It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed Natural Selection’s debut album Come On Over…and just like their debut album followed the maxim good things come to those who wait the interview just needed a little time.
So here’s your chance to learn more about Alesia Dessau and her band Natural Selection.

Q: Natural Selection exists since 1996. Congratulations to your 10th anniversary by the way. Please tell me more about these ten years. Your website says you started as a jazz quartet. What did happen that made you change your sound?

Alesia Dessau: Thank you! I started singing jazz in restaurants for extra money while in college. I had written some songs and started bringing my charts to gigs. The musicians liked my music and that gave me the confidence to share more of my music. We then began to rearrange jazz standards and adding R&B songs such as “Feel Like Makin Love” by Roberta Flack and “Superstar” by Lauryn Hill to the sets. After college, it was hard to keep a band together, so I concentrated on writing songs while looking for new musicians.

Q: How would you describe Natural Selection’s music to someone who hasn’t heard you before? And who has influenced you in the ten years of existence.

Alesia Dessau: I would describe Natural Selection’s sound as “Original Soul”. Some of our influences are Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Donny Hathaway, Phyllis Hyman, Incognito, Brand New Heavies and Stevie Wonder. Given the various backgrounds of the musicians of Natural Selection, our sound is truly eclectic. We mix a bit of R&B, funk, rock and hip hop into our sound…and it’s always groovin!

>>>continue

Receiving Beautiful Nubia’s new album Fèrè reminded me how long I’m running this site because this is already my third review of an album by Beautiful Nubia and the Roots Renaissance Band. With reviews of Awile and Jangbalajugbu plus two interviews Segun Akinlolu has become a constant artist on this site. And again he proves that he’s a guarantor for music that moves your body with infectious afro beats and brings you food for thought.
At times, when most people seem to turn away from politics and escape into privacy (the recent local elections in three federal states of my home country Germany with less than 50% turnout are a good example of people’s unwillingness to participate in the political process) and leave politics to politicians and lobby organisations, Beautiful Nubia’s voice needs to be heard not only in his native continent Africa but all over the world. In fact his re-recording of Dear Africa, which originally appeared on his 1999’s Voice From Heaven album and has lost nothing of its relevance, could easily be re-named Dear America or Dear Europe. While neither the USA nor Europe may suffer the economical distress of most African countries there are a lot of things indicating that the ideals of Western civilisation have become a mere non-binding letter of intent, ideal as in ideational, watered down by corrupt politician who rather care for the wealth of big companies than for the wealth of the people. (”We had a dream to build a great nation/ We had a desire to rule the world/ We lost our way and we should have turned around/ But all we do is keep on going wrong/ How many more years of sorrow will come/ How many more wars will we fight?“)
Like Beautiful Nubia states in Ohun Oju Nri everyone is to blame for the failures in society (”Our leaders run around begging for help/ When the solutions are right here at home with us/ The future of the this land is in the hands/ Of every man and woman, young and old/ Everyone of us has a share in the blame for the failure of society/ See, we’re still slaves economically,/ We’re still slaves politically,/ We’re still slaves ideologically”
Though he looks at society from an African point of view, I think you get the message from my previous remarks that Beautiful Nubia’s message has really a global approach of freedom, equalitiy and humanity.
Humanity and respect is also an important part of your everyday life towards your fellow men. Like it’s predecessors Fèrè offers a balanced mixture of political and personal songs. Take Ife Oloyin (Gotta Tell You) for example. Here we find a singer suddenly realizing how important a special person is in his life (”It’s such a lonely world/ Can’t find no one to trust/ You’re the only one who understands/ Wipe away your tears, just take me in your arms/ This is where I belong and I’m here to stay“).
And then there is the uptempo happy-go-lucky song What A Day, which was a party favourite when it was released on the Voice From Heaven album back in 1999. There are two more songs Beautiful Nubia has re-recorded here. Baba Eledumare and All It Takes both appeared originally on Voice From Heaven. The new version of All It Takesis a soulful song about life’s challenges and the joy one can find in his family (”I have a little son and he thinks I am great/ In his trusting eyes I see a world of love/ Said I’ve been there before, the valley of death/ And the all-seeing father says it’s okay/ So it doesn’t matter whatever they say/ I know where my destiny is taking me“).
Spirit Of A New Generation could best be described as a We Shall Overcome of this century. Merging portions of his own The People Are Ready with an old Yoruba song this is Beautiful Nubia’s uplifting hope song for a brighter tomorrow (”The people are ready, they want a better day now/ They are tired of promises and politics/ They want some reality/ The people are moving to the future with faith now/ There’s got to be a better way, a new dawn of hope/[…]/This is the spirit of a new generation - hardwork and honesty/ This is the way we will do our things now - all for one and one for all/ This is the spirit of a new generation - Courage, transparency/ This is the way we will do our things now - all for one and one for all“).
Ikoko Akufo (Lamentation For A Broken Pot) is the theme song Beautiful Nubia composed for Tunde Kelani’s movie The Narrow Path. The broken pot is actually a metaphor for a young woman who gets defilied before her wedding night.
Mama Agba’s Twilight Treat digs into Beautiful Nubia’s Yoruba heritage with combining three traditional folksongs.
With sixteen songs Fèrè has much more to offer than the above mentioned songs and I really recommend this album warmly to give you something for your head and feet you hardly find in this combination these days.

Tracklisting of Fèrè: 1. Muku-i-muku/ 2. Higher Steps (O Mbo Wa D’ero)/ 3. Eleko’Dere/ 4. Ohun Oju Nri/ 5. Ife Oloyin (Gotta Tell You)/ 6. Onile Ayo/ 7. Ikoko Akufo (Lamentation For A Broken Pot)/ 8. Tables Turn/ 9. Dear Africa/ 10. Mama Agba’s Twilight Treat/ 11. What A Day!/ 12. Mind Of Your Own/ 13. All It Takes/ 14. Spirit Of A New Generation/ 15. Baba Eledumare/ 16. Lamentation version | released 2006 EniObanke Music

For more infos visit beautifulnubia.com and cdbaby.com.

[If you want to discuss the Beautiful Nubia’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

In conjunction with radiopellenera jazz-not-jazz presents a weekly show with quality soul, jazz and house music. You can catch the show every Tuesday from 07:00-09:00 (UTC+1) and if you missed it it will be repeated on Friday 12:00-14:00 (UTC+1) and Sunday from 13:00-15:00 (UTC+1) . For conversion to your local time zone have a look at the wikipedia or at radiopellenera’s schedule on live365.com.

Here’s the playlist for the show starting tomorrow March, 28th:

McCoy Tyner: Search For Peace (from The Real McCoy)
Deborah J. Carter: Oh! Darling (from Daytripper)
Naima Shamborguer: In The Still Of The Night (from From My Heart To Yours)
Abbey Lincoln & Archie Shepp: Throw It Away (from Painted Lady)
Mala Waldron: Ellie (from Always There)
Edsel Gomez: NYC Taxi Ride (from Cubist Music)
Cannonball Adderly: Sambop
Victor Davies: Sound Of The Samba (MAW Main Mix)
3 Generations Walking: Love Always Love (from 3 Generations Walking)
Maya Azucena: G-hetto (from Maya Who?)
Ola Onabule: Soul Town (from In Emergency, Brake Silence)
Teena Marie: Shadow Boxing (from Robbery)
Vesta: Congratulations (from (Vesta4U)
Myron: Believer (from Free)
Tony! Toni! Toné!: Holy Smoke & Gee Wiz (from House Of Music)
Sandra St. Victor: Since You Been Gone (from Mack Diva Saves The World)
Amana Melomé: Floss Girl (from Indigo Red)
Noel McKoy: Love Under Control (from Please Take This Personal)
Curtis Mayfield: Beautiful Brother Of Mine (from Roots)
Joe Henderson: Fire (from The Elements)
Walter Smith III: Blues (from Casually Introducing)

I’m just a sucker for your love Teena Marie. Although I wasn’t overall happy with her La Dona album I look forward to her new album Sapphire, which according to amazon should be released on May 9, 2006 via Cash Money Records. And as always, when an artist signs with a major label (Universal in this case) or its subsidiaries, there’s no information on Lady T’s official website yet, which wasn’t updated for ages. I really wonder why she gave up her old website, which wasn’t the best designed but at least it had some personal input by Teena and was updated more often (albeit the miraculous Black Rain album never saw the light of day).

[update: and here’s the tracklisting of the album Sapphire:

01 God Has Created (feat. Smokey Robinson)
02 Cruise Control (feat. Smokey Robinson)
03 Baby Who Is It (feat. Kurupt)
04 Make It Hot
05 Ooo Wee (feat. Kurupt)
06 Sleeping With The Enemy
07 Apb
08 Love Is A Gangsta
09 Ladies Choice (feat. Queen And Gail Gotti)
10 Somebody Just Like You (feat. Gerald Albright)
11 You Blow Me Away
12 Simmer Down (feat. Lady Levi)
13 Romantica
14 The Way You Love Me
15 Ecstasy
16 Resilient (Sapphire)

Featuring Smokey Robinson ans Gerald Albright sounds good…I wish I could say the same about the featured rappers.]

Courtesy of Jon Freer (mosoul.co.uk) here are 10 reviews of released and soon to be released albums (sorry no cover shots or tracklistings this time and Jon decided to go for a different review format):

V/A – Electric Pussycat starring Jerome Sydenham – BBE/Ibadan
SYNOPSIS: Full throttle technoid House.
LOVE: The mesmeric nature of the music.
HATE: The reliance on Techy tracks and heavy percussive rhythmics means there’s unfortunately no room for other facets of the Ibadan sound.
HIGHLIGHTS: Matthew Jonson’s trippy yet serene “Love Letters From The Enemy” and Dennis Ferrer’s key kissed “Son Of Raw”.
VERDICT: An emotionally charged exploration from Sydenham, which makes you yearn to witness him spin in a club.
Format: CD. Cat No: BBECD072. Release Date: 11th April 2006.

Diesler – Keepie Uppies – Tru Thoughts
SYNOPSIS: Fuzzy broke jazz business, with a funki twitch and a Latin shake of the hips.
LOVE: The musical sunshine emanating from an album made in the rather un-exotic climate of Lancashire mill town Burnley.
HATE: Moments of musical fluff.
HIGHLIGHTS: The warm-hearted “Summer Dream” and the uplifting brassed up strains of “A Little Something”.
VERDICT: A pretty damn impressive second album from Mr. Radford, which contains more standout moments than his first LP.
Format: CD. Cat No: TRUCD097. Release Date: 24th April 2006.

V/A – Compost Black Label Series Vol 01 – Compost Black
SYNOPSIS: Hair-raising House and oddly beaten numbers from Germany’s Broken Jazz leaders.
LOVE: The exhilarating nature of the tracks.
HATE: Certain ones are a little too frightening!
HIGHLIGHTS: The sleazy house-step of Trickski’s “Hormony” and a string riddled bassathon from Lopazz called “Child Of Dance”.
VERDICT: Kinda like a hot model…style wins over substance, but rather desirable all the same.
Format: CD. Cat No: 215-2. Available in Europe now, US Release Date: May 2006.

V/A – Panama! Funk, Latin & Calypso on the Isthmus 1965-75 – Soundway
SYNOPSIS: With a Latin flourish, a Caribbean swagger and influences that have travelled in on the winds from elsewhere, this Panamanian comp serves up bountiful musical treats.
LOVE: The rich musical heritage displayed here, which show’s there’s more to this wafer thin country than headgear and man made water body.
HATE: What about pre ‘65 and post ‘75 Panamanian music?
HIGHLIGHTS: Bush y Magnificos’ breezy “Nana Nina” and Los Fabulosos Festivals gutsy guitar driven “El Mesaje”.
VERDICT: An authentic tale of the musical happenings from one of the least documented countries of the Americas.
Format: CD/2LP. Cat No: SNDWCD/LP007. Release Date: 28th March 2006.

Thievery Corporation – Sounds From The Thievery Hi-Fi – ESL
SYNOPSIS: The Corp’s original worldwise downbeat and dub-influenced album reissued.
LOVE: They way the Thievery’s music seeps into your consciousness.
HATE: The over-politeness of their compositions.
HIGHLIGHTS: The sky-gazing “Shaolin Satellite” and the string-led, strung out “Incident at Gate 7″.
VERDICT: This is an exotic smelling meal, where the flavours have been tailored towards a western palate.
Format: CD. Cat No: ESL 090. CD reissue available now.

0898dave – When The River Runs Dry, We Die – Heart & Soul
SYNOPSIS: Lofi guitartronics from zany Dave.
LOVE: Dave’s humour.
HATE: The fact that 0898dave’s music will not change your life or inspire you to achieve feats of greatness.
HIGHLIGHTS: A charming guitar driven tribute to a certain chair bound detective, which goes by the name of “Ironside”, and the chiming “Glockrock”.
VERDICT: This silly album can either have you laughing uncontrollably or shouting expletives, depending on your mood.
Format: CD. Cat No: HAS004CD. Available Now.

V/A – Om: Miami 2006 – Om
SYNOPSIS: Electric House business from start to finish.
LOVE: The uplifting nature of certain tracks.
HATE: The impassivity of others.
HIGHLIGHTS: Uneaq’s cheery “Salsa Pico” and Fred Everything’s
synthilating “Studio C”.
VERDICT: The flashes of brilliance stand out amongst the standard faire.
Format: CD. Cat No: OM204. Release Date: 24th April 2006.

V/A – Patrick Forge’s Pres. The Brazilian Funk Experience – Nascente
SYNOPSIS: This impressive set shows the diversity and musical depth of the source material – EMI Odeon releases from 1968-1989.
LOVE: The energy and sparkling nature of the music.
HATE: The disappointing lack of a vinyl release for this compilation, which would undoubtedly do well at a time when Brazilian compositions are very popular.
HIGHLIGHTS: The earnestly keyed “Embalo Diferente” from Os Devaneios and Marcelo’s thorny guitarred “Algo No Al”.
VERDICT: An ear opening compilation, which contains loads of killer cuts.
Format: CD. Cat No: NSCD112. Release Date: 3rd April 2006.

Gum Drop – Hi-Falutin – Altered Vibes
SYNOPSIS: Soul-hop niceness from G-D.
LOVE: G-D’s edgy instrumented and distinctive production style.
HATE: The forgettableness of some album cuts.
HIGHLIGHTS: The bass circling “Block Drop” and a dancing keyed number
called “One Last Chance.
VERDICT: A satisfying soul snack.
Format: CD/LP. Cat No: AVBPM005. Release Date: 3rd April 2006.

Dday One – Loop Extensions – Needle-Work
SYNOPSIS: Rugged cut and paste down hop.
LOVE: They way that gorgeous instrumentation is laid over heavy beats.
HATE: The flatness of the compositions.
HIGHLIGHTS: Dusty bassline business of “If Eyes Were Ears” and the honest “Distant Memory”.
VERDICT: Well thought out as it is, this release isn’t very exhilarating.
Format: CD. Cat No: NWCD03. Available Now.

In conjunction with radio42.com and rautemusik.fm jazz-not-jazz presents two hours of simply great music every Friday 19:00-21:00 UTC+1 (you don’t have to convert it for Germany…that’s Friday 13:00-15:00 in NYC, Friday 10:00-12:00 in San Francisco and Saturday 04:00-06:00 in Sydney). The links of the audio stream can be found on radio42.com or global24music.com/rautemusik (look for Lounge there).
If you have a DSL/broadband connection you can also open this url directly in your mediaplayer: http://rautemusik.g24m.net:14000
For ISDN connections try http://rautemusik.g24m.net:14050

[Update: I’ve just been informed that there was a little streaming problem last Friday. That’s why this Friday (March, 24th) you can listen to last week’s show. Please find the playlist here.]

Below is the playlist for Friday, 31th:

Edsel Gomez: Empty House (from Cubist Music)
Larry Epstein: Blue Waltz (from myTunes!)
Horace Silver: For Heaven’s Sake (from Six Pieces Of Silver)
Solar: Waltz On The Hudson (from Suns Of Cosmic Consciousness)
Andile Yenana: Pedal Point (from Who’s Got The Map?)
McCoy Tyner: Message From The Nile (from Extensions)
Walter Smith III: Cyclic Episode (from Casually Introducing)
Speak In Tones: Elements (from Subaro)
Robert Mitchell’s Panacea: If These Walls Could Talk (feat. Norma Winstone) (from Trust)
Mala Waldron: Whispers In The Wind (from Always There)
Natural Selection: Meant To Be (from Come On Over)
Ola Onabule: Wonderful Feeling (from Ambitions For A Deeper Breadth)
Nick-e: Muse (from Mosaic)
Curtis Mayfield: Little Brown Boy (from Love)
Beautiful Nubia: Spirit Of A New Generation (from Fèrè)
Reel People feat. Vanessa Freeman: Tomorrow Never Comes (from For KJM)
Postmodern Jazz: Darkness Into Light (from Love Not Truth)
DJ Spinna feat. Heavy: We Can Change This World (Yoruba Soul Mix)
Snowboy: 42nd And Broadway (from Para Puente)
Willie Rodriguez: Seafood Wally

I must admit that I had my reservations when Mark Zandveld contacted me and told me about a new Deborah J. Carter album of Beatles songs. While I know that Deborah really can adopt a song and make it her own - like she has proved on ‘Round Moonlight and Girl Talking (the latter also features an impressive live version of Yesterday), I wondered if it will really work for a whole album with Beatles songs. And besides I have never been a fan of the Beatles and their music. I know everybody tells you they wrote such great songs. But for me artists like Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye or even Prince (after all it was Prince who introduced me to funk and soul back in the 80s) mean so much more because they’ve (and hundreds of other soul and jazz musicians) provided my personal soundtrack of life (and still do).
On the other hand it might be helpful not to be too familiar with the songs of Paul, John, Ringo and George. Of course I know the old chestnuts like With A Little Help From My Friends, Yellow Submarine or Yesterday but I never felt the need to listen to their whole oeuvre. And I remember very well how I hated Yesterday back in school when we discussed this particular song in music classes. Of course jazz or soul never happened in school and the pop music of the Beatles was the most recent kind of music one would hear in school.
So does Daytripper work? Yes, surprisingly well. Actually Deborah makes you forget the bland original versions by putting the songs into new arrangements within a jazz context and just using the melody and lyrics as a foundation to create her own songs. As on her previous albums Deborah is accompanied by her husband Mark Zanveld (bass), Coen Molenaar (piano, keys) and Enrique Firpi (drums). And as a well-rehearsed band they provide the perfect background for Deborah’s rendition of Beatles tunes.
Can’t Buy Me Love for example celebrates its resurrection as a soulful jazz song. What a great way to start this album. And I Love Her/Him is done as a moving ballad. Things get a little funkier and upbeat on Ticket To Ride with extra percussion by Daniel Patriasz.
The old chesnut Yesterday resurfaces as acoustic guitar driven midtempo song (thanks to Ed Verhoeff on guitar) with a slight Spanish touch. Did I ever say, I don’t like the songs Lennon & McCartney composed? Well, by all means I do like the way Deborah handles these songs. Daytripper for example brings us the best of soul and jazz with warm Fender Rhodes and a swinging Deborah. Oh! Darling gets revamped as releaxed late night bar jazz.
Most people may associate With A Little Help From My Friends more with Joe Cocker than with the Beatles and Joe’s version certainly has been mimiced to death by an endless numbers of impersonator. Of course, Deborah doesn’t fall for that trap. Instead she reflects upon her principle to identify a good song. “It must have a well-constructed melody and harmonies. If I can play a song I like on the piano with no extras - strings, horns, studio effects - and still love it, then it passes the test.“, she told in her jazz-not-jazz interview a few years ago.
So With A Little Help From My Friend is stripped down to the song’s core with just Coen Molanaar on piano and Deborah’s heartfelt vocal input.
To sum it up Daytripper is an impressive showcase for Deborah J. Carter and her band to show their ability to adopt even the most well-known composition to come up with something new you haven’t heard before.

Tracklisting of Daytripper - A Beatles Tribute: 1. Can’t Buy Me Love/ 2. And I Love Her/ 3. Ticket To Ride/ 4. Yesterday/ 5. a - Daytripper/ b - Trippin’ (Vocalese)/ 6. a - I Will/ b - Here, There, And Everywhere/ 7. Something 4:22/ 8. Fixing A Hole 3:14/ 9. Oh! Darling 4:06/ 10. Things We Said Today 3:55/ 11. With A Little Help From My Friends | released 2006 Timeless Records

For more infos visit deborahjcarter.com and timelessjazz.com.

[If you want to discuss the Deborah J. Carter’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

Cubist Music? What the hell may that be? Music made with cubes? Music made for cubist? Well, not really. In fact, pianist and composer Edsel Gomez has recorded a fine jazz album made with traditional instruments that should appeal to listeners of more intellectual instrumental jazz music.
Cubism is defined as an avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture in the early 20th century.In cubist artworks, objects are broken up, analyzed, and re-assembled in an abstracted form — instead of rendering objects from a single fixed angle, the artist depicts the subject from multiple angles simultaneously as an attempt to present the subject in the most complete manner. Often the surfaces of the facets, or planes, intersect at angles that show no recognizable depth. The background and object (or figure) planes interpenetrate one another creating the ambiguous shallow space characteristic of cubism. It was a complete and clearly defined aesthetic.
Edsel’s main aim was to approach the music from a cubist angle. “The basic principle of Cubist music is very simple and can change the way a musician improvises instantly,” he says. “In very much the same way a Cubist painting portrays an image by combining cubes or building blocks, this concept consists of a search for melodies or patterns that are perceived to have a beginning and an end,” he explains. “I call these melodic motifs or complete unit patterns we search for ‘unitifs.’ For this recording, musicians were requested to search for these unitifs within their improvised lines and build their solos by juxtaposing and contrasting different unitifs just like cubes in a Cubist painting.”
Still sounds rather academically, doesn’t it? It becomes much clearer if you read what Edsel says about the first time he thought about cubist music after moving to New York in 1997. “I would go out to different places and hear so many great players who have so much music to offer. Everywhere you go in New York, even on the subway, you find somebody playing great. So I would hear all of this stuff and remember what somebody would play — maybe one phrase that caught my attention. And I would think, ‘If I could just play one idea and then construct another idea to this one where one is fueled by another; if I could take the ideas that I like and just make a music out of those little ideas, that would be something unique.’”
So Cubist Music is Edsel’s unique way to create a tapestried patchwork of music with enough room for improvising that takes influences from various sources to create something new.
Edsel recorded his Zoho debut album with Don Byron (clarinet), David Sanchez (tenor sax), Miguel Zenon (alto sax), Steve Wilson (alto sax), Gregory Tardy (tenor sax, bass clarinet, flute), Drew Gress (acoustic bass) and Bruce Cox (drums).
With thirteen original and musical varied compositions (all by Edsel Gomez except for Molly which was written by producer and clarinetist Don Byron) there’s enough to keep the discerning listener happy. There’s the fast, energy-ridden opener NYC Taxi Ride, that captures the chaos of overcrowded streets. The furious, fragmented Ladybug reminds me of late last summer when an invasion of ladybugs caused some confusion. Personally I think Edsel’s cubist music works best in its quieter moments like the tribute to the Puerto Rican trombonist and longtime Duke Ellington sideman Juan Tizol, the excellent solo piano song The “Adoracion” Variations or Coqui Serenade, a song that tries to re-create the sound of small tree frogs, that are endemic to Puerto Rico and have become an unofficial national symbol of Puerto Rico. Another favourite is the haunting Empty House that finds Edsel in inspiring conversation with bassist Drew Gress. Thanks to Drew’s bowed bass this song has a really captivating quality.
All in all Cubist Music is an inspiring album that may need a few plays but then it rewards the persistent listener with its very own beauty.

Tracklisting of Cubist Music: 1. Wolfville/ 2. To the Lord/ 3. The Minetta Triangle/ 4. Lady Bug/ 5. Juan Tizol/ 6. The 3 – 3 Clave/ 7. Empty House/ 8. Coqui Serenade/ 9. W 54th Street Theme/ 10. NYC Taxi Ride/ 11. The “Adoracion” Variations/ 12. Harmolodic Collage/ 13. Molly | released 2006 by Zoho

For more infos visit edselgomez.com, zohomusic.com and cdbaby.com.

[If you want to discuss Edsel Gomez’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

Norma Winstone, who recently impressed us on If These Walls Could Talk from Robert Mitchell’s Panacea Trust album will be a guest of the NDR Big Band at the jazzahead! festival in Bremen on March, 23rd . For more info visit the jazzahead website.
I’ve never heard of this jazz festival before (actually I even didn’t know Bremen had a jazz festival). But 185 Euro for a 4 day ticket to attend all lectures, concerts and exhibition is just a little too much in my humble opinion to make this a really interesting festival. And by the way what about the internet as a way to promote and write about music? The topics of the lecture sound so 1990.

In conjunction with radiopellenera jazz-not-jazz presents a weekly show with quality soul, jazz and house music. You can catch the show every Tuesday from 07:00-09:00 (UTC+1) and if you missed it it will be repeated on Friday 12:00-14:00 (UTC+1) and Sunday from 13:00-15:00 (UTC+1) . For conversion to your local time zone have a look at the wikipedia or at radiopellenera’s schedule on live365.com.

Here’s the playlist for the show starting tomorrow March, 21th:

Alice Coltrane: IHS (from Huntington Ashram Monastery)
Fay Victor: Last Night’s Dinner (from Darker Than Blue)
Carmen Lundy: Long Journey Home (live) (from Jazz And The New Songbook)
Doug Carn: Power And Glory (from Revelation)
Nina Simone: Ain’t Got No - I Got Life (from Black Gold)
Joanna Pascale: Give Me The Simple Life (from When Lights Are Low)
Bill Withers: Grandma’s Hand
Stevie Wonder: Too High (from Innervisions)
Ohio Players: Heaven Must Be Like This (from Skin Tight)
Sandra St. Victor: Slippin’ Into Darkness (from Gemini Both Sides)
Sharon Jones & The DAP Kings: My Man Is A Mean Man (from Naturally)
Curtis Mayfield: You’re So Good To Me (from Heartbeat)
Vanessa Simon: Can’t Deny It (from Definitive Source)
Mamayo: Hey Hey (from The Game)
daysahead: Falling Flower (from Turning Point)
Alison David: Keep Shining Like A Star (from Believe)
Jhelisa: Flute Band In Gauteng (from A Primitive Guide To Being There)
Caballero-Verde Quintet: The Nerve (from Past Due)
Victor Davies: Better Place (Cotton Club Remix) (from Remixes)
Osunlade: Same Thing
DJ Spinna feat Heavy: We Can Change This World (Club Mix)

Music certainly runs in Mala Waldron’s family. Her dad was jazz pianist/composer Mal Waldron and Mala had the opportunity to play and record with her father. In 1995 while touring Japan Mala and her father Mal recorded an album entitled He’s My Father. Later Mala released her debut solo release, Lullabye. Both records were only released in Japan which makes Always There Mala’s first independent release in her home country USA.
Mala’s music has a pleasant warm and organic sound that combines the best of the soul and jazz world. Early records by Roberta Flack spring to mind or Vivienne McKone if you have to have a comparison. All songs except one were written and arranged by Mala. Some of the songs were written back in the mid 90s, some a few years ago so that Always There is like a Best Of of the Mala Waldron songbook.
Mala recorded Always There with a bunch of talented musicians she met over the years like bassist Miriam Sullivan, Steve Salerno (guitars) and Michael “T.A.” Thompson (drums, percussion).
The album starts with the soulful Whispers In The Wind, a great midtempo soul/jazz tune with fine keyboard playing by Mala. It may be hard to beat such a highlight but Because Of You shows no backlash. This beautiful midtempo soul song is about a new love that provides you with new energy and lets you see the world in a brighter light…ah, we all know this feeling and wish it may last forever.
Mala continue to deliver the good stuff with the album’s title track Always There, which is not a cover of the famous song by Ronnie Laws but an original composition by Mala. Always There is a slow, bluesy song that sees Mala pleading to a higher power to find “that the light still shines in this heart of mine“.
The delightful Too Good For Words provides a welcome change of pace. This swinging jazz song features some fine scatting by Mala.
Three of the songs are dedicated to Mala’s family members. The mellow, retrospective I Do Remember You is dedicated to her grandmother Mardi, while Ellie, an uptempo song with a scatting tour de force by Mala, is devoted to her mother. The heartfelt Proud Lion, finally, is her tribute to her father.
Add to this other highlights like the soulful Why (When I Say Goodbye), Can’t Stop Thinking About You or Mala’s inspiring rendition of The Door’s Light My Fire and you have a highly recommendable album full of quality soul and jazz tunes.

Tracklisting of Always There: 1. Whispers in the Wind/ 2. Because of You/ 3. Always There/ 4. Too Good For Words/ 5. I Do Remember You/ 6. Ellie/ 7. Why (When I say Goodbye)/ 8. Can’t Stop (Thinking About You)/ 9. Light My Fire/ 10. Proud Lion/ 11. Maybe It’s Not So | released 2006 by Soulful Sound Music

For more infos visit alwaysthere-cd.com, soulfulsound.com and cdbaby.com.

[edit: Mala Waldron will host a CD Release Event/Concert at The Jazz Standard, 116 E. 27th Street, New York, NY, on Monday, March 27, 2006, 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm sets, $15 cover, no minimum.]

[If you want to discuss Mala Waldron’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

The Jazzcat aka LeRoy Downs has published two interviews (as mp3 files) recently (well, I should visit his site more often), one with Carmen Lundy about her recently released double album Jazz And The New Songbook (really a must have with Carmen Lundy originals only), the other interview is with Dianne Reeves (while I still find her albums recommendable, I don’t buy them as long as Blue Note/EMI keeps releasing them with copy protection).

jazzvideopodcasts.com is a new site that started with a video podcast of Sonny Rollins. Unfortunately it’s offered as a m4v file only, which most DAPs (except the one with from the company with the fruit logo) don’t support. So you better watch it on your computer with vlc or other media players.
Upcoming video podcasts will include:
April 1: Joe Lovano - Streets of Naples
April 15: Hendrik Meurkens - A Felicidade
May 1: Billy Taylor - American Hero
May 15: Denny Zeitlin - Quiet Now
June 1: Dom Minasi - Vampire’s Revenge
June 15: Tony Monaco ­ Hammond B-3 Master Class
July 1: Joe Lovano - Streams of Expression
July 15: Hendrik Meurkens - A Ra
By the way this is a site by Bret Primack who also brought us the Billy Taylor documentation recently.

…or to cite Monty Python and now for something completely different.
Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys may not record the music you primarily associate with the jazz-not-jazz website. But as an vintage movie buff (I really should update my neglected movie blog soon) I just love their website full of references of days long gone by. And make sure to visit the Vaudeville Closet as well.

Of course the Soul Lounge imprint and this second release are a vehicle for UK’s Dome Records to take advantage of their impressive back catalogue of quality soul music. But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill let’s-try-to-make-some-money-with-our-old-records-sampler. Just take a look at the track listing below. For the price of a single CD you not only get three CDs with a few of Dome Records best releases, but you also get three previously unreleased songs (Rahsaan Patterson’s Right Away, Incognito’s All I Want Is You and Full Flava feat. Ce Ce Peniston with You Are The Universe - a cover of the Brand New Heavies song), a song from the just released UK version of Martha Redbone’s album Skintalk (the already classic soul song Atlas) plus songs from other labels like BKO (Bah Samba’s great cover of Teena Marie’s Portuguese Love), One Two Records or Intimate (Cry, maybe the best track from Chris Ballin’s hard to find album Do It Right).
Avid Readers of jazz-not-jazz will be familiar with most artists featured on this compilation because their records have been reviewed on this site over the past years. In fact, this gives me a welcome opportunity to link to my reviews of Donna Gardier’s Home, Rahsaan Patterson’s After Hours, Conya Doss’ Just Because, Rosie Gaines’ You Gave Me Freedom, Don-e’s Try This, George Duke’s Duke, Seek’s Journey Into Day, Full Flava’s Colour Of My Soul, Angela Johnson’s Got To Let It Go, Frank McComb’s The Truth, Bah Samba’s 4 and Carleen Anderson’s Soul Providence. If you’ve missed these artists Soul Lounge 2 is an inexpensive way to discover these artists and to get a few extras. This compilation is certainly the value for money winner this year.

Tracklisting of Soul Lounge 2:
Disc 1:
1. Make You Smile - Brenda Russell/ 2. My Life - Chanel/ 3. Gonna Get Over You - Beverlei Brown/ 4. Heads Up (Soul 101 Remix) - Avani/ 5. Just A Matter Of Time - Hill St. Soul/ 6. Right Away - Rahsaan Patterson/ 7. All I Want Is you - Incognito/ 8. Atlas - Martha Redbone/ 9. Just Because - Conya Doss/ 10. I Can’t Get You Off My Mind - Rosie Gaines/ 11. Bus Stop - Don E/ 12. Moving On Up - Beverley Knight/ 13. Superwoman - George Duke/ 14. Lose My Kool - Donald McCollum/ 15. Cry - Chris Ballin
Disc 2:
1. Betcha Wouldn’t Hurt Me - Full Flava/ 2. Believe Me - Seek/ 3. Hypnotic Love - Maysa/ 4. Too Cool For The Room - Brenda Russell/ 5. All I Need - Angela Johnson/ 6. Whatcha Gonna Do - Frank McComb/ 7. No Reason - Don E & Omar/ 8. Home - Donna Gardier/ 9. Waiting’s Over - Avani/ 10. You Are The Universe - Full Flava feat. Ce Ce Peniston/ 11. This I Promise You - D’Influence & Shola Ama/ 12. Holding On - Intimate Voices & Shaun Escoffery/ 13. When A Woman’s In Love - Jones Girls/ 14. Paradise - Hil St. Soul/ 15. Angel - Dennis Taylor
Disc 3:
1. Portuguese Love - Bah Samba/ 2. Free (Louie Vega Remix) - Stephanie Mills/ 3. My Door Is Open - Carleen Anderson/ 4. U Don’t Want My Love - Donald McCollum/ 5. Don’t Be Afraid - Cooly’s Hot Box/ 6. Whatever It Takes - Angela Johnson/ 7. 25th Chapter - Incognito/ 8. Too Much Too Late - Dee Johnson/ 9. Rescue Me (Taste Of Flava Mix) - Full Flava & Hazel Fernandes/ 10. Love Is Found - Richard Darbyshire
released 2006 Soul Lunge Records

For more infos visit domerecords.co.uk.

Vincent “DJ Spinna” Williams surely needs no introduction to the discerning listener. I’m sure you’ve listened to one of his songs or remixes over the past years. Whether it’s his version of Shaun Escoffery’s Days Like This, Mark De Clive-Lowe’s Day By Day, Fertile Ground’s Live In The Light, Cooly’s Hot Box Make Me Happy or Donnie’s Cloud 9, DJ Spinna is one of the rare musicians/remixer who can play convincingly in the house, soul and hip hop arena.
For his new single We Can Change This World he has teamed up with the NY duo Nicky Guiland and Casey Benjamin aka Heavy. DJ Spinna’s own Club Mix is a massively flowing modern soul/broken beats/house hybrid. Osunlade takes us on a deeper musical excursion with his Yoruba Soul Mix which makes this an instant winner for any deep house dancefloor in the weeks to come.
We Can Change This World is a fine piece of 21st century soul. And I just love the title…it’s all about being united to reach a critical mass and to have an impact on society.
Hopefully, DJ Spinna’s Intergalactic Soul album, that’s scheduled for a early summer release on Papa Records, will contain more songs of this calibre.

Tracklisting of We Can Change This World: A1. We Can Change This World (Club Mix)/ A2. We Can Change This World (Club Instrumental Mix)/ AA1. We Can Change This World (Yoruba Soul Mix)/ AA2. We Can Change This World (Yoruba Soul Instrumental Mix) | released 2006 by Papa Records

For more infos visit djspinna.com, paparecords.co.uk and heavymusic.net.

[If you want to discuss DJ Spinna’s music, you can leave your comment below and also use the forum]

Past Due by the Caballero-Verde Quintet was a welcome breath of fresh (Latin) air last month full of grooves that makes me long for summer finally to appear.
In the meantime the Quintet has been re-named the Danny Green Quintet with Ian Tordella on saxes and flute replacing trumpeter Bill Caballero.
In his jazz-not-jazz interview Danny Green talks about the new energy Ian Tordella has brought to the group, his love for Latin music, his other groups Gente Fina and Trece de la Suerte and much more.

Q: Please tell me something about yourself. You’ve started quite early with music at the tender age of five. How pushy were your parents back then?

Danny Green: My parents were always supportive of my piano studies. They were never overly pushy, but they made sure that I practiced and was prepared for my lessons. I think I went through phases where I really enjoyed practicing as well as phases where practicing felt like a chore. Around the age of twelve, I got pretty tired of the music I was playing and decided to quit taking lessons. Of course my parents were disappointed that I wanted to quit after seven years of lessons, and so my father bought me my first keyboard with the idea that it would keep me interested in music. He was right. I started playing around with the sounds and connecting it to the computer. Soon I started learning how to play the music that I was into by ear, and from that point on, music became a passion instead of a chore. The only pushiness then from my parents was to stop playing so that they could sleep at night.

Q: Who has influenced you musically and how did you discover your love for Latin jazz?

Danny Green: I have had a ton of musical influences throughout the years. I studied jazz piano with Kamau Kennyata at UCSD for three years, and he would definitely stand out as a major influence. My classical teachers, John Mark Harris and Luciane Cardassi, have also been very influential as well as Rick Helzer, who I am currently studying jazz with. As far as artists go, there are so many to mention. I’ve always been very interested in the mixing of styles, and so my two biggest jazz and Latin jazz influences are Brad Mehldau and Danilo Perez. They both have such unique sounds which touch on their roots and move forward at the same time. Other musicians that have influenced me include Chano Dominguez, Caetano Veloso, Wayne Shorter, Ernan Lopez-Nussa, Michel Camilo, Chucho Valdes, Paquito d’Rivera and Ruben Gonzalez. I tend to go through phases where I spend months listening to a specific musician or composer. For the past two years, I’ve been immersing myself in the music of Rachmaninoff. I learned his Second Piano Concerto, and I’m working on the third. More recently, I’ve started doing a lot of listening to Mahler’s symphonies (especially No.2 and 8).
I’ve been into Latin music for about six years. My first exposure to it was seeing the Buena Vista Social Club documentary. Shortly after seeing it, I got some of their albums and started playing along to the music. Eventually I checked out Chucho Valdes and Irakere and fell in love with that music. Through friends and other musicians, I kept hearing of more and more Latin Jazz artists.

>>>continue