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.
African Funk selection..
keep yer nose out me beeswax…
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.
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…
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..”
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”
HEAVYWEIGHT Ethiopian selection from the ‘first lady of Addis’
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.
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.
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.
(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.
BIG slice of funk from the ‘Reverend’. Highlighted from his final, (1978), secular album Truth n Time.
Couldn’t make the cut yesterday was at the ‘tower’ engaged in ‘deep work’.
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.
Nubag #1 (a year in the life)
So much to say but, words, for me, don’t do thoughts/feelings justice. That said, I will do my best with the vocabulary I ‘have’ in an effort to communicate my thoughts/feelings on the what, why, how, when of the nubag (new bag) that I feel like working out of for the new year.
Interestingly and without my knowledge (but not without my understanding), the time has come and the nu beat is being played and the dance begins TODAY.
Not ONLY is it the dawn of spring it is also the dawn of the final phase (for me) and rebirth is coming as we ‘sail into the mystic’…
My aim is to post a tune every day between Feb 8th (new years day) and Jan 27th (year end), a marathon for sure but I will give it my best ‘shot’. The music will be diverse.
First up a top ranking piece of, (late), Ska from a king of Jamaican music, Justin Hinds (and the Dominos), one of the pioneers of the vocal group style at his/their very best. Recorded for the mighty Duke, the Trojan, Reid and released on his Treasure Isle Label. Echoes of and certainly inspired by Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler’s early Soul killer .. I’m a Telling You. One more example of Curtis Mayfield’s contribution to the development of Jamaican music.
rolling out a selection of personal favourites on themusicologist over the next few days/weeks/months in an effort to keep the wolves from ‘the door’. after all, what better way to soothe the ‘savage beast’ than with sweet music…
first up is this top drawer piece of roots courtesy of Prince Malachi. Released on the Roots Hitek label in 2006.
10:40am September 24/2014.
With a heavy, broken heart and intense struggle I managed these final words as I watched my beautiful 19 year old daughter slip away…with this song playing in my soul.
“In YOUR light I learn how to love,
In your beauty how to make poems,
You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you
but sometimes I do and THAT sight becomes this art”
Today is the final day of my ’30 Day’ musicologyMass and tribute to Constance.
ALWAYS in my heart, soul and thoughts kohzu..with eternal love Dadzu x
Until we meet again x x
Anouar Brahem – L’Infini Jour
“When a relationship of love is disrupted, the relationship does not cease. The love continues; therefore, the relationship continues.” Eternally x
Jackie Mittoo and Winston Wright – Guiding Light
“Be like a branch of a tree; flex your body to face ‘wind of sorrow’; flex little harder to dance in the ‘wind of happiness’.” – Santosh Kalwar
Alhaji Kwabena Frimpong & his Cubano Fiestas – Kyenkyen Bi Adi M’Awu
(Come Back My Love)
“Un-winged and naked, sorrow surrenders its crown to a throne called grace.” x
Doreen Schaeffer – This Love
“It means much to have loved, to have been happy, to have laid my hand on the living Garden, even for a day.”
it means SO much .. thank you kohzu x
“Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.” ― Kahlil Gibran
themusicologist 