Burning Dervish

All Music Guide says,

"...Pianist McCoy Tyner's 1974 quintet consisted of the talented youngster Azar Lawrence on tenor and soprano...bassist Joony Booth, drummer Wilby Fletcher and percussionist Guilherme Franco. As is accurately stated in the new liner notes by Neil Tesser, Atlantis was the final recording from Tyner's last band to be based on the music of his former boss, John Coltrane...Recorded live at San Francisco's legendary Keystone Korner, this set has four of Tyner's modal originals played by the full group, a rendition of "My One and Only Love" performed by the leader, Lawrence and Franco as a trio, and a solo piano version of "In a Sentimental Mood." Essential music that still sounds fresh and adventurous."

Listen to today's track...it would be heavily as hell if that were a guitar or two playing that opening riff...it's heavy enough as it is!

McCoy Tyner - Makin' Out

from Atlantis

From LiveScience.com:

"Despite the hilarity of early-season "American Idol" episodes, nearly everyone can carry a tune, new research shows.

Of those who can't, there are two types — those that know they sound bad and those that think they sound fine.

In a series of studies...researchers found that more than 90 percent of the participants could sing in tune. And almost 100 percent nailed each melody's timing...Among out-of-tune singers...there are two categories of people...The majority is tone deaf; they can't hear when a note is off and have no idea they are singing poorly. But there are also lousy singers with great hearing ability — those who can accurately say whether an instrument is properly tuned or a sung note is off-key. These squawkers know they are singing badly but, for some unknown reason, cannot correct themselves. They are, in a sense, tone mute."

I can tell you which type always seems to sit right behind me at shows...Click here for the full article.

I featured the "B" side last week and now it's time to flip the disc and check out The "A" Side...Described as a

"...kind of a negative image of our real blog, the "B" side. It's sole purpose is to provide you with certain "A" sides that are not well known in and of themselves, and might not be readily available on CD..."

I've pulled down some nice R&B and soul from the site...

Dig The "A" Side

Let's start year three right...a new year and a new mix...this one featuring producer extraordinaire King Tubby...from Wikipedia:

"King Tubby...was a Jamaican electronics and sound engineer, known primarily for his influence on the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s. Tubby's innovative studio work, which saw him elevate the role of record producer to a creative height previously only reserved for composers and musicians, would prove to be highly influential across many genres of popular music. He is often cited as the inventor of the concept of the remix, and so may be seen as a direct antecedent of much dance and electronic music production...King Tubby's production work in the 1970s would see him become one of the best-known celebrities in Jamaica, and would generate interest in his production techniques from musicians across the world. Tubby built on his considerable knowledge of electronics to repair, adapt and design his own studio equipment, which made use of a combination of old devices and new technologies to produce a studio capable of the precise, atmospheric sounds which would become Tubby's trademark. With a variety of effects units connected to his mixer, Tubby was able to 'play' the mixing desk like an instrument, bringing instruments and vocals in and out of the mix (literally 'dubbing' them) to create an entirely new genre: dub music...Using existing master tapes or his own highly skilled session musicians, Tubby would twist the instrumental parts of songs into unexpected configurations which highlighted the heavy rhythms of their bass and drum parts with minute snatches of vocals, horns and keyboard. These techniques mirrored the actions of the soundsystem selectors, who had long used EQ equipment to emphasise certain aspects of particular records, but Tubby was able to use his custom-built studio to take this technique into unexpected areas, often transforming a hit song to the point where it was almost unrecognizeable from its original... It is unlikely that a complete discography of Tubby's production work could be created based on the number of labels, artists and producers with whom he worked, and subsequent repressings of these releases sometimes contained contradictory information. His name is credited on hundreds of b-side labels, with the possibility that many others were by his hand yet uncredited, due to similarities with his known work...King Tubby was shot and killed on February 6, 1989 by an unknown group of people outside his home in Duhaney Park, upon returning from a session at his Waterhouse studio. It is thought that the murder was probably an attempt at robbery."

Click here for the full entry.

The Tracks:

Gorgon Version by Cornell Campbell & The Aggravators from King Tubby's in Fine Style

Shooter Dub by King Tubby from Down Santic Way: Santic's Jamaican Productions 1973-1975

Corner Crew Dub by Augustus Pablo from King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown

King Tubby's Borderline Dub by King Tubby & Augustus Pablo from Dub Chill Out

Shaolin Temple Dub by Barrington Levy from In Dub: The Lost Mixes from King Tubby's Studio

King Tubby Dub by King Tubby from 400% Dynamite!

Free Africa by Horace Andy from King Tubby Meets the Reggae Masters

Dub Is My Woman by Larry Marshall from I Admire You (In Dub)

That's Life/Life Time Dub by Ronnie Davis/King Tubby & Aggrovators from a rip of Clocktower 7" CT 735

Jah Children Rise/Rising Dub by Earl Sixteen & The Heptones/King Tubby from a rip of a Trench Town 10"

South Africa/From Cape To Cairo (extended) by Mighty Travellers/King Tubby from a rip of a Pressure Sounds 7"

Download Burning Dervish Vol 25: King Tubby

My second "McCoy Monday's" retrospective, this one made up of the tracks I previously offered up from Tyner's initial run on Blue Note in the mid/late '60s...

The tracks:

Passion Dance, The Real McCoy
Man from Tanganyika, Tender Moments
Lee Plus Three, Tender Moments
May Street, Time for Tyner
Vision, Expansions via Mosaic Select: McCoy Tyner
Planet X, Cosmos via Mosaic Select: McCoy Tyner
Message from the Nile, Extensions
His Blessings, Extensions
Fulfillment, Asante via Mosaic Select: McCoy Tyner

Download Burning Dervish Vol 24

A companion piece to my on-going "McCoy Mondays" series...My favorite tracks from his first tenure on Impulse! Records, spanning January '62 thru December '64...

Download Burning Dervish Vol 23

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

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

When I originally posted this one I said that it, "might be my favourite of all of my mixes yet". Now, after going through this project, this and Vol 1 are definitely my tops...

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.

This mix was assembled with the help of the readers of this site. We worked on a project together to create a "History of Heavy Metal" mixtape...here's what we came up with:

01 Sweet Wine by Cream
02 I'm Eighteen by Alice Cooper
03 Into the Void by Black Sabbath
04 Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll by Blue Oyster Cult
05 Victim of Changes by Judas Priest
06 Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones
07 Neat, Neat, Neat by The Damned
08 Ace of Spades by Motorhead
09 The Zoo by The Scorpions
10 Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden

Download Burning Dervish Vol 19

This is a fun one to look back on:

"I had an opportunity to meet one of my musical heroes last Monday through my job...That's always a dicey proposition, you never know how it's going to go...this time it was a real blast, a treat, a highlight...Anyway, this guy is known as a pretty heavy music geek, so I made him a mix CD of some obscure R&B tracks...he was psyched."

The track list:

1. Knockin' At The Wrong Door by The Rollers
   
2. Too Far Gone (Alt. Take) by The Four Mints
   
3. I'll Take Her by Eddie Floyd
   
4. She's A Burgler by Howard Tate
   
5. Just Enough To Hurt Me by Astors
   
6. After Laughter by Wendy Rine
   
7. Rain, Rain, Go Away by Bob Azzam & His Orchestra
   
8. When The Lights Are Low by The Paragons
   
9. Don't Be Surprised by Lynn Williams
   
10. See And Don't See by Marie Queenie Lyons
    
11. Let My People Go by Darondo
    
12. Inspiration Information by Shuggie Otis
    
13. If I Had My Way by Boscoe
    
14. Hold Me Baby by Albert Washington
    
15. Beautiful Things by Eddie Fisher

Download Burning Dervish Vol 18

The geek?

Elvis Costello.

This is how I originally described this one:

"...Volume 17 of the never-ending series...this one's got jams and gems from Jorge Ben, Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff, Bill Laswell, The Congos, Brigth Engelberts And The B.E. Movement, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Tony Allen, Clemilda, Madjid Khaladj, Fela Kuti and The Chosen Few."

Download Burning Dervish Volume 17

Looking back, this one is just cotton-pickin' funny...

Download Burning Dervish Vol 16

From the original post:

"Carol Kaye has been a session player for the better part of 50 years...Kaye's played bass or guitar on some of the biggest songs in the initial rock era and really left her mark with her playing on Pet Sounds...The compilation below includes only a very small handful of songs associated with Kaye. Enjoy."

Download Burning Dervish Vol 15

Looking back at some of what I first posted with this mix:

"...a concert and memorial service held this past week, the Alice Coltrane Ascension Ceremony, at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City...I did not attend, in fact was not even aware the event was happening...Originally I thought I would match the playlist to the memorial service's program but instead opted to create a memorial of my own, Burning Dervish Vol 14. The tracks included here all feature Alice as a side person or bandleader..."

1. Peace on Earth from John Coltrane's Live in Japan, 1966
2. Ogunde from John Coltrane's The Olatunji Concert - The Last Live Recording, 1967
3. Ohnedaruth from Alice Coltrane's A Montastic Trio, 1968
4. Mantra from Alice Coltrane's Ptah, the El Daoud, 1970
5. Isis and Osiris from Alice Coltrane's Journey In Satchidananda, 1970
6. Water from Joe Henderson's The Elements, 1973
7. Angel of Sunlight from Carlos Santana and Alice Coltrane's Divine Light, 2001
8. Translinear Light from Alice Coltrane's Translinear Light, 2004

Please download Burning Dervish Volume 14

I got hooked on a weird theme thing for a while...Burning Dervish Volume 13 might be the oddest example...

1. Can't Stop The Spring - The Flaming Lips


2. Springtime in New York - Jonathan Richman


3. June 16th - Minutemen


4. The Coming of Spring - The Rapture


5. Springtheme - Ween


6. Opening Medley: Hi Diddle Dee Dee (An Actor's Life For Me)/Little April Shower/I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song) - Ken Nordine, Bill Frisell And Wayne Horvitz; Natalie Merchant, Michael Stipe, Mark Bingham And The Roches; Los Lobos

Click here to download Burning Dervish Volume 13.

The original story behind this one:

"84-degree weather in April will get you thinking and feeling a certain way about the music you want to jam to...This most-recent compilation is a return of sorts to the African (Ethiopian, Moroccan and Jamaican)-themed mixes I was throwing together throughout '06. I have a few more partially-finished ones sitting in playlists I need to live with a while longer before springing them on you...hopefully this one will get you through a warm spring day and a lovely evening or two..."

Download Burning Dervish Volume Twelve

"My first real introduction to the Grateful Dead, from a Deadhead as opposed to the radio, was the songs on this compilation...Before I got heavy into collecting live shows I played this tape over and over...in my car, at parties, in my basement bedroom...The old beat up TDK tape is lost to antiquity but I still have the cover so was able to put it back together for this mix...Whether or not this is even a good beginner's guide to the band's various studio albums isn't really the point of this post...I've been in a melancholy frame of mind lately and this tape transports me to fall of 1985 - maybe not the most interesting destination to set the time machine to but there sure was some fun involved!"

- from the original post that accompanied this mix.

Download Burning Dervish Volume Eleven

This was my second artist-focused mix and I cannot repost it here...you see, this was a Frank Zappa compilation and I received this cease and desist letter from the Zappa Family Trust.

Frank's estate is certainly allowed to handle his affairs as they see fit but I listen to a lot of music and work around a lot of young people and let me tell you, there is at least one generation of kids for whom Frank is no more than a clown or oddball. In fact, I think my generation (born in the late 60s/early 70s) may be that last for which Frank was a coming-of-age artist, like Floyd, Zeppelin, etc. It is a shame.

Theories abound. My favorite holds that stifling Frank's legacy is Gail's final revenge for having to play second-fiddle to his career and needs for 30-odd years...from my original post for this mix:

"I have had Frank on the brain lately. Between the war, the various scandals in Washington, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and their ilk, along with a host of other minor and major indignities I can't help but wonder what Frank would be saying to all of this. I mean he was pissed back then and the world was only maybe half as stupid as it is today!

I don't seperate Frank the Artist from Frank the Philosopher/Social Commentator. Regardless of the hat he was wearing on any given day he was one of the most independent and unique cultural figures of his time.

Hopefully this compilation shows a lot of different sides of his music: the 60s freak-out stuff, the "classic period" or "comedy music" from the early 70s, the virtuoso touring bands throughout the 80s and the "serious" work he was doing right before his death."

Click here for the cease and desist letter, not Burning Dervish Volume Ten

This was my first artist-themed mix, which certainly went better than the next one, but more on that in an hour...

"...While putting this compilation together I realized that it has been seventeen years since Uncle Tupelo's No Depression came out. If that doesn't impress you think about what year it was seventeen years before that...Definitely seems like a different lifetime to me..."

Download Burning Dervish Volume Nine

From my original post that accompanied this mix:

"...David Crosby is a stone cold hippy. He didn't go Hollywood, he went the other way around and left the Byrds and their LA scene for the Bay Area. He lived on his boat in Sausalito while he took enormous quantities of drugs, hung with the Dead and the Airplane, and wrote, co-wrote, sang and played on some phenomenal music in the late sixties and early seventies...the free love, guns, dope, jail time, reunion tours, good and bad records, environmentalism, sperm donation to Melissa Etheridge...it all adds up to an interestng cat who still talks like an idealist. Outraged, but hopeful...I love this music. It hits me on a real visceral, emotional level. These people were some of my original musical and cultural heroes. I really believed and believed in them. The songs about revolution, outer space, enlightenment, beautiful girls, sunny afternoons...I only wish I could feel the way these songs make me feel 24 hours a day."

Download Burning Dervish Volume Eight

From my original post with this mix:

"Another great gift I received this year was a paperback of Oscar Zeta Acosta's The Revolt of the Cockroach People.

Zeta is most popularly known as the "fat Samoan lawyer" in Hunter Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. In real life, he was a leader in the Chicano "Brown Power" movement. This book is his fictionalized memoir (part two, actually) of his time in East LA defending Chicano militants and leading The Revolution...

I have long been interested in post-WWII American History and especially the late '50s thru mid '70s. This book represents a great piece of that history. I have a few dozen songs I want to string together, from Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria, Cymande and others that conjure up a Chicano, urban vibe for me. This first Latino compilation is a little less militant but I hope you dig it - and please let me know if you read the book and what you think of it."

Download Burning Dervish Volume Seven

Thought it would be fun to dig out the original post I wrote when first made this mix:

"This one is a little different...

I am tired. My wife and kid have been sick for more than a week. I can't sleep. I'm cranky.

My wife called me at work this afternoon to tell me there is a mouse in the apartment. I think he is under my comfy chair in the living room right at this moment. The "kid friendly" exterminator is coming tomorrow. Let's hope the mice in the building are not kids.

So what's a sour-ass insomniac to do? Rather than sit around and wait for Mickey to resurface I figured I'd throw a mix together, a real one this time, not just a compilation.

I may not quite have the skills to pay the bills but here it is. You decide..."

Download Fucking Mice by Burning Dervish. 10 tracks covering Lonnie Smith- Max Romeo- Material- Taswiyah- Viktor Vaughn- Mouse on Mars- Mike Watt- Mouse- Mouse & the Traps.

The first Burning Dervish mix with cover art...whoa....

Download Burning Dervish Volume Five

• You I Love Dub, Wackies Rhythm Force, African Roots, Act 3
• La Rebellion, Orchestra Baobab, Pirates Choice
• This Land is for Everyone, The Abyssinians, Arise
• Gone A Country, Everton Blender, King Man
• We Need Love, Johnny Osbourne, Mojo: Studio One Selector
• Get Ready (12" Mix), Delroy Wilson, Darker Than Blue: Soul From Jamdown 1973-1980
• Follow Marcus Garvey, Burning Spear, Hail H.I.M.
• Fittest of the Fittest Dub, King Tubby, Dub Chill Out
• Mr. Joe (Mojo Rocksteady), Dub Specialist, 17 Dub Shots From Studio One
• Hotter Fire, The Observers, Trojan Dub Rarities Box
• Before Summer Rain, Sanjay Mishra, Blue Incantation
• A Wish, Hamza El Din, A Wish

Download Burning Dervish Volume Five.

Download Burning Dervish Volume 4

• My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion, The Flaming Lips, At War with the Mystics
• Summer's Almost Gone, The Doors, Waiting For The Sun
• September Gurls, Big Star, #1 Record/Radio City
• September Song, James Brown, Soul on Top
• One September Day, Nina Simone, Four Women: The Nina Simone Philips Recordings
• Early Autumn, Pucho and His Latin Soul Brothers, Tough!
• Autumn In New York, Johnny Smith, Walk, Don't Run!
• Autumn In New York, Frank Sinatra & Billy May, Come Fly With Me
• September Song, Frank Sinatra, Point Of No Return
• September In The Rain, Frank Sinatra, Sinatra's Swingin' Session! And More
• The September Of My Years, Frank Sinatra, Sinatra At The Sands
• Autumn Leaves, Frank Sinatra, Where Are You?
• Autumn Leaves, Jimmy Smith, Incredible Jimmy Smith at the Organ
• Autumn Leaves, Miles Davis, Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1963-1964
• October In The Railroad Earth, Jack Kerouac with Steve Allen, The Beat Generation

Download Burning Dervish Volume 4 here.

Download Burning Dervish Volume Three...

• Marcus Dub (Follow Marcus Garvey), Burning Spear, Living Dub, Vol. 2


• Them Belly Full (But We Hungry), Bob Marley, Dreams of Freedom: Ambient Translations of Bob Marley in Dub


• Jah Calling, The Itals, Give Me Power!


• Know Fari, Bongo Herman & Eric 'Bingy Bunny' Lamont, Tighten Up: Trojan Reggae Classics 1968-74


• Embwa Belew, Muluqen Mellesse, Ethiopiques, Vol. 3: Golden Years Of Modern Ethiopian Music


• Mad Mad Mad, Alton Ellis, Get Ready for Rock Reggae Steady


• The Result, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Scratch the Upsetters Again


• Almaz Men Eda New, Mahmoud Ahmed, Ethiopiques, Vol. 6: Almaz


• Gofere/Antchi Hoye, Getatchew Mekurya, Ethiopiques, Vol. 14: Negus of Ethiopian Sax


• Downtown Rock, King Tubby Meets Larry Marshall, I Admire You (In Dub)


• Gubelye, Mulatu Astatqe, Ethiopiques, Vol. 10: Tezeta - Ethiopian Blues & Ballads


• You Don't Love Me (No No No), Dawn Penn, Studio One Rockers


• Tezeta, Nostalgia, Ethiopiques, Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale, 1969-1974


• Mediation In Dub, The Abyssinians, Declaration of Dub


• Live Injection, The Upsetters, 200% Dynamite!

Download Burning Dervish Volume Three here

Burning Dervish Volume Two, available for download again here.

1. Popcorn, by Lee "Scratch" Perry, from Scratch the Upsetters Again


2. El Pussy Cat, by The Skatalites, from Stretching Out


3. Guajira Van, by No. 1 de No. 1, from World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's a Real Thing


4. Lion, by Burning Spear, from Live


5. Rastafari Chariot, by The Itals, from Brutal Out Deh


6. Take Me Home Country Roads, by Toots & The Maytals, from Funky Kingston


7. Give Me Your Love, by Junior Marvin, from Darker Than Blue: Soul from Jamdown (1973-1980)


8. Yasdestal, by Mahmoud Ahmed, from Ethiopiques, Vol. 6: Almaz


9. Tezetaye Atchi Lidj, by Mulatu Astatqe, from Ethiopiques, Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale, 1969-1974


10. Bellyfull, by The Gladiators, from Dreadlocks The Time Is Now


11. Sit And Wonder, by Prince Buster, from 200% Dynamite!


12. Ma Ne Vale La Pena, by Augusto Martelli, from Black Sound From White People


13. Black Slavery Days, by Skulls, from Black Slavery Days


14. Mountain Time, by Ginger Baker, from Horses & Trees

Download Burning Dervish Vol Two.

OK...Here we go...Mixtape Madness Hour One...23 to go...Kick things off with Burning Dervish Volume 1, originally posted on July 16, 2006.

1. Maduba (Crisis Creation), DXT, from Reanimator: Black Market Science. DXT, essentially the inventor of turntablism, laying down futuristic, apocalyptic, electronic dub. Produced by Bill Laswell.


2. Telegram Dub (African Postman), Burning Spear, from Living Dub, Vol. 2, the dub companion to Spear's classic Hail H.I.M.. It's one's chocolate to the other's peanut butter...


3. Im Ninalou, DJ Cheb I Sabbah, from, La Kahena. A Sufi, a Jew and a Berber walked into a bar...


4. Allegro, Sanjay Mishra, from, Blue Incantation. I originally picked this record up to catch the three tracks Jerry Garcia contributed to in what turned out to be some of his last sessions and then shrugged the record off as new age fluff. Coming back to it many years later I was really sucked in by some of Mishra's melodic guitar playing. Turns out Jerry's parts are the weakest of the record...


5. Exodus, Bob Marley, from, Dreams of Freedom: Ambient Translations of Bob Marley in Dub, one of my "desert island discs" of the 1990s and one of the best examples of that era's output of "ambient dub". Exodus and The Heathen are the stand-out tracks.


6. Water No Get Enemy, Fela Kuti, from Expensive Shit. Jamming defiant funk from the Kalkuta Republic.


7. In These Times, Errol Walker, from Lee "Scratch" Perry's Arkology box set. There are a million ways to get into Scratch Perry given that he has produced literally countless reggae and dub sides, but this box set might be the best way. Lots of notes and info to send you on your way...This guys talent is impossible to measure or describe.


8. Dance Mediterrane, Simon Shaheen & Qantara, from Blue Flame. Shaheen has made more "authentic" records but the playing on this record really legitimizes the fusion style.


9. Jah Works, The Gladiators, from Dreadlocks, the Time Is Now . This is such a deep record. Some serious spirit runs through the entire enterprise...


10. Roll Jordan Roll, Wingless Angels from Wingless Angels. A Keith Richards side project in which he recorded some Nyabinghi sessions at his home in Jamaica, laid in the most perfect bass and guitar lines and produced a rootsy, acoustic, trance of a record. Almost makes you wish Keith would quit his day job to follow his own muse more often. Really.


11. Dem a Come, The Abyssinians, from Arise. Deep roots and equisite melodies make this record...


12. Herbsman Shuffle, King Stitt & Andy Capp, from Tighten Up: Trojan Reggae Classics 1968-74. This track is from a 2-disc "best of" the Trojan series of Tighten Up compilations. Bad-ass throughout with lots of gems. Herbsman is one of the key tracks.


13. Mela Mela, Mahmoud Ahmed, from Ethiopiques, Vol. 6: Almaz.

Download Burning Dervish Vol 1 here.

Tomorrow, June 23, is the two-year anniversary of this site's launch. Given my Asperger-like affinity for numbers, patterns and symmetry, I have decided to re-post all 24 (2 years, 24 months, 24 hours, etc...) of the mixes I have made for this site, one each hour, starting at 12:01 AM tomorrow.

The best part is all of the posts are set up with the time-released publishing feature Blogger offers. I don't have to do a thing all day! Go internet.

So get up early or stay up late and get your download on!

Cheers.

This is a great concept for a blog:

"This page is dedicated to the poor, neglected "B" sides of all these 45s I have..."

I remember as a kid buying 45s at the Music Box in Hamden, CT (RIP) and being bugged out by the B sides...sometimes they sucked so bad compared to the songs on the first side...ha...but sometimes they didn't and this site is about those ones...

Dig The "B" Side.

All Music Guide says Gene Ammons,

"...had a huge and immediately recognizable tone on tenor, was a very flexible player who could play bebop with the best (always battling his friend Sonny Stitt to a tie) yet was an influence on the R&B world...He originally came to fame as a key soloist with Billy Eckstine's orchestra during 1944-1947...Ammons worked as a single throughout his career, recording frequently (most notably for Prestige) in settings ranging from quartets and organ combos to all-star jam sessions. Drug problems kept him in prison during much of 1958-1960 and, due to a particularly stiff sentence, 1962-1969. When Ammons returned to the scene in 1969, he opened up his style a bit, including some of the emotional cries of the avant-garde while utilizing funky rhythm sections, but he was still able to battle Sonny Stitt on his own terms..."

Wikipedia goes a little more technical:

"...Ammons and Von Freeman were the founders of the Chicago School of tenor saxophone. His style of playing showed influences from Lester Young as well as Ben Webster. These artists had helped develop the sound of the tenor saxophone to higher levels of expressiveness. Ammons, together with Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt, helped integrate their developments with the emerging "vernacular" of the bebop movement, and the chromaticism and rhythmic variety of Charlie Parker is evident in his playing...While adept at the technical aspects of bebop, in particular its love of harmonic substitions, Ammons more than Young, Webster or Parker, stayed in touch with the commercial blues and R&B of his day. The "soul Jazz" movement of the mid-1950s, often using the combination of tenor saxophone and Hammond B3 electric organ, counts him as a founder. Often using a thinner, drier tone than Stitt or Gordon, Ammons could at will exploit a vast range of textures on the instrument, vocalizing it in ways that look forward to later artists like Stanley Turrentine, Houston Person, and remarkably Archie Shepp. Ammons showed little interest however in the modal jazz of John Coltrane, Joe Henderson or Wayne Shorter that was emerging at the same time..."

I go straight for the earhole:

Gene Ammons: Jug Eyes
from The Black Cat

Hittin' the Jug
from Boss Tenor

Jug-N-McGhee
from Heavy Sax

Seed Shack
from Jug

Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt and Jack McDuff: Scram
from Soul Summit

"Michael Prophet has got one of the most distinctive and beautiful voices known in the whole reggae world. He was born in 1957 and grew up in the western Kingston ghetto of Greenwich Farm...Michael recorded many tunes for Yabby You and scored his first hit with a cover version of the Heptones' "Fight It To The Top". However, it was the deeper, more rootsy material that began to hit with an international reggae audience. Cuts like "Gates Of Zion", "Mash Down Rome", "Turn Me Loose", "Warn Them Jah" and "Creation Rock" were massive sound system tunes in the UK and staple food for the likes of Jah Shaka, Quaker City, Sir Coxsone, Fatman and Moa Ambessa - the ruling UK sounds of the era..." - bigupradio.com

Michael Prophet: Mash Down Rome
from a Vivian Jackson 7" rip

Mash Down Rome (extended)
unknown source. This is not the version on Dub It to the Top: 1976-1979 given that this version has a run time two minutes longer than that dub track...any ideas?

Not Everything That
from Consciousness

Trouble Nobody
from a rip of 12" GRED 087B

This record could easily be sub-titled, "The Spiritual Jazz All-Stars", with a line-up boasting Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, Gary Bartz on alto, Azar Lawrence on tenor and soprano, John Stubblefield on oboe and flute, bassist Buster Williams, drummer Billy Hart and two percussionists: Mtume and Guillerme Franco.

From ProgressiveWorld.net:

...Gary Bartz's saxophone playing is sweetly reminiscent of the legendary Coltrane's style throughout this original jazz classic...Tyner was spiritually driven and inspired to create music that echoed the sentiments of his ancestors. His skillful playing recognized the worlds of Africa, Latin America, and Asia in a most respectful way. His artistry was a gallant effort to depict a cultural stew that simmered in his music. It all boils over with the exuberance of young child let loose to play in the schoolyard of life. His supporting cast obviously held the same values, as their musicianship is unmatched, following Tyner every step of the way throughout this album...This is a necessary purchase for those of you that enjoy the more risqué side of jazz music.

McCoy Tyner: Paradox
from Sama Layuca

"The "Godfather of Dancehall" is the well-deserved moniker for Johnny Osbourne describing his contribution to reggae music as it evolved from the local Jamaican community to the international arena. A string of hits dating from the late sixties through the nineties defines Johnny's longevity and artistic ability...Born and raised in Jones Town, the mecca of dancehalls in Kingston Jamaica, Johnny is a part of the musical fraternity that established the foundation upon which reggae music exists today...Blessed with an eclectic voice, and an unparalleled style, Johnny's music transcends genres and generations. Reggae historian Roger Steffens affirms, "A 25-year career that shows no signs of letting up, from soulful reggae to a massive dancehall catalog, Osbourne's warm voice filled with conviction and yearning, is one of the island's best". After more than 3 decades that sound is distinct and fresh as ever."

- Devon Barnes Sr. (Deeboz Muzik)

Johnny Osbourne: Chopper
from Mr. Budy Bye

Play Play Girl (and Version)
from a Studio One 7" rip

Keep That Light
from a rip of Coxsone 7" SO 0030A

I don't remember where I came across this, I am sorry...I downloaded it a few months ago and just got around to listening to it.

What is "it"? A hard rock/power pop band covering Fleetwood Mac's Rumours LP live, in its entirety. Very well done, very fun. The background:

"A few months back we did a benefit show for Dax Pierson. A friend of ours, also a musician, who was badly injured in a van accident while on tour. Like most people in the music business, he had no medical insurance. So, troops rallied to see what we all could do to make a dent in the criminal amount of money they wanted for the wheelchair Dax now needs...Dirty Power played at the Eagle Tavern in San Francisco in support of Dax. Since we had a couple of shows booked around the same time, we decided to do something a little different, like covering the entire Fleetwood Mac "rumours" album. You might ask, "why rumours?" and I'd have to reply "why not?". If you know what Dirty Power sounds like already, then having us cover a Thin Lizzy or AC/Dc or KISS album would be a little too expected, and thats no fun. Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" was chosen because anytime Dirty Power went on a road trip, at least 3 of us would have a copy of that album with us. It was something we knew (sort of), we liked, and would have fun with...when I say "live" show, I won't lie, I did quite a few overdubs. It's probably as live as KISS "alive!". Some out of tune guitars, crappy vocals, have been magically reduced through the wonders of technology. Actually, there are still plenty of fuck ups, bum notes and flat vocals there for you to make fun of."

It's worth the price of the download, in my opinion...and the cover art...Ha.

Dig.

Dirty Power: Rumours

You've heard about this by now, no? Phil Lesh and his band closing the Warfield Theater in San Francisco with a 5-night run in May 08...the first three nights of the run consisted of complete performances of the first six Grateful Dead records, in order, one per set. Wild.

Today's download is in the AAC format (not copy-protected, don't worry), with the following source info: Neumann skm 140s->Sound Devices 722->Resample-1.8+(24/192->16/44.1khz); minor glitch fixes w/ cooledit.

Phil Lesh & Friends: Workingman's Dead and American Beauty
from 05.16.2008 - The Warfield - SF, CA

This album contains the complete performance of McCoy's set at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival.

My god, it rocks.

The line-up is Azar Lawrence (on tenor and soprano saxes), Juney Booth on bass and drummer Alphonse Mouzon, a powerhouse in his own right.

I sort of wish this record was out of print so I could offer up to you the entire thing...you'll have to settle for one cut and then hunt the rest down yourself. It is more than worth paying for...70 minutes of music across 6 tracks...

McCoy Tyner: Presence
from Enlightenment

This week's addition to the blogroll is My Jazz World,

"...where the music is groovy, soulful and from the heart. These are records which sadly have gone out of print and never were released on CD so I decided to fill the void..."

I download a lot of music from this site. Some great spiritual, funky and soul jazz. In one three-day stretch I scored excellent records from Quincy Jones, Freddie Hubbard and Ronnie Foster.

Dig My Jazz World.

I took my three-year old to his first baseball game this week. I didn't have high expectations as to how much of the game he'd make it through (wound up being 4 innings) but given that it is the last season at the original Yankee Stadium I wanted him to some day be able to brag that he went...

We had a blast. Rode the subway up from Brooklyn, ate Dippin' Dots and Cracker Jacks...sang Take Me Out To The Ballgame about 10 times...it was great.

Buckethead: Baseball Buddy
from Bucketheadland

Low is a 1977 album by British musician David Bowie. Widely regarded as one of his most influential releases...Bowi, an EP by Nick Lowe, was named in response to Low.

- from Wikipedia...

Does that explain this? Have a listen...

David Bowie: Breaking Glass
from Low

Nick Lowe: I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass
from Jesus of Cool

David Bowie: Sound and Vision
from Low

Or is this what it is all about?

Lone Ranger was one of those transitional characters who bridge the period between two distinct musical eras...in this case from the roots toasting-style to dancehall, from the mid-70s through mid-80s (think missing link between Big Youth and say, Yellowman)...

Lone Ranger worked and had hits with most of the usual suspects, like Coxsone Dodd and Winston Riley, while having some of his biggest success with Alvin Ranglin. He was in and out of Studio One for most of his career...

There are bigger hits in his discography but I love this track and the b-side version, largely because they are over the Skylarkin' riddim...

Lone Ranger: Screw Gone A North Coast
from a rip of Studio One 7" SO 100037A

Lone Ranger with Sound Dimension: Junior Screw (Version)
from a rip of Studio One 7" SO 100037B

Music Hard Drive Swap

You Down?

Bringing new meaning to the term, "big band" this record has brass, woodwind, strings, as well as McCoy and features a work out of the Mongo Santamaria track Afro Blue, which Trane and subsequently McCoy helped become a modern standard...

McCoy revisited Afro Blue throughout his career with varying line-ups. In fact, I saw him open his set a couple of years back in a trio setting with Pharoah Sanders and Charnett Moffett with the track, which warmed up the crowd and performers very nicely...

Dig:

McCoy Tyner - Afro Blue
from Song of the New World

Today is the second anniversary of the death of Vince Welnick, the last keyboard player for the Grateful Dead.

Read the tribute post and download some tracks at The Good Old Grateful Dead Blog.