a twist on the usual 'under the influence with...' series this time with all music, no words to describe the influences. just a mix from the wonderful Ahu and when you hear Ahu sing you can tell where her musical loves come from. a beautiful mix of vocalists and jazzy sounds that immerse you in ahu's world for a short time. it's worth it, i assure you.
much tks to Ahu for taking the time.
check out her appearance with grooveman spot on the beautiful 'affection' which i am totally addicted to.
It is wholly appropriate that an act seeped in musical history such as Hypnotic Brass Ensemble team up with a group of music lovers that dedicate themselves to delivering quality music, such as Choice Cuts, to release an EP entitled Heritage. This release pays homage to just some the music that has influenced all of their musical output over the years with classic sounds re-interpreted with respect and honor while overlaid with the undeniable sound of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.
"All band members are the sons of legendary Sun Ra trumpeter Phil Cohran. The group began performing together as children (some as early as 3 years old). In 1999 they formed what is now known as the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and have performed or collaborated with some of the greatest musical stars of the last two decades. From Mos Def to Maxwell, Wu Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah to UK superstar Damon Alburn, Erykah Badu to Fela Kuti's drummer Tony Allen. If you don't know these guys you're missing out.
During one of their many stays in Dublin with ChoiceCuts, Hypnotic decided to shack up in a studio located high in the Dublin mountains to rehearse for a week and write new material. Hypnotic and ChoiceCuts had a bit of down time in between these sessions and with plenty of Guinness and Jameson in tow chose to rework some of their favourite records from other artists that have influenced them both."
With a free tune, Spottie, given away by Choice Cuts last week as a teaser and the news that the release will be vinyl only, distributed by much respected Honest Jon's I was anxious to get my grubby little paws on the rest of the release and thankfully Mark came through today and I was not disappointed have got to say that Spottie (available below for DL) is my favorite followed closely by the rework of Fela Kuti's 'Water No Get Enemy'.
First off, the video presented to mark the release.
ChoiceCuts presents Hypnotic Brass Ensemble from Loughlin McSweeney on Vimeo.
Next, check the EP snippets for just a hint of what to expect, great sounds.
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Heritage EP Snippets by ChoiceCutsNow, check out Spottie, with the gentle headnod to Outkast's Spottieottiedopaliscious.
Spottie - Heritage EP Exclusive Download by ChoiceCutsA bit about Choice Cuts: When I moved back to Ireland a while back I hadn't heard of Choice Cuts as they had been started after I had left. Upon returning as I started to explore the musical scene in Dublin the Choice Cuts name kept on popping up on my radar and was consistently associated with things that I wanted to see, do and hear. that's impressive when you've returned to a country not having a good feel for whats happening and wondering if the sounds of your city have evolved as you have and then you read an 'about us' page as such...
"Our parties have been blessed with special guests like J-Rocc, Kenny Dope, DJ Krush, Z-Trip, Madlib & Jazzy Jeff. Our concerts have witnessed perfromances by Mos Def, Q-Tip, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Edan, The Poets of Rhythm, Jneiro Jarel, The Breakestra, Build An Ark, Osaka Monaurail to name but few. Labelheads like Gerald Short (Jazzman), Mad Mats(GAMM, Raw Fusion), Rob Luis(Tru Thoughts), Peanut Butter Wolf(Stones Throw), Miles Cleret(SoundWay), Olski(MPM), B+(Mochilla) and Olan(All City) have blessed us with deep sets from their label catalogues and digging escapades.....We also delve a bit deeper into the past and tip our hat to where it all comes from so you may see live shows with artists like Sweet Charles, Marva Whitney, Blowfly, Big Daddy Kane, De La Soul, Candi Staton, Steinski and Qbert."
What impresses me most is not just the musical passion with knowledge that has depth and breath but also their ability to create a successful business while doing so. in times like this and from where I am sitting (in my corporate office job) that's inspiring.
So, enjoy the freebie, support the release by getting the vinyl, check out Hypnotic Brass Ensemble live for a truly great experience and check out your local listings to see if the name Choice Cuts pops up.
yeh, ace tune and video from the masters of jazz-punk/ punk-jazz, soil & pimp sessions (previously featured here) out on brownswood recordings.
Hailing from Canada, signed to Strut Records, The Souljazz Orchestra have just released 'Rising Sun'. Full of raw grooves with Afro and Latin rhythms fused to create an astounding energy. If you've been watching and listening to all the buzz around fela's reissues on knitting factory records or the fela musical in NY then you'll be well into this release.
You know i'm well into anything that gets a review starting like this:
"What I love is when an artist takes awhile to for their musical story to begin, long drawn out introductions lure me in, just like anticipation of a movie starting and the credits seem to last forever. It takes almost three minutes for the Souljazz Orchestrao to finally kick things in gear, and when it does, you wish life would sound this great 24 hours a day." via okayplayer
here's a video for Agbara off the album.
check out the tour dates and do try to support as "The Souljazz Orchestra will be donating a portion of the proceeds generated by the "Rising Sun" album release tour directly to families affected by the earthquake, as well as to NGOs working on the Haiti relief effort."
also on Strut, check out the upcoming release 'Next Stop...Soweto'. I can't wait for that!
an upcoming new release that I'm well excited about is José James' new release 'blackmagic'. you've likely heard the joy orbison remix of the same titled tune doing the rounds (it is pretty amazing in all honesty. a big tune). if not, check it here. well, the full album comes out on brownswood on Feb 1st and anticipation is building in many circles. i chose a different tune from the album as one of my top tunes from 2009 for the 'songs of praise' best of '09 show. Promise In Love is a collaboration with DJ Mitsu and is in the vein of the classic jazz standard sound.
Oh, and just 5 days after the album release José James and the Black Magic Band play at the Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards in London (which I cannot wait to attend). Check the lineup!
Download Promise in love (128)
buy Blackmagic remixes EP: iTunes, Brownswood
oh my, oh my.
never heard this tune by dave samuels before last night when my roommate pulled it out and blew me away. i was grinning ear to ear with hairs standing on end. this is pure sunshine music if ever!
taken from Joe Clauseell's 'Music...A Reason To Celebrate- Part 2' on bbe.
Download New math
summer has arrived with this tune.
been raining and overcast the last few days here and between being that and sick wanted to post some summer music tonight but was having trouble something that blew me away to post for you.
then, through the glory of twitter stones throw threw this out and i'm jammin' away to this. goes out to a mate who has arrived home a little early which is a good thing. :)
between mayer hawthorne, dâm-funk, madvillan paper dolls (see below), and whatnot stones throw deliver yet again with this release! 'Spiritual Jazz: Esoteric, Modal + Deep Jazz From The Underground 1968-77' is a pure gem.
via flyglobalmusic (excellent post btw)
When Gilles Peterson says, “there’s tracks on this album I haven’t
heard off. And I’m a collector” you know that Jazzman’s lastest
compilation has some truly rare stuff on it. Better than that, it reall
is the most essentiall release of the year so far; No Jive!
i also highly recommend Ohio Penitentiary 511 Jazz Ensemble's 'psych city'.
serious business i tells ya!
buy: back to africa by mor thiam (iTunes) 'spiritual jazz' from iTunes (jazzman records) or stones throw
madvillan! nuff said.
from the amazing album, lifetime, by terry callier.
way too long since i listened to this guy and realized tonight why he became such a big hit with me. so beautiful, soulful, honest and true music.
he was a friend of curtis mayfield and disappeared into relative obscurity, becoming a computer programmer , before being rediscovered by acid jazz records back in the 80's. "In the late 90’s Callier began his comeback to recorded music, contributing to Beth Orton’s Best Bit EP in 1997 and releasing the album Timepeace in 1998, which won the United Nations’ Time For Peace award for outstanding artistic achievement contributing to world peace. Curiously, his colleagues at the University of Chicago never learned of Callier’s life as a musician, but after the award the news his secret life as a musician became widely known and subsequently lead to his firing"
And also from his website, pretty exciting news: "Terry’s new album entitled Hidden Conversations will be released in spring 2009 on Mr Bongo Records. It will feature three tracks produced by Massive Attack."
Download 09 I Don't Want To See Myself (Wit 1
buy: iTunes,
bought this print in copenhagen late last year. it now has pride of place on one of my walls. dunno what caught my eye but between the strong graphical display and the engaging gaze of the guy you are kinda drawn in.
designed by kasper eistrup with the guy apparently this cafe/recordshop's owner in copenhagen. it sure does look like him. i wish i'd known this when i was there!
great stuff from mr.peterson's space.
a great take on the original...
and from said compilation (previously posted)
moses dillard's 'tribute to wes'
One song that always springs to mind when thinking of all the songs that I;ve lost or misplaced over the years is by Dorothy Ashby and today I manged to go to my CDs (currently in storage) to track it down. This is so simplistically beautiful and stands out as a top twenty song for me.
I got it years ago on Andy Votel's first compilation for Fat City Recordings 'Special Brew' Series, called Finders Keepers. (I've posted one tune by Andy Votel here and in fact it stylistically reminds me of this one.)
Votel describes this tune, Dorothy Ashby's 'Joyful Grass and Grape' as such:
A beautiful eastern symphony from Chicago's seminal cadet label. The funky harpist who evidently enjoyed a drink or two brings us a stand-out track from her ultra-rare 'Rubyant of...' lp produced by the legendary Richard Evans of Rotary connection/ Marlena Shaw fame."
Download 10_joyful_grass_and_grape_1.mp3
Read more about Dorothy Ashby at npr or Wikipedia
If you think you'd like the Finders Keepers compilation you can buy it below and also check out Votel's aptly named label, Finders Keepers, bringing "psychedelic / jazz / folk / funk / avant-garde and whacked-out
movie musak to a lost world of undiscovered vinyl artifacts from the
annals of alternative pop history. Catering to record collectors and
DJ-producers alike with a huge emphasis on sample friendly soundscapes,
rocksteady back-beats and primitive electronic experimentalism.
Discerning purveyors of the bizarre and abnormal should expect the
Japanese choreography records, space-age Turkish protest songs,
Czechoslovakian vampire soundtracks, Welsh rare-beats, bubblegum folk,
drugsploitation operatics, banned British crime thrillers and celebrity
Gallic Martini advert.."
buy:
finders keepers @ fat city recordings (UK) or amazon (UK)
Rubyant of... @ dusty grooves
The Austin High School Jazz Ensemble is one of 15 high school jazz groups in the nation (and the only one from Texas) selected to attend the prestigious 13th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival at Lincoln Center in New York City, May 15 - 17. Eighty-two bands entered the competition by submitting a recorded performance of three Ellington compositions. At the festival, the Jazz Ensemble will compete and participate in workshops and jam sessions. The 3 top-placing bands will perform with Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis, as guest soloist.
There is a benefit to raise funds to pay for the ensemble to attend the competition as it is costing in the region of $30,000 dollars. The benefit features AHS Jazz Ensemble on Tuesday, March 25, at 7:00 pm in the Austin High School Performing Arts Center (located at 1715 Cesar Chavez St.) and a donation of $10 gets you a chance to see these talented students playing some great Ellington sounds.
If you can't make it but want to support them you can go here.
Best of luck to all the bands but especially AHS!
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