James Tatum - Lotta Chant
- A Collection of Progressive & Independent Spiritual Jazz 45s, 1968-75 - EP (Jazzman) 2011
- As the ears of jazz enthusiasts become ever more refined, the interest in Spiritual Jazz has risen greatly in recent years. We’re talking about music that is rich, warm, deep, progressive, peaceful, conscious, cerebral and celebrating, and the period of enlightenment was the ‘60s and ‘70s. This was the time when private press LPs were custom made by the musicians themselves in order to exhibit their art, reflecting the neglect and disregard afforded to them by the jazz mainstream. See our Spiritual Jazz album JMANCD.020 for an appraisal of such LPs, because here we turn our attention to the often-ignored format of the jazz 45.
James Spaulding is a jazz flautist and saxophonist who has appeared on countless recordings over the past 50 years. But his recordings as leader are few and far between – a travesty as the 45 re-released here is as astounding as the beauty of the label of his solitary East 45; why didn’t he make more records under his own name?
The Lightmen was a loose group of musicians from Texas led by Bubba Thomas. They recorded several 45s and LPs, all of which remain highly collectible, not just because of their rarity, but because of the sheer quality of the deep, spiritual jazz etched in their grooves. So if they were so prolific, what was their message, and why are their records so rare.
James Tatum is still performing as a pianist with his jazz group and has a great deal of involvement with education and the church. His two highly collectible LPs yielded no 45s, but we are here to put that right. What is the relationship between jazz and the church and why has he devoted his life to explaining that connection through music?.
These are the questions we ask and their answers, and a lot more, are inside the gatefold sleeve to our new triple 45 Jazz Box. Three jazz 45s of the highest calibre music you’re likely to find. - Jazzman
1st Hour: Wartime - Spiritual - Bossa Jazz
Playlist by request. Ask for the Music Ingredient Chef !
And Now ... The TSU Toronadoes ! (Funky Delicacies)
Coming straight out of Houston Texas and Texas State University, the TSU Tornadoes were the House band for Skipper Lee Frasier’s record label Ovide. I’ve featured some Ovide artists on previous mixes (Bobo Mr. Soul), and as a whole this record label really put out some funky ass sides to say the least. This band would go on to back many of them, as well as vocal group Archie Bell and the Drells biggest hit “Tighten Up”. Composed of Cal Thomas (guitar/vocals), Will Thomas (guitar/vocals), Peter Newman (bass), Darryll Busby (saxophone), Clarence “Creeper” Harper (trumpet), and Nelson Mills (horns), the TSU Tornadoes (named after their school where they were students, and their favorite car the Oldmosbile Toronado) would slowly gain a reputation on campus and in Houston as a tight unit.
As well as doing gigs on their own, the band would often be the backing band (which was popular with many bands during this time) to national acts that would be in town to play in the Houston area. They backed artists like Jackie Wilson, Barbara Acklin, Etta James, and others. It was their backing of Archie Bell and the Drells that really got them their notoriety, opening the doors for them to switch to Altantic from Ovide to release this very record. With the releases they were able to do a bit of touring throughout the United States, but as it always seems, the popularity of the Tornadoes would start to fade. They released two records on Volt which would not raise many eyebrows, and put them back on Ovide, which would close it’s doors in 1971. The band eventually split up into two different groups, recording and touring respectively. Not being able to reach a happy medium with Lee and publishing, the band would be out of the picture for the next ten years or so, when they would reunite and rerecord Tighten Up. - Flea Market Funk
2nd Hour: Toronado Twinight Soul Review
Playlist by request. Ask for the Music Ingredient Chef !
Pierre Antoine - Kalabuley Woman
Ivory Coast Soul – Afrofunk In Abidjan From 1972 to 1982 (Hot Casa)
Massive music we've never heard before – a really heavy helping of grooves from the Ivory Coast – an African scene that's hardly been tapped by crate diggers and collectors! There's a really fresh feel to the grooves overall – not just the familiar Afro Funk modes, but a nice range of styles that moves between rootsy local numbers through some great crossover styles, through even a few of the African Disco modes that are better known from other scenes! The tracks here are all massively funky – scoured out over the course of a number of different crate-digging trips to the coast – and the package presents the music with great images of the original record covers, too – so that you can still retain some of the feel of the rarity of the work, even though the collection presents things in an easy to handle format. Definitely one for fans of Soundway and Analogue Africa titles – with cuts that include "True Love" by Rato Venance, "Yatchiminou" by Jimmy Hyacinthe, "Kalabuley Woman" by Pierre Antoine, "Mammy Nia" by Nguessan, "Wazi Doble" by Gougoumangou, "Zadie Bobo" by Ernesti Djedje, "Unite" by Moussa Doumbia, "Mon Falou Nan" by Soro N Gana Et L'Orchestre Guilana-na, "Onginwe" by Prince Dgibs, and "Essemon Moupoh" by Jean Guehi - Dusty Groove
3rd Hour: Afrobeat Ivory Coast & Mali & Benin
Playlist by request. Ask for the Music Ingredient Chef !
Thank you for listening to Hawaii's Only Alternative KTUH !
8/16/11 James Tatum / TSU Toronadoes / Pierre Antoine (LISTEN)
8/16/11 James Tatum / TSU Toronadoes / Pierre Antoine (LISTEN) Any Questions?
Download IPOD QUICKTIME READY AUDIO COOKBOOK (Mono Mixed)
Check out my other playlists and audio !
No comments:
Post a Comment