggested episodes you’ll find interesting along with other episodes with Ian, each focusing on different albums he’s recorded. Complete show notes

(00:00) Intro

(02:40) Azerbaijan “The Oldest Voice in the World” album with clips tracks 1, 5, album linked in show notes

(13:13) Ageism, Azerbaijan, clips of tracks 23 Kronos and 26 The Good Ones

(17:58) the Malawi Mouse Boys with clips, In Memory of a Hungry Child and tracks 2, 5 “Score for a film about Malawi without music from Malawi”, NPR Tiny Desk

(26:30) Malawi Mouse Boys touring, WOMAD, daily struggles

(34:50) Other suggested episodes

(35:51) Malawi Mouse Boys homemade instruments, Track 14, album linked in show notes

(46:17) Chicago Gunfire Survivors clips track 3, 2, 6

(55:23) book Peace by Peace, non-violent crisis intervention, great advice for all of us

(01:08:12) Parchman Prison Project with clips from 2 albums linked in show notes Break Every Chain, MC Hammer, Parchman Prison Blues

(01:17:20) Ramblin’ Jack Elliott “I Stand Alone”, Grammy nomination