I used to think that choosing a favorite Fela album was difficult, not because one stood out from the rest, but because in doing so you're indicating that the others weren't as good. Well, forget about all that. Afrodisiac is it. Better than Gentlemen, Expensive Shit, Zombie, He Miss Road. All of em. No political agenda here, no anger directed anywhere. Just classic hard, heavy Afro-funk, super tight horns, meticulous arrangements, completely indecipherable lyrics and some particularly impressive keyboard work. Fela at his best. Do you have a favorite? Let me know about it in the comments.
Showing posts with label Electric Piano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Electric Piano. Show all posts
Friday
Fela Kuti & Africa 70'
Afrodisiac - 1973
I used to think that choosing a favorite Fela album was difficult, not because one stood out from the rest, but because in doing so you're indicating that the others weren't as good. Well, forget about all that. Afrodisiac is it. Better than Gentlemen, Expensive Shit, Zombie, He Miss Road. All of em. No political agenda here, no anger directed anywhere. Just classic hard, heavy Afro-funk, super tight horns, meticulous arrangements, completely indecipherable lyrics and some particularly impressive keyboard work. Fela at his best. Do you have a favorite? Let me know about it in the comments.
I used to think that choosing a favorite Fela album was difficult, not because one stood out from the rest, but because in doing so you're indicating that the others weren't as good. Well, forget about all that. Afrodisiac is it. Better than Gentlemen, Expensive Shit, Zombie, He Miss Road. All of em. No political agenda here, no anger directed anywhere. Just classic hard, heavy Afro-funk, super tight horns, meticulous arrangements, completely indecipherable lyrics and some particularly impressive keyboard work. Fela at his best. Do you have a favorite? Let me know about it in the comments.
Wednesday
Allen Toussaint
What is Success: The Scepter and Bell Recordings - 1968-70
It's hard to fathom the meager success of Allen Toussaint when considering the incredible impact he's had on music over the past 40+ years. In fact, the title of this compilation might be more fitting with a question mark at the end, but that's just getting picky. Jokes aside, this collection of tracks from Toussaint's second LP (the first under his own name) and a few singles from his days on the Bell label is a stunning example of the man's ability to crank out classic after classic tune and one of the greatest single documents of Crescent City R&B every produced. And though he's looked upon fondly for his songwriting chops, Toussaint's fingerprints are all over records by Dr. John, the Meters, Lee Dorsey and famously, the Band's Rock of Ages LP, for which he arranged the horns. Just take a peek at the liner notes - he's everywhere. So hearing Toussaint's own records is like filling in a giant void, connecting the dots on your record collection and realizing there's a giant hole in it where his LPs should be sitting.
It's hard to fathom the meager success of Allen Toussaint when considering the incredible impact he's had on music over the past 40+ years. In fact, the title of this compilation might be more fitting with a question mark at the end, but that's just getting picky. Jokes aside, this collection of tracks from Toussaint's second LP (the first under his own name) and a few singles from his days on the Bell label is a stunning example of the man's ability to crank out classic after classic tune and one of the greatest single documents of Crescent City R&B every produced. And though he's looked upon fondly for his songwriting chops, Toussaint's fingerprints are all over records by Dr. John, the Meters, Lee Dorsey and famously, the Band's Rock of Ages LP, for which he arranged the horns. Just take a peek at the liner notes - he's everywhere. So hearing Toussaint's own records is like filling in a giant void, connecting the dots on your record collection and realizing there's a giant hole in it where his LPs should be sitting.Thursday
Herbie Hancock
Flood (Live) - 1975
Herbie Hancock was all but unstoppable at the midway point of the 1970s. Following his tenure in Miles' great quintet through the latter half of the 1960s, working with the trumpeter to lay the groundwork for jazz-fusion at the turn of the decade, spacing out and stretching the groove beyond recognition with Mwandishi and pumping out some of the most refined, sophisticated funk of all time with Headhunters, Hancock was the master. It was all his turf. On Flood, the 1975 live album he recorded with the Headhunters lineup in (of all places) the Tokyo Sun Plaza, Hancock doesn't necessarily bring anything that he hasn't brought to record before, but featuring cuts from each of his previous three LPs - all of which are stone classics - the album serves as a Headhunters-era greatest hits that proves, yes, this band really was as good as it sounds on record. Chamelion and Watermelon Man, while great, lack the fire that only comes from having performed them a few too many times, so it's the tunes from Man Child and Thrust that really smoke here. Actual proof, indeed. This two-disc set runs a shade over 74 minutes, so burn it to a single, put it in the dash and enjoy those last few days of summer.
Herbie Hancock was all but unstoppable at the midway point of the 1970s. Following his tenure in Miles' great quintet through the latter half of the 1960s, working with the trumpeter to lay the groundwork for jazz-fusion at the turn of the decade, spacing out and stretching the groove beyond recognition with Mwandishi and pumping out some of the most refined, sophisticated funk of all time with Headhunters, Hancock was the master. It was all his turf. On Flood, the 1975 live album he recorded with the Headhunters lineup in (of all places) the Tokyo Sun Plaza, Hancock doesn't necessarily bring anything that he hasn't brought to record before, but featuring cuts from each of his previous three LPs - all of which are stone classics - the album serves as a Headhunters-era greatest hits that proves, yes, this band really was as good as it sounds on record. Chamelion and Watermelon Man, while great, lack the fire that only comes from having performed them a few too many times, so it's the tunes from Man Child and Thrust that really smoke here. Actual proof, indeed. This two-disc set runs a shade over 74 minutes, so burn it to a single, put it in the dash and enjoy those last few days of summer.Steely Dan
Countdown to Ecstasy - 1973
Devoid of the sheen of perfection that encased their string of classic LPs, Countdown to Ecstasy is an album unlike any other in the Steely Dan canon. Recorded during a brief break from the road - back in the days before the Dan gave up touring for a couple of decades - Countdown utilizes the touring ensemble and much of the same "live" mentality of stretching out the outros, filling plenty of space with instrumental breaks and, in a highly uncharacteristic move, leaving in a few stray notes and production flubs in the name of spontaneity. In the album's liner notes, Walter Becker and Donald Fagan attribute the extended instrumental passages to the fact that none of the songs contained lyrics when they were written, so plenty of space was left for wherever they'd eventually fall into place. Whatever the reason, the elastic quality of the tunes is the perfect vehicle to casually show off the chops of the assembled crew and a pleasant alternative to the attempt at squeezing as much virtuosity per bar as possible that weighed down the band's LPs past this point. There's still plenty of technical wizardry to be found here, most notably in the four bar tape loop that forms the basis of "Show Biz Kids", but it comes off more like a band experimenting with the studio, rather than obsessing over it. Countdown is all the better for it.
Devoid of the sheen of perfection that encased their string of classic LPs, Countdown to Ecstasy is an album unlike any other in the Steely Dan canon. Recorded during a brief break from the road - back in the days before the Dan gave up touring for a couple of decades - Countdown utilizes the touring ensemble and much of the same "live" mentality of stretching out the outros, filling plenty of space with instrumental breaks and, in a highly uncharacteristic move, leaving in a few stray notes and production flubs in the name of spontaneity. In the album's liner notes, Walter Becker and Donald Fagan attribute the extended instrumental passages to the fact that none of the songs contained lyrics when they were written, so plenty of space was left for wherever they'd eventually fall into place. Whatever the reason, the elastic quality of the tunes is the perfect vehicle to casually show off the chops of the assembled crew and a pleasant alternative to the attempt at squeezing as much virtuosity per bar as possible that weighed down the band's LPs past this point. There's still plenty of technical wizardry to be found here, most notably in the four bar tape loop that forms the basis of "Show Biz Kids", but it comes off more like a band experimenting with the studio, rather than obsessing over it. Countdown is all the better for it.Tuesday
Little Richard
Southern Child - 1972 (unreleased)
Though looked upon fondly under 30 years of hindsight, Little Richard's string of albums for the Reprise label in the early 70s sold so poorly that his fourth and final album, 1972's Southern Child, never saw the light of day. And what a shame, since this final LP was the most diverse and arguably the finest of the lot he recorded for the label. Paired with a campy, albeit very fitting cover photo of Richard milking a cow in the backyard of his own home, Southern Child was a collection that successfully fused the gospel rock of his early days with the gentle country ballads and spacious funk he'd been experimenting with throughout his Reprise series. The result is a triumph - a stylistic breakthrough that had been hinted at across a string of three LPs, and finally rises to the top here. The songs, all originals, are performed elegantly throughout, and find Richard at last freeing his voice from the constraints of self parody to deliver some of the most gentle and emotive performances of his long career. So different is his delivery, that throughout much of the album his vocals are hardly recognizable as his own. All of the tracks here are tremendous and the continuity of Southern Child is supreme, but its brilliance is illustrated most effectively by the second track "If You Pick Her Too Hard (She Comes Out of Tune)". If this LP had seen a proper release it would be the one Little Richard album in everyone's collection, but even with Rhino having included it as part of its King of Rock n' Roll: The Complete Reprise Recordings, the set's limited run of 2500 ensures this LP will stay off the radar for the foreseeable future. If you dug The Rill Thing, this one might just blow your mind.
Though looked upon fondly under 30 years of hindsight, Little Richard's string of albums for the Reprise label in the early 70s sold so poorly that his fourth and final album, 1972's Southern Child, never saw the light of day. And what a shame, since this final LP was the most diverse and arguably the finest of the lot he recorded for the label. Paired with a campy, albeit very fitting cover photo of Richard milking a cow in the backyard of his own home, Southern Child was a collection that successfully fused the gospel rock of his early days with the gentle country ballads and spacious funk he'd been experimenting with throughout his Reprise series. The result is a triumph - a stylistic breakthrough that had been hinted at across a string of three LPs, and finally rises to the top here. The songs, all originals, are performed elegantly throughout, and find Richard at last freeing his voice from the constraints of self parody to deliver some of the most gentle and emotive performances of his long career. So different is his delivery, that throughout much of the album his vocals are hardly recognizable as his own. All of the tracks here are tremendous and the continuity of Southern Child is supreme, but its brilliance is illustrated most effectively by the second track "If You Pick Her Too Hard (She Comes Out of Tune)". If this LP had seen a proper release it would be the one Little Richard album in everyone's collection, but even with Rhino having included it as part of its King of Rock n' Roll: The Complete Reprise Recordings, the set's limited run of 2500 ensures this LP will stay off the radar for the foreseeable future. If you dug The Rill Thing, this one might just blow your mind.Friday
Dr. John
Babylon - 1969
Establishing himself as the high priest of psychedelic voodoo with his 1968 debut, Gris Gris, Dr. John tweaked his formula a bit, spaced things out even further and brewed up a far weirder, equally intoxicating follow up with Babylon. Here, the grooves are twitchy and loping, the instruments have more room to roam and the chorus of female voices serves as more of an instrument in and of itself rather than a counterpoint to the lead vocals. Oddly enough, Mac Rebennack's voice toes the line between a frothy Captain Beefheart and Van Morrison on a bad trip, while the music reaches Sun Ra levels of spacial intensity. Taken in album-length doses, Babylon is an incredible achievement that with such a varying palette of flavors and grooves laid out to soak up, rivals Gris Gris in depth and flat-out weirdness. Every track is a highlight, but the chorus of "Glowin'" is one of Dr. John's most beautifully emotive sections in his repertoire, while the electric-piano backbone of "Black Widow Spider" drives and whirls the album to a manic peak. Not easy to come by and sadly overshadowed by its predecessor and Dr. John's funkier, more accessible work with the Meters a few years later, Babylon is an enigma. If Gris Gris was a tidy pot of gumbo, Babylon was a cajun boil with all of its elements poured on the table to feast on and dissect. Delicious.
Establishing himself as the high priest of psychedelic voodoo with his 1968 debut, Gris Gris, Dr. John tweaked his formula a bit, spaced things out even further and brewed up a far weirder, equally intoxicating follow up with Babylon. Here, the grooves are twitchy and loping, the instruments have more room to roam and the chorus of female voices serves as more of an instrument in and of itself rather than a counterpoint to the lead vocals. Oddly enough, Mac Rebennack's voice toes the line between a frothy Captain Beefheart and Van Morrison on a bad trip, while the music reaches Sun Ra levels of spacial intensity. Taken in album-length doses, Babylon is an incredible achievement that with such a varying palette of flavors and grooves laid out to soak up, rivals Gris Gris in depth and flat-out weirdness. Every track is a highlight, but the chorus of "Glowin'" is one of Dr. John's most beautifully emotive sections in his repertoire, while the electric-piano backbone of "Black Widow Spider" drives and whirls the album to a manic peak. Not easy to come by and sadly overshadowed by its predecessor and Dr. John's funkier, more accessible work with the Meters a few years later, Babylon is an enigma. If Gris Gris was a tidy pot of gumbo, Babylon was a cajun boil with all of its elements poured on the table to feast on and dissect. Delicious.
Monday
Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette
Ruta and Daitya - 1971
In this midst of their tenure with Miles Davis' group, pianist Keith Jarrett and drummer Jack DeJohnette stole away a little time while in Los Angeles to create Ruta and Daitya. Alternating between avant-funk and minimalist classic jazz, the LP comprises a group of brilliant sketches that serve as a meditative counterpoint to what the duo were producing on stage and in the studio with Miles. Jarrett is undoubtedly the master of ceremonies here, improvising from end to end and effortlessly switching from woodwinds, acoustic and electric pianos, sometimes playing two at once, but always working within the confines of the two man ensemble as DeJohnette works the range of his kit and taps away on African percussion. I initially approached this album with the expectation that it would be similar to Miles' work around this same time. Although it's a logical extension from that, Ruta and Daitya is a different animal entirely. Enjoy.
In this midst of their tenure with Miles Davis' group, pianist Keith Jarrett and drummer Jack DeJohnette stole away a little time while in Los Angeles to create Ruta and Daitya. Alternating between avant-funk and minimalist classic jazz, the LP comprises a group of brilliant sketches that serve as a meditative counterpoint to what the duo were producing on stage and in the studio with Miles. Jarrett is undoubtedly the master of ceremonies here, improvising from end to end and effortlessly switching from woodwinds, acoustic and electric pianos, sometimes playing two at once, but always working within the confines of the two man ensemble as DeJohnette works the range of his kit and taps away on African percussion. I initially approached this album with the expectation that it would be similar to Miles' work around this same time. Although it's a logical extension from that, Ruta and Daitya is a different animal entirely. Enjoy.
Thursday
Stan Getz
Captain Marvel - 1972
Having famously paired with Joao Gilberto for 1963's massive Getz/Gilberto bossa nova summit, it's no surprise that another equally successful collaboration was in the cards for Stan Getz. At the time he was forming his Return to Forever band, Chick Corea got wind that Getz was on the hunt for a band with which to tour and record new material. Putting his own project on temporary hiatus, Corea plucked Airto Moriera and Stanley Clarke from his fledgling group and enlisted fellow Miles alum, Tony Williams on drums. The resulting album is almost exactly what you'd expect this collection of greats to turn out, and every bit as incredible as Getz better known Gilberto collaboration. With Corea originals making up five of the album's six tunes and Airto's Brazillian percussion filling out the mix, Captain Marvel has a heavy Latin bend throughout, but the percussive plunk of Rhodes piano and controlled chaos of Williams behind the kit pulls it all so slightly into fusion territory. Unquestionably one of Getz' finest moments of the decade, and a fascinating glimpse as to how straight these Davis graduates could play it when they wanted to.
Having famously paired with Joao Gilberto for 1963's massive Getz/Gilberto bossa nova summit, it's no surprise that another equally successful collaboration was in the cards for Stan Getz. At the time he was forming his Return to Forever band, Chick Corea got wind that Getz was on the hunt for a band with which to tour and record new material. Putting his own project on temporary hiatus, Corea plucked Airto Moriera and Stanley Clarke from his fledgling group and enlisted fellow Miles alum, Tony Williams on drums. The resulting album is almost exactly what you'd expect this collection of greats to turn out, and every bit as incredible as Getz better known Gilberto collaboration. With Corea originals making up five of the album's six tunes and Airto's Brazillian percussion filling out the mix, Captain Marvel has a heavy Latin bend throughout, but the percussive plunk of Rhodes piano and controlled chaos of Williams behind the kit pulls it all so slightly into fusion territory. Unquestionably one of Getz' finest moments of the decade, and a fascinating glimpse as to how straight these Davis graduates could play it when they wanted to.Miles Davis
Directions - 1980
To satiate his fans during his "retirement" in the late 70s, Columbia issued two fine rarities collections that focused on the rarely-heard (at that time) transitional periods of Miles Davis' career, Circle in the Round, which chronicled the years 1955-1970, and Directions, which covered 1960-1970. While Circle in the Round is notable for containing an all-acoustic version of Sanctuary, a tune that was later re-recorded in full electric glory for Bitches Brew, as well as a hauntingly majestic rendition of David Crosby's Guennevere, Directions simply overflows with gems from Miles' late 60s fusion peak - the rare period before everyone else fell in line and the road belonged to Miles alone. The Complete In A Silent Way and Jack Johnson session box sets have since collected most of the tunes on Directions, however this double LP places them in a context that illustrates Miles' transformation like neither of the sessions sets could, simply because it speeds up the process. Highlights include the tightly-wound funk morsel "Duran" featuring a smokin' John McLaughlin and "Willie Nelson" in all its wah-wah glory. Dig it now.
*Another fine Slidewell contribution. Thanks again to him for sharing the wealth with The Heat Warps.
To satiate his fans during his "retirement" in the late 70s, Columbia issued two fine rarities collections that focused on the rarely-heard (at that time) transitional periods of Miles Davis' career, Circle in the Round, which chronicled the years 1955-1970, and Directions, which covered 1960-1970. While Circle in the Round is notable for containing an all-acoustic version of Sanctuary, a tune that was later re-recorded in full electric glory for Bitches Brew, as well as a hauntingly majestic rendition of David Crosby's Guennevere, Directions simply overflows with gems from Miles' late 60s fusion peak - the rare period before everyone else fell in line and the road belonged to Miles alone. The Complete In A Silent Way and Jack Johnson session box sets have since collected most of the tunes on Directions, however this double LP places them in a context that illustrates Miles' transformation like neither of the sessions sets could, simply because it speeds up the process. Highlights include the tightly-wound funk morsel "Duran" featuring a smokin' John McLaughlin and "Willie Nelson" in all its wah-wah glory. Dig it now.*Another fine Slidewell contribution. Thanks again to him for sharing the wealth with The Heat Warps.
Wednesday
Cannonball Adderley
The Black Messiah - 1972
One of the oft-overlooked giants of late 60s/early 70s jazz fusion, Cannonball Adderley's music was buoyed by the tremendous songwriting of Joe Zawinul, who moonlighted on Miles Davis' In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew LPs before taking the reins of Weather Report with Wayne Shorter. Black Messiah, recorded live at the Trubadour in LA, proves that Adderley's music could certainly stand on its own without him. Featuring the wild electric piano of George Duke to fill Zawinul's role, the band is fleshed out to the point that Adderley protests before one song "Now I don't give a damn whether you can count or not, we still are the Cannonball Adderley Quintet!" This vicious mix of tunes runs the gamut from dark funk to boogie, includes a four minute flute/percussion solo featuring Airto Moriera and basically changes style from one number to the next. That however, paired with Cannonball's warm stage presence and unmatched rapport with his audience, is what makes this LP so enjoyable. Get up with it.
One of the oft-overlooked giants of late 60s/early 70s jazz fusion, Cannonball Adderley's music was buoyed by the tremendous songwriting of Joe Zawinul, who moonlighted on Miles Davis' In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew LPs before taking the reins of Weather Report with Wayne Shorter. Black Messiah, recorded live at the Trubadour in LA, proves that Adderley's music could certainly stand on its own without him. Featuring the wild electric piano of George Duke to fill Zawinul's role, the band is fleshed out to the point that Adderley protests before one song "Now I don't give a damn whether you can count or not, we still are the Cannonball Adderley Quintet!" This vicious mix of tunes runs the gamut from dark funk to boogie, includes a four minute flute/percussion solo featuring Airto Moriera and basically changes style from one number to the next. That however, paired with Cannonball's warm stage presence and unmatched rapport with his audience, is what makes this LP so enjoyable. Get up with it.Friday
Miles Davis
Get Up With It - 1975
Miles' last studio album before taking a six-year vacation was a double LP summary of all of his far-reatching accomplishments throughout the 70s. And it's no surprise, considering this material was all pulled from sessions ranging from 1970-74. Oddly enough, this was pretty common for Miles at this time, and despite lacking the flow of Bitches Brew or On the Corner, this hodgepode of tracks works very well together in its own bizarre way. Fans of Live/Evil will recognize "Honky Tonk", presented here in a drastically different edit than it appeared on that LP. "Rated X" is a driven by some fierce atonal organ playing from Miles and cut-and paste editing from Teo Macero that was, and remains far ahead of its time."He Loved Him Madly" is 32 minutes of atmospheric organ-driven (Miles again!) spookyness that Eno claims changed his life. Given three guitar players, flute, trumpet, bass, drums, and percussion, its restraint is remarkable. Funky, doped up and undeniably weird, Get Up With It is a bold statement from Miles, who knew upon its release that it would be the last anybody would hear of him for a long time ... possibly ever. It may not stick with you the first time, but keep listening. It will.
Monday
Herbie Hancock
Fat Albert Rotunda - 1969
Centered around his soundtrack for Bill Cosby's cartoon show, Herbie Hancock dropped his first slice of jazz-funk with Fat Albert Rotunda. Resembling the fusion work Miles Davis was creating around the same time (not surprisingly, since Hancock had just left Davis' group months before recording this album) Fat Albert Rotunda doesn't feature the super-heavy funk that would become his trademark on album's like Headhunters and Thrust, but carries more of a Sly Stone inspired, late-60s R&B bend. The songs and the grooves are solid throughout, and Hancock's Fender Rhodes work is incredibly focused and unadorned with the mountains of effects he would apply to great use throughout the rest of his career.
Mwandishi - 1971
Recorded in one New Year's Eve session in 1970, Mwandishi is the point at which Herbie Hancock's music really took off into outer space. Layered with reverb, stereo tremelo (get out yer headphones for this one) and Echoplex, Hancock's keyboard work is simply otherworldly. The album carries over much of the funk that dominated Fat Albert Rotunda, but the songs (there are only three of them here) are stretched to over 10, 13 and 20 minutes through the sonic experimentation of this great electric sextet. The similarities to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew LP are made even more apparent through the ominous bass clarinet work of Bennie Maupin, who lended that album much of its dark, haunting appeal and provides much of the same here.
Centered around his soundtrack for Bill Cosby's cartoon show, Herbie Hancock dropped his first slice of jazz-funk with Fat Albert Rotunda. Resembling the fusion work Miles Davis was creating around the same time (not surprisingly, since Hancock had just left Davis' group months before recording this album) Fat Albert Rotunda doesn't feature the super-heavy funk that would become his trademark on album's like Headhunters and Thrust, but carries more of a Sly Stone inspired, late-60s R&B bend. The songs and the grooves are solid throughout, and Hancock's Fender Rhodes work is incredibly focused and unadorned with the mountains of effects he would apply to great use throughout the rest of his career.Mwandishi - 1971
Recorded in one New Year's Eve session in 1970, Mwandishi is the point at which Herbie Hancock's music really took off into outer space. Layered with reverb, stereo tremelo (get out yer headphones for this one) and Echoplex, Hancock's keyboard work is simply otherworldly. The album carries over much of the funk that dominated Fat Albert Rotunda, but the songs (there are only three of them here) are stretched to over 10, 13 and 20 minutes through the sonic experimentation of this great electric sextet. The similarities to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew LP are made even more apparent through the ominous bass clarinet work of Bennie Maupin, who lended that album much of its dark, haunting appeal and provides much of the same here.
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