2012/05/31
2012/05/30
The Great Laurent de Wilde, Jazz composer and pianist...
Jazz pianist, composer and writer, Laurent de Wilde was born in Washington in 1960. Raised in France from 1964, he joined the Ecole Normale Superieure in 1981, philosophy section. In 1983, during a music scholarship, he lived inNew York at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University. At the expiration of his scholarship six months later, he decided to settle permanently in New York. With the encouragement and advice of his elders, he performed in town and joined the trumpeter Eddie Henderson's regular band.
In
1987, he recorded the first of a series of four albums for Ida Records
“Off The Boat “ with Eddie Henderson, Ralph Moore, empowered by Ira
Coleman on bass and Billy Hart on drums. In 1989, “Odd And Blue” is
released with Coleman and Jack DeJohnette (drums) followed in 1990 by
“Colors of Manhattan”, with Coleman, Henderson and Lewis Nash. Laurent
then returned to Paris to settle but came back to New York
in 1992 to record a trio album, “Open Changes”, with Coleman and Billy
Drummond (drums). The success of this record in 1993 earned him the
Django Reinhardt prize, awarded to the best musician of the year. He
then shares his time between Paris and his career as a leader or sideman with Barney Wilen, Aldo Romano and Andre Ceccarelli.
In 1995, Laurent de
Wilde signed with Sony Jazz and recorded “The Back Burner”. In 1996, he
published the book “Monk” (L'Arpenteur / Gallimard) on which he had
worked for a long time, a biography of one of the most famous pianists
and controversial figures in jazz history. The book was an immediate
success, and joined in October 1997 the permanent Folio catalog. He was
also awarded the Charles Delaunay prize in 1996 as “best book about
jazz” and the Pelleas Award. “Monk” has been translated and published in
New York, London, Tokyo, Barcelona and Milan. TBC HERE
2012/05/29
Medeski, Martin and Wood. Awesome band, jazz and groovy...
THE BAND
Wide open: That’s the phrase John Medeski uses to describe his bandmates’ musical sensibilities, the attitude he seeks in himself, and the spirit of musical adventure that Medeski Martin & Wood have pursued for two decades.
The trio’s amalgam of jazz, funk, “avant-noise” and a million other musical currents and impulses is nearly impossible to classify, which is just how they like it. Medeski’s keyboard excursions, Chris Wood’s hard-charging bass lines and Billy Martin’s supple, danceable beats have come to resemble a single organism, moving gracefully between genre-defying compositions and expansive improvisation atop a relentless groove.
Floridian Medeski had his first out-of-body experience playing a Mozart piano sonata as an adolescent. He soon began playing at every opportunity – from school musicals and talent shows to marching band, in which he served as a percussionist—and had his mind blown by an Oscar Peterson record. As a teen, he formed his own jazz-fusion trio and was invited to tour Japan by legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius. He made his way to the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) and entered its boundary-pushing Third Stream department, which nurtured his improvisational impulses and encouraged him to find his own musical voice. He worked as a sideman in Boston and rediscovered roots music playing seven nights a week Mr. Jelly Belly. TBC HERE
Very fan of this one:
2012/05/28
2012/05/27
Closer, by Soren Solkaer Starbird (via Niels)
This is the man who, over the past decade, has taken amazing photographs of many of the world’s leading musicians. Closer is a collection of the works of Søren Solkær Starbird, a Danish
photographer who has risen to astronomical heights in the world of
international photography.
2012/05/26
2012/05/25
Elvis Costello & the Imposters, Bournemouth, Nick Churchill's review.
Bournemouth International Centre 20.05.2012
Having resurrected his Napoleon Dynamite persona to compere
this most engaging and illuminating entertainment, Elvis Costello also laid to
rest another nom de stage in emphatic style. Much is made of his way with a
lyric, a melody, even his stagecraft, but his guitar playing is frequently
overlooked. Well, no more, for it is these days a thing of majesty, awesome in
directness, fleet of foot and deft of touch. No more can he hide behind the
Little Hands of Concrete credit he took on King of America, it simply won’t
wash any more.
And neither does any suggestion that Costello can be a
prickly performer – three decades ago maybe, but not now. This was pure
showmanship.
On stage at eight sharp, Elvis and the Imposters – the
incomparable Steve Nieve (keys), the resolute Pete Thomas (drums) and the
steadfast Davey Faragher (bass) – broke down the walls of heartache with an
opening four song salvo of I Hope You’re Happy Now, Heart of the City, Mystery
Dance and Radio Radio. Love and affection indeed! TBC HERE
2012/05/24
2012/05/19
Tribute to Gil Scott Heron...
A Tribute To Gil Scott Heron: No Bells, No Whistles, No Bullshit @ Brighton Festival
2012/05/18
TSC, 1984.
Concert Summary
Paul Weller - vocals, guitar
Mick Talbot - vocals, piano, keyboards
Chris Bostock - bass
Billy Chapman - saxophone
Steve White - drums
Jane Williams - vocals
Pete Wilson - synthesizers, keyboards
Ahhhh… the sweet sound of commercial sabotage. Listening to the Style Council now, it's hard to believe that the smooth melodies and danceable rhythms were so divisive. But when Paul Weller broke up the Jam in 1982 to indulge his more soulful and jazzy inspirations, a whole generation of Mod revivalists were crushed.
Despite his diehard fans' confusion, essentially what Weller was doing when he teamed with keyboardist Mick Talbot was Mod in the truest sense: Thoroughly modern and steeped in American R&B and soul music. At its core, the music of the Style Council shares many similarities with that of the Jam. Weller's distinctive hooks and socially conscious lyricism remain intact, as well as his fine European sartorial sense, but the youthful aggression is replaced by a much cleaner presentation that, though arguably sometimes a bit too delicate or sterile, was certainly modern for its time.
Clearly the recent success of single "My Ever Changing Moods" in the States energized the Council for this New York appearance in 1984. Among the highlights is that song, as well as other upbeat numbers such as "Speak Like A Child," and lighter-sounding tracks like "The Whole Point of No Return," the spare arrangement of which contrasts with the scathing class commentary of its lyrics.
While the breathy saxophone and glossy synths may have been a bitter pill to swallow for the scooter and parka set, Paul Weller's prodigious talent cannot be denied. Despite somewhat dated arrangements, these are stellar pop songs, some which carry great intellectual weight. So, polish up
From Wolfgang's Vault. Listen the gig here. your winklepickers, put on your thinking cap, and get ready for a night on the town with the Style Council.
Listen to more Style Council at Wolfgang's Vault.
Think it was on Paul Weller news, wasn't it? Thanx anyway.
2012/05/17
2012/05/16
Robert & Mitchum.
nouveau CD Digipack 13 titres sortie mai 2012
Les pieds sur terre, la tête dans les étoiles : Robert & Mitchum raconte ses histoires avec une minutie d’artisan. En anglais ou en français, les personnages de ses chansons pop parlent tous le même langage, celui de la passion et du sentiment vrai.
Composé de six musiciens dont certains ont été repérés jadis avec d’autres formations (Straw Dogs, Kid Pharaon, Aspo…), le collectif bordelais Robert & Mitchum aime les guitares tressées d’électricité et de chaleur acoustique, et les voix multiples finement harmonisées. Un banjo, une trompette, un accordéon, un piano ou un ukulélé savent aussi s’inviter dans les orchestrations, qui peuvent parfois évoquer l’americana de Calexico ou la mélancolie cuivrée de Beirut.
Ce printemps, Robert & Mitchum sortira son premier album, « Pied à Terre », publié par Virage Tracks, le label co-fondé par Laurent Dory (chanteur et principal compositeur de Robert & Mitchum) et Johan Micoud (ancien footballeur international).
14 chansons enregistrées à l’ombre des pins d’un airial des Landes. Autant de tranches de vie, comme des nouvelles en musique, aux humeurs changeantes et aux couplets pop.
14 chansons enregistrées à l’ombre des pins d’un airial des Landes. Autant de tranches de vie, comme des nouvelles en musique, aux humeurs changeantes et aux couplets pop.
The acronym is F-A-M-E, but it may as well be S-O-U-L.
It was a full half-century ago that the recording studio, record label
and publishing operation originally known as Florence Alabama Music
Enterprises established itself and its trademark sound with the hit
recording of ‘You Better Move On’ by Arthur Alexander. In the fifty
years since, FAME Studios and its idiosyncratic founder Rick Hall have
been at the forefront of the Muscle Shoals Sound. FAME begat the process
whereby a little known Alabama backwater would evolve into the very
crucible of southern soul, a holy place to where musicians, singers and
fans still make a very specific pilgrimage in the hope of experiencing a
little bit of the magic behind so many hit records: ‘I’m Your Puppet’,
‘Land Of 1,000 Dances’, ‘Tell Mama’ and countless others.
Rick Hall is now a grand old man of the music business, but back in the 60s he was more akin to an enfant terrible, with an unbending will that helped him make it against almost insurmountable odds, matched by an attention to detail that bordered on obsession. There have only ever been a handful of truly self-sufficient producer/engineers in the history of popular music, and Hall is pre-eminent amongst them. Atlantic, Chess and so many other legendary labels flocked to FAME to avail themselves of the sound, the players, the material, and most importantly the vibe that Rick Hall had created.
The FAME Studios Story 1961-1973 is an exhaustive three CD set derived from two years’ worth of excavations by the intrepid Ace team at the hallowed FAME vault. The result is a full programme of FAME-related releases slated for issue on Ace, Kent, and BGP over the next couple of years, but the lynchpin is this definitive anthology that focuses upon the halcyon days of the studio and the label. It’s an open-minded, celebratory overview that, across 75 tracks, spotlights both artists and records that are either acknowledged greats, or lesser known – yet no less worthy – entries in the lexicon of soul.
The line-up is a virtual Who’s Who of 60s soul, and includes Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Arthur Conley, Irma Thomas, Joe Tex, Joe Simon, Lou Rawls, Spencer Wiggins and Otis Clay. Deep soul fans will recognise names such as The Blues Busters, Billy Young, Maurice & Mac, Willie Hightower, Bettye Swann, James Govan and many, many others. Special attention is paid to those acts closely associated with the Fame label - Candi Staton, Jimmy Hughes and Clarence Carter - as well as its inestimable stable of writers, producers and players, including Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, George Jackson and the Fame Gang. And the programme also includes several of the notable pop hits recorded at the studio by the Osmonds, Tommy Roe and Bobbie Gentry, as well as more obscure recordings by the Del Rays, Mark V and Terry & The Chain Reaction.
With unprecedented access granted to its tape and photo archive, well over a third of the contents of The FAME Studio Story 1961-1973 are new to CD, and of those, over a dozen tracks are fully unissued – including previously unheard rarities by Otis Redding and Arthur Alexander. The heavily-illustrated package with an 84 page book comes laden with two informative essays and extensive track notes, all of which are based upon fresh interviews with many of the principals involved.
If you know anything about soul music, you know FAME, which is why The FAME Studio Story 1961-1973 is an essential purchase.
By Alec Palao
The FAME STUDIOS STORY was mastered by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering Ltd
Rick Hall is now a grand old man of the music business, but back in the 60s he was more akin to an enfant terrible, with an unbending will that helped him make it against almost insurmountable odds, matched by an attention to detail that bordered on obsession. There have only ever been a handful of truly self-sufficient producer/engineers in the history of popular music, and Hall is pre-eminent amongst them. Atlantic, Chess and so many other legendary labels flocked to FAME to avail themselves of the sound, the players, the material, and most importantly the vibe that Rick Hall had created.
The FAME Studios Story 1961-1973 is an exhaustive three CD set derived from two years’ worth of excavations by the intrepid Ace team at the hallowed FAME vault. The result is a full programme of FAME-related releases slated for issue on Ace, Kent, and BGP over the next couple of years, but the lynchpin is this definitive anthology that focuses upon the halcyon days of the studio and the label. It’s an open-minded, celebratory overview that, across 75 tracks, spotlights both artists and records that are either acknowledged greats, or lesser known – yet no less worthy – entries in the lexicon of soul.
The line-up is a virtual Who’s Who of 60s soul, and includes Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Arthur Conley, Irma Thomas, Joe Tex, Joe Simon, Lou Rawls, Spencer Wiggins and Otis Clay. Deep soul fans will recognise names such as The Blues Busters, Billy Young, Maurice & Mac, Willie Hightower, Bettye Swann, James Govan and many, many others. Special attention is paid to those acts closely associated with the Fame label - Candi Staton, Jimmy Hughes and Clarence Carter - as well as its inestimable stable of writers, producers and players, including Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham, George Jackson and the Fame Gang. And the programme also includes several of the notable pop hits recorded at the studio by the Osmonds, Tommy Roe and Bobbie Gentry, as well as more obscure recordings by the Del Rays, Mark V and Terry & The Chain Reaction.
With unprecedented access granted to its tape and photo archive, well over a third of the contents of The FAME Studio Story 1961-1973 are new to CD, and of those, over a dozen tracks are fully unissued – including previously unheard rarities by Otis Redding and Arthur Alexander. The heavily-illustrated package with an 84 page book comes laden with two informative essays and extensive track notes, all of which are based upon fresh interviews with many of the principals involved.
If you know anything about soul music, you know FAME, which is why The FAME Studio Story 1961-1973 is an essential purchase.
By Alec Palao
The FAME STUDIOS STORY was mastered by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering Ltd
2012/05/15
Harmony, Melody and Style tells the story of lovers rock – from its
soundsystem beginnings, its commercial explosion at the start of the
1980s and its underground continuance into the next decade as the
founding producers absorbed and mutate American soul styles into a
distinctly British reggae sensibility.
The album includes classic and rare tracks and comes with extensive
text, as well as interviews and features on artists, musicians and
producers who helped define lovers rock as well as amazing exclusive
photography charting the growth of the Caribbean community in Britain. Lovers rock exploded in the UK in 1975, when an ex-Caribbean
population of producers, artists and audience who had grown up in
London, created for the first time a new uniquely British reggae sound. At the forefront of this movement were young black women – who became
both the main stars of lovers rock (Janet Kay, Carroll Thompson and
Louisa Marks) as well as its primary audience.
This explosion of musical artistry was partly a reaction against the
strident political roots sound emanating from Jamaica during this
period, as well as a defining of a unique Black British heritage which
absorbed influences from the USA, Jamaica and the UK. At the heart of lovers rock remained the soundsystem culture that
Jamaican producers brought from the Caribbean and transposed to inner
city London life.
2012/05/13
Rolling Stone France: 10 pages about the Mods!
From the J King's book about original skinheads.Will let you know about the Mods' article but it's maybe just a translation from the English edition. This photo is taken from another magazine, So Foot, "Skinheads love music and football, they are footbal die hard fans and they have different opinions about everything as in any other social category, about every subject".
2012/05/12
Rick Buckler: “It was like we were going to be driving over a cliff…”
Even 30 years on, the moment he realised the dream was over still has an emotional effect on Rick Buckler.
As the drummer in The Jam he was part of the biggest band of their
generation – a band at the peak of their powers when frontman Paul
Weller decided to pull the plug after five years of success.
Rick, Paul and bass player Bruce Foxton had formed the band in Woking
in the mid ‘70s and then risen to fame at the time of punk. By 1982
they had enjoyed a string of number one singles, toured arenas
throughout the world, and had the music press hanging on their every
word.
But unbeknown to the others, Weller had had enough and decided to call it a day.
2012/05/10
Hal, "The Time the hour", Nick Churchill's review.
Reviews
Never ones to rush into anything, HAL finally get around to
following up their critically-lauded, self-titled 2005 debut with this compact
set of harmonious adult pop rock built on big picture choruses and shimmering
melodies. In 2007 the Dublin outfit started an unplanned, protracted hiatus as
singer David Allen quit Ireland in search of a cure for his writer's block. He
spent two years travelling Europe and the States, playing in bars and generally
rediscovering his mojo.
Happily, he found his erstwhile bandmates were happy enough to
reform HAL and set about recording their sophomore set. Those sun kissed West
Coast harmonies that marked the debut out and earned a bag full of awards and
press plaudits are still in place, coupled with a cleaner production born of an
apparent new found confidence to let the songs shine. It also removes the band
from the lazy Thrills comparisons that plagued their first release.
Now that it's here, The Time The Hour is well worth the wait. The
title track is complex but interesting enough so you want to know what's going
to happen next. The Rocking Chair adds an array of traditional instruments to
the mix and plays merry with folky rhythms, brass and woodwind. Going to the
City and Be With You offer more immediate pleasures, begging to be heard
chiming from a radio on a warm summer's evening in the park; while Close To You
has enough magic harmonies to send shivers down Brian Wilson's spine and Who Do
You Come Here imagines Neil Young fronting the High Llamas in Steely Dan's garage.
Nick Churchill
www.thegranvillechambers.co.uk
www.thegranvillechambers.co.uk
Nothing to add, do agree 100 % with Nick (Beatles in Bournemouth author...). Saw them in 2004, they were the opening act for the opening act for the Adam Green's gig. Forgot Green's gig, the other band's name but spent all night to fin HAL's music. I'm glad their
back!
back!
2012/05/09
The Kills, complete downloadable show. (+ Stef's article in French)
The Kills: A Gritty Performance In D.C.
It got loud when NPR Music live webcast a full concert from one of the grittiest rock duos of the past decade, The Kills.
The band has an outsize sound, fueled by deafening guitar noise and
trashy rhythms, and is known for feverish live performances.
Singer-guitarist
Alison Mosshart and guitarist Jamie Hince formed The Kills in 2001
after bonding over their shared love of blues- and punk-infused garage
rock. Their fourth and most recent record, 2011's Blood Pressure — released after Mosshart heightened her profile alongside Jack White in The Dead Weather — is full of sex and swagger, dark guitar riffs and twisted beats.
2012/05/08
A new Dave Mix. ;) Check the player on the right.
SoulSistas And SoulBruthas! I don't usually focus on one artist, but
I'm a bit of a massive fan of UK music legend, Paul Weller. I've been following
him since way back in 1986 when I saw The Style Council in concert on MTV. Over
the years I've seen him change in many ways, especially musically. It was Paul
who really got me into my obsession for old Soul records by playing some of his
on the BBC about a decade ago. It was called Paul
Weller's Vinyl Classics!. Paul's past three albums have seen him
experimenting with all types of genres, and I respect that, but I love it when
he sticks to simple well written Soul inspired songs. I wanted to sequence the
best of those songs from said LP's for, what I consider, a real solid English
Soul record. I think I succeeded, but I'll let you be the judge. This
one goes out to all my fellow PW friends around the world. You know who you are!
Peace and SOUL,
HSB DaveB.
Illustration by: Dodger
Peace and SOUL,
HSB DaveB.
Illustration by: Dodger
2012/05/07
2012/05/06
Rise and Fall of the Cornershop. Please vote. ;)
Hi gang,
Don't really know why but, honest, there's less and less people browsing
the blog every day. The best days? Around 350 people read it every day
and now, it's around 180/200. Would like to understand, would you please
check the survey on the right of the page? I've a few ideas about it
but i'm starting to think it became a bit pointless to keep a blog alive
because of different things: infos are everywhere, Facebook is
everyone's blog, etc... Take two minutes to let me know. ;) All the
best. Yann
PS: First results show a massive influence of Facebook, a lack of time (less posts?) and a permanent Weller request! THANX a lot for the very interesting comments I had yet. ;)
PS: First results show a massive influence of Facebook, a lack of time (less posts?) and a permanent Weller request! THANX a lot for the very interesting comments I had yet. ;)
Remember them? HAL, very good band.
Dublin 3-piece, Hal, formed in 2003 and were
signed by Geoff Travis to Rough Trade Records in 2004. Their eponymous
debut album was produced by Tears for Fears, Ian Stanley, and released
to critical acclaim in 2005, producing two UK and Irish top 40 chart
hits.
The band toured worldwide Turing 2004/05, enjoying
extensive television & radio promotion all over Europe, and
performing headline and support shows with the likes of the Doves, The
Thrills and Brendan Benson. Finding particular success in France, they
were awarded an EBBA (European Border Breakers Award) for most debut
record sales outside their home nation, and 'Best Album of 2005' in
French Magazine 'Music'. Back home they won 'Album of 2005' in the Irish
Independent, and 'Best Newcomers' in the Irish Post, as well earning
nominations for the Choice Music Prize and 'Best Band of 2005' at the
Meteor Awards. In 2007, suffering writers block, singer David Allen quit
the band and left Ireland. He returned in 2008, with a large collection
of new songs, having spent nearly 2 years travelling Europe and the
States with only his guitar for company, playing in various pubs and
clubs, and indulging in a different pseudonym for each performance.
During
this time Stephen, the band's keyboard player, put himself to work
building his own recording studio where he has engineered and played on
several acclaimed records including Fionn Regan's latest offering, "The
Shadow of an Empire" Dave's brother, the band's bass player/backing
vocalist, Paul, immersed himself in his other great love-photography as
well as penning new songs and musical ideas in the hope that they would
one-day reform Hal.And so on Dave's return to Ireland, they did just
that and began sifting through material to begin work on Hal's second
record. The band spent 2010 recording and 2011 will see the band return
to the live arena and long-awaited release of second album, "The Time,
The Hour".
2012/05/05
2012/05/03
2012/05/02
Richard Hawley interview and new album streaming. (The Guardian)
We meet in a bustling cafe at Forge Dam in Fulwood, where the western suburbs of Sheffield give way to woods and rolling hills that are still white from a recent fall of snow. This is where Richard Hawley
begins many of his regular walks with his dog, a mischievous
collie called Fred which has tagged along today and keeps me busy
throwing a slobbery stick while his owner poses for the Observer
photographer in a nearby park.
"Fred should get a share of the royalties from the new album,"
quips Hawley, as the photo session ends and he sits on a bench, lighting
the first of a succession of cigarettes. "I'm serious. Having a dog
legitimises walking, doesn't it? And if it weren't for the walking, the
songs wouldn't have come out the way they did. The album was more or
less written on those walks. I'd come back with whole songs, melodies
and all, on my mobile phone."
The album in question, Hawley's seventh solo outing, is called Standing at the Sky's Edge.
It is, he says, "an angry record", and as such may surprise the loyal
fanbase he has built steadily through his defiantly old-fashioned
approach: the deep voice, the gorgeous melodies and the bittersweet
songs, often accentuated with strings, that recall an older time when
pop stars relied on both songwriters and arrangers to fashion their
three-minute vignettes of love and loss. To be continued here.
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