Jazz Moods

Playlist: Jazz Moods 4

2011-12-26T20:25:00.002+01:00

Here is the new mix of jazzy tunes for you to enjoy during these Holidays. A little earlier than expected.

This time we have the next artists and bands featuring in it: George Benson, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Chick Corea and Return To Forever, Adam Holzman, United Future Organization, Incognito, Alphonse Mouzon, Grover Washington Jr., Pat Metheny Group, Stanley Clarke, Carlitos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Digable Planets, A Tribe Called Quest, Stevie Wonder, Donald Byrd and Esther Phillips!!

"Jazz Moods 4" (open in Spotify)

Jazz Moods 4 Playlist Preview

2011-12-25T23:15:00.002+01:00

It's been so long since my last post.

I just want to announce the release of my fourth playlist in a few days.

Merry Christmas for all of you readers!

No Time Like The Future- Incognito

2011-11-24T15:56:00.001+01:00

I still remember being inside of my father's car, travelling without moving direction to the beach, listening to Incognito. The stereo was playing No Time Like The Future, our favorite Incognito album (their seventh work, stronger than its predecessor Beneath The Surface, that is much more smooth). This was like ten years ago, but I never get tired of these recording.

The compositions have as headmaster the acid jazz legend Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick (founder of the group, composer and guitarist). Bluey and his team have achieved this time a melting of funky beats, soul vocals, Latin sambas and Moroccan rhythms. Of course all of these spiced with Incognito's traditional electrical acid jazz touch. This combination leads us to a multi-cultural and rhythmic journey to "the future". So, Bluey is not just creating great music, but he is also using al the colors of the palette.

One of the best songs is "Get Into My Groove", where Maysa is the vocalists’ leader. It is about politicians' hypocrisy, excess of affection and lack of understanding of the common man ("Don't shake me by the hand, Pretend to understand, To get into my mind, You got to get into my groove"). It is a vey funky tune that has a highly effective orchestration and a vocal that draws a melody born to be loved, so that the notes remain traced on our mind.

"Marrakech", the track that I most like, is the fourth in the tracklist. I understand it as a kind of dream through the streets of that exotic city that is Marrakech. When you listen to this piece you can feel the ethnic sounds evolving you, combining funk melodies with oriental influences. Nextly, we have a mix of bossa nova and Tibetan chants, "Fearless", the typical Incognito's instrumental groove.

The star and more famous song of the album is "Nights over Egypt", a cover of the Jones Girls one (that was written by Dexter Wansel!). A successful use of house bases and the string section makes this tune a funky cocktail that should explode in flames in every dance floor.

Definitely, No Time Like The Future is a masterpiece: stimulant, energetic and inspirational. It is engaging and relaxing at the same time. Highly recommended!

Listen to it: No Time Like The Future (open in Spotify)

Playlist- Jazz Moods 3

2011-11-20T19:47:00.001+01:00

I have already published my new playlist. Jazz Moods 3 comes charged with jazz, blues, bossa nova, acid jazz and enough groove to keep in the good mood all this week.

Featuring artists: Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, Eumir Deodato, Tom Scott, John Coltrane, United Future Organization, Clark Terry, Bob James, Donald Byrd, Alphonse Mouzon, Michael Camilo, Al Jarreau, Bobby Shad, Chuck Mangione, Miles Davis, George Benson, Oscar Peterson, US3, Brooklyn Funk Essentials, Teddy Pendergrass and Jamiroquai!

Jazz Moods 3 (open in Spotify)

DotFunk

2011-11-19T16:50:00.001+01:00

The 24 January of 2010 a new band was born. That day DotFunk performed their first gig at the London Jazz Cafe.

The band is formed by the most funky musicians and vocalists of the UK (as described by the Jazz Cafe critic); coming from the Acid Jazz groups: Jamiroquai, Incognito and Brand New Heavies.

In my opinion, they are more than good enough to go far away from just doing concerts. Sounding so good, I think you would agree with me: they should take the plunge and release an album right now.

Line-up:

Rob Harris- guitar

Paul Turner- bass

Derrick McKenzie- drums

Dan Pearce- vocals & perc

Michelle John- vocals

Matt Steele- keys

Friends- Chick Corea

2011-11-17T21:26:00.001+01:00

Friends was released on 1978. This was a very intense year for Corea because he recorded most of his best works as a leader (Secret Agent, The Mad Hatter and Delphi I: Solo Piano Improvisations). Also he released that year the live collaboration with Herbie Hancock (An evening with Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea: In Concert).

It is in some way a continuity of My Spanish Heart (released 2 years before), because in Friends electric and acoustic sounds coexist. Proof of this is that Corea plays sometimes a Steinway Acoustic Grand Piano and other times a Fender Rhodes; but he puts away his usual synthesizers.

This fact and the melodic writing of the pieces that compose the album make it unique and basic for the bookshelf of any Corea fan. Musicians playing it have enough freedom to improvise; this denotes Chick's brilliant qualities as a leader.

The result are hard swing recordings where Eddie Gomez really nails it on the bass providing rich and full sounds (with tremendous solos like the one in "Samba Song"), Farrell performing great flute jams and Gadd supplying constant creativity flows. The song named as the album, "Friends", is the one that best condenses all these features; one of those tunes that can cheer you up at any moment.

An interesting note is that the album cover (so criticised by many jazz aficionados) was designed by Chick himself. I do not know what American people have against the smurfs; I just think that they are funny.

Have a happy listening!

Friends- Chick Corea (open in Spotify)

Personnel:

Chick Corea: piano

Eddie Gomez: contrabajo.

Steve Gadd: percusión.

Joe Farrell: flauta.

Live & Rare- Chet Baker

2011-11-17T18:02:00.001+01:00

The first thing I thought when I discovered this recopilatory was that it may had the ugliest cover I have ever seen. Why a trumpeter and singer album art has a sax inside a kind of Martini glass? Is this a joke? For this reason I have not uploaded the cover, so that it does not scare you away.

Chet Baker Live & Rare is a very achieved compilation of fifteen Chet's recordings in many concerts and with the collaboration of various artists (released this year). Between those we it has to be highlighted one of my favorite drummers, Alphonse Mouzon, that plays along with Chet two pieces: "Blue 'N Boogie" and "Lady Bird".

Enjoy.

Chet Baker- Live & Rare (open in Spotify)

A Message To Our Politicians

2011-11-15T16:56:00.001+01:00

"It ain't what it seems when it's a single sided system". That is what my favorite artist, Jay Kay (Jamiroquai's leader) sings in the conclusion of this piece.

The tune I want you to listen today it is called Scam. It is part of the album The Return Of The Space Cowboy that maybe is the second album that I most like of the band.

Released in 1994, Jamiroquai's lyrics where still committed to safe environment and to promote their political ideas. Here, in "Scam" they express their dissatisfaction with their contemporary politicians as much as ever. This song is about politicians who do not keep their promises, who abuse of their power, who are corrupt. And as the British group states, this makes you "have to be a schemer if you wanna love the life you have to live".

People, please check the lyrics if you do not understand English quite well because it is worthwhile.

This is a message for all politicians, specially the Spanish ones. In five days we are having general elections, and I suppose that many Spaniards are feeling like Jay.

Listen, take a while and think about it.

Playlist- Jazz Moods 2

2011-11-13T18:08:00.001+01:00

This week new playlist is now available at Spotify for you.

In a similar way to the last week one, the groove starts with some Fusion classics as Miles Davis, Return To Forever, Dave Grusin or Pat Metheny. The thing gets acid with Incognito and Jamiroquai, to finally fall in funkier tunes from Gil-Scott Heron, Barry White and Level 42.

Enjoy!

Jazz Moods 2 (Open in Spotify)

The Crossing- Eumir Deodato (2011)

2011-11-12T20:17:00.001+01:00

The Crossing, Deodato's last work has been recorded with the collaboration of great artists: Al Jarreau, Billy Cobham, John Tropea, the Italian Novecento, Londonbeat, Airto Moreira and Paco Sery.

The album tracks are combination of funk and smooth Latin bossa. In my opinion, even that Deodato has surrounded itself by Jazz Fusion geniuses like Cobham, Airto or Tropea; the result has been a compilation of maybe too Smooth tunes, but also very lively and some of great quality.

"Double face" is the star track, the one released first as a single. The melody is opened with Jarreau’s usual vocal jams. The chorus (“Double feature/Double creature/That will teach ya… Double do ya/ Double fool ya/Hallelujah”) has been strongly criticized for its simplicity; although it has to be said that it's pretty catchy. Eumir, for its part, dazzles us with his two piano solos, both very rhythmic. It reminds me to that kind of 80’s disco tunes; a song obviously composed to be danced.

Much better is the collaboration with Jarreau and Novecento: “I want you more”. Here, Dora Nicolosi sings with a seductive and warm voice. A perfect melody for driving at night under the street lights...

Another good piece to pay attention in this album is “Summertime” (versioned from the one composed by George Gershwin for the opera Porgy and Bess), where Tropea finally really shows off his guitar skills in a pure Santana style.

The Crossing- Eumir Deodato (Open in Spotify)

Note: Pay attention to the blog tomorrow because I’ll upload this week playlist! Sorry for this six-day gap without posting anything, it has been a busy week.

Funk da world!

Playlist- Jazz Moods 1

2011-11-06T19:33:00.000+01:00

Thanks to the requests from some followers I have uploaded a new playlist. I hope to do so every week.

In Jazz Moods 1 I have included classic tunes as "Moanin' " of Art Blakey, or "Half and Half" of The Jazz Crusaders (before they went Fusion). As the playlist develops you will find songs by Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea and other Jazz Fusion geniuses. The conclusion is reached with Al Jarreau, Incognito and Jamiroquai, to finally come back again to the early Jazz Crusaders.

Jazz Moods 1 (open in Spotify)

Hope you like it people!

Happy 70th Birthday Celebration Chick!

2011-11-04T20:37:00.001+01:00

As you may know, this month of November takes place the 70th anniversary celebration of Chick "the chameleon" Corea in the Blue Note Club (NY). He will perform from the 1st to the 27th with its different bands (Return To Forever, the Elektric Band, a tribute to his Miles Davis days with Jack DeJohnette, in duo with Bobby McFerrin, and more).

Chick is well known for his work during the 70's developing the genre of jazz fusion with its band Return To Forever. In the 1960's, he participated in the birth of this movement as a member of Miles Davis's band (along with other pianists like Herbie Hancock).

Since the 80s he has continued his collaborations with other musicians such as Gary Burton, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarret. In fact, his playing is in some ways similar to Hancock, but Chick has his own and distinctive style.

For this special occasion I want you to listen to probably my Chick's favorite piece: "Sometime Ago/ La Fiesta".

Return To Forever actual members are Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Frank Gambale and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. But when they created "Sometime Ago/ La Fiesta" (in 1972) the band was made up by Corea, Clarke, Flora Purim, Joe Farrell and Airto Moreira.

This is one of the best Jazz Fusion compositions; where Flora's sweet and smooth voice fits perfectly with Corea's piano in a kind of telepathic connection. On its part, Farrell is particularly inspired on flute and soprano sax in this hypnotic 23-minute travel. Corea, Clarke and Farrel test their skills responding to one another for long passages. About Airto, besides he is a very talented percussionist, he stays in a more secondary level in this song.

Have a good enjoyment. I am sure my friend Bernard the enjoyer will do so.

Part 1

Part 2

Poquito Spanish, Poquito Funk- George Benson

2011-11-03T20:52:00.003+01:00

Let's listen to this fantastic piece from the album Standing Together by George Benson.

"Poquito Spanish, Poquito Funk" is a kind of latin and funk jazzy tune. This is the class of smooth jazz I like to listen to.

A curious note it is that the base of the song it's equal to Deodato's "San Juan Sunset" of his famous album Love Island (released 20 years earlier).

Just press play and relax.

The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions- Miles Davis

2011-11-02T15:38:00.000+01:00

"I made six studio dates with this group in four years," he says. "And there were some live recordings that I guess Columbia will release when they think they can make the most money; probably after I'm dead." - Miles Davis.

The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions collects all tracks Davis recorded between August 19, 1969 and February 6, 1970. They are many pieces that have anything to do with the original double album Bitches Brew of 1970 because they were not part of the same sessions of the album recording. Bob Belden, the re-issue producer, said that according to him these songs had similar line-ups to Bitches Brew ones and the same emphasis on keyboards. But it is obvious that it is just another release of the original album plus more songs with the unique aim of selling it once again.

Even after the release of this four-disc box set, Columbia records re-released other two editions of Bitches Brew (both with live sessions and one with a DVD live at Copenhagen). Why all this importance is given to the album?

The reason is that it is one of the jazz history greatest albums. This is because it marked a before and an after in jazz music; a turning point in modern jazz. The compilation not only is the progenitor of the jazz-rock genre, but it was the launch pad for the jazz fusion (which would come nine months later with In a Silent Way).

Perhaps the biggest innovation is in the rhythm. Miles makes the design of the rhythm section as if it were a rock group; he gives them a central role in the joint activities, offering them time enough for their solos.

At the same time that he developed his trumpet echo, Davis started working with electric keyboards and electric guitar and added new percussion ingredients. All of these changes where also influence by the artists which he started to listen to and become fan of, that were Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and Sly Stone.

Lastly but not least, another spirit added to the cocktail of innovation that is Bitches Brew was the idea of stitching together pieces into a new whole. A radical practice that had never been made before in a genre that was characterized by the art of improvising. This is the case of the tracks "Pharaoh’s Dance" and "Bitches Brew" that were not single lengthy jams or compositions, but fragments of them that Teo Macero (producer) and Miles assembled and edited together.

Personnel:

Miles Davis - Trumpet, Vocals

Don Alias - Percussion, Conga, Drums

Khalil Balakrishna - Sitar

Harvey Brooks - Bass, Electric bass

Ron Carter - Bass

Billy Cobham - Drums, Triangle

Chick Corea - Electric piano

Jack DeJohnette - Drums

Steve Grossman - Soprano saxophone

Herbie Hancock - Electric piano

Dave Holland - Bass, Electric bass

Bennie Maupin - Bass clarinet

John McLaughlin - Guitar

Airto Moreira - Berimbau, Cuíca, Percussion

Bihari Sharma - Tabla, Tamboura

Wayne Shorter - Soprano saxophone

Juma Santos (Jim Riley) - Conga, Shaker

Lenny White - Drums

Larry Young - Organ, Celeste, Electric piano

Joe Zawinul - Electric piano

Spotify link: Miles Davis – The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions

Playlist for AJH November

2011-10-29T16:47:00.003+02:00

It is a rainy day here in Valencia. Perfect for staying at home, just relaxing listening to music and creating a new playlist.

Frequently, I use to collaborate in making a monthly Spotify playlist for Acid Jazz Hispano, a Spanish site where you can find a lot of information about Acid Jazz and other Jazz genres.

For this month of November I have included great tracks and I hope you will like them. Some of the artists are: Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Marcus Miller, Eumir Deodato, Gil Scott-Heron, Chuck Mangione and Miles Davis.

Just click on this link that will open you the Playlist for AJH November in Spotify.

And if you want to listen to the whole playlist made up by more contributions of other users: Acid Jazz Hispano 2011-11

Enjoy your weekend!

UNITED FUTURE ORGANIZATION- LOUD MINORITY

2011-10-27T12:26:00.002+02:00

United Future Organization (known also as UFO) is a group made up by two Japanese DJs Tadashi Yabe and Toshio Matsuura, and Raphael Sebbag (a French expatriate). They are one of the exponents of the Japanese Acid jazz movement and are also known for disk jockeying in many European and American clubs. As a band, they have worked with various labels such as Verve Records and Talkin’ Loud.

This song in concrete, "Loud minority" was part of the single that made them emerge from the land of the rising sun to jump to the old continent scene ("Loud Minority/Moon Dance", 1992). The tune is about how most Acid Jazz DJs and bands feel like: as a "loud minority". A music genre that has not got that massive commercial acceptation that others have. But the core of the message is a claim against jazz purists that think that modern jazz movements (like Avant-Garde Jazz, Jazz Fusion or even Free Jazz) are not jazz at all.

So now we are not only talking about DJs and Acid Jazz bands, but how jazz musicians of these styles/sub-genres feel discriminated by some circles of this world. And let me tell you that this kind of purist and classical idea it is ridiculous. It is ridiculous for the only reason that Jazz is a movement that has been reinventing and evolving since its birth (from Swing to Bebop, from Bebop to Cool Jazz, and so on), searching for new forms, new ways, new rhythms…

NUYORICAN SOUL- NUYORICAN SOUL (released in 1993)

2011-10-25T15:23:00.000+02:00

Nuyorican Soul is a project developed by Little Louie Vega and Kenny Dope Gonzalez (Masters At Work). As a group Nuyorican Soul has only published this album, published by the acid-jazz living legend Gilles Peterson imprint: Talkin' Loud. It is composed by songs that different well-known and fine artists have specially created for this occasion or have covered (such as vocalists Jocelyn Brown and India, vibraphonist Roy Ayers, guitarist George Benson, flutist Dave Valentin, trombonist Eddie Palmieri, percussionist Tito Puente and more).

The pieces that form this avant-garde compilation vary across different music genres: soul, jazz, latin and salsa (even in the album art we can appreciate a cuban cigar-box, designed to represent Vega and Gonzalez caribbean roots). Of course, MAW have remixed and treated all of them with its typical jazz-house touch with the intention of making a group of compositions that mix New York streets rhythms. It's another attempt to fusion jazz with other genres, as in the case of Guru's Jazzmatazz projects (but in this case hip-hop was the genre to fusion with jazz).

"I Am the Black Gold of the Sun" (Rottary Connection cover) is sung by Jocelyn Brown, who proves with this tune that has one of the most powerful soul voices in this time. The song is followed by a prolongation "It’s alright, I feel it!" that has a faster and slightly different rhythm. Another excellent cover included is Bob James' Nautilus (named as MAWtilus), where MAW demonstrates that can do a good remix of a song and still respect the original one.

The soul continues with the classic of the Salsoul Orchestra "Runaway", covered by an impressive India that makes us notice until which point this MAW project is oriented in bringing past melodies into the present time.

To end up this masterpiece we have one of my favorite Mr. Benson's song, "You can do it baby". George starts this almost-nine-minute tune with a warm and soft guitar pluck, followed by a futuristic synthesizer that mixes in the rhythm before Benson starts singing and vocalizing the notes he plays (as he usually does).

Spotify link: Nuyorican Soul – Nuyorican Soul