Love is Everywhere

2012-03-19 by The Mighty Alboy

Pharoah Sanders – “Love is Everywhere”

A beautiful piece of melodic free jazz here from Sun Ra protege Pharoah Sanders, from the 1973 (very good year) love in us all album.

I first heard this on a madlib blue note mix years ago, but only sourced the track thanks to the magic of Shazam. Damned clever stuff.

So I never heard it in its full 19’54” glory. Showing more of the influence of John Coltrane, less of the more difficult Sun Ra- though he’s in there too.

Hope you enjoy.

Next up- my long awaited “best of 2011”. Didn’t want it to get lost in the flurry of retrospectives in January

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Give him the bloody bottle

2009-06-17 by Tommy Squeaker

Roy Budd – Goodbye Carter!

The BNP and their miserable and hateful scumminess aside, Hal’s earlier post on the subject of music from films has stirred me from my year long DC sabbatical, if only because, by total coincidence, my most recent purchases have been a couple of great film soundtracks.

First up is the Get Carter score by Roy Budd. Anyone familiar with the Michael Caine starring original (let’s not even start on the abomination which was the Stallone remake) will almost certainly have been struck by the iconic opening credits, with the insistent double bass lick and twinkling rhodes keys of the theme grooving along as his train speeds from London to Newcastle, scene of his unfortunate brother’s murder. It’s brutal stuff and no mistake and one of Caine’s (a son of elephant and castle – just up the road from squeaker towers) finest performances. The movie is stuffed full of classic quotes, many of which I roll out when I feel myself coming over all cockney gangster; “You’re a big man, but you’re in bad shape. With me it’s a full time job. Now behave yourself.”

I’ve chosen “Goodbye Carter!” from the soundtrack rather than the opening theme, which means you miss out on the train sounds, but you do get the signature mournful chimes that feature throughout the film. Roy Budd was a British Jazz musician who was noted for his use of sound effects from the films in the scores he wrote for them. Get Carter is his most famous work, but he wrote for many other films and recorded several albums, including a live one and the endearingly titled “Have a Jazzy Christmas”. Sadly, Roy died of a brain haemorrhage in 1993.

I’ll try and get some other film related tunes posted before too long, but don’t hold your breath.

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One of the craziest cover versions ever

2008-09-26 by Hal Berstram

We’ve had some pretty weird cover versions on Dilate Choonz in the past, for sure, but this has to be one of the weirdest ones I’ve ever heard.

I was lucky enough to pick up Blood, Sweat & Tears’s 3rd album very cheap and in good condition at a car boot sale last week – I had a vinyl copy on long-term, er, “loan” (sorry Paul) from a while back but it had unfortunately become warped beyond playability on most equipment. Given the subject matter, perhaps it was Satan himself distorting the fabric of the record. That’s what Sarah Palin said, anyway, when I raised the matter with her in the run-up to next week’s Vice Presidential debates.

Blood, Sweat and Tears was a late 60s US ‘jazz-pop-rock combo’ outfit (for want of a better term) put together by the legendary Al Kooper, who was a member of Bob Dylan’s touring band in 1965-66 (he played organ on ‘Like a Rolling Stone’.) Their debut album Child Is Father To The Man featured jazzy cover versions of tunes by such luminaries as Tim Buckley (who surely should be featured on DC himself at some point), Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman and Carole King. Unfortunately, Kooper left after the debut, leaving a still-commercially-successful outfit increasingly unsure what to do with itself.

By the third album, the intelligently titled Blood Sweat & Tears 3, vocalist David Clayton-Thomas (described by my trusty, well-thumbed copy of the Rolling Stone Record Guide (1979 edition) as “an acquired taste at best”) had joined the group, giving them the confidence needed to produce berserk masterpieces like this.

An avant-garde classical brass opening is bolted onto something that sounds a like Tom Jones locked in the recording studio with Herb Alpert’s Tijuana brass and an organist who plays any chord he wants just as long as it’s not in the key of the song, all fed very bad acid and told that Miles Davis is coming to eat their children. And it gets weirder still, with the hilarious spoken/whispered third verse.

One wonders what the Rolling Stones made of it all. Probably they thought ‘some nice royalties coming to us from this.’

I haven’t yet managed to find anything else in the B,S & T canon that comes anywhere near this for sheer craziness (and given the tedium of most of the rest of their 3rd album, I’m not that inclined to explore much further) but do let me know if you know differently.

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I Think We Should Go More Latin

2008-09-05 by P Rice

Stan Getz & Luiz Bonfa – O Morro Nao Tem Vez

This is the first time that I’ve posted a tune whilst at work, and it feels good to know I’m getting paid for the privilege. In my last entry I promised not to post any more tunes with dubious sax solos. Instead of playing it safe and opting for a tune with no sax whatsoever, I’ve opted for plenty of sax. There’s nothing dubious about the playing here however. You could say I’m practicing safe sax (sorry).

This broody number comes from American sax man Stan Getz and Brazilian classical guitarist Luiz Bonfa, and is taken from their album ‘Jazz Samba Encore’. The album was released in 1963, so I reckon this must be one of the oldest tunes to feature on DC to date. The album features more tracks in this vein, one of which was famously sampled by J Dilla on the Pharcyde’s ‘Runnin’’. Maria Toledo, who was married to Bonfa at the time, also adds beautiful vocals to some of the tunes.

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This Is How We Chill

2008-08-22 by P Rice

Billy Cobham – Heather

Not exactly the most party friendly tune for a Friday night, but I’m not a million miles away from middle age so this is how it goes. Hip Hop heads will know this as the source of the the sample from Souls Of Mischief’s ‘93 Till Infinity’, but it stands as a beautiful piece of music in its own right.

To be honest, the sax solo is a little Kenny G for my liking, but the rest of the tune hits my ears like an aural valium. Living proof that the world of ‘Jazz Fusion’, whilst guilty of many sins, throws up the odd classic. The album that this tune is taken from, ‘Crosswinds’, is well worth checking out.

Sweet dreams, and a big hello to you all you truckers out there…...

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crafty hols post

2008-08-19 by Kevvy K

Patti Smith – Piss Factory

Sorry folks for prolonged radio silence on my part. Between running around like a blue-arsed fly at the climate camp for more than a week and then almost immediately running off on much needed hols, I haven’t had the time to devote to the old blogarooney.

But before I did bust a move from the not so green and pleasant land, I did have the presence of mind to upload 3 songs that I have had on fairly heavy rotation of late, with the intention of blogging them proper from a crafty Iberic cyber-caff, which is I am now. The problem is with this first track, is that I hadn’t taken into account just how incongrous the song is with my current mood and surroundings.

The song – everyone’s favourite proto-punk poetess gets all free-associative and consciousness-streamy on the degrading futility of Mc-Wage Labour in the rather unpleasnt sounding Piss Factory, over very jazzy, driving piano shenanigans that somehow give me great plasure.

And me – ensconced in bourgie pleasure in a flat overlooking the beach, swimming twice a day, taking in obscene amounts of sun, reading trashy paper backs, drinking icey beers all day and being fed by two octogenarian Spanish matriarchs who manage to effortlessly dispell by attempts to induce more equitable gender roles in the kitchen.

They don’t quite go together… I can’t actually listyen to it anyway, so I hope it might have more immediate resonance or meaning to some of you out there. My hols are only for the two weeks so will be seeing you all back on the Piss Factory floor soon enough.

According to wikipedia, this was the b-side to the first single released by the Patti Smith Group and “describes the helpless anger Smith had felt while working on a factory assembly line and the salvation she discovered in the form of a shoplifted book, the 19th century French poet Arthur Rimbaud’s Illuminations.”

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Jazz - great!

2008-06-15 by Babe Rainbow

Frank Cunimondo Trio – Feelin’ Good

Evenin’ all. This tune is an absolute gem. The Frank Cunimondo Trio with singer Lynn Marino released their album in the early 70s. I came across it at uni when it got played at numerous parties. It’s one of the happiest sounding albums I’ve ever heard and no matter how many times I’ve played it, I always want to dance round the living room when it starts. The particular track I’ve chosen is a ‘standard’ – Nina Simone’s version is probably the most well known. Lynn Marino’s version here is much less dramatic but is so full of joy that you can’t help but dance and sing really loud. The tune itself is proof positive that its writer Anthony Newley was a huge musical talent, who doesn’t get the recognition I think he deserves. TTFNxxxxx

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One Heck Of A Fela

2008-04-12 by P Rice

Fela Kuti – Water No Get Enemy

A little something from Afro Beat legend, activist and general dude Fela Kuti. This tune typifies all that is great about his music. Tony Allen’s percussion is rock solid and the horns are rip roaring. The message behind so many of his tunes is depressingly relevant today.

This tune is taken from the album ‘Expensive Shit’. Apparently Nigerian police arrested Fela Kuti and planted a spliff on his person, which he subsequently ate in a bid to avoid prosecution. He was held in prison whilst the authorities awaited the passing of said reefer, but were frustrated when, according to legend, Fela obtained the shit of a fellow inmate, and presented this for inspection. The title of the album takes on extra significance when you see the price that it sells for nowadays. This tune does however feature on the Kerri Chandler ‘Truth Don Die’ remix 12”.

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Early Morning Mellowness

2008-03-24 by The Double K

As One – Soleil Levant

I’m just back from a week’s “free” holiday on the Costa Del Sol (a timeshare promotion… I didn’t buy the timeshare!), and am finding the snow here something of a shock to the system.

Anyway, our flight out last Saturday was at stupid o’clock in the morning (well what do you expect on a free holiday?) and to get to the airport in time for check-in we needed to hit the road by 1.30am. After ruling out staying up all night (fine if you can sleep it off on the plane, but with two kids due to wake up at about the scheduled departure time it would have been a nightmare of sleep deprivation) I realised we would need some seriously mellow listening for the car and loaded up the mp3 player accordingly.

This track really hit the spot cruising across night-time London after only three hours of sleep, and I imagine it would suit most situations where ones nerves are not at their sharpest. It comes from As One’s 1994 LP Reflections, which I only recently sought out after hearing Acid Ted’s recent post about As One.

The mellow brushed snares in this track also give me an opportunity to try out our new “Jazz” category.

Nice.

Soon enough the bluebird has to fly

2008-03-12 by Tommy Squeaker

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans – Young and Foolish

Here’s one for Cardiff City... We haven’t had that many good old fashioned crooners on here and they don’t come much better at that than Tony Bennett. Here he’s more than capably accompanied by the great Bill Evans who many will be familiar with from his time in Miles Davis’ seminal Kind of Blue era sextet. His beautiful, understated style is the perfect foil for Mr B’s marvellous voice; they really are made for each other. Thanks to my brother Joe for getting this for Christmas for me. I’m with Mr P Rice – we really need a jazz category…

Yesterday and today I flew through the heart of the gales to Belfast and back – I’d like to have had longer there, but the quality guinness got me through the nervier moments in the air. Now I’m back at the ranch, marvelling at Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls. I’m quite sure it’s deliberately bad – I mean, characterisation has never been his priority (I give you Total Recall, Starship Troopers, Basic Instinct…) but with this one, you get the feeling it was all about that standing ovation at the Razzies. I can’t wait for the swimming pool scene – second only to Team America in the race for the greatest cinema sex ever.

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