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WHAT AM I LISTENING TO THIS WEEK? WEEK 8

August 9, 2020 No Comment

This post and more to follow each week will bring to your attention some of the albums I’m currently listening to. I leave you with one track from each album (sometimes a bit more). Check them out. You may find something you like. That is my hope.

This week we look at Kamaal Williams – Wu Hen, John Coltrane – Giant Steps, Herbie Hancock – Inventions and Dimentions, Nate Smith – Light and Shadow and !!! – Certified Heavy Kats

Kamaal Williams – Wu Hen

I featured Kamaal’s last EP New Heights/Snitches Brew in week four’s listening blog, Here he produces a full set of new tunes in somewhat the same funky soul grooves as the EP. If you’re into this style of music this one is worth the listen. Stand out tracks include Pigalle, Mr. Wu and Big Rick.

John Coltrane – Giant Steps

This one is a no brainer for most jazz fans. It is one of Coltrane’s (all of jazz for that matter) most iconic recordings. It’s on my list this week because I recently purchased a mint vinyl copy of a 1971 Japanese pressing and of course I’ve been listening to it a lot. I previously had this on CD but never owned a vinyl copy. Anyway for us jazz heads every song is a stand out on this album.

Herbie Hancock – Inventions and Dimentions

Herbie’s 3rd album as a leader (way back in 63). This one swings nicely. I find him particularly inventive in this set. Here he has Paul Chambers on but I had never heard of Willie Bobo and ‘Chihuahua’ Martinez. Never the less the group bonds well.

Nate Smith – Light and Shadow

Yes this is the same Nate that plays with Vulpeck and with The Fearless Flyers (featured in week 4 of my listening blog). You know him as a freakishly good funk soul drummer (if not you should seriously look him up on YouTube). Here in this new EP give you a different (maybe his real) side of his musical arsenal. Not only is the music a bit more toned down and soulful but dude sings ( and he’s not bad). This is a fantastic set with Nate showing off his many other talents. That first tune Signs of Life: Secret Agents of Weathering is sick.

!!! – Certified Heavy Kats

Yes, you’re seeing it right. That’s the name of this group, !!! or Chk Chk Chk (don’t ask me man). This is like the late 1980s new wave group of the 2020s. Their music is fun and different and a little edgy and sometimes weird but I kinda like them (for now).

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WHAT AM I LISTENING TO THIS WEEK? WEEK 7

July 18, 2020 No Comment

GHOST-NOTE – SWAGISM

A mix of funk, hip hop and jazz. They have a firm foot in the jazz genre but they keep it current and urban with a good dose of funk and hip hop (without the rap). Standout tracks include Swagism, Milkshake, Dry Rub and Funk You Muthafunka (wish I had thought of that one).

THE METERS – THE METERS

Anyone who has followed funk music has either heard of The Meters or heard their music not knowing who they were. These guys were part of the funk pioneers. With songs like Cissy Stutt, Cardova, Ease Back and 6V6 LA these guys would begin a journey that would help to expose the funk genre for good.

VELS TRIO – YELLOW OCHRE EP

This relatively unknown London trio is starting to make waves. There is something about their compositions that perk my ears. Not the main stream jazz that’s for sure. Stand out tracks include Yellow Ochre Pt.1 and Tenderness.

BLUE BREAK BEATS – VOL. 1-4

This is a 4 volume compilation of Blue Note tracks that have been sample and used in hip hop recordings since the 80s (volume 1 pictured). The tracks are mainly jazz funk and jazz soul. Many are instantly recognizable. If not you will no doubt eventually hear some part of the song that has been sampled in the last 3 decades.

DINOSAURS – TO THE EARTH

Dinosaur To The Earth – 7 Tracks — 41:17 Released 05/15/2020

This is for you jazz heads (don’t worry I’m in there with you). It’s a little different and by that I mean the compositions are not your standard type jazz tracks. These guys put a bit of imagination and maybe step outside the box for a bit but not enough that you lose your listenability. Standout songs include To The Earth and Mosking.

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WHAT AM I LISTENING TO THIS WEEK? Week 6

June 28, 2020 No Comment

This post and more to follow each week will bring to your attention some of the albums I’m currently listening to. I leave you with one track from each album. Check them out. You may find something you like. That is my hope.

This week, as it’s been every week, we have a wide range of styles. You should know me by now. That’s how I roll.

ILL CONSIDERED – ILL CONSIDERED

Ill Considered by Ill Considered — 7 Tracks — 37:13 Released 06/14/2017

This group is the definition of a jazz group without sounding too much like a jazz group. Even though their music is more edgy, more raw and less straight ahead they do embody the art of improvisation. Their aim is to create music that is unique to the moment. They create a loose structure or theme then improvise the hell out of it. Seems to be working for them. The first 3 tracks are standouts on this album.

TROY ROBERTS – NU-JIVE

Nu-Jive by Troy Roberts — 8 Tracks — 55:04 Released 03/10/2011

I really like Troy’s playing, especially from his Nu-Jive recordings. They tend to be more on the funky fusion end of his vocabulary while his newer stuff is more contemporary. This album and the follow-up Nu-Jive 5 are great examples of a tight, talented and well rounded group playing some sophisticated stuff that doesn’t sound sophisticate. Standout tracks include Brotherlation, Shavon and Mademfalselle.

HIATUS KAIYOTE – CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON

After winning a Grammy with a track from their first album, this was the follow-up album. This Australian (future soul) group plays some very interesting music. I like that they add lots of variety and changes within each track. Stand out tracks include Shaolin Monk Motherfunk, Breathing Underwater and By Fire.

BEN WENDEL – WHAT WE BRING

What We Bring by Ben Wendel — 8 Tracks — 46:26 Released 09/09/2016

Ok here is one for you jazz heads but with a little twist. His music is very contemporary but not so straight ahead. There is something structurally different about his music but in a very good and refreshing way. Very creative tracks. Stand out tracks include Spring and Song Song.

HARVEY MASON – CHAMELEON

Chameleon by Harvey Mason — 11 Tracks — 52:12 Released 04/29/2014

Harvey Mason has been around a long time. There aren’t many jazz musicians past and present who haven’t had drummer Mason as a sideman (to name just a few; Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Ahmad Jamal, Eddie Henderson, The Headhunters, Chick Corea, Michel Legrand, Lee Ritenour & Larry Carlton, John Legend, George Benson, Herbie Hancock and he was a member of Fourplay. Now he’s making waves with the today crowd.

UncategorizedBen Wendel, blog, Chris Reid, fusion, Harvey Mason, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ill Considered, jazz, music, new music, Troy Roberts

WHAT AM I LISTENING TO THIS WEEK? Week 5

June 20, 2020 No Comment

This post and more to follow each week will bring to your attention some of the albums I’m currently listening to. Check them out. You may find something you like. That is my hope.

This week I have a mixture of new, older (not old), Jazz, jazz funk, Soul jazz, rock and fusion. Just trying to keep y’all well rounded.

SOULIVE – DOIN’ SOMTHING

Doin’ Something by Soulive — 11 Tracks — 1:02:58 Released 03/13/2001

I’m still in my funky mood so I came across this group. I remember hearing some of their tunes back in the day. This jazz funk group is made up of Eric Krasno (guitar), Alan Evans (drums) and Neal Evans (Hammond B3 organ, bass keys, clavinet). These guys are from Woodstock New York and the band started in the late nineties. This was a 2001 album from their Blue Note recordings.

STEVE COLEMAN AND FIVE ELEMENTS – RHYTHM PEOPLE (The Resurrection of Creative Black Civilization)

Rhythm People (The Resurrection of Creative Black Civilization) by Steve Coleman, Five Elements — 10 Tracks — 56:21 Released 10/03/2014

This album kicks ass. It’s a mixture of funk and jazz fusion with an edgy dose of underground black soul rebelliousness (don’t ask me to explain that). This 1990 album was saxophonist Steve Coleman’s 5th album and 4th with Five Elements. This is one of my favorite albums period.

KING CRIMSON – BEAT

Beat by King Crimson — 10 Tracks — 49:54 Released 06/18/1982

One of my favorite rock groups of all time King Crimson still sounds relevant even in the saturation and mishmash of todays rock genre. These guys were at times very weird but hugely talented. But their music was always on the edge and pushing boundaries. This is just one of their many excellent albums. It’s featured here because I recently purchased an original vinyl copy.

YUSSEF KAMAAL – BLACK FOCUS

Black Focus by Yussef Kamaal — 10 Tracks — 43:42 Released 11/04/2016

This group encompasses two people, Kamaal Williams (keys) and Yussef Dayes (drums). You may remember back in my blog week 4 we listened to Kamaal’s New Heights/Snitches Brew mini LP. This 2016 date was their only release together. They toured extensively with guest artist following the release. They have since split up but separately they’ve moved on to become promising artist on their own.

DONNY McCASLIN – FAST FUTURE

Fast Future by Donny McCaslin, Jason Lindner, Tim Lefebvre, Mark Guiliana — 10 Tracks — 55:28 Released 03/31/2015

Donny McCaslin, more recently known for his role on David Bowie’s final album Blackstar, is a saxophonist who has been recording jazz since the early 90s. I find this album to be one of his more creative and accessible releases. If you are a vocal fan you can check out Blackstar or his 2018 release Blow.

Here is an added bonus. Donny’s Fast future with the NEC Jazz Orchestra

UncategorizedChris Reid, listen, music blog, new music, records, this week, vinyl

WHAT AM I LISTENING TO THIS WEEK? Week 4

June 13, 2020 No Comment

This post and more to follow each week will bring to your attention some of the albums I’m currently listening to. Check them out. You may find something you like. That is my hope.

So I skipped a few weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the George Floyd travesty. Somehow writing my blog seemed irrelevant and untimely. Maybe that’s just me. Anyway I’m over it. Sorry, gotta have music man. Here are this weeks offerings.

AARON PARKS – LITTLE BIG

This is Aaron Parks’ seventh album. He has played with the likes of Joshua Redman, Eric Harland, Terence Blanchard and Kurt Rosenwinkel. This is the kind of jazz you want to set aside some time to sit and really listen. It’s not really that soft or audibly intricate but its fun and has lots of character and cool listening points. Really nice current but not too sophisticated jazz.

ALFA MIST – ANTIPHON

Alfa Mist is a keyboardist from the current London music scene. His music sits in the jazz/hip hop/British soul genre. It’s similar to Aaron Parks’ music but more on the soul side. More R&B/hip hop/urban influences and definitely has that London feel.

THE FEARLESS FLYERS

The Fearless Flyers are funky as hell. This is funk, guitar and drum style. If you’ve ever seen Nate Smith play the drums on Youtube you already know how funky he is. Well, add Joe Dart (bass), Cory Wong and Mark Lettieri (from Snarky Puppy) and it’s all stank of funk up in here. It’s happy time music.

Kamaal Williams – New Heights/Snitches Brew

Kamaal Williams is another Londoner keyboardist who’s music is routed in a mix of jazz, R&B, hip hop, garage and grime. His music is a good representation of some of the current music styles of the London scene. This EP was released shortly after his album The Return. Below are both tracks from the EP.

MAKAYA MCCRAVEN – IN THE MOMENT (Deluxe Edition)

Jazz, funk, post bop and fusion with a splash of world music is where Makaya McCraven is at. The drummer has become well known for his pushing the envelope recordings. This double album (almost 2 hours) was compiled from a years worth of gigs with revolving players in a Chicago club. The result is a jazz/beat/improvisational collage of sounds.

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WHAT AM I LISTENING TO THIS WEEK?

May 8, 2020 No Comment

This post and more to follow each week will bring to your attention some of the albums I’m currently listening to. Check them out. You may find something you like. That is my hope.

This week brings my most varied list so far. Hope you’re feeling particularly adventurous.

R+R=Now – Collagically Speaking

Reflect+Respond=Now, featuring Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah on trumpet, Derrick Hodge on bass, Taylor McFerrin on synthesizer, Justin Tyson on drums, and Terrace Martin on synth and vocoder. This group was a brain child of jazz pianist and producer Robert Glasper ( who also plays keyboards on the album). This one is a contemporary mash of R&B, 1970s jazz-funk fusion, cosmic soul, and instrumental hip-hop. And it works well because these guys are well rounded and accomplished players who are pushing the bounds of todays jazz.

Porcupine Tree – Deadwing

This is one of those groups that when you hear them for the first time most people will say this group sounds like….(name a famous group). They manage to take all the good vibes and flavours of groups like Tragically Hip, Tool, Linkin Park and Rage Against The Machine (to name just a few) and melt them together to come up with some very interesting and thoughtful music. This album like most of their albums give a range of softer more contemplative songs to more metal tinged high intensity tracks. I love it.

Pat Metheny – We Live Here

Metheny is one of my all time favorite jazz guitarist and composers. This album though released in the early 90s still rates as one of the best in the last 30 years. It’s just pure class. From the compositions to the performances. I guess I could say that about all his albums and groups over the years. This one is about as ‘pop’ as you’re going to see from Pat but man did he knock it out of the park.

Lee Morgan – The Procrastinator

13 Tracks Double album Released 1978. Sides A & B recorded at Van Gelder’s Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on July 14, 1967. Sides C & D recorded at Van Gelder’s Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on September 12 and October 10, 1969.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiG-HvmkBs4

Lee Morgan is a household name among jazz fans. He is one of the most revered trumpet players of all time. I’m including this because I just purchased an original vinyl copy of this double album. And I’m loving it. Here you get a glimpse of early Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Ron Carter from Miles Davis’ 60s group. Other greats on this include Billy Higgins on drums, Bobby Hutcherson and George Coleman.

Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring, Petrushka, The Firebird and Appolo – Simon Rattle w. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

This release is monumental for a few reasons. First it’s 4 Stravinsky works and 3 of them hugely famous. Second, its regarded as one of the best performance and recording of these pieces. Stravinsky is my favorite classical composer and Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) is my favorite symphony of his (written for a ballet). Stravinsky is from the modern era of classical music and his pieces tend to be quite dramatic. I tend to like that sort of music. If you can find this particular recording then you’ve hit the gold mine. I couldn’t find it on Youtube so I give you a taste of a similar recording done by the same symphony and conductor. You can find it on Spotify or Tidal for sure.

Until next time. Happy listening.

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