Time to leave house music for a while and have
MFSB taking a short break while having a look at some other (serious) sides of
the (black) groove with Nu Groove head, Irie. Good goody Miss Molly…
NU GROOVE (SOUL, JAZZ, FUNK, BREAKS, BROKEN
BEATS + MORE…)
First of all, props to the moving nights Groovement (each first Thursday of the
month at the Rex club in Paris with residents Eva Gardner and Gilles
Peterson). Surely becoming a real institution for good groove in our
capital ! With quite a tasty line up till the summer with the likes of Norman
Jay, the great British singer Allison David live, Parisian DJ's such
as Roy, Betino, Chateauflight (Gilb’R & I : Cube) or
also our allied from Marseille DJ Oil from Trouble Makers (whose
album / movie-out soon on Blue Note / MK2 round the end of May - should be a
great event to the glory of films scores).
Sir Peterson who always has new
compilations under his elbow. After Southport Weekender and Impressed Volume 2
(dedicated to the British jazz in the 60’s), it’s time for the fourth instalment
in his excellent Worldwide Exclusives series on Talkin’ Loud featuring mongst
others an exclusive track from IG Culture and his muse Eska, "The
Show", under the NSM (former New Sector Movements) moniker whose
second album - Turn It Up onVirgin - is indeed one of this year’s
absolute musts (while waiting for the answers from Theo Parrish, Kenny Dope,
Umod, Pete Rock Marc De Clive-Lowe, Bembe Segue, Eska etc) ! And yours truly
should also cross the Channel to witness the first concert of IG & Co at
the Jazz Café in London. So more to come soon in these pages…
Another exclusive tune to appear
on Worldwide 4 is: Jazzanova's"Boom
Clicky Boom Clack (It's Wot We Do)".
with the mighty vocals of Shaun Escoffery (on that noisy broken tune
about to make noise) Berlin’s super combo who is not afraid of anything… Not
even ridicule. As a matter of fact, following the path of their pals Slope
from Sonar Kollektiv (who took with few effort and even less talent the sublime
voice of Yolanda from a Detroit classic , the very first 12’ from Mad
Mike alias Underground Resistance) Jazzanova dared nothing
less than remixing the so unique Patrice Rushen ‘s "Let Your Heart Be
Free" (an absolute masterpiece of jazz funk from the 70’s). A hard task… for a
weak result compared to the seminal original version ! A work which still stands
as a lot more creative than the infamous Will Smith’s take on "Forget Me
Nots" ( the horrific Men In Black). But still, we expected more from them ! The Jazzanova lads do not
let us down completely though… judging by their great contribution to the fierce
Blue Note Revisited compilation alongside La Funk Mob (aka
Cassius, the French duo back in effect on a funk tip after almost ten
years!), J Dilla, Kenny Dope, Madlib, Osunlade and many more. For all
vinyl junky and those who don’t have enough patience to wait for the album
release (a double-CD also displaying the original songs by Eddie Gale, Bobby
Hutcherson, Brother Jack McDuff, Gene Harris etc, watch out
for the "Blue Label" 12’s. Also we cry the death of Occitan poet and musician
Claude Nougaro (RIP) whose new record made alongside jazz luminaries such as
Herbie Hancock should be out soon (Blue Note)
To close the tricky chapter of
remixes of soul classics, big up to the BBE label crew who never falls in
vulgarity. Even if we prefer the syncopated vibe of Osunlade ‘s version
of Roy Ayers ‘s “Searchin’ “ to the “clubby hammering” style of ever
efficient Joey Negro on "Sugar", the best is still to come such as Soul
Survivor Volume 2 by Pete Rock.
Last but not least, if there was
only one album to own this spring it would most definitely be the fabulous
collection of remixes by and for 4 Hero out on their own new independent
offshoot, Raw Canvas. If it was only for the jazz version made by Visioneers
of an old track from their Two Pages album entitled "The Action"
(featuring Butterfly, leader of hip hop outfit Digable Planets).
IRIE
STOP PRESS
Thanks to Sarah at UK PR
company, Favouritizm who's just mailed us a copy of Vanessa Freeman's
forthcoming LP on Chillifunk with an impressive array of producers and guests.
But also to our man in London, Nik Weston (get ready for his new
Japan's Corner section anytime now) for sending us a couple of CD-R's
including Da Lata's newie on Palm Beats with a killer remixer from much
in-demand Spiritual South outfit + another brand new cut by Lizz
Fields receiving some masterpiece remix treatment by the likes of Yam Who.
Not to mention some killer rework from our Swedish brothers, S.U.M.O. for
Lonesome Echo Productions with a new cut featuring vet poet Mutabaruka
on Disorient. More to follow soon.
INTERVIEW
