Post-Colonial Groove of the Week #13 – Jimbasen
Posted on | August 13, 2010 | No Comments
Today we move forward to Chicago in 1978 for a killer track from Foday Musa Suso’s Mandingo Griot Society. Kane hipped me to this album a few weeks ago and I have been checking out quite a bit since then. It’s amazing that I had never run across it before in fact, what with the kora band and all, it’s some sort of precedent for jazz + Mandinka music anyway, and certainly a compelling one at that!
Foday Musa Suso is a Gambian kora player who moved to the US in the 70′s and assembled this group in Chicago including the great drummer Hank (now Hamid) Drake, who has also been a great innovator and contributor to many avant-garde jazz projects over the years. Also featured is Adam Rudolph, a percussionist who has been involved in a wide variety of world music projects over the years also.
The tune “Jimbasen” also called “Jimbaseng” or “Jimbasengo” is a relatively recent kora tune, not attached to a specific historical patron as many older tunes are. This is a killer performance, with a typical Gambian structure starting with an intense kora into to attract the audience’s attention, moving into a medium groove section (though with Hamid Drake churning away in the background it’s hard to call anything “medium” and then with a raucous transition to a faster section.
It’s great to hear Foday Musa Suso, who by the way is now based in Seattle, letting loose with some great raw Gambian kora on this one. This whole album is available in many places (Amazon, for example) and is worth checking out in its entirety. Meanwhile enjoy the track and the weekend! Click to listen:
Mandingo Griot Society – Jimbasen
“The Score” 8/9/10 – Thelonious Monk
Posted on | August 11, 2010 | 3 Comments
Well as some of you may have noticed, I have a new show on Portland’s Jazz Radio station, KMHD 89.1! It’s called “The Score” and it airs every Monday night from 7-9 PM (Pacific Time of course). You can stream it live on the KMHD website every week. The show’s theme is jazz composers, and each week I feature a different composer or theme, looking at the composers’ own interpretation of their works as well as their legacy and subsequent recordings of their compositions. I’m going to start to integrate the show with this blog, posting my playlist each week as well as some observations to go along with the show!
The debut show was last Monday 8/9, and I figured it would be a great place to start to check out one of the most often recorded composers in jazz history, the great Thelonious Monk. Though he only wrote about 70 compositions, they had a really disproportionately large impact on subsequent musicians and he is apparently the 2nd most recorded composer in jazz after Ellington.
For the show this week, I featured a wide variety of interpretations, mostly by pianists, of Monk’s music, along with some classic tracks by his ensembles. Here’s the playlist [Artist - Song (Album)]:
Thelonious Monk – Blue Monk (Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall)
Milt Jackson – Epistrophy (Wizard of the Vibes)
Steve Lacy – Skippy (Reflections)
Thelonious Monk – Round Midnight (Piano Solo)
Dollar Brand – Crepescule with Nellie (Dollar Brand at SABC 1969 Sessions)
Danilo Perez – Bright Mississippi (PanaMonk)
Misha Mengelberg – Four in One (Four in One)
Fred Hersch – Bemsha Swing (Fred Hersch Trio Live at the Village Vanguard)
Jaki Byard – Evidence (The Jaki Byard Experience)
Larry Young – Monk’s Dream (Unity)
Brad Mehldau – Monk’s Dream (Live in Tokyo)
Thelonious Monk – Brilliant Corners (Brilliant Corners)
Thelonious Monk – I Mean You (Big Band and Quartet in Concert)
Bill Frisell – Misterioso (Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian)
Garage A Trois – We See (Emphasizer)
Steve Lacy – Reflections (Reflections)
Thelonious Monk - Well You Needn’t (Live at the It Club)
A couple reflections on the show: Firstly, listening again to all these tracks reminded me of just how much Monk’s compositions influence the people playing them, and not just pianists. The two “Monk’s Dream”s in a row were intended to illustrate how two very different musicians still took thematic material from the tune and integrated it really strongly into their improvisations. I got to noticing during the show how much horn players tend to work off the little motifs in Monk’s melodies almost more than pianists in some ways. Pianists, I feel, often are subject to some weird subconscious effect whereby they attempt to phrase like Monk when playing his tunes, whether or not they do it on purpose. Indeed, I find myself doing this from time to time as well. However, it is interesting to note how some of the “great Monk interpreters,” especially Fred Hersch, approach the tunes from a totally different perspective, integrating them into their own style more fully than many pianists I’ve heard.
I also was reminded how awesome Steve Lacy is, even this early album (“Reflections”) has many fantastic moments by him and the whole band, especially Mal Waldron. Check it out if you have the chance. I was also glad to feature “The Jaki Byard Experience” which is hands down one of the most ballsy and swingin’ things ever recorded, with Rashaan Roland Kirk tearing it up and Tony Williams’ teacher Alan Dawson smoking on drums. Also a must-hear.
I’m very excited about this show and glad to finally get to indulge my childhood fancy of being on the radio! Next week I’ll be featuring Gershwin tunes, should be a very different but fun journey. Hope you can tune in next Monday from 7-9 and I’ll keep posting ruminations and playlists here. Cheers!
Post-Colonial African Groove of the Week #12 – Alphabetisation
Posted on | August 6, 2010 | No Comments
Today we move to the golden age of Guinean post-colonial music for a great track by the Horoya Band courtesy of worldservice. In 1958, Guinea was the first West African country to gain independence from France. They voted for immediate independence and the cessation of all economic assistance from France, and this decision and their first president, Amadou Sekou Toure, were much lauded around the continent for this decision. Unfortunately as we know, it has not played out so well for Guinea in subsequent years, but immediately after independence, like many West African countries, they went through a period of nationalization where traditional and modern Guinean cultural pursuits were highly encouraged and subsidized by the government, leading to a great collection of recordings from the period, in great contrast to the highly racist and despotic policies of Sekou Toure in regards to other elements of traditional culture, notably religion.
The government created a record label, Sylliphone, which documented the many federal and national dance bands from various regions of the country playing modern dance music influenced by traditional Mandinka and Fula music, Congolese and Ghanain guitar styles, and of course Cuban music, which was especially encouraged by the new socialist government who viewed Cuba as a sort of socalist brethren nation.
There were five “national” orchestras, including the great Bembeya Jazz National and Balla et ses Balladins (see an earlier “Post-Colonial Groove” for a track from them), and 30 “federal” orchestras from various regions of Guinea. This album “Trio Federal de Pointe” focused on three of those federal orchestras, including the great Horoya Band of Kankan, a region which also produced the great 22 Band, which I will feature in an upcoming “groove.”
According to the liner notes, this track, “Alphabetisation”, “is dedicated to the national alphabetisation movement started by the Guinean government. The Horoya Band exhorts everyone, with a beautiful melody, to learn to read and write. An irresistible invitation!” This is indeed an irresistible tune, featuring a great Mandinka guitar solo (see this earlier discussion on that topic) and a well recorded balafon prominently featured in the mix. It is the textbook distinctive and optimistic sound of post-independence Guinea. Click to listen:
Enjoy the weekend!
Solo Piano
Posted on | August 5, 2010 | 3 Comments
I played two three-hour solo piano gigs in the past couple of weeks at Portland’s good old landmark Brasserie Montmartre. It’s been quite some time since I did that on a regular basis and it was an illuminating experience. Solo piano is obviously difficult because of the lack of accompanists, though I have been playing frequently without a bassist in The Ocular Concern. Somewhat to my surprise, this hadn’t really adequately prepared my left hand for a lengthy solo excursion. However, it was a fun experience and I certainly have a longer list of things to practice now. Interesting how easily very general aspects of playing a “normal” jazz piano gig can get left by the wayside after playing so in many composition-heavy projects over the past few years, even ones where the tunes are quite challenging, such as the Ocular Concern.
Yesterday I was teaching a lesson to a student who wanted to work on solo ballad playing. We listened to a bunch of examples of the way in which different great solo pianists approach ballads and, of course, this added to my reflections on the art of solo jazz piano. I immediately noticed something which Randy Porter used to emphasize very frequently in lessons: the importance of playing all the notes in a chord simultaneously. The difference is really striking between a pianist who arpeggiates chords either out of habit or discomfort and a pianist who confidently states the chord voicing in a big block. I was especially aware of this while listening to Bill Evans and Brad Mehldau yesterday, though when I started to check out a few Fred Hersch tracks, who I really consider to be one of the greatest masters of solo jazz piano, I was surprised to notice how much arpeggiation was going on. Upon further listening however, I began to notice the very subtle choices he was making regarding individual subsets of notes that he played together, rather than blanket arpeggiation of the whole chord.
It’s really interesting to consider small factors like these in regards to one’s overall perception of a musician. Fred Hersch, Brad Mehldau, and Bill Evans all exude confidence while playing solo piano, due obviously to many elements of music they have mastered besides just hitting notes at the same time. Similarly, my recent difficulties playing long solo gigs stem from numerous issues both technical and musical, but at least I have discovered one concrete element to work on in the quest to improve!
Post-Colonial African Groove of the Week #11 – Allalah Kounoudion
Posted on | July 23, 2010 | No Comments
Today we move back to Mandinka territory, specifically to Casamance, an area in southern Senegal south of the Gambia which was subject to both French and Portugese colonial rule at various points, for a track from one of the greatest of the “old guard” of Senegambian kora players, Lalo Keba Drame. (Senegambia refers to the combined area of Senegal and the Gambia, which share many similarities in kora styles, as contrasted with the slower, more stately styles prevalent farther east in Mali).
There is somewhat of a misconception going around these days that all kora music is necessarily slow, quiet, and very low-key. This is perpetuated by the kora albums which are most prevalent and available in the US and Europe. Although I am a huge fan of the “household name” kora players, if there are any such things, such as Toumani Diabate and Ballake Cissokho, I do have a certain love for the older, more “raw” kora sound embodied by such players as Lalo Keba and Alhaji Bai Conte, and there is a certain urgent energy in the faster, more athletic style of the Senegambian players which certainly puts to rest any question of the kora as an inherently quiet, sleepy, background-y instrument. I feel that one of the things we are trying to do in the Kora Band is to integrate this more old-school Gambian approach into a modern setting. Fortunately for me, Kane spent many years training with Gambian masters and is extremely proficient at the style, so his own experiences have played strongly into the band sound as well, of course.
So, here is a barely post-colonial track from Lalo Keba Drame, recorded not too long after Senegal’s independence, I believe. I don’t know much about the history of this particular song, but you will certainly get a taste of an earlier style kora player who draws clear lines between the various elements at work: the vocal lines that are sung, the similar vocal lines that he plays on the kora (a couple of times he really bangs them out in octaves, which is awesome), the kumbengo (repeated rhythmic/harmonic pattern that accompanies the vocals), and the rapid solo lines which fill in the rest of the space. It’s a great example of a traditional kora-centric setting with a female vocalist and Lalo Keba singing the traditional vocal line, and lots of great kora soloing in a trademark Gambian genre of tune which has a repeating right thumb pattern alternating between the 1 and the 5 of the key. Also note that his kora is really cranked up, most people today tune them around F, and his is up around A somewhere. That also partially accounts for the short sustain and highly percussive effect of his instrument, along with the fact that he is really hitting it hard. Also note the female singer is tapping a clave-type rhythm on his kora while he plays, a common practice as well. Click to listen:
Lalo Keba Drame – Allalah Kounoudion
Hope everyone enjoys what I hope will be a bit of a different perspective on the instrument! For plenty more kora this week, my Kora Band will be at the Portland Classical Chinese Garden’s Tuesdays by Twilight series this week, which we’re really looking forward to, and we’ll be opening for Loveness Wesa and the Bantus on Saturday night at the Goodfoot! What a week!
Post-Colonial African Groove of the Week #10 – Takava Neko
Posted on | July 16, 2010 | No Comments
Allright I’m finally back at it here with the Post-Colonial African Groove of the Week with another one from Zimbabwe, this one by the Four Brothers, one of the most popular groups to emerge from Zimbabwe in the past 60 years. As you can see on the left, there are more than four. Actually, there have been varying numbers throughout the band’s history.
The drummer and lead singer (!), as well as the founder of the group is Marshall Munhumumwe, who is also the great Thomas Mapfumo’s nephew! The group was formed in the 70′s, and pioneered a style of Zimbabwean music called “jit” which was also played by other well known artists such as the Bhundu Boys and John Chibadura. It’s a guitar-based style which draws somewhat on Congolese influences and east African guitar styles as well as traditional music of the Shona people, and is sung in Shona.
This tune is one of my all-time favorite Zimbabwean tracks, thanks not only to the killer vocal harmonies and pleasant swing of the drumming but also to the lead guitar line half-way through, which is so silky and full of high-end that I can only imagine these guys were using a Roland Jazz Chorus, which has not only EQ knobs for bass, mid, and treble, but one for “high treble!” The drummer’s swing is also interesting, I am always on the lookout for the surprisingly varied ways in which drummers from different regions in Africa (and for that matter from around the world) execute the seemingly easy task of playing constant 8th notes on the hi-hat. Munhumumwe certainly has an accent scheme reminiscent of Congolese grooves, with a stronger accent on the 3rd and 4th note of each group, but his swing is more laid back and uneven, in keeping with a typical Zimbabwean style. Anyway, enjoy the tune, and prepare to your day to be improved by that guitar lick in the middle! (click to listen):
The Four Brothers – Takava Neko
And, speaking of constant eighth notes, I’ll be playing tonight in Portland at the Camellia Lounge with “The Ocular Concern,” my new-ish trio with Dan Duval on guitar and Stephen Pancerev on drums, where we play a bunch of great original music and covers of weird minimalist things. Lots of constant eighth notes in that band, among various other pieces inspired by Zimbabwean music and a Kinks tune for good measure. I’ll be posting some audio of that band very soon, so stay tuned!