The funky genius of James Brown, given a whole new spin for the 21st Century by Stro Elliot of The Roots! Stro clearly loves James' music, and never tries to dominate it too much – as his mixes here are mostly faithful to the funky structure of the originals, and almost work more in an "edit" mode to expand on some of the best elements at the core – while also then throwing in some additional rhythms and other elements. The record's a great antidote to some of the overly-done remixes of classic funk, soul, and jazz – as you'll hear on cuts that include "The Goodest Foot", "Dragon Pants", "Coal Sweat", "Get Up Off", "Sortabad", "Turn It Up Give It Shrooms", "Black & Loud", "Machine No Make Sex", and "She Made Me Popcorn". ~ Dusty Groove
A fantastic live set that offers up the first-ever recorded meeting of these three giants of improvised music – a trio who return to each others' company after many years, and here for the first time with a recording device in action! Given the legacy here, there's almost as much of a loft jazz influence as there is one from the world of European free jazz – and at many points, the reeds of Peter Brotzmann seem to take a lot more directl from the drums and percussion of Milford Graves and bass of William Parker – especially at moments when both players seem tied to each other at both an emotional and performative level! Parker also plays a bit of doussn'gouni, and Graves vocalizes a bit – and the set features a searing live set recorded at the gallery space of CBGBs in 2002. ~ Dusty Groove
Hailing from the small city of Chester, PA on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Kathleen Fontaine- Prattis (affectionately dubbed "Kat" by family & friends) exhibited extraordinary talent as a singer at an early age. She would go on to major in Instrumental Music and Pre-Law at Delaware State University, one of America's leading Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Here is a wonderful album with some of Kat's hand-picked favorite Philly Soul treasures, delivered with a depth of soul & originality that makes these timeless tracks recorded with the legendary Society Hill Orchestra come alive with a fresh new perspective. Join us now in welcoming back the illustrious Kat Fontaine and this wonderful new album.
Six-time GRAMMY nominated artist Gerald Clayton returns with Bells On Sand, his ravishing second album for Blue Note, which will be released April 1st on vinyl, CD, and digital formats. The album explores the impact and abstraction of time over eleven tracks of fresh orchestration and original music with contributions from mentor Charles Lloyd on saxophone, father John Clayton on bass, longtime friend and peer Justin Brown on drums, and new collaborator MARO on vocals. “Each musician on the record represents a different aspect of the axis of time and its shifting sands,” says the acclaimed pianist-composer. “My father and Charles Lloyd, who has been a mentor figure to me, reflect new permutations of my past, and the lineage of elders who have shaped my development; Justin Brown, being my contemporary and musical brother, represents my present; and MARO represents the future—she is part of the next generation, and points to a brand new collaboration.” Unadorned intimacy shapes the music. Clayton’s desire to share more of himself with listeners and fellow artists wields heady influence over his musical choices and his thoughtful curation of the entire album. But most striking is his ability to create quiet chambers for all four artists to be themselves. Bells On Sand opens in pensive resonance with “Water’s Edge.” The slow-peeling composition first spotlights Clayton’s relationship with John’s arco, tapered and doleful, before Brown transforms the duo into a trio. “By the water, I experienced subtle environmental shifts,” he says. “Songs I would sing, play or write were but an expression of a particular shape in the sand at that moment. Any meaning behind what I created came from viewing that creation over a temporal landscape. A song felt a certain way on a certain day, and the next day would feel and function completely differently.” “I hope these reflections encourage people to step back and recognize that our testaments—songs, stories, intentions—lay atop an ever-shifting landscape,” says Clayton. “To look at things from this zoomed-out perspective might allow for a union between past, present, and future. It might allow us to embrace the totality of our life experience. That we may consider the lessons from our past when living the present moment in a way that serves the future.”
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