At the Farmer's Market in October: Hibiscus for Agua de Jamaica (with Recipe)

I'm always on the hunt for something unusual at the local farmers markets. Last Saturday, at the Barton Creek Farmers Market, I got my hands on some fresh hibiscus flowers.

A hibiscus flower

The only thing I know how to make with them is agua de jamaica, a refreshing hibiscus tea often served cold that's popular in Mexico, and thus in Austin as well. Not only does it taste good, it is a gorgeous color. I make it in concentrated form, then add a bit of water, but you could add sparkling water instead, and I imagine the concentrate would make an interesting ingredient for mixologists.

Here's my recipe for Agua de Jamaica

Ingredients
1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh or dry hibiscus petals
1 quart water
2/3 cups sugar (or less, to taste)
3-4 thin slices fresh ginger (optional, to taste)
1 stick cinnamon
a few allspice berries (optional, to taste)
a few whole cloves (optional, to taste)

1. If using fresh hibiscus, separate the petals from the rest of the buds and rinse the petals well.

2. Bring water, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves to a boil. Remove from heat, add hibiscus petals, cover and steep for 15-30 minutes.

3. Strain and chill. The concentrate should be strong enough to dilute with about an equal amount of water. I serve it with ice and a slice of lime.

Agua de Jamaica, concentrate (left) and diluted (right)

Some Favorite Songs in 2019 (So Far)

I think it's a pretty diverse mix of stuff, so hopefully you find something new you like.

Avey Tare - Saturdays (Again)
Mellow but rich, like you'd expect from Avey Tare.


Fontaines D.C. - Boys in the Better Land [live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Favorite short comment: "Like Liam Gallagher and Ian Curtis had a one night stand and this beautiful Irish bastard was the outcome." Not original really in terms of style, but it still might be my favorite thing in 2019.


The Claypool Lennon Delirium - Blood and Rockets: Movement I, Saga of Jack Parsons - Movement II, Too the Moon
The best Beatles song since ...?


MIKE f. Medhane - Prayers
I guess he's feeling dark, but MIKE reminds us about the beauty that's even in the dark stuff.


Theon Cross - Activate [+ other tracks live on livesession VG Buiten Spelen]
My sister heard Activate and described it as "that booming electronic song," but it's just a tuba, drums and sax.


Rapsody ft. D'Angelo, GZA - Ibtihaj
Throwback beat with D'Angelo singing, and the young rapper keeps up.


Black Pumas - Colors
Austin proud! Adrian Quesada is The Man Who Makes Things Happen.


Devon Gilfillian - Get Out And Get It
Fela x Curtis.  I love his voice and hope he keeps exploring.


Mattiel - Mattiel - Je Ne Me Connais Pas
I like this catchy one, but hope it doesn't remind you too much of that song by Smashmouth.


Dua Saleh - Warm Pants
Talented young Sudanese-born rapper. Comment from YouTube: "Mainstream fans won’t find us here. We safe for now.🔥"

SXSW 2019: A Few Music Selections

South by Southwest 2019 is around the corner already, which is a good thing here, because that's usually when the weather becomes reliably beautiful in Austin for a month or two before gradually becoming more and more oppressively hot. I don't always have an opportunity to dip in to the festivities, but there are a few musical artists coming that I will try to check out, if the right opportunity arises.

The Beths - Rockers from New Zealand.  I put their tune "Future Me Hates Me" on my top 2018 songs list.



The Bright Light Social Hour - Austin's own throwback rockers. They killed at the Austin Music Awards in 2011. They got a bit of press when it released "Tear Down That Wall" on the day of President Donald Trump's inauguration.



Cha Wa - Mardi Gras Indian-style brass and funk from New Orleans, featuring the grandson of Golden Eagles Big Chief Monk Boudreux. These shows should have a party atmosphere.



The Comet is Coming - Modern jazz from London, featuring the searing tenor sax of prolific lead man Shabaka Hutchings and the "a tuba can do that?" tuba player Theon Cross. This one's at the top of my list.



Ezra Collective - More modern jazz from London. Another good bet for a fun show. This track has a bit of an afrobeat feel.



The Nude Party - More throwback rock ("Chevrolet Van" screams '70s), but seem like they'd be a fun show.



Warmduscher - Not sure who they sound like. Which is a compliment, natch.

... and his Crummy Little Toadie

This:

reminds me of this:

That's all I have.

Fantastic!

Who's going to go see Fantastic Negrito at Antone's on July 5.



Not you?

Tsk.  Don't miss!

Fats Domino was a Rock-n-Roll Pioneer (and the Godfather of Ska?)

Antoine "Fats" Domino passed away on Tuesday. I have always been a student of the history of American popular music -- in particular jazz, blues and rock -- and Fats was right there at the birth of rock-n-roll. But did you also know he is considered by some to be the Godfather of Ska Music, the Jamaican-born precursor to rocksteady and ultimately reggae?  Wikipedia (okay, maybe I should not use it as a primary source, but I am feeling a bit lazy) describes his contribution pretty concisely:

As the supply of previously unheard tunes in the jump blues and more traditional R&B genre began to dry up in the late 1950s, Jamaican producers began recording their own version of the genres with local artists.^[2] These recordings were initially made to be played on "Soft Wax" (a lacquer on metal disc acetate later to become known as a "Dub Plate"), but as demand for them grew eventually some time in the second half of 1959 (Believed by most to be in the last quarter) producers such as Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid began to issue these recording on 45rpm, 7-inch discs. At this point the style was a direct copy of the American "Shuffle Blues" style, but within two or three years this had morphed into the more familiar Ska style with the off beat guitar chop that could be heard in some of the more uptempo late 1950s American Rhythm and Blues recordings such as Fats Domino's "Be My Guest" (a hugely popular record on Jamaican Sound Systems of the late 1950s). This "classic" Ska style was of bars made up of four triplets but was characterized by a guitar chop on the off beat — known as an upstroke or skank — with horns taking the lead and often following the off beat skank and piano emphasizing the bass line and, again, playing the skank.

Listen, and you can hear what the author(s) is talking about.



Rock-n-roll pioneer, unwitting inspiration for ska, New Orleans musical icon, and yet for some reason, the image that keeps running through my head is of Richie.