Burning Dervish

From MySpace:

"In 2006, all-round hip hop maestro Jneiro Jarel set off on a pan-American voyage to assemble a team of rappers and producers who shared his aim... to create a unique hip hop record unbothered by trend, time and location. In 2007 Shape of Broad Minds is a force to be reckoned with.

Bringing together Dr Who Dat? (producer of the Beat Journey album), multi-instrumentalist and rapper jAWWAAD from Houston, Panama Black from Atlanta, Rocque Wun from NYC and of course JJ himself.

Their debut record, The Blue Experience features none other than rap super-villain MF DOOM and is available as MP3 Download / 12" Vinyl and Ltd edition CD! Following this is SBM's debut album Craft of the Lost Art featuring MF DOOM, Deborah Jordan, Stacey Epps (Madvillain), Count Bass D and John Robinson."

There's a great review on boomkat:

"...'Craft of the Lost Art' shows that you can be future facing while keeping the very essence of hip hop intact. While the band's vision of the future may have been pillaged from Buck Rogers (all theramins and wonky synthesizers) they have managed to come up with a sound which sums up exactly where hip hop should be headed. This is fun music, first and foremost, but it's smart too - there are references that go far beyond the simple jazz samples and clipped beats of so much of the genre...the band's core five members of frontman Jneiro Jarel, multi-instrumentalist Jawwaad, Roque Wun, rapper Panama Black and super producer Dr. Who Dat have influences spanning from classic rap to new wave and free jazz, something that's evident in almost every cut on the album. It sounds at times like you're listening to a mixtape of your favourite hip hop acapellas layered over some truly unusual psychedelic instrumentals, there's not a beat on here that doesn't sound totally fresh and every single flow is delivered with confidence and skill...Stunning from beginning to end...Essential Purchase!"

Heavy, right?

Download 6 tracks from Craft of the Lost Art by Shape of Broad Minds

Volume three takes us squarely into the 70s...at this point Scratch is pushing out singles with Marley, U-Roy, Dennis Alcapone and other of the more famous names in Jamaica...

Let's do three from 3...

Shocks 71 by Dave Barker and Charlie Ace
A Place Called Africa by Junior Byles
Piece of My Heart by Hortense Ellis
from Complete UK Upsetter Singles Volume 3

Ever hear a freight train barrel down the track? That's what McCoy Tyner's playing can sound like...

Song for My Lady was McCoy's second release for Milestone, coming hot on the heels of his landmark Sahara, one of the era's great records - in any genre.

As such, it would be easy to call Song... a letdown. Easy, but not really accurate. McCoy had a run at Milestone that was so consistently strong as a body of work that each record has career moments, some just happen to be be whole records of those moments! Context: All Music Guide calls Song..., "...a fine collection of tracks and one of Tyner's six best albums." And we're talking about a guy who has recorded 80 or so albums as a band leader...

The Night Has A Thousand Eyes, by McCoy Tyner, from Song for My Lady

This is a sweet, sweet blog...Flea Market Funk specializes in "Funk, Soul, Jazz and Reggae"...everything a young Dervish could want, no?

Run by a cat name DJ Prestige, this site has me hooked...great 45s and single-song downloads, even better mixes...I dig and appreciate the visuals, too.

Flea Market Funk is in my Hall of Fame...

Go there now.

I get a lot of questions concerning why I don't write more about the music on the mixes I make.

Especially given that this is a music blog!

I've never had a good answer, or even a mediocre answer. Now that I have been forced to think about it, though, I think the answer lays in why I make these mixes: to amuse myself and to turn you on to music you've never heard (or put songs you know in a different context). So, with that in mind, I give you the track names, the artist names, sometimes images of the records I pulled the music from and leave the rest up to you.

Work for you?

Good.

Welcome to Burning Dervish Vol 22:

Pay Dar Doran - Memory Of Cycles by Madjid Khaladj
Uncle George by Steel Pulse
Majority Rules by Jimmy Cliff
Tchela atbelegn by Asnaqetch Wergu
No Call Dread Name by The Itals
12 Tribes of Israel [Extended] by Linval Thompson
Tezeta by Seyfou Yohannes
Congoman by The Congos
The Tryst by Azam Ali
Soy Campesino by Ska Cubano
I Man by Herman Chin-Loy
Much Smarter by The Meditations
Ene Negn Bay Manesh by Girma Beyene
Reggay Train Dub by Cornel Campbell & the Aggrovators

Download Burning Dervish Vol 22

The Grateful Dead's long strange trip through American popular culture is ending in a library at the University of California at Santa Cruz, preserved for future generations of study by scholars and stoners.

Three decades worth of archival materials - from business correspondence to stage backdrops - has been donated by the band to the school's McHenry Library, where a room called Dead Central is being dedicated to a beloved band dubbed "the largest unofficial religion in the world."

UC Santa Cruz Chancellor George Blumenthal will join Dead drummer Mickey Hart and guitarist and singer Bob Weir in an announcement of the donation at an 11 a.m. press conference today on the Dead's Web site (www.dead.net) live from San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium, the birthplace of the San Francisco's psychedelic scene.

The gift contains none of the band's vast musical recordings; those are stored in an Los Angeles-based vault belonging to producer Rhino Records, where they continue to make money through re-releases.

But it contains valuable artifacts that document the band's ascendence into California's most durable and influential musical phenomena. Currently held in a 2,000 square foot San Rafael warehouse, the collection includes their first recording contract. It also holds an estimated 50,000 to 75,000 fan letters from around the world, most decorated with art.

Click here for the full article.

It has been a while since I posted about any of the many submissions/requests for reviews I get through this site...

I am not head over heels for the tracks I heard on this artist's MySpace page, but they are bouncy in a way that is hard to dismiss...

The artist describes himself as,

"evan dando whilst piggybacking beck and bright eyes but collectively on less drugs with more of a falsetto"

I say don't knock the drugs, especially where Evan Dando is concerned.

You listen then tell me.

In case it was not immediately obvious, I am on a quest to blog about every album in the McCoy Tyner canon...these first posts have been focused on his work as a band leader, but over time I will get to band member, sideman, etc...some say I have too much time on my hands...of course, they have no idea...

The problem with this project just may be this record...widely considered McCoy's great work, it is definitely a great work in jazz...his first record for Milestone, where he would record throughout the 70s and document all of the elements that would make up his style: the thundering chords and lightning runs, the experimental line-ups, the fine songwriting...

Sahara is a peak moment in a long career. The entire record is worthy of posting, with each track reflecting one or more of the attributes above...but let's not encourage piracy here, right?

The definitive track is, for me, the title track. Epic.

McCoy Tyner - Sahara
from Sahara

What? A jazz mix on a Sunday? "How cliche!", you moan...Starting off with Jobim? "It must be because the weather is warming up!", you declare...

Right and right...wrong and wrong...been working on this one for a few weeks and having been enjoying the finished product for a several days now...I hope you do, too.

Lemme know.

Thanks.

Burning Dervish Vol 21 is:

Triste by Antônio Carlos Jobim
Beale Street by Donald Byrd
Deed I Do by Diana Krall
Daddy Bug by Roy Ayers Ubiquity
Come Sunrise by Grant Green
Just You, Just Me by Thelonious Monk
The Cat by Rusty Bryant
Passion Dance by McCoy Tyner
Totem Pole (Alternate Take) by Lee Morgan
Ask Me Now by Joe Henderson

Download Burning Dervish Vol 21

The easiest way to get on my blog roll is to post a lot of music...or better said, post a lot of music that intrigues me on a regular basis. The music-blog-as-arcane-music-directory is one of the most distracting inventions of the last 10 years...I follow way too many blogs in Google Reader, and way too many of them post great music, new to me...

El Reza is one of those. Jazz, soulful and spiritual, is a common element in the music posted there. Lots of really unique finds...stuff I wouldn't stumble upon in my own digging.

Check it.

BROTHER JOSCEPHUS and The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra at:
Sullivan Hall
Friday, May 9th
214 Sullivan St. b/w Bleecker & W. 3rd
NYC
9:30pm

Dig the music here.

Volume 2 of 4...all of which I will post about in the coming days...started with volume 1 last week...

This series consists of every 7" single put out by the Upsetter label in Jamaica between 1969-1971...all the handiwork of Lee Scratch Perry, twisting the knobs...

From upsetter.net:

"...in contrast to Volume 1 , the 50 tracks on Volume 2 are much more upsetting and experimental. This was when Scratch first started to live up to his Upsetter nickname: weird intros, spooky instrumentals, more than one rhythm spliced together into a single song..."

Dig four skanking tracks here.

This might be my favourite of all of my mixes here yet...although I am working on another one now that will be a close second...

Who cares what I think, though? I am really looking forward to the feedback from some of the music nuts that read this blog...

Anyway, some great tracks here, spanning roots, dub...lots from Africa with some psychedlia, funk, even electronica as well as more folky, traditional vibes from Algeria and Ethiopia...

1. Get Together -by- Brigth Engelberts And The B.E. Movement
   
2. Roots Controller -by- Groove Corporation
   
3. Heywete -by- Tesfa-Maryam Kidane
   
4. Me Waan Justice -by- The Itals
   
5. Chispa Tren -by- Ska Cubano
   
6. Desert Equations -by- Sussan Deyhim / Richard Horowitz
   
7. Mal Hbibi Zaafan -by- Cheikha Remitti
   
8. Kulun Mankwalesh -by- Mahmoud Ahmed
   
9. Hit Me -by- Lee "Scratch" Perry
   
10. Stay A Little Bit Longer -by- Delano Stewart
    
11. Yellow Fever -by- Fela Kuti
    
12. Brace's Tower Dub No. 2 -by- Augustus Pablo
    
13. Envy No Good -by- Mercury Dance Band
    
14. Do Good -by- Everton Blender
    
15. Come Away Jah Children -by- Original Survivors

Download Burning Dervish Vol 20 now.

McCoy's last record for Blue Note and definitely an "out" one...the first two tracks, especially (Malika and Asante)...this record is more about team play than exploratory solos, though there is some pretty work from Andrew White on tenor (the harmony line on Malika is a stand out).

The track to dig is Fulfillment, in at an epic 13:57 and featuring some great McCoy...

McCoy Tyner: Fulfillment, from Asante

I like the stuff this cat posts. Interesting mix of late 70s thru mid 80s pop (though that description doesn't quite capture the range of material posted....Here is the site's description of itself (from the first post back in 2007:

"...I was very sad looking to my old record player and I thought: I want to continue listening my old records in my car, but I can't put my record player in it. What can I do?...I opened my old Cool Edit, and I began to tape some of these old albums. In the next days, weeks, months, here you'll can find those lp's, 7" and 12" ep's, and cd's out of stock forgotten..."

Dig PVAc to 44.1 kHz

Fifty tracks...the first fifty singles that Trojan Records released on Upsetter label, launched in 1969...All produced by Lee Perry (who is featured on the cover of this package smoking out)...

Two of fifty featured here...the first is Return of Django, which is one of the best-selling singles in Jamaican music history, and The Vampire, which is a solid, um...vamp...

Dig.

Return of Django and The Vampire by The Upsetters from The Complete UK Upsetter Singles Collection Volume 1

Is this nothing more or less than the best hip-hop record of the 80s? Of all time?

I don't know and I don't know if it matters but this is a great record. If you are a fan of hip-hop you've heard samples of this stuff from artists like N.W.A. to Mos Def...man, you compare this record to the same stuff Ice-T was doing at the same time and it would be like comparing Muhammad Ali's skills to Sgt Slaughter...I am having a hard time only recommending one or two tracks...This record would have been groundbreaking if it were only about conscious lyrics...or the dancehall influence...or the raw sonics...man, forget it...

Poke into the download to see what I am talking about...

Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary

The Dead's website proclaimed, "The Wait Is Over… The Winterland 1973 Box Has Arrived!" And this past weekend my mailbox did, too!

Nine discs (ok, ten, given the bonus disc from Cincinnati Gardens on December 4, 1973)...three complete shows of a hot run from an incredible era.

The tapes are taken from the two-track masters. The sound is not as dynamic as multi-tracks but compared to any other two-track tapes you have heard? Fuggetaboutit!

Dig the complete set lists from all three nights as well as the entry for the collection in the Dead's online store.

Meanwhile. download three versions of Weather Report Suite, one from each night of the run

I sat down to write something about this record and hit a wall...so like I often do I started Googling around for ideas, things to react to, etc. You have to read the information about this record from the label's website:

"They say that good things come to those who wait. And for anyone who has witnessed the upfull vibes and the powerful spirit of a live Culture performance, they know that this is an experience that will live with you for-Iver. So after more than 20 years as a reggae crusader, the Might Joseph Hill and Culture unleash this masterful CD for all his fans to hold onto worldwide. Year after year the performances have become more powerful. And now finally this beast has been captured on tape and made available to you, oh mighty listener. Behold, for this is no ordinary music. It is the power of the most high, JAH Rastafari. It is powered by the International Herb. I am so proud, I'm Not Ashamed. And you could Never Get Weary as Love Shines Brighter Everyday. We give you A Slice Of Mount Zion because this is The Land Where We Belong. Down In Jamaica. Remember when the Two Sevens Clashed??? We could always See Them A Come. Boy like Christopher Columbus. So come make we fling One Stone because Natty Takin' Over. And we don't no Tribal War. Just love and unity. Equality. Cultural Livity. Open your mind and let the positive spirit of Culture move the I to the higher heights. Open you heart and let love flow. For Jah is great and you have the power to know this. Experience this without fear. It will make you live."

Ahem...hmmm...yeah...so...anyway...get downloading:

International Herb by Culture from Cultural Livity

A great new entry to my blogroll...CRUD CRUD is "...a tour through the stacks of records, demo tapes, etc. that surround me. No recycled MP3s, CD tracks, or reissues here. Average price paid for the records below is $3. Very few I have spent more than $5 on. You also will get a few book jackets from time to time. I present to you some of my favorites. It keeps the guilt of hording this crud distant."

A great recent post there summarizes all of the records featured on the site over the last three years, so the recap doubles as a great intro to the site...

Dig CRUD CRUD.

Saturday, Jun 17 1967...the Airplane at the Monterey Pop Festival...there are some great fan debates about this set online, ranging from "disappointment" to "amazing"! Ha.

You can't argue with their setlist for the show: Somebody To Love, The Other Side Of This Life, White Rabbit, High Flying Bird, Today, She Has Funny Cars,Young Girl Sunday Blues, Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil...

And you definitely cannot find fault with the blazing version of Ballad Of You And Me And Pooneil...

The Airplane were an interesting act...they are one of my favorite bands but they sound so dated...and live they could definitely bring on the noise...I still keep up with Kantner, to the point of going to see him when he comes around, which tends to be every year or so...can't resist the cranky old bastard...

Download Ballad Of You And Me and Pooneil from Live at the Monterey Festival