Frantz Casseus
Today we’re listening to Frantz Casseus, a Haitian guitarist and composer. Born in Port-Au-Prince in 1915, he moved to New York City in the ‘40s, bringing his unique style of composition with roots in Haitian folk and influences from jazz and classical music.1 We’re listening to two collections of these compositions. First up is Haitian Dances, which features recordings of Casseus playing his own pieces and was originally released in 1954 (and recently reissued by Smithsonian Folkways).2 Then we’re listening to the longer record Marc Ribot Plays Solo Guitar Works of Frantz Casseus from 1993. Marc was Casseus’s student and longtime collaborator until Casseus’s passing that same year.
Haitian Dances - Frantz Casseus (23m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal
Marc Ribot Plays Solo Guitar Works of Frantz Casseus - Frantz Casseus & Marc Ribot (59m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal
Have a really good Thursday.
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