tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2553032377984211482024-02-07T11:19:10.670-06:00Nothing Is v2.0A music sharing blog that specializes primarily in the jazz underground.James Benjaminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05696057339996056906noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-30016273249631541202011-08-12T13:50:00.000-05:002011-08-12T13:50:13.545-05:00Wayne Shorter: Odyssey of Iska<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc78qKihUXBNZdpY-CaAiFj0jeYatYSyf_fpPttam2h6ZKnA0umio-fuKLiHL_nNYCcop2294kmthMyVhLhot46Zwk9CwVZCugjR3ZW3AaGZhS6KNGZpBlc-3wzrhOUa6_3vz4ZWE6Lcxc/s1600-h/iska.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc78qKihUXBNZdpY-CaAiFj0jeYatYSyf_fpPttam2h6ZKnA0umio-fuKLiHL_nNYCcop2294kmthMyVhLhot46Zwk9CwVZCugjR3ZW3AaGZhS6KNGZpBlc-3wzrhOUa6_3vz4ZWE6Lcxc/s320/iska.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5121394921291681074" border="0" /></a><br />
This album features music from Shorter's last recording session for Blue Note, and as far as I know is currently out of print in the US. Here's the AMG review:<br />
<blockquote>On August 26, 1970, Wayne Shorter recorded two separate albums for Blue Note (the other one is <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Moto Grosso Feio</span>), his final projects for the label. For this set, Shorter (doubling on tenor and soprano) utilizes a double rhythm section comprised of vibraphonist Dave Friedman, guitarist Gene Bertoncini, both Ron Carter and Cecil McBee on basses, drummers Billy Hart and Alphonse Mouzon, and percussionist Frank Cuomo. On the verge of joining Weather Report (referred to in the liner notes as "Weather Forecast"), it is not surprising that Shorter's originals include titles such as "Wind," "Storm," and "Calm." These moody works were never covered by other jazz players but they work quite well in this context, launching melancholy flights by Shorter.</blockquote>Tracks:<br />
1. Wind<br />
2. Storm<br />
3. Calm<br />
4. De Pois Do Amour O Vazio<br />
5. Joy<br />
<br />
Personnel:<br />
Wayne Shorter - tenor sax & soprano sax<br />
Ron Carter - bass<br />
Cecil McBee - bass<br />
Gene Bertoncini - guitar<br />
Billy Hart - drums<br />
Alphonse Mouzon - drums<br />
Frank Cuomo - percussion<br />
David Friedman - vibraphone, marimba<br />
<br />
If you like late 1960s & early 1970s fusion, you'll probably dig on this one as well.<br />
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<i>Update: Since the original post, this recording has been reissued and is commercially available. </i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-40483475487275031992010-03-19T14:01:00.000-05:002010-03-19T14:01:35.792-05:00Open threadWith Haloscan dying, I ended up losing a lot of comments, and unfortunately Blogger won't allow me to have comments on old posts. So, here's an open thread.<br />
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I'm in the process of making some possible career changes, and so am extremely pressed for time. When the proverbial dust settles, I do have a backlog of material I want to upload for you all. Thanks for your patience.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-77547854293880471182009-10-08T15:36:00.003-05:002010-03-18T00:34:14.817-05:00Foday Musa Suso: Kora Music From GambiaI thought I'd share this only because it offers an opportunity to hear Foday Musa Suso in a context other than pop or jazz (if you search the archives you'll find some more of Foday's recorded work available).<br />
<br />
Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/176893468/foday_musa_suso_-_kora_music_from_gambia__1970__smithsonian_folkways___world_music_.zip">Kora Music From Gambia</a><br />
<br />
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</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-47901950363794595812009-09-27T16:39:00.004-05:002009-09-27T16:44:17.269-05:00"Top Ten From the Free Jazz Underground"<script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-6751991159289614"; /* 180x150, created 9/17/09 */ google_ad_slot = "0658714549"; google_ad_width = 180; google_ad_height = 150; //--><br /></script>Here's an oldie but a goodie from Thurston Moore, that I like to come back to from time to time. His "top ten" list (which let's face it, went way beyond a top ten) has been a source of inspiration as I've searched to find exciting music to listen to, and occasionally share.<blockquote>#<br />TOP TEN FROM THE FREE JAZZ UNDERGROUND<br /><br /> by thurston moore<br /><br />No matter how you listen to it JAZZ is ostensibly about FREEDOM.<br /><br />FREEDOM and the MYSTERY surrounding it.<br /><br />And, like MUSIC, it is an ABSTRACT.<br /><br />It's SHAPES, FORMS (SOUNDS!) are DISTINCT and PERSONAL and SENSITIVE to each player's DESIRE.<br /><br />And the DESIRE is INFINITE.<br /><br />FREEDOM is not just another word for nothing left to lose.<br /><br />We know this from MESSAGES beamed from the space-lantern of his cosmic highness SUN RA!<br />The MESSAGE was clear:<br /><br />"NOTHING IS."<br /><br />To freely improvise a solo within a structural context may have begun with a young Louis Armstrong in the early 20's. As a boy he grew up in New Orleans hearing and seeing musicians both black and white cultivating a celebratory and spiritual vibe.<br />They were flowers in the dustbin.<br />Slaveships stole the horns and drums. The captured African would not be allowed to communicate as they had.<br />Upon THE FREEDOM ACT the freed slave sought and fought for the EXPRESSION oppressed.<br />And THE FREEDOM PRINCIPLE developed.<br />Jelly Roll Morton, like Louis Armstrong began to record compositions of PURE BLACK AWARENESS. Both these men had been witness, early in the century, to BUDDY BOLDEN - a man who supposedly blew the cornet so masterfully (and so loud!) that his legend was rampant. He supposedly recorded upon a cylinder (pre-vinyl format) and it has yet to be found!!<br />Ideas of improvisation, live and on recordings, became increasingly more sophisticated and political throughout the 40's, 50's and 60's. From Lester Youngs' twisting reedy tones to Charlie Parkers spurious key changes and (along with Miles Davis, Max Roach, et al) hyper-fast note-fly.<br />John Coltrane was the man. With the introduction of the long-playing record, people like Trane could experiment and extend their playing for posterity.<br />The vinyl communicated around the world. Trane's SOUND was BEAUTIFUL and COMPLEX and inspired all who received it. Trane himself was duly inspired by some of the most far-out musicians of the then burgeoning jazz avant-garde. Chief amongst them was Sun Ra & his Arkestra.<br />Factions of experimentation abounded throughout the 50's and 60's. Trane, Ra, Ornette Coleman and his white plastic alto playing notes and tones at once beautiful and harsh. Thelonius Monk, Lennie Tristano, Charles Mingus and Eric Dolphy composing and playing music inspired by whole worlds of experience (blues, eastern and western classical, religion, etc.)<br />Music like no one had yet imagined would emanate from the wild hearts of those such as Albert Ayler and Cecil Taylor.<br />These are all names of artists commonly associated with the avant-garde jazz underground of the 20th century. They all recorded fairly prolifically throughout their lifetimes (and some, like Cecil Taylor, continue). But there were so many more musicians performing and recording so-called "new" music at the time. It happened mostly in the late 60's/early 70's with the concept of artist-run collectives coming into fruition.<br />To play jazz totally FREE and ORGANIC was a gesture whose time had come in the 60's. It was SOCIAL and POLITICAL for reasons involving relationship, race, fury, rage, peace, war, love and FREEDOM.<br />We search for artifacts from this underground constantly. They were arcane and obscure at the time and are even more so today. No record labels are reissuing this stuff (some are e.g.: Evidence Records reissuing all of Sun Ra's independent Saturn label releases).<br />Here's a list of ten (out of hundreds of) LP's recorded in total grassroots fashion from the FREE-JAZZ underground. These are fairly impossible to locate and if you want to know what FREE-JAZZ may sound like you can get CD's of certain crucial classics where this music was allowed to exist: John Coltrane-Interstellar Space (Impulse/MCA), Ornette Coleman-Beauty Is A Rare Thing (Atlantic/Rhino), The Art Ensemble - 1967/68 (Nessa, PO Box 394, Whitehall, MI 49461), Sun Ra-various titles (Evidence)<br /><br />TOP TEN FREE JAZZ UNDERGROUND<br /><br />1. DAVE BURRELL - Echo (BYG 529.320/Actuel Volume 20)..<br /><br />In the fall of 1969 Free Jazz was reaching a kind of nadir/nexus. Within the industry it was controversial. Classic traditionalists (beboppers included) were outraged by men in dashikis and sandals jumping on stage and just BLOWING their guts out creating screaming torrents of action. Most musicians involved with this crying anarchy could get no bookings beyond the New York loft set. The French lovers of the avant-garde embraced this African-American scene wholly. This recording is one of many in a series of LP's with consistent design. BYG released classic Free Jazz documents by Archie Shepp (at his wildest), Clifford Thornton, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Grachan Moncur III, Sunny Murray, Alan Silva, Arthur Jones, Dewey Redman and many others. A lot of these cats are present on this recording where from the first groove it sounds like an acoustic tidal wave exploding into shards of dynamite. If you can locate Alan Silva's "Lunar Surface" LP (BYG 529.312/Actuel Vol. 12) you'll find a world even that much more OUT.<br /><br />2. MILFORD GRAVES & DON PULLEN - Nommo (S.R.P. LP-290)<br /><br />Milford may be one of the most important players in the Free Jazz underground. He enforces the sense of community as a primary exponent of his freely improvised music. His drumkit is home-made and he rarely performs outside of his neighborhood. When he does perform he plays his kit like no other. Wild, slapping, bashing, tribal freak-outs interplexed with silence, serenity and enlightened meditation. This LP was manufactured by the artists in 1967 and is recorded live at Yale University. The interplay between Milford and Don (piano) is remarkable and very free. There's a second volume which also is as rare as hen's teeth.<br /><br />3. ARTHUR DOYLE Plus 4 - Alabama Feeling (AK-BA AK-1030)<br /><br />Arthur is a strange cat. Not too many people know where he's from (Alabama is a good guess). He resided in New York City in the 70's and showed up in loftspaces spitting out incredible post-Aylerisms. Mystic music which took on the air of chasing ghosts and spirits through halls of mirrors (!). He hooked up with noise/action guitarist Rudolph Grey who was making the current No-Wave scene and with Beaver Harris (drums) they played gigs in front of unsuspecting art creeps apparently not "hip" enough to dig, let alone document, the history blasting their brains. Arthur did release this lo-fi masterpiece and it's a spiraling cry of freedom and fury. AKBA Records released a number of classic NYC loft-jazz sessions, most notably those of label boss Charles Tyler, a screaming tenor player who also blew with Rudolph in the late 70's/early 80's. Arthur continues to play/teach etc. in Binghamton, N.Y. and recently released in 1993 "More Alabama Feeling" on yours truly's Ecstatic Peace label (available from Forced Exposure/POB 9102/Waltham, MA 02254)<br /><br />4. SONNY MURRAY - Sonny's Time Now (Jihad 663)<br /><br />Sonny was the drummer considered to be the first to realize and recognize and perform, on drums, pure FREE jazz. He played behind and along with Ayler early on and Cecil Taylor. He constructed groups which always flew and raged with spiritual abandon. He took time as an abstract and turned it into free motion. This recording is super-lo-fi and is awesome. On it play Ayler(tenor) and Don Cherry (trumpet) as well as Leroi Jones (now known as Amiri Baraka) reading a killer poem called "Black Art". This music is very Ayler but more fractured and odd. Like a lot of these records there is only a front cover with the back of the jacket blank. Whether this was done for economic or artistic reasons is unclear. Jihad was a concern of Leroi Jones and anything released on this label is utterly obscure. The only other title I've seen is one just called "BLACK AND BEAUTIFUL" from the mid-60's which is Leroi and friends sitting on the stoops of Harlem chanting, beating drums and celebrating Leroi's "poems" ("The white man/at best/is..corny!") There was an ad for Jihad in an old issue of Jazz & Pop magazine which announced a Don Ayler (Albert's amazing trumpet-playing bro) LP but I've yet to meet anyone who's actually seen this. "Sonny's Time Now" was reissued a few years ago in Japan (DIW-25002) on CD and LP (with an enclosed 7" of two extra scratchy tracks!) but even that is near impossible to locate. Recorded in 1965.<br /><br />5. THE RIC COLBECK QUARTET - The Sun Is Coming Up (Fontana 6383 001)<br /><br />Issued in the UK only in 1970. Ric was an interesting white cat who came to the U.S. to blow some free e-motion with NYC loft dwellers. He's most well known for his amazing playing on the great Noah Howard's first ESP-Disk release (ESP 1031). The whole 1000 series of ESP is critical & crucial to anybody wanting to explore this era of Free Jazz featuring recordings by Ayler, Ornette, Sonny Simmons, Sun Ra, Henry Grimes, Steve Lacy, Sunny Murray, Marzette Watts, Patty Waters, et al. I'm not including any of these in this list as they're all available on CD now (from Forced Exposure, address above). The picture of Ric on the Noah Howard LP shows a man with race-car shades and a "cool" haircut playing his horn while a ciggie burns nonchalantly from his relaxed grip. A very hip dude. And very FREE. His only solo recording is this Fontana LP which he recorded while cruising through Europe. He connected with South African drummer Selwyn Lissack (whatever happened to...) and the UK's famous avant-altoist Mike Osborne and bassist J.F. 'Jenny' Clark (student of 20th century compositionists Lucian Berio and Karlheinz Stockhausen) to create this exceptional and complex masterpiece<br /><br />6. JOHN TCHICAI AND CADENTIA NOVA DANICA - Afrodisiaca (MPS CRM711)<br /><br />Tchicai is a 6'6" Danish/Congolese tenor sax player who, in the early 60's, started blowing minds all across the Netherlands with his radical "music for the future". Archie Shepp encouraged him to come to NYC and join like-minded souls of avant-guardia. Tchicai came over and kicked everybodys ass. Leroi Jones shouted his name and talent loudly as Tchicai hooked up with Shepp and Don Cherry for the New York Contemporary Five and later an even heavier ensemble with Milford Graves and Roswell Rudd called the New York Art Quartet. The NYAQ recorded one of the most crucial sessions for ESP-Disk (esp1004) which had Leroi reciting his infamous BLACK DADA NIHILISMUS (available on CD from Forced Exposure). AFRODISIACA was released in Germany (and in other re-release configurations...supposedly) and is Tchicai gathered with 25 other local-Euro musicians playing a hurricane of a piece by trumpet/composer Hugh Steinmetz. This music gets way way out and has the real ability to take you "there". The echo effect on some of this shit is quite ill in a very analog way. And the way the shit gets that dirty-needled distortion at the end of side one (all 25 cats GOING AT IT!) is beautiful, baby, BEAUTIFUL!!<br /><br />7. RASHIED ALI and FRANK LOWE - Duo Exchange (Survival SR101)<br /><br />Frank Lowe has been studying and playing a consistently developing tenor sax style for a few decades now. At present he's been swinging through a Lester Young trip which can be heard majestically on his Ecstatic Peace recording (E#19..from Forced Exp.) In the early 70's, however, he was a firebrande who snarled and blew hot lava skronk from loft to loft. He played with Alice Coltrane on some of her more out sessions. Rashied Ali was the free-yet-disciplined drummer whom Coltrane enlisted to play alongside Elvin Jones and Pharaoh Sanders (and Alice) in his last mind-bending, space-maniacal recordings (check out surely the Coltrane/Ali duet CD Interstellar Space). Elvin quit the group cuz Rashied was too hardcore. Those were the fuckin' days. And Rashied had his own club downtown NYC called Ali's Alley! Duo Exchange is Rashied and Frank completely going at it and just burning notes and chords where ever they can find 'em. Totally sick. Survival was Rashied's record label which had cool b&w matte sleeves and some crucial releases mostly with his quartet/quintet and a duo session with violinist LeRoy Jenkins.<br /><br />8. THE PETER BROTZMANN SEXTET/QUARTET - Nipples (Calig - CAL30604)<br /><br />The influence of Free Jazz-era Coltrane, Ayler, Esp-disk, Shepp, etc. on hard drinking, knuckle-biting European white cats is formidable. These guys didn't care so much about plaing "jazz" as just totally ripping their guts out with high-energy, brain-plowing NOISE. Brotzmann (sax, German), Evan Parker (sax, UK), Derek Bailey (guitar, UK), and Han Bennink (drums, Dutch) are a few of the spearheaders of this Free-Euro scene and are caught on this insanely rare early document. The b&w cover has a fold-out accordion post card set of personal images of the musicians glued and paperclipped to its front. Brotzmann went on to help further the critical documentation of the Euro-Free-Jazz scene with FMP (Free Music Productions) Records which still exists to this day. There are over a 100 releases on this label of pure Euro-improv and they all offer remarkable moments. Derek Bailey went on to create his own categorically similar Incus Records in the UK which is also still extant. As is the Han Bennink associated I.C.P. (Instant Composers Pool) Records. The most mind-blasting of these recordings may be MACHINE GUN (FMP 24 CD available from NorthCountry Distr./Cadence Bldg./Redwood, NY 13679) where Brotzmann leads an octet through a smashing clanging wonderland of noise. Improvisation and classic western musics are seriously tended to by a large Euro community and it's all pretty fascinating. Check out the works of Alexander von Schlippenbach, Barry Guy & The London Jazz Composers Orchestra, Misha Mengleberg, Peter Kowald, Andre Jaume, Andrea Centazzo, Lol Coxhill and just about anybody who plays with them.<br /><br />9. THE MARZETTE WATTS ENSEMBLE - (Savoy MG-12193)<br /><br />Marzette was a serious black art cat who resided in downtown NYC when Free Jazz as a NEW cultural revolution was in full gear. He painted and composed wonderful music where some of the coolest locals could flow their flavor. One of the heaviest ESP-disk recordings is Marzette's MARZETTE AND COMPANY (On CD from Forced Exposure) which has the incredible talents of saxist Byard Lancaster (who released an early indie b&w Free Jazz classic out of Philly called LIVE AT MCALLISTER COLLEGE - find it and send it to me..) and guitarist Sonny Sharrock (check his wild influence on Pharaoh Sanders' TAUHID Impulse CD and his own obscure noise guitar masterpiece BLACK WOMAN on Vortex) and cornetist Clifford Thornton (academic NEW MUSIC/Free Jazz "teacher" who released a few crucial sides such as COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK on Third World and THE PANTHER AND THE LASH on America) and the amazing free vocalist Patty Waters (who recorded two infamous hair-raising platters on ESP-Disc). This recording on Savoy was one of a series produced by Bill Dixon, an early associate of Archie Shepp's, who was an incredible composer in his own right. I've heard tapes of Dixon leading Free-Jazz orchestras into sonic symphonic heavens. Very hardcore.<br /><br />This recording I list because of all its obvious loaded references but it's also quite happening and anything with Marzette, Dixon (especially INTENTS AND PURPOSES on RCA Victor), Byard (careful, there's some clinkers) and Clifford is extremely worthwhile.<br /><br />10. MARION BROWN - In Sommerhausen (Calig 30 605)<br />BLACK ARTISTS GROUP - In Paris, Aries 1973 (BAG 324 000)<br />FRANK WRIGHT QUARTET - Uhuru Na Umoja (America 30 AM 6104)<br />DR. UMEZU-SEIKATSU KOJYO IINKAI - (SKI NO. 1)<br />CECIL TAYLOR - Indent, part 2 (Unit Core 30555)<br /><br />Five way tie for last? Well, seeing as there's no "beginning" or "end" to this shit I have to list as many items as possible just to reiterate the fact that there was (indeed) a ton o' groovy artifactual evidence to support the reality of the existence of FREE MUSIC. Dig? There's used record stores all over the country (the world!) and they all have the potential to be hiding some of these curios amongst the bins and most peeps just ain't sure of their worth and sometimes you can find 'em really cheap. It's definitely a marketplace of the rarefied so when peeps are "hip" to it expect this shit to be way pricey.<br /><br />Marion Brown was/is an alto player who made an incredible LP with Tony Oxley and Maarten Altena called "Porto Novo" that just twists and burns start to finish. Marion could really get on OUT as well as just play straight up. Shepp dug him and got him to do some great LP's on Impulse. He had a septet at one point that was especially remarkable featuring Beaver Harris (drums), Dave Burrell (piano), Grachan Moncur III (bone), and Alan Shorter (trumpet). Alan being Wayne Shorter's (Miles Davis sideman/classicist) brother. Where Wayne was fairly contemporary (though eclectic as a muh'fuck) Alan was strictly ill and has two obscuro LP's worth hunting down: "Orgasm" (Verve V6 8768) and "Tes Estat" (America AM 6118). "In Sommerhausen" is Marion in late 60's exploratory fashion and is quite freaky with the vocal whoops of Jeanne Lee. There's another LP from this period called "Gesprachsfetzen" (Calig CAL 30601) which really lays down the scorch.<br /><br />The Black Artists Group was an unit not unlike that of The Art Ensemble of Chicago. Except they only recorded this one document and it only came out in France on a label named after the group. This is squeaky, spindly stuff and very OPEN and a good indication of what was happening in the early 70's with members Oliver Lake (later of the infamous World Saxophone Quartet) and Joseph Bowie (Art Ensemble's Lester Bowie's bro, later to start Defunkt).<br /><br />Tenor saxist Frank Wright may be (previous to Charles Gayle's current reign) the heir apparent to both Trane and Ayler. Unfortunately he had a heart attack a few years back while rockin' the bandstand. All his recordings are more than worthwhile especially his BYG outing "One For John" (529.336/Actuel Vol. 36), his two ESP sessions (on CD from Forced Exposure) and his Center-of-the-World series of trio recordings with Alan Silva (bass) and Muhammed Ali (drums - Rashied's brother, not the pugilist) on the French label Sun. This LP "Uhuru.." is nothing short of killer with the great Noah Howard (alto), Bobby Few (pianist of Steve Lacy fame) and Art Taylor (heavy old-school drummer in free mode) going OUT and AT IT in stunning reverie.<br /><br />FREE JAZZ of course made a strong impression on the more existential-sensitive populace of Japan. Some real masters came out of the Japanese scene and were influential to some of the more renowned noise artists of today (Boredoms, Haino Keiji). One such Jap-cat is alt-saxist Dr. Umezu who has mixed it up with NYC loft-dwellers on more than one occasion. On this completely obscure, underground release he unleashed some pretty free shit with the likes of William Parker (bass), Ahmed Abdullah (trumpet), and Rashid Shinan (drums). Parker is possibly one of the most important FREE musicians working in NYC. He's got his own constant writing/performing schedule as well as gigs with anyone from Cecil Taylor to Charles Gayle. He recorded one solo LP in the 70's called "Through Acceptance of the Mystery Peace" (Centering Records 1001) which is, as you might've guessed, "good".<br /><br />I suppose we should wind things up with the king of FREE MUSIC then and now: Cecil Taylor. Cecil started experimenting with sound, new concepts of "swing", open rhythms and room dynamics very early on. He furthered his adventure with music-conservatory studies and applied a master's technique to his fleeting, furious, highly-sensitive pianistic ACTIONS. Today he's almost shaman-like in his mystic noise transploits. He hates record business weasels after years of scorn and neglect (club owners had been know to beat him up after gigs claiming he damaged their pianos) and records now for the aforementioned artist's label FMP. In the early 70's he had his own label called Unit Core and released two crucial LP's: the one listed above and one titled "Spring of Two Blue J's" (Unit Core 30551). This is when his group included two critical figures on the FREE scene. Alt-saxist Jimmy Lyons (now deceased) was a consistent improviser and a perfect player alongside Cecil as was veteran drummer Andrew Cyrille who recorded his own solo (and duos with the likes of Milford Graves and Peter Brotzmann) LP's on various small labels (BYG, FMP, Ictus).<br /><br />So..that's it...and that's not it. If you're at all intrigued by this personal primer do yourself a favor and seek some of this shit out and free yr fucking mind and yr ass will surely scream and SHOUT.<br /><br />later...............thurston<br />Copyright Grand Royale magazine/Thurston Moore<br />http://www.evol.org/free.jazz.html</blockquote><script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-53458339927562262862009-09-22T20:16:00.003-05:002009-09-22T20:22:23.999-05:00Arthur Doyle Electro-Acoustic Ensemble: Conspiracy Nation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u2-Suw6yx22CA3BzalAVcyoJyrjUljWcWTlbryDbhk12bII2JvGfwDn08L7BNtKM_ngo58xgp1OkXZ3I3BDOJqaiq_kPfTiyVi00h5Bk53bdBQqhHI62qiQSh8UwDo2epvfSOSgRuYNs/s1600-h/qbico07front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u2-Suw6yx22CA3BzalAVcyoJyrjUljWcWTlbryDbhk12bII2JvGfwDn08L7BNtKM_ngo58xgp1OkXZ3I3BDOJqaiq_kPfTiyVi00h5Bk53bdBQqhHI62qiQSh8UwDo2epvfSOSgRuYNs/s320/qbico07front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384466900776786978" border="0" /></a><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-6751991159289614"; /* 180x150, created 9/17/09 */ google_ad_slot = "0658714549"; google_ad_width = 180; google_ad_height = 150; //--><br /></script>Performers:<br />Arthur Doyle (tenor sax, voice, flute, recorder)<br />Leslie Q (bass, guitar) Ed Wilcox (drums, percussion)<br />Vinnie Paternostro (Roland 505)<br />Tim Poland (Clavinova) Dave Cross (turntable, Ibanez DM 1100 sampler, drums on side 1, track 1.)<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. Birdman<br />2. Ahead A Pothead<br />3. Barbatiri<br />4. Love Ship<br />5. Pull the String<br />6. Alabama and Mississippi Reunited<br />7. No Title<br /><br />Side One rec. at Hallwalls, Buffalo, NY on January 24, 2002. Side Two rec. at Analog Shock Club, Rochester, NY on January 26, 2002. Available as LP only<br /><br />One of a number of vinyl-only releases on Qbico. Doyle has been on a roll since he began his comeback in the 1990s.<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/259391566/arthur_doyle_electro-acoustic_ensemble_-_conspiracy_nation.zip">Conspiracy Nation</a><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-46926716359007679682009-09-22T01:52:00.003-05:002009-09-22T02:04:21.079-05:00Arthur Doyle and Sunny Murray: Live at the Glenn Miller Cafe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaIPeAaPTzMM31X5xco9RYFWFk6HvZ98xZmrm_H3o00qQRWQIY_ugEFwOuEFpWCSn_0VIDnuwtFEuZFjn-9nQGO6e43cntky6AArSryIFjQvpKFyxapeA-F5hyZhXy-ypCiHUvKftFmw2/s1600-h/cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYaIPeAaPTzMM31X5xco9RYFWFk6HvZ98xZmrm_H3o00qQRWQIY_ugEFwOuEFpWCSn_0VIDnuwtFEuZFjn-9nQGO6e43cntky6AArSryIFjQvpKFyxapeA-F5hyZhXy-ypCiHUvKftFmw2/s320/cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384183717562978898" border="0" /></a><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-6751991159289614"; /* 180x150, created 9/17/09 */ google_ad_slot = "0658714549"; google_ad_width = 180; google_ad_height = 150; //--><br /></script>Performers:<br />Arthur Doyle (flute, tenor sax, voice)<br />Bengt Frippe Nordström (alto sax)<br />Sunny Murray (drums)<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. Spontaneous Creation, Pt. 1<br />2. Spontaneous Creation, Pt. 2<br />3. Spontaneous Creation, Pt. 3<br />4. African Love Call<br />5. Two Free Jazz Men Speak<br />6. Nature Boy<br />7. Joy<br /><br />Liner Notes: Arthur Doyle and Sune Spångberg<br />Photography and Cover Art: Åke Bjurhamn<br />Engineer: Per Ruthström<br /><br />You know if Arthur Doyle and Sunny Murray are involved, the results will be incendiary.<br /><br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/259399633/arthur_doyle___sunny_murray_-__2001__ayler__live_at_the_glenn_miller_cafe.zip">Live at the Glenn Miller Cafe</a><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-31333837320070309602009-08-22T14:07:00.003-05:002009-08-22T14:21:20.621-05:00Arthur Doyle: Plays and Sings From the Songbook Vol. 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ucee9JNdCqD5GEKWZrTEBAQfM-kEVTrfAil7r_P8PLd44W-C-9pqPmrN8mEe0dpW_lfsr656Qyz7O39r87nw2fBsB_PhswUouRHREmjCQ_zRAIdJpaJ2ukgrBjHBUapOroBBJGvs-ETc/s1600-h/R-1096857-1191773388.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ucee9JNdCqD5GEKWZrTEBAQfM-kEVTrfAil7r_P8PLd44W-C-9pqPmrN8mEe0dpW_lfsr656Qyz7O39r87nw2fBsB_PhswUouRHREmjCQ_zRAIdJpaJ2ukgrBjHBUapOroBBJGvs-ETc/s320/R-1096857-1191773388.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372867176684168322" border="0" /></a>Here's another Arthur Doyle album - this one recorded around the time Doyle began his comeback after returning from France, where he had done time for a crime he didn't commit. While in the joint, he wrote down a bunch of tunes and lyrics, and some of that material became among the first songs he'd record once he finally got the chance again. Doyle fans will know what to expect in this set - it's a solo recording in the truest sense of the term, with Doyle playing multiple instruments (flute, piano, and of course, tenor sax) as well as serving up some vocal performance art. I've mentioned before that his vocal style is definitely unique. Listeners with an ear for free jazz will likely have the open mind needed to truly appreciate what Doyle is trying to do here. Many of these songs have been since recorded in a variety of contexts, from solo performances to sax-drum duos, to various electric and acoustic combos.<br /><br />Recorded in 1992, it would take three years for it to finally see the light of day on Audible Hiss.<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. Ozy Lady Dozy Lady<br />2. Yo Yoo>Yo Yoo<br />3. Olca Cola in Angola<br />4. Hey Minnie Hey Wilbur Hey Mingus<br />5. Flue Song<br />6. Just Get The Funk Spot<br />7. Goverey<br /><br />The cover art and design were handled by Doyle's old friend and former Blue Humans band mate Rudolph Grey.<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/259408653/Plays_and_Sings_from_the_Songbook.zip">Plays and Sings From the Songbook Vol. 1</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-85393536637310238292009-08-22T13:51:00.002-05:002009-08-22T14:05:02.258-05:00Jah Wobble & Evan Parker: Passage to Hades<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qEGe-HRFkmyOR4DK3MbOj2onhB_ScJIAqAArFXriZWbVFQEzOWtxIh2Ob_RsfIsUbf4Vol76wY-RHMUWCJioMJo7VfYnT6B3K8SvwGJbedv9a3enBizXzvxTBG_PM59HAFjnTW-c_fCa/s1600-h/R-459188-1116490613.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qEGe-HRFkmyOR4DK3MbOj2onhB_ScJIAqAArFXriZWbVFQEzOWtxIh2Ob_RsfIsUbf4Vol76wY-RHMUWCJioMJo7VfYnT6B3K8SvwGJbedv9a3enBizXzvxTBG_PM59HAFjnTW-c_fCa/s320/R-459188-1116490613.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372863017865064370" border="0" /></a>Credits:<br />Jah Wobble - Bass, Producer<br />Evan Parker - Tenor Sax<br />Clive Bell - Flute, Pipes, Harmonica (tracks 1, 3, 4)<br />Mark Sanders - Drums<br />Jean-Pierre Rasle - Bagpipes (tracks 1, 4)<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. Passage to Hades<br />2. Giving Up the Ghost<br />3. Full On<br />4. Finally Cracked It<br /><br />Recorded in Sept. 2000 at Intimate Studio, and released in 2001 on 30 Hertz Records.<br /><br />With the exception of "Full On" (which clocks in at just under nine minutes) the tracks run about 13 to 14 minutes each, allowing the musicians stretch out and their ideas develop. This one's all about the groove. Parker responds brilliantly in this context. Fans of Wobble will know what to expect. Evan Parker fans should be in for a pleasant surprise. Well-worth seeking out.<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/176879540/jah_wobble___evan_parker_-_passage_to_hades__30_hertz__2001_.zip">Passage to Hades</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-64700444629136373402009-07-23T22:53:00.005-05:002009-07-23T23:25:37.558-05:00Jon Hassell: Dressing For Pleasure<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUby46-9TZbV37J4QI_zsHybV5_riZl0umNkS7P4-KjmZb3kyos4L_fy6mm5CtEDuXQlGUpZKEk23V8UK3v8ID3R9dRQkhoivfceI4UfARDjtCtSY8-Tuwlzwk44wrpzDt2Jn22kFTHeqQ/s1600-h/07-23-2009+10%3B45%3B20PM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUby46-9TZbV37J4QI_zsHybV5_riZl0umNkS7P4-KjmZb3kyos4L_fy6mm5CtEDuXQlGUpZKEk23V8UK3v8ID3R9dRQkhoivfceI4UfARDjtCtSY8-Tuwlzwk44wrpzDt2Jn22kFTHeqQ/s320/07-23-2009+10%3B45%3B20PM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361872852141459138" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDUDMqQMEJUT09Oh5aDyUqlq8ZMmKprEonRmjEmGIzhcAZziDiYURVqTVpIKp2gu6aI4TPfQ9VL5G11VfuyaNPWQkERzEEsIlqEcxtwACJV5D60kK0fupFV8fYJ0PWn0C_yjDHuVCo9_N/s1600-h/07-23-2009+10%3B46%3B20PM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDUDMqQMEJUT09Oh5aDyUqlq8ZMmKprEonRmjEmGIzhcAZziDiYURVqTVpIKp2gu6aI4TPfQ9VL5G11VfuyaNPWQkERzEEsIlqEcxtwACJV5D60kK0fupFV8fYJ0PWn0C_yjDHuVCo9_N/s320/07-23-2009+10%3B46%3B20PM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361872846992033490" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Zmwm6780ITaQGqR1mSEdiD7PXmqi27MSkaEJjLhtucKr7oYp8AnogcQd7XAtuMI44ZV7MkkStjbaru1i4GfA-UFLy0IP0aC0raq7lGekVPziYLFHPd_7-gQYYcU5fs9inh2eCjgwguO1/s1600-h/07-23-2009+10%3B46%3B56PM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Zmwm6780ITaQGqR1mSEdiD7PXmqi27MSkaEJjLhtucKr7oYp8AnogcQd7XAtuMI44ZV7MkkStjbaru1i4GfA-UFLy0IP0aC0raq7lGekVPziYLFHPd_7-gQYYcU5fs9inh2eCjgwguO1/s320/07-23-2009+10%3B46%3B56PM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361872843991526130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmHMPS3IN5ReJ7VF8Wb1DxTW5_gZJ0XECuovScxk6EE3pRLbddgaphsf6UvTrHGi_KbP5q6s43fELXDBNtPtcM4tllPz-s4CQO4WSQUCetrBsjq2n1liaxUD-f_VTRZg7R5ugPMxGSsSV/s1600-h/07-23-2009+10%3B47%3B28PM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmHMPS3IN5ReJ7VF8Wb1DxTW5_gZJ0XECuovScxk6EE3pRLbddgaphsf6UvTrHGi_KbP5q6s43fELXDBNtPtcM4tllPz-s4CQO4WSQUCetrBsjq2n1liaxUD-f_VTRZg7R5ugPMxGSsSV/s320/07-23-2009+10%3B47%3B28PM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361872841675541522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPCiH1N-2g_MLePFmQptxG7WCh1c3k4sG89ax_zQ8ujg9d8T1hqgVApgt5XdCBU2Fh29t3WN3S4AOHrxwcOkjiJJxYceOISU1ySkrzPsAl0oBCGSlPaGVkQfcPf-qVLPIqGqN3LW4wb7Z/s1600-h/07-23-2009+10%3B48%3B10PM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPCiH1N-2g_MLePFmQptxG7WCh1c3k4sG89ax_zQ8ujg9d8T1hqgVApgt5XdCBU2Fh29t3WN3S4AOHrxwcOkjiJJxYceOISU1ySkrzPsAl0oBCGSlPaGVkQfcPf-qVLPIqGqN3LW4wb7Z/s320/07-23-2009+10%3B48%3B10PM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361872835374509906" border="0" /></a>When I was much younger, I recall Jon Hassell classified as a "new age" recording artist. From what I knew of new age music, after hearing Hassell I had to wonder what the critics and marketing folks were smoking. With this album, Jon Hassell got about as close as he ever would to acid jazz. If I were to use one word to describe <span style="font-style: italic;">Dressing For Pleasure</span>, that word would be "sultry." The opening track ("G-Spot") is a personal favorite - part of what makes it work is Flea's bass playing. Also of note was the track ("Club Zombie") that would become the theme for the hit TV series <span style="font-style: italic;">The Practice</span>. Overall the album was the most risque of Hassell's career. There was always a sensuality to his music, but this album from the song titles to the the instrumentation are nothing short of raw sexuality. Several of these tracks could serve as background music for raps ("Zeitgeist" comes to mind). Something tells me the suits at Warner Bros. had no idea how to even begin to market this one, and of course the recording went out of print. I'm not sure if this is the album I'd use to introduce Hassell's work, but it's definitely worth seeking out for those already initiated. Newbies should check some of Hassell's earlier work like <span style="font-style: italic;">Earthquake Island</span>, or <span style="font-style: italic;">Fourth World Vol. 1: Possible Musics</span> (with Brian Eno).<br /><br />Some info:<br /><br /><br />Credits:<br /><blockquote>Bass [Electric, Keyboard] - Pete Scaturro (tracks: 3, 4, 8, 9, 11)<br />Drums, Percussion - Brain* (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 12)<br />Engineer, Mixed By - Pete Scaturro<br />Executive Producer - Kevin Laffey<br />Guitar - Joe Gore (tracks: 2, 5, 7 to 10, 12, 13)<br />Keyboards - Jon Hassell (tracks: 5 to 9, 12)<br />Mastered By - Stephen Marcussen<br />Producer - Jon Hassell , Pete Scaturro<br />Sampler, Programmed By - Blk Lion (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12)<br />Sampler, Synthesizer - Jamie Muhoberac (tracks: 1, 2, 12)<br />Trumpet - Jon Hassell (tracks: 1, 2, 5 to 7, 9 to 13)<br />Written-By - Jon Hassell<br />Notes: Recorded July-December 1993 except track 13 recorded live in rehearsal, november 1989.</blockquote>Tracks (includes credits for guest artists):<blockquote><br />1 G-Spot (5:03)<br /> Bass - Flea<br /> Organ - Pete Scaturro<br /> Saxophone - Kenny Garrett<br />2 Villa Narco (4:32)<br /> Bass - Trevor Dunn<br /> Piano - Pete Scaturro<br />3 Kolo X (3:48)<br /> Programmed By [Drum Programming] - Pete Scaturro<br /> Saxophone - Kenny Garrett<br />4 Personals (4:13)<br /> Scratches - DJ Grand Shogun KB<br /> Voice - Leslie Winer<br /> Written-By - Leslie Winer<br />5 Club Zombie (3:28)<br />6 Zeitgeist (3:51)<br /> Guitar - Gregg Arreguin<br />7 Steppin' Thru Time (4:08)<br /> Bass, Voice - Islam Shabazz<br /> Producer - Blk Lion , Lee Curreri<br /> Programmed By, Organ - Lee Curreri<br /> Voice - Jon Hassell<br /> Written-By - Pete Scaturro<br />8 Destination: Bakiff (4:16)<br />9 Sex Goddess (4:30)<br /> Bass - Islam Shabazz<br />10 Buzzworld (4:28)<br /> Bass - Buckethead<br /> Written-By - Brain* , Buckethead , Joe Gore , Pete Scaturro<br />11 The Gods, They Must Be Crazy (5:42)<br /> Piano - Greg Kurstin<br /> Vocals - Zoe Ellis<br /> Voice - Jon Hassell<br /> Written-By - Pete Scaturro<br />12 Mati (4:21)<br /> Bass - Trevor Dunn<br />13 Blue Night (Live) (7:42)<br /> Bass - Peter Freeman (2)<br /> Drums, Percussion - Adam Rudolph<br /></blockquote>Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/177658266/Dressing_for_Pleasure.zip">Dressing for Pleasure</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-9018586302184231852009-07-21T03:03:00.004-05:002009-07-21T03:17:23.459-05:00Arthur Doyle: Live in Japan Doing the Breakdown<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-BZPvjxUttIrjmZgH67siwkcJgNZxkcML9Ogk_RWgcuMLfJo7OQlSeadtlgQElRYHwCi3ha-RXZkcVfVFLmmwdjXQniv9Tp66t51N-Erb87H5Wpe2ItJdCMoka59S3udwroH50-OQaT3/s1600-h/07-21-2009+02%3B50%3B16AM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht-BZPvjxUttIrjmZgH67siwkcJgNZxkcML9Ogk_RWgcuMLfJo7OQlSeadtlgQElRYHwCi3ha-RXZkcVfVFLmmwdjXQniv9Tp66t51N-Erb87H5Wpe2ItJdCMoka59S3udwroH50-OQaT3/s320/07-21-2009+02%3B50%3B16AM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360821714801648306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEZTRWRGM3wuYNzT4V7OgmScp6qfMjJzpQIEuPijTvzaXOljz24TaiBHrzwhfkfcmaHL0rw85bE7F4E81xhVqEXkazCFgza6VXd5ff7RCnd_22ZMe7n6GZT4p5K_0f9XV7_sstnlIeHJt/s1600-h/07-21-2009+02%3B50%3B48AM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEZTRWRGM3wuYNzT4V7OgmScp6qfMjJzpQIEuPijTvzaXOljz24TaiBHrzwhfkfcmaHL0rw85bE7F4E81xhVqEXkazCFgza6VXd5ff7RCnd_22ZMe7n6GZT4p5K_0f9XV7_sstnlIeHJt/s320/07-21-2009+02%3B50%3B48AM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360821710316088258" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MPqTiRtJACdPivJw5FUkZtIhxesi1ojihf7WJBNTk6XDoAaJczTQAuHz0YEIJZThmEClcJU4sofKPkkwzinAHRE-EUzBo5Df250qsGE39F1VILprEsScZBVcWcd2rr_wl8158s_1V5iG/s1600-h/07-21-2009+02%3B51%3B29AM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MPqTiRtJACdPivJw5FUkZtIhxesi1ojihf7WJBNTk6XDoAaJczTQAuHz0YEIJZThmEClcJU4sofKPkkwzinAHRE-EUzBo5Df250qsGE39F1VILprEsScZBVcWcd2rr_wl8158s_1V5iG/s320/07-21-2009+02%3B51%3B29AM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360821567533645474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX8KetS1NYSBxzrS82G-yGhnpa0Puej-Hu33uvEBa1Cuh6Oz-NM-98n4SjLxW_M2QX0oSW_jPRYXRBM8EF8sSrSXJcFeGC4MKyBmVzFtJxodBIBb9k9iYgsnWQ_XlUT3TaHxB22l4Fg9H/s1600-h/07-21-2009+02%3B52%3B10AM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX8KetS1NYSBxzrS82G-yGhnpa0Puej-Hu33uvEBa1Cuh6Oz-NM-98n4SjLxW_M2QX0oSW_jPRYXRBM8EF8sSrSXJcFeGC4MKyBmVzFtJxodBIBb9k9iYgsnWQ_XlUT3TaHxB22l4Fg9H/s320/07-21-2009+02%3B52%3B10AM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360821563848839986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qoqThajmKMQm9QW9zy-zpuerlOzEHT9fgw-MdT9DWEGWFI2ZE5d3I8E1xJiUwZKicI9XdCrpABIAwcC83qfn6fFnfNKt6ZPD28-wGGl9TOtFKnS4tTrTu-AfIcWgYZtsKUTpsRSioBLU/s1600-h/07-21-2009+02%3B52%3B51AM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qoqThajmKMQm9QW9zy-zpuerlOzEHT9fgw-MdT9DWEGWFI2ZE5d3I8E1xJiUwZKicI9XdCrpABIAwcC83qfn6fFnfNKt6ZPD28-wGGl9TOtFKnS4tTrTu-AfIcWgYZtsKUTpsRSioBLU/s320/07-21-2009+02%3B52%3B51AM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360821562388212850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3w-UddGJBCwIhz6HfYiDGYA2AyDTwY5Qedrb9gVNELbb2Ac4Iq1pd3-pSmvvSvq1ihK0FZku6AfcuoICj7_MU9lPBtxBHZvkfY3iyrjklxr6QwAHKW-2QsGPpflhWKsjd4D-ED_4clj-V/s1600-h/07-21-2009+02%3B53%3B22AM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3w-UddGJBCwIhz6HfYiDGYA2AyDTwY5Qedrb9gVNELbb2Ac4Iq1pd3-pSmvvSvq1ihK0FZku6AfcuoICj7_MU9lPBtxBHZvkfY3iyrjklxr6QwAHKW-2QsGPpflhWKsjd4D-ED_4clj-V/s320/07-21-2009+02%3B53%3B22AM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360821555801866722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCAIzVDEKScEJDqWxp7FjTwlX38g0yGG5GCxd2w_uRGY2yCr2MYqRCiFpRQc3yR9k3w48AyOlHVjQgDYvI-ZbJUuENO1ReMxG2CLgMs2KBiX6c5zYd89dbsQHI_4fqdjyXsxkbXvzvBfH/s1600-h/07-21-2009+02%3B53%3B44AM.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCAIzVDEKScEJDqWxp7FjTwlX38g0yGG5GCxd2w_uRGY2yCr2MYqRCiFpRQc3yR9k3w48AyOlHVjQgDYvI-ZbJUuENO1ReMxG2CLgMs2KBiX6c5zYd89dbsQHI_4fqdjyXsxkbXvzvBfH/s320/07-21-2009+02%3B53%3B44AM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360821551757364434" border="0" /></a><br /><br />By this point, you should know what you're getting into whenever you download and play an Arthur Doyle joint. This recording features Doyle performing solo during his late 1990s tour of Japan. Doyle is credited with playing tenor sax, piano, and vocals; and of course all compositions and words are credited to Doyle. The album was released in 1998 on Yokoto Music Entertainment. Other credits:<br /><br />Produced by Yokoto Shigeru<br /><br />Master Engineer: Hashimoto Yoei<br />Photography (cover and back): Wakui Hiromi<br />Designer: Akiyama Shin<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. African Queen<br />2. Ozy Lady Dozy Lady<br />3. Noah Black Ark<br />4. Goverey<br />5. Doing the Breakdown<br />6. Just Get the Funkspot<br /><br />Tracks 1-3 recorded at Modern Art Museum Sendai (11-5-1997)<br />Track 4 recorded at Barber Fuji (11-10-1997)<br />Tracks 5-6 recorded at Shuyukan (11-8-1997)<br /><br />I'm not sure this recording will necessarily win over any new fans, but for those of us who are Arthur Doyle completists, it's a must.<br /><br /><a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/177955014/Live_in_Japan_Doing_the_Breakdown.zip">Download Live in Japan Doing the Breakdown</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-55020259171025788372009-06-21T00:45:00.006-05:002009-06-21T01:49:31.768-05:00Ilia Belorukov<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45O38pqvSrysIHOCcVRufXdwyEGj20nj8wdKCaNzxzt659b_PLH5baD8ZQjcwXFv6dW_BR7rcZFjq4ov4xfg1FiNaY2laeUSE4T1SXg2ufNYTSzu92rrP89XqWAPUi9DmykK6rj14T5iX/s1600-h/ca246_02_front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45O38pqvSrysIHOCcVRufXdwyEGj20nj8wdKCaNzxzt659b_PLH5baD8ZQjcwXFv6dW_BR7rcZFjq4ov4xfg1FiNaY2laeUSE4T1SXg2ufNYTSzu92rrP89XqWAPUi9DmykK6rj14T5iX/s320/ca246_02_front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349653393238610130" border="0" /></a>Here's a bio from <a href="http://www.myspace.com/belorukov">Ilia's website</a>:<br /><blockquote>Ilia is a young (born 1987) saxophonist from Saint-Petersburg, Russia. He works in the direction of free improvisation, free-jazz, noise and electroacoustic music. Ilia practices an experimental approach of sound extraction on different types of saxophones (alto, tenor and baritone) and on flute (inc. fluteophone). In his compositions and improvisations you can find out influences of John Zorn, Derek Bailey, Mats Gustafsson, Evan Parker and other masters of improvised music.<br />The artist records and distributes his music by himself. He often plays at The Gallery of Experimental Sound – 21 (GES-21), Saint-Petersburg.<br /><br />Ilia has played with such musicians as David Stackenäs (Sweden), Ignaz Schick (Germany), Arkadij Gotesman, Skirmantas Sasnauskas (Lithuania), Black Motor trio, Tero Kemppainen, Jaakko Tolvi & Topias Tiheäsalo (Finland), Edyta Fil (Poland), George Bagdasarov (Armenia/Czech), Demetrius Spaneas (USA), Vladislav Makarov, Sergey Letov, Nikolay Rubanov, Alexey Lapin, Dmitriy Kakhovskiy, Alexei Borisov, Philip Croaton. Together with Dots & Lines group (trio with Roman Stolyar and Andrey Popovskiy) he performed on the festival of Jazz.Ru portal dedicated to it’s 10th anniversary. He’s also a member of Wozzeck, Totalitarian Musical Sect (TMS).<br /><br />He collaborates with musicians of other genres: with Moscow groups crrust (experimental hardcore), Tooth Kink (noise, live electronics), Motherfathers (noise-rock), Solntsetsvety (magical unicellular music); with St.-Petersburg avant-rock band Hg (Rtut'). Benzolnye Mertvecy (improvised noisecore), with Samara mathcore-band Penny Flame. </blockquote>At the same site, he lists as his influences:<br /><blockquote>John Coltrane, John Zorn, Tim Berne, Mats Gustafsson, Evan Parker, Peter Brotzmann, Frode Gjerstad, John Butcher, Derek Bailey, Fred Frith, Lasse Marhaug, Phill Niblock, Robert Fripp, David Sylvian, Jeff Beck, Leonid Fedorov & Vladimir Volkov, Zu, Fennesz, Anton Webern, Alban Berg, Arvo Part, Gyorgy Ligeti, Alfred Schnittke, Valentin Silvestrov, Louis Andriessen, Paul Desmond, Meshuggah, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Grenouer, crrust, Converge, Isis</blockquote>One thing rather notable about Ilia Belorukov is that a number of his recordings are available for download free of charge. What I'll be doing here is to provide a sampler of albums from projects that he is involved with in order to give you an idea of his range of interests. I'll start with the album that served as my introduction to his music.<br /><br />dadazu: <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/ca246_d">sin of omission</a><br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.0.5.swf" w3c="true" flashvars="config={"key":"#$b6eb72a0f2f1e29f3d4","playlist":[{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca246_d/01_sin_of_omission.mp3","autoPlay":false}],"clip":{"autoPlay":true},"canvas":{"backgroundColor":"0x000000","backgroundGradient":"none"},"plugins":{"audio":{"url":"http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.audio-3.0.3-dev.swf"},"controls":{"playlist":false,"fullscreen":false,"gloss":"high","backgroundColor":"0x000000","backgroundGradient":"medium","sliderColor":"0x777777","progressColor":"0x777777","timeColor":"0xeeeeee","durationColor":"0x01DAFF","buttonColor":"0x333333","buttonOverColor":"0x505050"}},"contextMenu":[{"Item ca246_d at archive.org":"function()"},"-","Flowplayer 3.0.5"]}" height="24" width="350"></embed><br /><br /><a href="http://www.archive.org/details/ca246_d"></a>The music is a continuous 79 minute jam from a live gig in late 2007. It's a dark, moody, improvised drone piece, for lack of a better description. From the recording's site:<br /><blockquote>Recorded live at 13/11/2007 [esg21]<br />Mixing & recording: Dima Yalkin<br />Mastered by M. Pozin & I. Belorukov<br />Cover photo: M. Pozin<br /><br />Ilia Belorukov – baritone saxophone, delay-sampler<br />http://www.myspace.com/belorukov<br /><br />Maxim Pozin – prepared tenor saxophone, electronics<br />http://www.myspace.com/bbiimmkkaa<br /><br />Pavel Mikheev – electric guitar<br />http://www.myspace.com/ejectyourcd<br /><br />Mikhail Ershov – electric bass guitar<br /><br />Dadazu is free improvising collective includes a couple of young musicians from the modern St.Petersburg’s experimental scene.<br />Contact:<br />http://www.aposition.org/e_v/dadazu_e.htm</blockquote>The recording was made available on April 12, 2009 by Clinical Archives.<br /><br />Next up is some solo work. This one is called <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/ca096_ib">Saxophone Solos Vol. 1.</a>:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVbgI-A4GBYqYa_nLUwBZ1LakeeclszJHPboVd0QeLTd0UPlAoOe34jCgplMTE6hnCuDLf4NVCpS2Hw5IANPcfk6BAVu6Q8p7sz1-khQgVGv36u9eBMtMWg-mCJdaf-027TVg0LF-gyaT/s1600-h/ca096_02_front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVbgI-A4GBYqYa_nLUwBZ1LakeeclszJHPboVd0QeLTd0UPlAoOe34jCgplMTE6hnCuDLf4NVCpS2Hw5IANPcfk6BAVu6Q8p7sz1-khQgVGv36u9eBMtMWg-mCJdaf-027TVg0LF-gyaT/s320/ca096_02_front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349658954266372194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.0.5.swf" w3c="true" flashvars="config={"key":"#$b6eb72a0f2f1e29f3d4","playlist":[{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca096_ib/01_I_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":false},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca096_ib/02_II_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca096_ib/03_III_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca096_ib/04_IV_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca096_ib/05_V_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca096_ib/06_VI_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca096_ib/07_VII_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca096_ib/08_VIII_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca096_ib/09_IX_for_Philip_Croaton_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true}],"clip":{"autoPlay":true},"canvas":{"backgroundColor":"0x000000","backgroundGradient":"none"},"plugins":{"audio":{"url":"http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.audio-3.0.3-dev.swf"},"controls":{"playlist":true,"fullscreen":false,"gloss":"high","backgroundColor":"0x000000","backgroundGradient":"medium","sliderColor":"0x777777","progressColor":"0x777777","timeColor":"0xeeeeee","durationColor":"0x01DAFF","buttonColor":"0x333333","buttonOverColor":"0x505050"}},"contextMenu":[{"Item ca096_ib at archive.org":"function()"},"-","Flowplayer 3.0.5"]}" height="24" width="350"></embed><br /><br />Some info about the album:<br /><blockquote>Ilia - Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones, Mouthpieces<br />Recorded at Illusion Studio on 21 February 2007 & 7, 8, 14 April 2007<br />Engineered & Mixed by Ilia Belorukov<br />Mastered by Philip Croaton at Fate Speaks Studio<br />Cover Art by Ilia Belorukov</blockquote>All track titles are simply Roman numerals, except for the last track, which is titled "IX (for Philip Croaton). The recording was issued January 27, 2008 by Clinical Archives. Since Coleman Hawkins first dropped "Picasso" about six decades ago, the sax solo recording has become something of a jazz staple - especially in avant-garde circles. The music here is not easy to describe. The reference points that seem to work for me at the moment are the solo recordings from the AACM crew, to the extent that there is a lot of open space to be found on each of the recording's tracks; and Kaoru Abe's solo recordings in some of the louder moments (Ilia Belorukov does seem to channel some of the dark foreboding that Kaoru Abe made into a veritable art form). Unlike Abe, or perhaps one of my favorite sax players to record regularly as a solo artist, Arthur Doyle, this is music that seems to privilege the rational over the emotional. Also, there's something rather interesting in Belorukov's technique - in spots makes the sax sound like a stringed instrument being plucked (see IV, for example). I can't say I've heard anything quite like that. You'll hear some very interesting soundscapes to say the least.<br /><br />Finally, let's check out another project with which Belorukov has been involved, Totalitarian Musical Sect. Clinical Archives has two of this combo's recordings available.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.archive.org/details/ca061_tms">Warm Things vol. 1 - Live in GES-21</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxtQA-ns0Br5d4zjioCxCJutmdSUXIHoWi0ztxNInzOo0-pQZu8y2h0mOMc3xJy5EOW3ccKDBiSPbMEBQBDDeuiZKEGadRGgHWh9jWpzB3R17iEhj50rkp0Rg7ItNforX5PLNGnEm8Tct/s1600-h/ca061_02_front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxtQA-ns0Br5d4zjioCxCJutmdSUXIHoWi0ztxNInzOo0-pQZu8y2h0mOMc3xJy5EOW3ccKDBiSPbMEBQBDDeuiZKEGadRGgHWh9jWpzB3R17iEhj50rkp0Rg7ItNforX5PLNGnEm8Tct/s320/ca061_02_front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349664958128321218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.0.5.swf" w3c="true" flashvars="config={"key":"#$b6eb72a0f2f1e29f3d4","playlist":[{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca061_tms/01_Thing_One_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":false},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca061_tms/02_Thing_Two_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca061_tms/03_Thing_Three_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca061_tms/04_Thing_Four_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca061_tms/05_Thing_Five_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true}],"clip":{"autoPlay":true},"canvas":{"backgroundColor":"0x000000","backgroundGradient":"none"},"plugins":{"audio":{"url":"http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.audio-3.0.3-dev.swf"},"controls":{"playlist":true,"fullscreen":false,"gloss":"high","backgroundColor":"0x000000","backgroundGradient":"medium","sliderColor":"0x777777","progressColor":"0x777777","timeColor":"0xeeeeee","durationColor":"0x01DAFF","buttonColor":"0x333333","buttonOverColor":"0x505050"}},"contextMenu":[{"Item ca061_tms at archive.org":"function()"},"-","Flowplayer 3.0.5"]}" height="24" width="350"></embed><br />Info:<br /><blockquote>Dmitriy Kakhovskiy - bass and objects<br />Vitaliy Kucherov - guitar and objects<br />Alexey Stavizkiy - trombone and clarinet and flutes and objects<br />Ilia Belorukov - alto and baritone saxophones<br />Maxim Pozin - alto and prepared alto sax and clarinet and flutes and objects<br /><br />Recorded by Dmitriy Yalkin at GES-21 on 9 May 2007<br />Mastered by Dmitriy Kakhovskiy<br /><br />Photo by Nikolay Ovcharenko<br />Cover Art by Ilia Belorukov</blockquote>Tracks:<br /><blockquote>Thing One<br />Thing Two<br />Thing Three<br />Thing Four<br />Thing Five</blockquote><a href="http://www.archive.org/details/ca109_tms">Warm Things vol. 2, Live in GES-21</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV21dMtfXxXQOEyW90Ui-deo40KkibMn0j6GE8hsei7WFnIcHlGgYeXJfU9bJn1qdJJM9xvAjnu95KpyhZEoSNGl1gQ7NkcLOokxyolquBVrkLyHCibfNX4M9-HK-kPhmrgrulnAGNMcx/s1600-h/ca109_02_front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV21dMtfXxXQOEyW90Ui-deo40KkibMn0j6GE8hsei7WFnIcHlGgYeXJfU9bJn1qdJJM9xvAjnu95KpyhZEoSNGl1gQ7NkcLOokxyolquBVrkLyHCibfNX4M9-HK-kPhmrgrulnAGNMcx/s320/ca109_02_front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349665856604508050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.commercial-3.0.5.swf" w3c="true" flashvars="config={"key":"#$b6eb72a0f2f1e29f3d4","playlist":[{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca109_tms/01_Thing_Six_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":false},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca109_tms/02_Thing_Seven_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca109_tms/03_Thing_Eight_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true},{"url":"http://www.archive.org/download/ca109_tms/04_Thing_Nine_vbr.mp3","autoPlay":true}],"clip":{"autoPlay":true},"canvas":{"backgroundColor":"0x000000","backgroundGradient":"none"},"plugins":{"audio":{"url":"http://www.archive.org/flow/flowplayer.audio-3.0.3-dev.swf"},"controls":{"playlist":true,"fullscreen":false,"gloss":"high","backgroundColor":"0x000000","backgroundGradient":"medium","sliderColor":"0x777777","progressColor":"0x777777","timeColor":"0xeeeeee","durationColor":"0x01DAFF","buttonColor":"0x333333","buttonOverColor":"0x505050"}},"contextMenu":[{"Item ca109_tms at archive.org":"function()"},"-","Flowplayer 3.0.5"]}" height="24" width="350"></embed><br />Info:<br /><blockquote>Dmitriy Kakhovskiy - contrabass<br />Vitaliy Kucherov - electric guitar & flute<br />Ilia Belorukov - alto saxophone & flute<br /><br />Recorded by Dmitriy Yalkin at GES-21 on 14 January 2008<br />Mastered bu Dmitryiy Kakhovsky<br /><br />Photo by Eugene Apollonsky<br />Cover art by Ilia Belorukov</blockquote>Tracks:<br /><blockquote>Thing Six<br />Thing Seven<br />Thing Eight<br />Thing Nine</blockquote>According to the first of the recordings, the Totalitarian Musical Sect cites as influences Can, Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Sun Ra, and refer to their sound as "a new Russian primitivism." And yes, the influences they cite seem to make their presence felt on both recordings.<br /><br />What I've done here is to embed the recordings here on <span style="font-style: italic;">Nothing Is</span>. Follow the links to the respective recordings and you can download the mp3s, cover art, and booklets free of charge - the works are licensed under Creative Commons. If these recordings whet your appetite, Ilia Belorukov is a very busy individual, who records prolifically in various combos, much of which should be commercially available. Since I'm relatively new to the Russian jazz scene, I'm sure I'm just barely scratching the tip of the iceberg. At age 22, Belorukov is just getting warmed up. His career will be one to watch.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-29205915597291993792009-03-01T02:49:00.000-06:002009-03-01T02:53:13.070-06:00Pharoah Sanders: Message From Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-61B3-5thCm7QpdMeW97SHRsHUUXRBv1gEpkX5DOAaHEjVsskaK7bIR28JDkPTYK5_ZfPzfJMn6PYJTKUE3iByPAmg9g1UDFKH6tFPJyX2dfHBgRjPz-hySqQ8l4UIepTuAj_zPmznJ3M/s1600-h/messagefromhomefront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-61B3-5thCm7QpdMeW97SHRsHUUXRBv1gEpkX5DOAaHEjVsskaK7bIR28JDkPTYK5_ZfPzfJMn6PYJTKUE3iByPAmg9g1UDFKH6tFPJyX2dfHBgRjPz-hySqQ8l4UIepTuAj_zPmznJ3M/s320/messagefromhomefront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285132033306879874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGm1O4iBgeG2wbpFlFFe1FrJubPD0GBGaORZD8wc_LKaOOV6y9T1q3qM3jrPf4INc_js5kAHIjG0xdzuWBl5NF27fzR4q5Muau_aQ-jUpYBOFIk2-CYRXNdhOrJcEf3LwpGnYAqL8evd0/s1600-h/messagefromhomenotes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGm1O4iBgeG2wbpFlFFe1FrJubPD0GBGaORZD8wc_LKaOOV6y9T1q3qM3jrPf4INc_js5kAHIjG0xdzuWBl5NF27fzR4q5Muau_aQ-jUpYBOFIk2-CYRXNdhOrJcEf3LwpGnYAqL8evd0/s320/messagefromhomenotes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285132031414797122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8boqScbZtSultPFumVMI8r7_8bE-o7cHPy8zcn53tfAMtQweL8RiLRbTDZf8VE8vhRjp_wphfheI35vUMWMhJpIGi6gmGae99mYDMd0dH8Ah1UiRh37royO7XqCyAtYZ7XTtHazMShyphenhyphenLY/s1600-h/messagefromhomeback.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8boqScbZtSultPFumVMI8r7_8bE-o7cHPy8zcn53tfAMtQweL8RiLRbTDZf8VE8vhRjp_wphfheI35vUMWMhJpIGi6gmGae99mYDMd0dH8Ah1UiRh37royO7XqCyAtYZ7XTtHazMShyphenhyphenLY/s320/messagefromhomeback.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285132026781435826" border="0" /></a>Pharoah Sanders came back in a big way during the mid 1990s, proving that he was still quite capable of the fiery playing that made his reputation in the 1960s and early 1970s. <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gzfyxqqhldfe">AMG reviewer Richard Ginelli remarked</a>:<br /><blockquote>The world music-minded producer Bill Laswell gets a hold of Pharoah Sanders here and lo, the sleeping volcano erupts with one of his most fulfilling albums in many a year. <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Message From Home</span> is rooted in, but not exclusively devoted to, African idioms, as the overpowering hip-hop groove of "Our Roots (Began In Africa)" points out. But the record really develops into something special when Sanders pits his mighty tenor sound against the pan-African beats, like the ecstatically joyful rhythms of "Tomoki" and the poised, percolating fusion of American country & western drums and Nigerian juju guitar riffs on "Country Mile." In addition, "Nozipho" is a concentrated dose of the old Pharoah, heavily spiritual and painfully passionate, with a generous supply of the tenor player's famous screeching rhetoric, and kora virtuoso Foday Musa Suso shows up on "Kumba" with a touch of village Gambian music. This resurrection will quicken the pulse of many an old Pharoah fan.</blockquote>Pharoah was working a bit with Bill Laswell at the time, appearing on such Laswell-produced joints as Jah Wobble's <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Heaven and Earth</span> for a couple tracks, as well as performing with and composing music on Maleem Mahmoud Ghania's <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Trance of Seven Colors</span>. The album does offer a healthy dose of what, for lack of a better term, can be called the Bill Laswell sound - depending on one's perspective that might be a turn-on or a turn-off. Sanders fans will be pleased that the sax legend comes across as firmly in control with the end result an album of world fusion with teeth. A shame it's out of print.<br /><br />Tracks:<br /><br />1. Our Roots (Began in Africa) (10:21)<br />2. Nozipho (9:43)<br />3. Tomoki (6:26)<br />4. Ocean Song (8:49)<br />5. Kumba (7:50)<br />6. Country Mile (6:03)<br /><br />Personnel:<br />Bass - Charnett Moffett , Steve Neil<br />Drums - Hamid Drake<br />Guitar - Dominic Kanza<br />Keyboards - Bernie Worrell , Jeff Bova , William Henderson<br />Kora - Foday Musa Suso<br />Percussion - Aiyb Dieng<br />Producer - Bill Laswell<br />Saxophone - Pharoah Sanders<br />Violin - Michael White<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/177139386/Message_from_Home.zip">Message From Home</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-7287265319074609732009-02-23T14:17:00.001-06:002010-06-03T22:51:36.451-05:00Alice Coltrane: Lord of Lords<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQ6gH8zCRRXhhvkgbRW2eM3qTJIAsFLOBqTyWBqy1GX9mrVCF41LBSyLUdTSXIo1XGtAGW9OSbFpGB8OT9FyMRKBwcL8GSbapzmweTD2_gPr_u-Qs4X10XiJB1X_zfC0jyy9Vz-wNNTTP/s1600-h/R-519906-1126911260.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306089596074102850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQ6gH8zCRRXhhvkgbRW2eM3qTJIAsFLOBqTyWBqy1GX9mrVCF41LBSyLUdTSXIo1XGtAGW9OSbFpGB8OT9FyMRKBwcL8GSbapzmweTD2_gPr_u-Qs4X10XiJB1X_zfC0jyy9Vz-wNNTTP/s320/R-519906-1126911260.jpeg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Lord of Lords</span> was Alice Coltrane's last record for Impulse! prior to her brief stint with Warner Bros. She made a remarkable musical transformation in the years following her husband's untimely death. By the time of this particular recording, like a lot of jazz artists, Alice Coltrane was crossing over, but not to fusion, funk or disco: rather she was crossing over into another realm altogether. The music seems to have much more in common with Western classical music (her fascination with Stravinsky and with lush string section accompaniment should be one strong hint), and arguably Indian classical music. The selections sound much more scored than improvised, but somehow no matter what the context there beats the heart of a jazzer. If you're new to Alice Coltrane's work, I'd strongly suggest trying out her earlier Impulse! albums before listening to this one - in particular <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Ptah the El Daoud</span> and <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Journey in Satchidananda</span>. This recording is more for the seasoned fan or completist, and ideally those open to her subsequent musical output for Warner Bros.<br />
<br />
Tracks:<br />
1. Andromeda's Suffering (9:04)<br />
2. Sri Rama Ohnedaruth (6:12)<br />
3. Excerpts From The Firebird (5:43)<br />
4. Lord Of Lords (11:17)<br />
5. Going Home (10:02)<br />
<br />
Credits:<br />
Bass - Charlie Haden<br />
Cello - Anne Goodman , Edgar Lustgarten (2) , Jan Kelly , Jerry Kessler , Jesse Ehrlich , Raphael Kramer , Ray Kelley<br />
Drums, Percussion - Ben Riley<br />
Harp, Piano, Organ, Tympani, Percussion - Alice Coltrane<br />
Producer - Ed Michel<br />
Viola - David Schwartz , Leonard Selic , Marilyn Baker , Myra Kestenbaum , Rollice Dale , Samuel Boghosian<br />
Violin - Bernard Kundell , Gerald Vinci , Gordon Marron , James Getzoff , Janice Gower , Leonard Malarsky , Lou Klass , Murray Adler , Nathan Kaproff , Ronald Folsom , Sidney Sharp , William Henderson (2)<br />
<br />
Music arranged and conducted by Alice Coltrane<br />
Produced by Ed Michel under the direction and inspiration of Alice Coltrane<br />
Recorded and mixed at The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, from July 5 to July 13, 1972<br />
Engineering by Baker Bigsby<br />
<br />
Dowload <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/395035798/Alice_Coltrane_Lord_of_Lords.zip.html">Lord of Lords</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-3936688817930553572009-02-23T13:53:00.001-06:002009-02-23T14:06:45.469-06:00Jah Wobble: Heaven and Earth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidu1X2o3PxbSqOUrURDNlLk3B2QusCitvACMeQ7jOZZnz-IvzW4fRKo4_T2BKMC4T2oIgpvq2Baj6yScKEJhKXm1lwD8yTzOMnzX4UD81wJqWEmPB7QKuF0Ein_cizVs2ULD1SWwpNYNcF/s1600-h/heavenandearthfront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidu1X2o3PxbSqOUrURDNlLk3B2QusCitvACMeQ7jOZZnz-IvzW4fRKo4_T2BKMC4T2oIgpvq2Baj6yScKEJhKXm1lwD8yTzOMnzX4UD81wJqWEmPB7QKuF0Ein_cizVs2ULD1SWwpNYNcF/s320/heavenandearthfront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285133067994285778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_b_biX4AyJisKjy81A9TqErHjDnMawzLWLUDSyNDXNiVVtuNmf7BNLcFnmWaciuIjebqVa7Aqd4hNkdBIx4Dgbwt42AYQMslTj7Ag8yyM1Kn0oK5sZ4qSvzPA4k30VgJPlZTyn-0Lu8w5/s1600-h/heavenandearthshacks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_b_biX4AyJisKjy81A9TqErHjDnMawzLWLUDSyNDXNiVVtuNmf7BNLcFnmWaciuIjebqVa7Aqd4hNkdBIx4Dgbwt42AYQMslTj7Ag8yyM1Kn0oK5sZ4qSvzPA4k30VgJPlZTyn-0Lu8w5/s320/heavenandearthshacks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285133064811777314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJ3HQjhK438htD_j61UctSswinQDhPwOZDtwHlSQe78r6nJFz8CY07v1UWuUoFazvX0mrlXIlLIHCArJ3yjhRhV-4gEAN-i3Iq_Ym0_6WnPO7tEhWYTtgUCSI7_q6ouNEnBvXxXkBgcQ_/s1600-h/heavenandearthcredits1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 161px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqJ3HQjhK438htD_j61UctSswinQDhPwOZDtwHlSQe78r6nJFz8CY07v1UWuUoFazvX0mrlXIlLIHCArJ3yjhRhV-4gEAN-i3Iq_Ym0_6WnPO7tEhWYTtgUCSI7_q6ouNEnBvXxXkBgcQ_/s320/heavenandearthcredits1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285133060897365778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9fWGU0_6hzlXjAvIB1gNvJ_BYGVER1xqmRQk8VZlKd4gDsjNrUfwc_8nhIKsFit9OY157yZ-xsgLpbPhO5eWM1vI7i9s0utjrwK1u3i6pXD1zhftY1ONjPEWpxNRECG9Cmsu3s1G68Yc/s1600-h/heavenandearthcredits2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9fWGU0_6hzlXjAvIB1gNvJ_BYGVER1xqmRQk8VZlKd4gDsjNrUfwc_8nhIKsFit9OY157yZ-xsgLpbPhO5eWM1vI7i9s0utjrwK1u3i6pXD1zhftY1ONjPEWpxNRECG9Cmsu3s1G68Yc/s320/heavenandearthcredits2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285133055823929682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WfCFWUwb_BapO6kP5eAlG5RhabT07Xs-EUiVQYoNOcxoMESXqHLbuCJzrXPVHx1XTKQjKZjVbBQddOVtaKeJYSpp0QgfoL7-UaLHNLM9NMiR2KR8Rumf2Y0HcSsrV4gjIhoLvTA1PlJi/s1600-h/heavenandearthback.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WfCFWUwb_BapO6kP5eAlG5RhabT07Xs-EUiVQYoNOcxoMESXqHLbuCJzrXPVHx1XTKQjKZjVbBQddOVtaKeJYSpp0QgfoL7-UaLHNLM9NMiR2KR8Rumf2Y0HcSsrV4gjIhoLvTA1PlJi/s320/heavenandearthback.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285133055311906754" border="0" /></a>This is an interesting album in part because of Pharoah Sanders' appearance on a couple tracks. An <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3pfyxqthld6e">AMG review</a> which seems reasonably fair and accurate:<br /><blockquote>Fusing Eastern and Western classical influences with elements of ambient, dub and hip-hop, Jah Wobble has created a truly brilliant pancultural concept album. The title track opens the LP with a near-orchestral range of dynamic emotions centered around Zi Lan Liao's vocals and violin, Kui Hsuing Li's soaring bamboo flute, and Wobble's percolating tribal drums. "A Love Song" is a hypnotic dub track showcasing the vocal talents of Natacha Atlas, whose Middle Eastern melody lends a sultry feel perfectly matched by the sensual bassline. Bill Laswell lends his distinctive touch "Gone to Croatan" and "Hit Me," which perfectly match hip-hop beats and turntable wizardry provided by DJs DXT and Rob Swift with Pharoah Sanders' mind-bending flute and horn solos and Bernie Worrell's synth textures. But the piece de resistance is "Om Namah Shiva," which combines Najma Akhtar's nimble vocal calisthenics and Inder Matharu's dazzling tabla rhythms with programmed percussion and Wobble's botton-end bass wallop to create highly effective world/dance track. Laswell himself calls Heaven & Earth "the best thing Jah Wobble has ever recorded. Who are we to argue? </blockquote>Tracks and credits:<br /><br />1 Heaven & Earth (8:41)<br /> Congas, Bells - Neville Murray<br />Keyboards - Mark Ferda<br />Vocals, Zither [Ku Cheng] - Zi Lan Liao<br /><br />2 A Love Song (7:23)<br /> Guitar - Justin Adams<br />Vocals - Natacha Atlas<br /><br />3 Dying Over Europe (3:11)<br /><br />4 Divine Mother (11:12)<br /><br />5 Gone To Croatan (15:30)<br /> Drums - Jerome 'Bigfoot' Brailey*<br />Guitar - Nicky Skopelitis<br />Keyboards - Bernie Worrell<br />Percussion - Aiyb Dieng<br />Producer - Bill Laswell<br />Saxophone [Soprano], Flute - Pharoah Sanders<br />Scratches - Rob Swift<br /><br />6 Hit Me (7:42)<br /> Drums - Jerome 'Bigfoot' Brailey*<br />Guitar - Nicky Skopelitis<br />Keyboards, Synthesizer - Bernie Worrell<br />Percussion - Aiyb Dieng<br />Producer - Bill Laswell<br />Saxophone [Tenor] - Pharoah Sanders<br />Scratches - DXT , Rob Swift<br /><br />7 Om Namah Shiva (4:47)<br /> Drum Programming, Keyboards - Mark Ferda<br />Guitar, Backing Vocals - Justin Adams<br />Tabla [Tablas] - Inder 'Goldfinger' Matharu*<br />Vocals - Najma Akhtar<br /><br />Jah Wobble handles production (except tracks 5 and 6), bass, drums, percussion, and keyboards on the various tracks. This isn't the only time that Wobble has played or collaborated with jazz artists. I have another album that I'll share at some point.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Note: Between a busy January interterm teaching load, the start of the Spring Semester, and a school board candidacy (which I ultimately lost), I've been just a bit swamped. There are some recordings in the pipeline, so as always, stay tuned!</span><br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/177160146/Heaven_and_Earth.zip">Heaven and Earth</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-79759812758308455092009-01-04T03:50:00.000-06:002009-01-04T03:52:47.055-06:00Jon Hassell: Earthquake Island<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWa9aHjmveV1uWBCQwGLXlYjEl0im6fBPkDyPa-FnJsrEOI_uTk7cStNW11o-c0HMY1XY6G8oXBhHPLFzc7FQHISoDisllfwBsNHl_hPXG78B0U6a8FtGuXKfKFDPxLu-UIRfl0dQnnGx/s1600-h/earthquakeislandcover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWa9aHjmveV1uWBCQwGLXlYjEl0im6fBPkDyPa-FnJsrEOI_uTk7cStNW11o-c0HMY1XY6G8oXBhHPLFzc7FQHISoDisllfwBsNHl_hPXG78B0U6a8FtGuXKfKFDPxLu-UIRfl0dQnnGx/s320/earthquakeislandcover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285130630001152626" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFXhJKi-6senQVrQBsNSyCfMhKkHI9malgzSmFrvgbWQzvkla3QT-3xoyKxt8ILd11_-sa7LGh3cdYwwEjywseLYesx_9nqu422oTWQ9IyACnZGhwHcJ3WGpaMiTLjfzE2o6PKKEeCQ5h/s1600-h/earthquakeislandcreditsandnotespg1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFXhJKi-6senQVrQBsNSyCfMhKkHI9malgzSmFrvgbWQzvkla3QT-3xoyKxt8ILd11_-sa7LGh3cdYwwEjywseLYesx_9nqu422oTWQ9IyACnZGhwHcJ3WGpaMiTLjfzE2o6PKKEeCQ5h/s320/earthquakeislandcreditsandnotespg1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285130627630666594" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI083oxWA_J_a5j1og3vgtIwqNA5PPTR35TjHXMTqDKDBzJRexGvcIWrx9BfSdIZ4pPgxK74jCD1uOtO_GglDmj5PQPmLfzQnu6DzGt5d8XOB_OmnUYccgRkeKs1NroErsO4rhbzYYHTHW/s1600-h/earthquakeislandnotespg2andpic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI083oxWA_J_a5j1og3vgtIwqNA5PPTR35TjHXMTqDKDBzJRexGvcIWrx9BfSdIZ4pPgxK74jCD1uOtO_GglDmj5PQPmLfzQnu6DzGt5d8XOB_OmnUYccgRkeKs1NroErsO4rhbzYYHTHW/s320/earthquakeislandnotespg2andpic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285130625654497810" border="0" /></a>As good an introduction to Jon Hassell's music as any. Earthquake Island was his second as a leader, and features a cast of musicians who were known, more often than not, for their work in jazz and fusion - and explains the jazz-ish touches throughout the album. It's a personal favorite that is regrettably one of his more hard-to-find recordings.<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/176867149/Earthquake_Island.zip">Earthquake Island</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-16328357807918776682009-01-03T22:13:00.000-06:002009-01-03T22:16:33.235-06:00Cabaret Voltaire: 2X45<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DZ2igu85MBJ2P13eaFzL5oOTbw4JsdkLMf-sCsp69YwVuLpmiDCKXT3ETugpEPqIw7fe3hhx0oTLvgZrb3A2H9RfzzygFWP52lL10Ff2gNYoEyzZuhk-M1quMC9rLT13eAdfVwP2jXa2/s1600-h/2x45front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_DZ2igu85MBJ2P13eaFzL5oOTbw4JsdkLMf-sCsp69YwVuLpmiDCKXT3ETugpEPqIw7fe3hhx0oTLvgZrb3A2H9RfzzygFWP52lL10Ff2gNYoEyzZuhk-M1quMC9rLT13eAdfVwP2jXa2/s320/2x45front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285131001059796130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvb09sWfvK2rqjmkQnlAj6oGpPMnTRjgxJSLeAjBYdr1KHRPyImCmOxQ9bZZ2vSolVFsCkVhxxcuA2PClkKZCjOxOoPmG8Sy5B3hj1H-H8WWPGEgbr-ooY3C74nC6GIuH8W0mONY281iO/s1600-h/2x45credits.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvb09sWfvK2rqjmkQnlAj6oGpPMnTRjgxJSLeAjBYdr1KHRPyImCmOxQ9bZZ2vSolVFsCkVhxxcuA2PClkKZCjOxOoPmG8Sy5B3hj1H-H8WWPGEgbr-ooY3C74nC6GIuH8W0mONY281iO/s320/2x45credits.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285130990395931058" border="0" /></a>I first learned about Cabaret Voltaire in the mid-1980s, when their videos to such tracks as "Kino" and "Do Right" were still fresh. By that point, the Cabs were a duo consisting of Steve Mallinder and Richard Kirk (Chris Watson was gone by the end of 1981), and their singles were mostly industrial dance tracks intended for rotation in clubland - and they managed some minor hits in their day. Of course even their hits were a bit too left-field to be accused of sounding mainstream. Before then, the band was known for their abrasive electronic experimentation. 2X45 finds the Cabs in transition between their past, when their only intention was to piss their audience off, and what would be their future. The album was recorded over two sessions with somewhat different lineups: one from October 1981 and the other from February 1982.<br /><br />The sound will please fans of the No Wave scene to no end - it's dark, paranoid, angular, and downright funky. The Cabs' influences were varied, ranging from the minimalism of Steve Reich, ambient music of Brian Eno, the funk that made James Brown famous, and <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">On the Corner</span>-era Miles Davis. I've always dug on the first two tracks especially. "Breathe Deep" sounds like a tune ideal for some postpunk blaxploitation flick soundtrack. "Yashar" has some pretty interesting percussion and tape loops.<br /><br />Personnel:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tracks 1-3</span><br />Richard H. Kirk - Guitar, Sax, Clarinet, Synth<br />Stephen Mallinder - Bass, Vocals, Percussion<br />Chris Watson - Vox Continental, Tapes<br />Alan Fish - Drums, Percussion<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tracks 4-6</span><br />Richard H. Kirk - Guitar, Sax, Roland SHO9 and CSQ 100, Tapes<br />Stephen Mallinder - Bass, Vocals, Tapes<br />Eric Random - Guitar, Percussion<br />Nort - Drums, Percussion<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. Breathe Deep<br />2. Yashar<br />3. Protection<br />4. War of Nerves (T.E.S.)<br />5. Wait and Shuffle<br />6. Get Out of My Face<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/176888464/2X45.zip">2X45</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-79007173563377803412009-01-01T00:01:00.000-06:002009-01-01T00:01:00.735-06:00Marion Brown: Live in Esslingen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SKoWSUig-7eWe0SmK2FNfoV4Ap1kxiGBIJD3NRdbrpSY_b3egmjcyAs7xP5sZEDVPFT7p4YKtVnWm5Zx81Go6YXcvHhFInaQublZjI7mBZb4kR-rDsjrzHrk0R4dS8yhSVvVX5kQ-Lo3/s1600-h/liveinesslingencover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SKoWSUig-7eWe0SmK2FNfoV4Ap1kxiGBIJD3NRdbrpSY_b3egmjcyAs7xP5sZEDVPFT7p4YKtVnWm5Zx81Go6YXcvHhFInaQublZjI7mBZb4kR-rDsjrzHrk0R4dS8yhSVvVX5kQ-Lo3/s320/liveinesslingencover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285130129776850546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kAeUjr1smVi5Y5bHhpdUbQM9xAwyH7lv9u29IsvLMx4Otyz6_XyZSOTdDMOwliX0-XXGx6E3XexH-aacty4Wr5wIF5BN46kGOooBIOAJ26HLauGTe0oeiPNicG8kIDr9XCimsS__Wopd/s1600-h/liveinesslingencredits.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kAeUjr1smVi5Y5bHhpdUbQM9xAwyH7lv9u29IsvLMx4Otyz6_XyZSOTdDMOwliX0-XXGx6E3XexH-aacty4Wr5wIF5BN46kGOooBIOAJ26HLauGTe0oeiPNicG8kIDr9XCimsS__Wopd/s320/liveinesslingencredits.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285130118400659810" border="0" /></a><br />It's been a little while since I posted any Marion Brown recorded material, so I thought I'd hook you up with a live bootleg recording that I happened upon about three or four years ago. The sound on this live bootleg should serve as a bridge between Brown's live recordings from around <a href="http://ajbenjamin2beta.blogspot.com/2006/10/marion-brown-gesprchsfetzen.html">1968</a> or <a href="http://ajbenjamin2beta.blogspot.com/2006/10/marion-brown-in-sommerhausen.html">1969</a> (as well as the album <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Porto Nova</span>), and his ECM release <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Afternoon of a Georgia Faun</span> and his <a href="http://ajbenjamin2beta.blogspot.com/2006/11/marion-brown-duets.html">duets recordings</a> during the early 1970s. In fact, those latter releases are arguably quite similar to what you'll find here with this quintet. The ECM connection should be apparent not only from the basic approach this particular combo takes, but from the personnel list: ECM founder Manfred Eicher plays bass on this session. Expect a fairly minimalistic soundscape, "little instruments", and plenty of open spaces. In other words, don't expect a noisefest, but don't expect easy listening. Brown's music, no matter how spare, refuses to stay in the background. It's also a pleasure to hear a young Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet. Marion Brown fans will want this.<br /><br />Personnel:<br />Marion Brown - Alto Sax<br />Leo Smith - Trumpet<br />Thomas Stoewsand - Cello, Flute<br />Manfred Eicher - Bass<br />Fred Braceful - Percussion<br /><br />Tracks:<br />Note that although the track listing consists of a part A and B, on the CD I have, it simply appears as a single continuous improvised piece, running 46 minutes.<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/177461669/Marion_Brown_Live_in_Esslingen.zip">Live in Esslingen</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-65709102184331488972008-12-31T00:06:00.000-06:002008-12-31T00:06:01.405-06:00Joseph Jarman: Earth Passage/Density<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbS3O91LVm3Z6pFtCalqfwubt2JPyvogbserMXppEJCZg0ro2cyM5kg5YheT0Rl_aGZsB_CVftj6HbnLKd06euG8_6vQ3xwFSEWTe9lB3HLSDuxBZHExAQacbnTRNvcnuHuRCbe97f7nKV/s1600-h/R-1127457-1194260774.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbS3O91LVm3Z6pFtCalqfwubt2JPyvogbserMXppEJCZg0ro2cyM5kg5YheT0Rl_aGZsB_CVftj6HbnLKd06euG8_6vQ3xwFSEWTe9lB3HLSDuxBZHExAQacbnTRNvcnuHuRCbe97f7nKV/s320/R-1127457-1194260774.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284760005590063570" border="0" /></a>Here's another one from the vaults for fans of Joseph Jarman. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Earth Passage/Density</span> features Jarman and Moye, accompanied by two other multi-instrumentalists on four very distinct tracks, from the world music rooted "Zulu Village," to the relatively swinging straight-ahead jamming on "Happiness Is," the moody "Jawara," and to the concluding number "Sun Spots" (which is very free sounding and quite dominated by Moye - reminiscent of something from an AEC session). Challenging yet fun music that is easily worth a few listens.<br /><br />Personnel:<br />Joseph Jarman - Flute, Clarinet (Bass), Flute (Alto), Flute (Bass), Piccolo, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor), Clarinet (Alto), Bamboo Flute<br />Famoudou Don Moye - Percussion, Chimes, Drums, Triangle, Bells, Cowbell<br />Rafael Garrett - Bass, Clarinet, Flute, Pan Flute, Conch Shell, Bamboo Flute<br />Craig Harris - Flute, Percussion, Trombone, Vocals, Voices, Didjeridu, Cowbell, Bamboo Flute<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. Zulu Village (13:11)<br />a. Hommage<br />b. Summoning The Elders<br />c. Children's Sun Celebration<br /> 2. Happiness Is (10:15)<br />3. Jawara (12:15)<br />4. Sun Spots (11:00)<br /><br />Recorded on February 16 & 17, 1981 at Barigozzi Studios, Milan, Italy, and released on Black Saint in 1981. The album saw one reissue in 1993.<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/176892609/Earth_Passage_Density.zip">Earth Passage/Density</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-74819162845670248522008-12-30T00:07:00.000-06:002008-12-30T00:07:00.929-06:00Randy Weston: Tanjah<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgvp6CS3F1Qokbu3FmF9ZHAu0iCn3jWF5NL3lkv7ZmNQoBUSWIS9QBr0Wowx4BuQOUwz4TjuVxpZcyoKo0SlW59HyagXfj3C4wSCGcGMMPFA9mJp0-7U2Wg2twvHUYnzLKEfY1d77ETBl/s1600-h/1973tanjah.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgvp6CS3F1Qokbu3FmF9ZHAu0iCn3jWF5NL3lkv7ZmNQoBUSWIS9QBr0Wowx4BuQOUwz4TjuVxpZcyoKo0SlW59HyagXfj3C4wSCGcGMMPFA9mJp0-7U2Wg2twvHUYnzLKEfY1d77ETBl/s320/1973tanjah.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284954777928698770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tanjah</span> is a gem from the 1970s, featuring Randy Weston and Melba Liston collaborating together (their last would be in 1998's <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Khepera</span>, which is still commercially available), utilizing a big band format. Since this was recorded in the 1970s, you should expect some electric instruments - in this case Weston playing a Fender Rhodes piano on some of the selections. Critics will no doubt argue as to whether the electric piano detracts from the music, but personally I find no problem with it (maybe it's simply because I'm a child of the 1970s); where there will be no argument is on the compositions and performances, which are rock solid. The CD added the alternative takes of "Sweet Meat".<br /><br />These sessions were recorded May 21 - May 22, 1973 and originally issued on Polydor that same year (catalogue # 5055). Verve reissued the album in CD form in 1995. Currently it's out of print.<br /><br />All discographical information courtesy of <a href="http://www.randyweston.info/randy-weston-discography-pages/1973tanjah.html">Randy Weston's website</a> and <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gcfixq9gld6e%7ET2">AMG</a>.<br /><br />Personnel:<br />Randy Weston - Piano, Fender Rhodes<br />Ernie Royal - Trumpet, Flugelhorn<br />Ray Copeland - Trumpet, Flugelhorn<br />Jon Faddis - Trumpet, Flugelhorn<br />Al Grey - Trombone<br />Jack Jeffers - Baritone Trombone<br />Julius Watkins - French-Horn<br />Norris Turney - Alto Sax, Picolo<br />Budd Johnson - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Clarinet<br />Billy Harper - Tenor Sax, Flute<br />Danny Bank - Baritone Sax, Baritone Clarinet, Flute<br />Ron Carter - Bass<br />Rudy Collins - Drums<br />Azzedin Weston - Percussion<br />Candido Camero - Percussion, Narrator<br />Omar Clay - Marimba, Timbales<br />Taiwo Yusve Divall - Alt Sax, Ashiko Drums<br />Earl Williams - Percussion<br />Ahmed-Abdul Malik - Oud, Narrator (on 7)<br />Delores Ivory Davis - Vocal (on 8)<br /><br />Melba Liston arranger, director<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. Hi-Fly<br />2. In Memory Of<br />3. Sweet Meat<br />4. Jamaica East<br />5. Sweet Meat (First Alternative Take)<br />6. Tanjah<br />7. The Last Day<br />8. Sweet Meat (Second Alternative Take)<br />9. Little Niles<br /><br /><blockquote>TANJAH original LP. liner notes<br /><br />ABOUT RANDY WESTON<br />Pianist-composer-lecturer Randy Weston was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and began playing piano professionally in the early 1950's, During his career he has won international acclaim as an instrumentalist, and performed in alt major jazz clubs in New York and other U.S. cities as well as all major cities in North and West Africa. He has appeared on major television shows and extensive radio program throughout Africa and the U.S. He's performed in colleges and universities throughout the world, and is generally not duly credited with being the first to conceive and perform a "History of Jazz" concert/lecture programs in schools and libraries in New York City; many other groups are now performing similar programs in New York as well as other cities. He's been the subject of feature articles in the U.S.. France. Africa, and England, and is recognized as a serious, prolific composer.<br /><br />He has traveled widely in Africa, beginning in 1961 when he made his first trip to Nigeria to perform and lecture under the auspices of the American Society of African Culture. In 1967 Randy and his sextet made a three-month concert tour of fourteen countries in West and North Africa as part of the U.S. State Department's Cultural Presentation program. In 1968 he settled in Morocco and performed throughout Morocco and Tunisia, Togo, the Ivory Coast and Liberia. In 1970 he opened in Tangier at the African Rhythm Cultural Center. In 1972 he was the major force behind the first festival of American, African and Moorish music held in Tangier.<br /><br />Randy is an articulate spokesman on the pivotal position of African music, dance and other arts in the world cultural scene, on the diversity and importance of Africa's vast musical resources; and on encouraging true cultural exchange and mutual learning between creative artists.<br /><br />Two of Randy's strongest influences have been his father, who insisted that Randy take piano lessons at an early age, and his son (Niles) Azzedin, who has traveled with him throughout Africa. Azzedin plays the African conga drums, incorporating many of the traditional African rhythms, Randy credits his playing as the major force behind the rhythms of his music.<br /><br />Randy has recorded more than a dozen albums throughout his 20-year career.<br />Tanjah Is his first album on the Polydor label.<br /><br /><br />ABOUT MELBA LISTON<br />Melba Liston is a warm, sensitive woman of enormous musical talents. She is an arranger of the first order, and also a fine trombonist. She has distinguished herself solidly in the music field with an impressive array of credits.<br /><br />Starting as a trombonist in the pit orchestra of the Lincoln Theater In her native Los Angeles in 1943, Miss Liston worked her way through bands such as Gerald Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Quincy Jones during the '950's. In 1958 she toured Europe with Quincy Jones's hand as arranger, trombonist, and actress in the Arlen-Mercer musical Free and Easy. Upon returning to the Stales she became a freelance arranger for Riverside Records, arranging for Milt Jackson, Randy Weston, Gloria Lynne, and Johnny Griffin, to name a few.<br /><br />She also arranged albums for such famous Motown Records artists as Marvin Gaye, Billy Eckstine, and The Supremes.<br /><br />In 1967 Melba co-led the dark Terry Big Band. At the same time she was associated with Etoile Productions as an arranger for Duke Ellington, Jon Lucien, Solomon Burke, Tony Bennett, and the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra. In 1968 she lent her talents as a trombone teacher at Pratt Institute Youth-in-Action Orchestra in Brooklyn, as well as to the Harlem Back Street Youth Orchestra, In recent years she has divided her time between her work with youth orchestras in the Los Angeles Watts area, and arranging for Count Basle, Abbey Lincoln, Duke Ellington, and Diana Ross.<br /><br />Tanjah marks a happy reunion for Miss Liston and Randy Weston, for whom she has arranged four other albums.<br /><br />Randy Weston is a true original. He's a thoroughly creative artist - one who possesses that rare quality of being a creator of art, as opposed to an interpreter of art.<br /><br />He is in tune with nature and he creates music out of the depths of the rhythms of life. The primary qualities of his music are fire, spirit, strength, unabashed earthiness, and total individuality. His compositions are not intimidated by time. His percussive style of playing the piano pushes the rhythms out front, and underneath the earthiness, he cooks. He makes his band cook with intense drive. His band on this album was hand-picked, and their infectious joy In playing together is obvious on every cut of this album.<br /><br />Randy feels that music is a universal language, and that African rhythms have dominated many lands and influenced many languages. ' He contends that African rhythms contain ingredients of melody and beat that are the basis of all popular music of today. His own music bears testimony to this contention,<br /><br />Side one of the album opens with an updated Latin-flavored arrangement of Hi Fly.<br />Candido, inspired by the essence of the tune. offers some spontaneous rap In Cuban-Spanish which translates:<br /><br />"...We're gonna fly high.<br />It's a pretty flight, and away we go.<br />Only up, up and higher -<br />watch and listen.<br />Randy Weston, he's going high and his is right there, baby"<br /><br />Up there is right where Jon Faddis, a brilliant 19-year old trumpet virtuoso, takes the tune with his soaring solo.<br /><br />In Memory Of was inspired by the ritual of the African funeral procession, which is very sad on the way to the burial grounds, but afterward, on the way back, the band starts swinging. This version of the march has a heavy African rock blues beat, with Ron Carter laying down a steady drone bass line that creates the spirit of the event. Both Ray Copeland and Al Grey offer fine solos using the growl technique, a sound seldom heard today but commonly used by oldtime brass players.<br /><br />Sweet Meat personifies what Randy describes as a saucy, spicy, African chick with a very hip, unbelievably swinging walk. Sometimes she's sophisticated, sometimes she's funny. She could be found in ihe Congo, Harlem, or Mississippi. Melba Liston's flowing arrangement provides an elegant tilting cushion for the reeds out front. The mood of the tune conjures up shades of Basie and dancing cheek to cheek.<br /><br />Jamaica East is the musical story of a beautiful five-day journey by Randy and his family to Jamaica. He was immediately inspired by the lush beauty of the island, the warmth and hospitality of the people, and their rich cultural heritage. Profoundly inspiring was his acquaintance with relatives who are natives of Kingston, and the discovery of family in Stokes Hall, St. Thomas. Randy's melody captures the rhythms that are Jamaica, and Miss Liston's exciting arrangement captures the spirit of carnival, dance, and song.<br /><br />Side two opens with the title tune Tanjah, which is Arabic for Tangier, where Randy makes his home. The rhythm la based on the music of the peoples of North Africa, specifically Morocco. Tanjah was inspired by the festival held in Tangier in 1972, which represented a very significant step in bringing about communication through music between artists of different countries, albeit of the same African heritage. Moreover, the festival was the realization of a dream for Randy - the product of months of hard work and energy expended by many people both in Tangier and New York. Three stars of that festival are featured on this tune. Billy Harper, Azzedin, and Ahmed Abdul-Malik. Malik sets the mood as he relates in Arabic the feeling of brotherhood experienced by the artists - Moroccan and American - who appeared In the festival:<br /><br />". . . Peace be upon you, brothers. Welcome my brothers. Greetings. All praises due to God for everything around us."<br /><br />The Last Day is a beautiful, moving ballad which expresses Randy's musical impression of the last day on earth - when the heavens open, the power of the Creator appears, and the world gets down on its knees and prays. The warm, magnificently flawless voice of Delores Davis is heard here on record for the first time; Ernie Royal takes the lead with a standout solo.<br /><br />Little Niles was written twenty years ago by Randy for his son, and stands out as the most famous of his jazz waltzes- It was then, and still is, dedicated to children everywhere.<br /><br />Although many different rhythms and beats are displayed throughout this album,<br />the essence for Randy all stems from Africa.<br /><br />This is why he calls his music "African rhythms".<br /><br />1973 Mari Jo Johnson</blockquote>Liner notes to the 1995 CD reissue:<br /><blockquote> TANJAH<br /><br /><br />In the late Fifties to early Sixties, it was all in the air:<br />the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King ...<br />we had that kind of energy,<br />and it inspired me to compose what was in the air.<br /><br />The following are excerpts of an interview of Randy Weston conducted in April 1995 by Mari Jo Johnson.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />I listened to Tanjah recently and it still sounds current, timeless. What do you think accounts for this? Do you attribute this to your music being classic or traditional in the true sense?</span><br /><br />I just listened to it with Melba Liston and we suddenly realized: It's as if no time went by at all. This is the kind of music that is both traditional and modern. There has not been a big change [for me] musically at all.<br /><br />[But times are changing;] I've never felt African spirituality as strong as I have recently, in many things I see. I see children playing the African drum in America. I see exhibitions of sculpture; I see more bookshops and more people aware of African writers and African-Caribbean writers. Mother Africa, for me. Is asserting herself and I'm part of that current. Anybody involved with the spirit and culture of the real Africa today, in spite of all the negative things, has got to be inspired: We're coming together globally after having been separated for centuries.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What about playing solo piano as opposed to playing with sidemen?</span><br /><br />With solo piano you're no longer a pianist, you're a storyteller. You have to tell stories, you have to paint pictures, you have to create sculpture, you have to recite poetry with the instrument. You take people on different voyages, to different worlds. So the piano, already an orchestra, becomes a moving orchestra; you can go to Brazil and Italy and Harlem.<br /><br />[This feeling was] strengthened by being in Africa, because traditional musicians there are historians and storytellers. When they're playing a song, they're keeping a certain story alive. The piano becomes a traditional African instrument:<br />The musicians tell a story so we can never forget. If I'm telling a story about Duke Ellington, a tribute to him. It's not just his song I'm playing: I'm protecting the Spirit of Duke Ellington. I'm letting the people know they can never forget this man.<br /><br />I want to tell different stories now. I want to tell about certain heroes of mine in Africa, but I have not had the time to compose a melody or a rhythm. For example, Cheikh Anta Diop is one of my heroes, and I want to write some music for him but It hasn't happened yet- I want to do more portraits.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Has there been a certain time in your career when there was an outpouring of several new compositions?</span><br /><br />Oh, definitely, the late Fifties to early Sixties was a very explosive period for me, the most active period for writing compositions. I don't compose as I used to, maybe because I'm playing more piano now. It sounds funny, it sounds contrary in a way. bill since I've been playing more solo piano, the ideas don't come for compositions as they used to. In the late Fifties to early Sixties, it was all in the air: the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King ... we had that kind of energy, and it inspired me to compose what was in the air.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Your association with Melba Liston goes back to the Fifties, when you were both with Riverside Records. What has been her role in the Randy Weston big-band sound?</span><br /><br />Melba is incredible; she hears what I do and then expands it. She will create a melody that sounds like I created it; she's just a great, great arranger.<br />Melba has had tremendous big-band experience, she has traveled a lot, and she knows a lot more about musicians than I do. So whenever we do a date, we always sit and talk about the musicians we want for our band. For each recording I have a certain sound that I hear for a particular instrument, and a certain musician has a particular sound that I would like for that song - and Melba's, the same way. She picked Ernie Royal. and she reintroduced me to Budd Johnson and Quentin Jackson, her buddies. Whenever [Melba and 1] had a big band. when they were alive, we'd always start off with them and build from there.<br /><br />We never said it directly, but we both knew that to do a recording we would want to have the older musicians to give us that foundation, and then we would get the younger musicians on top. The older musicians have the know-how; they know all the secrets, things that we don't know about music. Melba always made sure that we would have that kind of base.<br /><br />The musicians for this dais were hand-picked and the cream of the crop of those residing in New York City at the time. Talk about them and why you picked each one.<br /><br />Ray Copeland and I go back together; we were in a band in Brooklyn when we were seventeen years old. He was my original arranger when we had the small group. Ray was a featured trumpeter at Radio City Music Hall at the same time he was making gigs with me, in the Fifties and early Sixties. He was really a wonderful trumpet player and we were very close.<br /><br />I heard Jon Faddis play - well, I'd never heard a young man play trumpet like that before — I heard him when he was nineteen years old, When Melba and I were putting the band together, we said we needed somebody who [could] hit those high notes. Jon's playing was way up there, in the stratosphere. It was really Hi-Fly<br /><br />I had not worked with Ernie Royal before. But the solo he took on The Last Day is just an absolute masterpiece. All of these elder musicians had such beautiful tones [on] their instruments.<br /><br />I remember Julius Watkins when he and Charlie Rouse had their own group. Julius was one of those foundations I mentioned before: When we were putting a big band together, one of the first persons we spoke about was Julius A master French horn player.<br /><br />Al Grey was on Uhuru Afrika, which we did [for Roulette] in 1960, I'll never forget meeting Al in Paris years ago; it was a big rally for some political party and we did "Hi-Fly" as a ballad. His playing almost made people cry.<br /><br />Norris Turney took over Johnny Hodges's place with Duke's band, and although he doesn't sound like Hodges, he has that romantic, beautiful, big, pretty sound. It reminded me how, growing up, listening to my heroes, I could identify everybody by his sound. Morris's sound on Sweet Meat is just so thrilling; three different versions that he plays entirely differently. I don't like Fender Rhodes but I try to do something different on each version.<br /><br />The first time I heard Billy Harper was with Max Roach's group, and I just fell in love with him right away. He has that kind of energy, the kind of power Booker Ervin had, he doesn't play like Booker but he's got that Texas fire, a dynamic, energetic sound, that challenges.<br /><br /><br />Danny Bank, the baritone player, took care of business on this date. It was my first time working with him.<br /><br />Budd Johnson, another foundation, a great saxophone player and arranger, a wonderful person, too; I remember Budd when he was with Earl Hines. Earl had a piece, "Second Balcony Jump", and Budd was featured on it. I also met him through Melba, and she and I would always try to get him whenever we put together a big band.<br /><br />Ahmed Abdul-Malik and I also grew up together. Ahmed exposed me to North African and Arab music. He was the first one to really bring Middle Eastern music and jazz together. When we were young we used to get put out of bands, because we were always trying to find funny notes to play, the notes in between notes. He was on my first tour, when I went to Nigeria in 1961.<br /><br />Ron Carter and I go back to the Fifties, when he played with my trio; we used to work in the Berkshires. His bass work is just incredible on this particular date; he plays so beautifully — just a great musician!<br /><br />Candido was the real master, from Cuba, I worked with him for three years or more - I had become exposed to African-Cuban drumming when I heard Chano Pozo, whom Candido succeeded. Really a true master drummer. Having him and Azzedin together was just fantastic.<br /><br />My son, Azzedin Weston, has a unique style of drumming, having [listened] to popular music in the late Fifties and early Sixties and having traveled to Africa with me. He also studied with Sticks Evans, a wonderful teacher of drums and percussion, and also his own talent nurtured in<br />Morocco. Azzedin, I can truly say. is an original on the conga drums.<br /><br />Rudy Collins. a superb musician, was one of the very top big-band drummers: he could handle everything.<br /><br />Delores Ivory Davis had a beautiful, priceless voice and was a great pleasure to work with.<br />Ray, Ernie, and Rudy . . . they're no longer with us; they are really missed. They were deep brothers and great musicians.<br /><br />This music sounds very fresh because of its rhythms. We were paying a lot of attention to the rhythm a long time ago, playing music that was very strong and very rhythmic. People weren't ready for the African direction. Now people have caught up with this music.<br /><br />This music is like the traditional music of Africa, it's timeless. When you go into the village and you hear the music there, you realize the real music is timeless.<br /><br />1995 Mari Jo Johnson.</blockquote>Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/177175526/Randy_Weston_Tanjah.zip">Tanjah</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-91684281457418855692008-12-29T00:01:00.000-06:002008-12-29T00:01:00.139-06:00Foday Musa Suso - Watto Sitta<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprak_lKjSsr7xKTkawr6laQSv7kFPIgnVminhB382iAjsKPw_qGj5kSM9GlRqysFVHHEnyUkVzm7YiDmyYMYPtIj63SbSLgxsjQlBroSxD66-bIZcZCCGJev9FryABPucrUq2tVe1g6HJ/s1600-h/wattosittacover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 314px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprak_lKjSsr7xKTkawr6laQSv7kFPIgnVminhB382iAjsKPw_qGj5kSM9GlRqysFVHHEnyUkVzm7YiDmyYMYPtIj63SbSLgxsjQlBroSxD66-bIZcZCCGJev9FryABPucrUq2tVe1g6HJ/s320/wattosittacover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284736078617574850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqp-V0hC5jfITX3U3Hl6_AoUJvDg05hjtVrgYnsYkG3HCtxOI_KX_pg7PXdGXX-00jUOmE72s8DlmMESMhgXu2eZOaX398R7g39jrGCFPMwAkmy4HuOOjCM1SrLBLSa7Ql58EfSakaJ-T/s1600-h/wattosittainsert.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqp-V0hC5jfITX3U3Hl6_AoUJvDg05hjtVrgYnsYkG3HCtxOI_KX_pg7PXdGXX-00jUOmE72s8DlmMESMhgXu2eZOaX398R7g39jrGCFPMwAkmy4HuOOjCM1SrLBLSa7Ql58EfSakaJ-T/s320/wattosittainsert.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284736071285370130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Watto Sitta</span>, credited to Foday Musa Suso's band Mandingo (also known as Mandingo Griot Society), was one of the fruits of his collaboration with Bill Laswell (during the 1980s and 1990s) and brief association with Herbie Hancock during the 1980s. Recorded during the period in which Foday Musa Suso appeared on Herbie Hancock's album <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sound System</span>, and collaborated with Hancock on <a href="http://ajbenjamin2beta.blogspot.com/2006/12/herbie-hancock-and-foday-musa-suso.html"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Village Life</span></a> and <a href="http://ajbenjamin2beta.blogspot.com/2008/12/herbie-hancock-foday-musa-suso-jazz.html"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Jazz Africa</span></a>, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Watto Sitta</span> has a considerably more popish sound. Some of that no doubt is due to the presence of Bill Laswell as co-producer, and the temptation at the time to add drum machine effects (they detract a bit considering that the crew assembled included plenty of expert drummers and percussionists). That said, it makes for an enjoyable listen, and although out of print currently, inexpensive copies can be found. The last track is my personal favorite. You'll recognize many of the musicians on <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Watto Sitta</span> from their appearance as performers on <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Jazz Africa</span>, and both those albums can be played back-to-back quite comfortably. If you enjoy one of those recordings, you'll enjoy the other as well.<br /><br />Personnel:<br />Foday Musa Suso - Kora, Dousongoni, Kalimba, Talking Drum, Lead Vocal<br />Joe Thomas - Bass<br />Abdul Kakeen - Guitar<br />Adam Rudolph - Congas, Moroccan Bongos, FraFra Bell, Gnaua Clapper, Shekere, Turtle Shell<br />Hamid Drake - Drums<br />Reymond Sillah - Dudungo<br />Isatou Walker - Backing Vocals<br />Nora Harris - Backing Vocals<br />Robin Robinson - Backing Vocals<br />Manu Washington - Djembe (track 6)<br />Herbie Hancock - DX7 Synthesizer (tracks 1, 5)<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. Harima<br />2. Muso<br />3. Natural Dancer<br />4. Kansala<br />5. Dewgal<br />6. Don't Worry<br /><br />Produced by Bill Laswell and Foday Musa Suso. DMX programming by Bill Laswell and Foday Musa Suso. All songs written and arranged by Foday Musa Suso.<br /><br />Released initially in 1984 on Celluloid (catalogue # CELL 6103) as an LP and three years later as a CD. Later reissued on CD by Terrascape.<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/176873390/Mandingo.zip">Watto Sitta</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-40294161442865727262008-12-28T00:54:00.000-06:002008-12-28T00:56:46.514-06:00Alan Shorter: Orgasm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsC-9ALW2b_aI2UIws2vDat9mlnBffw8cYi_bCEZIT-0G6MIFR6a5RjXlIju0zjoRj6t1J5yn7Yf5y8fMSL7yEL-WDKKIr3a6T3WNXtCQoDDGSIseyxFyjZ1JugcN9fOO6Mao2pLE9bnc/s1600-h/orgasmfrontcover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsC-9ALW2b_aI2UIws2vDat9mlnBffw8cYi_bCEZIT-0G6MIFR6a5RjXlIju0zjoRj6t1J5yn7Yf5y8fMSL7yEL-WDKKIr3a6T3WNXtCQoDDGSIseyxFyjZ1JugcN9fOO6Mao2pLE9bnc/s320/orgasmfrontcover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283283465817731042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdM-SssinBj4pngbxLf_IxgyEYb-zXpKND4HjEmZZo08LX1mPO1aIZOQtEb_mFilvTjHwLuI1cZWjGZwzDDzAT40GcGTx4BpoK5-sPQSlf3hyoyEak_fdBcNB_YLxrV8yHsBdgzS1GoVh/s1600-h/orgasminnergatefold.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdM-SssinBj4pngbxLf_IxgyEYb-zXpKND4HjEmZZo08LX1mPO1aIZOQtEb_mFilvTjHwLuI1cZWjGZwzDDzAT40GcGTx4BpoK5-sPQSlf3hyoyEak_fdBcNB_YLxrV8yHsBdgzS1GoVh/s320/orgasminnergatefold.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283283421455485522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtiPYkG4T-Ut8n8AdPAlr5s4f47vptIn6_X0HJIwELFWdEy4aBNcEcFacvRantlKwk_YoYBDx0I0hn-Kw_p1AEhgXYm9x5N351TgHc6Rr4L2Wi88BIJ37sozlrlZfTeTYU2uj7IPx9BKf/s1600-h/orgasmbookletfront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRtiPYkG4T-Ut8n8AdPAlr5s4f47vptIn6_X0HJIwELFWdEy4aBNcEcFacvRantlKwk_YoYBDx0I0hn-Kw_p1AEhgXYm9x5N351TgHc6Rr4L2Wi88BIJ37sozlrlZfTeTYU2uj7IPx9BKf/s320/orgasmbookletfront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283283461366192866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNJDrYoZLbU-9_TgK2WbVGuk2l4zB70dLFn7mPHuvbLqG8DQtiCLxX-QkPMWKYwG0bMNvrNA7gMloNSSzEkb9IhGtIDxBf8vof3Y-oI_8oGiFYlN1LH3qOE8Stkt-_E0YDlK3ll-WihzH/s1600-h/orgasmbooklet1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNJDrYoZLbU-9_TgK2WbVGuk2l4zB70dLFn7mPHuvbLqG8DQtiCLxX-QkPMWKYwG0bMNvrNA7gMloNSSzEkb9IhGtIDxBf8vof3Y-oI_8oGiFYlN1LH3qOE8Stkt-_E0YDlK3ll-WihzH/s320/orgasmbooklet1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283283154289199906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hwzToCUlbcUWcdjgWnE7356q5YT-3WdCP2t6lSHxtuG1Qo1WKUIQS0-uGKiPhzhb02n6uO9Q7NvcJEIQh_BB6cPsPgPtTPYi96zVNquFPDD9rOVNcnFoCWbz62VuXd4-D-k3erkH0sM0/s1600-h/orgasmbooklet2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hwzToCUlbcUWcdjgWnE7356q5YT-3WdCP2t6lSHxtuG1Qo1WKUIQS0-uGKiPhzhb02n6uO9Q7NvcJEIQh_BB6cPsPgPtTPYi96zVNquFPDD9rOVNcnFoCWbz62VuXd4-D-k3erkH0sM0/s320/orgasmbooklet2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283283155436366978" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdvR3I9dmItgqMe-gjmXEFr8KBSdzau0GdCMs2Z_wRU4fVvVkLpCBXSKf7ujbUefgyGYC7QTSE9mQMd7usSQslq_fz1kamAwm09ACOEWRK0Xtk3q6HVnKXCZqSTjiF3fP_3mHBdr4cpyc/s1600-h/orgasmbooklet3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdvR3I9dmItgqMe-gjmXEFr8KBSdzau0GdCMs2Z_wRU4fVvVkLpCBXSKf7ujbUefgyGYC7QTSE9mQMd7usSQslq_fz1kamAwm09ACOEWRK0Xtk3q6HVnKXCZqSTjiF3fP_3mHBdr4cpyc/s320/orgasmbooklet3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283283152253542498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0VcmY9xW7s6VcxoTY3985joYcLhEmL9OTPCKwksCB-zUuBGXSi72MHI11FDNdr2IQ8-REGteTB_cGeGtctc7iLxcEyWjkrI1DgsCZLSwqQa7PqBhnP4kipOiyz12Q1nRUJ8BRRcf5og8/s1600-h/orgasmbookletback.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0VcmY9xW7s6VcxoTY3985joYcLhEmL9OTPCKwksCB-zUuBGXSi72MHI11FDNdr2IQ8-REGteTB_cGeGtctc7iLxcEyWjkrI1DgsCZLSwqQa7PqBhnP4kipOiyz12Q1nRUJ8BRRcf5og8/s320/orgasmbookletback.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283283152363668930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6EZUbVW1A8DnKeYcI8rycP0B1c89AvHpUiTPomiE32GG0B2lV0pAdyaSK4H-WQrrkmiCOuwFGcTzkTe_BWueXN9gd15EfQN_AqRI4k1c_x5cINrZ3cAzH4dw8Z3a0wjwdljMM7_m89h-/s1600-h/orgasmbackcover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6EZUbVW1A8DnKeYcI8rycP0B1c89AvHpUiTPomiE32GG0B2lV0pAdyaSK4H-WQrrkmiCOuwFGcTzkTe_BWueXN9gd15EfQN_AqRI4k1c_x5cINrZ3cAzH4dw8Z3a0wjwdljMM7_m89h-/s320/orgasmbackcover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283283146262962290" border="0" /></a>I managed to score a copy of <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Orgasm</span> when Verve briefly reissued the album as part of its short-lived "Elite Edition" series. It's kind of an odd album in that in the middle of recording Alan apparently switched producers, and also had to replace some of his players. In spite of the behind-the-scenes turmoil, <strong style="font-style: italic;">Orgasm</strong> is a consistent sounding recording, and one of the more beautiful statements from the free jazz community. I've heard of comparisons between this album and Ornette Coleman's early work (the two composers share a common bassist, Charles Haden), and I find that I can play this album fairly comfortably side by side with some of Coleman's classics (<strong style="font-style: italic;">Change of the Century</strong> comes to mind). Much has been made about his apparent lack of training and technique, although honestly I can't really hear any deficit in his flugelhorn playing. He seems to get the job done within the parameters of his compositions, which I would suppose is pretty much what matters. It's a painfully hard to find album, but worth finding and spinning. Shorter would go on to record <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Tes Esat</span>, which was reissued briefly a few years ago.<br /><br />Alan apparently had a number of personal problems that made him difficult to work with, and he died in obscurity in the late 1980s. His brother Wayne had this to say about him:<br /><blockquote>The strongest thing you can say about Alan is that he was an original, as original as you can get. He didn't want any academic guidelines to equip him to reinvent the wheel. He was always in confrontation, or there was confrontation on the horizon...with record executives, rehearsal places, front offices, professors in school. Teachers would mark on his papers, and he would ask "Why?" on top of the teachers' remarks.</blockquote>I gather that Alan did quite a bit of composing during his brief life, and left behind scattered remains of those compositions as his legacy. Wayne once commented that he would one day look through Alan's work and do some of his compositions (Wayne used his brother's "Mephistopheles" on one of his mid-1960s albums), although as far as I am aware that has yet to bear fruit.<br /><br />Personnel:<br />Alan Shorter - Flügelhorn (all tracks except track 4), Trumpet (track 4), Tambourine (track 4)<br />Gato Barbieri - Tenor Sax<br />Charlie Haden - Bass (tracks 1, 6)<br />Reggie Johnson - Bass (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5)<br />Rashied Ali - Drums (tracks 1, 6)<br />Muhammad Ali (Drums (tracks 2, 3, 4, 5)<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. Parabola<br />2. Joseph<br />3. Straits of Blagellan<br />4. Rapids<br />5. Outeroids<br />6. Orgasm<br /><br />Recorded at A&R Recording, NYC, September 23, 1968 (tracks 3 & 4); September 25, 1968 (tracks 2 & 5); and November 6, 1968 (tracks 1 & 6). Released on Verve, catalogue # V6-8768.<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/176200875/Orgasm.zip">Orgasm</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-9715995489908737642008-12-26T01:12:00.001-06:002008-12-27T00:07:11.972-06:00Steve Williamson: Journey to Truth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlXBIEXlby8lq22X0oGFy9EZk3iHoUOBKS-z6PB-pbjyfvLNip9LHjU6Lfxo7kox5XIwOjAAwYbvk3ZetnIAsfgEIoofVEKS3dUyvKdBs-rJK-dMjSe_6CPcMSVZ_diLgRwg5-HXBV6YD/s1600-h/journeytotruthfront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlXBIEXlby8lq22X0oGFy9EZk3iHoUOBKS-z6PB-pbjyfvLNip9LHjU6Lfxo7kox5XIwOjAAwYbvk3ZetnIAsfgEIoofVEKS3dUyvKdBs-rJK-dMjSe_6CPcMSVZ_diLgRwg5-HXBV6YD/s320/journeytotruthfront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283284986987107330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciuIGy8EpCW9ivro2z2Dbp-SJFK30Cn5LyHlC3MKJ40aCiPbDnZJItLol9JnaluLPkqcA_yTmZzkNAdTVdSpoSM8f4YtEjKa_PxnPsux9EWYcH6leZuR9Ycve3D3gKYf8ojgzM7PPLi4U/s1600-h/journeytotruthphoto.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciuIGy8EpCW9ivro2z2Dbp-SJFK30Cn5LyHlC3MKJ40aCiPbDnZJItLol9JnaluLPkqcA_yTmZzkNAdTVdSpoSM8f4YtEjKa_PxnPsux9EWYcH6leZuR9Ycve3D3gKYf8ojgzM7PPLi4U/s320/journeytotruthphoto.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283284983575854370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdoczuAEn0cIxS5wRNAIwTmtqTI397v4lzdivUswB3bK-Yb9RB3UYxmjaJk0_ScTf26R3_rHib8VpPZekIPeWkY65v5Z2z8MXo-Qu1gnK6-TwS1_A0P0C8ZpcsqXF_7TpZXjo-3rbEfVi/s1600-h/journeytotruthlyrics.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdoczuAEn0cIxS5wRNAIwTmtqTI397v4lzdivUswB3bK-Yb9RB3UYxmjaJk0_ScTf26R3_rHib8VpPZekIPeWkY65v5Z2z8MXo-Qu1gnK6-TwS1_A0P0C8ZpcsqXF_7TpZXjo-3rbEfVi/s320/journeytotruthlyrics.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283284981206702850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsg1QxFrnlnTAVCRUJgftRlQOP-fry0i8A4ox9_kykFSNeJjOPW0A5nEvETMuXrK9M9nKE5iA9LF23cXnD65mW7PNhc0ijwdSJPdR6JeRsrdddSAtrziQGWFTmHLIg5BhV7pJvMMAynsbT/s1600-h/journeytotruthnotes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsg1QxFrnlnTAVCRUJgftRlQOP-fry0i8A4ox9_kykFSNeJjOPW0A5nEvETMuXrK9M9nKE5iA9LF23cXnD65mW7PNhc0ijwdSJPdR6JeRsrdddSAtrziQGWFTmHLIg5BhV7pJvMMAynsbT/s320/journeytotruthnotes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283284978136951330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMD3e25ySFcXWvwvMzhU2BXyTvWDCDDCdB7GyHmHeet6F6_JmF35611kPDV8kmqWDz3pDhOkqKhORjtneGq27nzpPoyq5gnbADECvBPvFPL7WcKlFCFuaDJnxmWBDVsGLZ1BT3wEXAAHc/s1600-h/journeytotruthback.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMD3e25ySFcXWvwvMzhU2BXyTvWDCDDCdB7GyHmHeet6F6_JmF35611kPDV8kmqWDz3pDhOkqKhORjtneGq27nzpPoyq5gnbADECvBPvFPL7WcKlFCFuaDJnxmWBDVsGLZ1BT3wEXAAHc/s320/journeytotruthback.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283284977791519026" border="0" /></a>There is nothing that could have prepared those who knew of Steve Williamson only from his first album, <a href="http://ajbenjamin2beta.blogspot.com/2008/12/steve-williamson-waltz-for-grace.html"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">A Waltz for Grace</span></a>, for what awaited them upon dropping <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Journey to Truth</span> into the CD player. The cover photo and CD graphics should be a dead giveaway that this cat was up to something different - from the pix of Williamson that harken back to the early 1970s to the hip-hop flavored graphics - this was not going to be a collection of post bop numbers. The very first track sounds inspired by John Coltrane and Rashied Ali's jams on <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Interstellar Space</span> (a sound that will be replicated on track 4, "Affirmation"). The second track, with its hard funk rhythm section and inspired vocals by Jhelisa Anderson, should seal it. Williamson was out to make a statement.<br /><br />In fact, it seems like a concept album. The problem is, as I have mentioned <a href="http://ajbenjaminjr.blogspot.com/2004/02/steve-williamson.html">elsewhere</a>, that <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Journey to Truth</span> SOUNDS like three separate albums - each going in its own direction, which is not healthy for a concept album. There aren't any bad tracks on the album, though the raps on the middle section are probably less inspired than music and vocals found on the rest of the tracks. It's just that <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Journey to Truth</span> doesn't make for a particularly coherent listening experience.<br /><br />I'm partial to the first section, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Journey</span>, which is what I imagine Plunky Branch and crew of Oneness of Juju would have sounded like if they had traveled ahead in time a couple decades. From the Coltranesque sax and percussion excursions on "Meditation" and "Affirmation," to the title track, the instrumental "Oh Africa Africa Africa," to the smoking cover of "Celestial Blues," Williamson hits all the right notes. The music is tight, the mood is set, and the listener can groove and meditate at the same time.<br /><br />The second section, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Pffat Factor</span>, will probably be mildly reminiscent of Miles Davis' <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Doo Bop</span>, or perhaps Guru's <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Jazzmatazz</span> albums. Personally I tend groove much more on Williamson's sax playing than his rapping, and think that Black Thought has had much better moments with his own crew, The Roots (whose albums I strongly recommend). The last track in the section is an instrumental, and seems like it could have had potential for the rotation at a smooth jazz station.<br /><br />The final section, <span style="font-style: italic;">That Fuss</span>, is comprised of three solid jazzy R&B numbers somewhat focused on social-political concerns. I'm not sure how tuned in Williamson was to Plunky Branch's 1980s work with The Oneness of Juju, but it seems safe to point out that Williamson was mining similar territory. Those last three tracks seem like they could have been quite radio-friendly. Overall, Williamson is communicating a positive message, attempting to incite his listeners to pursue spiritual and social change - and that is the constant in these otherwise very divergent sections making up the finished product. It's all well-produced, Williamson definitely knows how to write and play, and he's surrounded himself with an able crew of musical performers. If you keep an open mind, you certainly won't be bored.<br /><br />The problem, to the extent that it is a problem, is that Williamson seems like one of those musically and intellectually curious cats who simply is interested in so much that he ends up going off in multiple directions at once. His music is very hard to pigeonhole that way, but it is an approach that isn't conducive to record sales. Hence, this would be his last recording as a leader, so far. The suits at Verve would drop him from the roster, and Williamson would fade into obscurity. Occasionally I read rumors that he's still recording, is involved with two different combos (one that sticks to relatively straight-ahead jazz and one that pursues the funk and hip-hop direction that characterized this album) and apparently continues to be quite impressive on stage.<br /><br />Since I've already mentioned the involvement of one member of the legendary alternative rap crew The Roots, Black Thought, I would be remiss in my blogging duties if I did not mention the involvement of two other members: Hubb and B.R.O.theR.? (the artist usually known as ?estlove).<br /><br />As an aside - I'd be curious to hear the album that came in between 1990's <span style="font-weight: bold;">A Waltz for Grace</span> and 1995's <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Journey to Truth</span>: that is 1992's <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Rhyme Time (That Fuss Was Us!)</span>.<br /><br />Performers:<br />Steve Williamson - tenor sax (tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 12), alto sax (tracks 2, 11, 13), soprano sax (track 6, 7, 8, 11), bells (tracks 1, 4), programming (tracks 2, 7, 8, 10, 11), drum programming (track 6), keyboards (tracks 6, 7, 10, 11), EWI (tracks 6, 7), piano (tracks 11, 12), cowbell (track 8), vocal execution (tracks 6, 7), organ licks (track 13)<br />Sola Akingbola - percussion (tracks 1, 4, 5), djembe drums (tracks 1, 4)<br />Jhelisa Anderson - vocals (tracks 2, 5, 12)<br />Anthony Tidd - piano (tracks 2, 3), organ intro (track 6)<br />Marc Cyril - bass (tracks 2, 9, 11, 12, 13)<br />Hubb (Leonard Hubbard) - bass (track 5), piano (track 11)<br />Michael Mondesir - bass (tracks 6, 7, 8)<br />B.R.O.theR.? (Ahmir Khalib Thompson) - drums (tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12)<br />Pete Lewinson - drums (tracks 11, 13)<br />Henri Jelani Defoe - guitar (tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13)<br />Jason Rebello - rhodes (track 5)<br />Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) - rap (tracks 9, 12)<br />Dennis Rollins - trombone (tracks 11, 13)<br />Pamela Anderson - vocals (track 11)<br />Noel McKoy - vocals (tracks 12, 13)<br /><br />Tracks:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Journey</span><br />1. Meditation (3:23)<br />2. Journey to Truth (7:48)<br />3. Oh Africa Africa Africa (6:08)<br />4. Affirmation (3:27)<br />5. Celestial Blues (6:56)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Pffat Factor</span><br />6. Part I: Who Dares (5:56)<br />7. Part II: They Don't Wanna Hearit! (6:31)<br />8. Part III: Rough (5:42)<br />9. Pffat Time (6:02)<br />10. Antigua (3:53)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">That Fuss</span><br />11. How Ya Livin? (4:37)<br />12. Blakk Planets (5:32)<br />13. Evol Lover (4:57)<br /><br />All tracks composed and arranged by Steve Williamson, except track 2 (vocal arranged by Jhelisa Anderson), track 5 (written by Andy Bey), track 11 (written by Pamela Anderson and Steve Williamson) and track 13 (written by Noel McKoy).<br /><br />Dowload <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/176289847/Journey_to_Truth.zip">Journey to Truth</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-82315562363076785772008-12-25T18:49:00.001-06:002008-12-27T00:07:11.973-06:00Steve Williamson: A Waltz For Grace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsI_2IPs4kJ7BB1KWF46ty2qWAO_yOeGVEyVrJq__DrNzB5i0-fu-vdY3ibkeM8tzp2H-X79qQ27Gyrlc9r6U4VxuEWhxK1dttx-KxhX10ytUwD-8zb3HRIdo9VJwupovfNRM9yioFI7jS/s1600-h/awaltzforgracefront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 319px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsI_2IPs4kJ7BB1KWF46ty2qWAO_yOeGVEyVrJq__DrNzB5i0-fu-vdY3ibkeM8tzp2H-X79qQ27Gyrlc9r6U4VxuEWhxK1dttx-KxhX10ytUwD-8zb3HRIdo9VJwupovfNRM9yioFI7jS/s320/awaltzforgracefront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283284231210869106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizKQjp1stnR5O1tpcJIgZAXq6AlLH3Jsc54SPaSraiwq5Nsu8gFfZD00a3KHtn4EMpY3eepw2CtaLVn9AznzaLhyphenhyphenBD1YmcJvJlxnULFf-AR3yHNvGeLNO6wOLggItUekxRJRZG_iVz-Lx/s1600-h/awaltzforgracelinernotes1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizKQjp1stnR5O1tpcJIgZAXq6AlLH3Jsc54SPaSraiwq5Nsu8gFfZD00a3KHtn4EMpY3eepw2CtaLVn9AznzaLhyphenhyphenBD1YmcJvJlxnULFf-AR3yHNvGeLNO6wOLggItUekxRJRZG_iVz-Lx/s320/awaltzforgracelinernotes1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283284233861557522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrR4QbKkv_8zSTjfZ0T4Psb01MANpqhKeTNZdkLbon0p8j-xUEgUBSqUu4RTy1SvsHAmjUE5C__pkv9GGKKhQNpHA3-A4RfF8I7icpCXibMn-Aag8bybFSKT0uh9Z2kpJHbNtQbIIjbVb/s1600-h/awaltzforgracelinernotes2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrR4QbKkv_8zSTjfZ0T4Psb01MANpqhKeTNZdkLbon0p8j-xUEgUBSqUu4RTy1SvsHAmjUE5C__pkv9GGKKhQNpHA3-A4RfF8I7icpCXibMn-Aag8bybFSKT0uh9Z2kpJHbNtQbIIjbVb/s320/awaltzforgracelinernotes2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283284228048948386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7P6BzfZ8rbn3XiQSb-LqtmCDK2Yu4UtRnJxjc72ZXDXsVtqVbVnQUbuePrTY8BpLPMAdQPWDj845b_gkhZiT9qAqzj7Ue_mV1EQNRj0-042y4UVvbq3IZzlKprNkeQ-vxyDiYV0EnI7H/s1600-h/awaltzforgraceback.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 319px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7P6BzfZ8rbn3XiQSb-LqtmCDK2Yu4UtRnJxjc72ZXDXsVtqVbVnQUbuePrTY8BpLPMAdQPWDj845b_gkhZiT9qAqzj7Ue_mV1EQNRj0-042y4UVvbq3IZzlKprNkeQ-vxyDiYV0EnI7H/s320/awaltzforgraceback.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283284224858653666" border="0" /></a>Steve Williamson was part of a late 1980s-early 1990s British Invasion of jazzers, that also included Courtney Pine (both of whom played together with the UK's Jazz Warriors). The impression I get is that both musicians were initially considered part of the so-called "young lions" who had endeavored to return jazz to its pre-fusion and pre-free jazz roots, but both as time went on, had other ideas. This particular album, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">A Waltz for Grace</span> (dedicated to his grandmother), is Steve William's first as a band leader. It's basically a post bop recording with some interesting funk and Latin flourishes throughout. It's also the more coherent of the two albums of his that I have in my possession, and one that I enjoy listening to in its entirety from start to finish whenever I have the time. Whether the album had enough going for it to stand out from the rest of the early 1990s post bop field is debatable, and I get the feeling that its critical reception was fairly mixed. Still, I think it's quite nice and certainly worth a listen. We'll just add it to the list of woulda-coulda-shoulda recordings that now languish in some corporate conglomerate's vaults.<br /><br />Personnel:<br />Steve Williamson - All Saxophones plus Additional Percussion (on UK Sessions)<br />Mark Mondesir - Drums<br />Lonnie Plaxico - Bass (US Sessions)<br />Gary Crosby - Bass (UK Sessions)<br />Dave Gilmore - Guitar (US Sessions)<br />Julian Joseph - Guitar (UK Sessions)<br />Abbey Lincoln - Vocals (track 4)<br />Kevin Haynes - Additional Percussion (on UK Sessions)<br /><br />Tracks:<br />1. Down (Slang) (3:18)<br />2. Awakening (4:35)<br />3. Visions (4:29)<br />4. A Waltz For Grace (4:15)<br />5. Mandy's Mood (5:49)<br />6. Soon Come (4:14)<br />7. Straight Ahead (4:45)<br />8. Mandela (4:29)<br />9. Groove Thang (1:42)<br />10. Synthesis (4:59)<br />11. Hummingbird (5:41)<br />12. How High The Bird (4:22)<br />13. Words Within Words (5:01)<br /><br />Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/176276860/A_Waltz_For_Grace.zip">A Waltz For Grace</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-3192524271668595212008-12-24T12:44:00.001-06:002010-07-18T02:10:28.982-05:00Herbie Hancock & Foday Musa Suso: Jazz Africa<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZhqh14Y9qy5ePTEkSfpfZA7VxpZql2Gbn5Jvip-oKjW7TXxgnLr_Fc0hULmL7uLuGesXFNXpceWcMq1caMcj5msKbDNfD8ojMS-45MbrBpqn1AjY1-65tW6h-x5wUulM1ilGRIEN29-a/s1600-h/jazzafricafront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZhqh14Y9qy5ePTEkSfpfZA7VxpZql2Gbn5Jvip-oKjW7TXxgnLr_Fc0hULmL7uLuGesXFNXpceWcMq1caMcj5msKbDNfD8ojMS-45MbrBpqn1AjY1-65tW6h-x5wUulM1ilGRIEN29-a/s320/jazzafricafront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283282410002384914" border="0" /></a><br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FBPWmV2rmcKER__31PyQZawVAy2k9iO65lrIHlngEQUFVNYSBrnnUqfvT48pHh3NaimoFs_tNryDNvT_BzJkp2EHTpAa68_NVPLGgwNHbEh-uO_70mMFiXy8CxcTl3atY29I_9JNcR_d/s1600-h/jazzafricanotes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FBPWmV2rmcKER__31PyQZawVAy2k9iO65lrIHlngEQUFVNYSBrnnUqfvT48pHh3NaimoFs_tNryDNvT_BzJkp2EHTpAa68_NVPLGgwNHbEh-uO_70mMFiXy8CxcTl3atY29I_9JNcR_d/s320/jazzafricanotes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283282403848243154" border="0" /></a><br />
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33IAI9d6BeRjgTM_j-x89OMOCFdesI_fN_8egxNYsQ96Z-tZJ01-J3b1BE1FB2EWVEY57rw03CbJgmO-Mj6Qu_v7smdHzgrNo_7CVjXQctjE5-0VYGFg9dic1xeLAPqP__moeSr3coPwD/s1600-h/jazzafricaback.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33IAI9d6BeRjgTM_j-x89OMOCFdesI_fN_8egxNYsQ96Z-tZJ01-J3b1BE1FB2EWVEY57rw03CbJgmO-Mj6Qu_v7smdHzgrNo_7CVjXQctjE5-0VYGFg9dic1xeLAPqP__moeSr3coPwD/s320/jazzafricaback.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283282402675938802" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Jazz Africa</span> is the live companion piece to <a href="http://ajbenjamin2beta.blogspot.com/2006/12/herbie-hancock-and-foday-musa-suso.html">Village Life</a>. Recorded in Los Angeles at some point around 1986, the duo is augmented by a number of sidemen - many of whom were heavy hitters in the music world at the time. Here's an AMG review of the album:<br />
<blockquote>Recorded in Los Angeles' Wiltern Theatre one December afternoon as part of the Jazzvisions project, this was released four years later almost as an afterthought to the series -- and even many of Hancock's electric music fans weren't aware it was out. A pity, for this is one of the great unheralded Herbie Hancock recordings, a rock-'em, sock-'em, live tour de force that fuses Hancock's electric keyboard work, Foday Musa Suso's kora, incantory vocals, and scraping violin, and a thundering African/Caribbean rhythm section. The CD opens and ends quietly with the delicate, folk-like music introduced on Village Life but the record is dominated by two lengthy, madly swinging workouts for Hancock, Suso and the rhythm section, which is anchored by Santana's ageless Cuban-born percussionist Armando Peraza. Though not all of the concert is included here (the laserdisc and VHS versions contain more music), the CD does convey a good deal of the incredible energy level of the live event, where Hancock looked and played like a man possessed. This was a real breakthrough for Hancock, but alas, this perpetual chameleon has yet to pursue this stimulating direction further.</blockquote>The music draws on the ideas explored on <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Village Life</span>, but more danceable, funkier than the original. I've done my best to determine the credits from extremely minimal information. Hopefully it's accurate enough. If you liked <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Village Life</span>, you'll dig this one was well. Copies of this album now sell for around $125, if you can find 'em.<br />
<br />
Personnel:<br />
Herbie Hancock - keyboards<br />
Foday Musa Suso - kora, vocals<br />
Aiyb Dieng - percussion<br />
Armando Peraza - percussion<br />
Adam Rudolph - percussion<br />
Joe Thomas - bass<br />
Hamid Drake - drums, percussion<br />
Abdul Hakeem - guitar<br />
<br />
Tracks:<br />
1. Kumbasora<br />
2. Debo<br />
3. Cigarette Lighter<br />
4. Jimbasing<br />
<br />
Download <a href="http://rapidshare.com/files/407565297/Jazzvisions-_Jazz_Africa.zip.html">Jazz Africa</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-255303237798421148.post-41106119812588959032008-12-24T02:44:00.003-06:002008-12-24T03:03:04.834-06:00In case you hadn't noticedThis place has become busy as of late. One factor is some occasional time to breathe. Until the 2nd of January, I'm on vacation, which gives me some time to line up some music to post. Even before that, once my courses were sufficiently prepped late in the semester, I was able to devote more to this particular endeavor. We'll see what the interterm and spring semester do to my schedule - I wouldn't expect the current torrid pace to go on indefinitely, but realistically I should be able to up a couple albums a week most weeks. The other factor was - thanks to some very kind donors - I've been able to afford some better software for ripping and transforming my cd collection to high-quality mp3 files (at least better than Windows Media Player). You've already begun reaping some of the benefits, and I'm only warming up. Over the next several months, I should be able to treat you to some out-of-print and often hard-to-find jazz recordings, as well as some industrial music, fourth world, and some other dangers.<br /><br />In the meantime, if you're new to this joint, take a look around - there are plenty of albums to download (as of now there are over 120 active downloads available). To those who visit, I never say this enough: thanks.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com