In November, I wrote about a day of iPod on shuffle. Here’s another one:
Wayne Shorter – Juju/Angola (from a concert at At Göteborg Concert Hall, Sweden, May 2003) – This is easily the best band out there. I wrote about them a few days ago. Danilo Perez, John Patitucci & Brian Blade back Wayne, but it’s not really “backing.” They are all equals and completely incredible individually, and as a unit. In my opinion, this is the most important band in the jazz world.
Mick Ambryrum -Australie-DiDJeridoo (from Musique Du Monde) – A track of didjeridoo playing. Yet another example of why Kenny G’s record for the “longest” held note is ridiculous.
Jerry Bergonzi – Blues for Workshop (from a concert in Copenhagen, Denmark) – I think this is with the Danish Radio Big Band from the early/mid-1990s (I don’t have the date in front of me at the moment). Jerry is so incredible. The writing is not quite for my taste, but it is so steeped in the tradition that I can hardly think of it as bad. It just sounds like, you know, another great big band. Ok, that’s totally unfair. It is definitely more modern than, like the 1940 Duke Ellington Big Band and some of the ideas remind me of Gunther Schuller’s writing, on Joe Lovano’s CD Rush Hour on Main Street.
Lee Konitz – Stella By Starlight (from a concert at the Iridium in 2003 – I think this was a birthday concert) – Bill Frisell, Gary Peacock & Matt Wilson are on this. You know? Actually, on this tune, and more so (I think) on All The Things You Are, Matt plays the melody during his “solo” and it’s completely incredible. I have been encouraging drummers to figure out ways to play the melody on tunes during 4s and 8s and so on. Matt’s playing is among the best for this approach.
Mahmoud Ahmed – Antchi Enen WedeDJign (from Ethiopiques 19) – This track has kind of a trance vibe to it. Mahmoud is the greatest. The background line played by the horns reminds me of parts of Tomorrow Never Knows from The Beatles record Revolver .
Bob Dylan – Sugar Baby (from Love & Theft ) – Bob totally rocks. The more raspy his voice, the more I love it – the more it sounds like life and living. This tune is amazing, especially the chorus (I love that line cliché).
Pat Metheny – Offramp (from Offramp) – I met Pat in 1992 after I first moved to Boston. I have this fantastic photograph of the two of us. I look so country in my oversized poofy green winter coat and mullet, and he looks so scared by our convesation – oh, the giant Elton John glasses are fantastic too. This tune is not the most burning free bop I have ever heard but it certainly does not lack for energy.
Oumou Sangare – Unknown title (from a concert in Chicago in 1999) – Oumou is my favorite Malian singer.
Thelonious Monk – Announcement 2 (from a radio broadcast of a concert in Philadelphia in 1960) – This is so typical. “Monk didn’t even take off his straw hat when he sat down at the piano. And the boys are in business suits of assorted colors.” I mean, that’s what music is really all about, isn’t it?
Youssou N’Dour – Immegres/Bitim Rew (from a concert at Nijmegen in the Netherlands in 1985) – Serious energy on this recording.
Tom Waits – Yesterday is Here (from Swordfishtrombones) – Like I said in November, this CD is fantastic, probably only second to Rain Dogs .
Fela Kuti – Unknown Soldier (from Coffin for Head of State) – Said my peace on Fela in November .
Samuel Belay – Aynotchesh Yerefu (from Ethiopiques Vol.8)
Mulatu Astatke – Chic Chic CA (from Assiyo Bellema) – Mulatu rocks, and I said what I had to about him a few days ago. But, let me say that this track confounds me. I spent a good deal of time with Mulatu trying to define chic chic a, which is an Ethiopian rhythm. It seemed as though it sort of meant any rhythm in 3 or 6, but now this…
Bellemou & Gana El Maghnaoui – Milouda (from Africa Never Stand Still) – First of all, the 3-CD set Africa Never Stand Still is a must own (here’s the Amazon link). It doesn’t always have the best music from a particular country, and can’t possibly be inclusive of every single genre of music from Africa, but it covers a lot of music from many countries in Africa. The music from Ethiopia is not exactly my favorite, but it’s still amazing. This music comes from Algeria…
Wilco – The Late Greats (from A Ghost is Born ) – I covered Wilco a few days ago.
Oumou Sangare – Ah Ndiya (from Africa Never Stand Still) – This is the tune that makes Africa Never Stand Still a must-own. I adore her voice, and this is one of my absolute faves of Oumou’s.
Tigist Assefa – Ambassel (from Ethiopiques 2 ) – Completely incredible. This is maskinqo and voice and an absolute must own.
Jerry Bergonzi – Tune Up Slow (from Developing a Jazz Language) – Ok, first of all, I can’t say enough about what an amazing musician Jerry is and what a fantastic teacher he is. But here I am again, listening to a playalong and totally digging it…
The Beatles – Dear Prudence (from The White Album) – Track two from the White Album. Everyone must know what it’s about and how it came to be by this time. Amazing tune.
Steve Lacy Quartet w/Paul Bley – Straight, No Chaser (from The Jazz Scene) – Quite a rarity, this is. It came from a radio or television show featuring two bands, Lacy’s trio and Bley’s trio, then Paul sat in on the last tune. It’s a particularly great thing for me, since Lacy & Bley are both former teachers of mine.
Bob Marley – Jammin’ (from a live bootleg, 1980-09-23) – Like Five Days To Go, this is from Bob Marley’s last concert, which was at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Blessings.
Bjork – Pagan Poetry (from Vespertine ) – A few years ago on tour somewhere, I think in the middle of Pennsylvania or maybe Western NY, Jeremy Udden put this CD on thinking I would dig it. I had checked out and loved Post, but had basically forgotten about Bjork in the intervening years. I flipped. This CD is, well actually almost all of Bjork’s CDs are must-owns.
Joe Henry – Rough and Tumble (from Scar) – Another friend of mine hipped me to this last summer. Joe is the brother-in-law of Madonna, and a much better (ahem) composer. Don Byron and Ornette Coleman are on records of his. Sort of a less whiskey sounding, more NY slick sounding Tom Waits.
Fela Kuti – Monday Morning in Lagos (from Expensive Shit) – This was the first record I ever got of Fela’s, which I purchased in Burlington, VT about two weeks after returning from Africa. At that point, I was only interested in African music, and Fela floored me. The music on this CD is so amazing it absolutely qualifies as a must own.
Ok, so that’s it for this installment of iPod on Shuffle…
Rick