Jazzman are one of the best regarded reissue labels among funk fans. They put out excellent 7" singles of forgotten funk nuggets, well-remembered rare nuggets, and some fine c.d. compilations to boot. This collection is culled from the last bunch of 7" records released by Jazzman. The only superfluous cut is the collection's opening song "Hercules". Of course it's a funk classic, but so is "Sex Machine" and we don't need to see that on another compilation again, either. Now if it had a hot B-side that only a lucky few have been aware of... that would have been fantastic. However, anyone buying this compilation surely has a copy of Aaron Neville's "Hercules" somewhere in their collection already. Given this is the only over-exposed song on Pow Wow, that is easily forgiven. Jazzman's latest crop of re-pressed rarities includes some hardcore funk.
Carla Whitney's "War" is a rare side of Toronto funk, released by Attic Records in 1975. It is not a cover of the Edwin Starr hit, but rather it is a bubbling few minutes of funk with some heavy, rumbling bass. Too bad the album featuring this song sank without a trace, as Carla seems to have long disappeared from public.
Bajka's "The Only Religion" is a 1990's recording, despite it's Earthy, almost folk sound. There are a few cool instrumentals along the way, but the funkiest boogaloo jam I've heard in a long time is from Manny Corchado. It this compilation's namesake, "Pow Wow". The faux-Native motif might seem bigoted with it's asking Kemosabe to share his smoke, but I can't help but assume Manny meant no harm on this 1967 tune (although I can not understand the other words on this Spanish song, either) .
Elsie Mae's "Do You Really Want To Rescue Me" is an answer to the Fontella Bass' hit, but Elsie's response is slow and brooding rather than upbeat like "Rescue Me". Apparently this former James Brown back up singer only cut a couple of singles. This one was issued by King Records in 1966, and fits right in with James Brown's music from that era.
The Jonathon Richman cut "Egyptian Reggae" looked like an odd selection until hearing this 1977 track. A throwback for the disco era, this instrumental sounds more like a pre-Ska era instrumental from the Jamaican Count Ossie. The percussion is quirky, rattly and still funky. The final track is the only strange sounding piece of music on here. The Modern Egyptian Dance Band cut sounds like someone who enjoyed "Flight of the Bumblebee", and decided to try something more percussive, with sci-fi effects periodically beaming through a keyboard. A quirky end to a funky disc.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
C.D. Review- Various Artists- 45 Kings Volume III (Fat City)
Various Artists; 45 Kings III (Fat City)
This is the third volume in this particular series from Manchester's Fat City label. Apparently many of these songs are remarkably rare, but I still have a hard time accepting this 41 minute release as a double album. I still don't understand why compilations pulled from a wide assortment of 7" records covering multiple musical genres should have short running times. If there was a mind-blowing sonic improvement that only wide vinyl grooves could transmit, there might be an argument in favour of such short records, but repressing old vinyl singles can hardly justify the sonic-superiority argument.
With that aside, there certainly are some rather compelling tracks on 45 Kings III. The opener, Jimmy Gray Hall's "Be That Way" is a gently upbeat song that isn't exactly soul, but sure is soulful in it's resigned delivery. More conventional disco-funk comes through on "Crescent Boogie" by Soul On Delivery. Mike Harper lays on a thick, dancefloor-cut slice of soul with his "Lay It On Me Baby".
"Wanderin' Soul" is a gospel-sounding number from Gary Atkinson, who sounds a bit like Arthur Prysock on here. John Fitch's "Romantic Attitude" is a cynical anti-love song which should probably have been titled "I Don't Care".
Another fine cut is Estelle Levitt's "All I Dream" is a hauntingly groovy pop song that sounds like some forgotten movie theme with the strings and rhythm interplay backing Estelle's moody vocals. Lilly's "Starin' At The Wall" is a good funky blues song a la Denise LaSalle, while a few tracks end the album in a quirky mood. Nino Nardini is probably the best known artist on this collection- he contributes a suspenseful instrumental that sounds like it could have been recorded for the 1980's "Knight Rider" t.v. series about a technologically advanced car and the crime fighter who drives it. Nardini recorded music for French television, so the premise is not without consideration. The spare, bassy and synth-heavy arrangement moves along for almost three minutes, bringing this short collection to a close.
Despite the appeal of many of these rare songs, there are barge loads of great long-forgotten old 7" singles. Given 45 Kings III seems to have been compiled without rhyme nor reason, there is no theme that would have been compromised by tossing a few extra songs on here, or leaving it as a single l.p. It's an interesting collection, but there are plenty of those around, so I would hesitate to implore anyone to run out and get this one.
This is the third volume in this particular series from Manchester's Fat City label. Apparently many of these songs are remarkably rare, but I still have a hard time accepting this 41 minute release as a double album. I still don't understand why compilations pulled from a wide assortment of 7" records covering multiple musical genres should have short running times. If there was a mind-blowing sonic improvement that only wide vinyl grooves could transmit, there might be an argument in favour of such short records, but repressing old vinyl singles can hardly justify the sonic-superiority argument.
With that aside, there certainly are some rather compelling tracks on 45 Kings III. The opener, Jimmy Gray Hall's "Be That Way" is a gently upbeat song that isn't exactly soul, but sure is soulful in it's resigned delivery. More conventional disco-funk comes through on "Crescent Boogie" by Soul On Delivery. Mike Harper lays on a thick, dancefloor-cut slice of soul with his "Lay It On Me Baby".
"Wanderin' Soul" is a gospel-sounding number from Gary Atkinson, who sounds a bit like Arthur Prysock on here. John Fitch's "Romantic Attitude" is a cynical anti-love song which should probably have been titled "I Don't Care".
Another fine cut is Estelle Levitt's "All I Dream" is a hauntingly groovy pop song that sounds like some forgotten movie theme with the strings and rhythm interplay backing Estelle's moody vocals. Lilly's "Starin' At The Wall" is a good funky blues song a la Denise LaSalle, while a few tracks end the album in a quirky mood. Nino Nardini is probably the best known artist on this collection- he contributes a suspenseful instrumental that sounds like it could have been recorded for the 1980's "Knight Rider" t.v. series about a technologically advanced car and the crime fighter who drives it. Nardini recorded music for French television, so the premise is not without consideration. The spare, bassy and synth-heavy arrangement moves along for almost three minutes, bringing this short collection to a close.
Despite the appeal of many of these rare songs, there are barge loads of great long-forgotten old 7" singles. Given 45 Kings III seems to have been compiled without rhyme nor reason, there is no theme that would have been compromised by tossing a few extra songs on here, or leaving it as a single l.p. It's an interesting collection, but there are plenty of those around, so I would hesitate to implore anyone to run out and get this one.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
C.D. Review; Nomo- New Tones (Ubiquity)
Following in the wake of Antibalas' success in importing a convincing Afrobeat sound to an American band, groups like
Nomo is led by saxophone player Elliot Bergman, and consists of 8 core members along with sundry guests at live appearances. This is their first release on
The disc runs for close to an hour and provides an enjoyable sojourn into a mix of Afrobeat and more techno- influenced elements like the ever present but always subdued bass lines that characterize much of New Tones. This release consists of 11 instrumentals, although some, like "One to One" sound like they could sound fantastic behind the right singer.
While the Fela Kuti and
The band adds a few home made percussion instruments to their rhythm section, which worked well enough for
The next couple of tracks feature some elegant harp playing while Nomo continue their Americanized repatriation of African jazz, adding to the loop of each continent influencing music in the other. The meandering horn solos held tog by an unwavering groove give way to some quirkier, more aggressive horn bouts on the fifth track, "New Song" (another instrumental despite the title's implications).
"We Do We Go" adds some flute and a larger dose of Erik Hall's guitar playing. The omnipresent rumbling bass playing gets a little louder at times, but it never predominates on any track, sounding more like an approaching storm that never quite passes right over the listener's head. The album closes with a meditative track, featuring one last return to the band's gamelan set, as it backs the horn charts' final tribute to John Coltrane.
New Tones is too jazzy to be a dance-funk album, although some cuts might work on some dance floors. The Afrobeat definitely takes a side seat to post-Bebop American jazz, and the techno-sounding production adds a cold sound to this c.d. The playing is great, the music is compelling, but it sounds like something to wind down with, or to play while in a contemplative mood. New Tones is certainly compelling listening, but I suspect Nomo's live performances are more entertaining.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Concert Review; Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Tuesday January 23/07 A.C.C. Toronto
Bob Seger represents many things to many people. To plenty of rock fans, unfortunately, he penned the theme song for Ford, heard regularly in commercials for about twenty years now. To others, Bob recorded more than his share of classic rock n' roll, and enjoys one of the most loyal fan bases in the business. To others still, Bob Seger is some old rocker who gained success from Hollywood in the 1980's when two of his songs were featured in immensely popular movies ("Old Time Rock n' Roll" in Risky Business, "Shakedown" in Beverly Hills Cop II, not to mention songs in a few non-blockbuster movies). The Harley Davidson and Jack Daniels t-shirts adorned by so many fans at his concerts can't do much to dispel people's conceptions about Bob Seger, favourable or not. On the cover of the new c.d. Bob is on a Harley under an open Midwest sky. On the other hand, Bob Seger rarely sings about getting drunk, and he doesn't have many songs about riding motorbikes either. In fact, Seger's back catalogue has a high proportion of songs about failed relationships. To borrow from one of the few covers he played at the A.C.C. Tuesday night, "You Never Can Tell".
To those fans of Bob Seger before "Like A Rock", the man and the Silver Bullet Band have always represented musical integrity, and hard working live gigs to cement the faith. Bob's two double live albums are testaments to the energetic shows he was putting on for many years. The touring dropped off as the eighties wore on, and Bob Seger has toured about once a decade since the mid 1980's. This might be his last road trip, with Toronto the only Canadian stop.
"Face The Promise" is Bob's first new c.d. in many years, and several of its songs have caught on. The disc is selling well, so the A.C.C. was predictably full. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band must have been thrilled by the nearly full house, after so many years off the road. They hit the stage shortly before nine o'clock.
"Roll Me Away" kicked off the show, but it was marred by a poor sound system which muffled Bob's singing and at other times drowned out Alto Reed's baritone saxophone playing. The sound improved marginally over the next few songs until it finally sounded alright.
The second song was a tried and true crowd pleaser, "Trying To Live My Life Without You". The band started to sound better over the course of this song, but they were still searching for the knock-out punch quality of their live records. The Silver Bullet Band has a few additions, too. Bob has had the same back up singers for decades, and veterans Chris Campbell and Alto Reed are still around. Don Brewer (fellow Michigander and ex-Grand Funk Railroad drummer) is back on the road with Bob. Guitarist Mark Chatfield is another relative newcomer, as is Jim "Moose" Brown, who is helping out with guitars and keyboards. The live arrangements were fairly straightforward. Alto Reed played the solos on "Main Street" faithfully to the record, but the band did get to stretch out on occasion. Reed was augmented by the four piece Motor City Horns. Bob still alternates between playing guitar and piano on some songs, like "We've Got Tonight". For some reason, the guitar technicians in charge of having the correct guitar tuned and ready for the next song seemed to take an unusually long time to exchange instruments with the Silver Bullet players. The show continued with a mix of new songs like "Wreck This Heart" and "Face the Promise" and vintage Seger standards like "Old Time Rock n' Roll" and "Betty Lou's Getting Out Tonight".
As the band slowly loosened up, Bob delivered an excellent rendition of "Turn The Page" before wrapping up with the "Travelling Man" and "Beautiful Loser" medley that is on "Live Bullet".
There was a brief intermission before the band resumed with some new material. Bob introduced the next song as dating from 1968, which of course referred to his first hit, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man". That got the audience on its feet, although the song's pounding organ wasn't loud enough in the A.C.C. mix. The next song was a Chuck Berry cover; many long time fans were probably expecting to hear "Let It Rock" which the Silver Bullet Band has played for many years, but surprisingly the band burst into "You Never Can Tell". There were a few more new songs featured during the second set, along with "The Horizontal Bop" and "Katmandu". The band left the stage, but there was no doubt encores were certainly pending. Many of Seger's best loved tracks were played, but of course some omissions were certainly missed. "Like A Rock" was conspicuously absent from the set list, but fans of Seger's older material probably didn't mind. As predictable an encore as it might have been, Seger played older favourites "Night Moves" and "Hollywood Nights" instead. After another brief pause, the final two encores played were "Against The Wind" and the particularly appropriate "Rock n' Roll Never Forgets", with its topic of simultaneous aging and rocking. The concert ran for a couple of hours, and the Silver Bullet Band was in fine form by the end of the show. Unfortunately the sound problems at the start of the show did nothing to help the band relax and gel. Bob still sings much better than one would expect of a sixty year old, long semi-retired rocker, and his back-up singers have held up well over the decades as well. The Silver Bullet Band took a while to find their groove but once they did, they reminded the audience why Bob Seger's live output rivals his best studio work. This is probably the last chance fans will have to catch Bob Seger in concert, so check him out if you can.
To those fans of Bob Seger before "Like A Rock", the man and the Silver Bullet Band have always represented musical integrity, and hard working live gigs to cement the faith. Bob's two double live albums are testaments to the energetic shows he was putting on for many years. The touring dropped off as the eighties wore on, and Bob Seger has toured about once a decade since the mid 1980's. This might be his last road trip, with Toronto the only Canadian stop.
"Face The Promise" is Bob's first new c.d. in many years, and several of its songs have caught on. The disc is selling well, so the A.C.C. was predictably full. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band must have been thrilled by the nearly full house, after so many years off the road. They hit the stage shortly before nine o'clock.
"Roll Me Away" kicked off the show, but it was marred by a poor sound system which muffled Bob's singing and at other times drowned out Alto Reed's baritone saxophone playing. The sound improved marginally over the next few songs until it finally sounded alright.
The second song was a tried and true crowd pleaser, "Trying To Live My Life Without You". The band started to sound better over the course of this song, but they were still searching for the knock-out punch quality of their live records. The Silver Bullet Band has a few additions, too. Bob has had the same back up singers for decades, and veterans Chris Campbell and Alto Reed are still around. Don Brewer (fellow Michigander and ex-Grand Funk Railroad drummer) is back on the road with Bob. Guitarist Mark Chatfield is another relative newcomer, as is Jim "Moose" Brown, who is helping out with guitars and keyboards. The live arrangements were fairly straightforward. Alto Reed played the solos on "Main Street" faithfully to the record, but the band did get to stretch out on occasion. Reed was augmented by the four piece Motor City Horns. Bob still alternates between playing guitar and piano on some songs, like "We've Got Tonight". For some reason, the guitar technicians in charge of having the correct guitar tuned and ready for the next song seemed to take an unusually long time to exchange instruments with the Silver Bullet players. The show continued with a mix of new songs like "Wreck This Heart" and "Face the Promise" and vintage Seger standards like "Old Time Rock n' Roll" and "Betty Lou's Getting Out Tonight".
As the band slowly loosened up, Bob delivered an excellent rendition of "Turn The Page" before wrapping up with the "Travelling Man" and "Beautiful Loser" medley that is on "Live Bullet".
There was a brief intermission before the band resumed with some new material. Bob introduced the next song as dating from 1968, which of course referred to his first hit, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man". That got the audience on its feet, although the song's pounding organ wasn't loud enough in the A.C.C. mix. The next song was a Chuck Berry cover; many long time fans were probably expecting to hear "Let It Rock" which the Silver Bullet Band has played for many years, but surprisingly the band burst into "You Never Can Tell". There were a few more new songs featured during the second set, along with "The Horizontal Bop" and "Katmandu". The band left the stage, but there was no doubt encores were certainly pending. Many of Seger's best loved tracks were played, but of course some omissions were certainly missed. "Like A Rock" was conspicuously absent from the set list, but fans of Seger's older material probably didn't mind. As predictable an encore as it might have been, Seger played older favourites "Night Moves" and "Hollywood Nights" instead. After another brief pause, the final two encores played were "Against The Wind" and the particularly appropriate "Rock n' Roll Never Forgets", with its topic of simultaneous aging and rocking. The concert ran for a couple of hours, and the Silver Bullet Band was in fine form by the end of the show. Unfortunately the sound problems at the start of the show did nothing to help the band relax and gel. Bob still sings much better than one would expect of a sixty year old, long semi-retired rocker, and his back-up singers have held up well over the decades as well. The Silver Bullet Band took a while to find their groove but once they did, they reminded the audience why Bob Seger's live output rivals his best studio work. This is probably the last chance fans will have to catch Bob Seger in concert, so check him out if you can.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Review; Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal (Compilation c.d./l.p.) (Numero Group)
This one came out last fall. Numero Group has released a lot of soul and funk that was previously beyond obscure; some had not been released at all, while the other tracks the Numero Group has dug up were so rare, few collectors were even aware of them. Their collections culled from studios in Columbus, Chicago, and Detroit have brought a generous helping of funky new nuggets to current fans of the genre. The music on their compilations is easy to enjoy, and one doesn't have to be obsessed with rarity or recording studios to enjoy the grooves spread through the Numero Group's c.d.'s. With this in mind, that one doesn't have to be a connoisseur to enjoy Numero Group releases, one certainly doesn't have to be an evangelical Christian or even religious to dig the rich, thick soul on Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal.
The music on this collection was recorded between 1968 and 1980. The disc runs just under an hour, but the 18 tracks on here are so enjoyable the length of the c.d. is less of an issue than collections that are short and padded with tracks the consumer is certain to have in their collection already. This is one compilation that is highly unlikely to contain anything the listener already owns.
As the liner notes mention, funky gospel was not a movement within either funk or gospel artists, but many gospel acts had the odd slice of funk in their repertoire. One studio in Ecorse, Michigan yielded no less than three heavy sides of funk on this c.d. from as many acts. Detroit's 20 singer plus one manic drummer ensemble the Voices of Conquest round out the south Michigan contingent on here.
The starter, "Jesus Rhapsody (Part 1)" by Preacher and the Saints sounds like an early seventies Curtis Mayfield track, with Edwin Starr singing. The low budget, somewhat muddy but ever funky mix between the vocals and music sets the tone for the rest of this disc. It is followed by a gospel take-off of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" called "Bad Situation", with new words that would have fit right in on Stevie's original.
"God Been Good To Me" sounds like the late sixties Temptations backed by Sly and the Family Stone. This is the first of the Ecorse Michigan songs recorded at Revival Studios and unearthed for this release. The next one is a Sam and Dave style shouter "I Thank The Lord". There are a few other obvious inspirations coming from well known soul hits, like "Shaky Ground" (check the Modulations'"This Old World Is Going Down") and "Love and Happiness" laid the ground work for "Childhood Days" by the Universal Jubileers. James Brown's singing style is naturally emulated on a few cuts, which makes sense given the gospel fervour James Brown injects into his own rather secular minded songs.
Detroit's Voices of Conquest's drummer Benjamin Wilson pounds away in His name, while the choir's haunting delivery of "O Yes My Lord" is reminiscent of Missa Luba, the Congolese opera, which must have been one of the first non-Miriam Makeba African music albums that sold well across Europe and North America. An intense slow-burner called "Jesus Will Help Me" by the Gospel Comforters follows.
Trevor Dandy's "Is There Any Love" features a spare keyboard arrangement in the spirit of Timmy Thomas' 1972 hit "Why Can't We Live Together?" which keeps with the low budget sound of this whole album.
A dose of fire, brimstone and rolling percussion wrap up the c.d. The song features a lonely Satan, in Hell of course, reminiscing about how popular the place used to be. The parties, the hedonism... LaVice and Company sound quite fond of the whole scene. This track apparently comes from a musical performed in a church basement. For some reason, neither LaVice nor his company double checked their spelling, but the song "Thoughs Were The Days" (sic) is a great, final dab of murky soul that ends the collection on a questionable high note- if people are no longer going to Hell en masse, as the song laments, are things not expected to have improved on Earth? Regardless of what theological arguments one might bring to the table, the music absolutely kicks on this disc. There are a couple of soulful gospel compilations that have come out in the last couple of years, but Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal easily sounds the most raw. This one is highly recommended, regardless of one's religious beliefs or doubts.
The music on this collection was recorded between 1968 and 1980. The disc runs just under an hour, but the 18 tracks on here are so enjoyable the length of the c.d. is less of an issue than collections that are short and padded with tracks the consumer is certain to have in their collection already. This is one compilation that is highly unlikely to contain anything the listener already owns.
As the liner notes mention, funky gospel was not a movement within either funk or gospel artists, but many gospel acts had the odd slice of funk in their repertoire. One studio in Ecorse, Michigan yielded no less than three heavy sides of funk on this c.d. from as many acts. Detroit's 20 singer plus one manic drummer ensemble the Voices of Conquest round out the south Michigan contingent on here.
The starter, "Jesus Rhapsody (Part 1)" by Preacher and the Saints sounds like an early seventies Curtis Mayfield track, with Edwin Starr singing. The low budget, somewhat muddy but ever funky mix between the vocals and music sets the tone for the rest of this disc. It is followed by a gospel take-off of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" called "Bad Situation", with new words that would have fit right in on Stevie's original.
"God Been Good To Me" sounds like the late sixties Temptations backed by Sly and the Family Stone. This is the first of the Ecorse Michigan songs recorded at Revival Studios and unearthed for this release. The next one is a Sam and Dave style shouter "I Thank The Lord". There are a few other obvious inspirations coming from well known soul hits, like "Shaky Ground" (check the Modulations'"This Old World Is Going Down") and "Love and Happiness" laid the ground work for "Childhood Days" by the Universal Jubileers. James Brown's singing style is naturally emulated on a few cuts, which makes sense given the gospel fervour James Brown injects into his own rather secular minded songs.
Detroit's Voices of Conquest's drummer Benjamin Wilson pounds away in His name, while the choir's haunting delivery of "O Yes My Lord" is reminiscent of Missa Luba, the Congolese opera, which must have been one of the first non-Miriam Makeba African music albums that sold well across Europe and North America. An intense slow-burner called "Jesus Will Help Me" by the Gospel Comforters follows.
Trevor Dandy's "Is There Any Love" features a spare keyboard arrangement in the spirit of Timmy Thomas' 1972 hit "Why Can't We Live Together?" which keeps with the low budget sound of this whole album.
A dose of fire, brimstone and rolling percussion wrap up the c.d. The song features a lonely Satan, in Hell of course, reminiscing about how popular the place used to be. The parties, the hedonism... LaVice and Company sound quite fond of the whole scene. This track apparently comes from a musical performed in a church basement. For some reason, neither LaVice nor his company double checked their spelling, but the song "Thoughs Were The Days" (sic) is a great, final dab of murky soul that ends the collection on a questionable high note- if people are no longer going to Hell en masse, as the song laments, are things not expected to have improved on Earth? Regardless of what theological arguments one might bring to the table, the music absolutely kicks on this disc. There are a couple of soulful gospel compilations that have come out in the last couple of years, but Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal easily sounds the most raw. This one is highly recommended, regardless of one's religious beliefs or doubts.
Review; Antibalas - Security (Anti)
The new Antibalas album is ready for release, although the band seems to be waiting a little longer before sending out their latest missive to the world. The seven tracks on Security run for about 55 minutes. It could perhaps have used a little trimming, at least on some of the slower, more atmospheric tracks on here, but overall this is a strong addition to Antibalas' discography. On their new outing, Antibalas have signed with the Anti-label which teamed them up with producer John McEntire. The 12 piece band spent a month recording the album in Chicago last year, and they continue to live up to their self-designation as an Afrobeat Orchestra. Celebrity producers certainly can't guarantee success no matter how much they change a band's sound to something deemed more accessible. Despite being concerned about Antibalas' sound getting watered down to something like Stereolab with horns, John McEntire let Antibalas do their thing. Some cuts sound a little soft for a 12 piece band that has rocked concert stages everywhere for hours on end, but Antibalas are still pumping out Afrobeat sounds like few bands can. The c.d. is funky, the arrangements spare, and the smoothness comes naturally on Security.
The first track, "Beaten Metal" has a rather symphonic sounding introduction, with a single horn heralding the first movement. The instrumental develops slowly, with the percussion slowly building before the bass and guitar creep in. Keyboard player Victor Axelrod gradually takes over until he duels the horns for space by the end of the tune.
The second song, "Filibuster XXX" finds Amayo singing about typical Antibalas fare, which has a catchy 'tic tack toe' motif, but the Dick Cheney reference will date this song the way Reagan songs characterize so much 1980's punk music.
"Sanctuary" has the band returning to their Fela Kuti-inspired roots, with a brooding introduction featuring a relentless bass line punctuated by blasts of brass. Amayo doesn't start singing for some six minutes, but then belts out the words about heading for the hills. The fourth track does bring us near Stereolab-territory, with its soft, ephemeral arrangement combined with the most subdued vocals on the disc. Antibalas return to the Afrobeat style at which they excel for much of the disc, combining it with the almost classical style horns of "Beaten Metal" on the instrumental "I.C.E." The brooding stops abruptly, and the band kicks back into Afrobeat mode for the last part. The final track "Age" concludes Security on a jazz tip which end the disc on a particularly mellow note for Antibalas.
This c.d. certainly sounds like the band is looking to expand its sonic horizons beyond Afrobeat, funk or the Latin sounds they have been laying down for a few years now. Antibalas live dates later this year should be interesting if they decide to test their more subdued new jams on the road. They have great stamina on stage and can be counted upon to put on an excellent show, so watch for tour dates if you like Fela Kuti-inspired extended Afrobeat jams.
The first track, "Beaten Metal" has a rather symphonic sounding introduction, with a single horn heralding the first movement. The instrumental develops slowly, with the percussion slowly building before the bass and guitar creep in. Keyboard player Victor Axelrod gradually takes over until he duels the horns for space by the end of the tune.
The second song, "Filibuster XXX" finds Amayo singing about typical Antibalas fare, which has a catchy 'tic tack toe' motif, but the Dick Cheney reference will date this song the way Reagan songs characterize so much 1980's punk music.
"Sanctuary" has the band returning to their Fela Kuti-inspired roots, with a brooding introduction featuring a relentless bass line punctuated by blasts of brass. Amayo doesn't start singing for some six minutes, but then belts out the words about heading for the hills. The fourth track does bring us near Stereolab-territory, with its soft, ephemeral arrangement combined with the most subdued vocals on the disc. Antibalas return to the Afrobeat style at which they excel for much of the disc, combining it with the almost classical style horns of "Beaten Metal" on the instrumental "I.C.E." The brooding stops abruptly, and the band kicks back into Afrobeat mode for the last part. The final track "Age" concludes Security on a jazz tip which end the disc on a particularly mellow note for Antibalas.
This c.d. certainly sounds like the band is looking to expand its sonic horizons beyond Afrobeat, funk or the Latin sounds they have been laying down for a few years now. Antibalas live dates later this year should be interesting if they decide to test their more subdued new jams on the road. They have great stamina on stage and can be counted upon to put on an excellent show, so watch for tour dates if you like Fela Kuti-inspired extended Afrobeat jams.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
New Reissue; Mustafa Ozkent ve Orkestrasi; Genclik ile Elele
This Turkish album first came out in 1973. The zany cover art (a monkey messing around with a reel to reel tape recorder) suggests this is a lighthearted endeavour, but the album contains some serious funk that holds its own against the relentless grooves of American funk gods like the Meters. Despite this release being so funky, this decidedly western-sounding record never strays too far from Mustafa Ozkent's Anatolian musical heritage. The guitar player started performing in Ankara in 1960 and was a well respected musician by the time this record came out. It apparently didn't sell particularly well, but Andy Votel at the Finders Keepers label was sufficiently knocked out by a copy he found that his label has recently reissued this lost slice of Eastern funk.
The record is just over half an hour long and there are no extras on this package. Ten brief instrumentals cram as much funk as possible into a half hour on wax. From the opening cut, the upbeat, almost Surf-like "Uskudar", through merciless drum breaks on tunes like "Dolana" and the pounding percussion throughout the record, the funk comes on relentlessly. Psychedelic guitar licks abound, but they never hide the Turkish roots of Mustafa Ozkent's music. The bubbling organ playing through out the record sometimes comes close, infusing a sixties Go-Go feel to the record, but Ozkent manages to gel east and west like few musicians. The last track fades out during a pounding drum solo, leaving any funk fan hungry for more. This album is well worth checking out.
The record is just over half an hour long and there are no extras on this package. Ten brief instrumentals cram as much funk as possible into a half hour on wax. From the opening cut, the upbeat, almost Surf-like "Uskudar", through merciless drum breaks on tunes like "Dolana" and the pounding percussion throughout the record, the funk comes on relentlessly. Psychedelic guitar licks abound, but they never hide the Turkish roots of Mustafa Ozkent's music. The bubbling organ playing through out the record sometimes comes close, infusing a sixties Go-Go feel to the record, but Ozkent manages to gel east and west like few musicians. The last track fades out during a pounding drum solo, leaving any funk fan hungry for more. This album is well worth checking out.
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