WHAT AM I LISTENING TO THIS WEEK?
This post and more to follow 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.
AZIZA – Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke, Eric Harland
This is a sweet mixture of players. Dave Holland has been around for decades playing with the greats and helping to teach the up and comers. Here he’s with a few of the best of the current jazz scene. Chris Potter probably holds the current crown for best tenor sax player out there. Eric Harland is one of those up and comers who has been making a huge name for himself. Lionel Loueke is a West African guitarist who is blowing up the scene with his African style playing. This date sees the group playing a mixture of funky, playful tunes along with more serious, thoughtful yet clever and uncomplicated tracks.
James Brown – The Payback
This is by far my favorite James Brown album. With such downright funky tracks as Payback, Shoot Your Shot and Time is Running Out Fast, its no wonder they call him the Godfather of Soul. The tracks are a little more laid back that the typical James Brown fan fare but still funky as hell. This one is his 37th album and his only studio album to be certified gold.
Panzerballett – Tank Goodness
This is weird, excellent, jazzy, metallic, soft, funky, heavy and very entertaining. Oh and by the way almost all of that is in each track. If you like jazz it’s in there. If you like metal its in there. If you like funky fusion or even reggae it’s all in there. Ya I know you’re thinking that cant’t be done with any kind of intelligence never mind musical cohesion. Oh Ya? Get ready to have your mind blown. You gotta check out what they do with Dave Brubeck’s Take Five (purists need not listen).
Shelly Manne/Bill Evans – Empathy
This is just a very nice album all round. Shelly Manne, Bill Evans and Monty Budwig were definitely in the same headspace when they recorded this. The songs are beautifully played and recording is superb. This is one of those under appreciated dates and probably because the album is listed under Shelly Manne. Not to take anything away from Shelly but if it was listed as a Bill Evans album it would have had greater acclaim. I found it going through the Discogs site and had to check it out. I now have a vinyl copy of an almost mint original pressing. So sweet.