Showing posts with label jazz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jazz. Show all posts
Friday, 9 December 2011
Keep Your Ears and Eyes Open
An episode of Jazz Scene USA featuring maestro Hammond organ jazz musician Jimmy Smith. Smith spent almost his entire career between two of the great jazz labels, Blue Note and Verve, whilst recording with many other musicians include Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Song Of The Day No.48
Chameleon
by Herbie Hancock (Head Hunters, 1973)
Head Hunters was a distinct move for Herbie Hancock towards a more “earthy” sound after releasing a series of more experimental albums that tried to incorporate other musical styles and thus helping to develop the jazz fusion genre. This album was another contribution to that genre and to creating the jazz funk genre that was being explored at the time by other prominent musicians. Hancock disbanded the sextet he had worked with until then, retaining just one member, these musicians together became The Headhunters. This 'restructuring' left Hancock free to take full control of the synthesisers.
The synthesisers are immediately noticeable as the distinctive, distorted, deep funk bass-line opens the song and continues for most of the fifteen-plus minutes of the song. There are no guitars at play, except a bass, which makes it interesting how Hancock managed to recreate the typical funk guitar sound with his synths. Although funk is the base, with the brass preferring funk over jazz too, the song has different phases where a more free-form jazz comes to the fore, the synths and the drums in particular embody this evolution.
by Herbie Hancock (Head Hunters, 1973)
Head Hunters was a distinct move for Herbie Hancock towards a more “earthy” sound after releasing a series of more experimental albums that tried to incorporate other musical styles and thus helping to develop the jazz fusion genre. This album was another contribution to that genre and to creating the jazz funk genre that was being explored at the time by other prominent musicians. Hancock disbanded the sextet he had worked with until then, retaining just one member, these musicians together became The Headhunters. This 'restructuring' left Hancock free to take full control of the synthesisers.
The synthesisers are immediately noticeable as the distinctive, distorted, deep funk bass-line opens the song and continues for most of the fifteen-plus minutes of the song. There are no guitars at play, except a bass, which makes it interesting how Hancock managed to recreate the typical funk guitar sound with his synths. Although funk is the base, with the brass preferring funk over jazz too, the song has different phases where a more free-form jazz comes to the fore, the synths and the drums in particular embody this evolution.
AR
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Song Of The Day No.42
The Cantina
by The Sea and Cake (Nassau, 1995)
The Sea and Cake's members have been taken from three other bands from Chicago. Jim McIntire (Tortoise), Sam Prekop (Shrimp Boat), Archer Prewitt (The Coctails) and Eric Claridge (Shrimp Boat) had originally thought only as far as the first album but they have ended up combining their intriguing mixture of pop, jazz and post-rock for over eight albums now. It seems the band prefer working to produce long-players rather than making singles, releasing only two singles and two EPs in their 16 years of existence.
Like most of The Seas and Cake's music, McIntire's superb drumming never takes a standard rhythm-making backseat. Here, the relentlessly hyperactive beating and tssking carries the song on a wave of endless energy and enthusiasm, even dictating the accompanying instruments into breaks, build ups and fall downs. The guitar and bass take part in 'call and reply' duelling while the vocals nonchalantly go about adding barely audible words to the frantic mix. An electric organ is evident to provide another dimension to this more indie-rock number off the album.
by The Sea and Cake (Nassau, 1995)
The Sea and Cake's members have been taken from three other bands from Chicago. Jim McIntire (Tortoise), Sam Prekop (Shrimp Boat), Archer Prewitt (The Coctails) and Eric Claridge (Shrimp Boat) had originally thought only as far as the first album but they have ended up combining their intriguing mixture of pop, jazz and post-rock for over eight albums now. It seems the band prefer working to produce long-players rather than making singles, releasing only two singles and two EPs in their 16 years of existence.
Like most of The Seas and Cake's music, McIntire's superb drumming never takes a standard rhythm-making backseat. Here, the relentlessly hyperactive beating and tssking carries the song on a wave of endless energy and enthusiasm, even dictating the accompanying instruments into breaks, build ups and fall downs. The guitar and bass take part in 'call and reply' duelling while the vocals nonchalantly go about adding barely audible words to the frantic mix. An electric organ is evident to provide another dimension to this more indie-rock number off the album.
AR
Thursday, 22 April 2010
¡VOTE!
St. James Infirmary Blues.
This traditional American folk song has been interpreted under various guises and is represented in various genres from Louis Armstrong, who first made it famous in 1928, to The White Stripes, on their 1999 self-titled debut.
Below we have sifted and shifted through to pick four different tracks that deserve some mention or distinction. After sampling each song and carefully analysing it's merits you need to go to the sidebar to vote for whichever incarnation you believe to be best...
Here's what to do:
1) click 'Read More'
2) listen to the tracks
3) vote for your bestest
This traditional American folk song has been interpreted under various guises and is represented in various genres from Louis Armstrong, who first made it famous in 1928, to The White Stripes, on their 1999 self-titled debut.
Below we have sifted and shifted through to pick four different tracks that deserve some mention or distinction. After sampling each song and carefully analysing it's merits you need to go to the sidebar to vote for whichever incarnation you believe to be best...
Here's what to do:
1) click 'Read More'
2) listen to the tracks
3) vote for your bestest
Monday, 19 April 2010
Song Of The Day No.30
Ooh Yea
by Betty Davis (Betty Davis, 1973)
Well known for her one year marriage to Miles Davis, Betty Mabry (her maiden name) was good friends of both Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone and personally introduced them to Davis who would go on to take influence from both artists in developing and experimenting with a more electric sound that culminated in the classic Bitches Brew in 1970. Betty had actually started performing and writing musically before she met Davis, writing 'Uptown' for The Chambers Brothers, but it wasn't until much after splitting up with the legendary jazz musician that she recorded her first album.
All the tracks on Betty Davis were written by the women herself and each combines rock and funk to varying degrees. From the opening bass riff, waka waka guitar sounds and tssking cymbals, 'Ooh Yea' brings imagery of the blaxploitation period streaming to mind. The backing singers give a smooth and rich “Ooh yea, ooh yea” every time Davis asks a, usually innuendo charged, question. A male backing vocal comes in for the odd line in a low baritone, velvet voice that provides even more contrast for Davis' wild, smoking and sparking leads. The song fades out on a base of ooh-yeas with Davis crackling on top.
by Betty Davis (Betty Davis, 1973)
Well known for her one year marriage to Miles Davis, Betty Mabry (her maiden name) was good friends of both Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone and personally introduced them to Davis who would go on to take influence from both artists in developing and experimenting with a more electric sound that culminated in the classic Bitches Brew in 1970. Betty had actually started performing and writing musically before she met Davis, writing 'Uptown' for The Chambers Brothers, but it wasn't until much after splitting up with the legendary jazz musician that she recorded her first album.
All the tracks on Betty Davis were written by the women herself and each combines rock and funk to varying degrees. From the opening bass riff, waka waka guitar sounds and tssking cymbals, 'Ooh Yea' brings imagery of the blaxploitation period streaming to mind. The backing singers give a smooth and rich “Ooh yea, ooh yea” every time Davis asks a, usually innuendo charged, question. A male backing vocal comes in for the odd line in a low baritone, velvet voice that provides even more contrast for Davis' wild, smoking and sparking leads. The song fades out on a base of ooh-yeas with Davis crackling on top.
AR
Friday, 2 April 2010
Song Of The Day No.20
Oxo
by Bruce Palmer (The Cycle Is Complete, 1971)
In 1966 Bruce Palmer left Canada with Neil Young to look for Young's friend Stephen Stills in Los Angeles. A chance meeting on Sunset Boulevard between a hearse containing Young and Palmer and a white van containing, among others, Stills, ended the search and Buffalo Springfield was formed. Palmer lasted, on and off, until January 1968 as the official bassist of the group but when the number of arrests (for drugs and speeding) got too many he was replaced by Jim Messina.
In 1971 Palmer got together ex ex band member Rick James, yes that Rick James, and other musicians to record what would become The Cycle Is Complete. 'Oxo' is indicative of the album. The song plays out as it was recorded; as a kind of stream of consciousness jam that crosses the genre boundaries of jazz, folk and psychedelia by creating it's own prog-folk feel. Including the flute, oboe, bongos, organ, guitars, violin squeaks and James' non-speech mutterings the song has a lot to listen out for between it's Eastern flavour and pulsating swirling motions. It feels like it could continue into the night and beyond but with a shake of some bells it finishes and fades, only for the next track/jam to start.
by Bruce Palmer (The Cycle Is Complete, 1971)
In 1966 Bruce Palmer left Canada with Neil Young to look for Young's friend Stephen Stills in Los Angeles. A chance meeting on Sunset Boulevard between a hearse containing Young and Palmer and a white van containing, among others, Stills, ended the search and Buffalo Springfield was formed. Palmer lasted, on and off, until January 1968 as the official bassist of the group but when the number of arrests (for drugs and speeding) got too many he was replaced by Jim Messina.
In 1971 Palmer got together ex ex band member Rick James, yes that Rick James, and other musicians to record what would become The Cycle Is Complete. 'Oxo' is indicative of the album. The song plays out as it was recorded; as a kind of stream of consciousness jam that crosses the genre boundaries of jazz, folk and psychedelia by creating it's own prog-folk feel. Including the flute, oboe, bongos, organ, guitars, violin squeaks and James' non-speech mutterings the song has a lot to listen out for between it's Eastern flavour and pulsating swirling motions. It feels like it could continue into the night and beyond but with a shake of some bells it finishes and fades, only for the next track/jam to start.
AR
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