Markelian Kapedani - Balkan Bop

Scopriamo insieme a Sergio Veschi , Red Records, questo piccolo capolavoro in piano trio di Markelian Kapedani. Per ascoltare l'intero cd ( solo per questa settimana ) clicca qui.


Il jazz è già arrivato là. Ma non è mai partito da là a questo livellThe Shape Of Jazz To Come intitolava Ornette Coleman all'inizio degli anni 60 uno dei suoi dischi manifesto.
Oggi si potrebbe definire la musica di Kapedani One of the Shapes Of Jazz To Come.
Brani come Caravan, Nardis, Black Nile, Punjab, Delilah, Medina, Sama Layuca, Blue Rondo A La Turk, Turkish Mambo, Bedouin etc. sono già da tempo parte della letteratura jazzistica. Alcuni famosissimi altri meno ma non per questo meno belli o meno importanti.
Già dagli anni 60 in Europa musicisti come Tete Montoliu, Pedro Iturralde, Claudio Lo Cascio, Dusko Gojkovic, Csaba Deseo e altri si sono ispirati a vari folclori dei loro paesi o del bacino del mediterraneo coniugando melos popolari di varia provenienza e il jazz ma nella sostanza erano e sono stati visti come delle cose esotiche e un po marginali.
Oggi invece con la musica di Markelian Kapedani si assite ad un processo inverso.
Ciò che era ed è ancora periferico diviene via via più centrale. Non è più il jazz che ingloba altre culture ma sono culture "altre" che inglobano il jazz per evolversi e diventare altro da quello che sono. Quello che in alcuni composizioni di Ellington, Evans, Davis, Randy Weston, Victor Young, Bobby Hutcherson, McCoy Tyner, Lennie Tristano, Dave Brubeck etc. erano delle aperture su culture limitrofe al jazz sono per Kapedani l'humus, il suo naturale background su cui si innestano le tecniche e le metodologie improvvisative del jazz. In questo c'è un precedente illustre: Dollar Brand, oggi meglio conosciuto con il nome di Abdullah Ibrahim, che all'inizio degli anni 70 fece in qualche modo una operazione analoga con il suo celebre African Piano.
E' forse non inutile ricordare che quella musica comparve proprio con l'emigrazione di una folta rappresentanza di musicisti Sud Africani in Europa e a Londra in particolare sullo sfondo di una più vasta ondata migratoria di gente in fuga verso migliori condizioni di vita e di lavoro che dall'Africa si dirigeva in Europa e in particolare proprio verso l'Inghilterra e la Francia.
Markelian Kapedani viene dall'Albania del Nord, dalla zona di Skoder (Scutari). Figlio d'arte, il padre è pianista, compositore, direttore d'orchestra e una sua composizione è inserita in questo album. Kapedani possiede un solidissimo background di studi pianistici e musicali classici e la sua musica è qui ispirata a varie musiche non solo della sua terra ma dell'area balkanica, mediorientale e mediterranea. Si va dalla Bulgaria alla Spagna del Flamenco, e quindi della musica Arabo Andalusa (parafrasando un'altra Sketch of Spain), passando per varie forme, melos, metri dell'Albania, Grecia, Turchia, Egitto. Il risultato non è folclore ma musica che riflette come pochi i tempi che viviamo. Anche Kapedani, che da anni vive in Italia e Svizzera, è un figlio dell'emigrazione massiccia che dai paesi dell'Est e del Nord Africa, e non solo, si riversa in Europa .
Di questa diaspora, Kapedani, è, a suo modo, un interprete profondo e sincero che ci porta in dono il suo mondo musicale che incrocia i Balkani con il Jazz, sullo sfondo di varie culture che non si sommano ma si mescolano e danno vita ad una sintesi musicale che nasce da varie tradizioni per osmosi naturale e non per volontaristico, anche se nobile, atto di fede o ideologia, il che è lo stesso.
Nella sua inesorabile naturalezza e contemporaneità queste musiche assurgono già di primo acchito all'universale proprio perché non aspirano ad essere ma già sono la musica delle genti, che forse vorremmo ignorare o non vedere, assieme a cui viviamo in un crogiuolo in cui timori e speranze si fondono in un comune quanto ormai inesorabile destino.

Sergio Veschi

Balkan Bop
Brano legato all’idioma del be bop con forti riferimenti di intonazioni melodiche dell’area balcanica. La melodia affidata al pianoforte si appoggia ad una matrice ritmica mutevole: dal ritmo Malfuf allo Swing e vice versa. Il basso accompagna energicamente tutta l’esposizione del tema. Il finale del brano si ispira alle *Jare (Yaareh) Shkodrane, ), ballate malinconiche della città di Scutari (Shkodër).


Blue Penthaton
Brano basato sulla ritmica composta (2 + 2 + 2 +3) detta anche “Kars” o “Karsilamas”. Questa particolare ritmica che spesso caratterizza le danze e la musica Greca e turca, costituisce l’elemento di sostegno della melodia. Tale struttura ritmica la possiamo ritrovare anche nelle danze della Macedonia e dell’Albania.
Dal punto di vista melodico, il Tema si sviluppa sul modello pentatonico. La ritmica Karsilamas viene concettualmente incastonata su di una Matrice Blues che segue una struttura binaria in 4/4. Esposta in tal modo, la melodia, ad un primo ascolto, risulta alquanto sfuggente.


Nashke
Brano che richiama le intonazioni del nord-est dell’area Mitteleuropea. La melodia si muove per mezzo di intonazioni slavo-tzigane evocando la briosa atmosfera delle feste balcaniche. Le situazioni melodiche, armoniche e ritmiche si mescolano in modo naturale con il linguaggio del jazz.

Cous Cous in Tunisia
Questo brano si ispira alla tradizione ritmica delle Antille ed in particolare all’energia della musica Afro/Cubana. La melodia segue un andamento in Clave 2/3. Il basso “viaggia” sul Tumbao. Non manca una citazione (anche se brevissima) del motivo del celeberrimo brano A Night in Tunisia.

Bop Drops
Il Brano si ispira alla tipica tradizione Jazz, lo Swing.
La melodia costituita da successioni di quarte è basata su una struttura modale pentatonica.
Tale disposizione degli elementi melodici, conferisce al brano un andamento incisivo e scattante.
I Remember My Dad
Ballad.In ricordo del Compositore albanese Gjon (John) Mark Kapidani, padre dell’autore, recentemente scomparso. Il brano attinge dalle forme di Jare* (Yahre)*, ballate malinconiche della città di Scutari (Shkodër) luogo natale dell’autore. La prima parte di solo piano (“ad libitum” - quasi una fantasia) è ricca di elementi contrappuntistici. La melodia si estende sul tessuto armonico con ampi intervalli.

One for Bud
Brano dedicato a Bud Powell, grande figura centrale e caposcuola del pianismo jazz di tutti i tempi. Il brano si ispira dalla tradizione del be bop.
Oriental Traveller
Un viaggio immaginario attraverso le terre d’oriente, dove miraggi, sogni, realtà e fantasia si confondono e … si perdono nell’orizzonte.Questo brano si basa sulla matrice ritmica di Sayyiddi*, tipica delle danze mediorientali.

Quickly
Brano composto sulla tipica struttura dell’Anatole.

Davaj
Il brano inizia con il pianoforte solo. Sin dalle prime note del pianoforte si percepiscono le intonazioni della musica popolare Russa. La melodia ricrea l’atmosfera della poesia di S.Esenin: Oh, la mia cara Russia.



Malfuf = avvolto. Ritmo binario di origine Egiziano/Yemenita.

Yare, di etimo incerto. Alb – Jare; forse dalla lingua araba – Jaareh = ferita. Probabilmente si conferiva questo termine alle canzoni di carattere malinconico che segnavano neprofondo i sentimenti (come un “indelebile ferita” al cuore).
Sayyiddi Arabo: 1). “Sayyiddi” = mio signore, 2). Meno probabile il termine “Sàeed” = fortunato. Ritmo in 4/4 di origine Mediorientale.

Anatole, di etimologia incerta, disegna una struttura formale tipica del jazz, meglio nota come rhythm changes.
Davaj, Russo – ДABAЙ = avanti.

Markelian Kapedani

Dave Douglas United Front - Brass Ecstasy At Newport

Trombettista, compositore, leader originalissimo Dave Douglas omaggia Lester Bowie e la sua “Brass Fantasy” grazie a questo nuovo cd non a vaso intitolato Bras Ecstasy At Newport dove ben tre dei musicisti che lo affiancano (Luis Bonilla al trombone, Marcus Rojas al tuba e Vincent Chancey al corno francese) sono stati componenti del gruppo di Bowie. La formazione, completata dal batterista Nasheet Waits, ha gia al suo attivo il cd, "Spirit Moves", consigliato dalla stampa di settore come uno dei migliori del 2010. Il critico Aldo Gianolio ha giustamente rilevato che lo spirito e la sonorità del gruppo di Bowie vengono mantenuti intatti, ma al tempo stesso si avverte una componente intellettuale e virtuosistica prettamente “douglasiana”.

Dave Douglas elabora gli stili di Clifford Brown, Booker Little e Miles Davis. Come i migliori artisti contemporanei, sfrutta la sua profonda conoscenza della tradizione, coniugandola con quell’urgenza espressiva tipica del jazz contemporaneo e inglobando i linguaggi musicali più disparati, dal klezmer al folk balcanico, dall'avanguardia più radicale alla musica elettronica, senza rinunciare ai ritmi e alle armonie del jazz. L’incontro con John Zorn (quartetto “Masada”) e le collaborazioni con Myra Melford, Uri Caine e Don Byron, rappresentano tappe importanti della sua crescita artistica. Con i dischi “Sanctuary” (1997) e “Soul on Soul” (2000), Douglas ha conquistato il primo posto nei più prestigiosi referendum internazionali.

( Ringraziamo il Piacenza Jazz festival sia per il bellissimo concerto di sabato sia per la splendida presentazione dell'artista )

Tracklist :

1. Spirit Moves (live) 5:02
2. Rava (live) 10:04
3. Fats (live) 3:34
4. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (live) 7:30
5. United Front (live) 6:17
6. Bowie (live) 12:28



Originally recorded by WBGO Jazz 88 and presented as part of NPR’s live concert series, the album captures the group’s spectacular performance during the 2010 Carefusion Newport Jazz Festival.

“There was a special feeling for us on taking the drive out to the festival grounds at Fort Adams State Park,” said Douglas. “On the day of the gig, each of us was flying in from a different location. The weather was cooperating, and I remember watching boats in the harbor…such a magnificent setting. During the set each of the tunes grew into new proportions that day, stretching in all sorts of directions from their original studio release.”

Picking up where their critically acclaimed debut Spirit Moves (Greenleaf 2009) left off, United Front (Douglas’ 32nd release) sees this all-star band plunging into Douglas' compositions (plus one Hank Williams Sr. tune) with an intensity and exuberance garnered only at a live jazz concert, particularly one with the legacy and spirit of Newport. The album features tunes from Spirit Moves including the 12-plus minute set closer “Bowie” – a tribute to Lester Bowie - that steadily works the crowd into a loud and appreciative frenzy. Also included are two previously unreleased songs, “Spirit Moves” and “United Front.”

Savant Novita' : Eric Reed - Jerry Bergonzi

Da casa Savant, un’uscita che miglior celebrazione non poteva essere allo spirito del jazz della label di Joe Fields, sicuramente la più “jazz” della popolata scena contemporanea. In quest’occasione le “luci” vengono da due personaggi semplicemente giganteschi: il sax del celebrato Jerry Bergonzi ed il pianista Eric Reed in due nuovissimi progetti.

ERIC REED - THE DANCING MONK

Look in the dictionary under "Renaissance Man" and you may just find a picture of Eric Reed. Not only did Ahmad Jamal cite him as "one of my very favorite pianists," not only has he worked with such diverse talents as Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Jessye Norman, Patti Labelle, Quincy Jones, Natalie Cole and others but he has composed scores for film makers Eddie Murphy and Tim Story and annually serves as musical director for "Revelations with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater." Somehow he still finds time to teach, perform and cut his latest disc for Savant, "The Dancing Monk." Here the genius of Thelonious Monk is refracted through the prism of Eric's own creativity resulting in 'thoughts on' rather than a 'tribute to' one of the true titans of improvised music. As Eric wrote in his album annotations, "Far beyond what his legacy entails artistically, [Monk] stands as tall and strong as an oak in his character, singular determination, thirst for knowledge, raw defiance and tenacity to swing. It is with the greatest respect that I offer this first album of treatments of Thelonious Monk's compositions."

Eric Reed - piano;
Ben Wolfe - bass;
McClenty Hunter - drums

Tracks :

Ask Me Now; Eronel; Reflections; Light Blue; Ruby, My Dear; Pannonica; Ugly Beauty; The Dancing Monk; 'Round Midnight; Blue Monk

JERRY BERGONZI - CONVERGENCE

If you like your jazz full of ostentatious show and torrents of notes full of sound and fury, signifying nothing, be warned that you encounter nothing but sheer musicality when it comes to the Boston saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi. But Bergonzi's no-nonsense approach to music cannot mask the fact that he is one of the most remarkable jazz saxophonists on the planet. His tenor sound has developed a rather crackling quality now, and between the twisting, dry-toned runs he can sometimes hammer home a dramatic punctuation of snorting Coltrane-like split-notes. He's a supreme spontaneous melodist, however. The sound effects of the avant-garde are merely markers on compellingly logical yet constantly diverted journeys. Bergonzi is backed by his usual colleagues, Dave Santoro (bass) and Andrea Michelutti (drums) and this time out he is joined by pianist Bruce Barth. Featuring a program of Bergonzi's quirky compositions and a track by Jerry's favorite songwriters, the Gershwins, the musicians work together with a uniformity of intent and vision that perfectly personifies the release's title, "Convergence."

Bergonzi - tenor & soprano saxophones;
Dave Santoro - bass;
Andrea Michelutti - drums;
Bruce Barth - piano

Tracks: Lend Me a Dream; I've Got a Crush On You; Squid Ink; Stoffy; Silent Flying; Osiris; Mr. Higgins; Ddodd; Convergence; Seventh Ray

Pierre Dorge & New Jungle Orchestra - At The Royal Playhouse

Two months after the spanking new, modernistic Royal Playhouse was opened beside the harbour in wonderful Copenhagen, Pierre Dørge and the New Jungle Orchestra became the first musical group to play the venue, as part of the Danishcapital’s jazz festival. No better band could have been chosen for this honour as the NJO, soon to celebrate its thirtieth year, is an international brand, known and loved around the globe.

Tickets were sold out in advance for every one of the 700 seats, and for such a significant event for the band, audience and local community, Dørge prepared a special programme of music featuring three special guests from Sweden, India and the Gambia. From just across the Sound in Sweden came singer Josefine Cronholm, whose talent had been spotted by Pierre when he gave an open music course at Copenhagen Conservatory. He had also been impressed by a recording of standards that she made with Django Bates.

Dørge reached back ten years into his past in an effort to find Indian flute player Shashank Subramanyam, whom he had also met in Copenhagen when the young man was giving a master class in Indian music at the jazz conservatory. In the intervening decade Shashank had become his country’s leading classical flautist, recording with guitarist John McLaughlin, and many of the top players in his own country.



Tracking down Shashank proved difficult, and it took Pierre six months to locate him, working through the Internet. They were then able to bridge the vast distance by rehearsing the music together via sound and vision Internet links. Another vital piece of the jig-saw was in place. Shashank arrived in Denmark the day before the concert. The third concert guest was Gambian Dawda Jobarteh, a virtuoso on the West African kora instrument which has a long neck running into a gourd with rings made of antelope hide and strings that are actually fishing lines. Dørge says the kora is the African equivalent of a piano, although its sound is closer to the harp. Jobarteh is also a singer, who contributes the main vocal to “Fode Kaba”. The trio of guests from different continents were added to the usual NJO line-uptrumpet,trombone, two saxophones, guitar, keyboard, bass and two percussionists in a recital that stretched over two sets, but without the luxury of ample rehearsal. Indeed, there was time for only one get-together, the day before the concert, and Pierre was worried about how it would all go over on the night.

“It’s like having no security net underneath. So there has to be concentration, but you also take chances and mostly I’ve been lucky in that kind of situation. I was this time, too. There are always difficulties with location recordings because musicians move around, drop things and are sometimes off the microphone. At this concert something went wrong with the recording equipment on the second set, soactually almost everything on the CD is from the first set,” Pierre explained.

“The concert was filmed and the idea was to make a promotional DVD. It was some months before I listened to the tapes and to my surprise, despite all the problems and doubts that I had about the quality of the music, it sounded good. And then Nils Winther got to work and cleaned up the tapes to achieve very acceptable results. I’m so happy with the way that he was able to improve the overall sound and compensate for deficiencies in the original balance.” The concert was held a month before NJOwent into the SteepleChase studio to record their CD, entitled “Whispering Elephants” which also included versions of the title track and “Malam Lagu”, both of which appear here in original and therefore slightly embryonic guise.

The arrangement of “Whispering Elephants” was modified for the studio take, and the concert performance of “Malam Lagu” includes a vocal. The leader’s composition Mbizo Mbizo is a dedication to the late Johnny Dyani, a South African bassist, who was a member of NJO from 1982 until his death four years later. Dyani’s nickname was “Mbizo” which means “togetherness”. In this piece Pierre recalls fragments of songs that were important to Dyani. “It’s a sort of South African anthem and at the end we chant ‘do you see a rainbow over the bamboo forests.’” There is piquant interplay between saxophonist Morten Carlson and Dørge’s guitar before Cronholm’s very sensitive vocal. Trombonist Kenneth Agerholm’s ruggedness reminds of the great Bill Harris. Jobarteh’s kora adds cute touches, and trumpeter Kasper Tranberg and tenorist Jakob Mygind contribute powerfully. Note how Irene Becker’s synthesizer combines with the kora, and Josefine’s return in scatting mood. Fode Kaba is a traditional Mandinka tribe anthem. Kaba was a noted storyteller, a legendary figure in the tribe’s history. It was arranged by Pierre, who first heard the melody when he visited the Gambia in 1982. The kora is once again in evidence in the introduction, and the lead vocal is also by Jobarteh with responses by Dørge and,later, chants by the whole band. The instrumental chorus gradually swells as the hypnotic performance progresses, and then slowly fades, leaving Jobarteh and his kora with the last words and notes. Swaralaya, written by Subramanyam, is announced by the composer on bass flute before he hastily switches to the higher pitched Indian flute in a controlled display. Thommy Andersson’s bass sets up an ascending vamp for the flute improvisation that follows, as the band provides a richly textured ensemble background.

Percussive and synth effects loom large. The Tranberg trumpet darts about with daring runs and shares in tasty duetting with the flute. Jeg Gik Mig Ud En Sommerdag is a Dørge arrangement of a Danish folk song that he first heard as a child. The lyrics relate that “I went out on a summer’s day to hear the birds and nightingales in the deep woods”, but there is also a romantic element in the story. “It is a bittersweet little story, and unusually for Danish songs this one is written in the minor,” says Pierre. “I found this quite remarkable to hear the Danish words sung with a Swedish accentSCCD 31693 accompanied by a Gambian kora player and an Indian flute player. This is what I like doing all the time, mixing elements.” In fact Dørge’s setting of the piece suggests Middle Eastern influences, and there is even a phrase that is the opening to the traditional English carol “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen”. Listen for the unusual melding of taragot, kora and flute. Whispering Elephants in this initial treatment makes interesting use of electronic sounds from the synthesizer - something of a tour de force for Pierre’s wife and musical collaborator of more than 30 years, Irene Becker, who doubles on piano. The composition is an ode to the elephants of the world, and the threat to their survival due to man’s cruelty and irresponsibility. Malam Lagu, written by Irene Becker, was inspired by a visit to Bali. This is an evening song with an absurd text in Balinese all about drinking tea and eating chicken. A subtle drone is maintained as a persistent backdrop to the flute and Cronholm vocal. The effect is of a peaceful, pastoral scene. The vocalist adds her own timbre to the ensemble parts.

The closing Muzun Mun was written quite deliberately by Pierre Dørge in the style of
Bollywood movie themes. “I am a Bollywood fan, and I always tell the audience that this theme is all about a gangster, a beautiful lady and an exciting chase on a Vespa scooter. So here is the soundtrack for the movie. It just needs somebody out there to make the film! “I saw my first Bollywood picture in an outdoor cinema when I first visited the Gambia. This is my idea of a monsoon moon. I love the way that
osefine sings it with the bass.” The rhythmic impetus here is relentless.

A by-product of this amazing concert is that in 2010, Pierre and NJO will be joining up again with Shashank Subramanyam for a tour of India in the band’s 30th anniversary year. As for Pierre Dørge, his focus, energy and interest is devoted almost exclusively to writing, for, performing with and directing this unique global ensemble.

“When you get past 50, you just have to concentrate on what you love and value the
most. Travelling, new ways of expression, exploring different cultures - that is what I’ve been doing all these years. I would not have lived in any other time because while there are downsides to the so called global village, mixing the many strands of music of yesterday and today is very refreshing. We have access to all that went before us and it is there for us to interpret and enjoy in our own way.”
Stand by for Pierre & NJO’s next venture on SteepleChase in which it is planned that each member of the band will be featured on an individual piece. As with the enclosed live concert, a festive feast of invention can be
expected.

Mark Gardner

Pierre Dorge Presents : New Jungle Orchestra

Pierre Dørge è una figuria ormai entrata nella storia della scena jazzistica danese. Innamoratesi del jazz moderno quasi fin dall'inizio della sua carriera, nel 1960, nel corso degli anni ha anche mostrato curiosità per altre culture musicali che hanno influito nella propria musicalita' incorporando elementi europei, asiatici, africani e tradizioni musicali afro-americane che sono stati assemblati da questo geniale chitarrista danese in una sintesi originale. Ad accompagnarlo in questo cd e nel concerto che il 13 Marzo si terra' al Manzoni di Milano in occasione dell'Aperitivo in concerto ci sara' la New Jungle Orchestra, nata nel 1980. Prende il nome dal leggendario approccio "giungla" della Duke Ellington Orchestra negli anni Trenta e di cui alcune composizioni vengono ricreate con sprito dadaista e con intelligente capacità di riadattamento e di idiomaticità. Le influenze di Carla Bley, Charlie Mingus e Gil Evans sono facilmente avvertibili nelle pagine della New Jungle Orchestra, e vengono rielaborate attraverso sofisticati arrangiamenti e il contributo di alcuni eccellenti solisti. Un cd e un concerto unici per gli amanti di questo genere.



Pierre Dørge and New Jungle Orchestra are celebrating a generation of international music- making. That longevity, allied with their perennial freshness of sound, places them right up there with great enduring bands of the past - Basie, Herman, Kenton, Ellington. Ensembles that reinvigourated themselves over the decades, while remaining true to their original purpose. The comparison between Dørge’s N.J.O. and the Ellington orchestra is pertinent since Duke was and is a constant inspiration to Pierre. And both men provided most of the material for their aggregations, always
composing with specific soloists in mind.

Thirty years, three decades, is a wide wedge of a lifetime for any group of creative artists to stay together. To remain as a unit for so long, the stimulation and demands of the repertoire have to be exceptional. And every member must feel satisfied that he/she is making a full contribution to the evolution and development
of the whole. A player who feels marginalised will soon seek opportunities elsewhere. A vital core of four musicians have been with the N.J.O. from the start. Of course there were personnel changes along the way, so that now the ensemble is truly multi-generational. But there is an ongoing stable foundation that can accommodate an occasional infusion of new voices. The present line-up is virtually unchanged since Pierre returned to the SteepleChase fold in 2007 with the orchestra’s brilliant CD “Jazz Is Like A Banana” (SCCD
31636).

While the NJO’s continued existence is now assured, it was not always so. The first 13 years were a struggle. Often a gig would pay quartet wages to a group of ten. In those circumstances it was love of the music that sustained the ensemble. As Pierre observes, the turning point came in 1993 when the orchestra was chosen as a state ensemble, representing Denmark on royal visits at home and around the world. For instance when Danish royalty went to South Africa at the invitation of Nelson Mandela, the N.J.O. was there too.

Suddenly Pierre and his colleagues were in terrific demand, playing 80 concerts a year, and a growing audience was attracted to the band’s unique blend of jazz, folk and classical elements merged into a vibrantly exciting, international whole. “I never set out to be a bandleader,” says Pierre. “I was interested in composing and arranging and I obviously wanted to hear my music performed. But then I found out you had to negotiate fees, make travel arrangements and deal with a whole lot of administrative stuff. In the first year none of us talked about money, but finance has to be a factor if musicians are turning down other jobs to play with you.”

Then there were the social and musical problems that inevitably arise in every band.
“One guy doesn’t want to play Ellington tunes, another wants to play only Ellington material. Someone else demands that we should concentrate on free jazz. So, as a leader, you have to try to keep everyone happy. My philosophy was that we should use all the best elements from the many different styles of music, combining them in our own way". “When writing, I have tried to employ the most powerful side of each musician’s character, and to set them a challenge. I also try to put myself in the place of the audience and think about what would be interesting and pleasing to their ear. When we have added new players, it has provided fresh inspiration, stimulating different ideas and possibilities which are reflected in the writing. It is important to stay open-minded in music.”

The N.J.O. made its debut at the Music Cafe, Copenhagen, on 24 September, 1980, so in September 2010 that 30-year milestone was being marked by a week’s celebratory tour of Denmark, and release of this outstanding anniversary CD, the orchestra’s 22nd recording. The band was due to play a number of these pieces during their September progress. For this collection, Pierre decided to structure each composition to focus on a particular member of the orchestra. “I spoke to each musician and asked if they had any special preferences or wishes about which side of their style they would like me to portray. They approved of the idea and I
received very positive feedback". “My concept was to create 10 pieces of music, as 10 abstract pictures, each of them as an image of an individual, creative, New
Jungle musician. They responded with their special wishes for the individual piece.

I knew that the music would not shine unless the composition inspired and challenged each individual’s creativity. I can write the music, ut it is the musician who is the true creator of the spontaneous expression in the music - the here and now.”

June Tabor - Ashore

Da casa Topic abbiamo il piacere di presentarvi una folksinger inglese giunta a livelli di assoluta eccellenza grazie alle sue performace live ma soprattutto alla grande capacita' di interpretazione di Ballads che potremmo classificare come folk moderno . Uno stato di grazia artistica riconfermato a 35 anni dal debutto da un nuovo album di canzoni che trattano di relazioni umane, del mare, del quotidiano e che la critica inglese ha già gratificato del titolo di “capolavoro” in chiave folk moderno.



June Tabor’s recording career has consistently reached ever higher standards of performance and interpretation. Each of her albums has sought to match the highest technical standards with emotionally powerful performances and scintillating musical arrangements. Her forthcoming album – a stunning collection of songs concerning humankind’s relationship with the sea – is already being hailed by critics and long-time fans as another career highpoint.

June’s range and depth are unparalleled, and with Ashore she fully justifies her reputation as England’s foremost song interpreter. Ashore features a powerful set of contemporary songs alongside classic traditional ballads like ‘The Bleacher Lassie Of Kelvinhaugh’ and ‘The Great Selkie Of Sule Skerry’. The contemporary material includes a spine-tingling version of Elvis Costello’s ‘Shipbuilding’; a new recording of Ian Telfer’s ‘Finisterre’ (first recorded by June with the Oyster Band on ‘Freedom & Rain’) and two remarkable songs from the pen of Cyril Tawney – ‘The Grey Funnel Line’ and ‘The Oggie Man’. The album was recorded with June’s regular musicians – Andy Cutting, diatonic accordion; Mark Emerson, viola and violin, Tim Harries, double bass and Huw Warren, piano.

Line Up :

June Tabor vocals
Andy Cutting diatonic accordion
Huw Warren piano
Mark Emerson violin, viola
Tim Harries double bass

Tracks

1 Finisterre - 2 The Bleacher Lassie Of Kelvinhaugh - 3 The Grey Funnel Line - 4 Le Vingt-Cinquieme du Mois d’Octobre - 5 Shipbuilding - 6 Jamaica - 7 The Great Selkie Of Sule Skerry - 8 Winter Comes In / Vidlin Voe - 9 The Oggie Man - 10 The Brean Lament - 11 Le Petit Navire - 12 Across The Wide Ocean

“It’s 35 years since June Tabor’s debut album, but this has to be among her best.”
★★★★ The Times
“A thing of compelling beauty, and stands head and shoulders above most folk albums you’re likely to hear this year… Pure class.” English Dance & Song

“This deeply affecting collection of sea stories demonstrates the core of her art almost to perfection.”
★★★★ Mojo
“This is wonderful. England’s foremost folk singer performs 13 fascinating songs that key into our historical and emotional relationship with the sea. It’s a remarkable record.” The Word

Vito Di Modugno - Organ Trio Plus Guests

Vito Di Moguno - Organ Hammond B3, Piano Fender Rhodes
Pietro Condorelli - Guitar
Massimo Manzi - Drums
Guests :
Michele Carrabba - Tenor Sax
Pino Di Modugno - Accordion

Grazie ad una "soffiata" dell'amico Veschi vi riproponiamo questo cd di Vito Di Modugno protagonista di un piccolo miracolo tutto italiano consistente nell'arrivare ottavo tra i migliori organisti a livello mondiale nel Referendum proposto dalla rivista Downbeat ( una vera bibbia del jazz ) ai propri lettori.

Amate lo swing e l’organo Hammond? Allora non dovete lasciarvi sfuggire questo album del trio di Vito Di Modugno con Pietro Condorelli alla chitarra e Massimo Manzi alla batteria con l’aggiunta di Michele Carrabba al sax tenore e Pino Di Modugno all’accordion.

Ascoltando dischi come questo ogni volta mi torna in mente un vecchio interrogativo: ma perché hanno smesso di produrre l’organo Hammond, strumento inimitabile per varietà timbrica e dinamica . Nell’attesa di una risposta che ovviamente non arriverà, gustiamoci l’Hammond suonato da specialisti del calibro di Vito. Nelle sue mani l’organo evidenzia appieno tutte le sue potenzialità ; stilisticamente la derivazione da Jimmy Smith e Larry Young è palese, eppure Vito è riuscito egualmente ad elaborare un linguaggio personale sorretto da una vitale fantasia, da una visione armonica assai sofisticata e da un senso del ritmo assolutamente inesauribile. Frutto probabilmente del fatto che suona anche il piano, in cui è diplomato, ed il basso sia acustico sia elettrico. Ma Di Modugno da solo non sarebbe bastato a confezionare un album così pregevole; man forte gli hanno dato i suoi compagni d’avventura (splendidi tra l’atro sia gli interventi del chitarrista Condorelli, sia il mix organo-fisarmonica) e la felice scelta del repertorio destinata ad un pubblico eterogeneo in cui al pubblico più squisitamente jazzistico si aggiunge quello più funky Nell’album figurano, infatti,oltre ad alcuni originals di Vito, temi di Mingus,di Silver, di Joe Henderson, di Eddie Gomez, di Corea ma anche un meraviglioso “Litthe Wing” di Jimi Hendrix proposto in una versione tanto originale quanto riuscita.

Gerlando Gatto - Jazz on line

Dopo alcuni anni e dopo l'innegabile successo di Organ Grooves, il suo primo disco come leader per la Red Records, torna in pista Vito Di Modugno con un nuovo gruppo, un nuovo disco e un nuovo repertorio.
Nel nuovo gruppo l'inserimento di Pietro Condorelli si rivela particolarmente felice perchè il suo modo di suonare, quieto e rilassato, è in qualche modo speculare a quello di Vito Di Modugno. Il repertorio è simile a quello Blue Note oriented del primo ma lo scavo in profondità nel linguaggio e negli arrangiamenti è molto più marcato con consistenti aggiornamenti ad esperienze più recenti e a pubblici più eterogenei che includono sia i jazz fans hardcore che quelli più apparentemente sofisticati del free ma anche la fascia di pubblico più popular e funky.
In realtà la session ha dato vita a due CD, questo è il primo, è accanto a grandi temi di Mingus, Silver, McLean, Henderson, Blue Mitchell, ci sono anche Corea, Jimi Hendrix, Jaco Pastorius, Eddie Gomez, Ornette Coleman, Cedar Walton e Bobby Watson oltre ad alcuni originals di Di Modugno che mostrano come il leader e i suoi compagni padroneggino con serietà, rigore, entusiasmo e soprattutto feeling i diversi aspetti della storia del jazz moderno, in tutte le sue sfacettate sfumature, senza complessi.
Triss il brano di Vincenzo Deluci, lo sfortunato trombettista pugliese che è rimasto paralizzato in un incidente d'auto ed al quale il CD è dedicato, ci sembra particolarmente riuscito per la vena melodica e il colore che ricorda molto alcuni melos balcanici e medio orientali.
La Zita Di Ceglie è un brano scherzosamente improvvisato in studio e coniuga un non improbabile connubio fra pizzica, blues e jazz, cosa questa che sembra aver interessato non poco anche altri musicisti di jazz in tempi recenti.
Michele Carrabba al sax tenore suona in quattro brani e dà agli stessi il colore e il calore
di un sassofonista dalla grande e bella sonorità, sostenuta da una tecnica eccellente e un feeling possente quanto incendiario che però sa essere anche molto smooth come nel blues di Vito "The Big". E' veramente sorprendente come un sassofonista di questo livello sia così poco conosciuto in Italia dove mi sembra abbia ben pochi rivali.
Pino Di Modugno, padre di Vito e di un altro figlio chitarrista che insegna al conservatorio di Bari, conferma, nei suoi brevi interventi, tutta la sua classe di grande fisarmonicista dalla tecnica e musicalità impressionante e dalla inesauribile vena musicale. Un uomo e un musicista che potrebbe ancora riservare delle sorprese, nonostante i suoi anni che hanno da poco superato i 70, e che chi vuole meglio conoscere può ascoltare nel CD pubblicato dalla Red Records a suo nome dal titolo Bedouin.
Massimo Manzi è oggi uno dei batteristi più richiesti a livello nazionale e il suo contributo alla riuscita della session è fondamentale.
Pietro Condorelli - che può anche essere ascoltato in altri Cd della Red Records: Easy e Quasimodo - si conferma solista e accompagnatore di classe e ci sembra aver trovato un perfetto equilibrio nelle sue linee melodiche, che ricordano spesso i sassofonisti, fra sonorità e fraseggio.
Infine, Vito Di Modugno all'organo si conferma più che eccellente come strumentista, solista e leader. Credo possa essere annoverato senza difficoltà fra i migliori specialisti dello strumento in attività a tutti i livelli. Questa non è una affermazione fatta per il gusto di farla o di stupire. Abbiamo avuto l'opportunità di ascoltare, sia dal vivo che su disco, altri organisti ritenuti giustamente al Top e rispetto ad essi Di Modugno non ha alcun problema. Anzi potrebbe crearne a diversi di loro. Basta solo ascoltare e confrontare senza pregiudizi nè favoritismi.
Ovviamente i suoi riferimenti, come per tutti gli organisti, sono palesi e portano il nome di Jimmy Smith e soprattutto Larry Young: uno il padre dell'Hammond B3 e l'altro quello dell'organo moderno o meglio dell'organo nella post Coltrane age.
Vito Di Modugno, che oltre all'Hammond suona anche il piano, in cui è diplomato, e il basso acustico ed elettrico, si contraddistingue per un tasso tecnico elevato, un blues feeling feroce,una fantasia melodica e armonica sofisticata e viscerale che gli permettono di volare con la mano destra e fare sull'organo fraseggi che spesso solo i pianisti fanno e che sul suo strumento sono decisamente inusuali, un drive ritmico, sentire e analizzare le sue linee di basso con la mano destra, consistentemente ad alto livello.
L'Organ Trio, con o senza ospiti, suona in modo esplosivo, divertente e sa catturare l'attenzione di chi lo ascolta, La scelta del repertorio e gli arrangiamenti è molto azzeccata poiché non solo i temi sono molto belli, anche se spesso noti purtroppo solo ad una fascia ristretta di pubblico, ma sono arrangiati e suonati con slancio, vivacità, calore, fervore e risplendono di nuova luce. A cominciare dalla sonorità per esempio, anche sul piano elettrico. L'Organ Trio ha un suo suono e non ricorda altri che se stesso sia pure con i dovuti collegamenti con una tradizione che si vuole non solo rispettare ma addirittura rinverdire e modernizzare.
Basta ascoltare l'inizio di Haitian Fight Song per accorgersi da che parte tira il vento di Organ Trio che è decisamente soul, blues, jazz e non solo. Credo che Charlie Mingus sarebbe contento di sentire come l'Organ Trio suona il suo brano: con rispetto, riverenza, amore facendolo risplendere di nuova luce edi nuovi suoni.
Buon ascolto e buon divertimento.

Sergio Veschi

Buddy Miller's The Majestic Silver Strings

Ricercato guitar-project tra canzone country e tradizione da parte di un grande personaggio accompagnato da Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot e Greg Leisz, Julie Miller, Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, Anne McCrary e Marc Anthony Thompson (Chocolate Genius). CD + DVD contenente un documentario di ventuno minuti e l’esecuzione dal vivo di “Why Baby Why”.

Oltre ad essere una sorta di “padrino” della canzone d’autore di matrice roots tra country e rock, Buddy Miller, è un grande autore e chitarrista di vaglia. In “Majestic Silver Strings”, per non smentire il titolo di tanto progetto, unisce le proprie forze a quelle di alcuni maestri della chitarra quali Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot e Greg Leisz. I quattro ripercorrono e rivedono, come certifica l’autorevole Buscadero, alcune delle più famose canzoni country, in modo decisamente originale ed innovativo. Un guitar sound ricercatissimo in tutto degno degli strumentisti presenti che amano esprimersi nei più diversi ambiti musicali. La parte vocale non è certo da meno grazie alla presenza di Julie Miller, Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, Anne McCrary e Chocolate Genius tra i protagonisti, oltre allo stesso Buddy Miller.

The Majestic Silver Strings album is Buddy’s re-imagination of classic country songs loaded with guitars, atmosphere and attitude. Buddy and the 3 acclaimed guitarists - Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot & Greg Leisz (together they are the Majestic Silver Strings) - push each song into a new cosmos. Guest vocalists include Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, Lee Ann Womack, Chocolate Genius and Julie Miller.

Tracklist

Cattle Call (Buddy Miller sings) - No Good Lover (Buddy Miller & Ann McCrary sing) - I Want To Be With You Always (Buddy Miller & Patty Griffin sing) - Barres De La Prison (Marc Ribot sings) - Meds (Lee Ann Womack sings) - Dang Me (Chocolate Genius sings) - Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie (Marc Ribot sings) - That’s The Way Love Goes (Shawn Colvin sings) - Freight Train (Instrumental) - Why I’m Walkin’ (Emmylou Harris sings) - Why Baby Why (Buddy Miller & Marc Ribot sing) - Return To Me (Lee Ann Womack sings) - God’s Wing’ed Horse (Buddy & Julie Miller sing)

The Majestic Silver Strings: Members

Buddy Miller

Buddy, who has spent much of this year on the road leading Robert Plant’s Band of Joy, recently collaborated with both Plant and Patty Griffin to produce two of the current Grammy® nominated albums. (Robert Plant’s Band Of Joy is nominated in the Best Americana Album category while Patty Griffin’s Downtown Church is nominated in the Best Traditional Gospel Album category.) Buddy currently holds the Americana Music Association honor as Instrumentalist of the Year, while two years ago he swept the awards taking home trophies in almost every category including Album of the Year for Written in Chalk, a collaboration with his wife Julie. Written In Chalk, only the second collaboration from the couple, quickly received high marks among the industry's elite critics including 4 stars in Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, Maverick and Mojo.

Bill Frisell

Bill Frisell is one of the most sought-after guitar voices in contemporary music. His prominence as a composer and bandleader has grown steadily over the past 25 years. He has also contributed to the work of such collaborators as Elvis Costello, Paul Motian, Jim Hall, Ginger Baker, Jack Dejohnette, Ron Carter, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Suzanne Vega, Loudon Wainwright III, Van Dyke Parks, Vic Chesnutt, Buddy Miller, Rickie, Lee Jones, Ron Sexsmith, and numerous others, including Bono, Brian Eno, Jon Hassell and Daniel Lanois on the soundtrack for Wim Wenders’ film Million DollarHotel.

Greg Leisz

Greg Leisz is an American guitarist and multi instrumentalist known particularly for his work on lap and pedal steel guitars. A native of Southern California, he began playing guitar in the fertile garage band scene of the early to mid 60's and was soon drawn into the west coast's emerging synthesis of folk, rock, blues, and country music. In the late 80’s/early 90s Greg played on a number of seminal albums by emerging roots artists and singer / songwriters including Jim Lauderdale, Dave Alvin and kd lang. Since then he has had an extremely prolific career as a studio and touring musician playing on hundreds of albums by a wide variety of artists including Willie Nelson, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Beck, Allison Krauss and Robert Plant, John Fogerty, Miranda Lambert, Lucinda Williams and Ray Lamontagne. Greg has also collaborated on a number of projects with fellow Majestic Silver Strings member Bill Frisell. In 2010, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement for Instrumentalist Award by the Americana Music Association.

Marc Ribot

Marc Ribot, who the New York Times describes as “a deceptively articulate artist who uses inarticulateness as an expressive device,” has released 19 albums under his own name over a 30-year career, exploring everything from the pioneering jazz of Albert Ayler to the Cuban son of Arsenio Rodríguez. Rolling Stone points out that “Guitarist Marc Ribot helped Tom Waits refine a new, weird Americana on 1985's Rain Dogs, and since then he's become the go-to guitar guy for all kinds of roots-music adventurers: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Elvis Costello, John Mellencamp.” Additional recording credits include Elton John/Leon Russell’s latest The Union, Solomon Burke, John Lurie, Marianne Faithful, Joe Henry, Allen Toussaint, Marisa Monte, Allen Ginsburg, Trey Anastasio, Madeline Peyroux, Patti Scialfa, Sam Phillips, Akiko Yano, The Black Keys, and many others. Marc works regularly with Grammy® award winning producer T Bone Burnett and NY composer John Zorn. He has also performed on scores such as "Walk The Line (Mangold)," "The Kids Are All Right," and "The Departed" (Scorcese)."

Johannesson & Schultz

Nel mondo audiofilo e non solo all'etichetta discografica Proprious viene naturale associare Jazz AT The Pawnshop, la serie di inimitalibi cd che per purezza di incisione, profondita' del suono e bellezza artistica sono stati e sono tuttora punto di riferimento per gli audifili piu' esigenti. Sulla stessa frequenza è bene ora inquadrare questo nuovo lavoro edito dalla stessa proprius che per l'occasione presenta un quartetto di tutto rispetto : il batterista Peter Sixtus Johannesson, il chiatarrista Max Schultz, il pianista Bobo Stensson e il bassista Martin Sjostedt. Mentre per Bobo Stensson penso non sia necessario fare alcuna presentazione qualche riga vale la pena spenderla su Johannesson e l'amico Schultz. Entrambi suonano insieme da piu' di un decennio e hanno come punti di riferimento musicale lo stesso Bobo Stensson e Herbie Hancock con cui hanno spesso suonato durante i tour dello stesso in Svezia e Norvegia. Il loro è un jazz cristallino, ritmato, soprattutto godibile ma mai banale. Gli assoli sono pulitissimi, la batteria e il basso la fanno spesso da protagonista ma il piano è sublime, attento, mai invadente accompagnatore di questo lavoro. Gli assoli di Chitarra entrano limpidi al punto giusto, senza virtuosismi ma dando spessore ritmico a questo cd tutto da scoprire.


It was in 1988 that Peter Johannesson invited his friend and mentor Herbie Hancock to join him on a tour of Sweden and Norway. Max Schultz naturally joined them on the tour. Peter and Max had been playing together for almost ten years at this time, initially at sporadic gigs but, from the mid 1980s, on a more regular basis. They are both self-taught musicians, something that is becoming much less usual among established musicians today.

The collaboration with Herbie Hancock continued with concerts between 1990 and 1995 and they recorded an album entitled Sixtus which was released as a CD in 2001 under Peter Johannesson's name, Max Schultz contributed with four of the compositions on this CD. Peter Johannesson's next CD, New Life, appeared in 2005, also with Max Schultz collaborating.

At this time Peter and Max performed a succession of concerts with another pianist, Bobo Stenson, who had been an idol of their youth. As they performed together the idea of recording an album with this constellation began to take form: Johannesson & Schultz together with Bobo Stenson. Over the course of a couple of years they produced a series of new compositions from which they made a careful selection for the album. This was recorded in 2008 and has resulted in the present CD. Also performing is bass-player Martin Sjöstedt who was the natural choice for this role. Martin's musicality and authority is much in demand today both in Swedish and international contexts, as will be evident from his performances on this disc.

Peter and Max, who have both performed on innumerable occasions with a diversity of different musicians often return to Bobo Stenson during their conversation; an important source of inspiration to them both as well as of vast importance to them and to musical life in Sweden. Johannesson & Schultz perform with invigorating simplicity and a beautifully down-to-earth presentation that one can listen to again and again - both in the form of this album and in concert.


Tracks :

1. Maria - 2. Way Back - 3. Too Simple - 4. Big McKee - 5. Timeless - 6. The Force - 7. Footloose - 8. Kling - 9. Blues for Elvin - 10. Impressions - 11. Sixtus - 12. Sjöstedts Tolva - 13. Maria (alternative version) - 14. Drums for Katinka

North Mississippi Allstars - Keys To The Kingdom

Abbiamo più volte celebrato la band dei fratelli Cody e Luther Dickinson e questo loro nuovo cd “Keys To The Kingdom” ci fa capira ancora una volta di piu' la grandezza di questa band. . Il disco arriva dopo la scomparsa del grande padre, maestro ed ispiratore, Jim Dickinson e possiamo affermare tranquillamente che è la prima volta che ci capita di assistere ad un album prodotto per e non prodotto da. Celebrazione della vita dopo la morte, di un personaggio di grande carisma che era un autorità del Memphis blues e della musica nera in generale e delle sue radici. Un’esaltazione del passato attraverso il presente dei fratelli Dickinson e del bassista Chris Chew che in ambito blues e dintorni non ha uguali. Che ci troviamo di fronte a qualcosa di speciale è testimonianoto anche dalla caratura degli ospiti ossia Ry Cooder, Mavis Staples, Spooner Oldham, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Gordie Johnson, Jim Spake, Jack Ashford.

In the beginning, a father passed away and a child was born. Luther and Cody Dickinson lost their father, Memphis music legend Jim Dickinson, only months before Luther became one. Jim had always told them, "You need to be playing music together. You are better together than you will ever be apart." Coincidentally, the Dickinson brothers were not together when Jim passed. At that moment, they were both off on their own, Luther with The Black Crowes and Cody with the Hill Country Revue. So in the spring of 2010, the North Mississippi Allstars reformed and went into the Zebra Ranch, the family’s recording studio where they had spent countless hours together with their dad, to create a record that could help them cope with the loss, and, at the same time, rejoice in his honor. The first line of Jim’s self-written eulogy was, “I refuse to celebrate death." Luther, Cody and Chris Chew took heed and aimed to celebrate life instead; and the songs for the new record, Keys To The Kingdom (Songs of the South), came pouring out of their souls.

"As is our family's tradition, we gathered in our homemade studio and recorded," Luther says. "We carried on as we've been taught and dealt the only way we know, by making music. Our dad used to say that production-in-absentia is the highest form of production. The credits read: ‘Produced for Jim Dickinson.’ Keys To The Kingdom is definitely our finest collaboration."

Very close friends of the family joined the band in fellowship to see NMA through this deepest of moments, among them Mavis Staples, Ry Cooder, Spooner Oldham, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Gordie Johnson and Jack Ashford (Motown Funk Brother tambourine player). All had collaborated with Jim and the boys over the years at one point or another and feel a deep kinship with the Dickinson family to this day.

Keys To The Kingdom is a song cycle, a celebratory declaration of life in the face of death as well as a musical interpretation of the Dickinson family's recent experience with the cycle of life, written and recorded honestly, fast and raw. There are moments of rock 'n roll rebellion and sexified blues, but the heart of the record reflects the journey that traverses through the mirrored gates of life and death.

"It's said that anger is the first stage of grief and that's how the album begins - angry," says Luther. As such, the first song, "This A'Way," kicks in with a boogied-up guitar line and quickly introduces the rallying cry of "I hate to be treated this a'way," soon to be followed by the clattering country punk of "Jumpercable Blues," with the screams of "Hey, hey, well, well, well, all y'all can go straight to hell!" It's them against the world, gathering their gumption and keeping one another strong. The family will stay together and it will grow and carry on with its traditions in tact. This is the battle.

From there, the boys explore varying meditations on mortality, often from the perspective of their father as he is preparing to die. The songs grasp the subject matter with fierce honesty yet never become maudlin. From the Mavis Staples ghost-dance gospel soul of "The Meeting," in which one struts and swaggers confidently through the pearly gates with head held high, to the Replacements meets Big Star-inspired rock of "How I Wish My Train Would Come," which speaks of actually desiring to move beyond life's struggles, to "Hear the Hills," which depicts the acceptance and letting go experience of the final moments of a life well lived and loved, we find the boys looking for meaning and answers as they work through their pain. Spooner Oldham, Jim's favorite piano player, lends a hand on these last two songs. Luther chose Oldham to play the "piano from heaven," and blends it beautifully with a recording of Mississippi bugs conversing on a desolate hot summer night. As the song fades, it sounds like a distant country church house somewhere off in the woods.

Luther explains the inspiration: "When we were little children, we lived in a house on a dirt road in between a juke joint and a lake where local churches held baptismal services. I remember hearing the music come through the woods at night and on Sunday mornings."

The one cover on the record is Bob Dylan's "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again."

"One night, while in the hospital, dad had the great idea that 'Stuck Inside' could be done as a one-chord hill country blues song," Luther shares. "He couldn't talk so he wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed the idea to me. I promised him then that we would do it."

"'Let It Roll,' 'Ol' Cannonball' and 'Ain't None O' Mine' are some of the most hardcore traditional blues originals NMA have ever laid down on tape," says Luther. The former is a new take on a song he wrote and recorded three days after Jim passed away and originally released on a record called Luther Dickinson & The Sons of Mudboy. "Ol' Cannonball is played in the acoustic string band tradition with Alvin Youngblood Hart on vocals and harmonica. "Ain't None O' Mine," drunk on juke-joint, Peavey-amp distortion and reverb, is inspired by Otha Turner's lusty tales of old-time, late-night country courtship and provides a necessary aspect of the cycle of life - sex.

In between these three songs, sits the emotional centerpiece of the record, the ultimate love letter from a son to his lost father, "Ain't No Grave." The song features Jim's old partner in crime Ry Cooder on guitar and is simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting, gut wrenching and empowering. Says Luther, "I woke up one morning on NMA's bus, and the lyrics to 'Ain't No Grave' came to me as fast I could write them. That night, after the show, I picked up a guitar, opened my lyric book and the melody came to me just as easily. The song is brutally honest and heartfelt."

NMA ends the cycle with two somewhat lighter takes on death. "New Orleans Walkin' Dead" is a humorous zombie-rock take on the notion of resurrection, while "Jellyrollin' All Over Heaven" is in the spirit of a New Orleans funeral procession during which the marching band plays uplifting and joyful music on the return parade from the burying ground. Once again, Oldham plays his angelic piano, and the bugs carry the spirit of the Mississippi night as they have for thousands of years and the record fades to black.

Jim always advised in a very no-nonsense way, "Play every note as if it's your last because one of them will be," and that's just what NMA set out to do on Keys to the Kingdom. The results are powerfully played and deeply visceral as the best blues music is - spiritual without being god fearing, heavy without being depressing.

"In the end," Luther says, "We recorded our best country blues and Mississippi rock 'n roll record yet -- as if our lives depended on it." Ten years after the release of their debut album, Shake Hands with Shorty, Chew sums it up: "This is grown folks music."

On Keys to the Kingdom, some children are born and others become adults; naïve idealism gets squashed by stark realism, yet there is no choice but to move on, and so they do -- the quest for joy, celebration and truth palpable in every note of the mighty NMA sound.



THE BAND

The North Mississippi Allstars were founded in 1996; a product of a special time for modern Mississippi country blues. RL Burnside, Jr. Kimbrough, Otha Turner and their musical families were at their peak; making classic records and touring the world. Brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson soaked up the music of their father, Jim Dickinson, and absorbed the North Mississippi Blues legacy while playing and shaking it down at the juke joints with their blues ancestors. Luther (guitar and vocals) and Cody (drums and vocals) joined up with bassist Chris Chew to form the core of their own band, The North Mississippi Allstars. Through the filter of generations of Mississippi Blues men, the Allstars pioneered their own blues-infused rock and roll.

After touring as an opening act for a variety of artists and honing their chops as a unit, the North Mississippi Allstars issued their debut album, Shake Hands With Shorty in the spring of 2000. Their debut proved to be a success and earned them a Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary Blues Album”. Bringing their hill country blues-infused rock & roll to stages all over the country and the world (including multiple tours in Europe and Asia), the Allstars quickly gained a loyal fan base. The band gained additional popularity for their work in the Gospel-Blues band The Word, which also featured John Medeski and Pedal Steel player Robert Randolph. By 2005 the North Mississippi Allstars’ had released 4 studio records, 3 of which were Grammy nominated and earned the reputation as one of the most intriguing acts to emerge from the loam of Southern blues and roots rock.

The band released Hernando in early 2008, which represented a return to the blues-rock roots the band started with more than a decade ago. It was also the first release on the trio’s own label, Songs of the South Records. In January 2009, the band finished their retrospective record entitled ‘Do It Like We Used To Do’. The 2 CD/1 DVD package features two discs of music that chronologically highlight the band’s live performances over their first twelve years together, and also includes a full-length documentary DVD on the history of the band. The documentary captures rare live footage, interviews with the guys, and tells the story of a classic American band.