breath of life http://www.kalamu.com/bol a conversation about black music Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:36:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5 en August 30, 2010 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/august-30-2010/ http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/august-30-2010/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:04:57 +0000 Administrator Summary http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/august-30-2010/ Nina Simone and piano album, followed by new music from bassist Richard Bona, and conclude with a J. Period, Michael Jackson Tribute Mixtape.
]]> http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/august-30-2010/feed/ MICHAEL JACKSON / “J Period MJ Tribute” http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/michael-jackson-%e2%80%9cj-period-mj-tribute%e2%80%9d/ http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/michael-jackson-%e2%80%9cj-period-mj-tribute%e2%80%9d/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:04:23 +0000 Administrator Cover http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/michael-jackson-%e2%80%9cj-period-mj-tribute%e2%80%9d/ michael jakson 14.jpg
Michael Jackson is near universally considered the "King of Pop.” He’s sold more records than any other individual—and, at one point, even owned The Beatles catalogue. No other artist or entertainer is even close to his commercial accomplishments. Additionally, due in part to starting out professionally as a pre-teen, Michael had a longer active recording career than any of his peers and nearly all of his predecessors.

Even if you are only an ordinary music fan, this Mixtape belongs in your collection. For those who hold MJ near and dear, this tribute tape is essential. On behalf of music fans worldwide, I say: thank you J. Period.

Here is the text of the press release announcing this Mixtape:
J.PERIOD & SPIKE LEE PAY TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON WITH EXCLUSIVE NEW MIXTAPE, "MAN OR THE MUSIC (40 ACRES EDITION)"

Brooklyn, NY (August 26, 2010) – The story of Michael Jackson made famous in tabloid headlines tells a tragic tale of stardom: adulation and perversity, reclusiveness and rumor, pain and pathos. Raised onstage from the age of 11, Michael spent his entire life under the scrutiny of the spotlight—and much of his adulthood in search of the childhood he never had. For the media, this was a story of sadness, as epic as it was bizarre.

But listen closer. His music tells a different tale.

This Sunday, August 29, 2010, the mixtape world’s master storyteller, J.Period, joins Spike Lee & 40Acres.com to pay tribute to the music of Michael Jackson with a Limited Edition mixtape, “Man or the Music (40 Acres Edition),” available exclusively at the 2nd Annual “Brooklyn Loves MJ” celebration in Prospect Park’s Nethermead Field! Attendees who sign up for 40Acres.com will receive a FREE copy of the mix (while supplies last). For MJ fans unable to attend: DOWNLOAD HERE

Mixing Michael’s classic hits with rare demo versions, remixes, and behind-the-scenes interview clips, J.Period weaves together an 80-minute musical documentary that pays tribute to The King of Pop’s staggering catalog of songs, and reminds us why Michael’s true legacy will always be his music. Conceived on the eve of Michael’s untimely passing, “Man or The Music (40 Acres Edition)” revises, remixes and re-masters J.Period’s original MJ tribute, released on June 26, 2009 to rave reviews—and over 30K downloads in 24 hours. “Man or the Music (40 Acres Edition)” reminds us why—regardless of what you may think of the man—the power and appeal of his music are undeniable.

“It is a tremendous honor to join a storyteller like Spike Lee in celebrating the legacy of Michael Jackson’s music with an exclusive mixtape for this incredible event,” says J.Period. “Crafting the tape was a labor of love and a learning experience. Digging through hours of interview material and music, I have definitely gained a new respect for Michael’s life and legacy, and I’m excited to share that with my fans—and over 25K fellow MJ fans in attendance on Sunday!”

Not long after Michael’s passing last year, Spike Lee shared his thoughts with Katie Couric: “You can go down the line, [Mozart], Jimmy Hendrix, Elvis—people with that much talent, they’re not going to be normal. […] If they were normal human beings, they wouldn’t be the great artists that they are. […] But for me, I hope people remember the joy, the love, the entertainment that Michael brought to their lives. That’s going to be his legacy. People can focus on the other stuff if the want to, but for me, [his legacy is] his music. It’s his music.”

In only its second year, Spike Lee’s “Brooklyn Loves MJ” event is already poised to become a long-standing tradition—and one of New York’s hottest annual events. Celebrating Michael’s birthday with over 25K fans in 2009, Spike Lee (along with DJ Spinna on the wheels of steel) made Prospect Park the epicenter of all things Michael with a six-hour celebration of music and dancing that earned press, and praise, from around the globe.

This year, celebrate The King of Pop’s 52nd birthday when “Brooklyn Loves MJ” takes place Sunday, August 29th, 12 Noon - 6PM at Prospect Park’s Nethermead Field. This event is brought to you by Spike Lee, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Spike DDB & the Republic of Brooklyn, and features exclusive artwork by acclaimed graphic artist, Fuse Green, as well as music by DJ Spinna.

J.Period’s “Man or the Music (40 Acres Edition)”: FREE DOWNLOAD

And be sure to watch out for upcoming J.Period releases with John Legend & The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff & Skillz, Q-Tip and more coming soon!!
Let me hit the pause button a second: This Mixtape is available as a free download on J. Period’s website. Why free? Well, mainly because copyright restrictions prevent J. Period selling the Mixtape—whether the restraints against sampling and mixing is fair or righteous is not the practical question. Selling such stuff is illegal and the industry got hound-dog lawyers who work 24/7 to stop ‘illegal’ activity.

Regardless of how much work J. Period or any other DJ might put into a project, the law is against them. So the only way around the legality issues is to give away the material for free. I remember an issue with a Miles Davis outdoor concert in Atlanta. I happened to be in the backstage area when the conflict came to a head.

This was in the late eighties and someone was in the audience, right down front with a portable dat digital recorder and a professional boom mic, set up to record the concert that was being held in a public park. Miles’ management demanded that the guy cease and desist or Miles wouldn’t perform. The guy was not unimpressed and undaunted by their threats to have him arrested and/or removed from the park. The bootlegger not only stood his ground, he argued back at them citing the ins and outs, ups and downs of the law.

The back and forth got a bit heated and city police were summoned in addition to the park security. The upshot of the whole incident was that the guy did record the concert (at one point as they threat to arrest him was nullified when the police checked with their office because the guy threatened not only to sue them but also threatened to make a bunch of digital copies and give them away if the authorities did anything at all to deter him).
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So, back to J. Period, my man is giving away his work and thankfully there’s no stopping him. This tribute tape is a follow-up to his previous MJ Mixtape, which I thought was the best of a slew of Mixtape tributes, and this one is better than the preceding one.

I don’t know the provenance of all those demo-tapes and behind-the-scene sound snippets, nor do I know how J. Period collects and catalogues all the radio interviews and airplay samples, but I do know that the extensive and adroit interplay of all those diverse elements produces a Mixtape of unparalleled interest.

Companies approach J. Period to hire him to put together Mixtapes, which is ironic when you consider that not to long ago some of those same companies were trying to extinguish Mixtape production. My how things change when you need the help of someone you tried to crush.

So, yall got the picture. I don’t have to say anymore, except ENJOY!

—Kalamu ya Salaam

And, oh yeah, go here to download your own copy of the 42-track, J. Period MJ Tribute Mixtape.





]]> http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/michael-jackson-%e2%80%9cj-period-mj-tribute%e2%80%9d/feed/ RICHARD BONA / “Richard Bona Mixtape” http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/richard-bona-%e2%80%9crichard-bona-mixtape%e2%80%9d/ http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/richard-bona-%e2%80%9crichard-bona-mixtape%e2%80%9d/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:03:54 +0000 Administrator Contemporary http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/richard-bona-%e2%80%9crichard-bona-mixtape%e2%80%9d/ richard bona 08.jpg 
In the case of Richard Bona the country was Cameroun in West Africa. The rural area was Minta. The city was the capital Douala and the European metropolis was Paris. The major influence he had never heard was Jaco Pastorious, whose record inspired Richard to seriously take up bass. The move to New York City installed Richard on the music scene.

In addition to performing with oodles of nationally known musicians such as Pat Metheney and the Brecker brothers, Bona also served as musical director for a 1998 Harry Belafonte European tour. Although bass is his main instrument Bona is a multi-instrumentalist who has worked professionally as a percussionist and guitarist including touring and recording with Joe Zawinul’s influential Zawinul Syndicate. In a ten-year period he has produced seven albums in addition to numerous recordings as a sideman with various artists.
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Bona Pinder Yayumayalolo was born October 28, 1967. He started off as a self-taught musician/singer who had a talent for learning music and learning how to play instruments simply by listening and looking. In his early twenties, Bona studied music for seven years in France.

Bona is now both an in-demand instrumentalist and a dedicated composer whose music reflects Bona’s wide musical interests. In the Mixtape I’ve included four selections from a 2000 performance at The North Sea Jazz Festival. The combo is composed of David Sanborn on sax, Joe Sample on piano, Brian Blade on drums and Richard Bona on bass. Bona is presented here in a jamming context. He is featured on “Eyala,” the last of the four selections.

The fifth track on the Mixtape is a one-off project from a Marley tribute album. Bona recasts Marley’s “Redemption Song.” It is an astonishing rearranging that opens with children singing at play and closes with chorus and percussion.

And then we present six songs from Bona’s 2009 album, The Ten Shades of Blues. I am totally wowed by range of the album. As a composer and arranger Bona has scored a major achievement.

Richard Bona is a musical shape-shifter who can not only function in diverse settings, he is expert in numerous genres. The album opens with a brief choral introduction and cycles through influences as widely and wildly divergent as Funk and East Indian pop, jazz fusion and contemporary African pop. It’s hard to believe that all of this music emanates from one individual.

In a way Bona reminds me of Quincy Jones; actually beyond Quincy because Quincy can’t sing as well as Bona. Plus, Bona is drawing on rural cultural traditions that offer a perspective completely different from those reared in mono-cultural societies such as the United States. Moreover, there is a sophisticated polish to Bona’s work that reflects his modernity.
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What I find most attractive about Bona’s new album is the air of serenity that pervades the disc. Richard Bona is clearly spiritually in a good place. In one sense Bona’s music perfectly exemplifies the clichéd appellation ‘world music’ because you can clearly hear elements from all over the world expertly mixed into an appetizing aural dish. Not a simple stew nor a miscellaneous goulash but rather an appetizing and spicy gumbo with a balance of ingredients that offers a bouquet of contrasting albeit complementary flavors.

Richard Bona is definitely a musician with the world in his grasp. Bona offers us a reflection of worlds in transition, of cultures crisscrossing, of roots confident in their depth and branches able to reach far and wide.

—Kalamu ya Salaam


Richard Bona Mixtape Playlist

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North Sea Jazz Festival
01 “Corners”
02 “Creole Eyes”
03 “Dina Lann”
04 “Eyala”

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05 “Redemption Song” - Twist of Marley

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The Ten Shades of Blues
06 “Take One”
07 “Shiva Mantra”
08 “Good Times”
09 “Esukudu”
10 “Yara’s Blues”
11 “Kurumalete”

]]> http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/richard-bona-%e2%80%9crichard-bona-mixtape%e2%80%9d/feed/ NINA SIMONE / “Nina & Piano Mixtape” http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/nina-simone-%e2%80%9cnina-piano-mixtape%e2%80%9d/ http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/nina-simone-%e2%80%9cnina-piano-mixtape%e2%80%9d/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:58:27 +0000 Administrator Classic http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/nina-simone-%e2%80%9cnina-piano-mixtape%e2%80%9d/ nina simone 97.jpg 
Nina was a consummate concert pianist, a riveting vocal stylist, a trance inducing dancer, all contained within a fearless and charismatic personality. Nina absolutely refused to give in to the temptations of fame and fortune, or buckle under to the threats and persecutions designed to temper her rebellious spirit.

Rather than be a slave to the system, she escaped and died in exile in France.

She had gone way out there—a runaway who refused to return no matter how much the captains of industry insisted that conditions had changed. Although some would like to assess her mercurial personality as bi-polar or even schizophrenic, the truth is that whatever might have been medically or mentally wrong with Nina, both the etiology and sociology of the problem were firmly rooted within the larger American society. In other words we are no sicker than the social conditions that produce us.

Nina Simone completely redefined what it meant to be a professional recording artist. Moreover, as much as I dug her political stances and sentiments, what really, really moved me was her unsentimental, clear-eyed philosophical stances as an artist and as a human being.

Nina Simone & Piano! is a classic album even though most of us have never heard the recording and some of us even find the performance unlistenable. And in truth the performances are raw sometimes just short of ugly and painful. Nina cuts no slack. Not one radio-friendly, lovey-dovey selection—just Nina singing and accompanying herself at the piano in a fierce and uncompromising critical reflection mode.

I remember when Nina Simone & Piano! came out. I remember being astounded. It had the impact of a slap to the face in public, as well as a deep tongue kiss, also in public. It went through you like tossing back a straight shot of whiskey or a thirty-eight through the knee, which is to say it left you speechless and immobilized.

While most people were doing romantic love songs and popular show tunes, Nina was offering a PhD seminar in philosophy. She tackled all five branches: reflecting on the nature of our existence; investigating how we know whatever we think we know; considering what we do and should or shouldn’t do (especially to and with each other); defying social restrictions and creating alternative principles; and meditating on what life can and should be like. As an artistic statement, this 1969 recording is remarkable and unlike anything else released by a major artist.

The fourteen-track Nina Simone & Piano! has recently been re-mastered and reissued. The expanded edition includes four songs not issued on the original. The nine-track BoL Mixtape has one of the previously unissued selections, “The Man With A Horn,” as well as eight other selections. You can respond and/or judge them for yourself.
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I find the tracks fascinating. In some cases Nina strikes the piano with a percussive deliberateness that matches the legendary Thelonious Monk. In a couple of other cases, her harmonic daring and pointillist fracturing of melodies are akin to Cecil Taylor. There was absolutely no danger that any of this would enter the billboard charts even though this was music every citizen of the USA should experience at least once in their lifetime, no mater how painful or disconcerting they might find such an experience.

Do not consider this an introduction to Nina Simone. This includes none of her better known or more influential songs. Do not consider this representative of her approach to making music even though it is immediately identifiable as Nina Simone. And for most of us, this is not desert island Nina Simone. Nevertheless, Nina Simone & Piano! is essential music for anyone and everyone who is serious about appreciating the import, impact and breadth of 20th century American music.

Nina Simone & Piano! is what music sounds like when the sounds are more than music. This is a life force, a once in a lifetime accomplishment. This is Nina Simone: naked, brutally beautiful, musically metaphysical.

—Kalamu ya Salaam


Nina and Piano Mixtape Playlist
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Nina Simone & Piano!
01 “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”
02 “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today”
03 “Everyone’s Gone To The Moon”
04 “Another Spring”
05 “The Human Touch”
06 “The Desperate Ones”
07 “I Get Along Without You Very Well”
08 “The Man With The Horn”
09 “Who Am I?”

]]> http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/30/nina-simone-%e2%80%9cnina-piano-mixtape%e2%80%9d/feed/ August 23, 2010 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/august-23-2010/ http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/august-23-2010/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:19:03 +0000 Administrator Summary http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/august-23-2010/ Solomon Burke. Let’s fellowship with The Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa. We conclude with interpretations of two Herbie Hancock compositions: "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" (featuring Herbie Hancock, Quncy Jones, Howard Johnson & Gravity, Eve Cornelious, Jay Lawrence, Philip Bailey, SfJazz Collective, Marian McPartland, Slow Motion Replay and John Beasley); "Chan’s Song" (featuring Egene Maslov, John Beasley, FRancesco Cafso & Cinzia Romcelli, Bobby Hutcherson, and Herbie Hancock & Bobby McFerrin).
]]> http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/august-23-2010/feed/ VARIOUS ARTISTS / “Tell Me A Bedtime Story” & “Chan’s Song” Mixtape http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/various-artists-%e2%80%9ctell-me-a-bedtime-story%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%9cchan%e2%80%99s-song%e2%80%9d-mixtape/ http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/various-artists-%e2%80%9ctell-me-a-bedtime-story%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%9cchan%e2%80%99s-song%e2%80%9d-mixtape/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:17:18 +0000 Administrator Cover http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/various-artists-%e2%80%9ctell-me-a-bedtime-story%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%9cchan%e2%80%99s-song%e2%80%9d-mixtape/  
I’ve paid kudos before (here) to Herbie Hancock the composer. A melody got stuck in my head, but it kept alternating between “Tell Me A bedtime Story” and “Chan’s Song.” I don’t know why, but I take the ambivalence as a sign to have it both ways, hence we feature both Hancock compositions this week.

“Bedtime Story” is easily the more popular of the two tunes but I favor “Chan’s Song.” Additionally, once again I will refrain from picking a favorite version from the Mixtape mainly because if a version made the cut to be included on the Mixtape it means that there is something either distinctive or intriguing to me. If I don’t like something I don’t include it just to fill up space and if I can’t find enough versions to make a comparative Mixtape, I’ll skip it altogether.

I do want to call attention to one selection because it’s got one foot in and one foot out. John Beasley actually mashes together two different Hancock compositions: “Tell Me A Bedtime Story” (Beasley uses mainly the harmonic structure) and “Maiden Voyage” (using the melody line). The result is far beyond a formal exercise, if you didn’t know it was two different tunes, you might be forgiven for believing that “Bedtime Voyage” is the way Hancock originally wrote the song.
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Herbie Hancock is a master at harmonic sophistication as a minimalist, meaning rather than complexity, Hancock’s forte is figuring out how to reduce complexities to their most elemental and easy to grasp level. Perhaps, it has something to do with the way Herbie’s mind works, or it could be his Buddahist life views kicking in. Whatever is the source of his inspiration and orientation, Herbie’s music is a blessing.

—Kalamu ya Salaam


Bedtime Story Mixtape Playlist

“Tell Me A Bedtime Story”
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01 Mwandishi: The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings - Herbie Hancock

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02 Sounds…And Stuff Like That! – Quincy Jones

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03 Right Now! – Howard Johnson & Gravity

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04 Faces of Eve - Eve Cornelious

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05 Thermal Strut - Jay Lawrence Trio

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06 Soul On Jazz - Philip Bailey

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07 Live 2006: 3rd Annual Concert Tour - Sfjazz Collective

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08 Windows - Marian McPartland

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09 Soul’s Back Again - Slow Motion Replay

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10 “Bedtime Voyage” - Letter to Herbie - John Beasley


"Chan’s Song (Never Said)"
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11 Face Of Love - Eugene Maslov

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12 Letter to Herbie - John Beasley

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13 My Shining Hour - Francesco Cafiso, Cinzia Roncelli

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14 Skyline - Bobby Hutcherson

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15 Round Midnight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Herbie Hancock & Bobby McFerrin

]]> http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/various-artists-%e2%80%9ctell-me-a-bedtime-story%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%9cchan%e2%80%99s-song%e2%80%9d-mixtape/feed/ SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR / “Soweto Gospel Choir Mixtape” http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/soweto-gospel-choir-%e2%80%9csoweto-gospel-choir-mixtape%e2%80%9d/ http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/soweto-gospel-choir-%e2%80%9csoweto-gospel-choir-mixtape%e2%80%9d/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:15:53 +0000 Administrator Contemporary http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/soweto-gospel-choir-%e2%80%9csoweto-gospel-choir-mixtape%e2%80%9d/  
We here in the United States usually think of our music as unique, especially our gospel but in truth we are not unique but rather are simply one among a number of manifestations of African-heritage musical expressions that function within a western cultural context. There are several assumptions with respect to gospel that are more myth than fact.

Most people think that R&B came from gospel when the truth is the exact opposite. The music that we know as gospel resulted from Thomas Dorsey and Mahalia Jackson. Dorsey was a former classic blues musician known as Georgia Tom, who toured with greats such as Ma Rainey and Tampa Red. Dorsey was a prolific composer including the multi-million seller, “Tight Like That” (1928).

When Dorsey converted to Christianity he soon teamed up with another great singer who physically favored Ma Rainey. Mahalia Jackson, with her New Orleans upbringing, was the right vocalist to bring a jazzy sense of rhythm to the blues-influenced sacred music that Dorsey composed, including his signature song, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand.”

Even the gospel quartet format had its greatest influence in popular black music. The Golden Gate Quartet, which is often pointed to as the paragon of gospel quartets was patterned after The Mills Brothers.

But before we go too far afield, the main point is that although black church music has had a major influence on black popular music, gospel was itself spawned from blues and other forms of popular black music.
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Which all brings us to The Soweto Gospel Choir, which at first listen might seem to simply be a South African version of African American church music. The key elements of black choral religious music are found both in South Africa and the United States.

First, you had the forced elevation of Protestant Christian liturgy on people of African heritage. Second you had the urban environment that used the piano and the organ as basic instruments as opposed to guitars, accordions, harmonicas and other portable instruments. If you hear the South African pianist, it’s easy to understand the relationship, especially when you consider that there was a common core repertoire.
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The use of the pentatonic scale, and specific vocal techniques that many of us immediately identify as black ways of singing are elements that South Africans and African Americans have in common.

Of course there are also differences, the most obvious of which, is language. No surprise, that The Soweto Gospel Choir employs Zulu, Xhosa and other indigenous languages in addition to English. And similarly, there is no surprise that specific ethnic vocal techniques are also used.

The specific differences notwithstanding, The Soweto Gospel Choir is clearly and unambiguously a black gospel vocal ensemble. In many ways they are analogous to The Sounds of Blackness vocal ensemble in that The Soweto Gospel Choir builds their music on a foundation of gospel, spirituals, popular music, blues and jazz plus reggae and indigenous South African ethnic music forms and vocal techniques.
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I have intentionally included English language material for a majority of the Mixtape selections, not simply because a number of the songs are familiar but also to highlight the similarities and differences.

The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa by choir directors David Mulovhedzi (who recently died of cancer) and Beverly Bryer. The thirty-plus member ensemble has won two Grammys in 2007 and 2008, and have been recording and touring since 2005.

Let us fellowship together in song with our relatives from across the water.

—Kalamu ya Salaam


The Soweto Gospel Choir Mixtape Playlist

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Voices From Heaven
01 “Thina Simnqobile”
02 “Many Rivers To Cross/Going Down Jordan/ Amen (Medley)”
03 “Amazing Grace”
04 “African Dream”

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Blessed
05 “Lelilungello Ngelakho”
06 “Weeping”
07 “Oh Happy Day”
08 “South African National Anthem”

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African Spirit
09 “Hlohonolofatsa”
10 “Sitting In Limbo / This Little Light Of Mine / M’Lilo Vutha”
11 “Rivers of Babylon”
12 “Balm of Gilead”

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Live at the Nelson Mandela Theatre
13 “Jerusalem”
14 “Avulekile Amasango / One Love”
15 “River Jordan”

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Grace
16 “Prayer for South Africa”
17 “Over Trouble Waters”
18 “Grace”

]]> http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/soweto-gospel-choir-%e2%80%9csoweto-gospel-choir-mixtape%e2%80%9d/feed/ SOLOMON BURKE / “Solomon Burke Mixtape” http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/solomon-burke-%e2%80%9csolomon-burke-mixtape%e2%80%9d/ http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/solomon-burke-%e2%80%9csolomon-burke-mixtape%e2%80%9d/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:13:50 +0000 Administrator Classic http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/solomon-burke-%e2%80%9csolomon-burke-mixtape%e2%80%9d/
Can a brother get philosophical for a minute? After all, we are talking about a former minister whose birth name is “Solomon.”

But, on the other hand, he is also a professional mortician and touring musician. Born in Philadelphia, March 21, 1940, Solomon Burke is sometimes billed as “The King.” The paradox is he’s never had a number one record yet is near universally respected by peers and critics—of course, most of his peers are long ago either retired professionally or retired permanently (as in “deceased”), as for critics, most of them don’t buy records or concert tickets. Although Solomon may not be a big record seller, he is a touring favorite.
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Catching him live was always the best way to appreciate Solomon Burke. King Burke had a bearing that was charismatic. Physically, as a young man, there also seemed to me to be a malevolent edge to his persona. It wasn’t anything he said, rather check the way he looks—he has the even, unblinking gaze of a predator…(and right here I’m going to try to resist linking predator and preacher).

But part of the Solomon Burke mystique had to do not simply with his physical presence but rather with his storied carnality. “How storied?” those of you who know nothing or next to nothing about the man might ask. Well, let’s see 14 daughters and 7 sons, plus tons of grandchildren. How many tons, Kalamu? Try 90.

But wait, it gets deeper. After the golden age of the sixties/seventies, Solomon kept plugging away. Kept touring. Sporadically recording. Doing movie parts—yes, he was Daddy Mention (or something like that) in the famous New Orleans movie Big Easy.

I said I wanted to get philosophical and I did, but now I got to break down the philosophy behind all of the above.

Christianity has this thing about the physical. Their religious views border on a total hatred of the physical body. I don’t have to go into “original sin” here do I? Nor should I have to point out that once Adam and Eve acquired some knowledge by eating the apple, when God came calling they tried to hide because they suddenly realized that they were naked. Now, mind you, all prior to the apple tasting they had been conversating with the deity while butt naked and there was no problem. Which, all of course, begs the question: what’s wrong with nakedness?
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So King Solomon gets known as a connoisseur of feminine pulchritude; he likes the ladies. But then rather than revel in carnality, he becomes a highly vocal advocate of women’s rights although casting it as the right way to love women. In regard to advancing women’s rights, I think he’s brilliant because his primary audience is a bastion of hyper-masculinity and he finds a way to advance a contradicting paradigm.
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Funny thing is, his pro-women views are not so noticeable in his studio recordings, which tend to plow the ground of romantic pursuit and romantic disappointment. But in his live performances the message comes stomping through loud and strong. The Mixtape exemplifies this difference between studio and live recordings. The Mixtape opens with four studio tracks and everything else is from two live albums.

The first two studio tracks, “Got To Get You Off My Mind” and “Cry To Me,” are from Solomon’s early sixties years and the next two, “Oh What A Feeling” and “Dreams” are from his new 2010 album, Nothing’s Impossible.

The early days of R&B included a healthy helping of rural music, which meant blues and country & western, which initially were the two essential musics of poor people in America. Moreover, C&W was indelibly influenced by prevailing black music forms. In any case, notice that stylistically, those early songs literally rock (really “sway” back and forth), more than they emphasize a heavy backbeat, which backbeat is characteristic of classic R&B.
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The two new songs are quintessential R&B: a popping backbeat, hard horns and soaring strings supporting energetic vocals. A lot of neo-soul artists claim to be paying homage to this sound, but Solomon sings it like as if he recorded in a time machine set on 1971 or ’72. It’s beautiful and were it not for the live recordings, I would be doing a back and forth between early and recent recordings.
 
But it’s the live stuff that delivers us into R&B heaven. You’ve probably heard of the Saturday night/Sunday morning dichotomy. I believe that is a false separation, or more accurately, I should say the dichotomy is an artificial separation. On both days the essence of the aesthetic is the transcendence of the here and now by entering into a trance state.

The trance state not only elevates above the earthly plane, “catching the spirit” also completely erases the separation between performer and audience. What is often called “call and response” is but a specific example of the audience becoming performer.

Additionally, Trance requires movement, hence the Baptist admonition, if you can’t sing, at least pat your foot and keep time! But, as is evident, on these live recordings, the deeper truth is that everybody can sing—if you can talk, you can sing when the spirit moves you.

Furthermore, it is no accident that Solomon reveres and draws upon the legacy of Sam Cooke, including rocking Sam Cooke songs. Sam Cooke remains the most inspired example of a sacred artist who transitioned to secular success.

Also notice that Burke reaches back to the popular black music of the fifties jump blues period. Jump blues was the initial merger of blues and jazz in popular music, ala Louis Jordan, Big Maybelle, and especially Ray Charles, among a number of others.

On songs such as “Candy” and “I Want A Little Girl,” you also hear Burke demonstrate his technical skill as a vocalist. He accurately negotiates the harmonic changes and hits all the notes in tune.
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Beyond the technicalities of music making, Burke has the extra ability to actually preach to the assembled congregation and get them involved to the point of spontaneously responding out loud.

Philosophically, this music is a form of communal expression. And King Solomon Burke is an avatar of the soul branch of popular black music. Commercially, he is on the second string. But when it’s time to get down, he’s not only a starter, Solomon Burke is a star.

—Kalamu ya Salaam


Solomon Burke Mixtape Playlist

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The Very Best Of
01 “Got To Get You Off My Mind”
02 “Cry To Me”

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Nothing’s Impossible
03 “Oh What A Feeling”
04 “Dreams”

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Live At The House Of Blues
05 “Got To Get You Off My Mind”
06 “Candy / Candy Rap”
07 “I Want A Little Girl”

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Soul Alive
08 “Medley - If You Need Me, Tonight’s The Night, You’re Good For Me, I Almost Lost My Mind, What Am I Living For, Just Out Of Reach”
09 “Monologue - Hold What You’ve Got - He’ll Have To Go”
10 “Introduction To Encore - Gotta Get You Off My Mind”
11 “Gotta Get You Off My Mind”
12 “Having A Party – Amen”

]]> http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/23/solomon-burke-%e2%80%9csolomon-burke-mixtape%e2%80%9d/feed/ August 16, 2010 http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/16/august-16-2010/ http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/16/august-16-2010/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 06:23:53 +0000 Administrator Summary http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/16/august-16-2010/ Janelle Monae and the recent departure of Abbey Lincoln. We close with the duo of Damian Marley and Nas, a combination called Distant Relatives.
]]> http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/16/august-16-2010/feed/ DAMIAN MARLEY & NAS / “Distant Relatives Mixtape” http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/16/damian-marley-nas-distant-relatives-mixtape/ http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/16/damian-marley-nas-distant-relatives-mixtape/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 06:23:15 +0000 Administrator Cover http://www.kalamu.com/bol/2010/08/16/damian-marley-nas-distant-relatives-mixtape/  
I’m going to be brief about this one mainly because the music speaks so eloquently for itself. I and a number of other music lovers were almost convinced that Nas had given up on being a serious artist. Nas—super-talented, the boy got griot in his blood, passed on to him from his daddy, jazz and blues musician Olu Jones.

My assessment was Nas hit his peak with his debut and never again reached so deeply for a full recording. But, my man is back with a concept and a whole mouthful of wonderfulness to make you think, make you stop, peep the scene, and check oneself to ask “am I doing what all I want to be doing, should be doing.”

Damian we already knew was fierce and his rasta orientation squares easily with the pan-africanism that the name Distant Relatives forthrightly pushes just by uttering the syllables. Yes we are distant but we are also relatives. And who is this we?

Well, listen: it’s everybody, we are all related. At the same time we’ve got a lot of Africa work to do, a lot of Africa to relate to. It’s been a long, long time since an African American rapper as popular as Nas has openly proclaimed allegiance to Africa.
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Plus, the shit is funky. The hip hop and the reggae fusing, different elements pushing to the forefront from song to song, but always there is both a seriousness and a joy flowing from this collaboration. And it’s a collaboration that really works together and not just two men alternating doing their separate things.
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They trade verses on some songs, one starts a line, the other finishes. Sure they have numbers that feature one or the other but in the main they really are working together and the fact that they are truly working together is an important statement.

These tracks are taken from two different sessions. The first five selections are from a live in-studio BBC 1xtra radio program recorded in London. The remaining selections are from a May 17, 2010 performance at the Highline Ballroom in New York City.
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I am very impressed that the live performances are on point. If you get a chance to see this show, you might want to reserve tickets at the earliest possible moment. Unfortunately, these recordings are not commercially available. Fortunately, however, sharing music is the raison d’etre of BoL.

So, whether you get to see Damian and Nas, here is close to an hour of live versions of music from their new and aptly titled album, Distant Relatives.

—Kalamu ya Salaam


Distant Relatives Mixtape Playlist

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BBC 1xtra Live Session
01 “As We Enter”
02 “Road To Zion”
03 “Welcome To Jamrock”
04 “Made You Look”
05 “Land of Promise”

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Highline Ballroom, NYC 5-17-10
06 “As We Enter”
07 “Ancient People”
08 “Nah Mean”
09 “Count Your Blessings”
10 “Patience (Sabali)”
11 “One Mic”
12 “Land of Promise”
13 “Africa Must Wake Up”

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