Category Archives: Jazz
SPIRIT OF MALOMBO: MALOMBO JAZZ MAKERS, JABULA AND JAZZ AFRIKA 1966-1984.
SPIRIT OF MALOMBO: MALOMBO JAZZ MAKERS, JABULA AND JAZZ AFRIKA 1966-1984. Four years have passed since the last instalment in Strut Records’ critically acclaimed Next Stop Soweto series. At last, however, the wait is over. Recently, Strut Records have released Spirit of Malombo: Malombo, Jazz Makers, Jabula and Jazz Afrika 1966-1984. This is a double …
WILLIAM ONYEAEBOR 2.
WILLIAM ONYEAEBOR 2. Enigmatic. That’s the perfect word to describe synth funk pioneer, William Onyeabor. He is, without doubt, one of the most mysterious and elusive musicians. There’s a good reason for this, Much of William Onyeabor’s life is shrouded in mystery. After releasing eight albums between 1978 and 1985, which will feature in Luaka Bop’s …
BLACK FIRE! NEW SPIRITS! RADICAL AND REVOLUTIONARY JAZZ IN THE USA 1957-1982.
BLACK FIRE! NEW SPIRITS! RADICAL AND REVOLUTIONARY JAZZ IN THE USA 1957-1982. Throughout the last hundred years, jazz music has been in a constant state of evolution. Jazz refused to stand still. New genres grew out of old ones. From swing, bebop was born. After bebop, there was the cool school. Suddenly, the cool school …
RODION G.A.-BEHIND THE CURTAIN-THE LOST ALBUM.
RODION G.A.-BEHIND THE CURTAIN-THE LOST ALBUM. Earlier this year, I embarked upon a musical adventure. It all started just over a year ago, when I received an email. It was from Rodion Ladislau Rosca, who back in the seventies, formed Rodion G.A. Rodion had been surfing the net, and discovered my review of the …
ESTHER PHILLIPS-BABY I’M FOR REAL!
ESTHER PHILLIPS-BABY I’M FOR REAL! Despite releasing eighteen albums during a career that lasted thirty-five years, most people haven’t heard Esther Phillips. That’s a great shame, because they’re as yet, unaware of one of the most talented, versatile and underrated singers of her generation. She possessed a totally unique, voice. During her career, Esther sang blues, country, …
1970s ALGERIAN PROTO-RAI UNDERGROUND.
1970s ALGERIAN PROTO-RAI UNDERGROUND. As the seventies dawned, Algerian music was changing. For the next ten years, Algerian music, was constantly evolving. This included Rai music. It was a controversial style of music, that originally came to prominence at the start of the twentieth century. Rai music Rai music was first heard in Oran, an …
THE JANET LAWSON QUINTET-THE JANET LAWSON QUINTET.
THE JANET LAWSON QUINTET-THE JANET LAWSON QUINTET. By 1981, jazz was no longer as popular as it once been. It was a long way from the days of Bird, Trane and Miles. Fusion was still popular on both sides of the Atlantic. However, traditional jazz was at a crossroads. Bebop, hard bop and West Coast …
ORLANDO JULIUS WITH THE HELIOCENTRICS-JAIYEDE AFRO.
ORLANDO JULIUS WITH THE HELIOCENTRICS-JAIYEDE AFRO. Nowadays, collaborations are commonplace in modern music. So much so, that many music lovers have become complacent. However, the new collaboration between Orlando Julius and The Heliocentrics, Jaiyede Afro, is guaranteed to refresh even the most jaded musical palettes. That’s no surprise. This is a collaboration between one of …
DUKE ELLINGTON’S MY PEOPLE.
DUKE ELLINGTON’S MY PEOPLE. 1st January 1863 was one of the most important dates in American history. It was the date of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. It stated that all slaves in the ten rebel states would be free. A hundred years later, and Duke Ellington wrote a stage play that celebrated President Lincoln’s Emancipation …
ROY HAYNES-HIP ENSEMBLE.
ROY HAYNES-HIP ENSEMBLE. In the history of jazz music, Roy Haynes’ name looms large. He is one of the most recorded drummers in jazz history. During a career that spanned sixty years, Roy Haynes worked with the great and good of jazz music. This included Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Wardell Grey, Stan Getz and Sarah …
KILINDU-KILINDU.
KILINDU-KILINDU. There aren’t many bands who are fortunate enough to have a Grammy Award winning producer working on their debut alum. Kilindu have been. They’ve recently been working with Grammy winning producer, Robert Cutarella. He produced their eponymous debut album, Kilindu which was released as a digital download on 20th September 2014. Previously, Robert Cutarella …
MARSHALL ALLEN PRESENTS SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA-IN THE ORBIT OF RA.
MARSHALL ALLEN PRESENTS SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA-IN THE ORBIT OF RA. Enigmatic and innovative describes the man whose been referred Mr. Mystery, Sun Ra. He was, without doubt, one of the most important figures in jazz music. Constantly, Sun Ra’s pushed musical boundaries. Sun Ra was never content to stand still musically. Similarly, he …
DJ SNOWBOY PRESENTS THE GOOD FOOT.
DJ SNOWBOY PRESENTS THE GOOD FOOT. Mark Cotgrove was just fourteen when he made his DJ-ing debut. This was at Deanes School, in Thundersley, Essex. The future DJ Snowboy assisted his metalwork teacher on the wheels of steel. This could’ve, and should’ve, been the start of his DJ-ing career. It wasn’t. By the time Mark …
FRANK SINATRA-IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS OF THE MORNING AND SONGS FOR SWINGIN’ LOVERS.
FRANK SINATRA-IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS OF THE MORNING AND SONGS FOR SWINGIN’ LOVERS. It’s hard to believe that by the early fifties, Frank Sinatra’s career had stalled. Frank Sinatra’s career was at a crossroads. He hadn’t released an album since Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra. Released in October 1950, Sing and Dance with …
SPIRITUAL JAZZ 5: THE WORLD.
SPIRITUAL JAZZ 5: THE WORLD. In the four previous volumes of their Spiritual Jazz series, Jazzman Records have mostly, focused on European jazz. For Spiritual Jazz 5: The World, Jazzman Records have travelled far and wide. They’ve been on what can be best described as a worldwide crate digging expedition. Hidden gems and rarities have …
LES AMBASSADEURS-LES AMBASSADEURS DU MOTEL DE BAMAKO.
LES AMBASSADEURS-LES AMBASSADEURS DU MOTEL DE BAMAKO. As the seventies unfolded, the Rail Band de Bamako were kings of Malian music. They had dragged Malian music kicking and screaming into the twentieth century. The Rail Band de Bamako had given traditional Malian music a makeover. However, another group was about to steal their crown, Les …
BILLY HAWKS-THE NEW GENIUS OF THE BLUES/HEAVY SOUL!
BILLY HAWKS-THE NEW GENIUS OF THE BLUES/HEAVY SOUL! When Bob Weinstock founded Prestige Records in 1949, he’d no idea that his nascent label would become one of the most important, influential and innovative labels in jazz music’s history. So much so, that nowadays, Prestige Records sits proudly beside Atlantic, Blue Note, Columbia, Impulse! and Verve …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 