Toumani & Sidiki: Rachid Ouiguini

Tanner Ross' live ELITA set, Polar-prize recipient Chuck Berry, Toumani and Sidiki Diabaté and more in the music we tweeted this week

The beautiful sound of West Africa’s 21-string kora instrument is fully realized in a historic merger of father and son. Renowned Malian kora player, Toumani Diabaté—who learned from his legendary father Sidiki (senior)—has collaborated with his son Sidiki (junior) on an album of unrehearsed songs recorded at north London’s RAK studios. Dubbing their musical relationship as master and apprentice, Sidiki tells the Guardian, “My father …

Harry Nilsson: Ain’t It Kind of Wonderful

Tanner Ross' live ELITA set, Polar-prize recipient Chuck Berry, Toumani and Sidiki Diabaté and more in the music we tweeted this week

For this week’s guilty pleasure song, Dennis McNany of Museum of Love revealed to CH: “I keep my Nilsson secret… When you listen to Harry Nilsson, he can put you in a melancholy mood. I like my melancholy.” While “Ain’t It Kind of Wonderful“—featured in the 1977 Gene Wilder comedy “The World’s Greatest Lover”—is much happier than Nilsson’s usual style, there’s something too perfect and …

Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock: It Takes Two

DJ Harvey's Wildest Dreams, a #PrivateJam from HUH's Joe Reeve, remembering DJ E-Z Rock and more in the music we tweeted this week

Last weekend the music world lost two influential members: Chicago house producer DJ Rashad passed on Saturday, while Sunday saw the death of hip-hop’s Rodney “Skip” Bryce, better known as DJ E-Z Rock and one-half of the duo behind the 1988 hit “It Takes Two.” EZ-Rock’s longtime friend and music collaborator Rob Base tells Rolling Stone, “Skip was a joker. He was a good DJ, …