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Sometimes I get so hung up on trying to tell you all about the music, it takes weeks to get a post up!
So let me be brief instead and get this one in.
A song that is labeled Parliament - and the title of the track is 'Terrestrial Touch'.
Its a funk burner, likely circa 1980, about the time Parliament's last album 'Trombipulation' was coming out. I just pinged Ron Ford on Twitter - http://twitter.com/RonProphetFord - to see if he can tell us more about this jamming P-Funk track that I believe he wrote and performed for the group. I was also trying to find a good web site that tells you all about Ron Ford, but I can't find that. I know Ford was instrumental in P-Funk's development in the late 70s into the 80s.
I'm not even sure how over the years I came across this track - but with lyric hooks like 'I tried to get that mouth, that mouth was on the house' + plenty of clippity clop horse type percussions + slap bass + pianos for days, this is late period Parliament at it's best.
I'm using that Terrestrial Touch - now let's get down y'all ... I'm sure we'll hear more in the comments. By the way, the artwork above made by George Clinton apparently for the CD that this song was reissued on, but again, I'm not sure how this track wound up in my collection.
The weather outside is hot Hot HOT at the moment. Temperatures in the capital are tipped to hit 30 plus centigrade today and, while this may not be enough for mercury to start bubbling in my trusty thermometer, it's more than enough heat for your average pasty limey. With the temperature rising, The Dude's BBQ post couldn't have been more well timed and seems like the perfect jump off for welcoming summer sounds on to Ear Fuzz.
It's undoubtedly true that, played on a sunny day, most songs take on a summery feel. However I would argue that it's also true that certain songs that sound great when played on an average day also take off to new heights when combined with some glorious rays warming your body and your soul. A case in point is the two tracks featured today from Masterfleet.
I can find very little information about this funk band beyond what appears on the album cover which basically confirms that whoever was in charge of album design that day was channelling some kind of genius from a futuristic place. Sadly this 1973 album seems to be the only release the group did which is a shame as they fit more different styles and ideas in this one long player than a lot of bands manage in a ten year career. Flitting between proto disco sounds, ballads and squelching funk the group seem to be a dab hand at all the styles.
If you pick up an LP with a cover like the above and see it has a track called Skull Stone on it you're kinda hoping that it will at least partly live up to your expectations and this does easily. The band are undoubtedly influenced by the Temptations and Sly & The Family Stone of the early seventies but I've yet to hear any instance where this was a bad thing. Combining the laid back groove feel with electronic warbles and vocals that flit in and out of the melody this has a great stripped back sound that still manages to radiate warmth.
Man & Child is an even funkier number with a riff that always brings a smile to my face. The combination of solid groove and scat edged vocals again bring to mind Sly Stone but the band are careful to never lose the focus of this slow burning beauty. This really is a fantastic summer song that demands to be blasted out while doing nothing more strenuous than operating your drink sipping arm. Highly highly recommended.
People Under the Stairs: Tuxedo Rap From: Stepfather (basement Records Unknown, 2006) Unquestionably if this was actually an acknowledged genre, People Under the Stairs would be kings. Upbeat, fun, laidback all at the same time. It's actually my only criticism of People Under the Stairs, I want those guys to get angry, sometimes it makes the best music. Then again, Stepfather is one of the most laidback hiphop records I have and I love it. I didn't even realize it, but this is a good little mini hidden tribute to Michael Jackson with a sample making a quick appearance. Suggested food: Bratwursts/Hotdogs Time Machine: The Wiggle From: Make Some Noise EP (Glow-In-The Dark, 2004) Time Machine I heard way back years ago when I was DJing and we got their Grime Machine EP. They've been active for awhile now but don't sound like what I would expect from a D.C. group. In fact this was initially supposed to be a LA Hiphop post but I had to scratch that when I realized I was out of my element on that one. In fact the pic above is Time Machine and People Under the Stairs hanging out together at UCLA. I've been vindicated! The wiggle is a real solid track, just a fuzzy upbeat rolling sample and some solid snares and drums. Suggested Food: Corn on the Cob Giant Panda: Plus (Bonus Party Cut) From: (Tres Records, 2006) The final part of my posts is Giant Panda who are definately from California. The production on Plus Bonus Party Cut sounds like Pete Rock transplanted across the Country to the West Coast in about 1992. 2 of the members from Giant Pand are from Seattle which has a pretty good hiphop scene going right now and is something I want to get to in a post some time soon. Suggested food: Cheeseburgers (Ideally with BBQ sauce)
I've been increasing the frequency here this month and hopefully will double up come July. I've got some good stuff but I don't think I'm gonna be able to compete with Chuck, please man lower the bar!
I was just reading the recent "Jazz Issue" of Wax poetics magazine. I was touched by reading in depth and very personal articles on jazz producers Joel Dorn and Creed Taylor. The memories of sessions and players gone by, the way the writers capture the "in the studio" or "on the road" stories - well it's the kind of stuff I want to convey here, I'll try, it's a little more difficult for me to do it. So I'll point you to some other blog posts that do particularly well in capturing the story of the "mystery" of Prince Lasha. Prince Lasha Biography + Thoughts
Sax and reed man Prince Lasha (born William Lasha, Texas 1929, died December 12, 2008, Oakland, CA) inspires the kinds of stories you read in Wax Poetics. Prince Lasha entered my life in 2008 before he passed on in December. We lost so many musicians last year, especially sax men (for instance David 'Fathead' Newman), therefore I understand why you may have not yet read about Prince Lasha in a magazine like Wax Poetics, or in any other related blog, jazz thang, etc.
So I can't even begin to explain who Prince Lasha is and why he is so special to me. He was a teacher to me, a person who had all the special insights on life. Here is a guy that could just make you laugh and laugh. Upon hearing I was Jewish, then he would go the other direction - go deep with me on the importance of Judaism and Jewish people (uh, ok Prince, I'm listening to your hustle). Prince's long time collaborator, saxophonist Sonny Simmons - has a detailed time line about Prince's career right here, with the most detailed discography to date.
A teenage friend of Ornette Coleman’s in Fort Worth, Texas, Lasha started out on alto. He befriended Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane early in his career. Lasha would record with Eric Dolphy and, perhaps most notably, with Coltrane’s rhythm section on the 1963 LP “Illumination!”
One thing which really struck me about getting to know someone as deep in the music as Lasha was how listening to his records became like another conversation with him – the cadences in his solos were exactly like that of his speech. Bubbly, vibrant and overflowing with joy and poetry, they were like a long laugh and more than a few gentle prods in the direction of a complexity far greater than earthbound thought. Lasha had the habit of giving everyone he befriended a new name; he said it went back to his friendship with Ornette Coleman in Fort Worth in the Forties, when Ornette was “Captain Hornblower” and he was “Peasant Prince.” I became “Allen’s Alley” for Allen Eager, and my then-girlfriend was “Trolley for Molly.” My mom, Susan, was “Sweet Sue.” And so on. When he had musician friends over, he would pass the phone to them so that we could meet, and I always felt invited to the party, even though I could never be there in person – Lasha lived in Oakland, California and as a funds-short writer and student, I never seemed to have the bread together to buy a plane ticket out there. I figured it would happen eventually, but it never did.
By the way, he didn't have a crazy nickname for me - Prince Lasha just called me "Brother Chuck" upon our first meeting. In 2008, I asked my friend Byard Lancaster (another great sax + reed man, I blogged about him for Earfuzz.com earlier) to introduce me to musicians in the Bay Area who I could work with. Oh man, Byard told me, well "Prince Lasha!" - a suggestion with great exclamation. I had already heard about Prince's colleague Sonny Simmons from some beatniks in on the "North Beach" - San Francisco scene. Some of these cats had played with Sonny Simmons, but when I mentioned I was going to try and hook up with Prince, they were like "nah, he's crazy! he carries a gun! he's nuts!".
Look, I called up Byard Lancaster and I was like, should I really call Prince Lasha? Byard says, "Call him!".
So after assured I went and listened to the only Prince Lasha track I could find, "Congo Call" from the record - "Prince Lasha Quintet feat. Sonny Simmons : The Cry". This song is really powerful, and I didn't post it because it's one of his most blogged about songs. Ubiquity even re-released the song on their "Jazz-Dance Classics, Volume 4". There was something I heard that was really different in this song "Congo Call" - all the riffs I could memorize. I don't listen to a lot of jazz, but there was just something here, I had never ever heard before in jazz. I can't even quantify it, it's some deep funk straight out of Texas with a spiritual jazz twist. But I also have told Prince Lasha directly, "there are only certain, very particular songs in your catalog like 'Congo Call' that are straight ahead enough for me to get connected to" ... some of them are above at the top of the post. I delve into why I connect with them here in a bit.
Prince Lasha, being the amazing man he is, totally got what I was talking about - like he knew exactly why I liked certain songs from his catalog and disliked others. He knew my tastes!
So obviously I found no such "craziness" only warmth when I did finally catch up with Prince Lasha. Sonny Simmons, though, explains why people were put off by Prince Lasha's honesty and warmth. I think only people like myself who are cut from the same weird funky cloth could get it. I'm going to get into breaking down the music here that I posted above, but first you should listen to Sonny Simmons' recollections on first meeting Prince Lasha. The recollections Sonny shares with Odean Pope also go into Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons' time in the 1960's in New York City. These recollections from Sonny Simmons and Odean Pope are from Wanda Sabir's tribute radio show to Prince Lasha recorded in January 2009.
The Music of Prince Lasha - 3 Songs for Your EarFuzz
1) "The Trane"
Ok here's the review of the songs I posted. I told you about "Congo Call". One of my other favorites is "The Trane" from Prince Lasha's second album release "It Is Revealed". I barely know anything about this album. Anyone got insights? Please share below in the comments.
Prince Lasha : It Is Revealed(Zounds L71863)
recorded. 63.05.?? pressed. 1963
Songs: Lost Generation - The Trane - Prelude To Bird.
Prince Lasha : flute. Sonny Simmons : alto sax. Clifford Jordan : tenor sax. Don Cherry : trumpet. Fred Lyman : fluegelhorn. Bill Wood, Orwille Harrisson : bass. Charles Moffett : drums. Rec. in NYC, USA. Producer : Fred Lyman.
"The Trane" to me is just otherworldly, like it is just so tight and loose all at the same time. The band creates so much space in the music and it lumbers along for almost 10 minutes. Lasha's childhood friend Charles Moffett, here on drums, is just doing some next level things. Moffett plays with the beat so much but yet staying in pocket. Again this is another Lasha track where the opening riff is so memorable, that even at the most improvisational moment of the song, the main riff sticks in your head. The horn section is great. And sometimes Lasha almost is not there on 'The Trane' yet he's like the glue holding all the horns together here - playing the flute as if it were keyboard sustaining chords. Lasha's flute is really not prevalent in the mix, but it's there doing it's thing, listen! More prominent on 'The Trane' is trumpeter Don Cherry - which is so cool, because I didn't check the session notes first - I was just like who is this trumpeter - I need to know! You hear Prince yelling a lot in this track at the band, just catching vibes with the group. What a discovery 'The Trane' is .. My mind is blown.
2) "Kwadwo Safari"
Prince Lasha : Inside Story (CBS unreleased; Enja 3073) recorded. 65.??.?? pressed. 1974
Prince Lasha : flute, alto sax. Herbie Hancock : piano. Cecil McBee : bass. Jimmy Lovelace : drums. Rec. in NYC, USA. Producer : Prince Lasha.
Prince Lasha with Herbie Hancock. Who knew? Prince hadn't mentioned this record to me, the first few times we spoke. I found it on iTunes. "Kwadwo Safari" is the stand out track for me. Just the nice samba vibe, with Prince's flute leading us through. I read somewhere that Hancock felt uncomfortable on the session. I also love that Prince did the saxes. I mean this is all Prince. This record was not released after its 1965 recording and was not heard until the 1970s for the first time. I called Prince Lasha in early December of 2008 to profess my love for "Kwadwo Safari" - and that was the last time we spoke. He said he was going in for surgery, he was really not as sharp as usual, but he did pick up on the fact that I had just found this song and that I really liked it. There are some great chants in the background.
Songs: Nuttin' Out Jones - Oriental Flower - Half And Half - Aborigine Dance In Scotland - Gettin' On Way - Just Us Blues.
Prince Lasha : clarinet, flute. Sonny Simmons : alto sax, English horn. Charles Davis : baritone sax. McCoy Tyner : piano. Jimmy Garrison : bass. Elvin Jones : drums. Rec. in NYC, USA. Producer : Bob Thiele.
At my first lunch meeting with Prince Lasha, he informed me of the album 'Illuminiation' which is essentially the John Coltrane rhythm section led by Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. I couldn't find this one online for purchase, though Prince Lasha did show me that it has been re-released on CD. My favorite on this set is "Just Blues". It just is such a nice blues-jazz piece. The song is heart warming. And the drums by Elvin Jones just keep this one moving so well. Just love this one. What's kind of cool about the Prince Lasha songs that I do really get into, I remember the riffs so well. I can sing you the melody line to "Just Blues" anytime. It's very similar to what Clifford Allen wrote earlier - "the cadences in his solos were exactly like that of his speech." I can hear Brother Prince Lasha still talking to me in that way, just in that way man. Honoring Prince Lasha
I knew those lunches with Prince Lasha were special. Good wine, good Indian food, and good friends. We'll miss you Brother Prince. At one of those lunches at Breads of India, I asked Prince Lasha about my favorite song of his of all time, the "Congo Call":
Rest in peace to a man whose music recordings from the sixties, seventies and eighties has stuck with me throughout my life and who was a true childhood hero of mine. Despite all that has happened to him in the last twenty years at a time like this I'd like to separate the media stories from the music. I'll never forget practising my MJ dance in front of the mirror before school discos and his music will forever be associated with many great memories for me.
If you have the chance, play at least one Michael Jackson song today and remind yourself that, whatever is true or false with all the stories that have come out over the years, just how much amazing music he left behind in his forty year career.
Everyone has their own favourite period of Michael Jackson's career, be it his early soul, the move to the more loose funk sound, the disco or the power pop. The fact of the matter is that he made classics in all these genres.
There's not really such a thing as a rare Jackson release and I don't want to put up his entire catalogue so here are a few personal favourites that will be being played out in my household today.
I'd like to try something kinda new here on Earfuzz: spotlight the work of a major-label, multi-platinum, globe-trotting, model/actress-dating, Billboard Chart-topping, cash cow juggernaut of an artist - Red Hot Chili Peppers. I think most anyone (fans & haters alike) would agree that it's a bit surprising this band weathered such drama and devastating lineup changes to last 25+ years and become a household name. 9 albums. Wha? How did this happen?
Well, let's take a trip back in time to the band's retrospectively "classic" album #2 - Freaky Styley (1985). Oh, the 1985 pop charts: 'Careless Whisper', 'We Are the World', 'Like a Virgin'... Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack... no mention of any Red Hot Chili Peppers. No, the Chili Peppers had not yet worked their way into the center lens of the pop-culture overmind, they were busy fighting to make a name for themselves and scrapping for their piece of the pie. One can hear this vitality and lust for life in the music. It's an exuberance not yet touched by the tragedies to come.
Freaky Styley: 14 songs comprising a singular statement: the style and music of this band is "freaky".
George Clinton handles production while Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker handle horn arrangements; so, it's no surprise to read quotes like this from Jason Birchmeir of Allmusic: "Freaky Styley is the closest the Red Hot Chili Peppers ever came to straight funk. [it] is the quirkiest, loosest, and most playful album in their long and winding catalog." Birchmeir continues, "It's also one of the best if also one of their least heard."
This lineup is a real treat. Aside from the long-standing core of Anthony Keidis and Flea, we get founding guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Cliff Martinez fully fostering the "freaky". Slovak's influence on the band is the subject of much writing (much of it more informed than anything I could draft), so, I won't get too deep into it here. Instead, I will take a moment to give Cliff Martinez props. His drumming really stands out for me here. There's something uniquely funky about his playing that liberates this music in a way that would slowly change as the band migrated from punk/funk club jams to FM funk/rock with Jack Irons and then stadium arena heavy with the awesome powerhouse that is Chad Smith.
Now that its began to warm up, despite the fact that it hasn't hit 80 here in weeks, I've been digging into my Brazilian collection for some relaxed tunes perfect for getting outside without the need for a jacket. Both tracks are quissentially Brazilian. There's something about music from South America's biggest country that melds sounds from caribbean islands and indiginous traditions from both Africa and South America.
Listening to both of these tracks I can here the voices of Calypso, the instruments of mexican folk and the musical arrangements that are a blend of american and african rhythms. The multitracked voices are what really set them apart from other Brazilian groups. They are all in perfect cohesion. Its in contrast to some of the more wild vocalists of this time like Tim Maia, Toni Tornado or even Jorge Ben.
This is beach music all the way, the wind blowing, the sun open and refreshments with nowhere to be and nowhere better to go. Os Tincoãs are named after a brazilian bird that was said to be warn people of impending danger. They released three albums in 1973, 1976 and 1977 but I've found different years so I'm not sure on that. I don't have their last two but would love to track them down.
Now that its summer I hope to be posting more, at least once a week, possibly more. Come back often as I expect we all will have a few more posts up here at Ear Fuzz this summer.
Hi gang, sorry I've been away for a minute. Miss me at all? No? Oh well.
Refusing to take the lack of love to heart I'm bestowing an almighty album on you today, Eric Donaldson's 1978 release Kent Village. Even if you're not a massive fan of the reggae sound the name Eric Donaldson may ring a distant bell in the belfry of your mind as he was the mastermind behind the original Cherry Oh Baby back in 1971 covered by both The Stones and, um, UB40.
I'm always first to get in there and admit that my knowledge of reggae is vague at best but I still think I can spot a damn fine album when I hear one and Kent Village fits the bill. A mixture of roots and soul the album is consistently brilliant throughout its running time.
Second Time is one of those mini epics I'm so fond off. What first caught my ear with this track was the absolutely gorgeous production, the various elements skipping in and out of the sound all judged to perfection. Check out the organ that pops up in the chorus, the changes in drumming pattern and scattered horns. Fantastic song.
Look What You've Done is more roots reggae and is equally brilliant. Starting as a incredibly catchy track with a great little bass warp in the chorus it manages to incorporate it's own dub version within the playing time all in less than five minutes.
Sadly there doesn't seem to be a cheap reissue of this out there but the good news is that if you keep your eye on ebay it can turn up on there for a reasonably cheap as chips price pretty regularly....
I was working at Music Millennium when the sound of Ike Turner's blazing guitar leads first set my ears on fire. Bill Rhoades, Music Millennium's resident blues expert and harmonica player extraordinaire, turned me on to this phenomenal compilation of Ike Turner's early sides for little known labels such as Sue Records, Flair Records and a rare medley from Crown Records. While recording these singles during the period of 1954 to 1965, Turner recorded under an alias of Icky Renrut, a moniker that would prove to be fitting considering Turner's bad reputation with women.
While the "Kings of Rhythm" are no slouches, the focus on this record is undoubtedly on the wildly inventive, whammy-bar inflected guitar solos that Turner wrings from his instrument with reckless abandon. On the opening track, "Ho Ho", a steady backbeat provides the perfect backdrop to the ringing tones of Turner's guitar, reaching an almost ear-piercing level of sound that pushes this song into the red. Once the toe-tapping, country backbeat of "Steel Guitar Rag" segueways into a blindingly fast solo by Turner, there is no doubt in my mind that he was a true musical visionary who had the gift of blending disparate styles of music into a satisfying whole.
Elsewhere on this release, Turner provides a subtle guitar accompaniment to the slinky burlesque horns and snaking rhythm section on "The Gulley". This track is destined to be featured in a scene from a strip-club from a contemporay film-noir set in the middle 50's directed by Jim Jarmusch. In wrapping up this montage of tracks from Ike's Instrumental's, I have to say that "Trackdown Twist" features some of the most intense, lightning-quick guitar licks this side of Link Wray, while still leaving some room for a swampy sax solo at the end.
Turner's playing reveals someone who has honed their craft by spending countless hours learning the R&B and Rock n-Roll classics, while incorporating influences from diverse genres of music like funk, blues, rockabilly and western-swing. I implore you to try to set aside your misgivings about Turner's sordid past as you listen to these amazing songs.
As far as I can tell Ike's Instrumentals is out-of print, but you can find it online at one of the sharity blogs, or on Amazon starting at $25. I offer the best of luck to you in your search for this one, as it is truly worth the time and money spent.
I will be back soon with a mammoth Anatomy of a Sample post, so keep your eyes and ears tuned to Ear Fuzz.
It's been awhile since I've introduced a new concept here on the Fuzz, so allow me to introduce the first act of Cinema Musique. I couldn't count the amount of times I've been disappointed with a film simply because the musical cues seemed to be manipulating me into feeling something that wasn't genuine. It's almost as if the music supervisor needed to squeeze the song into the scene to appease the director, but there was hardly any thought being put into the actual decision of the music selection. Granted, I'm sure that it is not an easy job to select music within a specific budget that pleases everyone from the director to the producers and from the writers of the script to the actors. But skimping on the type of music that is used in a film is like offering someone barbecue without the sauce.
So, while I was toiling away at my day job, I came up with this idea to create a series of posts that explore examples of music used in films that undoubtedly improved the quality of the finished product. Since I enjoy films almost as much as I love music, I should have no problem coming up with fresh entries to keep the readers interested. If any of you have suggestions for future posts in this series, I encourage you to speak up.
Today's edition is focusing on Michael Small's score from the 1971 Warner Brothers film Klute. While Klute wasn't exactly my cup of tea the first time around, I have grown to appreciate it more because of the stellar music featured on the soundtrack. It showcases a wild mixture of fuzz guitar-tinged funk , spooky interludes, orchestral jazz pieces and metaphysical middle eastern dirges. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if someone told me that David Axelrod and Dennis Coffey contributed music to this score in some shape or form.
It's been a while since I've seen Klute, so I don't remember exactly what scenes these songs have been taken from. I would venture a guess that "Casting Office" is probably the background music for one of the scenes in the movie where the lead detective is scouring the crime-ridden streets of New York for clues to a murder. With an intermingling of flutes, sitar, various percussion instruments and a haunting vocal performance, the sound of "Casting Office" can best be described as transcendental.
I can only guess that the funky floorburners like "First Disco" and "Laguran's Disco" are featured during the segments in the film that are shot in a discotheque. While I've never had a soft spot in my heart for the sound of disco music, these "disco" songs have a lot of SOUL. Finally, on "Bree Followed on Street", ominous piano chords, sparse percussion and various instruments that I can't even discern are juxtaposed together to create a chilling effect.
I hope you have enjoyed my first foray into the world of Cinema Musique. Please give me a shout if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.
