What's been happening lately in music?
Impulse! has been reissuing a load of their late 60's stuff, including
a new John Coltrane album, Stellar Regions and its amazing! Alice on
piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Rashied Ali on drums. Also they have
Coltrane's Sun Ship, a couple of Duke Ellington records, and Pharoah
Sanders' Karma. Lots more to come in 96... Wonderful to see them do
it the right way, on heavy vinyl.
The Thodross Avery Quartet has a new one out on GRP as well as the new
Chick Corea - both excellent.
Straight No Chaser and B&W Music have a gang of great South African
albums out in their Outernational Meltdown series, with Airto Moreira,
Andrew Missingham, Byron Wallen, Jose Neto and others. Spiritual music
from fresh minds.
Check out all the Idyllic releases that some have talked about,
Takemura's Remix record, and the new Spiritual Vibes. More from them
in the early part of '96 and another Natural Calamity record as well.
The Pressure Drop EP, Tearing The Silence is a good one to check as is
the sublime drum and bass track from Space Link on Reinforced Records
(4 Hero's shit I think). It also comes with high prases from my man
Ben Wilcox at Talking Loud. Ben is starting a new label in early '96
(he DJs at Bar Rhumba on Monday's with Gilles Peterson and James
Lavelle). Ben just got done touring all of Europe with Massive Attack
for anyone who caught those shows.
Photex is doing stuff with Mo'Wax and everyone else. Check the new
label Filter, from the people who brought you Dorado. Kid Loops is
coming with some great junglist 12".
I had a chance to interview the original Dust Brothers in L.A. this
past week end for an up-coming Straight No Chaser. They are doing for
the next Beck album what they did with the Beastie Boys' Paul's
Boutique. They will also release an album on an unspecified London
label by March. Should be a monster... Those are a couple of deep
music lovers, walking sample-encyclopidias and hilarious goof-offs...
Check out Tricia Rose's book, Black Noise, a fine academic critique of
Rap Music and Black Culture in America. Interesting reading - almost
as good as The Bell Jar, which was a great read...
Charlie Hunter's Trio is no more...His new band debuted at the Elbo
Room on Friday in the form of the Charlie Hunter Quartet! Excellent!
T.J. Kirk played live at Bimbo's a couple weeks back with The Simone
White Quartet and both bands were smokin'. Check for an article on
Simone White and a review of the S.F. Jazz Festival in the newest issue
of Straight No Chaser, due out in England the next week and in the
States about a week later. Hound Dirk on this list if you can't find a
copy.
New Sole Sides material should light up the decks by February and a
Shadow LP shortly thereafter....
The Mad Skills 12" The Nod Factor is nice, as is the new Souls of
Mischief LP, No Man's Land. Gets my vote for best slept-on hip-hop
record of '95. Better than the Pharcyde, although their new one is a
charm, as well. Just give it a listen and keep spinning it. It grows
on you. The Krush record is nice, fat beats and good guests. The
Roots track is the bomb! Look for a special friend to remix it soon.
Any guesses?
Hail to everyone pushing forward and expanding their musical minds.
And thanks to our man Greg for pushing me to the Pharoah concert. A
wonderful night I won't soon forget!
And during this time of ultra capitalism where Visa Cards good wild in
the night, peace on earth and good will to all.
ck smart