I'm really digging the new Ghostface Killah album Apollo Kids. Technically, it's not new (came out over six months ago), but I slept on it for awhile, thinking that it was "just another new Wu-Tang solo joint". Seriously, it's the best Ghostface album since Supreme Clientele, and I'm very suprised Apollo Kids hasn't been talked about more, as it's received mainly tepid reviewers among the critics. Dig the track "2getha Baby", featuring a looped sample from Soul legends The Intruders:
I like me some Blues at times, and I'm enjoying the new release by Milwaukee's own Tweed Funk. The album is titled Bringin' It and it's a really nice combination of Blues, Funk, and Soul. I dig the guitar work of JD Optekar, and the soulful vocals of Smokey. "Black Coffee" is a tasty Blues jam--they are Bringin' It, and I'm feelin' it.
I was supposed to see the soul legend Allen Toussaint last week at the Jazz Alley in Seattle, and foolishly passed it up as it was a tough day at work, and I just didn't have the energy to muster seeing a live show that night, regardless of who was performing. Toussaint is one of the most-respected soul figures with his work with New Orleans greats Lee Dorsey, Aaron Neville, Irma Thomas, Dr. John, among others, and above all, I love some of his solo albums, especially Love, Life, and Faith. The track "Fingers & Toes" is one of my favorite soul jams, one of those tracks when you first hear it you get the goosebumps because of it's pure soul-pop perfection. Sad I didn't get to see him, but I guess I always have the music at home to turn to.
I'm currently reading Don Charnas book "The Big Payback", about the history and business of hip hop, from it's early inception of Enjoy Records and The Sugarhill Group, through Def Jam, Run DMC and beyond, and I'm right now reading about the early 90's era of hip hop, when it began being more prominently featured on pop radio stations for the first time. It's an absolutely wonderful read thus far (I'm over halfway done), if you have any interest in hip hop, the history is all there in those 600+ pages...well-worth the read.
Lastly, I wanted to sing the praises of Ethiopia's own Mulatu Astatqe. I absolutely adore his late 60's/early 70's Ethiopian Jazz, and after years of not listening to it, for whatever reason, I've turned back to it over the last few nights, as it strangely calms me before I turn to bed.
I've been thinking recently how inspiring it is to hear really good music from the youth. There is feeling of innocence and beauty, but it's also so inspiring because it gives you hope for our future generations. Even though these albums I'm discussing were released over forty years ago, I still think it pertains to this topic. Both of these albums shown above (Har-You Percussion Group and their 1967 released album Har-You Percussion Group, and Les Troubadours Du Roi Baudouin and their 1963 released album Missa Luba) are probably among my twenty favorite albums of all-time. Both have a beauty to them, in their own unique way.
The Har-You Percussion Group was formed in the 1960's by what was called the Harlem Youth Act, a music outreach program that grouped together young boys aged 16-19 from Harlem in hopes that by getting them together and teaching them how to create music, it would inspire other youths from the inner city to break free from the streets and further their education. The director of this project was Montego Joe, a percussionist who definitely influenced the young musicians to produce a Afro-Cuban sound that is absolutely amazing and inspiring to listen to. And these the teenagers wrote all of the pieces and played every instrument on this album. Sure, if you were to nitpick, the musicians aren't always perfectly in sync on parts of a few tracks, but it's fairly easy to look past that when you listen to some of the percussion, and horn solos by these youngsters. It's truly a once in a lifetime album, and "Santa Cruz" is probably my favorite track off the album.
The Missa Luba was sang by a choir of 45 young Congolese boys, and is an extremely spiritual and joyful experience to listen it all the way through. A Belgium Priest named Uudo Haazen came to the Congo in the 1950's, and gathered these Congolese boys and wanted them to sing the Missa Luba "in the manner of your people, not my people". Raw, and touching, the overall result is one of the most beautiful pieces ever to be put on wax. "Sanctus" is just one movement of the Missa Luba, and probably my favorite part overall.
Manu Dibango is a saxophone player and vibraphonist from Cameroon, Africa. He's worked with an amazingly diverse group of musicians over the years, from Nigerian great Fela Kuti to Latin greats the Fania All-Stars, from jazz greats Herbie Hancock and Don Cherry, to reggae greats Sly and Robbie. If you find any solo Manu Dibango albums, especially from the early to mid 70's, definitely check them out. Soul Makossa, Africadelic, and African Woodoo are all great, diverse albums from Dibango. On those albums, Manu goes from extremely funky-jazz groove, to a Nigerian-African rhythm funk track, to a soulful groove. It's all well-worth checking out, though I'm not as big of a fan of his late-70's/early 80's output as much. Check out this track "Mama-se, Mama-sa, Ma-ko-Ma-ko-ssa", which Michael Jackson used for the ending of "Wanna Be Starting Something".
Here's some more Manu Dibango to whet your appetite.
The later track, "Iron Wood", is off of his African Woodoo album, which is an interesting compilation of music recorded for commercials, movies, and tv shows for professional sound illustration, though they were never used for that purpose. However, the album works surprisingly well as a whole. Some of Manu's deepest funk cuts are on this comp, and it's probably my favorite of Manu Dibango's albums. Cop it if you get the chance!
