Tuesday, July 29, 2008

From the Land of Ooh Blah De

In the Land of Ooh Blah De

Only the best for you!

Check out the jazz from Denmark.
The best from all over the world that is, because they've got wider ears than any 'top 40' playlist you're going to get within these shores.....

In the time I've written this they've blown a fresh Don Cherry piece, Henry Threadgill, their own wonderful Dr. Big Band, and now Olivia Sellverio and Pietro Leveratt demonstrate the evolution of a great jazz group featuring that female Brazilian vocalization we fell in love with years ago. The piece is called "Assummata Di Lu Corpu Di La Tunnara".

Now they're 'Back to the Basics'---as I call it--, with Monk's "Epistrophy", and Yusef is on deck, featured in a cut with Stephane Belmondo, entitled " Apres le Jeu" , which is French for "After the Game".

Now when was the last time you heard Yusef Lateef on your radio station??? And in a cut that is not one of the usual selections? What I'm listening to was recorded in 2007!

Yusef Lateef

Just a couple of clicks and I'm 'outa here'. Immediately I become at one with a universal vibe. Good music, centering and grounding me, connecting me to like minded Hearts around the globe with a similar appreciation. A chance to experience that One Vibration that permeates All....manifesting in another Holy Trinity.....Love, Rhythm, Creative Genius, giving birth to High Art. Notes rising, falling, synchronistically stimulating your Heart's intelligence until all you can do is holler "Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! " Then again, it can be so illusive, fused with Cosmic melodies and harmonies, that only a few can 'get it', hear it, and follow the beat. Beauty~ All represented in the Divinely Inspired Music....Jazz.

Here are links to the Denmark jazz station I listen to~
...oh and in dr.dk, 'dr' stands for Denmark, although they are doctors for my soul.

On the right side of the page, Click on the speaker icon that reads DR Jazz;
Click 'Ja' (yes) to Download their player.

Here is the DR Jazz Playlist address:

This is the listing for all their stations - HipHop, World Beat, R & B, Classical, etc.:

You're set....so sit back, and enjoy!


OH MY GOODNESS....I wondered if Yusef was still alive and- yep I'm on a tangent here,-- but keep reading to see what I found for you!
Simply because you are so very wonderful, loving and appreciative of every good thing that comes your way...Here's to your happiness!
I didn't write the following. I found it on a site, and I want you to go there, because there's music and a video that you can enjoy. Don't neglect the color highlighted links in the piece. Little gems everywhere. The original site address follows.
Festival time!
I was lucky enough to see Yusef Lateef performing live in my city. What a fantastic concert. I heard some beautiful sounds that i will never forget.
A few lines of biography from his site describe well the greatness of this artist:
Yusef Lateef is a Grammy Award-winning composer, performer, recording artist, author, educator and philosopher who has been a major force on the international musical scene for more than six decades. He is universally acknowledged as one of the great living masters and innovators in the African American tradition of autophysiopsychic music — that which comes from one’s spiritual, physical and emotional self.

As a virtuoso on a broad spectrum of reed instruments — tenor saxophone, flute, oboe, bamboo flute, shanai, shofar, argol, sarewa, and taiwan koto — Yusef Lateef has introduced delightful new sounds and blends of tone colors to audiences all over the world.


This living legend is now 87 years old, he started playing jazz in the late 30’s. It is even difficult to imagine how long he has been around, crossing different musical styles and being a reference figure in the jazz scene from the beginning. Ages and experience bring wisdom, and after studying all types of music, I think he reached the perfect synthesis, a style that is apparently minimal, but is indeed really really deep.

It is hard to describe in words the feelings you experiment in such a great concert, plus I’m not an expert of Jazz music so I won’t go into technical details, but let me say one thing: Yuseef Lateef’s music is different from the others in having a huge spiritual component. Also, the influences of African and Mid-Oriental music are evident, but I think his aim is to create a unified, universal musical language rather than simply giving a touch of “exotic” to his performance, as other artist do.

That night he played flute, sax, oboe and different types of african instruments. The Belmondo sextet, his european support band, was the perfect match. Stephan Belmondo in particular, and the bass player, of which I can’t remember the name, gave the audience some moments of pure delight. I still can remember clearly a bass solo that was pure fire. Amazing.

Note: Being a big 90’s hip hop fan (probably the only one in the audience!), it was easy to notice that his sounds were clearly a big inspiration for the producers I love most. Besides being a jazz legend, he even sounds more “hip hop” than your average hip hop producer! I’m sure that if you look in the private collection of RZA or Pete Rock, you’ll find more than one vinyl by Yuseef Lateef.


And this is why you always read to the very end of my blog posts

The Gentle Giant


loveu madly,

Kentke
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