Interview with Lonnie Liston Smith

At this time we need Spiritual vibrations more than ever.
I had the great opportunity to get in touch with one of the great jazzmen
who was and still is very Spiritual in his way of thinking and exploring
jazz.
As you have read in my introduction to Lonnie Liston Smith he was very into
that Spiritual, Creative, Astral , Deep movement, along with Pharoah
Sanders and Leon Thomas (Peace be with him) among others...
As I knew, I discovered a Deep Man, a great musician and a new friend !
He also gave me some unpublished pics that you will see for the first time
here in JAZZMOTEL!!
This is what Lonnie Liston Smith and I talked about...










Lonnie , How have you defined your style, your piano playing style?
Which pianists or musicians have inspired your vision of jazz music?


I always wanted to develop a universal style of music, and when I am playing the piano and keyboards I try to be aware of the importance of using space. Miles Davis told me one time that musicians don't realize that what they don't play is just as important as what they do play.Miles Davis and John Coltrane inspired my vision of music the most!  Also Debussy and Ravel inspired my vision of music.





One of your first important experiences was with Art Blakey, thanks to the help of the player Mickey Bass . Tell me about your experience with Art Blakey and the great jazz scene .

Working with Art Blakey was a great experience because each member of the group would write songs and Art would not come to the rehearsals until we had learned all of the new songs, then he would come in and sat behind the drums and play each song as if he had heard these songs before.  It was amazing how Art could interpret these songs so quickly.




Another drummer who helped to increase your credibility was Max Roach. You played with him for about a year and then later recorded two albums with Rahsaan Roland, right up to 1968 when you met Pharoah Sanders.
what is changed after the encounter with Sanders ?



Working with Max Roach was quite a different experience because Max played in so many different time signatures (5/4, 7/4, etc.).  People don't realize Max Roach taught Dave Brubeck and his band how to play in 5/4 time. When I played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk I had to play all types of music.  Rahsaan liked to play the blues, dixieland music and also straight-ahead jazz.





That period was very much influenced by the spiritual slipstream left over by Coltrane. You started to experiment with the electric piano indian tambura and composed a few songs that later became defined as Cosmic Jazz .
Tell me about that sort of energy that influenced you, Leon Thomas, Pharoah Sanders and many other musicians of that period…
“Thembi “, "Upper Egypt", "Karma", "Creator Has a Master Plan", "Summun, Bukmun, Umyun", and "Jewels of Thought” were a sort of astral journey of jazz.
What kind of feeling was there in that period and how did jazz music blend with spirituality?



Leon Thomas, Pharoah Sanders and myself developed a whole new concept of jazz.  I wrote most of the music for the group when we were together.  We would stretch the music as far out as we could, and then bring the music back down to earth.I wrote "Astral Traveling" for Pharoah and that song really represented "Cosmic Jazz".  In that song I tried to capture the feeling of floating through space.
I want my music to heal all of the problems on the planet Earth, like wars, man's inhumanity to mankind, because if we don't learn to live in peace and harmony, then this whole planet will be destroyed.



You also performed on the recordings of Miles Davis’ “On The Corner” and “Big Fun”. How much did your closeness to Miles contribute to your evolution in jazz, a music that was becoming evermore experimental and open to certain influences and experimentations with electric instruments and free expressions in music.




Working with Miles Davis was the "ultimate"!  Miles was a musical genius on stage and off stage!  Every night working with Miles I had to be very creative because Miles had me playing a new keyboard, "The Yamaha Electric Organ".  He wanted to hear a new sound and the only time I had an opportunity to play the new keyboard was on stage. 




In 1974, after the experience with Gato Barbieri and the Flying Dutchman label, Bob Thiele, who had supported the album by Sanders, helped you to obtain your first contract for an album as a solo artist and leader. That album was “Astral Travelling”
Than the Cosmic Echoes were born .
Did that album allow you to record what you had in mind at the time?



After working with Miles Davis I formed "The Cosmic Echoes".  I saw that Miles had hooked up a lot of pedals to his trumpet, like the wah-wah pedal, etc..  So
I decided to hook up all these different pedals to my Fender Electric Piano and that's how I discovered the Lonnie Liston Smith Sound on the Electric Piano. 



How did the passage to Jazz Funk happen? Which sounds inspired this move?
In 1975, with “Expansions” you defined your style by creating a sort of Funky Jazz, very fresh but still maintaining your spiritual and astral vein. What can you tell me about this album?

After I recorded "EXPANSIONS", The Entire World labeled me "THE GODFATHER
OF JAZZ FUSION FUNK".



“Visions of a New World” and “Renaissance” were the next step, electric piano with echo and wah-wah effects, percussions and funk. In all of your work percussions are always much involved and you use more than one percussionists on one album.
How important were the percussions to you sound?



The sounds of different percussion instruments are very important because the sounds are so cosmic and universal, so I try to use percussion instruments as much as possible.

thanks Lonnie .

Thanks JAZZMOTEL Peace

Introducing Lonnie Liston Smith

Lonnie Liston Smith The acoustic pianist/electric keyboardist was born in Richmond, VA, on December 28, 1940, should not be confused with soul-jazz organist Lonnie Smith (see also Jazzmotel interview ).. . During the '60s or early '70s, he had been a sidemen for Pharoah Sanders, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Gato Barbieri, singer Betty Carter, and trumpeter Miles Davis. During Davis collaborations Smith signed with producer Bob Thiele's RCA-distributed Flying Dutchman label and recorded his first album as a leader, Astral Traveling (which Thiele produced).


In the early 70’s He formed the Cosmic Echoes and started he’s new adventure as a Leader .
Hes music as we saw for the Sanders / Leon Thomas period were very influenced by a kind of Cosmic Peaceful Spiritualism also finded in the post-bop works of space explorers like Coltrane, Sanders, Yusef Lateef, McCoy Tyner almongst all .
The first Cosmic Echoes lineup,included George Barron (soprano and tenor sax), Joe Beck (guitar), Cecil McBee (bass), David Lee, Jr. (drums), James Mtume (percussion), Sonny Morgan (percussion), Badal Roy (tabla drums), and Geeta Vashi (tamboura). Astral Traveling .The first Cosmic Echoes was an instrumental work , later on Lonnie added a vocalist to the Cosmic Echoes: his brother Donald Smith.
Their essential discography include Astral Traveling -- 1974's Thiele-produced Cosmic Funk, 1975's Expansions, 1975's Visions of a New World, 1976's Reflections of a Golden Dream, and 1977's Renaissance, all of which were on either Flying Dutchman or RCA proper.Lonnie run now Hes own Company called Loveland records .

Interview to David Axelrod " The Axelrod Tape "

Quote David Axelrod web site :

An award-winning producer for Capitol Records who produced, great jazz, funk, and soul records during the 1960s and '70s, from Stan Kenton to Lou Rawls to The Electric Prunes to Cannonball Adderley. David Axelrod created his own distinct style. He has earned one Grammy and five nominations, along with seven gold records. Serious jazz lovers will recognize his name.
Axelrod freely uses drums, horns, strings, string bass as well as woodwinds along with key board, in his compositions. Poetry has been an influence on his compositions. He is considered a visionary and the father of fusion.





As I wrote in a previous transcript I got in touch with David
Axelrod's son Dana to interview "The Maestro" .
Interviewing him for the first time was a strange sutuation for me, I
was very shy to ask all the normal questions that every Jurnalist would
like to ask, after all what more can I ask to a living legend like David
Axelrod...?
Experience, Sampling, Productions, Origins, Taste...



David Axelrod for me is a kind of " Deep Composer ", I never knew
what to call his Style, so deep so intelligent, a kind of "Baroque
orchestral message". Funk Jazz tinged ...Out of any " regola " Free from
music standards, a kind of Archetypal music.

The first time I heard him was like an illumination,
"Who can mix Classical moods , Jazz , Soul , Funk and Rock together
with God's blessing"?


So I started to research as always... and collecting... new experiences!

Song of Innocence
Song of Experience
Rock Messiah
Earth Riot

Loads of productions, lots of them sampled by big modern artists like
DJ Shadow, DR Dre and many more...



It was like living in the 70's when I received the "tape" with the
recorded answers, it was pretty strange for me receive a tape in 2007
but this is all part of the legend that is Axelrod...

I don’t have a tape recorder any more, shame on me! How times have
changed.
I found the "tape recorded" interview so cool because, Axelrod
answered me directly. Answers without questions... for me it was a type
of poetry.
When I listened to the tape I decided to put the interview here on
Jazzmotel, laid bare without questions, just like a kind of statement,
David Axelrod "SPEAKING BY HIMSELF" to answer me... the interviewer...
A true privilege and one interview I will never forget.




In the internet and electronic era it is quite cool receive a tape,
so this my friends is the "Axelrod tape!"





How you doing Alessio?

Everything is fine here in the States. It couldn’t be better.


Well, sampling and music seems to be here, although they are cutting down on it, and I don’t mind having my music sampled. I think it’s kind of neat, that so many people are interested in it, especially if it’s done right.

No, I wasn’t angry when I first heard myself being sampled, I thought it was kicks. I broke up laughing. Then came some serious samples, and if you can get someone like the way Dre did it, the way he did Next Episode, when he sampled The Edge, and what I used as the intro, he put behind the first four bars of the band. And it worked, it really did work.

Also Diamond D, the way he did things when he sampled Mental Traveller, when he put the guitars in different places than I did, and I kind of liked it, as much as what I did was the only way I had done it.

So what’s the sense of getting angry, it’s going to be done anyway, you just have to hope that whoever does it does it musically.

Well downloading is here, and it won’t be a problem once the majors figure out how to utilize it and sell their product on it. The only thing I don’t like about it, is the sound itself. Certain things become very tinny, especially if they have any kind of orchestra, the orchestra sounds very bad. If you using a quartet or a quintet or something you’re far better off. I just don’t like the sound

Well before the sixties and seventies, I was just into a great deal of jazz, as a matter of fact as from about 1954/1955 through the early 60’s, that’s all I listened to. But as I said, before that, I was listening to jazz and rhythm and blues,. People like Amos Milburn and Little Milton and others and especially T-Bone Walker.

Learning music on my own was very very difficult. I don’t recommend it. Did it add to my personal style?..Probably. Because I was already writing before I got involved with certain rules that had to be supposedly applied with. I broke those rules and now that I know better, I still break them. But you better learn. Whether it’s your own or whether it’s within a school. I’ve often told Randy Newman, who I’m very very fond of, that I envy his education at USC (*University of Southern California). A degree in music is a great help.

I don’t hear a lot of cohesive albums any more. It’s like concept-albums seem to be out. I don’t know why that is because I love concept albums and I’ve been doing them my whole musical life, starting in 1967. So why that’s not happening now I don’t know. Maybe it’s the labels. If so, they’re making a mistake. If someone has a good idea for a concept, it’s always going to be cool. Check out people like Alan Parsons

Yeah, I would like to tell your readers to check out davidaxelrodmusic.com

They will really enjoy it.
And… thank you


All the pictures curtesy of Davidaxelrodmusic.com

David Axelrod live at Royal Festival Hall

These are my sensations , my feelings about an incredible DVD concert I received from David Axelrod son , together with the Jazzmotel interview answers I send Him some time ago ...
David Axelrod is for me a living legend , His way to see the music is for me so Deep and Intelligent that I was in trouble to ask Him questions for the interview you gonna read very soon ..
It was like a kind of interview to Enoch or Moses or some other "Patriarcas" as we say in Italy .
I was very happy to get the oportunity to make a Jazzmotel style review , I really hope you enjoy it and starts , if you are not already doing it , dig into Axelrod discography cause you will find many many archetypes , style lessions and pure sensations and Deep conversations and interpretations ,
Belive me !



DAVID AXELROD LIVE AT ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL

introduction:

When I received this DVD/CD after contacting Dana Axelrod for an interview with his father (the genius David Axelrod) I decided there and then to write a sort of review so as to give my contribution and spread the word for this disc which again confirms the genius of this composer and arranger who has contributed so much to the history of Jazz.

To start with a little history , David Axelrod was born in Los Angeles in 1936. He begins early to write complex scores, orchestrations and arrangements which will bring him to define that Jazz-Funk sound with rock undertones that will make him one of the most in demand arrangers and producers of the jazz, soul, funk and rock scene from 1959 through 1999 and the present day.

Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Funk Inc., Lou Rawls, Don Randy, David McCallum, Clara Ward, The Electric Prunes and Letta Mbulu are a few of the artists that Axelrod has produced and arranged , Capitol, Warner Bros, and Prestige a few of the labels with which he has collaborated.




His records have helped to create the Hip-Hop and Trip-Hop sound and have been the source of inspiration for a new generation of musicians, influencing the styles of electronic and contemporary music amongst others.
David Axelrod is considered a genius for his interpretations of the works of William Blake and for creating a sound that to this day is contemporary, or rather, timeless.

The first thing I thought before viewing is: “Has Axelrod kept that lean sparse sound, those linear rhythms of “Song of Innocence” and “Song of Experience”?
The answer is yes , for sure ...

The chosen venue for this event is the Royal Festival Hall in London, a structure of modern architecture, situated between Waterloo and Hungerford Bridge which highlights the English passion for the past, the present and the future. A perfect combination for the music of David Axelrod.

The Hall is buzzing .Musicians, DJ’s, people form the entertainment industry and ordinary fans are waiting for an event that hasn’t been seen in 25 years; David Axelrod will direct an orchestra of 26 musicians and will perform the songs that have helped to create his legend.
Axelrod looks like a high preacher and from his “pulpit” starts to introduce this event recorded in 2005.

The Orchestra is composed of 6 Violins, 2 Violas, 2 Cellos, an Oboe, a Cor Anglais/Piccolo, 2 Saxes, a Clarinet, 2 Trumpets, a Trombone and a solid rhythm section, essential for the Axelrod sound: Double-Bass, Drums, 2 Guitars, Percussion, Vibraphone, Acoustic piano, Electric piano, Organ and a Harpsichord.

The concert begins with a Psycho Jazz re-arrangement of “Paint it Black”, especially created for this event as a tribute to the land of the Rolling Stones. From this first piece you quickly begin to understand and in the same time you have the confirm of the ability to re-arrange that Axelrod possesses. The piece is practically unrecognizable and incredible.

Axelrod seems almost to enjoy directing the orchestra. I have to say that from what I see he his able to put the musicians at ease. On the other hand, to be directed by a living legend can’t be an everyday occurrence, and for this reason the orchestra (composed of young but very competent musicians) shows good participation and perception , moving to the music and at times almost dancing to the “Beats of Axe”. Axelrod introduces The Edge "sampled by DR Dre " by stating “I hate samples” (a note to the lovers of sampled Axelrod)...



The show’s setlist comprises all his compositions from the late 60’s and early 70’s. Songs like “Holy Thursday” and “Unizen”, form “Song of Innocence”, “London”, “The Human Abstract” from “Song of Experience”, and onto “Holy Are You” taken from the album “Release from the Oath” by the “Electric Prunes” sung by the fantastic voice of an emotional and passionate Richard Ashcroft.



“The Sick Rose”, “Smile”, “Tensity” and “So Low” the only new Axelrod piece, brings London and its theater down in a nocturnal atmosphere reminiscent of Blake.
The concert is brought to an end with “Norwegian Wood”, another tribute to an English band, which confirms the deep respect that Axelrod holds for this country.
The whole concert is an alternation of straight Funky Beats , full Orchestration patterns and Deep inpirational moments wich is the perfect main line of all the best Axelrod works .
“David Axelrod Live at The Royal Festival Hall” will contribute to further your collection with intelligent, profound, baroque and timeless orchestral sounds.

I suggest you go to the Axelrod website and maybe commence your collection of his jazz works.

I hope this my review helps you to know a little more of this incredible Artist .
Be ready for the interview wich is coming pretty soon !
Love from Jazzmotel

introducing Mr Terry Callier

Terry Callier was Born in Chicago were also Curtis Mayfield, Jerry Butler, Ramsey Lewis and more was .Terry Callier began studying the piano at the age of three, he writed his first songs at the age of 11.
In the College period , he learned to play guitar and setting up residency at a Chicago .
In that city he coming to the attention of Chess Records arranger Charles Stepney, who produced Callier's debut single "Look at Me Now" , it was 1962.
In 1964, Callier met Prestige label producer Samuel Charters, and a year later they went in the studio to record his LP "The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier "( Prestige ).
The album went unreleased before finally appearing in 1968.
With his friend Jerry Butler's they starts the Chicago Songwriters Workshop and composed material for local labels including Chess and Cadet, one of the famous was the Dells' 1972 smash "The Love We Had Stays on My Mind."
Stepney, now a producer at Cadet, release Callier 1973's "Occasional Rain", an incredible fusion of folk and jazz which laid the groundwork forexplored on the following year's "What Color Is Love?"
Callier works were not so commercial, and after 1975's LP "I Just Can't Help Myself" he finished his relation with Cadet.
In 1978 he starts a new relation with Elektra's Jazz Fusion of Don Mizell, they release the orchestrated "Fire on Ice" followed in 1979's by "Turn You to Love", with this album he cracked the pop charts with the single "Sign of the Times" known thanks the legendary WBLSFM DJ Frankie Crocker. After Electra he largely disappeared from music in the early '80s.
Callier continued composing songs, till 1991 when he received a telephone call from Eddie Piller, the boss of he U.K. label Acid Jazz. Piller ask the permission to rerelease Callier's littleknown single from 1983, "I Don't Want to See Myself (Without You)" and the rest is history ...
Callier stars to collaborate , touring and release his new works after decades of stop .
Now Terry Callier is still going great and his consider most important exponebt of Folk-Jazz sound .

Terry Callier Discography :

New Folk Sound of Terry Callier (1964)
Occasional Rain (1972)
What Coloor is love 1973
I Just Can't Help Myself 1975
Fire on Ice 1978
Turn you to love 1979

Interview to Terry Callier

After meet him in Milan and get back to him at Jazz Cafe in London , Mr Terry Callier pleased me with this interview that confirm Callier as a Great musician and a Great man.
Thanks Terry .







Wich were your favoutrites musicians in the beginning , who influenced more your taste and style ?


In the very beginning I was influences by doo-wah (sometimes referred to as 'doo-wop' ) groups like Sonny Til and the Orioles, the Spaniels,  the Ravens, the Diamonds, The 4 Seasons and gospel artists like the Soul Stirers with Sam Cooke, Sister Rosetta Thorpe and Rev. James Cleveland.  After I started listnening to jazz, my favorites were John Coltrane, Miles, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Oscar Peterson, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Washington, Ray Charles and many, many others.


When you met Charles Stepney from Chess records Terry Callier thing started , how did you met him ? and how it was important for the starting of your career .
 
I first met Charles Stepney at a recording session for Chess records.  He was the arranger for a group of singles that included "Look At Me Now".   The producer was Esmond Edwards and the musicians included Paul Serrano on trumpet and Phil Upchurch on guitar.  It was my first recording session and more or less set the tone for the rest of my career.
Then with Prestige Records your first album "New Folk Sound of Terry Callier "....
I was playing at a club in Chicago called 'Mother Blues' and the owner of the spot introduced me to a producer from Prestige Records names Sam Charters.  He asked me if I was ready to do an album and naturally I said I was.  He told me the budget would be small but I could use two other musicians.  I had been listening to a lot of early Coltrane on record where he had experimented with two bass players and I told Sam that was what I wanted to do.  So the instrumentation on "New Folk Sound" was acoustic guitar, vocals and two acoustic bass players.


In 1973 Occasional Rain started a kind of Folk-Jazz thing , how this blend did born ?
 
Again, this was influenced by Coltrane.  He had passed away by this time and I was listening to a lot of Miles Davis, so he was also influential in terms allowing musicians to play what they felt and approaching the music as a group project.


"Orinary Joe" and "Look at me now " are 2 songs that are very" Callier ", please can you tell me some things happened during the writing , recording of these 2 great songs ?
I mean the feeling , the vibe ...
 
"Look At Me Now" was among the first songs that I recordsd for Chess records.  I had been writing songs since I was 13 years old and this was one that the Chess brothers liked.  I was trying to convince my mother that a career in music wouldn't be so bad and I was more or less talking directily to her . . . "Well my mama thinks that I just fake it -- 'Cause I do things she don't understand ..."  Eventually she did
accept the fact that I wasn't going to be a doctor or lawyer.

 "Ordinary Joe" took me the longest time to write of any other song that ever happened to me.  I was carrying the main riff around for three or four years before I had a clue as to what it was going to be about o what it was going to say.  Then one day it just fell on me line by line.  I didn't know what the title was until the last verse had written itself.  I never like to say I wrote this or that because that's not the way it goes down.  Songs just seem to happen to me or more accurately are presented to me from the Creative Source.  I wish I could say more about it but I truly can't . . .

In 1975's I Just Can't Help Myself was le last record with Cadet , than you passed with Electra under the head of Don Mizell .
Wich were the differences of Callier sound betwen this two labels ?

 
The first ablum recorded for Elektra ("Fire on Ice") was a continuation of what I had done with Charles Stepney at Chess.  The second album ("Turn You To Love") had a disco influence and one track "Sign of the Times" made the Billboard charts and was used as a them by Frankie Crocker, a well-respected and popular DJ who was broadcasting from New York.


After Electra experience you desapear untill somebody , in 1991 called you to ask the permission to reissue "I Don't Want to See Myself (Without You)" (1983 ).
Acid Jazz movement were born and your new career too .
What can you tell me about this thing , were you surprised ?


I stopped performing in 1983 in order to take care of my daughter.  She called me from California and told me she wanted to live with me in Chicago.  There was no way I could refuse and I knew that music wouldn't provide the kind of things I wanted her to have.  I attended a computer training school (Control Data Institute in Chicago) and eventually was hired as a temporary employee at the University of Chicago.  They made me a staff employee in '85 with paid vacations, healthe insurance and most of the things a single parent needed.
 
I was at my desk a few years later and received a call from Eddie Piller of Acid Jazz Records in London.  He tolld me that "I Don't Want to See Myself Without You" was being played around the UK and asked if we could re-issue the disk.  It took a while for him to convince me it was a genuine offer and we worked out an agreement to put the song out in the UK.  To my suprise, it proved to be quite popular and led to concerts and glub gigs in the UK and Eurpoe.
Then you started touring , recording and collaborations with lots of musicians and DJ 's ...
The first artist I worked with was Beth Orton.  Then there was 4Hero, Zero Seven, Koop, Ian Poole, Paul Weller - - - I'm forgetting some important names here and I apologize for that.


What you think about this rebirth of 60's and 70's Jazzy music started in late 80's ?


Remixes of jazz recordings from the 60's and 70's exposed that music to a new generation and did the music and the people a lot of good.  There's almost always a method of updating good sounds so they can be appreciated by new listeners.

Whats your plan for the future ?

The future is difficult to see.  I'd like a chance to release new forms of music with new ideas including Jazz, R&B, trip-hop and hip-hop influences.  Hopefully, this will take place soon.  Thank you for the interest . . .

Let's get a Spiritual change !

It has been said that we have been in the age of Aquarius since the 70’s but the spirituality of which there has been much talk of so far has been from the music, especially from that period! This opening has served me as a spring board because this month I want to tell you about ‘Spiritual Jazz’ and ‘Cosmic Jazz’… One of the first to take spiritualism forward in jazz was definitely John Coltrane, this started with “A Love Supreme” in the 60’s. One of his saxophone players, Pharoah Sanders, dug deeper into the argument up until the 70’s and over, together with pianist Lonnie Smith and the poet Leon Thomas. Many others, amongst whom the wife of Coltrane Alice and another great pianist Lonnie Liston Smith with the Cosmic Echoes, took part in this movement of universal pacifist inspiration. Those mentioned are surely the most significant exponents of Cosmic Jazz, we must also underline that many of them were clearly inspired by religion from the Middle East and the Hindu philosophy (which can also be seen in the titles of some of the songs) and the principal themes still remained peace and spirituality. The most frequent theme, in fact, regarded peace of mind or subjects about general peace that also included the Gods. Very often they cited African populations as the centre of the world as well as all those populations who were sacrificed in those lands! “The Creator Has A Masterplan” by Leon Thomas and “Prince Of Peace Hum Allah Hum Allah” by Pharoah Sanders, Thomas and Lonnie Smith, are the clearest manifestations of this Jazz that was later retaken by some greats during the beginning of the nineties such as the Galliano Project who made it more danceable and famous! I will open a small section now by saying that the theme of that period ‘Peace, Love, Unity, Respect, etc..’ was the basis of the Acid Jazz philosophy and even I done some gigs to try and gain support and back up for Amnesty International… for me, however, it has still remained the same! The characteristic of this Cosmic Jazz is, in particular, that of the so called jazz musicians, the use of very open sounds with African percussion up front, poetic verses that involuntarily created the bases of rap, piano solos or hypnotic Rhodes and riffs of astral saxes. All this lasted up until the 80’s and the song “Upper Egypt” by Sanders demonstrates such! Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes came very close to cosmic funky-jazz by using a highly effected Fender Rhodes with Wah Wah and Echoes and funky grooves to create a sound that to say the least is very astral! “Expansions” is their better known song, that which has the bassline intro which was also taken by the Dream Warriors (a noted Hip Hop group from the 90’s) to put together their hit “Talkin’ All That Jazz”. Now though let’s go back to the end of the sixties, a period when Alice Coltrane made an album on Impulse that, for me, remains a masterpiece of Cosmic Jazz with Hindu flavours: “Journey In Sachananda”, a record that is a true and proper journey into the most astral India where Indian drums, accompanied by the typical Tabla percussion, make up the base for the hypnotic harp of Alice and sax of Sanders… a true interior trip that all of us should make! After this introduction to the theme, as is usual I will now go through my archives to suggest some pieces of vinyl that are necessary when going on such a trip! Starting with Pharoah Sanders I will point out “Village Of The Pharoahs”, “Elevation” and “Summun Bukmun Umyun” whilst for the discography of Lonnie Liston Smith head straight for “Vision Of A New World”, “Expansions” and “Cosmic Funk”. I will also tell you about a lovely album by Alice Coltrane that has been inspired by the sound of John (Coltrane): we are talking about “Ptah, The El Daoud”. The cosmic poetry of Leon Thomas finds its maximum expression in “Spirits Known And Unknown”, “New Vocal Frontiers”, “The Leon Thomas Album” and “Full Circle” on the Flying Dutchman label. To finish off I cannot leave out an album that for me remains a masterpiece of modern Jazz, a record that is and will remain always on a superior level, “In Pursuit Of The 13th Note” by Galliano that came out on Talkin Loud in 1991. Many artists, however, have tinted cosmically their records and amongst these I will mention names such as Bob James, Gabor Zsabor, Pat Martino, Roy Ayers, Cannonball Adderley, Last Poets, Jalal and many others. Time to close again, as always but even more than ever, we need peace all over the land!

Introducing Marva Whitney and Her essential Funk 45's

Introduction to Marva Whitney – The Lady Of Funk

After a lot of Great men now it's time to speak to a Lady , the first Lady of Funk.
Friends and Guests of Jazzmotel I'm proud to introduce you Marva Whitney .
As always i dont know how introduce this kind of personalities , so many things to say ....so Great persons and Artists.
The James Brown experience , her own career , Alfred Pee Wee Ellis , Tommy and The Derbys (who rose to fame with Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band) , "Live At The Apollo Volume II".
His record " It's my thing" spent seven weeks in Billboard's US R&B Hot 100, peaking at #19 in the summer of 1969 (#82 Pop).Other records like" Things Got To Get Better" and "I Made A Mistake Because It's Only You", made their presence too on the US R&B Top 40.
My favourite are " Unwind Yourself " and " I’m Tired I’m Tired I’m Tired" .
Now she's back with a great band and a lot of news so have a read on this Interview DJ Pari kindly maked me do and have a look at her site on the links section.
love!


Marva Whitney essential Funk 45's


2006
I am what I am P.1 / I am what I am P.2
RDVB-025

1967
Your love was good for me / Saving my time for my baby
Federal, F12545

1967
If you love me / Your love was good for me
King, K6124

1968
Undwind yourself / If you love me
King, K6146

1968
Your love was good for me / What kind of man
King, K6158

1968
Things got to get better (get together) / What kind of man
King, K6168

1968
I'll work it out / All my love belongs to you
King, K6181

1968
I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired / If you love me
King, K6193

1968
What do I have to do to prove my love to you / Your love was good for me
King, K6202

1968
Tit for tat (Ain't no takin' back) / In the middle (Instr.)
King, K6206

1969
You gotta have a job (with James Brown) / I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired
King, K6218

1969
It's my thing / Ball of Fire
King, K6229

1969
Things got to get better (Get together) / Get out of my life
King, K6249

1969
I made a mistake because it's only you P.1 / P.2
King, K6268

1970
He's the one / This girl's in love with you
King, K6283

Groovin' with the Beatles

I proposes a look at the more groovy pieces of The Beatles re-interpreted by musicians that, in the 60’s and 70’s, were part of that sound that we all now define as Groovy Beatles! Why The Beatles? Simply for two reasons: above all they are and always will be my favourite band as well as being the ones who opened my mind musically when I was young, in fact I can state that my Karma as a DJ made itself known at the age of six when I used to listen to “Let It Be” (that came out only six years before!). The second reason is that last November 17th of last year “Let It Be” was re-published in its original version, that which the authors themselves would like to have seen pressed. Phil Spector, the producer at the time, remixed unknowingly by them the whole album in an effort to make it less raw and more sweeter, he added angelic choruses and orchestras and created many upsets amongst The Beatles who were close on breaking up, that now, at a distance of 33 years, see again (sadly only Mc Cartney and Starr) published their piece of work just how it was planned at the time! Before closing this Beatles section I want to be precise, once and for all, that “Let It Be” was not their last album that they realised in the studio but was in fact the one but last, even if the last, “Abbey Road”, was published in ’69 and “Let It Be” in ’70. Now, as always, I will list a quick but significant quantity of titles and authors, starting with George Benson, a very famous jazz guitarist, who published an album entitled “The Other Side Of Abbey Road” in which, of them all, stands out the very ‘Soul Beat’ version of “I Want You”. Ramsey Lewis also, another very famous artist, re-proposed with the electric piano that characterised his sound the famous White album in a groovy version, calling it “Mother Nature Son” like one of the pieces of Paul. Ramsey was also a big fan of The Beatles, in fact right from the beginning of the 60’s he proposed many cover versions of the group in lots of his albums. In a precedent appointment that was dedicated to the Sitar I mentioned how The Beatles were the first to introduce this instrument into pop, therefore, what better way, in the swinging sixties, to make a cover of their songs than using a Sitar? Here then is Big Jim Sullivan at work on “She’s Leaving Home” (originally taken from “Sgt. Peppers”) or Lord Sitar who put two pieces on his self titles album, “Blue Jay Way” and “I’m The Walrus”, both taken from “The Magical Mystery Tour”. Moving on to the Hammond organ we rediscover two extraordinary and highly danceable versions of “Get Back” respectively done by Shirley Scott (very jazzy) and the guitarist Dennis Coffey (touching on psychedelic funk rock contained on the album “Hair And Things”). Another great organist, Jimmy Caravan, in his “Look Into The Flower” proposes a great version of “A Day In The Life” in trio where the cacophony orchestra of the original piece, that divided the two ‘separate’ pieces of Paul and John, is substituted by a cacophony organ that gives you goose pimples with the Lesley (for those that don’t know this is a trumpet shaped amplifier that the Hammond possesses, capable of creating an effect like sucking). Rob Franken also, a less noted German organist, proposed his versions of “The Fool On The Hill” and “Ob La De Ob La Da” worthy of noting (they are contained on a very rare record that, however, is well worth looking for). Also Sergio Mendes was another big fan of the ‘fab four’ and, just as you can hear on many of his albums, loved re-interpreting their songs. Staying in South America I will tell you about a wicked version of “Come Together” that has been looked after by the very famous and much sought after Brazilian drummer Wilson Das Neves of whom his 70’s album entitled “Samba Tropi” is at the moment valued at around 250 dollars! El Chicano, a group that was born ‘bad’ like Santana but remained that way, offered us their Latin funk version of “Eleanor Rigby” where the sweetness of the original piece leaves space to a very aggressive Latin beat that is worthy of the most dusty powdered Mexicans! Astrud Gilberto also (an artist that is better known by us) re-proposed “In My Life” (in 1968) and “Here There And Everywhere” (in 1969) including them on her rarest (just for a change) album “Windy” and “17th September 1969”: there is no point mentioning that her Brazilian sweet voice makes these songs even more pleasurable.

Some other titles with Beatles reinterpretations are :

Booker T anbd the MG's Soul Limbo Stax
Ella Fitzgerald Watch whats happens MPS
Shirley Scott and the Soul Saxes Atlantic
Andrew Tartaglia Tartaglian Theorem Capitol
Ramsey Lewis Mother Nature Son Cadet
Steve Marcus Tomorrow never knows Vortex
George Benson The Other Side Of Abbey Road CTI
The Knut Kiesewetter Train Stop!Whatch!and Listen ! MPS
Mongo Santamaria Working On A Groovy Thing Columbia
Shirley Bassey Something UA
Big Jim Sullivan Sitar Beat Mercury
The Harvey Averne Dozen Fania
And loads more .....