Music
La Belle et La Trompette Eclectique
27 Oct 2008 09:10 PM /
Il est des jours où une succession d’événements vous entrouvre les portes du Paradis. Ce soir, j’y suis au Paradis. Musical le Paradis, si je dois vraiment le qualifier. Ce n’est guère la première fois que j’y séjourne, fort heureusement ! Sinon, ma vie ne serait pas aussi riche qu’elle ne l’est aujourd’hui. J’y suis entré cette fois-ci de manière assez surprenante. Ne trépignez point d’impatience, prenez votre temps. Mettez une bonne musique reposante et relaxante. Prenez place, je m’en vais vous conter une belle histoire.
Belle. Oui c’est ainsi que cela a commencé. Equipé de mon fidèle lecteur de musique portatif, les yeux plongés dans un livre assez agréable à lire, je rentrais chez moi. J’étais dans ce train au nom mystérieux mais dont le mystère disparaît dès qu’on y met les pieds. Vous savez, le RER ! Ah les acronymes. Souvent ils cachent la misère et font tout de suite sérieux, pompeux, scientifique ! Je m’égare. Donc j’étais une personne parmi tant d’autres dans ce lieu fort convivial et chaleureux. A un moment, j’ai senti une présence et j’ai levé les yeux pour voir de qui il pouvait s’agir. C’était une jeune demoiselle. Belle. Non, pas vraiment belle. Elle avait certes du charme mais elle avait ce petit quelque chose qui attire l’attention et qui vous donne envie de sourire. Rayonnante, je dirais. Voilà, c’est bien le mot que je cherchais. Elle n’arborait pas cette figure maussade, si chère à bon nombre des personnes que je croisais quotidiennement dans ce train ou un autre. La voir ainsi, rayonnante, contente d’être là, simplement, me donna envie de sourire et je ne sais pas pour quelle raison, ces trois mots me vinrent à l’esprit : Belle de nuit. Un titre de l’album de The Walk of The Giant Turtle dont l’auteur n’est autre que cet immense joueur de trompette au son si typique, j’ai nommé Monsieur Erik Truffaz. Au moment où ces mots se sont matérialisés dans mon esprit, j’étais entrain d’écouter la musique d’Erin Bode, une chanteuse dotée d’une voix fort agréable. Ayant un grand respect pour la bonne musique, j’ai laissé cette chère Erin finir son morceau avant de faire la succession d’opérations nécessaires pour lancer Belle de nuit, un titre très agréable à écouter ceci dit en passant.
Erik accompagna mes pas ensuite jusqu’à mon domicile où j’ai retrouvé ma petite famille. J’ai du donc laisser Erik de côté. Peut-être pour le trajet demain matin pensais-je. Mais la vie vous réserve souvent des surprises. Le dernier numéro de Jazzman m’attendait sagement sur la table du séjour, m’invitant à l’ouvrir. Ce que je fis car en voyant une superbe photo en noir et blanc d’Art Blakey sur la couverture, la tentation fut trop grande pour y résister. C’est ainsi que je me suis retrouvé à lire la rubrique sur les disques du mois et quelle ne fut ma surprise d’apprendre que le sieur Truffaz avait non seulement sorti 3 albums en même temps mais qu’un des albums était un Choc Jazzman du mois ! Vite, de quoi s’agit-il ? Je me suis empressé de trouver la page qui décrivait ces 3 pépites et ce que j’y ai lu m’emplit d’une joie immense, dans l’expectative d’écouter l’oeuvre du plus éclectique parmi les trompettistes du Jazz. C’est ainsi que je me suis retrouvé à écrire ce billet, en écoutant le triptyque élaboré sous forme de voyage sonore où chaque album a sa propre identité, très différente des autres : Paris, Benares et Mexico.
Paris, où le groove immense d’un Sly Johnson (des Saïan Supa Crew, déjà entendu récemment dans le dernier album de Camille) côtoie cette magnifique trompette. Géniale « beatbox » humaine, Sly Johnson n’a rien à envier à un monstre du genre. Bobby Mc Ferrin bien sûr !
Benares, où l’on retrouve un son envoûtant et mystique avec des voix pénétrantes et de magnifiques tablas.
Mexico enfin où on ne croirait pas un instant que nous sommes dans l’univers d’un Truffaz si on n’avait pas vu son nom figurer sur la jaquette, tellement la signature sonore est proche de celle d’un Nils Petter Molvaer, notamment à travers son sublime album Khmer, un vrai ovni dans la constellation Jazz apparu il y a quelques années chez ECM.
S’il y a bien une chose que j’adore dans la Musique, c’est l’éclectisme et l’invitation à l’ouverture et au partage. Le triptyque d’Erik Truffaz représente tout à fait cela. Des albums avec des ambiances particulières, tellement différentes, et qui traduisent un vrai esprit d’ouverture chez cet artiste dont je suis les aventures musicales depuis le début de ce siècle et que j’ai eu la chance de voir deux fois en concert. Et c’est grâce à lui si j’éprouve un tel bonheur ce soir. La Musique a cet effet sur moi. Elle s’infiltre dans les interstices de mon âme et libère ces choses qu’on appelle émotions, vous savez bien ... je parle de ces choses qui font de nous des êtres humains. Et je dois avouer que j’ai de la chance de pouvoir écouter une telle musique. La dernière fois où j’ai mis les pieds au Paradis Musical, c’était grâce (encore une fois !) à ce cher Avishai Cohen. J’ai assisté à son concert du 16 octobre au Bataclan.
Parisiens, si vous n’avez rien programmé, venez donc voir Benares en Live le 02 avril prochain au Café de la Danse et Paris (avec Sly Johnson) le 3 avril à La Maroquinerie. J’ai déjà réservé mes billets et si nous nous y croisons, faites-moi signe, nous irons savourer une boisson ensemble !
Et pour finir, je tiens à remercier la jeune demoiselle dans le train. Rayonnante inconnue, sans toi je n’aurais peut-être pas passer une si bonne soirée.
Belle. Oui c’est ainsi que cela a commencé. Equipé de mon fidèle lecteur de musique portatif, les yeux plongés dans un livre assez agréable à lire, je rentrais chez moi. J’étais dans ce train au nom mystérieux mais dont le mystère disparaît dès qu’on y met les pieds. Vous savez, le RER ! Ah les acronymes. Souvent ils cachent la misère et font tout de suite sérieux, pompeux, scientifique ! Je m’égare. Donc j’étais une personne parmi tant d’autres dans ce lieu fort convivial et chaleureux. A un moment, j’ai senti une présence et j’ai levé les yeux pour voir de qui il pouvait s’agir. C’était une jeune demoiselle. Belle. Non, pas vraiment belle. Elle avait certes du charme mais elle avait ce petit quelque chose qui attire l’attention et qui vous donne envie de sourire. Rayonnante, je dirais. Voilà, c’est bien le mot que je cherchais. Elle n’arborait pas cette figure maussade, si chère à bon nombre des personnes que je croisais quotidiennement dans ce train ou un autre. La voir ainsi, rayonnante, contente d’être là, simplement, me donna envie de sourire et je ne sais pas pour quelle raison, ces trois mots me vinrent à l’esprit : Belle de nuit. Un titre de l’album de The Walk of The Giant Turtle dont l’auteur n’est autre que cet immense joueur de trompette au son si typique, j’ai nommé Monsieur Erik Truffaz. Au moment où ces mots se sont matérialisés dans mon esprit, j’étais entrain d’écouter la musique d’Erin Bode, une chanteuse dotée d’une voix fort agréable. Ayant un grand respect pour la bonne musique, j’ai laissé cette chère Erin finir son morceau avant de faire la succession d’opérations nécessaires pour lancer Belle de nuit, un titre très agréable à écouter ceci dit en passant.
Erik accompagna mes pas ensuite jusqu’à mon domicile où j’ai retrouvé ma petite famille. J’ai du donc laisser Erik de côté. Peut-être pour le trajet demain matin pensais-je. Mais la vie vous réserve souvent des surprises. Le dernier numéro de Jazzman m’attendait sagement sur la table du séjour, m’invitant à l’ouvrir. Ce que je fis car en voyant une superbe photo en noir et blanc d’Art Blakey sur la couverture, la tentation fut trop grande pour y résister. C’est ainsi que je me suis retrouvé à lire la rubrique sur les disques du mois et quelle ne fut ma surprise d’apprendre que le sieur Truffaz avait non seulement sorti 3 albums en même temps mais qu’un des albums était un Choc Jazzman du mois ! Vite, de quoi s’agit-il ? Je me suis empressé de trouver la page qui décrivait ces 3 pépites et ce que j’y ai lu m’emplit d’une joie immense, dans l’expectative d’écouter l’oeuvre du plus éclectique parmi les trompettistes du Jazz. C’est ainsi que je me suis retrouvé à écrire ce billet, en écoutant le triptyque élaboré sous forme de voyage sonore où chaque album a sa propre identité, très différente des autres : Paris, Benares et Mexico.
Paris, où le groove immense d’un Sly Johnson (des Saïan Supa Crew, déjà entendu récemment dans le dernier album de Camille) côtoie cette magnifique trompette. Géniale « beatbox » humaine, Sly Johnson n’a rien à envier à un monstre du genre. Bobby Mc Ferrin bien sûr !
Benares, où l’on retrouve un son envoûtant et mystique avec des voix pénétrantes et de magnifiques tablas.
Mexico enfin où on ne croirait pas un instant que nous sommes dans l’univers d’un Truffaz si on n’avait pas vu son nom figurer sur la jaquette, tellement la signature sonore est proche de celle d’un Nils Petter Molvaer, notamment à travers son sublime album Khmer, un vrai ovni dans la constellation Jazz apparu il y a quelques années chez ECM.
S’il y a bien une chose que j’adore dans la Musique, c’est l’éclectisme et l’invitation à l’ouverture et au partage. Le triptyque d’Erik Truffaz représente tout à fait cela. Des albums avec des ambiances particulières, tellement différentes, et qui traduisent un vrai esprit d’ouverture chez cet artiste dont je suis les aventures musicales depuis le début de ce siècle et que j’ai eu la chance de voir deux fois en concert. Et c’est grâce à lui si j’éprouve un tel bonheur ce soir. La Musique a cet effet sur moi. Elle s’infiltre dans les interstices de mon âme et libère ces choses qu’on appelle émotions, vous savez bien ... je parle de ces choses qui font de nous des êtres humains. Et je dois avouer que j’ai de la chance de pouvoir écouter une telle musique. La dernière fois où j’ai mis les pieds au Paradis Musical, c’était grâce (encore une fois !) à ce cher Avishai Cohen. J’ai assisté à son concert du 16 octobre au Bataclan.
Parisiens, si vous n’avez rien programmé, venez donc voir Benares en Live le 02 avril prochain au Café de la Danse et Paris (avec Sly Johnson) le 3 avril à La Maroquinerie. J’ai déjà réservé mes billets et si nous nous y croisons, faites-moi signe, nous irons savourer une boisson ensemble !
Et pour finir, je tiens à remercier la jeune demoiselle dans le train. Rayonnante inconnue, sans toi je n’aurais peut-être pas passer une si bonne soirée.
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Thievery Corporation Frappe Fort avec Radio Retaliation
04 Oct 2008 10:38 PM /
J’ai découvert la Musique de Thievery Corporation en 2001 grâce à un collègue de travail qui est depuis devenu un de mes meilleurs amis (nobz, tu te reconnaîtras). A l’époque, si mes souvenirs sont bons, j’étais encore réticent et dubitatif face à cet engouement pour l’Electro. C’était sans compter sur l’énorme musicalité (si si) de Thievery Corporation qui a réussi (avec The Herbalizer notamment) à briser mes réticences et me permettre d’élargir mes horizons en tant que passionné de musiques.
Ce groupe (ou plutôt duo) américain a une signature sonore unique facilement reconnaissable. Il suffit de lancer un de leurs titres pour tout de suite sentir ce groove un peu chaloupé qui constitue la base de leur oeuvre. Bien qu’on case souvent leur Musique dans la catégorie « Electro », elle est avant tout éclectique. Après l’excellent The Cosmic Game, ils viennent de frapper très fort avec Radio Retaliation, certainement un des meilleurs albums que j’ai écouté cette année.
Ce n’est pas tant l’innovation ou l’originalité qui me poussent à écrire des mots aussi forts à propos de cet album mais parce qu’il traduit parfaitement ce que j’attends de la Musique en tant qu’auditeur : une ouverture et du partage.
Ouverture d’abord parce qu’on retrouve du Reggae, du Dancehall, du Hip-Hop, de l’Afrobeat de la musique latine, de la Soul, de la musique hindoue et de la musique orientale dans cet album ! Le tout constituant un ensemble très homogène grâce à la signature sonore si unique et l’habillage Electro de Thievery Corporation.
Partage car ils ont invité des artistes de haut vol sur cet album : Seu Jorge, Anoushka Shankar, Femi Kuti, ou Sleepy Wonder. On pourrait craindre légitimement une « soupe » mondialisée et mondialisante mais c’est loin d’être le cas. Radio Retaliation est aussi un album politiquement engagé. Il n’y a qu’a écouter par exemple Vampires avec Femi Kuti, Radio Retaliation (la chanson) avec Sleepy Wonder, ou Forgotten People.
Quelques liens utiles :
Ce groupe (ou plutôt duo) américain a une signature sonore unique facilement reconnaissable. Il suffit de lancer un de leurs titres pour tout de suite sentir ce groove un peu chaloupé qui constitue la base de leur oeuvre. Bien qu’on case souvent leur Musique dans la catégorie « Electro », elle est avant tout éclectique. Après l’excellent The Cosmic Game, ils viennent de frapper très fort avec Radio Retaliation, certainement un des meilleurs albums que j’ai écouté cette année.
Ce n’est pas tant l’innovation ou l’originalité qui me poussent à écrire des mots aussi forts à propos de cet album mais parce qu’il traduit parfaitement ce que j’attends de la Musique en tant qu’auditeur : une ouverture et du partage.
Ouverture d’abord parce qu’on retrouve du Reggae, du Dancehall, du Hip-Hop, de l’Afrobeat de la musique latine, de la Soul, de la musique hindoue et de la musique orientale dans cet album ! Le tout constituant un ensemble très homogène grâce à la signature sonore si unique et l’habillage Electro de Thievery Corporation.
Partage car ils ont invité des artistes de haut vol sur cet album : Seu Jorge, Anoushka Shankar, Femi Kuti, ou Sleepy Wonder. On pourrait craindre légitimement une « soupe » mondialisée et mondialisante mais c’est loin d’être le cas. Radio Retaliation est aussi un album politiquement engagé. Il n’y a qu’a écouter par exemple Vampires avec Femi Kuti, Radio Retaliation (la chanson) avec Sleepy Wonder, ou Forgotten People.
Quelques liens utiles :
Keziah Jones Reaches New Heights With Nigerian Wood
02 Sep 2008 11:19 AM /
It’s only been two days that I added Nigerian Wood, Keziah Jones’ latest release, to my Music collection. And I must admit that I like it very much.
After listening to My Kinda Girl, the single that was released this summer, I was afraid that I wouldn’t enjoy the new album. My Kinda Girl is about a fine tune but not the kind of Music that I really enjoy and that I came to expect from this artist. I really dig his previous release, Black Orpheus. But I put aside my initial worries and bought a ticket for his concert in Olympia, Paris this November. This guy is a real showman as far as I can tell from a DVD of a concert he gave a few years ago in Paris.
Yesterday morning was my first exposure to Nigerian Wood. I listened to it while commuting and I really enjoyed it overall. So far, I dig the following songs: Nigerian Wood (same title as the album and also the opening song, with a wonderful mixture of Funk and Soul), Beautifulblackbutterfly (the drums are really great on this one), In Love Forever (kind of standard Pop-ish Keziah style, so enjoyable), and Long Distance Love (the drums are, again, just perfect and their Hip-hopish beats fits greatly with the otherwise Soulish tone of the song).
If you want to sample these songs, they are available on Deezer:
After listening to My Kinda Girl, the single that was released this summer, I was afraid that I wouldn’t enjoy the new album. My Kinda Girl is about a fine tune but not the kind of Music that I really enjoy and that I came to expect from this artist. I really dig his previous release, Black Orpheus. But I put aside my initial worries and bought a ticket for his concert in Olympia, Paris this November. This guy is a real showman as far as I can tell from a DVD of a concert he gave a few years ago in Paris.
Yesterday morning was my first exposure to Nigerian Wood. I listened to it while commuting and I really enjoyed it overall. So far, I dig the following songs: Nigerian Wood (same title as the album and also the opening song, with a wonderful mixture of Funk and Soul), Beautifulblackbutterfly (the drums are really great on this one), In Love Forever (kind of standard Pop-ish Keziah style, so enjoyable), and Long Distance Love (the drums are, again, just perfect and their Hip-hopish beats fits greatly with the otherwise Soulish tone of the song).
If you want to sample these songs, they are available on Deezer:
Avishai's Gently Disturbed Reviewed by AAJ
08 Aug 2008 09:53 PM /
Andrew Velez has reviewed Gently Disturbed by Avishai Cohen Trio for All About Jazz (AAJ). You should definitely read this excellent review.
Quoting him:
Quoting him:
[...] their sophisticated ways tantalize and require attentive, open ears.I can’t say it any better. These guys truly have some incredible alchemy going on. I’ve already written about their New Morning concert a few weeks ago. And I keep listening to their album and every time I discover something new and gain deeper understanding of their Music. Quoting Andrew again:
Gently Disturbed is a blend of melody, groove, complexity and simplicity that is beyond definition.Beyond definition!
Quartier d'Eté : Concerts d'Antibalas
05 Aug 2008 11:50 AM /
Dans le cadre du festival parisien Quartier d’été, l’excellent groupe d’Afrobeat Antibalas effectue une série de 5 concerts dans des jardins de la capitale. Le premier a eu lieu hier au Parc de la Villette. Ce soir, ils seront au jardin Emile Gallé dans le 11ème et je compte y assister avec betabug, un bon ami swiss geek in athens tel qu’il se définit ;-) et en visite actuellement à Paris.
Antibalas est un de mes groupes Afrobeat préférés. Je les ai déjà vu se produire il y a quelques mois dans une salle à Massy (dans le 91) et j’avais passé un très bon moment. La musique est bien rythmée et votre corps peut se mettre à bouger de façon incontrôlable. Les cuivres sont bien présents et la batterie soutient joliment le tout.
Pour découvrir la Musique de cet excellent groupe, faites un tour sur leur site MySpace. Et voici quelques sympathiques titres sur Deezer :
Antibalas est un de mes groupes Afrobeat préférés. Je les ai déjà vu se produire il y a quelques mois dans une salle à Massy (dans le 91) et j’avais passé un très bon moment. La musique est bien rythmée et votre corps peut se mettre à bouger de façon incontrôlable. Les cuivres sont bien présents et la batterie soutient joliment le tout.
Pour découvrir la Musique de cet excellent groupe, faites un tour sur leur site MySpace. Et voici quelques sympathiques titres sur Deezer :
- El Machete
- Musicaw Silt (Live)
- Pay Back Africa
- Pour terminer, vous pouvez consulter le programme complet du festival au format PDF.
Breakin'
22 Jul 2008 10:56 PM /
I moved recently to a new location with my little family. While preparing the boxes, I was surprised to find a dusty box full of magnetic Music tapes in my basement. I was like a little kid opening a gift holding big promises. It contained all the magnetic tapes I brought with when I left Morocco to come to study in France. At that time, my Sony Discman I used to have for a few years was completely broken so I took only my Sony Walkman, a few CDs and as much tapes as I could pack.
Many of them have special memories associated with them. The Al Corley original tape was a gift from a cousin of mine. I craved Square Rooms. You are not dreaming ;-) ... My Musical taste is eclectic, I told ya! I also found a ZZ Top Eliminator original tape. This one was a gift from my brother. It is so beaten up that I didn’t dare putting it in my Technics tape player. Dirty Dog was one of my favorite songs in the nineties. I remember very clearly that the tape broke several times and I had to ‘fix’ it using nail polish :-p
But the tape that I cherish the most is my very first one! Yes, I still have it. It’s a Sony CHF 60 minutes tape my brother bought for me in 1986, when I was a mere 12yo boy. It was recorded using Dolby (woot!) and contains the Breakin’ movie’s awesome soundtrack. At that time, Breakdancing was all hype in Morocco. I used to practice with some friends all the rather basic figures: Turtle, Back Spin, etc. And of course, the movie that was on everyone’s mouth and that every kid on the block was trying to copy moves from was Breakin’! (released as Breakdance: The Movie in Morocco). It features a very affable trio of dancers -Kelly, Ozone and Turbo-. Turbo moves was particularly spectacular to my kid’s eyes. I have extremely sharp memories of Turbo’s Broom Dance:
And here is the first battle:
Of course, things have changed over time but not necessarily for the best (heck, where are the power moves?!?):
Supertramp got it right. It was the best of all times ;-)
Many of them have special memories associated with them. The Al Corley original tape was a gift from a cousin of mine. I craved Square Rooms. You are not dreaming ;-) ... My Musical taste is eclectic, I told ya! I also found a ZZ Top Eliminator original tape. This one was a gift from my brother. It is so beaten up that I didn’t dare putting it in my Technics tape player. Dirty Dog was one of my favorite songs in the nineties. I remember very clearly that the tape broke several times and I had to ‘fix’ it using nail polish :-p
But the tape that I cherish the most is my very first one! Yes, I still have it. It’s a Sony CHF 60 minutes tape my brother bought for me in 1986, when I was a mere 12yo boy. It was recorded using Dolby (woot!) and contains the Breakin’ movie’s awesome soundtrack. At that time, Breakdancing was all hype in Morocco. I used to practice with some friends all the rather basic figures: Turtle, Back Spin, etc. And of course, the movie that was on everyone’s mouth and that every kid on the block was trying to copy moves from was Breakin’! (released as Breakdance: The Movie in Morocco). It features a very affable trio of dancers -Kelly, Ozone and Turbo-. Turbo moves was particularly spectacular to my kid’s eyes. I have extremely sharp memories of Turbo’s Broom Dance:
And here is the first battle:
Of course, things have changed over time but not necessarily for the best (heck, where are the power moves?!?):
Supertramp got it right. It was the best of all times ;-)
Sur Un Air de Funk Taylorien
22 Jul 2008 04:57 PM /
La semaine dernière, je suis allé boire un verre avec des amis au Baroudeur, un bar bien sympathique dans le 11ème à Paris (il est situé plus exactement au 1, rue Faidherbe). L’ambiance y était chaleureuse. Les enceintes diffusaient de la bonne musique, plutôt Jazzy. A un moment, un morceau de bon Funk se lance. Ca ressemblait beaucoup à une chanson de Soulive d’il y a quelques temps mais il manquait certains ingrédients habituellement utilisés par ce groupe, un je-ne-sais-quoi de différent.
Renseignements pris auprès du serveur qui est allé voir sur l’écran de l’iPod servant ce délicieux mets auditif, le cuisinier se nommait The James Taylor Quartet. De retour au bercail, je me mets à la quête du cuisinier dans le cyberverse (ça fait tout de suite j’étale ma science non ?) et je tombe sur une page de Wikipedia qui m’apprend que c’est un groupe Anglais formé par le sieur James Taylor qui officie au Hammond. Un bon nombre de leurs disques (tous ?) sont disponibles chez eMusic. J’ai pratiquement tout pré-écouté avant de télécharger un album de 2001 intitulé Message From The Godfather dont les sonorités ressemblaient beaucoup à ce que nous avions pu écouter au Baroudeur. Mes oreilles sont en ce moment entrain de se délecter de ce Jazz Funk classieux et efficace.
Voici quelques autres liens pour explorer l’oeuvre musicale de ce groupe très sympathique :
Renseignements pris auprès du serveur qui est allé voir sur l’écran de l’iPod servant ce délicieux mets auditif, le cuisinier se nommait The James Taylor Quartet. De retour au bercail, je me mets à la quête du cuisinier dans le cyberverse (ça fait tout de suite j’étale ma science non ?) et je tombe sur une page de Wikipedia qui m’apprend que c’est un groupe Anglais formé par le sieur James Taylor qui officie au Hammond. Un bon nombre de leurs disques (tous ?) sont disponibles chez eMusic. J’ai pratiquement tout pré-écouté avant de télécharger un album de 2001 intitulé Message From The Godfather dont les sonorités ressemblaient beaucoup à ce que nous avions pu écouter au Baroudeur. Mes oreilles sont en ce moment entrain de se délecter de ce Jazz Funk classieux et efficace.
Voici quelques autres liens pour explorer l’oeuvre musicale de ce groupe très sympathique :
Feel The Groove In The Air
20 Jul 2008 08:27 AM /
As a follow-up to my post on Avishai Cohen’s concert, I’d like to share with you on another awesome Jazz artist that also has this blending/generosity power in his Music. I am talking about Christophe Wallemme.
Like Avishai, he is a Jazz bassist/composer/arranger and has a very solid groove. Born in Paris in 1964, his 2006 record Namasté exemplifies the kind of Jazz that I particularly enjoy. That’s why I am planning on attending his October concert at the Sunside, another mythical Jazz venue.
The self-titled song Namasté is a groove summum. I will now step back and let your ears discover this song.
Christophe Wallemme - Namaste EPK
Useful links:
Like Avishai, he is a Jazz bassist/composer/arranger and has a very solid groove. Born in Paris in 1964, his 2006 record Namasté exemplifies the kind of Jazz that I particularly enjoy. That’s why I am planning on attending his October concert at the Sunside, another mythical Jazz venue.
The self-titled song Namasté is a groove summum. I will now step back and let your ears discover this song.
Christophe Wallemme - Namaste EPK
Useful links:
Avishai Smacked Me!
19 Jul 2008 01:50 AM /
It's Saturday 1:26 AM on this side of the not-so-green-anymore planet. I have just came back home. I was at a Jazz concert in Paris. And it was so amazing that I wanted to share my feelings with you right away, before heading to that so-longed-for bed of mine.
Avishai Cohen is one of the most innovative and amazing Jazz bassist and composer/arranger I know of. I heard first of him about 2 years ago in one of my favorite Jazz magazines (Jazzman). They reviewed his 2006 record, Continuo, and gave it very good ratings. As soon as I ripped it on my iTunes library, it was an instant hit and I was literally hooked. Since then, an awesome live CD/DVD (As Is... Live At The Blue Note) and a 2008 record (Gently Disturbed) finished convinced me (as if it was needed) that this is the guy. This is the kind of Music that speaks to my inner self. It represented all what I liked about Music: blending and generosity. Good Music has this particular trait that makes your emotions flowing and put your brain's right hemisphere into high gear mode.
When I learned that he was coming to Paris for a concert at the New Morning, one of the mythical Jazz venues in France, I didn't think much before getting a ticket. A single one. Usually, I ask friends/relatives if they want to come along. But I felt that I needed to live that "snapshot" alone, a communion.
The big day arrived. Friday 18th of July. I had one hell of a week. Physically and emotionally straining. At the end of the day, I was very tired and I doubted that I had enough fuel to go the concert. I don't know how but my feet pushed me forward. Toward the New Morning scene, toward Avishai Cohen and his sidekicks, drummer Mark Guiliana and pianist Shai Maestro.
I arrived there around 7:45 PM. The concert was supposed to start at 9:00 PM. There was already a line. I waited. I was tired. Really tired. Two guys were in front of me in that long line. They started talking about Jazz, Music and other topics I have a sharp interest in. So I jumped in with both feet. I felt that they are made of the same fabrics I was made from. They were generous and have a keen interest in Music. It was a very enjoyable talk. I didn't feel much the long time we waited before entering inside the New Morning. They opened the doors at 9:00 PM. We got good seats and waited for another 30 minutes before the Jazz trio came on the scene.
The words end here. I was completely flabbergasted by these three guys. I took several direct "hits" in the ears, so many of them actually that I don't think I've been to a so emotionally intensive concert in my whole life. They didn't give any warning before taking me from Tired Station to Heavy Energy Street in the blink of an eye. The "hits" were so strong that tears of utter joy kept visiting my cheeks now and then. I was smiling all the time, enthralled by that jaw dropping event. All three musicians were exceptional. But If I should give a "awesome achievement" award it will be to the drummer with no hesitation at all. At three occasions during the two sets they played, he really unleashed his creativity and performed something I've never seen/heard before. He took all the audience with him in a very enjoyable trip. He kind of gave us his hand and told us "follow me in uncharted territory, you'll enjoy the ride. I guarantee it". And we did and we enjoyed behind all description.
After two hours of fantastic Music, I had troubles getting back on my feet and heading home. I kept saying "unbelievable" and I knew that many other people felt the same way. They had that telltale look on their face.
It took me about 1h30min to get back home and here I am writing you. I am still kind of knocked out emotionally speaking.
If you want to try some Music samples, please visit http://www.myspace.com/avishaicohenmusic. Select 11Wives, sit back ... have a good and pleasant trip.
Keep the Music flowing. Let the emotions out. Check for yourselves that we humans can make truly beautiful "things".
Truly yours,
Avishai Cohen is one of the most innovative and amazing Jazz bassist and composer/arranger I know of. I heard first of him about 2 years ago in one of my favorite Jazz magazines (Jazzman). They reviewed his 2006 record, Continuo, and gave it very good ratings. As soon as I ripped it on my iTunes library, it was an instant hit and I was literally hooked. Since then, an awesome live CD/DVD (As Is... Live At The Blue Note) and a 2008 record (Gently Disturbed) finished convinced me (as if it was needed) that this is the guy. This is the kind of Music that speaks to my inner self. It represented all what I liked about Music: blending and generosity. Good Music has this particular trait that makes your emotions flowing and put your brain's right hemisphere into high gear mode.
When I learned that he was coming to Paris for a concert at the New Morning, one of the mythical Jazz venues in France, I didn't think much before getting a ticket. A single one. Usually, I ask friends/relatives if they want to come along. But I felt that I needed to live that "snapshot" alone, a communion.
The big day arrived. Friday 18th of July. I had one hell of a week. Physically and emotionally straining. At the end of the day, I was very tired and I doubted that I had enough fuel to go the concert. I don't know how but my feet pushed me forward. Toward the New Morning scene, toward Avishai Cohen and his sidekicks, drummer Mark Guiliana and pianist Shai Maestro.
I arrived there around 7:45 PM. The concert was supposed to start at 9:00 PM. There was already a line. I waited. I was tired. Really tired. Two guys were in front of me in that long line. They started talking about Jazz, Music and other topics I have a sharp interest in. So I jumped in with both feet. I felt that they are made of the same fabrics I was made from. They were generous and have a keen interest in Music. It was a very enjoyable talk. I didn't feel much the long time we waited before entering inside the New Morning. They opened the doors at 9:00 PM. We got good seats and waited for another 30 minutes before the Jazz trio came on the scene.
The words end here. I was completely flabbergasted by these three guys. I took several direct "hits" in the ears, so many of them actually that I don't think I've been to a so emotionally intensive concert in my whole life. They didn't give any warning before taking me from Tired Station to Heavy Energy Street in the blink of an eye. The "hits" were so strong that tears of utter joy kept visiting my cheeks now and then. I was smiling all the time, enthralled by that jaw dropping event. All three musicians were exceptional. But If I should give a "awesome achievement" award it will be to the drummer with no hesitation at all. At three occasions during the two sets they played, he really unleashed his creativity and performed something I've never seen/heard before. He took all the audience with him in a very enjoyable trip. He kind of gave us his hand and told us "follow me in uncharted territory, you'll enjoy the ride. I guarantee it". And we did and we enjoyed behind all description.
After two hours of fantastic Music, I had troubles getting back on my feet and heading home. I kept saying "unbelievable" and I knew that many other people felt the same way. They had that telltale look on their face.
It took me about 1h30min to get back home and here I am writing you. I am still kind of knocked out emotionally speaking.
If you want to try some Music samples, please visit http://www.myspace.com/avishaicohenmusic. Select 11Wives, sit back ... have a good and pleasant trip.
Keep the Music flowing. Let the emotions out. Check for yourselves that we humans can make truly beautiful "things".
Truly yours,
NPR: Dee Dee Bridgewater's Red Earth in Concert
03 May 2008 06:57 AM /
Dee Dee Bridgewater is a cheerful, affable artist with a very interesting voice. During the years, I've sampled some of her songs (mainly Jazz) but I was not really hooked... until the release of Red Earth, her latest album that she recorded in Mali, Africa. She decided to go there seeking her African ancestry and I think she found it, at least musically speaking.
Mali is a an amazing and vibrant Music haven in West Africa. That's the country where some of my favorite African artists live such as the excellent Toumani Diabaté, Ballaké Cissoko, or Salif Keita to cite just a few. Mali is also the country where Ali Farka Touré was born and died.
Featuring Kora (my favorite Music instrument), Balafon and other traditional African Music instruments as well as a masterfully played Piano (by no less than Edsel Gomez who's Cubist Music was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007), Red Earth is a very interesting album that I particularly enjoyed listening to.
I was pleased to see it featured on NPR which streams a Dee Dee Bridgewater's concert performed in Washington D.C. Treat your ears to this excellent Music! I particularly recommend the second part (seek the Listen to Part 2 link).
Mali is a an amazing and vibrant Music haven in West Africa. That's the country where some of my favorite African artists live such as the excellent Toumani Diabaté, Ballaké Cissoko, or Salif Keita to cite just a few. Mali is also the country where Ali Farka Touré was born and died.
Featuring Kora (my favorite Music instrument), Balafon and other traditional African Music instruments as well as a masterfully played Piano (by no less than Edsel Gomez who's Cubist Music was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007), Red Earth is a very interesting album that I particularly enjoyed listening to.
I was pleased to see it featured on NPR which streams a Dee Dee Bridgewater's concert performed in Washington D.C. Treat your ears to this excellent Music! I particularly recommend the second part (seek the Listen to Part 2 link).
Jazz Song Review: Kalimba Suite by Bobby McFerrin [5/5]
12 Mar 2008 10:50 PM /
[Jazz] Kalimba Suite by Bobby McFerrin
From the album Beyond Words.
Bobby McFerrin is one of my favorite artists. I highly regard his amazing voice and incredible musicality. He is a frequent guest of my iPod playlists and I often listen to his records when I need to relax, be it for sleep, for work or just for kicks. Circlesongs, released in 1997, is so far my favorite album. But I have a feeling that Beyond Words -released in 2002 and the subject of this post- might replace it.
Two weeks ago, I had a cursory glance at some online music news (which I have a hard time recollecting what kind of site it was) when I saw Bobby's name cited. So I decided to have a look at Amazon.fr and see if I can find an El Cheapo (as in price, not as in Music of course) record of the Man that I don't own. That's how I first heard about Beyond Words and also that one of the guests invited by Bobby McFerrin was Richard Bona, an amazing African bassist with a very nice voice of his own. As for the El Cheapo condition, I ordered it through Market Place (from Import CD Specialist if you care, they have top service and I ordered quite numerous times from them with no troubles so far).
When I got back from work today, the CD was waiting for me in the mailbox. After minding the kids, getting dinner and helping my dear half with housework, I ripped the CD, put on my headphones and hit the Play button. In a instant, I was travelling to Music land. I looped through the whole record once and on the second iteration, I realized how Kalimba Suite stands out. It's like being in a wonderful garden full of amazing flowers and when you go through the whole thing your preattentive processing kicks in and you realize that one particular flower stands out.
Kalimba Suite is truly exceptional. Mind you, it's a 2-in-1 song. Around 2 minutes of playing this 3:40 song, the tone changes and a synthetizer kicks in (which somehow reminded me of Tom Grant's 1990 record Edge Of The World) with a weird reverb effect. Surprising at first, it just flows nicely afterwards without really breaking the magic initiated by the first 2 minutes. And just to add to the joy I felt, the bassist is of course Mr. Bona!
Beyond Words is a very nice record that you can get with your eyes closed (and listen to with eyes closed as well to maximize the happiness).
I truly thank you Bobby for your excellent Music. Keep up the excellent job!
Meta information:
From the album Beyond Words.
Bobby McFerrin is one of my favorite artists. I highly regard his amazing voice and incredible musicality. He is a frequent guest of my iPod playlists and I often listen to his records when I need to relax, be it for sleep, for work or just for kicks. Circlesongs, released in 1997, is so far my favorite album. But I have a feeling that Beyond Words -released in 2002 and the subject of this post- might replace it.
Two weeks ago, I had a cursory glance at some online music news (which I have a hard time recollecting what kind of site it was) when I saw Bobby's name cited. So I decided to have a look at Amazon.fr and see if I can find an El Cheapo (as in price, not as in Music of course) record of the Man that I don't own. That's how I first heard about Beyond Words and also that one of the guests invited by Bobby McFerrin was Richard Bona, an amazing African bassist with a very nice voice of his own. As for the El Cheapo condition, I ordered it through Market Place (from Import CD Specialist if you care, they have top service and I ordered quite numerous times from them with no troubles so far).
When I got back from work today, the CD was waiting for me in the mailbox. After minding the kids, getting dinner and helping my dear half with housework, I ripped the CD, put on my headphones and hit the Play button. In a instant, I was travelling to Music land. I looped through the whole record once and on the second iteration, I realized how Kalimba Suite stands out. It's like being in a wonderful garden full of amazing flowers and when you go through the whole thing your preattentive processing kicks in and you realize that one particular flower stands out.
Kalimba Suite is truly exceptional. Mind you, it's a 2-in-1 song. Around 2 minutes of playing this 3:40 song, the tone changes and a synthetizer kicks in (which somehow reminded me of Tom Grant's 1990 record Edge Of The World) with a weird reverb effect. Surprising at first, it just flows nicely afterwards without really breaking the magic initiated by the first 2 minutes. And just to add to the joy I felt, the bassist is of course Mr. Bona!
Beyond Words is a very nice record that you can get with your eyes closed (and listen to with eyes closed as well to maximize the happiness).
I truly thank you Bobby for your excellent Music. Keep up the excellent job!
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Blue Note
- Release year: 2002
- Related Artists: None, absolutely None!
- Bobby McFerrin's official website
- Listen to Kalimba Suite (full-length, not so bad quality) on Deezer
- An awesome improvisation featuring Bobby McFerrin and Richard Bona from your friendly YouTube
Blues Song Review: Hold On by Eric Bibb [5/5]
08 Mar 2008 07:24 AM /
[Blues] Hold On by Eric Bibb
From the album Spirit I Am.
The first time I heard about Eric Bibb was back in 2003. I went to a FNAC store in downtown Paris and asked the guy at the Jazz/Blues section if he can advise artists similar to Keb' Mo'. I recall very clearly how bright his face went and he answered with a smile, handing Eric Bibb's Natural Light record. I bought it without any further question or comment and when I was back home, I put it in the CD player and I enjoyed it a lot. Since then, I am keeping a close eye on that artist. He has a great sense of Blues and uses elements of Folk and Soul as well.
Spirit I Am is his latest release. Published by DixieFrog Records in France, it is a double-album. The first is the "official" album (Get On Board) and the second (Field Recordings) is a France-only release. Field Recordings is a traditional Blues record. And my favorite song is Hold On, the fifth track of this album. Featuring Eric's warm and very soothing voice with an acoustic guitar, it instantly touched my soul. This is what I call a wonderful song. The other songs of Field Recordings and Get On Board are very good.
When I buy an album, I rip it (if it's a soft/hard shell CD) or convert it (if it's an eMusic MP3 album) into AAC using iTunes. And I usually listen to it using my Sennheiser PX200 headphones. When I received Spirit I Am, I got Omar Sosa's Afreecanos as well and a CD Sampler from Vibrations. I started by ripping Afreecanos first, then Spirit I Am and I finished with the CD Sampler. When I started listening to Hold On, my eyes fell on the Cover Flow part of iTunes' display. I took the following screenshot, which speaks for itself and for my emotions:
Meta information:
From the album Spirit I Am.
The first time I heard about Eric Bibb was back in 2003. I went to a FNAC store in downtown Paris and asked the guy at the Jazz/Blues section if he can advise artists similar to Keb' Mo'. I recall very clearly how bright his face went and he answered with a smile, handing Eric Bibb's Natural Light record. I bought it without any further question or comment and when I was back home, I put it in the CD player and I enjoyed it a lot. Since then, I am keeping a close eye on that artist. He has a great sense of Blues and uses elements of Folk and Soul as well.
Spirit I Am is his latest release. Published by DixieFrog Records in France, it is a double-album. The first is the "official" album (Get On Board) and the second (Field Recordings) is a France-only release. Field Recordings is a traditional Blues record. And my favorite song is Hold On, the fifth track of this album. Featuring Eric's warm and very soothing voice with an acoustic guitar, it instantly touched my soul. This is what I call a wonderful song. The other songs of Field Recordings and Get On Board are very good.
When I buy an album, I rip it (if it's a soft/hard shell CD) or convert it (if it's an eMusic MP3 album) into AAC using iTunes. And I usually listen to it using my Sennheiser PX200 headphones. When I received Spirit I Am, I got Omar Sosa's Afreecanos as well and a CD Sampler from Vibrations. I started by ripping Afreecanos first, then Spirit I Am and I finished with the CD Sampler. When I started listening to Hold On, my eyes fell on the Cover Flow part of iTunes' display. I took the following screenshot, which speaks for itself and for my emotions:
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: DixieFrog Records
- Release year: 2008
- Related Artists: Keb' Mo'
- Eric Bibb's Official Website
- I Heard The Angels Singing (YouTube Video Of A Live Performance of Eric Bibb)
Afrobeat Song Review: Insurrection by The Souljazz Orchestra [5/5]
08 Jan 2008 09:26 PM /
[Afrobeat] Insurrection by The Souljazz Orchestra
From the album Freedom Go No Die.
I discovered this band a few weeks earlier thanks to Radio Nova, a radio I listened quite often. And I had quite a hard time finding the album in France. As a last resort, I got it from iTunes Store.
I've never heard something as innovative in the Afrobeat landscape as Insurrection, save for Antibalas. It has a very Funky tone made of an elaborate intertwinement of African and Occidental Drums with warm Saxophones. The Musical genre created by Fela Kuti is alive and kicking! Freedom Go No Die features other excellent songs such as Mista President and The Blind Leading The Blind. While these songs are very solid and serious Afrobeat, they didn't sound as new and challenging wrt to the Afrobeat sound I am used to hear elsewhere as Insurrection. My buying advice? get a look at the rating, you don't need me to tell you that you can get this one without further thinking. And if you don't like the Music, maybe you can't resist the beauty of the cover art which I just find awesome!
Meta information:
From the album Freedom Go No Die.
I discovered this band a few weeks earlier thanks to Radio Nova, a radio I listened quite often. And I had quite a hard time finding the album in France. As a last resort, I got it from iTunes Store.
I've never heard something as innovative in the Afrobeat landscape as Insurrection, save for Antibalas. It has a very Funky tone made of an elaborate intertwinement of African and Occidental Drums with warm Saxophones. The Musical genre created by Fela Kuti is alive and kicking! Freedom Go No Die features other excellent songs such as Mista President and The Blind Leading The Blind. While these songs are very solid and serious Afrobeat, they didn't sound as new and challenging wrt to the Afrobeat sound I am used to hear elsewhere as Insurrection. My buying advice? get a look at the rating, you don't need me to tell you that you can get this one without further thinking. And if you don't like the Music, maybe you can't resist the beauty of the cover art which I just find awesome!
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Do Right!
- Release year: 2006
- Related Artists: Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, Antibalas, The Souljazz Orchestra, Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators, Kokolo, Akoya, Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, Budos Band, Nomo
Afrobeat Song Review: Musicawa Silt by The Daktaris [5/5]
08 Jan 2008 01:11 AM /
[Afrobeat] Musicawa Silt by The Daktaris
From the album Soul Explosion.
Musicawa Silt is an excellent Afrobeat/Funk piece. I stumbled upon this 1998 album by chance while browsing pretty much at random eMusic's collection. At first, I didn't believe what I heard. This is exactly the kind of Music I am currently looking for and enjoying. It sounds a lot like Fela Kuti's material with a more Funky tone to it. As always, I often listen to this kind of superb Music with closed eyes (not when I cross the streets of course) because it has that mysterious power to transport me into the comfy realms of my imagination. The Daktaris give me just the right mix of Afrobeat alchemy to lead me to believe I am back to the seventies, a time period I didn't know for real ( I was born in 1974) and the only "solid" references I have about it is from the movies I watched, mainly blaxploitation. Transcendental Music is excellent Music. And that's it. Wanna do your ears a favor? Get Musicawa Silt. Oh and you know what? Get Soul Explosion and travel back in time for about 40 mins. For a time machine, it's quite a bargain.
Meta information:
From the album Soul Explosion.
Musicawa Silt is an excellent Afrobeat/Funk piece. I stumbled upon this 1998 album by chance while browsing pretty much at random eMusic's collection. At first, I didn't believe what I heard. This is exactly the kind of Music I am currently looking for and enjoying. It sounds a lot like Fela Kuti's material with a more Funky tone to it. As always, I often listen to this kind of superb Music with closed eyes (not when I cross the streets of course) because it has that mysterious power to transport me into the comfy realms of my imagination. The Daktaris give me just the right mix of Afrobeat alchemy to lead me to believe I am back to the seventies, a time period I didn't know for real ( I was born in 1974) and the only "solid" references I have about it is from the movies I watched, mainly blaxploitation. Transcendental Music is excellent Music. And that's it. Wanna do your ears a favor? Get Musicawa Silt. Oh and you know what? Get Soul Explosion and travel back in time for about 40 mins. For a time machine, it's quite a bargain.
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Desco Records
- Release year: 1998
- Related Artists: Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, Antibalas, The Souljazz Orchestra, Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators, Kokolo, Akoya, Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, Budos Band
- The Daktaris at Myspace
- Full-length song (FREE) from tighttunes.com
Jazz Song Review: Dawn by Build An Ark [5/5]
02 Dec 2007 12:54 AM /
[Jazz] Dawn by Build An Ark
From the album Dawn.
What an amazing Jazz song Dawn is! A delicious recipe where Jazz is the main element, mixing it with amazing tribal sounds that take their roots in Africa thanks to a great musical sensitiveness. With about thirty musicians, Build An Ark is more of a project than your usual Jazz band. Loaded with just the right dose of spirituality and mysticism, this new album embodies peace messages all over. Almost all the songs are top-notch but Dawn really stands out with this subtle intertwinement of Jazz and African percussions. Too bad the album is so short.
Note to the eMusic subscribers out there: Peace With Every Step, Build An Ark's previous album, is available for download. I'm currently listening to it and so far I enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Dawn.
Meta information:
From the album Dawn.
What an amazing Jazz song Dawn is! A delicious recipe where Jazz is the main element, mixing it with amazing tribal sounds that take their roots in Africa thanks to a great musical sensitiveness. With about thirty musicians, Build An Ark is more of a project than your usual Jazz band. Loaded with just the right dose of spirituality and mysticism, this new album embodies peace messages all over. Almost all the songs are top-notch but Dawn really stands out with this subtle intertwinement of Jazz and African percussions. Too bad the album is so short.
Note to the eMusic subscribers out there: Peace With Every Step, Build An Ark's previous album, is available for download. I'm currently listening to it and so far I enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Dawn.
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Kindred Spirits
- Release year: 2007
- Related Artists: Herbie Hancock, Avishai Cohen, Bob James
- Build An Ark at myspace
- Listen to the song from the Vibrations website (requires Flash, scroll the page a bit and click on the "Play" button)
Reggae Song Review: Fire Go Come by Corey Harris [5/5]
28 Oct 2007 04:11 PM /
[Reggae] Fire Go Come by Corey Harris
From the album Zion Crossroads.
Fire Go Come is a wonderful Roots Reggae tune. I've known Corey Harris as a very interesting Bluesman and I was very pleased when I listened to Zion Crossroads, a pure Reggae record respecting all the "standards" of this genre. There are many very good Roots Reggae songs such as Sweatshop, Afrique (Chez Moi), Cleanliness and Plantation Town (which has a very interesting Bluesy tone). Corey Harris ventures also in the grounds of Dancehall (You Never Know, Heathen Rage) with great success. But Fire Go Come has just the right mix of politically engaged lyrics, riddim, and outstanding vocals that carry on the emotion you can feel through the lyrics. There is also a brilliant guitar riff thrown in the middle. Fire Go Come Real Soon! It sure is 'mon!
Meta information:
From the album Zion Crossroads.
Fire Go Come is a wonderful Roots Reggae tune. I've known Corey Harris as a very interesting Bluesman and I was very pleased when I listened to Zion Crossroads, a pure Reggae record respecting all the "standards" of this genre. There are many very good Roots Reggae songs such as Sweatshop, Afrique (Chez Moi), Cleanliness and Plantation Town (which has a very interesting Bluesy tone). Corey Harris ventures also in the grounds of Dancehall (You Never Know, Heathen Rage) with great success. But Fire Go Come has just the right mix of politically engaged lyrics, riddim, and outstanding vocals that carry on the emotion you can feel through the lyrics. There is also a brilliant guitar riff thrown in the middle. Fire Go Come Real Soon! It sure is 'mon!
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Telarc
- Release year: 2007
- Related Artists: Tiken Jah Fakoly, Bob Marley, Winston McAnuff, Sylford Walker
Hip-Hop Song Review: Say Something by Talib Kweli [5/5]
28 Oct 2007 12:19 PM /
[Hip-Hop] Say Something by Talib Kweli (Explicit Lyrics)
From the album Eardrum.
If you have been following my Music posts for sometime, you know that I have eclectic musical tastes. And I listen quite often to Hip-Hop Music. Thanks (again!) to my brother Aziz, I became a fan of this genre back in the late 80s when Aziz come home (he was already in the U.S. at that time) for a visit and brought with him a truckload of CDs (a rarity then in Morocco) and tapes. Run DMC, KRS-One, and Eazy E were among my favorite. I enjoy a handful of Gangsta style records such as 50 cent's Guess Who's Back?, Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle, and Public Enemy albums (which I don't really define as Gangsta). But there's nothing better IMHO than old-school Hip-Hop. And Say Something is one of the best old-school Hip-Hop songs I've listened to lately. Talib Kweli has a very nice voice and a awesome flow. And the rhythm is simply incredible. It pushes the adrenaline quite high and make you want to start dancing without ever feeling it. This is exactly what happened to me the first time I listened to it. It was about 6 days ago. I was getting dinner with my elder daughter and all of a sudden, I jumped out of my chair and started dancing. It brought back memories long forgotten of the time I used to practice Break-dancing with some neighbours down the street in Casablanca. Cheerful, my daughter also got out of her chair and starting mimicking my rather bad dance moves ;-)
Anyways, if you like old-school Hip-Hop and solid artistic skills, Talib Kweli iz da man!
Meta information:
Extra links :
From the album Eardrum.
If you have been following my Music posts for sometime, you know that I have eclectic musical tastes. And I listen quite often to Hip-Hop Music. Thanks (again!) to my brother Aziz, I became a fan of this genre back in the late 80s when Aziz come home (he was already in the U.S. at that time) for a visit and brought with him a truckload of CDs (a rarity then in Morocco) and tapes. Run DMC, KRS-One, and Eazy E were among my favorite. I enjoy a handful of Gangsta style records such as 50 cent's Guess Who's Back?, Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle, and Public Enemy albums (which I don't really define as Gangsta). But there's nothing better IMHO than old-school Hip-Hop. And Say Something is one of the best old-school Hip-Hop songs I've listened to lately. Talib Kweli has a very nice voice and a awesome flow. And the rhythm is simply incredible. It pushes the adrenaline quite high and make you want to start dancing without ever feeling it. This is exactly what happened to me the first time I listened to it. It was about 6 days ago. I was getting dinner with my elder daughter and all of a sudden, I jumped out of my chair and started dancing. It brought back memories long forgotten of the time I used to practice Break-dancing with some neighbours down the street in Casablanca. Cheerful, my daughter also got out of her chair and starting mimicking my rather bad dance moves ;-)
Anyways, if you like old-school Hip-Hop and solid artistic skills, Talib Kweli iz da man!
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Blacksmith Records
- Release year: 2007
- Related Artists: Common, MF Doom, Hi-Tek
Extra links :
- Music sample @youtube
- Talib Kweli's Official Website
- Say Something Lyrics
[Jazz] Don't Forget Steve Coleman And His Free Collection Of Music
14 Sep 2007 05:20 PM /
If you are a Jazz fan and you've never heard of Steve Coleman, you deserve some serious spanking. This awesome saxophonist has produced many excellent (and some very obscure and abstract) albums. And you know what? Most of his albums (even out of print and rare ones) are available for free on the artist's website in MP3 format (no DRM, no hidden trick). But maybe not for long. As you can read on the website:
So hurry up if you want to get some.
By the way, I have just received his latest work, Invisible Paths: First Scattering. It's a solo sax album! I may review that one later on. Until then, you may want to grab my favorite ones for free from the website: Sine Die, Drop Kick, and Rhythm People (The Resurrection Of Creative Black Civilization).
However I am looking for a place to host the dowloading of these files as my server is closing down soon!! This is a small server and keeps shutting down because of the amounts of downloads.
So hurry up if you want to get some.
By the way, I have just received his latest work, Invisible Paths: First Scattering. It's a solo sax album! I may review that one later on. Until then, you may want to grab my favorite ones for free from the website: Sine Die, Drop Kick, and Rhythm People (The Resurrection Of Creative Black Civilization).
Rock Song Review: Sharpening Bone by Piers Faccini [5/5]
23 Jul 2007 08:48 AM /
[Rock] Sharpening Bone, Piers Faccini
From the album Tearing Sky.
I have a bit weird story with this artist. In 2004, I heard a song from his then-new album Leave No Trace while on the road in Corsica. I wasn't enthralled. I thought to myself "mmmmm .... ok, it is quite nice but why the Music magazines and radios have such a high opinion of this guy?" I decided to buy the album nonetheless and add it to my collection. Truth is, I almost didn't listen to it (as it happens sometimes when I buy many CDs in one shot). Fast forward to 2006. Piers released a new album which was lauded by my favorite Music magazine, Vibrations. Their sampler even included If I, a song from Tearing Sky. I thought it was better than what I had already heard from Piers. Not that I heard that much anyways. I decided once again to get the album and I listened to it once. Fast forward to 2007 and this week-end. I picked up a CD randomly to listen to it in my car. It was Tearing Sky. It is so good that I listened to it non-stop all the week-end. Even this morning while commuting. I consider it as one of the top albums I will always keep handy. There are many excellent songs. The selection was extremely hard but I think Sharpening Bone is a bit better than the remaining songs. It has an eery feeling to it and the "Indian" (as in "redneck") chanting featured at the end is amazing. It should be noted that Ben Harper is featured in the opening song (he is doing the background vocals) and his Innocent Criminals (Juan Nelson, Leon Mobley & co.) back Piers with their very solid play. And Piers' voice is excellent. Sorry Piers for almost missing your excellent Music.
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From the album Tearing Sky.
I have a bit weird story with this artist. In 2004, I heard a song from his then-new album Leave No Trace while on the road in Corsica. I wasn't enthralled. I thought to myself "mmmmm .... ok, it is quite nice but why the Music magazines and radios have such a high opinion of this guy?" I decided to buy the album nonetheless and add it to my collection. Truth is, I almost didn't listen to it (as it happens sometimes when I buy many CDs in one shot). Fast forward to 2006. Piers released a new album which was lauded by my favorite Music magazine, Vibrations. Their sampler even included If I, a song from Tearing Sky. I thought it was better than what I had already heard from Piers. Not that I heard that much anyways. I decided once again to get the album and I listened to it once. Fast forward to 2007 and this week-end. I picked up a CD randomly to listen to it in my car. It was Tearing Sky. It is so good that I listened to it non-stop all the week-end. Even this morning while commuting. I consider it as one of the top albums I will always keep handy. There are many excellent songs. The selection was extremely hard but I think Sharpening Bone is a bit better than the remaining songs. It has an eery feeling to it and the "Indian" (as in "redneck") chanting featured at the end is amazing. It should be noted that Ben Harper is featured in the opening song (he is doing the background vocals) and his Innocent Criminals (Juan Nelson, Leon Mobley & co.) back Piers with their very solid play. And Piers' voice is excellent. Sorry Piers for almost missing your excellent Music.
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Label Bleu
- Release Year: 2006
- Related Artists: Ben Harper, Jack Johnson
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Replacing the Koss PortaPro
31 Mar 2007 08:23 AM /
While my first unit of the Koss PortaPro headphones, which about in 1998, lasted a few years the two replacement units I got afterwards didn't "survive" for long (I take extra care of my Music gear). Was it because of the incredible success of this model (at least in France) and the money-hungry company that understood very well the law of supply and demand and decided to raise the price quite significantly (I bought my first unit for about 45 EUR and now they are around 70...) while diminishing the costs with a negative impact on quality? This might be mere speculation but see, my last unit fell apart yesterday. One of the phones doesn't want to stick anymore to the head support. And that support's resizing plastic elements broke. So I thought it was time to look for something else for a change.
I still use my Shure E3C when commuting or before going to sleep. But I needed something similar to the Koss PortaPro when I work so that I can hear people around me. But I didn't want to spend much time comparing models so I decided to ask my friends around and Jethro, a fellow DocIslander and a Music lover to whom I am grateful for making me discover some very interesting Music, told me about the Sennheiser PX200. He bought a unit when he got his iPod Nano about 10 months ago and he was very well satisfied with them, save for feeling a discomfort after wearing them for an extended time.
Being a closed model, I feared they were heavy and won't let ambient sounds in. But I decided to follow Jethro's advice anyways and I bought a unit for 57 EUR yesterday. When I got back home, I opened the package and took the PX200 out of their quite interesting carrying case that looks like it was created for carrying glasses (the PX200 fold almost like them). It was time to test them. So I launched iTunes, plugged the unit to my laptop and created a playlist with many genres of Music. The songs I chose were some of the ones I know most and to which I listened to many times. That way, I believe I could fish any distorsion or unusual sound rendering. Well, the PX200 performed very well. They sound a lot like the PortaPro and are very light and comfortable. The noise blocking is pretty nice and if you don't listen to Music too loudly, you can hear some of the ambient sounds around. They also look pretty solid. Let's hope they don't break apart soon.
I am so far happy even if the people around me might no be that happy when they realize I've changed headphones and that they need to shout to make themselves heard. Thank you Jethro for the great advice.
I still use my Shure E3C when commuting or before going to sleep. But I needed something similar to the Koss PortaPro when I work so that I can hear people around me. But I didn't want to spend much time comparing models so I decided to ask my friends around and Jethro, a fellow DocIslander and a Music lover to whom I am grateful for making me discover some very interesting Music, told me about the Sennheiser PX200. He bought a unit when he got his iPod Nano about 10 months ago and he was very well satisfied with them, save for feeling a discomfort after wearing them for an extended time.
Being a closed model, I feared they were heavy and won't let ambient sounds in. But I decided to follow Jethro's advice anyways and I bought a unit for 57 EUR yesterday. When I got back home, I opened the package and took the PX200 out of their quite interesting carrying case that looks like it was created for carrying glasses (the PX200 fold almost like them). It was time to test them. So I launched iTunes, plugged the unit to my laptop and created a playlist with many genres of Music. The songs I chose were some of the ones I know most and to which I listened to many times. That way, I believe I could fish any distorsion or unusual sound rendering. Well, the PX200 performed very well. They sound a lot like the PortaPro and are very light and comfortable. The noise blocking is pretty nice and if you don't listen to Music too loudly, you can hear some of the ambient sounds around. They also look pretty solid. Let's hope they don't break apart soon.
I am so far happy even if the people around me might no be that happy when they realize I've changed headphones and that they need to shout to make themselves heard. Thank you Jethro for the great advice.
World Song Review: Toumast by Tinariwen [5/5]
31 Mar 2007 07:17 AM /
[World] Toumast, Tinariwen
From the album Aman Iman (Water is Life).
WOW. WOW. WOW!!!!! I rarely felt in so great a communion with Music but Toumast touched the inner core of my being. It feels like someone gave me a strange shot with some special fluid that makes me go in a trance. I am very sensitive to that kind of Music. Maybe it is due (again) to my brother making me listen to Gnawa Music when I was a kid back in Morocco, a genre that Tinariwen's Music takes to higher grounds. The sound quality is awesome and the handclaps participate to that trance feeling. I've listened to Aman Iman almost 20 times (according to my iTunes's Play Count numbers) and I can't quit. All the songs are excellent but Toumast has something into it that makes it different from the others. If you want to travel to the Sahel without ever leaving your seat (I am totally crazy about this characteristic of great Music) and take part in a Tuareg mystical party, go get this album right away.
I think Tinariwen has reached some sort of incredible alchemy that wasn't there in their previous albums. And I really thank them for that. If it wasn't for a family event that was scheduled so ahead in time, I would have bought a ticket for their Bataclan concert on April 7th.
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From the album Aman Iman (Water is Life).
WOW. WOW. WOW!!!!! I rarely felt in so great a communion with Music but Toumast touched the inner core of my being. It feels like someone gave me a strange shot with some special fluid that makes me go in a trance. I am very sensitive to that kind of Music. Maybe it is due (again) to my brother making me listen to Gnawa Music when I was a kid back in Morocco, a genre that Tinariwen's Music takes to higher grounds. The sound quality is awesome and the handclaps participate to that trance feeling. I've listened to Aman Iman almost 20 times (according to my iTunes's Play Count numbers) and I can't quit. All the songs are excellent but Toumast has something into it that makes it different from the others. If you want to travel to the Sahel without ever leaving your seat (I am totally crazy about this characteristic of great Music) and take part in a Tuareg mystical party, go get this album right away.
I think Tinariwen has reached some sort of incredible alchemy that wasn't there in their previous albums. And I really thank them for that. If it wasn't for a family event that was scheduled so ahead in time, I would have bought a ticket for their Bataclan concert on April 7th.
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Universal Music
- Release year: 2007
- Related Artists: Desert Rebel, Ali Farka Touré, Vieux Farka Touré, Hamid Kasri, Tartit, Toumast
Extra links :
- Streaming version of Toumast
- Tinariwen's Official Website
- Streaming versions of four of the album's songs (require Real Player or Windows Media Player)
Jazz Song Review: Byzance by Nguyên Lê and Dhafer Youssef [5/5] (Best Song of 2006)
03 Jan 2007 09:37 PM /
[Jazz] Byzance, Nguyên Lê Duos (Nguyên Lê and Dhafer Youssef)
From the album Homescape.
Byzance is in my opinion the best song of 2006. Featuring two of my favorite artists, Guitar player Nguyên Lê and Oud player Dhafer Youssef, it has something very special that I can't define clearly in words, that "transcends" Music and gives me a ruch of amazing and very enjoyable emotions with its oriental, almost hypnotic, tone. The intertwinement of Oud and Guitar with oriental percussions is just perfect. The same goes for the excellent sound engineering, made in a home studio by Nguyên Lê. Dhafer Youssef's voice adds a very welcome touch to the song's core fabric. This is great Art. Thank you guys for this amazing piece of Music. I've listened to it about 30 times already and I am absolutely not tired of it.
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From the album Homescape.
Byzance is in my opinion the best song of 2006. Featuring two of my favorite artists, Guitar player Nguyên Lê and Oud player Dhafer Youssef, it has something very special that I can't define clearly in words, that "transcends" Music and gives me a ruch of amazing and very enjoyable emotions with its oriental, almost hypnotic, tone. The intertwinement of Oud and Guitar with oriental percussions is just perfect. The same goes for the excellent sound engineering, made in a home studio by Nguyên Lê. Dhafer Youssef's voice adds a very welcome touch to the song's core fabric. This is great Art. Thank you guys for this amazing piece of Music. I've listened to it about 30 times already and I am absolutely not tired of it.
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: ACT
- Release year: 2006
- Related Artists: Wolfgang Haffner, Anouar Brahem, Erik Truffaz (particularly in his latest album, Saloua, which features Soufi singer Mounir Troudi)
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Funk Song Review: Qu'est Ce Qu'on En Fait ? by Sinclair [4/5]
26 Dec 2006 09:09 PM /
[Funk] Qu'est-ce Qu'on En Fait ?, Sinclair
From the album Morphologique
The French prince of Funk is back at it! Since I included one of his songs in Wonderful Songs Aug'05, he has released a new album, Morphologique (French for Morphological), a few months ago. I really like his Music and this album is on a par with his talent. Qu'est Ce Qu'on En Fait ? is the most Funky song of the lot and Sinclair is very good in this register. He has an incredible sense of Groove and rhythm. And I also enjoy his voice. The album also features nice Pop songs.
Please give it a try.
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From the album Morphologique
The French prince of Funk is back at it! Since I included one of his songs in Wonderful Songs Aug'05, he has released a new album, Morphologique (French for Morphological), a few months ago. I really like his Music and this album is on a par with his talent. Qu'est Ce Qu'on En Fait ? is the most Funky song of the lot and Sinclair is very good in this register. He has an incredible sense of Groove and rhythm. And I also enjoy his voice. The album also features nice Pop songs.
Please give it a try.
Meta information:
- Rating: 4/5
- Label: Editions xtrasoul (self-produced)
- Release year: 2006
- Related Artists: -M-, Ben Ricour
Extra links :
- Artist's Website (contains sample music. Click on "L'album")
Jazz Song Review: Look The Lobis by Romano, Sclavis, Texier, Le Querrec [5/5]
24 Dec 2006 08:39 AM /
[Jazz] Look The Lobis, Romano, Sclavis, Texier, Le Querrec
From the album African Flashback.
African Flashback is one of my favorite Jazz albums. Featuring Aldo Romano on drums, Louis Sclavis on clarinet, and Henri Texier on bass, it is the third and last album of this amazing European Jazz trio. The idea behind this trio was initiated in 1990 by Guy Le Querrec, a renowned French photographer. who went touring Central Africa for three weeks. They had been so enthralled by this experience that they decided to make Carnet de Routes in 1995. Featuring original compositions from each artist and about 50 photos of the trips, this first album met incredible success. In 1998, the four friends decided to go back to Africa. This time, they visited South and East Africa. As a result, a second album, Suite Africaine, was made. It also met great success. And I really love those two albums.
Later on, Le Querrec was asked to choose from the thousands of unreleased pictures he brought back from Africa and to give his selection to the musicians who would imagine stories behind these pictures that they will tell the listeners in Music. Released in 2005, African Flashback is the result of this work and it is simply superb! There's no other word to describe this jewel. The CD comes with an impressive booklet containing Le Querrec's selected pictures. It was very had to select one of the songs as I really love all of them (except Surreal Politik that isn't to my taste at all). After listening over and over to this masterpiece, I decided to give my preference to Look The Lobis for the incredible Bass play donned by Henri Texier and the very distinct Rock tone of the song.
I am very grateful to these musicians and all the other artists that create such amazing Art. I can't imagine how we could live without Music.
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From the album African Flashback.
African Flashback is one of my favorite Jazz albums. Featuring Aldo Romano on drums, Louis Sclavis on clarinet, and Henri Texier on bass, it is the third and last album of this amazing European Jazz trio. The idea behind this trio was initiated in 1990 by Guy Le Querrec, a renowned French photographer. who went touring Central Africa for three weeks. They had been so enthralled by this experience that they decided to make Carnet de Routes in 1995. Featuring original compositions from each artist and about 50 photos of the trips, this first album met incredible success. In 1998, the four friends decided to go back to Africa. This time, they visited South and East Africa. As a result, a second album, Suite Africaine, was made. It also met great success. And I really love those two albums.
Later on, Le Querrec was asked to choose from the thousands of unreleased pictures he brought back from Africa and to give his selection to the musicians who would imagine stories behind these pictures that they will tell the listeners in Music. Released in 2005, African Flashback is the result of this work and it is simply superb! There's no other word to describe this jewel. The CD comes with an impressive booklet containing Le Querrec's selected pictures. It was very had to select one of the songs as I really love all of them (except Surreal Politik that isn't to my taste at all). After listening over and over to this masterpiece, I decided to give my preference to Look The Lobis for the incredible Bass play donned by Henri Texier and the very distinct Rock tone of the song.
I am very grateful to these musicians and all the other artists that create such amazing Art. I can't imagine how we could live without Music.
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Label Bleu
- Release year: 2005
Extra links :
- Look The Lobis sample (30 seconds in Real Audio)
On Earphones And Headphones
08 Dec 2006 10:32 AM /
Back in the nineties, I used the Koss PortaPro headphones my brother Aziz brought back with him from the U.S. when he visited the family in Morocco (that was in the summer of 1991 brother?), I started to be more stringent about the quality of headphones and earphones in general. At that time, as a student all what I was able to get was some open Sony headphones. While they didn't sound great in comparison to the Koss Porta Pro, they were better than the crap vendors keep bundling with their portable audio systems. The Sony headphones served me well during many years and I even brought them with me to France in 1997. With some of the money I earned in my student job, I got a closed Sennheiser model. While they sounded pretty good, they were pretty heavy to wear and I usually used them before going to sleep or when I was studying at the library.
Things started to get interesting when I got my first real job. I bought the Koss PortaPro and I was very satisfied with them for quite a few years. But as you nurture your mind with reading and mental exercing, you also nurture your ears with great Music. Mine became a bit discomforted with the bass-boosting Porta Pro. Moreover, since they were an open model, they weren't good at isolating external noise that prevented me from listening to Music in good conditions while commuting. The Paris metro and RER are extremely noisy. And inconsciously, I was raising the volume to compensate for the noise. I was damaging my ears. It was time to look for something else. Closed models are great but they aren't good for commuting. And I had troubles with earphones. The models I have tried wouldn't fit my ears correctly. And then Aziz told me about how nice the Sony Fontopia MDR-EX51LP earphones were. I decided to try them and indeed, they were nice. Moreover, their soft silicon earbuds fit perfectly in my ears. That was in 2001.
Last year, when I went to the U.S. visiting Aziz and Mom, I read about the Shure E3C earphones on C|Net. They are quite pricey but I decided to get them anyway. They produce an awesome and crystal-clear sound. I am totally hooked. I use them for commuting and while at home before going to sleep with the foams which isolate superbly well from the external noise. At work, I use the PortaPro to be able to hear when people call me. Since then, Laurent (a coworker and friend of mine) bought a unit too and he feels the same about their quality. Mitch and Régis, two other coworkers and friends got the Shure E2C model and they told me that the noise isolating capability of these earphones also changed their life and gave them a new perspective of their musical experience as listeners. The E2C are less expensive than the E3C but I can't tell you which one to get. You will have to let your ears decide ;-)
Things started to get interesting when I got my first real job. I bought the Koss PortaPro and I was very satisfied with them for quite a few years. But as you nurture your mind with reading and mental exercing, you also nurture your ears with great Music. Mine became a bit discomforted with the bass-boosting Porta Pro. Moreover, since they were an open model, they weren't good at isolating external noise that prevented me from listening to Music in good conditions while commuting. The Paris metro and RER are extremely noisy. And inconsciously, I was raising the volume to compensate for the noise. I was damaging my ears. It was time to look for something else. Closed models are great but they aren't good for commuting. And I had troubles with earphones. The models I have tried wouldn't fit my ears correctly. And then Aziz told me about how nice the Sony Fontopia MDR-EX51LP earphones were. I decided to try them and indeed, they were nice. Moreover, their soft silicon earbuds fit perfectly in my ears. That was in 2001.
Last year, when I went to the U.S. visiting Aziz and Mom, I read about the Shure E3C earphones on C|Net. They are quite pricey but I decided to get them anyway. They produce an awesome and crystal-clear sound. I am totally hooked. I use them for commuting and while at home before going to sleep with the foams which isolate superbly well from the external noise. At work, I use the PortaPro to be able to hear when people call me. Since then, Laurent (a coworker and friend of mine) bought a unit too and he feels the same about their quality. Mitch and Régis, two other coworkers and friends got the Shure E2C model and they told me that the noise isolating capability of these earphones also changed their life and gave them a new perspective of their musical experience as listeners. The E2C are less expensive than the E3C but I can't tell you which one to get. You will have to let your ears decide ;-)
World Song Review: Tunga by Mamadou Diabaté [5/5]
08 Dec 2006 08:56 AM /
[World] Tunga, Mamadou Diabaté
From the album Tunga. Available from eMusic
Tunga is the reason why I decided to post something about the Kora yesterday. Mamadou Diabaté plays this complex instrument masterfully. No doubt about that. I feel like crying out of joy when hearing this heavenly piece of Music. Truth is sometimes I do cry to let lose the emotions that are created by the beauty of Music. There are bad songs, average songs, good songs and songs that are so good that sometimes I have a hard time believing that a human just like you and me is capable of creating. Mamadou is one of those. And Tunga makes my eyes full of tears. To appreciate this kind (or any other) of Music, you need to be in a quiet environment or work around the ambient noise that besieges us with a very good, sound isolating, headphones. And then you are ready for a wonderful travel into the land of pure, great emotions.
When I first began to listen to songs featuring the Kora, I believed that in many songs there were two Kora players. But it was a mistake. With its 21+ strings, the Kora is capable of creating a wide range of sounds that give you the impression that there are two instruments being played. In fact, the player uses his right hand for accompaniment. I discovered that about 10 months ago when I bought Boulevard De l'Indépendance by Toumani Diabaté which featured a video sequence in which Toumani gives some hints about how wonderful the Kora is. Then I saw the guy playing live at Cabaret Sauvage and I was taken aback by the sounds that can be produced by a single Kora.
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From the album Tunga. Available from eMusic
Tunga is the reason why I decided to post something about the Kora yesterday. Mamadou Diabaté plays this complex instrument masterfully. No doubt about that. I feel like crying out of joy when hearing this heavenly piece of Music. Truth is sometimes I do cry to let lose the emotions that are created by the beauty of Music. There are bad songs, average songs, good songs and songs that are so good that sometimes I have a hard time believing that a human just like you and me is capable of creating. Mamadou is one of those. And Tunga makes my eyes full of tears. To appreciate this kind (or any other) of Music, you need to be in a quiet environment or work around the ambient noise that besieges us with a very good, sound isolating, headphones. And then you are ready for a wonderful travel into the land of pure, great emotions.
When I first began to listen to songs featuring the Kora, I believed that in many songs there were two Kora players. But it was a mistake. With its 21+ strings, the Kora is capable of creating a wide range of sounds that give you the impression that there are two instruments being played. In fact, the player uses his right hand for accompaniment. I discovered that about 10 months ago when I bought Boulevard De l'Indépendance by Toumani Diabaté which featured a video sequence in which Toumani gives some hints about how wonderful the Kora is. Then I saw the guy playing live at Cabaret Sauvage and I was taken aback by the sounds that can be produced by a single Kora.
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Alula Records
- Release year: 2000
- Related Artists: Ablaye Cissoko, Toumani Diabaté, Ballaké Sissoko, Kaouding Cissoko
Extra links :
Wonderful Kora
07 Dec 2006 02:03 PM /
If you'd ask about my favorite musical instrument (as a listener), I will tell you with no hesitation at all: Kora. The Kora is an african instrument that can be likened to a harp and a lute combination. It produces a beautiful, heavenly sound that reaches very deep into my soul.
It is one of the most complex instruments of Africa. Played in the westernmost part of Africa in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali, Gambia, Guinea and Burkina Faso, it is crafted of half of a gourd calabash with the addition of a hardwood post that runs through it. 21 to 25 strings are attached to the post. A cowhide covers the open side of the half calabash and then it is left to dry in the Sun to hold the handposts in place. Crafting a Kora is very hard. It also takes a lot of practice to play right.
There are some amazing Kora players out there, among which I can cite : Ablaye Cissoko, Toumani Diabaté (considered to be the King of Kora), Kaouding Cissoko (may he rest in peace), Ballake Sissoko, and Mamadou Diabaté. I invite you to listen to some of their records and hear for yourself this amazing instrument. Some suggestions:
It is one of the most complex instruments of Africa. Played in the westernmost part of Africa in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali, Gambia, Guinea and Burkina Faso, it is crafted of half of a gourd calabash with the addition of a hardwood post that runs through it. 21 to 25 strings are attached to the post. A cowhide covers the open side of the half calabash and then it is left to dry in the Sun to hold the handposts in place. Crafting a Kora is very hard. It also takes a lot of practice to play right.
There are some amazing Kora players out there, among which I can cite : Ablaye Cissoko, Toumani Diabaté (considered to be the King of Kora), Kaouding Cissoko (may he rest in peace), Ballake Sissoko, and Mamadou Diabaté. I invite you to listen to some of their records and hear for yourself this amazing instrument. Some suggestions:
- Boulevard De L'indépendance, Toumani Diabate (you can listen to a few excerpts on World Circuit website)
- In The Heart Of The Moon, Ali Farka Touré with Toumani Diabaté (you can listen to a few excerpts on World Circuit website)
- Le Griot Rouge, Ablaye Cissoko (go to http://www.caplaser.fr/ma%2Dcase/fr/arti.html and click on "écouter un extrait..." under the artist's picture)
- Kora Revolution, Kaouding Cissoko (available from eMusic)
- Tomora, Ballaké Sissoko
- Tunga, Mamadou Diabaté (available from eMusic)
- New Ancient Strings, Toumani Diabaté and Ballaké Sissoko
Jazz Song Review: Caught Up By Christian Scott [5/5]
19 Oct 2006 02:35 AM /
[Jazz] Caught Up, Christian Scott
From the album Rewind That. Available from eMusic
No words come into mind to describe this masterpiece. Rewind That is the debut album from an amazing trumpeter with a great sense of Funk. Christian Scott has earned my admiration and my utter respect with this record which I keep listening to, over and over. As good as (and sometimes better than) records from Erik Truffaz, Roy Hargrove (through the RH Factor) and Christian McBride. I really would like to see more and more albums like this because it reunites three wonderful elements: Funk, Jazz and trumpet.
Rewind That contains many excellent songs but Caught up deserves the top position not only because it demonstrates Christian's amazing ability for playing his instrument but also because of its musicality. Moreover, it contains a small part where the musicians make a reprise of the legendary song Don't Call Me Nigger Whitey, originally by Sly & The Family Stone (featured on the Stand! album. Gene Harris made an amazing reprise in a excellent Funk tone). I wonder why none of my favorite "dead tree" magazines (Vibrations, Jazzman, and Jazz Magazine) didn't pick this one up or talked about it.
Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Treat your ears to this amazing Music and they will be grateful to your eyes for reading this post *grin*.
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Extra links :
From the album Rewind That. Available from eMusic
No words come into mind to describe this masterpiece. Rewind That is the debut album from an amazing trumpeter with a great sense of Funk. Christian Scott has earned my admiration and my utter respect with this record which I keep listening to, over and over. As good as (and sometimes better than) records from Erik Truffaz, Roy Hargrove (through the RH Factor) and Christian McBride. I really would like to see more and more albums like this because it reunites three wonderful elements: Funk, Jazz and trumpet.
Rewind That contains many excellent songs but Caught up deserves the top position not only because it demonstrates Christian's amazing ability for playing his instrument but also because of its musicality. Moreover, it contains a small part where the musicians make a reprise of the legendary song Don't Call Me Nigger Whitey, originally by Sly & The Family Stone (featured on the Stand! album. Gene Harris made an amazing reprise in a excellent Funk tone). I wonder why none of my favorite "dead tree" magazines (Vibrations, Jazzman, and Jazz Magazine) didn't pick this one up or talked about it.
Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Treat your ears to this amazing Music and they will be grateful to your eyes for reading this post *grin*.
Meta information:
- Rating: 5/5
- Label: Concord Records
- Release year: 2006
- Related Artists: RH Factor, Erik Truffaz, Christian McBride
Extra links :
- Artist's Website (contains sample music)
- allaboutjazz.com CD Review
Jazz Song Review: Blue Alert by Madeleine Peyroux
11 Oct 2006 12:47 AM /
[Jazz] Blue Alert, Madeleine Peyroux
From the album Half The Perfect World.
After the release of Careless Love, her previous (and second) album, Madeleine Peyroux has become a World-renowned Jazz artist. While some songs of Careless Love are truly amazing, I don't consider it a top album. But Half The Perfect World definitely is! Madeleine Peyroux seems to have found some kind of amazing equilibrium between her wonderful voice and the musical arrangements, creating a rare musical alchemy that is characteristic of masterpieces. No less. This alchemy that reaches deep inside the soul of the listener using Madeleine's voice as a soothing element comes to a peak with Blue Alert. It starts simply with a guitar and that incredible voice and then other instruments enter the game and fit perfectly in.
If you haven't bought the album yet, you definitely should!
More links :
From the album Half The Perfect World.
After the release of Careless Love, her previous (and second) album, Madeleine Peyroux has become a World-renowned Jazz artist. While some songs of Careless Love are truly amazing, I don't consider it a top album. But Half The Perfect World definitely is! Madeleine Peyroux seems to have found some kind of amazing equilibrium between her wonderful voice and the musical arrangements, creating a rare musical alchemy that is characteristic of masterpieces. No less. This alchemy that reaches deep inside the soul of the listener using Madeleine's voice as a soothing element comes to a peak with Blue Alert. It starts simply with a guitar and that incredible voice and then other instruments enter the game and fit perfectly in.
If you haven't bought the album yet, you definitely should!
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RH Factor Concert At La Cigale Cancelled
25 Sep 2006 05:23 PM /
I was very sad to learn that the RH Factor concert I was supposed to go to with some close friends has been cancelled. It was supposed to take place on October 19th at La Cigale in Paris. Now it's time to go ask for a refund for the tickets I bought... *sigh*
Stanley Jordan, a Jazz/Fusion guitarist from Outer Space
25 Sep 2006 02:34 PM /
About one week ago, I was taking a short break from work with some colleagues of mine when one of them started watching a YouTube video of Stanley Jordan. This was my first exposure to this artist and his Music.
I liked the video so much and particularly his guitar playing technique that the next thing I did was to look up his page on Wikipedia. I soon discovered that he invented that technique which is, as Wikipedia puts it, an advanced version of tapping:
Here is another great video where Stanley plays two guitars at the same time!
I liked the video so much and particularly his guitar playing technique that the next thing I did was to look up his page on Wikipedia. I soon discovered that he invented that technique which is, as Wikipedia puts it, an advanced version of tapping:
The guitarist produces a note using only one finger by quickly tapping (or "hammering") his finger down behind the appropriate fret. The force of impact causes the string to vibrate enough to immediately sound the note. The note's volume can be controlled by varying the force of impact: tapping with greater force produces a louder note.
Here is another great video where Stanley plays two guitars at the same time!
Smooth Jazz Song Review: Tell It Like It Is by Wayman Tisdale
25 Sep 2006 02:02 PM /
[Smooth Jazz] Tell It Like It Is, Wayman Tisdale
From the album Way Up!. Available from eMusic
After Hang Time, his awesome previous album, the ex-NBA basketball player turned Jazz bass guitarist has put the bar higher with Way Up!, an excellent Smooth Jazz album. I really like his style and just by listening to his music, I can feel a great joy from his part in doing his craft, a joy that he communicates very nicely to his listeners. While Hang Time featured some excellent songs such as Ready To Hang (reviewed in Wonderful Songs Nov'05), I consider Way Up! more level in quality and musicality. Tell It Like It Is is my favorite song (with the Get Down On It awesome reprise just behind it). It features an incredibly funky and groovy bass play assisted with a synthetizer than adds a very nice 90's touch to the song. If you like Smooth Jazz with a funky style, do not hesitate and get both albums which are available from eMusic.
Edited to add (20061019): Album review from allaboutjazz.com.
From the album Way Up!. Available from eMusic
After Hang Time, his awesome previous album, the ex-NBA basketball player turned Jazz bass guitarist has put the bar higher with Way Up!, an excellent Smooth Jazz album. I really like his style and just by listening to his music, I can feel a great joy from his part in doing his craft, a joy that he communicates very nicely to his listeners. While Hang Time featured some excellent songs such as Ready To Hang (reviewed in Wonderful Songs Nov'05), I consider Way Up! more level in quality and musicality. Tell It Like It Is is my favorite song (with the Get Down On It awesome reprise just behind it). It features an incredibly funky and groovy bass play assisted with a synthetizer than adds a very nice 90's touch to the song. If you like Smooth Jazz with a funky style, do not hesitate and get both albums which are available from eMusic.
Edited to add (20061019): Album review from allaboutjazz.com.
Afrobeat Song Review: Roforofo Fight by Fela Kuti
20 Sep 2006 08:54 PM /
[Afrobeat] Roforofo Fight, Fela Kuti
From the album Music Is The Weapon Of The Future. Available from eMusic
After I posted Essential Albums: Afrobeat, my friend Betabug checked the albums featured in that post and told me about Music Is The Weapon Of The Future, a 3 songs record from Fela Kuti, the emperor of Afrobeat. It's as essential an album as the other ones I wrote about. Roforofo Fight is a brilliant, 15 minutes long song where Fela Kuti and Tony Allen, the co-creator of Afrobeat and Fela's drummer are at their best. What I like most about Afrobeat is the amazing intertwinement between the drums/percussions and the saxophone.
From the album Music Is The Weapon Of The Future. Available from eMusic
After I posted Essential Albums: Afrobeat, my friend Betabug checked the albums featured in that post and told me about Music Is The Weapon Of The Future, a 3 songs record from Fela Kuti, the emperor of Afrobeat. It's as essential an album as the other ones I wrote about. Roforofo Fight is a brilliant, 15 minutes long song where Fela Kuti and Tony Allen, the co-creator of Afrobeat and Fela's drummer are at their best. What I like most about Afrobeat is the amazing intertwinement between the drums/percussions and the saxophone.
Funk Song Review: Balek by Marc Moulin
19 Sep 2006 09:44 PM /
[Funk] Balek, Marc Moulin
From the album Placebo Years 1971-1974.
Balek is an awesome Funk hit by Marc Moulin, a Belgian pianist. His initial Jazz training shows up through the usage of typical Jazz instruments. The beat is excellent and synthetizers are used very intelligently as a plate to serve the main meat without being overwhelming. It reminds me a lot of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters work. Save for Stomp, the other songs of the album are more Jazzish and if you are into Jazz and Funk, get this nice and well-balanced album without thought.
From the album Placebo Years 1971-1974.
Balek is an awesome Funk hit by Marc Moulin, a Belgian pianist. His initial Jazz training shows up through the usage of typical Jazz instruments. The beat is excellent and synthetizers are used very intelligently as a plate to serve the main meat without being overwhelming. It reminds me a lot of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters work. Save for Stomp, the other songs of the album are more Jazzish and if you are into Jazz and Funk, get this nice and well-balanced album without thought.
Jazz Song Review: Tricky Dick by Ben Allison
19 Sep 2006 08:31 PM /
Since I've been blog-slacking for way too much time and not releasing Wonderful Songs, some die-hard fans begun to shout out loud and keep asking me for music reviews. So the slacker-genious in me decided to kill Wonderful Songs and convert it to Song Review. No, no! Hang on! Let me elaborate a bit.
Song Review is simply a way to post song reviews one by one, as time and motivation permits, instead of having to review ten of them per month and post them in one shot. Three benefits to this approach:
Now that you are truly convinced that there are great benefits to Song Review (dear reader, if you are not convinced please pretend that you are), let's start right away with a Jazz Song Review!
[Jazz] Tricky Dick, Ben Allison
From the album Cowboy Justice. Available from eMusic
The album's cover is not a symbol of good taste but believe me when I say that this is one of the major Jazz records of 2006. Ben Allison shows how wonderful he is as a double bassist in this typical Jazz ensemble. He is also a very good composer. Tricky Dick is considered by the artist to be the flagship song of his band. I agree from a musical standpoint. While Cowboy Justice features very nice songs, Tricky Dick is excellent (with Emergency being the second best). There is also a heavy political background to this song. Tricky Dick was the nickname of American President Nixon and it is has been reused for Dick Cheney, the current vice-president of the U.S.A.
Song Review is simply a way to post song reviews one by one, as time and motivation permits, instead of having to review ten of them per month and post them in one shot. Three benefits to this approach:
- For the poster (that's me): Reviewing one song at a time and posting about it is far more flexible than working on a full Wonderful Songs release each month.
- For the reader (that's you): The title of the post begins with the Music genre so you can skip reading right away if you don't like Jazz, World etc.
- For the reader (that's you): Reading a few sentences for a song review is easier to do (at least in one shot) than reading about ten songs.
Now that you are truly convinced that there are great benefits to Song Review (dear reader, if you are not convinced please pretend that you are), let's start right away with a Jazz Song Review!
[Jazz] Tricky Dick, Ben Allison
From the album Cowboy Justice. Available from eMusic
The album's cover is not a symbol of good taste but believe me when I say that this is one of the major Jazz records of 2006. Ben Allison shows how wonderful he is as a double bassist in this typical Jazz ensemble. He is also a very good composer. Tricky Dick is considered by the artist to be the flagship song of his band. I agree from a musical standpoint. While Cowboy Justice features very nice songs, Tricky Dick is excellent (with Emergency being the second best). There is also a heavy political background to this song. Tricky Dick was the nickname of American President Nixon and it is has been reused for Dick Cheney, the current vice-president of the U.S.A.
Pictures From The Ben Harper Concert
17 Aug 2006 04:14 PM /
