Lazaro Ros and Grupo Olorun - Olorun I

barabara sounds sez:

Here's another album I picked up on the same trip. There are plenty of people who know a lot more than me about the Yoruba/Orisha religion and the praise music for the various gods. All I can say is that the old religion of the Mother Continent underpins all the music that comes out of Cuba. On one level, the rhythms of the drumming and the call and response-style chanting seem simple; but at the same time they are compelling and profound. This is probably the first time this music has appeared in the blogosphere.

Here's a comprehensive list of Orisha music (originally put together by Ish, the man behind the primo, not-to-be-missed Ile Oxumare) that offers a multitude of possibilities for further listening.

And here is an article on women's contribution to the sacred music. Definitely worth a read.

Juan Formell y Los Van Van - Te Pone La Cabeza Mala

barabara sounds sez:

Los Van Van are playing Key West later today, so in honor of this new crack in the musical embargo, it's time to dust off this old CD... and a host of memories along with it.

It was 1997 and we were in Santiago de Cuba for Carnaval (it happens in mid-summer, not at mardi gras time) and we heard a rumor that Juan Formell and his crew were going to play a free gig, but nobody knew when. Turned out they had to wait until after Fidel's speech finished (it was being broadcast on every radio in the city). That eventually happened some time after midnight -- after a mere 4 and a half hours (short for the legendary long-winded el Jefe). The crowd was huge, and the cheap malty slightly sour beer dispensed from ancient tanker trucks soon ran out, but it was definitely a memorable night.

Te Pone La Cabeza Mala (standard translation: 'You make my head spin') was a massive hit on the island at the time, and each time they sang the chorus everyone made this spinning circular motion around their heads. These days I don't listen to timba too much, but at the time those indefatigable incessant rhythms were fresh, a new direction with Juan Formell in the vanguard. Needless to say, I went out and picked up the CD the next day, just for the title track alone.

There's a bit more on Los Van Van here.

blue note nonstop 60 trax

barabara sounds sez:

Here we go with the full album complete with artist/track names. In case anyone missed the first post, this was a Japan-only sampler CD issued in 1999 to mark Blue Note's 60th anniversary. What you get is 60 snippets from some of the biggest artists on the label -- most of the obvious names and some classic riffs.

barabara brainteaser pt.2

Here's the album again, this time with the tracks separated.

And here's a clue: the track names are arranged in alphabetical order.

blue note nonstop 60 trax - a barabara brainteaser

Here's a barabara sounds Boxing Day brainteaser to nurse your neurons back to life after all that Christmas over-indulgence...

Blue Note Nonstop 60 Trax was a Japan-only sampler CD issued in 1999 to mark the label's 60th anniversary. As the name suggests, you get 60 snippets from most of the big-name artists, some of them classic riffs and some perhaps less known. So can you figure them out?

Today's post is the whole album nonstop; to make it easier, tomorrow I'll post a new link with the tracks separated; and after that, I'll post it again with the tracks identified.

Then, go over to the prodigious and brilliant Black Classical for some serious Blue Note action. Greg's Blue Note 70 mix — marking the 70th anniversary this year — is still up and still sounds outstanding.

[update: unfortunately Greg's blog is now long gone]

Asylum Street Spankers - Merry Christmas Baby

A whole album of Spankers weirdness is far too much to take, even with the festive theme. But here's clarinetist and all-round hipster Stanley Smith delivering the Yuletide greetings in his inimitable way. And if you don't know Stanley (and few do) you need to check out his bluesy album In the Land of Dreams — it's one of those under-the-radar lost-in-the-ozone all-time classics.

A very Merry Christmas to one and all.

Kronos Quartet - Winter Was Hard

barabara sounds sez:

Chilly weather all around the globe it seems (well, northern hemisphere only of course) so the time seems right for this old favorite. For free-jazz heads (and maybe for free jazzheads too), it's the John Zorn track that may grab — though it's far from jazz. More accessible is Lurie's more stately Bella by Barlight and the lovely choral title track. And the last track is a gas.

an amazon reviewer sez:

This is a terrific CD. From Webern to John Lurie, to John Zorn's wild "Forbidden Fruit," to a stunning rendition of Barber's Adagio in its original String Quartet form, this album rocks. Okay, probably not the most appropriate description of a string quartet album, but it does — it rocks. I think this is my favorite recording of the Barber Adagio. Some challenging pieces, but for anyone that loves contemporary classical music, this is a great set.

Nathan Davis Sextet - Peace Treaty

barabara sounds sez:

The Nathan Davis Sextet from 1965, recorded in Paris with Woody Shaw on trumpet and issued on the SFP label. It's a classic — the man himself says so:

"The idea of naming the album "Peace Treaty" arose from the various meetings held between American and North Vietnam in Paris in an attempt to negotiate a cease fire and peace treaty during the Vietnamese Conflict.

It was during this period that I dedicated a lot of tunes that i was composing to the idea of peace, love and non-violence. When Claude Lenissois first approached me to do an album, he suggested that we record at the Comedie des Champs-Elysees because they had a good track record of producing good sound.

Everything fell into place because i was working steady with Kenny Clarke, René Urtreger, Jimmy Gourley Woody Shaw and Jean-Louis Chautemps on a regular basis at the 'Blue Note'. So we all had to do was fly Jimmy Woode in from Germany where he was living at the time.

Donald Byrd was also living in Paris and occasionally played with us at the Blue Note, so he came in and helped produce the record.

Time has proven it to be a classic."

Nathan T. Davis, Jan. 2007 — from the liner notes for the reissue CD

Nathan Davis - tenor & soprano sax

Woody Shaw - trumpet

Jean-Louis Chautemps - baritone sax

René Urtreger - piano

Jimmy Woode - bass

Kenny Clarke - drums

Jimmy Gourley - guitar

Babatunde Lea - Umbo Weti: A Tribute to Leon Thomas

A big shout out to Ish at the essential ile oxumare for bringing this one to my attention. The mail man delivered the CD a couple of days back and it's really worth the outlay (yes, the yen's strong these days). Percussionist Babatunde Lea is the real deal, he's played with the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Joe Henderson and Idris Ackamoor — as well as the late, great Leon Thomas, whose music, influence and life are celebrated here in a strong spiritual set recorded live. There's some nice video footage of the gig included too.

Read more about it over at ile oxumare — and then go over to motema for the full lowdown (plus there's a free download to whet your appetite).

Directions in Music: Celebrating Miles Davis & John Coltrane - Herbie Hancock/Michael Brecker/Roy Hargrove

barabara sounds sez:

Naima is one of those magic numbers that kisses almost every musician that tries it on (and the rest of us). Just listen to Michael Brecker playing his heart out on this version. The rest of the album has plenty of moments too – hardly surprising given the line-up here – but that one track alone is worth the price of admission.

dusty sez:

We have to admit, we had a lot of misgivings about this project before we gave it a chance and listened to it all the way through — but after all was said and done, we were quite impressed! While Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove and Michael Brecker all have the chops, recognition and reputations to make as many new recordings as they'd like, without resorting to pandering tributes, this project actually works beautifully and makes great sense. The group is rounded out by the elastic rhythms provided by John Patitucci (who seems to have graduated well beyond the sort of 6 string noodling he usually purveys) and Brian Blade. In most cases, we'd rather hear Miles doing Miles and Trane doing Trane, but this group manages to capture both the dark, brooding beauty of Miles' music and the deeper, soulful vein that Coltrane mined. Herbie sounds the best we've heard in ages and the highlight of this live set is a medley of Miles' "So What" and Coltrane's "Impressions", while the rest of the set is made up mostly of originals (2 more Coltrane pieces, "Naima" and "Tansition" are included) composed by members of the group like Hancock's "The Sorcerer" and Hargrove's "The Poet".

jazzreview.com sez

From the downbeat of the opening tune, The Sorcerer, Herbie Hancock reminds us why he was and is one of the most sought after pianist in the genre. His deftness, technique and mastery of the instrument and the music holds this group together with the same quality that he was noted for while a sideman for Miles Davis in the 60s. He masterfully connects this group’s form together and its opening sets the tone for the whole recording.

Whereas Michel Brecker isn’t considered to be in the forefront of the classical jazz idiom, his presence on this record is no aberration. He definitely shines in a solo rendition of Coltrane’s Naima. He proves, that his study of the master tenor man’s style has influenced his greatly. His own contribution to the project entitled, D-Train, is a fifteen-minute epilogue. It meanders through different time signatures while holding steady to its defining rhythm. Herbie Hancock does some of his best work on the recording in the improv section.

The young lion added to the project is Roy Hargrove. The ever-emerging Grammy award-winning trumpeter is no less than continuing the line of great players that spun the likes of Miles Davis. From is his first solo on The Sorcerer, where he begins his playing away from the microphone and hits you with an unyielding fury of notes and sound, the listener will be encompassed. Hargrove’s contribution, The Poet, is an obvious attempt, and by his own admission, to make use of space in the music. Space in the music is a trademark of Davis’. And like Davis, in this piece he seems to be searching for something in the music. His play is an example of his growth both as composer and soloist.

Another worth-reading review here too

And another date from the same tour (Aspen) was posted here on drfusion.blogspot

Chucho Valdés - Briyumba Palo Congo (Religion Of The Congo)

barabara sounds sez:

Too much talk about virtuosity and prodigious technique, not enough about the passion and balls that the great Chucho Valdés brings to the table. Catch him live and you'll be blown away.

Like the recent Sabu post, this album is inspired by the traditional rhythms of Cuba's 'Religion of the Congo' — but apart from the sheer percussive power, it's a very diffferent beast. In Chateau Barabara, it's an all-time classic.

Jazziz sez:

Pianist Valdés once again puts Cuban and American music through the speed blender of his imposing technique, swirling together cuban secular dance rhythms and religious music with swing, bop, modal, and free jazz at a dizzying pace. His second Blue Note effort away from Irakere (his long-standing Afro-Cuban answer to the Jazz Messengers) spotlights his staggering chops with a quartet featuring bassist Francisco Rubio Pampin, drummer Ra·l Pineda Roque, and percussionist Robert Vizcaino Guillet.

"El Rumbon," played over an uncharacteristically fast guaguanco rhythm, features the pianist's surreal changes of direction, as he cartwheels between hammered two-note drum patterns, McCoy Tyner-ish chords, blindingly fast lines, and blues licks. Ellington's "Caravan" features devilish left-hand patterns and accents that explode into dark, atonal note clusters, then downshift into the type of four-four chording that Erroll Garner would have related to. Valdés saves the most audacious ideas until the end of the album. "Ponle le Clave" grafts the basic clave rhythm and montuno piano vamps onto a 7/4 meter. Gershwin's familiar "Rhapsody in Blue" is reshaped as an elegant danzün.

The title track, the most experimental on the disc, blends a celebratory Palo religious chant with stride and gospel accents from Valdés. Then it opens into a free-tempo exchange between singers, percussionists, and piano, before ending with an unaccompanied piano solo that alternates between frantic energy and quiet lyricism. Sometimes, the pianist's skill and overheated imagination can get the better of him, turning the music into directionless technical displays, but when everything clicks, there are few more exciting or provocative pianists in jazz.

Personnel:

Chucho Valdes (piano, background vocals); Mayra Caridad Valdes, Juan "Chan" Campo Cardenas (vocals); Joaquin Olivero Gavilan (Cuban wooden flute); Francisco Rubio Pampin (acoustic bass, background vocals); Raul Pineda Roque (drums, background vocals); Roberto Vizcaino Guillot (congas, bata drums, background vocals); Haila Mompie Gonzalez (background vocals)

Cleveland Watkiss - Green Chimneys

barabara sounds sez:

Cleveland Watkiss just celebrated his 50th birthday with a gig at the London Jazz festival... So let's celebrate with this little gem.

Don't know Cleveland? He's a top vocalist and super versatile. Genres mean nothing: he's sung soul, gospel, reggae, jazz, drum'n'bass — even opera and choral work. And really he's nothing like Bobby McFerrin.

He was a founder (with Courtney Pine and all) of the Jazz Crusaders Warriors (thanks anon), a pioneer of UK jungle/d&b (here's more on that), and if you don't know his 2002 album Victory’s Happy Songbook, you're missing out on a true barabara classic.

But this one — his first album (or was there one before this?) from 1991 — is straight ahead jazz, which is no doubt why it came out on Verve.

AMG (Yawno) sez:

In the late '80s, Cleveland Watkiss was thought of as a British Bobby McFerrin; where has he been since?At the time of this CD, he showed a great deal of potential and was becoming more original. He is joined by some of the top young English jazz musicians of the era (including pianist Jason Rebello and, on a couple of separate songs, Courtney Pine and Steve Williamson on sopranos) with guest appearances from American drummer Clifford Jarvis and tenorman Jean Toussaint. Watkiss is the main star throughout, singing his words to Thelonious Monk's "Green Chimneys" and Wayne Shorter's "Seeds of Sin," and contributing some adventurous originals of his own. The comparisons with McFerrin apply most tonewise; Watkiss has a similar adventurous spirit, and both singers achieving a lot less in the 1990s than one might have expected. This increasingly hard-to-find CD is well worth searching for.

update...

I've dropped links in the comments for 2 other tracks by Cleveland — Kamikaze; and the DJ Patife remix of Torch Of Freedom (from Victory's). Enjoy.

Sabu - Palo Congo

barabara sounds sez:

Sabu leads a thundering Afro-Cuban percussion session, with the great Arsenio Rodriguez among some equally impressive backing musicians. High spots in this set are Aggo Elegua and the outstanding title track, both channeling the Santaria ritual. If you're looking for more typical latin sounds, then Tribilin Cantore could be the one: Arsenio's fluid guitar lines set out a blueprint for a generation of Zairean/Congolese grooves. Laid down in 1957, the original Blue Note release was in mono; this rip is from the stereo CD reissue. Whichever way you hear it, this is powerful music.

dusty sez:

One of the most unique sessions ever cut for Blue Note — an album of very traditional Afro-Cuban jamming, led by percussionist Sabu Martinez! The music on the album's comprised mostly of percussion -- plus some occasional guitar, bass, and vocals shouted by Sabu, and group members that include Arsenio Rodriguez, Ray Romero, and Willie Capo. The whole thing's incredibly haunting — and about as different from the average Blue Note hardbop set as you could get! Titles include "Simba", "Aggo Elgua", "Tribilin Cantore", "Asabache", and "Billumba-Palo Congo".

hipwax sez:

The emotional kinship between the world of this recording and the world of jazz seems so strong at times that the distance between the worlds seems no wider than the pavement of West Fifty-Fourth Street which separates the Museum of Primitive Art from the Museum of Modern Art. Yet the step from Afro-Cuban music to jazz is a long step, for the European elements of jazz are always in the foreground, while here the latin elements of "latin" music are often imperceptible. It is mostly Africa that we hear in this recording: some rituals dedicated to African Gods, a good deal of singing and chanting in African antiphonal style, and all the instruments, whether obviously African like the quinto, a Cuban version of the slit signal drum, or as apparently European as guitar and bass, played like their African proto-types in African musical tradition. Still, the kinship is there to hear, for Afro-Cuban music shares with jazz the intense motor excitement, the rhythmic fluidity that Andre Hodeir calls vital drive, and the striving for ecstatic communion which supplies much of the motive force.

Tubby Hayes - CTJ... ...ABP scans

Original scans of the cover art now (at long last) added to comments here.

Karin Krog & John Surman - Bluesand

barabara sounds sez:

One of Karin Krog's more recent (1999) and lesser known (at least to me) collaborations, but hauntingly beautiful as usual. This is the Japanese reissue which has an extra track featuring her on a version of Air on a G String arranged by keyboard maestro Morgan Fisher. This was used for a TV commercial advertising a brand of saké. It's rather tasty (and so is the music). The rest of the album is Karin with John Surman, who adds keyboards to his usual outstanding palette of clarinet and sax.

dusty sez:

For the past 30 years, Karin Krog has been one of Europe's greatest jazz vocalists -- but although she spent a time in the 70s doing some very experimental material, she's been spending a lot more time on standards lately. However, this release marks a new direction -- and has her working again with British reed genius John Surman, a frequent collaborator during the old days. All of the tracks are in English, and are penned by Surman and Krog, with a spare folksy style that hearkens back to their more progressive work in the 70s. Surman plays reeds, piano, and synthesizer -- while Krog sings and manipulates her voice with electronics. Titles include "Sas Blues", "Bluesand", "Secret Games", "Fly Away", "Sombre Woods", and "Ribbon of Sand".

new Gil Scott-Heron

I'm sure a lot of people are way more informed about this than me, but it's certainly worth spreading the word...

The legendary singer and poet Gil Scott-Heron is releasing a new album. He has been so long out of the limelight that rumours had circulated that he was dead. As Newsnight's Stephen Smith discovered, he is very much alive and still kicking.

There's a nice clip on BBC:

And while we're here, there are some excellent GSH videos offered by Tales of Gil Scott-Heron

UPDATE Feb. 2010

At the excellent Breath of Life, Kalamu has posted most if not all of the new GSH album.

It'll be up there for the next week.

Walter Wanderley - Rain Forest

barabara sounds sez:

Swinging organ grooves from smooth bossa-lounge master Walter Wanderley. This was his first US recording, produced by Creed Taylor for Verve. The back cover of the original album was graced with a 'handwritten' blurb by crooner Tony Bennett: "If you like: Ella, Duke, Count, Sinatra... you'll love Walter Wanderly's music." Not sure about that at all. But the cover with its toucan and exotic pagan statue peering out of tropical foliage — that's classic. So is the wigged-out last half minute of the final track Bossa na Praia.

This certainly wasn't the first appearance of Rain Forest in the blogosphere — but it's a classic of its kind. So, in case anyone's missed it... it's now too late (DMCA takedown notification)

dusty sez:

An album that not only broke the bossa big in the US — but a set that also really helped transform the sound of the organ in jazz! Not only is the record a key meeting of bossa rhythms and jazz organ — transplanted hugely to the US after a big initial Wanderley run in 60s Brazil — but the set also features some of the cleanest organ lines to ever hit these shores -- a big difference from the heavier flutter that some of the US organists were using a few years before, and a sharp shift towards cleaner keyboard sounds for the rest of the decade. Instrumentation's nice and spare — mostly bass and percussion, plus a bit of flute and guitar — and titles include the massive hit "Summer Samba", plus "Rain", "Beach Samba", "Song Of The Jet", "Cried, Cried", and "Girl From Ipanema".

Changing The Jazz At Buckingham Palace - Tubby Hayes / Dizzy Reece

barabara sounds sez:

A tip of the hat to Bacoso over at the awesome Orgy in Rhythm who has delivered several fantastic Tubby posts recently. This one is only half Tubby — on the 2nd side Dizzy Reece takes over — but it's a good'un. You've got to love the tourist-brochure cover too (aimed at the US market?) complete with marching guards and bearskin helmets. Very 1950s kitschy.

This is from the Japanese CD reissue, and is part of the classic Savoy albums series collectively entitled 'Pre-Modern Jazz, (which sounds kind of strange to me).

For a full Tubby discography, how about this bilingual (English and Farsi) blog.

update: now in the comments, scans of the cover art.

dusty sez:

One of the rarest records on the Savoy label — and a crack session of British jazz featuring two of England's best players ever! The album's got a side of work apiece by Hayes and Reece — and the Hayes cuts are two long jammers with a laidback blowing session feel that works perfectly with his gutsy tenor. Players on those tunes include Harry South on piano and Dickie Hawdon on trumpet — and the titles are "Nicole" and "Hall Hears The Blues". The Reece material features a quartet on four tighter tunes, three of them Charlie Parker compositions ("Yardbird", "Blue Bird", and "Bluebird Number 2"), plus a mellow reading of "How Deep Is The Ocean". Reece's quartet features the great Phil Seamen on drums, and piano work by Terry Shannon, who's no slouch either! (HQ -- Hi Quality CD pressing!)

AMG (Ken Dryden) sez:

This compilation pairs two 1956 sessions led separately by tenor saxophonist Tubby Hayes and trumpeter Dizzy Reece. The opening track is pianist Harry South's slinky, extended hard bop blues "Hall Hears the Blues," in which the rhythm section (with bassist Pete Elderfield and drummer Bill Eyden) goes it alone for three minutes before Hayes and trumpeter Dick Hawdon make their presence known with outstanding back-to-back solos. The erroneous liner notes reproduced from the original album repeatedly refer to the leader as "Tubby Hall," making one wonder if the song title is also incorrect! Hayes takes charge from the kickoff of the quintet's midtempo rendition of Howard McGhee's "Nicole" (yet another variation of "I Got Rhythm"), though Hawdon is equal to the task of matching the tenor saxophonist with a superb solo of his own. The remaining four tracks feature Dizzy Reece with a quartet consisting of pianist Terry Shannon, bassist Lennie Bush, and drummer Phil Seamen. Reece focuses on songs composed or performed by Charlie Parker, offering two expressive interpretations of "Bluebird," along with a moving rendition of the standard "How Deep Is the Ocean?" and a spirited take of "Yardbird Suite" that showcases the rhythm section as well. Originally released bySavoy and finally reissued on a Japanese CD in 2000, this long unavailable music is worth investigating by hard bop fans who enjoy British jazz of the mid-'50s.

Olu Dara - In The World From Natchez to New York

barabara sounds sez:

Olu Dara was one of the go-to trumpeters of choice for the free jazz movement; he played with David Murray, Don Pullin and Henry Threadgill. He's even on the recent classic Roy Brooks reissue. Funny thing is, seems like he never really had his heart in the music. Turns out what he really felt was blues, country, folk, roots stuff... Listen to his first album as leader and you can hear it. It's about as far from free jazz as you can get. And it's great — in fact a barabara classic (whatever that might mean).

Factoid: the name Olu Dara is Yoruba for "God is good."

Another thing, he's got a famous son, apparently.

Check out this cool interview in jazz weekly. Then go buy his second album, Neighborhoods — it's every bit as good.

olu dara sez:

Olu Dara is a multi-talented entertainer who has been performing since he was 7 years old. Born in Natchez, MS, he has drawn on his Mississippi roots to create a mix of blues, jazz. gospel, R&B, Caribbean and African rhythms. Olu first landed in New York in 1963 after a stint in the US Navy which took him all over the world. From that time on, Olu has embarked on a career that spans the world of music, dance, and theater. In the 1980s Olu put together 2 ensembles: Okra Orchestra, a 7-plus-member band, and the Natchezsippi Dance Band, a 5-piece unit. Since then this has been Olu's preferred musical environment for creating the roots-based musical style that the audience now hears. His main recordings are "In the World: From Natchez To New York," and "Neighborhoods". A short sample of his numerous awards would include the following: New York Jazz Award for Stylistic Fusion; France's Django d'Or International Trophy in Blues category; three Audelco Awards; a Drama Desk nomination for "I Am a Man" by OyamO; induction into (2003)the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. In the Dance field, Olu has collaborated with choreographer Diane McIntyre for over 20 years. During his musical performances he plays the trumpet (pocket trumpet), a wooden aboriginal instrument that he picked up on his travels, the guitar, and the harmonica; in addition he always sings, vocalizing his many stories. Think of him as a modern equivalent of the itinerant traveling musician/historian of years past. As he puts it, "I sing about women, food, and life in general".