One Pic / One Song

Radiohead — Idioteque

Julien Lourau

The Rise [French] [2002]

Julien Lourau is a French saxophonist. This is the album that got me into jazz.

I have to say that the album is not quite consistent. The first half is outstanding when the second one looses a bit of its energy and swing that I love in the first six tracks.

Overall, this album is a brilliant example of smooth jazz.

The Saloon (Life Is Just a Game)

Banksy

click to enlarge

Two Pics / Two Songs

Grateful Dead - The Music Never Stopped



Grateful Dead - Fire On The Mountain

Ernest Ranglin

Below The Baseline [1996] 320kbps

Having some free time, I thought I could give you guys another golden record.

This album is the quintessence of rock steady which is a music genre that was really popular in Jamaica starting in the late sixties. Successor to Jamaican ska and precursor of reggae.

Ernest Ranglin is a guitarist virtuoso. Get it, you won't regret it -

Satta Massagana

Ball Of Fire

Surfin'

Charles Mingus

AH UM (1959) 320kbps

Time has come to upload some jazz. Here is an artist that I particularly like and who initiated me to jazz. Ah Um is an easier album to listen to if you are not used to listen to jazz. Therefore I would advice you to start with this one.

On the other hand, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is composed of only 5 songs, or 5 compositions I should say, the last one being over 18 minutes long. It will require a couple listenings to fully appreciate it.

Sublime album.

At least three became instant classics, starting with the irrepressible spiritual exuberance of signature tune "Better Get It in Your Soul," taken in a hard-charging 6/8 and punctuated by joyous gospel shouts. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" is a slow, graceful elegy for Lester Young, who died not long before the sessions. The sharply contrasting "Fables of Faubus" is a savage mockery of segregationist Arkansas governor Orval Faubus, portrayed musically as a bumbling vaudeville clown (the scathing lyrics, censored by skittish executives, can be heard on Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus ). The underrated "Boogie Stop Shuffle" is bursting with aggressive swing, and elsewhere there are tributes to Mingus' three most revered influences: "Open Letter to Duke" is a suite of three tunes; "Bird Calls" is inspired by Charlie Parker; and "Jelly Roll" is an idiosyncratic yet affectionate nod to jazz's first great composer, Jelly Roll Morton. It simply isn't possible to single out one Mingus album as definitive, but Mingus Ah Um comes the closest. -Steve Huey, allmusic.com

At least three became instant classics, starting with the irrepressible spiritual exuberance of signature tune "Better Get It in Your Soul," taken in a hard-charging 6/8 and punctuated by joyous gospel shouts. "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" is a slow, graceful elegy for Lester Young, who died not long before the sessions. The sharply contrasting "Fables of Faubus" is a savage mockery of segregationist Arkansas governor Orval Faubus, portrayed musically as a bumbling vaudeville clown (the scathing lyrics, censored by skittish executives, can be heard on Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus ). The underrated "Boogie Stop Shuffle" is bursting with aggressive swing, and elsewhere there are tributes to Mingus' three most revered influences: "Open Letter to Duke" is a suite of three tunes; "Bird Calls" is inspired by Charlie Parker; and "Jelly Roll" is an idiosyncratic yet affectionate nod to jazz's first great composer, Jelly Roll Morton. It simply isn't possible to single out one Mingus album as definitive, but Mingus Ah Um comes the closest.

-Steve Huey, allmusic.com

THE BLACK SAINT AND THE SINNER LADY (1963) 320kbps

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is one of the greatest achievements in orchestration by any composer in jazz history. Chales Mingus consciously designed the six-part ballet as his magnum opus, and -- implied in his famous inclusion of liner notes by his psychologist -- it's as much an examination of his own tortured psyche as it is a conceptual piece about love and struggle. It veers between so many emotions that it defies easy encapsulation; for that matter, it can be difficult just to assimilate in the first place. Yet the work soon reveals itself as a masterpiece of rich, multi-layered texture and swirling tonal colors, manipulated with a painter's attention to detail. There are a few stylistic reference points -- Ellington, the contemporary avant-garde, several flamenco guitar breaks -- but the totality is quite unlike what came before it. Mingus relies heavily on the timbral contrasts between expressively vocal-like muted brass, a rumbling mass of low voices (including tuba and baritone sax), and achingly lyrical upper woodwinds, highlighted by altoist Charlie Mariano.

Within that framework, Mingus plays shifting rhythms, moaning dissonances, and multiple lines off one another in the most complex, interlaced fashion he'd ever attempted. Mingus was sometimes pigeonholed as a firebrand, but the personal exorcism of Black Saint deserves the reputation -- one needn't be able to follow the story line to hear the suffering, mourning, frustration, and caged fury pouring out of the music. The 11-piece group rehearsed the original score during a Village Vanguard engagement, where Mingus allowed the players to mold the music further; in the studio, however, his exacting perfectionism made The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady the first jazz album to rely on overdubbing technology. The result is one of the high-water marks for avant-garde jazz in the '60s and arguably Mingus' most brilliant moment.
by Steve Huey, allmusic.com

Serge Gainsbourg

Histoire de Melody Nelson [1971] [French]

Masterpiece.

An essential album for Gainsbourg and for french music as well. This album has been extremely influential to British rockers in the seventies. Probably not the best introduction to Gainsbourg's world but this album remains his masterpiece.

" Histoire de Melody Nelson‘s mix of freewheeling guitar, funk style bass guitar, near spoken word vocal delivery, and lush, deep orchestral string and choral arrangements by Jean-Claude Vannier who composed almost the entire music in collaboration with Gainsbourg for the album, have proven to be highly influential amongst later francophone and anglophone musical performers." - Wikipedia

You don't need to speak a word of French to understand Histoire de Melody Nelson -- one needs only to look at the front cover (with its nearly pornographic portrait of a half-naked nymphet clutching a rag doll) or hear the lechery virtually dripping from Serge Gainsbourg's sleazily seductive voice to realize that this is the record your mother always warned you about, a masterpiece of perversion and corruption. A concept record exploring the story of -- and Gainsbourg's lust for -- the titular teen heroine, Histoire de Melody Nelson is arguably his most coherent and perfectly realized studio album, with the lush arrangements which characterize the majority of his work often mixed here with funky rhythm lines which underscore the musky allure of the music. Perhaps best described as a dirty old bastard's attempt to make his own R&B love-man's record along the lines of a Let's Get It On (itself still two years away from release), it's by turns fascinating and repellent, hilarious and grim, but never dull -- which, in Gainsbourg's world, would be the ultimate (and quite possibly the only) sin.

-AMG

Ballade de Melody Nelson

One Pic / One Song

Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left

Gang Starr

Lifesaver [Jazzmatazz]

What a surprise when I read this morning that Guru died yesterday from a cancer at the age 43.
Gang Starr was one of the pioneers of East Coast Hip-Hop. Guru himself reshaped the Hip Hop sound with his recordings Jazzmatazz, delicate blends of jazz and Hip-Hop.

I remember when I used to listen to Guru all the time when I first got into Hip-Hop a couple years ago.

This year has been terrible for the music world.

Gang Starr - Work

Paired to the producer DJ Premier, Gang Starr released 6 great albums.

Guru's flow is like no other and DJ Premier was at the time one of the most respectful producer on the East Coast.

Gang Starr - Next Time

Full Clip - A Decade Of Gang Starr

(I thought a Best Of would be a good introduction)

Full Clip

Surprising event, Guru wrote a letter for his fans when he was in the hospital.

Here is the letter he wrote and surprisingly we learn that his relationship with DJ Premier was done for seven years and that he was extremely close to MC Solar (French MC who participated in the jazzmatazz series with Guru).

Reading commentaries on websites about this letter, some people find it strange that Solar's name shows up so many times in this letter, making it look like it has been modified for Solar to ensure a great exposure next to Guru's name.

I disagree with that.

Here is the letter he wrote:

I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options.

I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.

My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody's feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own.

I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ. As the sole founder of GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life. - From http://allhiphop.com

Anyway, Guru was an amazing artist whose work won't be forgotten.

Here is a collaboration between Solar and Guru released on the first Jazzmatazz album:

GURU/MC SOLAAR "LE BIEN, LE MAL" (Hope for Le Bien edit/TT edit)

One Pic / One Song

Chocolate Jesus

Franquin

Franquin is a Belgian comic artist (1924 – 1997).
"The last, and most radical, shift in Franquin's production happened in 1977, when he went through another nervous breakdown and began his Idées Noires strip (lit. "Dark Thoughts". With Idées Noires, Franquin showed the darker, pessimistic side of his nature." - Idées Noires is a masterpiece. All in black and white, it is a perfect blend of dark, morbid humor and precise drawings. Delightful.

(I shared two pages that didn't have any written part so you don't need to read French to appreciate :)




I wanted to start introducing the man. Buck 65 is probably my favorite Hip-Hop artist out there. Weird, non conventional, experimentalist, avant gardiste, this guy has a lot to give. This song is from his last album "Situation" [2007] which is slightly different from what he's done in the past. Probably more easy-listening and less weirdo bu still solid.
This video is also pretty cool. I'll share some more sometimes ;)

Nujabes

Feather by Nujabes

Frank Zappa

Mr. Green Genes

One Pic / One Song

How to Fight Loneliness

Jeff Tweedy is a great songwriter. - Just smile all the time -

Pixels

PIXELS by PATRICK JEAN.

One Pic / One Song

Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You

If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You [1970, UK, 256 Kbps]

Let's start listening to some progressive rock. Caravan belongs to the Canterbury scene, which had its own sound at the time.
Excellent album that reaches its peak with the 14 minute suite "Can't Be Long Now-Francoise-For Richard-Warlock".
Trust me, listen to this :)

"A wonderful album that improves upon the debut by leaps and bounds, Caravan's sophomore effort contrasts nicely with what fellow Canterburians Soft Machine did on their own second album released a few months earlier; both come highly recommended. Both bands engage in what was at the time described as "jazz-rock," although Caravan's use of jazz only extends so far as to what they could synthesize with more traditional rock and folk song elements. Soft Machine's jazz influences were more total and more experimental. In hindsight, Caravan's second album sounds more like progressive rock whereas Soft Machine's sounds more like experimental jazz. What makes this album so pleasing is the way in which the band merges considerable improvisational technique with an accomplished ability for melodic development. Thus, for fans of jazz and rock, the band gives you the best of both worlds on large portions of this record. Probably the best example of this is the second track, 'And I Wish I Were Stoned/Don't Worry' where the band packs half an album's worth of melodies into an 8.5-minute suite. Although the entire album is full of great ensemble playing, it is the organ of David Sinclair that most noticeably asserts itself and indeed functions as the glue that holds everything together on this record. Not particularly complex for a progressive rock album, 'If I Could...' is an excellent example of how great band synergy can provide music of substantial interest for fans of progressive music. This is one of Caravan's career highpoints." - http://www.progreviews.com

One Pic / One Song

Ride