Jaco Pastorius is to the electric bass as Jimi Hendrix is to the electric guitar. Maybe what Jaco did was more profound: he made the supporting actor the star.
I had the good fortune to see Jaco live in person twice: once with Joni Mitchell and once with Weather Report. Joni’s late 70s LPs were my intro to Jaco. Jaco then led me from Joni to Weather Report.
Jaco’s solo 1976 debut was about showing off. Granted he had a lot to show off. He was still an obscure talent. However, five years later when Word of Mouth came out he was an international star. He had nearly eclipsed Weather Report’s founders Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter.
I recall a lot of anticipation for Word of Mouth. I remember assuming it would be like Weather Report. Side one is Weather Report reimagined as a big band. Pastorius wrote all the songs on side one and arranged them magnificently. The secret weapon was harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans. Side two was more experimental and features Bach and a Beatles cover (“Blackbird”) along with two Pastorius originals.
Word of Mouth was a major statement from Pastorius. He was clearly more than a novelty or merely a virtuoso on the electric bass. He was a Mingus caliber genius (a player, a composer, arranger and bandleader). The original LP was mysterious – it had absolutely no credits. Years later when I got the CD, there were credits and I learned it was an all-star big band (e.g., Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Jack DeJohnette, Michael Brecker, etc.).
Jaco assembled a big band and toured the world playing the songs from Word Of Mouth. His next release, Invitation, was a live album from the Japanese leg of the tour. It is equally brilliant as Word Of Mouth. Maybe even better as the band had really jelled.
Since Jaco’s passing, there has been one more Word of Mouth big band release: The Birthday Concert. Jaco toured with the Word of Mouth big band worldwide for a couple of years. Unfortunately, there were just a couple of tidbit recordings: Invitation and The Birthday Concert – both of which were just samples of a typical concert. Until now!
Truth, Liberty & Soul is a full concert from the Word Of Mouth tour. A New York show from 1982 recorded for a NPR program radio program called Jazz Alive. It was recently issued as a limited Record Store Day (April 2017) three LP set. It came out digitally May 26, 2017 (as best I know it is only available on CD or to download via Apple, it is not on streaming services).
The album sounds great and it is a thrill to get to hear a full concert vs. highlights like Invitation and The Birthday Concert. The core band is the same as Invitation with Toots Thielemans stealing the show. Victor Wooten (no slouch as a bassist) endorsed this album: “This is a rare find; like finding a never-before-seen Picasso or Van Gogh painting.”
The album opens with a jazz standard “Invitation.” It is a great song for soloists to air it out and is equally great song for orchestrated blasts from the full big band. Jaco has a great solo that shows off not only his amazing bass chops, but also his great musicality.
“Soul Intro/The Chicken” is a Pastorius original. It is a playful funky big band chart with Jaco percolating under the orchestration and the soloists. In addition to traditional big band instrumentation, Jaco adds a wild card: steel drums. This is a hot cooking band.
Jaco made Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee” his own on his solo debut. Jaco brilliantly delegates the opening to his tuba player and you get a sense of Jaco’s concept that the bottom end is more than a foundation. He lets the low end shine with tubas, trombone, bass-clarinet and of course his bass. The soloing on this song is mind blowing. There are some beautifully absurd sounds coming out of the instruments, Bird would be proud.
“Three Views Of A Secret” is a Jaco composition that would not sound out of place on a Jaco era Weather Report album. With big band arrangements and Toots’ harmonica substituting for Zawinul’s keyboards. This is a prime example of Jaco’s composition and arranging genius.
“Liberty City” is another Jaco original. It has a bit of a “Birdland” feel. Again a big band and Toots’ harmonica substituting for Zawinul’s keyboards. This is not just a band, it is an orchestra. This is the sound of fun. It is also a song where Jaco plays some very traditional bass. However, even when he does that, he is slightly cooler than the rest.
If you are going to be a big band, you have to play some Ellington. Jaco deconstructs “Sophisticated Lady” via his bass – making noises, you did not think a bass was capable of making. Then Toots engages in conversation with Jaco. The simpatico interplay between Jaco and Toots is truly special. Jaco plays oddly beautiful, Toots just plays beautiful. It is amazing to be privy to this musical conversation.
“Bluesette” is the Jaco and Toots show again, although Othello Molineaux gets a nice solo on the steel drums. Toots had his hand in writing this song so I assume it is a standard in his repertoire – he plays it comfortably.
“I Shot The Sheriff” is a very recognizable melody for most pop ears. Jaco takes primary responsibility for the melody and lets steel drums and harmonica do the bulk of the soloing. I always appreciate when jazz cats play songs I am familiar with so I can hear what they are doing. It is fun to witness the deconstruction.
“Okonkole Y Trompa” is from Jaco’s solo debut. Much of this version is a solo by master percussionist Don Alias. For me this is the only tedious track of the concert because Jaco does not appear until the last couple of minutes. When he does show up, he is practically whispering with a rhythmically complex percolating pattern.
“Reza/Giant Steps” was a staple of Jaco’s live set. “Reza” is a riff similar to the “Mission Impossible Theme.” It is a nice attention getter. “Giant Steps” is a famous Coltrane song. Jaco use the famous “Giant Step” cord changes to solo his ass off as a transitional bridge between the two songs.
“Mr. Fonebone” is playful tune by saxophonist Bob Mintzer who was a major contributor to the Word of Mouth band. It reminds me a bit of the Flintstone’s theme song. It is a great foundation for the band’s soloists to strut their stuff. Ornately arranged – this is not a simple blowing piece.
“Bass And Drum Improvisation” is a Pastorius/Erskine composition. The bassist and drummer had a shared history as the boy wonders in Weather Report. The song opens with an extended Jaco solo. If you have ever wondered “what’s up” with the Jaco hype, this solo is a good exhibit of why Jaco is amazing. After an extended applause, it is Peter Erskine’s turn to solo. His solo is a combination of restrained control with a threat he could go Keith Moon crazy at any moment. Erskine keeps the train on the rails. The song concludes with Pastorius’ “Twins. It is the full band in controlled chaos. Despite the cacophony, the song ends with an Aaron Copeland pastoral feel.
“Fannie Mae” is a grand farewell. Originally a late 50s R&B hit for Buster Brown. The band blows it up and it becomes a neat way for Jaco to introduce the band.
Jaco’s vision for a big band is genius. Unfortunately, as the concept was coming together, Jaco was becoming mentally unbalanced. Within a few years, his mental illness would contribute to his untimely demise. This album is the most complete portrait of Jaco’s Word of Mouth big band concept. There are several exhibits from this period, but this is the only full concert recording commercially available.
An added bonus of the release are the extensive linear notes. They include comments by the album’s producer Zev Feldman, jazz critic Bill Milkowski and several interviews with friends and disciples of Jaco. Resonance Records knocks it out of the park with this archival release. My only complaint is the vinyl edition did not come with a download and the album is not available on streaming services. Listening on a LP at home is preferred, but given modern life, portability is a requirement.
I have twenty years invested in Ryan Adams. He is one of my top-ten music acts. There was a time in Adams’ career when the material came out too frequently. Now it comes out at a digestible pace (but still plenty fast), which is great – now I actually anticipate an Adams’ release. I had high expectations for this “divorce album.” It is a cliché, but songwriters are inspired by life’s valleys.
This post has been sitting in draft status for a few months – it is time to get it out the door. I was reminded that it was an unfinished when I recently discovered that a companion album, Prisoner B-Sides, has been out since late April. In the interest of finishing this post I will pass on Prisoner B-Sides. I guess Adams is still capable of drowning his fans with content.
Each song on Prisoner reflects on love lost. The guitars speak as much as the lyrics. As always, Adams crafts beautiful sonic soundscapes and is a fascinating pop artist. He is a music-head fanboy (Google any of his interviews). He can play in nearly any style, yet he is wise enough to have his own voice. He is fearless about borrowing, yet stays original.
Side One
The album opens with a single: “Do You Still Love Me.” It is a classic 80s rock with a Tom Petty feel – an arena anthem. It is a post break up song where the raw emotions of the performance speak as much as the lyrics.
The titular track comes next. It is subtler musically and lyrically than the opener. On first listen, prison seems like a symbol for love or heartache. But on further listens, I think it is about “being in lust” (the crime) vs. “in love.”
“Doomsday” opens with a country harmonica intro. This is Ryan Adams at his country rock best. The narrator is committed to the relationship, but it does not sound like his partner is on the same page.
“Haunted House” is Adams’ Tunnel of Love era Springsteen song. The narrator, once part of a couple, must now live alone in the former love nest. It is too much for the one left behind.
“Shiver And Shake” has a nice Paul Westerberg feel. The boy has been left behind with only his memories. A wonderfully sad song:
“Maybe I’m a fool, doesn’t matter anyway
My chest is all tight, my heart still aches
These are the days, you need double what it takes
I’ve missed you so much I shiver and I shake”
“To Be Without You” ends side one. It has a 70s acoustic pop vibe. Our narrator is at the end of his rope, he is hopelessly heartbroken.
Side Two
“Anything I Say To You Now” is guitar paradise. A half-dozen rich guitar tones are going on in this song. The guitar tones remind me of the guitar great Eric Johnson. The narrator is trying to write an apology, but the words end up in a game of wastepaper basketball.
“Anything I say to you now is just a lie
Anything I say to you now is just a lie
Anything I say to you now, anything I say to you now
Anything I say to you now but goodbye
Is just a lie”
“Breakdown” is a very direct song. The narrator is losing it. What I like about the sound of this song is that is not chaotic or explosive, rather it is simmering away.
“Outbound Train” could easily be a Springsteen song, both lyrically and sonically. Kind of scary lyrics:
“But I was so bored, I was so bored
I was so sure, I was so bored
I was so bored, I was so bored
I don’t know anything anymore”
“Broken Anyway” is another song with a Paul Westerberg sound. Sometimes in life, things just turn out how they turn out. No one was wrong, things are just “broken anyway.”
“Tightrope” is a simple guitar and voice, until the bridge – then a sax solo comes in and the listener is transported to a higher plane. Again a Springsteen vibe.
“We Disappear” has a wonderful swagger to it. It is riff heavy and has some of the coolest guitar on the album. It is brilliantly lo-fi in a Replacements sort of way.
As bleak as this album is, Adams performance (especially the guitars) elevates the misery to something beautiful and redemptive. Our hero is broken, but not destroyed.
Ryan Adams is in a good place in his career. His craftsmanship is perfect – he just relaxes and plays. He has no pretensions and he has nothing to prove. Ryan Adams just is.
I am a big fan of the Brother’s Robinson – originally via the Black Crowes, but even more now due to their solo work and new bands. Their post Crowes material is top notch.
Per the Magpie Salute’s website:
THE MAGPIE SALUTE is an exciting new band that features musicians who have played together for decades throughout various projects and share a musical bond. The band brings Rich Robinson, the guitarist and co-founding member of The Black Crowes, together with two key members of Crowes fame – guitarist Marc Ford and bassist Sven Pipien – alongside drummer Joe Magistro and guitarist Nico Bereciartua. The Magpie Salute also boasts a fine cast of vocalists, including lead singer John Hogg (Hookah Brown, Moke), former Crowes singer Charity White and background singers, Adrien Reju and Katrine Ottosen.
So the band has perfect name (a magpie is of the crow family – see final quote at the end of this post), how do they sound? They sound great. There have great vocals (both lead and backup) and a great twin guitar attack. They recorded the album live, in the studio and in front of an audience at Applehead Recording in Woodstock (where Rich has been recording his last solo albums). The recording quality is high and with taught arrangements. The recording is so clean; it is a bit of a shock when the crowd erupts at the end of a song.
“Omission” is the sole Magpie Salute original. Back when I was a kid, we would have called this hard rock. The song would not sound out of place on a Soundgarden album. It features lead vocals by John Hogg. Hogg is a new voice to me and I look forward to doing some more research on him.
“Comin’ Home” is a Delaney & Bonnie song from On Tour With Eric Clapton. It is a great jam for the twin axes of Robinson and Ford to spar and for the multiple vocalists to harmonize.
“What Is Home” is a Rich Robinson original that first appeared on the Black Crowes’ album Before The Frost…Until The Freeze (2009).
“Wiser Time” is another Black Crowes’ song from Amorica (1994). The song feels like you are flying.
“Goin’ Down South” is a soul jazz song composed by Joe Sample (Crusaders) and was originally from the Bobby Hutchison/Harold Land album San Francisco. This is a perfect groove for an instrumental jam. It has some great keyboards and it is a sad reminder that keyboardist Eddie Harsch passed away shortly after this album was recorded.
“War Drums” is a cover of a song from the band War. Magpie Salute finds more inspiration from this song than I would have ever imagined.
“Ain’t No More Cane” is a traditional prison work song. The arrangement sounds like an outtake from The Band. In fact, it appeared on The Basement Tapes.
“Fearless” is from Meddle by Pink Floyd. The original was acoustic, and the Magpie Salute electrify it.
“Glad And Sorry,” composed by Ronnie Lane, is a Faces’ song. The Black Crowes always seemed like a Faces inspired band – so this is a very appropriate cover.
“Time Will Tell” is by Bob Marley from his album Kaya. Reggae covers can be cornball, but the band avoids pretending to be Jamaican and makes it their own.
I am impressed with this band. The best part is the twin guitar attack for Rich Robinson and Marc Ford – these guys have many miles with each other – so it is an easy conversation. The album has good diversity without being a grab bag. If you like a good jam band in the spirit of the Allman Brothers, you will like this.
Another quote from the band’s website:
Rich explains how the band members’ past experiences connect to the band’s moniker, The Magpie Salute. The term references a British superstition about the imperative to salute a Magpie anytime you see one in order to ward off negativity, or to have a good day; it is like saying, I am unarmed or I come in peace. Rich says, “The magpie falls within the crow umbrella of species, figuratively and literally. Magpies can be black and white, which for me represents the dark and the light. “The way to salute a magpie, is to say Good Morning Captain. I felt this had too many coincidences to ignore. He adds, “This touches on many aspects of my life and experiences.”
Here is a playlist of the originals:
Bob Dylan has been rocking my world for a long time now. I have read dozens of books about Dylan. In less than a half hour I learned more about Dylan and his muse than in all those books combined. He explains how three great works of literature informed and inspired his art. This is not a normal lecture – this is a long poem. If you have the slightest curiosity about where Dylan’s lyrics come from, this is the great reveal.
With the witty lyricism of Randy Newman and the pop sensibility of Elton John, Father John Misty (FJM) skewers our culture artfully.
2012’s Fear Fun is one of my favorite albums of this decade. I Love You, Honeybear was a worthy follow up. Pure Comedy makes it a hat trick.
FJM is Richard Dawkins cynical about religion (from the song “Pure Comedy”):
Oh, their religions are the best
They worship themselves yet they’re totally obsessed
With risen zombies, celestial virgins, magic tricks, these unbelievable outfits
And they get terribly upset
When you question their sacred texts
Written by woman-hating epileptics
This album is one of the finest pop criticisms of contemporary culture I have heard in a long time – especially pertinent given it is not coming from a jaded baby boomer millionaire bard (depending on your definition FJM is at the tail end of Gen X or an early Millennial).
FJM has even gotten more cynical since his last album – an impressive feat. However, these are cynical times. Musically it is mellower album, but not dour. FJM continues to conjure elaborate pop arrangements.
This album has not been in constant rotation for me like his first two. I have let rest for several weeks and it sounds better having had a chance to breathe. It now sounds more Beatlesque and the lyrics more relevant. For example, on first listen “Leaving LA” was too slow, too long and too stark, now it seems just right. Now I appreciate the Spartan framing – it allows you to focus on the vocals and lyrics. Here is a lyrical highlight from “Leaving LA:”
These L.A. phonies and their bullshit bands
That sound like dollar signs and Amy Grant
So reads the pull quote from my last cover piece
Entitled “The Oldest Man in Folk Rock Speaks”
I kind of like that Father John Misty is making us work for it.
P.S. Thanks for the ambitious packaging as always FJM!.
I listened to the latest Here’s The Thing with Alec Baldwin podcast. The episode featured Joe Jackson. The interview reminded me of how much I love Jackson’s Night And Day. I was inspired to give the LP a spin and to add it to my Hall Of Fame.
Jackson burst on to the scene with an amazing hit single in 1979: “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” from his debut Look Sharp. Jackson was one of the founders of what became known as New Wave (my definition of New Wave is punk rock played by musicians). I was a modest fan of his debut, missed his second, but went positively nuts over his third album Beat Crazy, which was a commercial failure. That album was pop punk, New Wave and ska. What do you do for a commercial failure’s encore? Why an album of 1940s swing and jump blues songs – stuff associated with Louis Jordan and Cab Calloway. It was another flop, but foreshadowed the retro swing revival by about ten years. Therefore, it was quite a shock that Joe’s next album, 1982’s Night And Day was Steely Dan slick with legitimate hit singles.
The Englishman’s move to New York, his attempt to be the new Cole Porter and the hunch he should record a guitar-less/keyboard focused pop album inspired Night And Day. The album has a jazzy and Latin feel, but with a punk/New Wave edge. This was a New Wave Steely Dan album – complete with the clever lyrics and a pristine studio sound (sorry for the second Steely Dan reference in as many paragraphs, but it is the most appropriate reference I can think of).
I played this album until the grooves where gray. It was perfectly of the time, yet timeless. I have never tired of it. The secret ingredient is the outstanding use of percussion. I had the good fortune of seeing the tour that supported this album; it was every bit as perfect live as this album is a studio gem.
Given this was a big hit and Joe Jackson is a bit underrated compared to his contemporaries like Elvis Costello, you should be able to pick up a high quality copy of this LP for cheap (I recently picked up a pristine backup copy for a buck).
Gregg Allman is one of rock’s great singers, songwriters and song interpreters. Allman is the definition of a soulful blues singer. Gregg was the voice of most of The Allman Brother’s hits. He also had a solid solo career. His Laid Back is one of my favorite albums.
I am a fan of Gregg and of The Allman Brothers, so I read Gregg’s autobiography. One of my favorite stories from that book, was how the songs on the first Allman Brothers album were written. The rest of the band locked Gregg in a house, bought him a B3 organ and told him he couldn’t leave until he had an album’s worth of material. He came out of that writing session with some classics including: “It’s Not My Cross to Bear,” “Dreams” and “Whipping Post.”
Gregg Allman was no angel, which fittingly was part of the title of one of his solo hits. Reading his biography I found him a pretty unattractive person, but the voice was so good it was easy to look past that. Also, reading the book I learned Gregg never really healed from the death of big brother Duane.
I had the privilege of hearing Gregg helming The Allman Brothers twice (the Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks version in the mid 00s). His beautiful gravelly voice and percussive organ were magical live. I have band-issued boots of both shows. I wish I had seen him live solo. His last studio album, Low Country Blues, showed he was still a force late in his career. R.I.P. “baybrah.”
Per Wikipedia “Jam bands are musical groups whose live albums and concerts relate to a unique fan culture that began in the 1960s with the Grateful Dead, and continued with The Allman Brothers Band, which had lengthy jams at concerts. The performances of these bands typically feature extended musical improvisation (“jams”) over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music that can often cross genre boundaries.” I don’t like to pigeonhole bands, but The Chris Robinson Brotherhood is a jam band and a damn good one. I have been looking forward to this release since I first heard about it.
Release Day 5/4/17
I am grooving to this new Chris Robinson Brotherhood (CRB) release via Spotify as I pregame for Laura Marling at First Avenue tonight. I ordered the LP via Amazon so I won’t get it for another week (sorry real record stores, but I had a gift certificate to burn). CRB are hit-and-miss as far as what they make available on streaming services. Fortunately, this one is on Spotify.
The Betty Blends series features recordings mixed live from the soundboard by renowned Grateful Dead engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson. The most valuable LP I have in my collection is Vol. 1. That one was a Record Store Day release. The moment I bought it, a guy tried to buy it off me (at double the price I just paid) and when I said no he cursed me out as a flipper.
Betty’s Self Rising Southern Blends Vol. 3 is a 13-track set of performances captured during CRB’s November 2015 Southeastern run through Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina.
First impressions are good. It is bluesier than their studio albums. It is sloppier in a good way – their studio albums can be a bit too buttoned down. It includes originals and covers. There is more diversity to the set – the recent studio albums have been a bit too cohesive.
Several Days In
I am really digging this album. It could be my favorite since CRB’s debut Big Moon Ritual.
The album opens with “I Ain’t Hiding” from The Black Crowes’ final studio album, 2009’s Before the Frost…Until the Freeze. The original cut had Some Girls Stones’ swagger. This version is mellower and more playful. It has a more Grateful Dead Shakedown Street feel.
“I Got Love If You Want It” is a Slim Harpo cover. I am not a blues scholar, but I am familiar with the Slim Harpo name. Beyond “I’m A King Bee,” I am not familiar with his work. Listening to CRB’s cover has me now listening to The Excello Singles Anthology. CRB give it a Led Zeppelin read. There is a reason Jimmy Page chose to tour with The Black Crowes to play Led Zeppelin covers.
“Clear Blue Sky & The Good Doctor” is from CRB’s Phosphorescent Harvest album. It has a happy easygoing groove. One of the things I like about the CRB is that they have an old time folk rock feel, gut the same time they have a psychedelic Pink Floyd feel. This song perfectly captures how CRB expertly walks the tightrope.
“The Music’s Hot” is another Slim Harpo cover. The original has an almost a blues rap vibe. The CRB give it a nice funky twist. It bluesy and a bit swampy.
“Roan County Banjo” is from CRB’s If You Lived Here, You Would Be Home By Now album. This is a classic CRB original that shows off who they are.
“I’m A Hog For You” is a Leiber/Stoller song that was a hit for The Coasters in 1959. Many, including by CRB influencer, The Grateful Dead, have covered it. CRB take a novelty song and turn it into nine-minute jam. The slow it down and blues it up.
“Oak Apple Day” is a CRB original from Any Way You Love, We Know How You Feel. This song has a nice calm “siting on the porch” vibe.
“Get Out Of My Life Woman” is an Allen Toussaint song that he wrote for Lee Dorsey. The Jerry Garcia Band (JGB) often performed it. The album that turned me on to Garcia was the 1991 live album simply called Jerry Garcia Band and this song was on that album. Like all Toussaint songs, it has the NOLA groove. This the perfect song for bands like the JGB and the CRB to just plain jam.
“Honeysuckle Interlude” as best I know, has not appeared on any other album. It is a short interlude/intro to the next song “Ride,” from Chris Robinson’s first solo album New Earth Mud. “Ride” has a jazz rock sound in its extended intro. This is probably Robinson’s most gymnastic vocal on the album. It is a wonderfully funky song. It is a nice long (about 15 minutes) jam.
“Tales of Thunder Teeth” is a CRB original that does not appear on any other CRB album (again as best I know). It is an instrumental with a prog-rock feel.
“Girl, I Love You” was written by Al Bell and Eddie Floyd and released on Stax under Floyd’s name. CRB gives it a soul/country read. Robinson is doing some serious testifying here.
“She Belongs To Me” is a Bob Dylan tune. What first attracted me to Jerry Garcia was his outstanding Dylan covers. CRB keep that tradition alive – turning Dylan tunes into jam band classics.
Personnel on the album is:
- Chris Robinson: vocals, guitar, harp
- Neal Casal: guitar, vocals
- Adam MacDougall: keyboards, vocals
- Mark Dutton: bass, vocals
- Tony Leone: drums
The LP
Ten days after release the LP finally arrives. I pull out the first LP and out drops a surprise and unadvertised CD – actually two CDs. This is not a CD version of the LP, but another sixteen live Betty Cantor-Jackson curated/engineered cuts. It is from the June 26, 2015 San Francisco performance at The Warfield (per All About Jazz).
CD 1:Boppin’ the Blues; Roan County Banjo; Badlands Here We Come; I’m a Hog for You; Jump the Turnstiles; Star or Stone; Meanwhile in the Gods…; Honeysuckle Interlude; Tales of Thunder Teeth.
CD 2: Tulsa Yesterday; One Hundred Days of Rain; Beggar’s Moon; Shore Power; Got Love If You Want It ; Big River; Catfish John.
I will never publish this post if I review this bonus material, so I will have to pass.
Final Thoughts
The LP sounds fantastic. It is simple black vinyl (as cool as colored vinyl is, it rarely sounds good). The LP has well done packaging: a combination of art from CRB’s regular artist Alan Forbes and photos. The best photo is the band with Betty Cantor-Jackson. I am committed; this is my favorite CRB album since their debut.
On release day (May 12, 2017), I got up for a bike ride planning to listen to the new Todd Rundgren album on the ride. I noticed that Harry Styles’ solo debut was out so I decided to try it. Styles’ appearance on SNL earlier this spring impressed me.
As I pedaled and listened to the album, I was amazed. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was not this. This is sophisticated serious pop. As I listened, I thought of three Bs: Jeff Buckley, Beck and dare I say David Bowie. The more I listen, the more influences I hear (as the Bard says: “Steal a little and they throw you in jail/Steal a lot and they make you king”).
Styles does not have one of these tour de force pop voices. He has a good voice, not a great voice. However, he has what all the great pop voices have: authentic emotional expression. When his voice hitches on the high notes of “Sign of the Times,” it is more powerful than perfection.
I don’t know anything about Styles beyond he was in a boy band and he has celebrity girlfriends (Taylor Swift, Kendall Jenner, etc.). This does not impress me. It’s a turnoff. The SNL performance was enough to transcend my biases and give him a chance. I am glad I did.
Looking at the credits, Styles has writing credits on all the songs, but so do about five others per song. Who knows if he is really a songwriter or not. The songs are well done and the production is subtle and tasteful – unusual for celebrity pop stars. More importantly, it has staying power. Often when something sounds good on first listen it wears thin quickly. I have been listening to this album for a couple of weeks now and with every listen, it revels more depth.
What I like about Styles is he seems to understand and appreciate classic rock and pop. I hear a hundred influences, but he still manages to sound original and of the moment. I learned a long time ago that a great pop song is magic. If it were so easy, everyone would do it. When it works, it is very special and this is a special album. I like this album. Every once in a while you need to be reminded that the world needs rock stars. Harry Styles is a rock star.
I first discovered Art Blakey in 1982 when he got a lot of buzz for a couple of young brothers in his band: Wynton and Bradford Marsalis. I soon learned that Blakey’s The Jazz Messengers was one of the great “graduate schools” of jazz. Outside of Miles Davis, there is not another bandleader with more distinguished alumni. Despite being a hall of fame jazz drummer, Blakey’s “school” may be the greater legacy.
I discovered Tony Allen via Fela Kuti. Allen is a legendary Nigerian drummer and Afrobeat pioneer and Kuti’s drummer for a number of years.
The idea is for Allen and his seven-piece band to interpret some of the legendary jazz drummer’s catalog through the Afrobeat legend’s lens. The results are perfection. A lot of Blakey’s stuff has a nice funky feel to begin with. For example, Bobby Timmons, who spent a couple of stints with The Jazz Messengers, composed the opening track, “Moanin’”. Timmons is associated with the soul jazz style of which he was an originator/founder. “Moanin'” is a naturally funky tune, so it perfect launch point for Tony Allen. Allen and company play it straight, but they can’t help but infect the tune with just a bit of their Afrobeat.
The rest of the EP includes “Night In Tunisia,” “Politely” and “The Drum Thunder Suite.” Like “Moanin'” Allen plays it straight with just a twist of Afrobeat.
The music of Africa was influential for Blakey (aka Abdullah Ibn Buhaina – his Muslim name) throughout his career. In the late-1940s, Blakey spent time traveling abroad in West Africa exploring the culture, religion and the drumming. Blakey later recorded several albums heavily influenced by African music including Orgy in Rhythm (1957), Holiday for Skins (1958), and The African Beat (1962), which featured the Nigerian drummer and percussionist Solomon Ilori. This is a nifty return volley.
My only complaint is that this is just a four song EP, I am ready for the long player! Plus Allen’s versions are about half the length of the originals. Give us more Blue Note.
Below I have mixed the Allen EP with the Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers’ tracks they are based on. It will give you a sense of what kindred spirits the two drummers are.
PS – the cover art is a nice nod to the Blue Note tradition.
Axl's Catch Groove 