nubag

musicology #0764

Nubag #32 (a year in the life)

Since Our Last Goodbye – the Menahan Street Band

ConZu..Until we meet again hold this piece…Every time I hear it I feel your presence.Dad xx

“Between the dark, heavily laden treetops of the spreading chestnut trees could be seen the dark blue of the sky, full of stars, all solemn and golden, which extended their radiance unconcernedly into the distance. That was the nature of the stars. and the trees bore their buds and blossoms and scars for everyone to see, and whether it signified pleasure or pain, they accepted the strong will to live. flies that lived only for a day swarmed toward their death. every life had its radiance and beauty. i had insight into it all for a moment, understood it and found it good, and also found my life and sorrows good.” -Hermann Hesse

 

 

musicology #0752

Nubag #20 (a year in the life)

Serenade Melancolique opus 26 -Zino Vinnikov

This transcendental performance [of Tchaikovsky’s 1875 piece] by MASTER Zinnikov has been ‘taking me to the mountain’ since last we met. It is cuts like these that have and do help me make it through the darkest nights and authentically lift my troubled soul from the darkest depths..

Words alone could NEVER do it justice…I begs yah to turn up, tune in and let the spirit fly

“after music that which comes to closest to expressing the inexpressible is..music” [Aldous Huxley]

[Melancholia 1630-1670 Engraving by Castiglione]

3 MASTERS ‘CLASH’ selection

musicology #0751

Nubag #19 (a year in the life)

 Little Richard – ‘Im Just a Lonely Guy

back in the ‘nubag’ saddle. RASCAL of a year so far but ‘che sera‘. As we roll, HOLD this BOSS, BURIAL, Crescent City, piece of urbane musicology from the pioneering, majestic Little Richard. Recorded, of course, at (Father) Cosimo Mattassa’s studio. The ONE and only spot to record for Cats who knew what it was..is..and will always be about.

The image is one of an (in)famous street in the heart of MY ‘town’ .. London. Where me and the ancestors have been roaming and rolling since, (at least) the 1700’s.

 

musicology #0750

Nubag #19 (a year in the life)

 Getchew Kass & soul ekos band – Bey Lesenabetesh

HEAVYWEIGHT Selection featuring Ethiopia’s finest: Getchew Kass and the Soul Ekos Band.

 

musicology #0749

Nubag #18 (a year in the life)

Trombone Shorty – Hurricane Season

First outing on themusicologist for the multi talented Troy ‘Trombone Shorty’ Andrews a cat who was BORN and RAISED with brass in his mouth.

“So advanced was he that, at the age of EIGHT, a club in the city’s Tremé district, where he was born and raised, was named Trombone Shorts in his honor”.  – Thom Jurek

This 2011 cut is highlighted from the ‘Backatown’ set which features, (among others), one of Nola’s GREATEST urbanemusicologists the majestic Allen Toussaint whose first, (credited), production the 1960 recorded mod/ern/ist R&B classic ‘Ooh Poo Pah Doo’, (musicology #334), was for Troy Andrews’ grandfather, (Jesse Hill).

“What we tried to do with the record is capture what we do live and then just tighten it up a little bit, make it translate on record. Live, we may come across some stuff and jam on it, but the record brings it in and focuses on what we needed to do. We worked hard and we didn’t rush it. I think we alright with this one.” – Troy Andrews

 

musicology #0748

Nubag #17 (a year in the life)

Junior Delahaye –  Working Hard For the Rent Man

Majestic piece from the mighty Lloyd ‘Bullwackie’ Barnes featuring the lilting, sufferers vocals of Junior Delahaye.

Maximum respect due to all the sufferers, rebels, nuwave navigators and knowledge hustlers who feel the vibrations of a changing world. Continue to spread/share the ‘wealth’ as you crawl, walk, run along the way.

 

musicology #0747

Nubag #16 (a year in the life)

Sidney Bechet – Jungle Drums

long time comrades in, (musical), arms of the ‘project/diary/soundtrack’ will know that for me Sidney Bechet is one of the GIANTS of improvisation/jazz/recorded music etc.

One of the MASTERS of the art that I have been blessed enough to have stumbled across along ‘the way’. Apprentice’ and Journeymen are in abundance. Masters are few and far between.

Second time on themusicologist for this one..if i was asked “what is music?” i would pull this one out. listen to Bechet blow and how he drives the intensity, demanding that the other cats on the session step up.Which, of course, they do.

Had me nut down over the past few weeks studying for an exam I sat on Friday.

the incredible drawing is by the legendary, pioneer of contemporary neuroscience,  Ramon y Cajal.  Pathologist, histologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel laureate, (not to mention artist).

musicology #0746

Nubag #15 (a year in the life)

African Queen – the Skatalites

MIGHTY piece of heavyweight instrumental Ska from it’s, for me, greatest collective, the Skatalites. No need for me to wax about them too tough as they are well known and greatly appreciated. Suffice to say that this piece, produced by the majestic Vincent ‘King’ Edwards and delivered by the cream of the islands urbanemusicologists IS Ska. Simply put these are the musicians who ‘invented’ and created Jamaican music after 1962.

musicology #0745

Nubag #14 (a year in the life)

Mind Your Business – Saxon Lee &the Shadows International

African Funk selection..

keep yer nose out me beeswax…

 

musicology #0744

Nubag #13 (a year in the life)

 Jesus Children of America – Stevie Wonder

a personal favourite for themusicologist, RICH in memories of exposure to this set, Innervisions, as an impressionable 5 year old in 1973. Stevie was one of the BIG hitters on the stereo in them early years and Innervisions is a testement to the mans greatness, (having played and sung every part on this cut). I can almost taste the air of 1973 so strong and powerful are the connections.

 

musicology #0743

Nubag #12 (a year in the life)

This Old World Is Going Down – the Modulations

Heavyweight (mid 70’s) funk critique of this ‘Old World’.

From a time when music (the voice of the people) was critical…

The ‘secret’ power of music to influence ‘the group’ has been abused by the power structure over the centuries but, from my perspective, it’s in the 20th Century that we see the abuse of music, OUR greatest achievement, at it’s most cynical.

Hogarth’s critical ‘the Times’ (Plate II)  slots harmoniously into the narrative…

musicology #0742

Nubag #11 (a year in the life)

Unseeing Eye – ‘Sonny Boy Williamson’

MAJOR selection from Sonny Boy Williamson II aka ‘Rice’ Miller/Little Boy Blue/Little Willie. Recorded and released in ‘Chi at/for Chess in 1959.

 

BIG DATA is on us like flies round shit..

“Boys you better be careful about what you say or do,

better be careful boys about…what you say and do,

that unseeing eye…just keep on watching you..”

 

 

musicology #0741

Nubag #10 (a year in the life)

You’ll Never Change – Betty LaVette

KILLER ‘early’ Soul cut from the 17 year old Betty LaVette. 1963 release on the Atlantic Label.

Think of this as yesterdays cut..yer man was ‘under the cloud’ and wasn’t around to post it.

“Don’t promise me nothing if you can’t stick to your word”

musicology #0740

Nubag #9 (a year in the life)

Yekefer Wegagane (Yonas) – Bizunesh Bekele

HEAVYWEIGHT Ethiopian selection from the ‘first lady of Addis’

 

musicology #0739

Nubag #8 (a year in the life)

Rocksteady aka Drunkards Psalm – Busters All Stars

Big piece of instrumental tune from Busters All Stars..1967 release on the Blue Beat Label (in England). Featuring a collection of Jamaica’s finest instrumentalists.

Arkland Parks, Dennis Campbell, Ernest Ranglin, Gladstone Anderson, Jerry Haynes, Karl Bryan, Lloyd-Knibbs, Oswald-Brooks, Raymond Harper, Rico Rodriguez, Val Bennett.

 

No need to wax lyrical about the Princes profound influence on Jamaican music as a bandleader, pioneer, producer, Sound Man and ‘Voice of the People’. Just suffice to say that throughout the 1960’s Buster was up there at the forefront.

 

musicology #0738

Nubag #7 (a year in the life)

Daddy Rollin’ Stone – Otis Blackwell

Moving out of the Sam Cooke and into the (real) Rhythm and Blues with the pioneering Otis Blackwell. This, his first cut, recorded/released in 1952 was the start of a long, illustrious career. Best known as a songwriter, (publicly), Otis was a DON of Rhythm and Blues and had a MAJOR influence on ‘Rock and Roll’ penning two of Elvis’ biggest cuts as well as tunes by, (among others), Jerry Lee Lewis and Dee Clark.

BIG piece of tune….Connoisseurs selection.

 

musicology #0737

Nubag #6 (a year in the life)

Belong to Your Heart – Sam Cooke

“A soul connection is a resonance between two people who respond to the essential beauty of each other’s individual natures, behind their facades, and who connect on this deeper level.

This kind of mutual recognition provides the catalyst for a potent alchemy. It is a sacred alliance whose purpose is to help both partners discover and realize their deepest potentials.

While a heart connection lets us appreciate those we love just as they are, a soul connection opens up a further dimension — seeing and loving them for who they could be, and for who we could become under their influence.

This means recognizing that we both have an important part to play in helping each other become more fully who we are….

A soul connection not only inspires us to expand, but also forces us to confront whatever stands in the way of that expansion.”
John Welwood

 

musicology #0736

Nubag #5 (a year in the life)

El Bang Bang – Jackie Mittoo

(Sir Coxson) Downbeat marrow trembler courtesy of the majestic Jackie Mittoo, (the backbone of Studio 1 throughout the golden years), and the brentford road massive aka the Skatalites, the soul brothers, Sound Dimension the Brentford road all stars/disco set at the top of the game. released in 1966, (as the Ska slid into the Rock Steady) on Downbeat’s genre defining Studio 1/Supreme Label.

Regulars on themusicologist know how strongly the ‘Keyboard King’ has been representing over the years due to his credentials as one of the greats of the music that I love. Jackie is/was and will always be the KING of Studio 1 for me

there are rare tunes and there are BOSS tunes..no doubt which category this STANDS in.

musicology #0734

Nubag #3 (a year in the life)

It’s Your World – Gil Scott Heron and Brian Jackson

First outing (this year) on themusicologist for a GIANT of the arts and true ‘authentic human being’ the majestic, imperious, Gil Scott Heron, (this cut features Brian Jackson), who ALWAYS told it like it is/was and will be unless ‘we’ connect, communicate, collaborate and MOBILISE to build a nu world.

the power of the networked society is in connecting to (re)build a society that serves us rather than enslaves us.

KNOWLEDGE is FREELY accessible yet current society is being engineered for us to consume (mis)information and infotainment.

In the information age it is critical that we take control of the networked communication channel otherwise it will continue to take control of US.

 

 

musicology#0733

Nubag #2 (a year in the life)

It’s My Baby – Paul Kelly

Day 2 .. Moving onto a piece of Mid 60’s, (1965 to be exact), Soul from South Florida’s ‘Deep City’ (Miami) featuring the vocal skills of Paul Laurence Dunbar Kelly.

I could go to town on the history and connect the (narrative) dots as to who owned what label, played on/wrote what song, what they went on to do and how influential they were in the development of soul/Rhythm and Blues/funk etc but to be honest it’s far too time consuming so I’ll just name check the cats responsible for EACH tune. In this case it’s Johnny Pearsall, Willie Clarke and Arnold Albury. (writers, producers, musicians, urbanemusicologists)

Released on the ‘Lloyd Records’ label in 1965.

AUTHENTIC music.