are you going with me?

pat&mike, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

PAT METHENY:80/81
1980, ECM records.
EVERY DAY I THANK YOU/GONE
in the early 80's, michael brecker's successful career blossomed on many fronts.
as his reputation found unconditional recognition in europe, his collaboration with munich-based ECM RECORDS seemed obvious and much anticipated by any true jazz fan. among his featurings on recordings by kenny wheeler or john abercrombie, his friendship with PAT METHENY, one of the most successful ecm artists, resulted in 80/81, a double album featuring CHARLIE HADEN on bass and JACK DEJOHNETTE on drums: a dream rythm section that allowed metheny to experiment different shades of improvisation with both brecker and DEWEY REDMAN on sax. to me, "everyday..." is one of metheny's most uplifting jazz track that builds up to give brecker a free ride to deliver maybe his most amazing and emotional chorus.
BUY THE ALBUM

the don

don&mike, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

DON GROLNICK : HEARTS & NUMBERS
feat. Michael Brecker
HipPocket Records, 1985
MORE POINTING/GONE
"don was my musical mentor, my trusted confidante, and my great friend. i turned to him for musical opinions because he had a marvelous ability to listen and determine what made music great. he profoundly influenced the way i listen to, play, and write music...and that will remain for the rest of my life"
michael brecker
that's a great quote borrowed from DON GROLNICK'S WEBSITE, where you'll find more brecker talking about his friend, plenty of info, pictures (incl. that very nice one above) and memories of the late great keyboards artist, composer and producer, sadly missed since 1996. don grolnick and mike brecker played together on many recordings, including some great sessions with supagroup STEPS AHEAD (feat. mike mainieri, eddie gomez and peter erskine). HEARTS &NUMBERS is one of my favorite grolnick album as the music ranges from very intimate and soulful pieces to more adventurous structures. "more pointing" is a short but beautiful improvised keyboards/sax duet, where brecker's style is particularly expressive. good luck at your local music pushers to buy this one.

god must be a boogie man

joni&mike, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

THE DRY CLEANER FROM DES MOINES/GONE
>HEJIRA/GONE
among the many outstanding contributions of michael brecker, a 1979 live recording of joni mitchell: SHADOWS AND LIGHTS is a very particular one. featuring maybe the greatest band ever: jaco pastorius on bass, pat metheny on guitar, lyle mays on keys, don alias on drums and brecker on sax, backing vocals provided by the persuasions. to give you an idea, i'll quote the wise words of a certain mr. o. dubhaight, who reviewed for cd now online :
"This is a terrific listening experience, rewarding from almost every conceivable perspective. The musicians here changed her and she herself responded with challenges to her own abilities. I wish I had caught this tour. Pastorious is possessed, Mays is at his impressionistic best and Metheny is a foil for Mitchell the likes of which she'd never again replicate. Becker brings that East Coast jazz vibe that only he can muster and he is incendiary, smokey, subtle and brilliant."
well, i kinda agree with that. please note that on the "hejira" track, brecker plays the soprano saxophone instead of the tenor, which is one of a kind to my knowledge.
IN THE NEIGHBOROOD
thanks for info to Herr K. from totally fuzzy, newcomer XANAXTAXI cruises the backstreets of "jazz, improvisation, fusion, funk (and the rest)" and great jazz covers of sade or bjork.
i particularly enjoyed a live version of jamiroquai's "space cowboy". mp3s are delivered at 256 kbps which is a real treat for music lovers. GATHERING DUST is another new daily stop ran by "a swedish guy of 38 named dan who lives in france". named after a ThisMortalCoil track, GD deals with early "white" electronic music. i think its TDK cassette visual is a great lo-fi symbol of our tape-to-mp3 full- circle music history. dan caresses the fantasy of running 3 musicblogs at the same time... THE NATION seems more focused on "emerging music" and is already on, the 3rd will be be about black music... good luck with such a task. like maybe many of you out there, i got a message from joshua ellis @ MPERIA.com
"Mperia is basically the Internet version of an indie record store.
We allow artists to upload, price and sell their music. We don't charge them any fees for this; instead, we take a 30% cut of each sale, for which we provide hosting and streaming and useful tools for indie artists, like free mini-blogs and the ability to post their upcoming gigs where fans can see them and optionally be reminded of them via e-mail..." i didn't get a chance to browse around here yet but it seems like artists cut a better deal here than with iTunes/iMusic...

to maceo

cityscape, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

CITYSCAPE/CLAUS OGERMAN & MICHAEL BRECKER
WEA, 1982
IN THE PRESENCE AND ABSCENCE OF EACH OTHER PT.1
you may come from outer space or don't dig jazz music but you probably heard mike brecker's sax before, as the man has recorded music with EVERYBODY in the past 35 years... trying to track all of his gigs is meaningless, as he and his older brother randy on trumpet were among the busiest of elite studio musicians who contributed to the sound of major 70/80's jazzpop artists: frank zappa, steely dan, michael franks, joni mitchell, etc. add frank sinatra, bruce springsteen, billy joel to the list, you name it... any major playa called in the L.A dream team:
steve gadd on drums, anthony jackson or abe laboriel on bass, larry carlton on guitar and the brecker brothers on horns. a cool biography of the main saxophone man is available HERE
among his extensive discography and my favorites recordings, CITYSCAPE holds a special place. don't get me started on CLAUS OGERMAN, eternally praised as ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM's arranger.
his musical genius deserves a full galaxy of dedicated posts. in 1978, seminal jazz pop producer TOMMY LiPUMA produced ogerman's GATE OF DREAMS, featuring gadd, george benson and mike brecker. he then felt the chemistry between the composer and sax tenor deserved further developments, achieved in CITYSCAPE. to me, IN THE PRESENCE... epitomizes brecker's style: his impro builds up on emotion and energy but keeps the introspective mood of ogerman's music. more brecker pieces in next posts BUY THE ALBUM

message to the messengers

gils, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

GIL SCOTT-HERON/SPIRITS
TVT records, 1994
WORK FOR PEACE/GONE
DON'T GIVE UP/GONE
i won't even try to sum up gil scott-heron's career and influence on contemporary music and politics. considered as the hip-hop godfather, he embodies, as mos def once said, "the elder statesman and the man on the corner at the same time." seminal albums path his way, starting with "SMALL TALK AT 125th AND LENNOX" (flying dutchman, 1970) up to "SPIRITS" (tvt,1994), his only studio album in the past 20 years (another example if needed, of the record industry's insanity). backed up as in many of his classics by brian jackson on piano and a bunch of jazz cats, it's an album to be rediscovered again and again for its pure musical genius and accurate analysis of modern issues. from his "message to the messengers": an indictment of the immorality in much of hip-hop's lyrics (still pertinent today), "give her a call": a beautiful introspective ballad, "spirits": based on john coltrane's music or "don't give up", produced by ali shaheed muhammed of a tribe called quest, the whole album is incredibly modern and what
strikes me the most is the power and beauty of the words.
"i'm addicted to creating" gil said, "i use other things from time to time"...
he experienced many bad trips, including lately a 2003 jail sentence in rikers island penitentiary for possession of illegal drugs. now 55 years old and released last summer, he's back on the harlem block. if he plays anywhere near you, don't miss your chance to catch his genius live, as his jams are the real thing and his future in music might be shadowed by his old demons.
BUY ALL THE ALBUMS

the octopus backyard

pj, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

BLACK OCTOPUS/PAUL JACKSON, Jr.
Toshiba EMI,1978
TIPTOE THRU THE GHETTO/GONE
T-BOLT/GONE
one for the grooveriders out there. try to hunt this lp on ebay and you'll have to reach deep pockets for a fresh japanese copy. thanks for the cool guys at platform records they reissued a cd format in 2000 with a few unreleased tracks. known as a "musician's musician" and founding member of the headhunters, bassist paul jackson, jr. recorded this beauty during a 1978 japan tour. personel includes herbie hancock, bennie maupin, webster lewis, alphonse mouzon, ray obiedo and jackson himself on vocals. it's not really a heads' album as it starts a little weird with some loose abstract jazz and bluesy jams 'til it mutates into a monsterfunka. too bad the cd reissue lost its hatori hanzo's sushi style for a blank 70's look but the funk still hits the fan anyway.
BUY

i see that now

avia, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

AVIA/REBIRTH/GONE
catalogue, 1998
rebirth is one of these tracks you hear once and then grow on you adlib. it comes as bare as the title suggests: synths, sampled jazz breaks, a walking bass and minimal house beats.
oh, and bob de niro's monologue from taxi driver, too. that's just what it takes for this epic ride.
BUY THE E.P
in 2002, avia released a full album "i see that now". production help was no less than the guys from alpha (of massive attack's melankolic label fame) but to me, no track stood up to this one. sit back, relax and close your eyes.

why did you do it?

Gregory1, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

STRETCH/WHY DID YOU DO IT?/GONE
ariola, 1975
well, i didn't find the dcbasehead live e.p. but i'm sure it's here somewhere and will surface someday. seems like anyone didn't get much into it anyway though i wish i had some feedback about these guys from the official hiphop blogheads, whatever.
today's track is a club classic. stretch was a seventies rock band formed by drummer jim russell and former curved air guitarist gregory kirby, who billed himself simply as "kirby" and signed this hit. plenty of info about that band british HERE
why did you do it?" charted number 16 in UK in november 1975. funny that their most successful track seems like an UFO in their discography. rated at their 1976 peak by critics as "the greatest british blues and boogie band of the era"... they "nearly blew ritchie blackmore's rainbow off stage", which sure means a lot to whom it may concern.
however, this track is a pure soulful gem and will rock any floor any time. originally issued on the "elastique" album BUY
it also appeared on the "lock, stock and two smoking barrels" soundtrackBUY

i need a joint

dc bassheads, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

dcBASEHEAD/NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE
imago, 1992
INTRODUCTIONS/GONE
I NEED A JOINT/GONE
THE POPEYE PHILOSOPHY/GONE
WANNA FUCK (OR WHAT)/GONE
as a follow-up to the successful PLAY WITH TOYS album, michael ivey reloaded the 4-track tape recorder batteries, invited his buddies over again, invested royalties on his favorite beer and tried to repeat the magic without taking himself or the whole thing too seriously.
as the "basshead" live intro tells: we're definitely not in kansas anymore. i guess touring the college radios and the indie circuit had some rock influence on the band but lo-fi and weed still rule. the whatdafuck philosophy keps it real all along the album with funny skits that give some edge to an otherwise hybrid patchwork of quite monotonous tracks that, to my opinion, don't reach the play with toys' album vibe. in france, dc basehead was suddenly the hype-thanks to les inrocks (see previous post) and a live e.p got released and was offered with subscriptions. i know it's here somewhere. i searched the basement for hours the other day, diggin' some forgotten gems i'll share with you asap. but i still have to grab that cd for the next post. enjoy the tracks and try to find the cd at your record store bargain bin or click here: BUY

play with toys

dcbasehead, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

dcBASEHEAD/PLAY WITH TOYS
imago, 1992
INTRO/gone
DC2000/gone
BRAND NEW DAY/gone
dcBasehead a.k.a MICHAEL IVEY dropped his first lo-fi hiphop album in '92 and created a buzz over alternative press and college radio. supposedly recorded at home on a four-track machine with various friends, it was a new landmark in DIY music long before the idea of homestudio emerged. "laid-back, stoned hip-hop rythm tracks, pop hooks, drawled raps and pseudo folky-guitar" is the perfect description mp3.com gives away and i can't beat it.
in france, dcBasehead was da shit according to LES INROCKUPTIBLES the french rock bible mag since 1986 and PLAY WITH TOYS stood up in their TOP 20 LPS OF 1992 next to nick cave, pj harvey, neil young, REM, etc.
i agree with THIS REVIEW but wonder what u.s hipbloggers think about dcBasehead (hellooo oliverW, noz...) or any welcome guest with attitude. listen online then buy the album at yer favorite record store if available... more on mike ivey and his "NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE" in next post.
da MOISTWORKS SITUATION
are we seeing the future of audioblogs here? by chopping one of the best blogheads they'll probably make their point. shall we organize resistance or duck down? to whom it may concern, let's talk about it.
post updated (kaotic links and blogger published it 3 times!) thanks steve for feedback and enjoy your uk trip.

jazz it up

beets cd, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

FRED FRITH/BOOTS/gone
MACHETE ENSEMBLE OF S.F/MEDICINE MAN/gone
from BEETS: A COLLECTION OF JAZZ SONGS, elemental music,1990.
this UFO of a cd landed in my collection many years ago. tracklisting includes sun ra, anthony braxton, sonny simmons and rova saxophone quartet but these 2 tracks still get regular airplay.
FRED FRITH needs no introduction as deus ex machina of contemporary guitar and offers here a short nuclear jam.
THE MACHETE ENSEMBLE OF SAN FRANCISCO features the magic of the conch shells as interpreted by master improviser,
STEVE TURRE
i've been a long-time fan of steve turre's music, especially his first albums with his wife, cello player akua dixon. i remember seeing his trio live in a NY club back in the 90's. i was shocked everybody was drinking, eating and making loud noise, for people atjazz concerts or in clubs in europe stay almost religiously silent. the place was so small the waitress had to calculate the perfect timing for her moves to avoid being nailed by the trombone and it obviously pissed her off.i have memories of a very percussive piano player, maybe don pullen., and being thrilled by the presence in the audience of another pianist i was fond of, mulgrew miller. lately, thanks to TOTALLY FUZZY i've been listening to amazing jazz mixes provided by FREEFORM.ORG
the strata east/tribe mixe is exceptional.

the hit list

best of 2004, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

JET SET SLAVE MIX/GONE
EVERTON SYLVESTER &Dr.JOHN
here's my top 20+1 albums for 2004, in no comprehensive order or preference.
all were played repeatedly, intensively even compulsively. my absolute best discovery is JET JAGUAR's music, thanks to Fat Planet for this one! and DWELE's SUBJECT remains my ultimate summer of soul album for 2 years in a row...
BEST OF 2004
blockhead/music by cavelight (ninja tune)
troublemakers/express way (blue note)
moodymann/black mahogani (peacefrog)
the album leaf/in a safe place (labels)
le coeur/suddenly (mental groove)
foreign exchange/connected (bbe)
boom bip/corymb (lex)
jet jaguar/is love (involve records 2003)/think about it later (capital recordings 2003)/self-titled (involve records,1999)
harold budd/avalon sutra (samahdi sound)
the brown bunny/j.frusciante &various (tulip records)
b.fleischmann/welcome tourist (morr music)
feist/let it die (polydor)
kings of convenience/riot on an empty street(source)
djkrush/jaku (sony)
the blue nile/high (sanctuary)
akira rabelais/spellewauerynsherde (samahdi sound)
arthur russell/the world of AR (souljazz records)
anja lechner/vassilis stabropoulos/chants, hymns &dances (ecm)
ocean's twelve/david holmes&various (warner)
dwele/subject (virgin)2003
ALL of these releases are available online but try first to hit your favorite record store to keep these guys in shape.

angie's nights

mister Q, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

ANGIE'S NIGHTS
ANGIE'S SUMMER NIGHT
best wishes to everybody out there who enjoyed it there in 2004 : love, happiness and great health to take care of everybody you love and carry on with success whatever you plan or expect.
lookin' back, it was; as frankie sung, a very good year. it's just that time flies up so fast its kinda scary and as i guess we're all spending more and more time in front of a computer, i'm afraid it won't get any better 'til 2006...
for this first post, i wanted to share two of my own favorite "bootlegs/mash-ups/remixes" of 2004. maybe some of you grabbed them before on the net, thru GYBO or Fat Planet but i felt like giving them another exposure for naugahyde newcomers.
the 2 versions of "les nuits" recorded by NIGHTMARES ON WAX, from the albums SMOKERS DELIGHT(1995) and CARBOOT SOUL(1999) respectively, are very soulful reconstructions/variations of QUINCY JONES' masterpiece "summer in the city" (from "YOU'VE GOT IT BAD, GIRL" lp, A&M records,1973) and laid the foundations of my two alternate mixes.
edited vocals by r'n'b diva ANGIE STONE/"wish i didn't miss you" from her album MAHOGANY SOUL(2001) add another vibe to the instrumentals and strings arranged and conducted by claus ogerman, from BJORK's "hyperballad"/POST(1995) give a final melankolic lush.
music speaks for itself so i won't try too hard to sell these tracks to you (and you can object that with such awesome original material i couldn't really go wrong...) still, i think they work pretty well altogether. btw last summer in barcelona, i heard a very good balearic/guitar-driven remix of miss stone's track but couldn't trace it (any info?)
as these tracks are more personal than usual, comments, feedback and critics are more than very welcomed.

let it snow

xpressway, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

TROUBLEMAKERS: EXPRESS WAY/Blue Note, 2004

LEMON/gone
MUSIC EVERYWHERE/gone
RACE RECORDS/gone
snow's falling, fire is burnin' and the cats are sleeping. it's just one of these cool/warm winter afternoons. i'm pretty sure you all spent a nice xmas time and a fast blog surfin' told me everybody's now back on tracks, some with well-deserved time on their hands (hi, mr.O and thanks 4 the tips!), others eager to grab new sounds and xciting beats.
it's been a while since i wanted to post tracks from the Troublemakers' wonderful album but now's the time. EXPRESS WAY came out in june on Blue Note and is one great piece of 2004 music. TROUBLEMAKERS are lionel corsini and arnaud taillefer, 2 guys from marseille (south of france) who met at some dj workshop back in the late 90's. their first album DOUBTS&CONVICTIONS (with fred berthet) came out in 2001 on the notorious GUIDANCE RECORDINGS and offered a nice brew of jazz influences, phat grooves and beats mixed up in soulful compositions.
in 2003, they collaborated to STEREO PICTURES (vol.2/mk2 music) a series of selector mixes on the cinematic tip (vol.1 was by DJVADIM, number3 by I:CUBE just hit the racks) which reunited everybody's faves from nina simone, junzon crew to rahsaan roland kirk . T's are totally into black music and blaxploitation soundtracks but escape the cliche, thanks to a real talent for original compositions, clever sampling (adderley bros, sonny sharrock...), comprehensive knowledge of the french classics (francois de roubaix, serge gainsbourg) and solid guest delivery by THE GIFT OF GAB, among others.the cd is in fact the soundtrack of a short dvd movie included in the package but the music speaks for itself.
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
i mentioned it earlier but YOU REALLY SHOULD VISIT AWFUL THOM because his selection is pure buttered soul! if you don't get all of his nice french writing, at least don't miss the ANDY BEY tracks and three versions of LET'S STRAIGHTEN THIS OUT by latimore, etta james and gwen mc crae. ok, it's tea time and i need to feed a few logs in the chimney!

baby, it's cold outside

ray&betty, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

RAY CHARLES & BETTY CARTER
DEDICATED TO YOU
abc records, 1961
THE OF MIRROR EYE posted recently live tracks by ray charles that reminded me how i loved his duet album with betty carter.
their sensuous, flirtatious take on "baby,it's cold outside" is an absolute classic and a winter times favorite. the album's liner notes reveal the recording session was a special one, the studio and control room being jammed with fans, Hollywood and music business celebrities. be sure to add this album to your late gift list and set a sophisticated tone to any xmas party. lush marty paich arrangements will smoothly balance your egg nogg dizzyness and david "fathead" newman's tenor sax solos will provide the required soulful groove.
to everyblogdy out there: have a wonderful chritsmas.
BABY,IT'S COLD OUTSIDE
PEOPLE WILL SAY WE'RE IN LOVE
BUY/OFFER

i want to jazz it up

leaf&marco, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

sorry for such lack of posts but i've been swamped in work for a week and totally enjoyed it. my GoLive seems back on tracks too so it's time to blog again!
when i'm on working mode, the cd player is locked on repeat so i really get into the core of my selection. not all records pass the test of continuous repeating (5/6 times) but a few grew up on me and are running for my absolut best of 2004. i wonder if many of you out there really noticed the beauty of THE ALBUM LEAF/in a safe place album. as i mostly check blogs about soul, hiphop or electronic music, i'm pretty sure it's probably huge on any indie-pop bloglist.
JAMES LAVALLE recorded it in iceland with sigur ros as the ultimate all-star backing band.
he played his fender rhodes parts but back to california, felt he had to re-record them on his cherished own instrument. i'm a sucker for the rhodes sound, herbie hancock's style- but here it's very interesting to hear it in a non-jazz context. though playing the rhodes for more than 20 years, lavalle confesses he must really suck 'cause he's no virtuoso. but his technique serves his musical ideas perfectly. IN A SAFE PLACE is a must, the perfect winter album and i won't reveal its beauty here, but you can listen to several previous works of lavalle thanks to EPITONIC
more on james lavalle at HOME
MARCO DI MARCO:BRAZILIAN WALTZ
from MY LONDON FRIENDS/arision, 2004
just when i thought the last record i needed was a jazz one, i took a chance on di marco's album and really got into it. what led me to this album is NATHAN HAINES' collaboration.
this UK multi-instrumentist (saxes, flute) has a few interesting jazz/house albums under his belt. i confess i knew nothing about di marco, a charming senior italian piano player but the kind liner notes by martial solal establish him as some serious cat. di marco shares a great sense of melody and a true original touch, in the tradition of other italian masters such as enrico pieranunzi. though i enjoy going back to my classics (bill evans & trane above all), i don't really dig the new jazz scene anymore. i listened to keith jarrett's trio latest opus (out of towners) and found it pretty boring, though i'm an early KJ's fan. di marco's album has the nicest blend of contemporary jazz sound without any beat or electronics involved. interesting review and lots of samples
HERE
INFO&REVIEW
i particularly love the brazilian waltz track because its "my favorite things" flavor and a beautiful flute solo.
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: it's real hard to keep up with the good spots popping up everyday! recent thrills include these guys:
LA CASE DE L'AFFREUX THOM
thom speaks french but don't let this stop you on his soulful way
DEEP SOUL JUNKIE
some UK lad who will give mr.soulsides a few sweats
MUSIC FROM MY LOFT
mac daddy digs in his crates and delivers a bi-monthly mp3 mix that blends soul, funk and disco with an attitude.

saudades

life2, originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

on this quiet monday evening, listening to the very good BUILD AN ARK cd (thanks to
SCENESTARS to remind me about how great this album isINFO REVIEW AND PURCHASE ), a very cool selection of tracks seems appropriate.
since i'm facing some bugs with GoLive these days, i'm using YouSendIt files from now on.
track one is SAUDADES
by NITIN SAWHNEY
from DISPLACING THE PRIEST, OUTCASTE, 1999
LISTEN TO SAMPLES AND BUY THE ALBUM
mostly renowned for his blending of indian and electronic music, nithin shawney signed here with co-author and singer NINA MIRANDA, a pure brazilian downtempo jewel.
nina miranda is/was the voice of smoke city.
SMOKE CITY INFO
BUY THE ALBUMS
and arkestra one.
BUY ALBUM
SAUDADES really makes want to dig into her discography and check her previous collaborations (though the one with robert miles sounds frightening...)
track two is REDE DE ESPERA
by AZYMUTH from PARTIDO NOVO, Far Out recordings, 2002
since the 70's, IVAN CONTI (vocals & drums), ALEX MALHEIROS (vocals&bass) and JOSE ROBERTO BERTRAMI (vocals & keyboards) a.k.a AZYMUTH have been playing the perfect brazileo jazz-funk cocktail. i won't even dare to resume their music and career (more than 25 albums!) here, and let their current UK label FAR OUT RECORDINGS do the job
FAR OUT
azymuth's electric bass/rhodes funk is very distinctive but this track displays the gentle sound of a beautiful ballad, perfect to warm up your week.
maybe everybody out there knows that famous elvis presley track:the one he can't stop laughing because of a baaad chorus singer. if you do, just have a laugh with him. if you don't, you're very lucky, it will cheer your life up.
ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT

looking good

LTJBUKEM
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

JOURNEY INWARDS/gone
LTJ BUKEM
Good Looking Records, 2000
i was totally into music, djing and the club scenes when the UK jungle/drum'n'bass thing hit the decks in the early 90's. as i always tried to keep an eclectic and open mind, i stashed a few jungle jams in my record bag but actually never was a dedicated fan. the scene was pretty hardcore: you had to be a jungle dj or get the hell out and there was no way you'd dare to throw any other style of music in your sets. but as it happened with hip hop or house music, the early scene threw jazz elements- sampled or live- in the mix and among the producers, LTJ BUKEM stood out as one of the best. early on, he created his own label, GOOD LOOKING RECORDS and mixed many influences of soul, downtempo and even house music in his many releases, with always the right balance between pure dance tracks and music you could actually listen to and enjoy outside the club.
plenty of info about the man, the history and the current drum'n'bass/broken beat/nujazz scene at GOOD LOOKING RECORDS
their radio program is pretty good too, very close to gilles peterson's worldwide groove and plays amazing xclusive tracks at this very moment.
taken from the JOURNEY INWARDS cd, the eponymous track is one of my BUKEM's faves:
a perfect blend of soulful downtempo jazz full of rhodes, flute and crisp beats, a creative musical journey into LTJ's inspirations. great tracks on his LOGICAL PROGRESSION and EARTH series, too that you'll try to find at your local record store or BUY HERE
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: among all the online wonderblogful daily discoveries, i can't thank enough cb THEOFMIRROREYE
for pluggin' me to the NUMERO LABEL the site is beautiful and so seem to be their releases. be sure to read their philosophy and overview for a 3rd millenium music label. their re-release of isabelle ANTENA's album first caught my attention, because that band was a thrill for me back in my college days. next, the stories behind the CAPSOUL and BANDIT soul labels
made my day and BAM! i ordered the three cd's on the spot.
same thing happened yesterday on SAMADHI SOUND david sylvian's blemish cd is one piece of music i wanted to grab for a long time. then, i experienced the beautiful online listening of harold budd and akira rabelais' new albums and here again, immediate order took place as early self-indulged xmas gifts.
here's for the power of the blog! elsewhere: PLAY.PAUSE
offers great tracks, very good info, nice and fun writing in both french and english.
SCISSORKICK and ROYAL MUSIC (with a new design) are keepin' the faith close to worship and the recent comeback of MOISTWORKS digs even deeper into hip hop's jazzier and funkier backgrounds. finally, GRAPEJUICEPLUS
lately ranks high in my everchanging bookmarks and bloglists.

off monday

kawai
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

it's a rainy monday on the hills here, so we're into some soft and sunny kawai sounds.
rule number1: i don't work mondays. it's the only way i found to skip the late sunday afternoon stress contracted back in the schooldays. so monday is off and it works : when evening comes, i don't have the same stress about tuesday.
rule number2: mondays are supposed to be cool. but the phone calls keep bringing me back to reality: estimates, call-conferences, the 2months-old job suddenly sooo urgent... it's been a busy weekend of friends visiting, wine libations, birthday lunches, i just wanted to sit quietly, doin' nothing. maybe feed the blog, surf the favorites and the new exciting ones:
PLAY.PAUSE
LISTOPLAY
THE OF MIRROR EYE
it finally was a busy day and now it's getting late but let's play the perfect monday soundtrack anyway:
world famous: sound sniper in sri-lanka was originally issued in the SHOWA 64 compilation on the japanese disorient label. it's a soulful moist downtempo grower
SOUND SNIPER/gone
tokyo bullet by the powder rhinos is a 90's groovy slice of discojazz
TOKYO BULLET/gone
rule number3: try to go to bed early when you want to get up late.

don't blame me

dolphy
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.

ERIC DOLPHY: DON'T BLAME ME
from the stockholm sessions, 1961
enja records, 1988
i won't dare to try to write anything smart about eric dolphy. i discovered him thru john coltrane's records and fell for his music immediately (the love supreme sessions of course) but the record that really did it for me is a live performance of coltrane's quartet in stockholm in 1961.
COVER
they play "my favorite things" for the zillionth time, the recording is pretty bad.
the tyner/reggie workman/jones rythm section sounds like an earthquake in the back, coltrane's chorus goes across the universe and beyond, then dolphy's flute solo comes out of nowhere and brings peace back to earth.
as many american jazz musicians, dolphy seemed to enjoy europe's scene and consideration for his music. in 1961, a tv special titled "eric in town" brought him in the swedish broadcast station in stockholm with rune öwferman on piano, jimmy woode on bass and sture kallin on drums. his flute playing on this standard is "notably fluid and imaginative".
it's one of my favorite dolphy tracks you can enjoy at 192 kb/s.
the genius died in berlin in 1964, he was 36.
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ERIC DOLPHY BIOGRAPHY
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