Frank "Bongolong" Long

Frank "Bongolong" Long

Remember the early days of ratty old vinyl sharity? It was a time when it seemed fewer than 100 people were digging deep in their dusty crates to find rarities and items that slipped through copyright standards, ripped them at as high bitrates as their connection could take, and shared them with the world. These bloggers were celebrities. Visitors never knew what to expect, and even the most rabid record collectors were astonished at the things they could hear.

Most of those sites are gone now, as the creators have invested their time in other projects. Multi-instrumentalist Frank Long was one of those sharity bloggers, and his sharity paradise was known as Bongolong Land.

After the sharity wave crashed on the shore, Long moved on to sharing his own work. He shared his percussion experiments, The Pedro Tapes (1973), around 2007. These were at recorded when he lived with fellow Army Band members while stationed at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, California. Those tracks still pop up in the mix here and there.

Bongolong has since shared many more selections from his decades of composing, performing with bands, accompanying theater productions, experimenting at home, and a even Long family original Christmas CD. These joys and more can now be found together at bongolongmusic.

Two outstanding collections really stand out, frank and his four track (circa 1980s) and miscellaneous etcetera (1969-2005). These span from drum solos to exotica, show tunes to bellydancing accompaniment, tape collages to rock. These two are fun trips all across the board!

Cheers to Frank Long for letting us peak into the his archives of a life in music!

U.S. Army Band Ensembles

The United States Army Band has been the premier musical organization of the U.S. Army since 1922 when Army Chief of Staff General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing directed that it be formed to emulate the premier European military bands he had heard during the First World War. The Band has been known as “Pershing’s Own” ever since.

The Band provides musical support for US leadership, including all branches of government and for a spectrum of national and international events in support of public diplomacy, community and international relations, recruiting initiatives, soldiers and their families, and music education programs. The U.S. Army Band was also widely known during its early years for radio broadcasts featured on several national networks.

The U.S. Army Band and it's smaller ensembles periodically offer selected recordings on their websites. Here are some of the releases and collections currently available.

click images to enlarge

	US Army Strings - Strings Selections Classical, Strings, Modern Composition, Peoples Music | changing selection of songs The U.S. Army Strings, a premier ensemble of the U.S. Armed Forces, provide a musical backdrop for many of the country's most notable events. Their mission is to serve as musical ambassadors for high level military and government events at home and abroad, as well as in concert for public audiences. The elite musicians that comprise this ensemble have been trained at the most prestigious music conservatories and universities in the country. This versatile ensemble performs as The U.S. Army Strolling Strings, mixed chamber ensembles, and The U.S. Army Orchestra.
	US Army Blues - Live At Blues Alley (at online jukebox) Jazz, Blues, Swing, Big Band, Brass, Percussion | 11-song album + PDF booklet The U.S. Army Blues is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Army. After informal beginnings in 1970, this 18-piece ensemble became an official element of the Army Band in 1972. Comprised of exceptional jazz musicians from across the nation, the Army Blues strive to fulfill their mission through public concerts, educational outreach, and the preservation of the tradition of America's unique art form: jazz.
	US Army Concert Band - Marches Of America (at online jukebox) Marches, Military, Orchestra | 15 of 18-song album + PDF booklet Headquartered in Washington, DC, The U.S. Army Concert Band has performed in concert venues such as Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Hollywood Bowl. The ensemble participates in ongoing, educational outreach and often appears at national and international music events.
	US Army Blues - Something Old, Something New: Yours to Borrow From the Blues Jazz, Blues, Swing, Big Band, Brass, Percussion | 9-song album + materials listed below "Introducing "Blues + YOU": play-along tracks available online--free of charge--so musicians can practice with mp3 downloads in a variety of configurations! Tailored to intermediate and advanced players, this unique product will become an invaluable resource for both college and high school jazz programs. The newest recording from The U.S. Army Blues, Something Old, Something New: Yours to Borrow From the Blues has tools to use and tunes to enjoy!" Materials include: Complete arrangements with score and individual parts as PDF files Separate full-band mp3 files minus lead trumpet, lead alto saxophone, lead trombone, and each rhythm instrument Mp3 files of rhythm section only for solo or full horn section practice
	US Army Chorus - Chorus Selections Male Choral, Classical, Vocal Pop, Folk, Military, Americana | changing selection of songs In 1956 The U.S. Army Chorus was established as the vocal counterpart of The United States Army Band and is one of the nation's only professional men's choruses. From its inception, The U.S. Army Chorus has established and maintained a reputation of excellence in the performance of male choral literature. Beyond the traditional military music and patriotic standards, the repertoire of the Army Chorus covers a broad spectrum which includes pop, Broadway, folk, and classical music.
	US Army Chorus - Christmas With The Chorus Male Choral, Classical, Vocal Pop, Folk, Holiday, Nonsecular, Christmas, Winter | 18-song collection

license: US Government Public Domain

A Doozy of a Dozen

Yuri Lane the mindblowing human beatbox [hip hop, turntablism]	Lo-Kiwi the cool "comfort music" netlabel [downtempo, dub, jazz, soul, chilled electro]	Budweiser the Real Men of Genius radio ads [commercials, humor, comedy]
Machinae Supremacy Swedish legends share songs and soundtrack [metal, soundtrack, video game music]	Filewile present their first two releases, remix CDs and other delicious surprises [electronica, big beat, trip hop]	Curtis Eller "New York City's angriest yodeling banjo player" [old-time, vaudeville, downhome, folk]
Joe Sparks nutty Alternative Tentacles artist behind the Radiskull & Devil Doll and Dicky & Jackie cartoons [silly, rock]	Various Artists - Children's Songs a Song Fight comp distributed in packages to chronically ill, hospitalized kids [children, silly, pop]	Spheriot shares his solo Livingroom Orbits release through WM Recordings [electronica, pop, acoustic, dance]
Ural Rock recordings by up and coming bands from the Ural Mountains of Western Russia, click for band list [rock, pop, alternative]	Ian Ritchie portfolio highlights from composer, producer, and saxophonist, including work for TV soundtracks [varied]	Matmos a pair of electronic collage artists standing out as innovators in a field noted for innovation [experi, collage]

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