Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Check Out the Historically Great Dust-to-Digital on Bandcamp

So we close Jazz January with a piece not specifically about jazz (though there is some in it) but instead highlighting an article from the site where we found a the majority of the months releases, Bandcamp. A few weeks back that site (which we love) profiled a really cool record label that RtBE had never heard of called Dust-to-Digital.
It is a label that started it's existence with a 160 tracked gospel behemoth called Goodbye, Babylon which was nominated for Best Historical Album by The Recording Academy.
The label since then has literally been all over the world, highlighting albums, genres, and artists who may otherwise have never been heard in 2018 and beyond. There are tons to highlight from the label but here are three that instantly jumped out at us after spending some time on their page:

Of course the rock and roll from Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll is a joy to these retro loving ears and Baksey Cham Krong nails it:


Greek instrumentals can be incredibly cinematic here with G. Gretis & S. Stamos getting after it on fiddle and piano for Greek Rhapsody Instrumental Music from Greece 1905-1956:


and the gospel styling of Rev. Johnny L Jones is powerful no matter your denomination on The Hurricane That Hit Atlanta:     


This is truly a great read with lots of songs mixed in to help guide you along. Many props to the author Andy Thomas, Dust-to-Digital and Bandcamp themselves for preserving these amazing pieces of history. Enjoy some more selections we found below by just scratching the surface and as always thanks for reading. 







Album Review: GrooveHub- Glasses & Hats

GrooveHub
Glasses & Hats
*** out of *****

From Slovakia comes GrooveHub, a trio who claim they are a jazz band who don't play jazz. As you can probably tell from their name, the groove is the almighty force of their work and their newest release Glass & Hats is an hour of funky breaks, jazz meditations and hip shaking instrumental excursions.

The three talented players are Ľubomír Šramo on keyboards Radovan Vallach on drums and Adam Hudec on bass. Sramo leads the attack but on these long songs each artist gets a chance to shine brightly. Opener (after a brief English intro) "Scatter" has a good time electro vibe flowing through it as bright sounds paint the way forward. The title track is four short songs jammed into one and could fit into a host of cinematic visuals, mixing musical styles and sounds easily.

The bass is the focal point on "Adam's Gone Soulsearching" with it's relaxed smooth jazz ways while it also slaps it's way to the forefront on "Kindergarten Extreme" laying the foundation for fresh funky workouts. "Coffee Emergency" lets the 80's sounding keyboards take over while "Rado's Homework" is a drum showcase with Latin flair.

The most surprising track is the seven plus "The Spirit Never Leaves" which injects a reserved organic sound into the mix with soft brush playing and very soothing piano work, a bit unexpected after all of the late night jams that precede it. The whole second half of Glasses & Hats falls into a more conventional acoustic jazz groove with tracks like the upbeat closer "Still On The Right Way".

The trio clearly likes playing with more wires and electronic sound though and that does have some draw backs as the keyboards in particular can come off as thing at times. "Nanometer" is an intriguing combo of organic and electric playing that incorporates ominous overtones and powerful drumming, perhaps a vein the band will delve into more.

The group aren't as loose as jamband players but flirts near enough that territory and fans of more experimental and long instrumental sounds will clearly enjoy GrooveHub whose talents are instantly noticeable and more dynamic then some of those more rock focused players. These Slovakians deliver the promised groove on Glasses & Hats even if they are the jazz band they claim not to be 
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Another fun bandcamp find, support the artists, buy the album  stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:



Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Album Review: Ralph Stanley- Live At The Bottom Line

Ralph Stanley 
Live at The Bottom Line
***and1/2 out of *****

Ralph Stanley is a bluegrass/country/folk legend and in 2002 he embarked on the “Down from the Mountain Tour” with Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Ricky Skaggs, and Del McCoury. This all-time collection of Americana artists made for a formidable lineup and all were reaping the rewards from the genre’s exposure in the acclaimed O Brother Where Art Thou?

While his tour mates are phenomenal in their own right, the Doctor Ralph Stanley is the old timer head of the class and this set captured from the June 12th stop at New York City’s legendary Bottom Line is a prime example of his talents later in his life. Opening a cappella with his Grammy winning cover of the old standard “O Death” Stanley has the crowd enraptured from his first notes.

Stanley’s voice is the clear focal point here, but on this night he was supported by a stellar bluegrass backing band. Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Mike Compton on mandolin, James Allen Shelton on guitar, and Dennis Crouch on bass support the Doctor with grace and most importantly know when to back out and let the legend lead. Stanley mentions that the songs he is singing on this night are 200-400 years old and he is continuing the tradition, tracks like “Girl from the Greenbriar Shore” might be ancient but it still rings true and sounds delightful in the hands of these players.

Stanley blends bluegrass, country, folk and gospel into his old timey style with ease. His focus on the holy is evident on “Lift Him Up” and the especially sparse and soulful “I’ll Remember You Love, In My Prayers”. The band kicks up for the rambunctious fiddle blazing “Wild Bill Jones” and the mandolin led horror story of “Pretty Polly” which Stanley mentions he recorded back in 1948. While all of these songs are timeless, the encore plays to his strengths and enjoyment of the audience with a whooping version of “Man of Constant Sorrow” and the crowd participation of “Amazing Grace”.

The show is a gem and a great way to hear Stanley riding towards the highest points in his even with a career of over 50 years behind him. Special attention should be giving to the Bottom Line Archive series which perfectly captures the music and singing on this night and is a can’t miss for any release as the quality is top notch.
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Support the artist, buy the album and peep some video below:

Monday, January 29, 2018

Misfits Reunion Comes Home to New Jersey

Having reunited for Riot Fest, the Misfits of Glen Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein along with the amazing Dave Lombardo will be playing their home state of NJ in May.
The lineup is killer as Suicidal Tendencies and Murphy's Law will be opening the show at the Prudential Center on 5/19. There are pre-sales all week so grab your tickets early as this is sure to sell out (no other area shows have been announced). The on sale public date is 2/2 so mark groundhogs day as well.

To prep for that punk as fuck spring Saturday here are a few of RtBE's favorite tunes from all three bands.   






Dylan Cover #310 Siamese Jazz Club "I Shall Be Released" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Siamese Jazz Club playing "I Shall Be Released"

Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan in a Jazz vibe, can you dig it daddy-o? 

Thoughts on Cover:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this song:
"I Shall Be Released" has been covered by too many artists to count and with reason; it is a masterpiece.  A simple song that will forever be etched in Rock Legend as it ended perhaps the best concert in recent pop music The Last Waltz. The Band are always connected to the tune as Dylan wrote it during those amazing days playing with the group up at Big Pink in the Catskills and the group released it on their first album. Gospel in nature the song is about salvation that can be certain, and each listener (and performer) can add their own personal feelings into the sketch, perfect for covering, especially live.   

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist: 
This is the first we are finding out about the Siamese Jazz Club who have since changed their name to Siamese Sound Club. The group also now plays as a trio and are based in Asheville. 

Thoughts on Cover:
A mix of gospel, Jazz singing and folksie playing moves us from Jazzy January covers back towards our normal focus next month. A strong vocal, if a touch overdone, but the song demands drama and Siamese Jazz Club delivers.   

Friday, January 26, 2018

Full Show Friday: Kamasi Washington's 'The Epic' in Concert

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...
Kamasi Washington!

It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2018 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.

This week we are going with one of the men who brought jazz back into the cool zone as Kamasi Washington performs The Epic live in downtown LA in 2015. While there is no doubt Kamasi has brought the spotlight back around for "in the know" music fans back towards Jazz, RtBE's personal taste leans more towards his contemporary who we showcased last week. Washington is damn good though and for fans of adventurous music who are hesitant to jump into jazz this is great place to try it out.

This is Jazz Night in America on NPR so you get an introduction and some amazing background. Needless to say, Pro Shot, Pro Sound, with setlist and players below. Enjoy:

Jazz Night In America features Kamasi Washington and the music of The Epic at its release party, and in its full glory. From the Regent Theater in Downtown L.A., Washington presents his new album with his working band, a choir, a string section and plenty of special guests.

SETLIST 5:45 - "Askim" 27:25 - "Change of the Guard" 47:00 - "Leroy and Lanisha" 1:02:01 - "Henrietta Our Hero" 1:15:10 - "Re Run" 1:44:00 - "The Message" 

MUSICIANS Kamasi Washington, Tony Austin, Ronald Bruner, Stephen Bruner, Brandon Coleman, Cameron Graves, Miles Mosley, Ryan Porter, Patrice Quinn, Battlecat, Munyungo Jackson, The Gaslamp Killer, Terrace Martin, Leon Mobley, Ras G, Dwight Trible, Rickey Washington, Dontae Winslow, Miguel Atwood:Ferguson, Paul Cartwright, Yvette Devereauz, Atryom Manukyan, Ginger Murphy, Tylana Renga, Molly Rogers, Jim Simone, Andrea Witt, Nia Andrews, Trenyce Cobbins, Thalma de Freitas, Taylor Graves, Charles Jones, Dawn Norsleet, Steven Wayne, Mashica Winslow

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Album Review: Max Abrams - The Big Bash! EP

Max Abrams
The Big Bash! EP
*** out of *****
The Nashville based saxophonist Max Abrams has released an EP of swinging tunes with the help of his band and B3 player Red Young. Maybe it is best to let Abrams explain it himself:

Recently, my friend and favorite B3 player in the world, Red Young, called to say he was passing through Nashville on his way home to Austin, Texas. He was heading home from a gig in Canada and needed a place to stop and catch his breath. I said “Red, you’re not coming through my town without making a record with me.” Thankfully, he obliged. We made a little EP to celebrate the chance to make music together. Hope ya dig it. See you down the road!

Dig it we do. A fresh and funk move through some jazzy tunes that feel alive. Opening with "The Dirty Boogie" the whole outfit comes alive moving with class and precision. On "Be Doop Bop" Young takes over and moves things along on his organic organ, sounding warm with tones as solos come and go but that sweet B3 sound stays moving until all the players lock in to close with force, a disk highlight.

"Lucy and Desi" plays to the title characters with smirks and a Latin groove, while "Something About Texas" cools things out as a showcase for Abrams confident and restrained phrasing pairing him excellent with his friend Young. The EP closing "Red's Run" is just that, a grooving hip tune that would fit perfectly in a Pink Panther movie or a late night cellar jam session. Percussive changes mix things up while both friends let the groove take them away.

A short exploration, thrown together last minute that shines on every song. Perhaps in the future there will be more from this pairing of sounds, but as it stands, The Big Bash! is a winning slice of smooth swinging jazz to start off 2018.   
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Support the artist, buy the album or stream it below and on bandcamp.


Album Review: Rob J Kennedy - 1950's Sci Fi Suite

Rob J Kennedy
1950's Sci Fi Suite
** out of *****

A few months ago I heard the song "Telstar" by The Tornadoes for the first time. One of the reasons I review music all over the map is because there is so much amazing stuff out there that I never knew about, such as a genre known as Space Age Pop. Needless to say I went youtube diving and found a bunch of cool tunes, so when Robert J Kennedy's 1950's Sci Fi Suite came onto our bandcamp radar earlier in Jazzy January we knew we wanted to cover it.

Kennedy is a an Australian composer who has dreams of becoming a "movie music composer" and posts prolifically on bandcamp. The majority of these tunes are synth keyboard based but with lots of flourishes. The album does exactly what it sets out to do, pay homage to 1950's Sci Fi Films, if not that energetically; no big rocket chase or laser climax here, just drifting mellow sounds, rising and falling.

Using strings, sounds and metallic bleeps and bloops the mood is set for each song. "A Woman? Are You Serious?" vacillates back and fourth while "I Had My Molecules Rearranged" just floats through the cosmos propelled by a light flute. The swelling and vibraphone work of "The Mad Scientists Brain Ticks Over" is a fun ride, but feels more contemporary worldly than retro 50's gazing.

Things are a too much one note though as "The Brain That Slowly Ate The World" is dull and never lives up to it's title hype while "The Creeping Unknown" offers pleasant flute, but it is a path Kennedy has shown us a few times already. A bit more variety around the genre would have been appreciated as some of those early Sci Fi Films had a sense of humor about them that isn't represented here.

Not being very knowledgeable of 50's Sci Fi movies (outside those featured on MST3K that is) the titles could mean something, thus the songs may match up to black and white scenes, which would be cool, but not necessary to the listening experience.  The album could work as a score, background music, or a mellow headphone trip out to the stars, whatever is your pleasure.
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Support the artist, buy the album on bandcamp or stream it below:

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Album Review: Clap Stomp Swingin' - Swing Arcade

Clap Stomp Swingin'
Swing Arcade
*** out of *****

The upbeat retro sound of Clap Stomp Swingin' proves that jazz knows no cultural bounds. With Swing Arcade the group take melody's and rhythms right out of 1930's New Orleans and infuses Japaneses singing that brings sunshine to the ears; even without understanding the meaning behind the lyrics, these sounds are joyful.

The four piece from Osaka are Ryosuke Takada(Guitar) Takuro Yamashita (Clarinet,Vocal) Ryohei Kishimoto (Piano) Ichiro Saito (Bass), keeping the sounds acoustic and light. This throwback swing jazz starts with "When The Band Go Marching In" but stays away from the traditional melody and injects some great harmonization with it's bright vocals. The title track comes next and is a breezy jaunt highlighted by the Yamashita's clarinet.

"Bravo Circus!" is an odd one which starts out ominous and dark, then goes almost into cartoon/anime land silliness before dipping into melancholy; this force feeding of emotional sounds is jarring. Speaking of jarring, the fuzz guitar and pedal effects on the over long "Sing Sing Sing" (while interesting) are completely out of place on this record, it is amazing the group chose to add it here instead of saving it for a future release that focuses more on experimental playing. Those tracks, along with the mellow piano focused "Nostalgia" are weaker points but things improve with the outfits take on the classic (and West Ham United theme) "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles". 

The quartet work best staying staying weightless and floating from tune to tune. Other bright spots are the fantastic acoustic slide guitar blues on "Kmoichi De Swing" and the bass led album closer "When I Grow To Old To Dream" which finds Yamashita singing admirably in English. Each of the players get to flex their virtuoso playing on the popping "Tiger Rag" which not only acts a showcase for the groups talents, but also is an album high point.

Clap Stomp Swing have clearly inhaled the acoustic jazz virus and expel it in glorious fashion on Swing Arcade; easily the most fun album we have covered this Jazz January it will bring an immediate smile to your face.
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Support the artists, buy the album and stream it on bandcamp or below:

2017 Recap: Favorite Albums, Shows etc.

With all the hectic happenings at the end of the year, things can be missed. This is just a catch up post to point out a few of our favorite things from 2017 that shouldn't go unnoticed. There were many strong releases, great live shows, amazing musical moments....2018 has a lot to live up to.

 In case you missed it here are our Best of 2017 series of posts...

Our picks for best album art of 2017, where we check out some creative album art from the last year.

Our picks for best live show of 2017, what an amazing year for live tunes...all of these were jaw dropping nights in their own ways.

Finally our three part series for albums of the year. Part one our just misses and letdowns, part two our picks for 10-5, part three our top 5, picks for best albums of 2017.  Again all of these are fantastic and worth your time and attention.

Feel free to let us know your choices in the comments and thanks as always for reading and exploring...as the patron saint of this site stated:

What are those of the known, but to ascend and enter the Unknown? 

Album Review: The Clunk Orchestra - The Sound It Makes

The Clunk Orchestra
The Sound It Makes
*** out of *****

The Melbourne Australia based outfit The Clunk Orchestra release their debut, The Sound It Makes, a confident collection of instrumental tunes that swirl around the jazz rock genre.

The "orchestra" is actually a quartet on this release as the players (Ron Anderson tenor, alto, soprano saxophone, Geoff Spooner, guitar Ben Harmsen bass, Marek Podstawek drums and percussion) who lock in and ride around the sound. The opener "Painting Music" captures their spirit as it showcases horn work while maintaining a fairly straight ahead rock progression while "Andrea Dorian" is led by the deep bass line and augmented by ripe electric guitar solo.

"Chunnel" finds the group getting their funkiest with some chicken scratch guitar work and saxophones coloring the proceedings with grace. "Nearly Red" is the longest effort here and moves easily between dictated passages but never really takes off, while "The Thang" proves better with it's polished groove and wah-wah guitar work.

"Cielocha" is the most interesting track as the rhythm section (especially the percussion) is pulling in a off beat funk way while the horns and guitar are moving ahead with smooth jazz styling. This push and pull make for an engaging listen, with immersion in the off beat only a few riffs away if they were to go for it. "Never a Dull Moment" closes things with confidence, a glossy sheen covers things with just a touch of muscle and menace lurking beneath the surface.

At times The Clunk Orchestra's tunes can fade into background music and perhaps with another component (vocalist? piano/keys?) to spruce things up there could be new vistas visited, but on the whole The Sound it Makes is a pleasant, smooth ride.
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Support the artists buy the album or stream it on bandcamp and below:

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

2018 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Lineup

The lineup for the 2018 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was announced today!

It is a doozy! Let's let the video do the talkin' (and walkin'):


So RtBE is set to celebrate our 10th Anniversary at (for our money) the best festival in the USA. Jazzfest never fails to disappoint, even when their lineup (like the last few years) has been lackluster.

No worries this year as that picture above and video make perfectly clear, this year is stacked. We got a few right with our predictions and are are happy for a few others that we didn't. Also the day break down is excellent, we can't wait for the closing day chock full of RtBE Personal Favorites.

We will be down the second weekend, so until then, let's give a few videos of some of the great people we will be getting to see in 2018:








oh and our total crush is headlining Sunday:

Album Review: Brenda Layne - Torch

Brenda Layne
Torch
**and1/2 out of *****
Brenda Layne from Cliffside, North Carolina put out this smokey collection of tunes aptly titled Torch. These six tracks focus on Layne's fluttering voice, piano runs, and a rich bass that pushes things forward.

"Kindred Spirits" starts things off with conventional late night smoothness as Layne puts on a femme fatale air as her voice flutters to end and piano breaks only serve to focus back on the voice. The second track "Breakthrough To The Temprate Zone" is where things start to get interesting, lyrically this track pushes, but clearly not all the way, and stutters and starts musically. It is a weird listen that seeks to expand on the torch song tradition, not wildly successful but intriguing. 

"Lucky Charm" finds Layne in her most seductive mood and warmest voice. While her register isn't wide, she sings confidently, and never better than on this track which also mixes and matches tempo breaks from standard to a hip hop beat at one point before fading out too soon.

The piano ballad "Solo Act" is smooth and shines with an excellent jazz guitar outro and some scatting while "Stone Alone" confidently moves between loneliness and sweetness with ease before the standard "Stormy Weather" finds Layne closing things out professionally behind an acoustic guitar strum. 

Torch is apparently a debut for Brenda Layne and an engaging first effort. Unfortunately RtBE couldn't find out much about this release, so if readers have any info feel free to send it over and we can update the review, with songwriters, musicians and any other information.
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Support the artist, by the album on band camp or stream it below:

Monday, January 22, 2018

Happy 10th Birthday to Drive-By Truckers, Brighter Than Creation's Dark

Earlier today we wished Dr. John and Gris-Gris a Happy 50th and now we stay in the south and wish the Drive-By Truckers a Happy 10th on their acclaimed release, Brighter Than Creation's Dark.
The album was the first for DBT without Jason Isbell since their breakthrough Southern Rock Opera. It is a huge record that benefited from the band playing some acoustic based shows on the Dirt Underneath Tour which found the players augmented by Spooner Oldham on keys. The legendary Spooner stuck around for this recording and the whole record is a musical tour-de-force. 

It is a loooooong disk, nineteen tracks and all of them have a lot to say either lyrically or musically. Banjo, acoustic guitars, harmonicas and pedal steels gets more love and the tone overall is softer than the majority of their releases putting a focus on the strength of the lyrics.

Patterson Hood pens nine of them and opens with the heartbreaking story song of "Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife" about Bryan Harvey and his families senseless murders and closes things with the the cinematic John Neff pedal steel laced "Monument Valley".

Like all of the Truckers efforts (at least to these ears) Mike Cooley pulls the best lines, while Shonna Tucker holds her own with three tracks. Cooley's "A Ghost to Most" is his visceral reaction to the lack of relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina and he also supplied the gorgeous title as it is a line in "Checkout Time in Vegas".

From the fuzz guitars on "3 Dimes Down" to the solemn drums on "The Home Front" to the swirling psychedelia of "That Man I Shot" to the defiant balls rock of "The Righteous Path" the group sound so locked in and confident; it is grand. 

While personal tastes finds RtBE gravitating more towards It's Great To Be Alive and for studio work Decoration Day, there is no denying what an artistic achievement Brighter Than Creation's Dark is. In fact one of our favorite writers on music Robert Christgau pegs it as the bands high-point. Check out his full review:
OK, 19 songs, gotta be filler here somewhere, and there is, only it isn't melodic--with all music credited to the band, Shonna Tucker's muzzier lyrics and Mike Cooley's more elusive ones sound as well-turned as those of Patterson Hood, who's never written better. In Hood's songs, an opening act, an alcoholic, a crankhead, a heroic suicide, a heroic survivor and two different soldiers in Iraq fall between an opener where heaven is Saturday morning with your wife and kids and a closer that contemplates "the ironic nature of history." Cooley remains the lowlife specialist, most warmly with lost party girl Lisa and hometown gay guy Bob. Some complain "Bob" is the corniest country song they ever wrote. That's the point--one of several. A
Pretty spot on and elusive...just like this fantastic release from the Truckers. Enjoy a few tracks from it below, buy the record and most importantly catch them live ASAP








Dylan Cover #309 Curtis Stigers "Things Have Changed" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Curtis Stigers playing "Things Have Changed"
Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan in a Jazz vibe, can you dig it daddy-o? 

Thoughts on Dylan's Original: 
One of Dylan's late career highlight is this haunting tune of isolating coldness that is sprinkled with some of his coolest vocal images and smirks. You can see him wheeling a lady down the street, drinking champagne with one and doing a creaky jitterbug. It can be the lighter side of "Love Sick" or a more urban update to "Mississippi" but even taken on it's own it is a hell of a slick tune. Unfortunately it was only released on the Wonder Boys soundtrack and not an official album, which is a let down, but it did win Dylan both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award.  

(Shockingly we have made it to #309 in this series and this is the first time we are touching on this great tune)
Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist: 
The Saxophonist/Vocalist Curtis Stigers has played with a host of pop stars and has moved into the pop realm covering tunes with a Jazz twist focusing more on his vocals. 

Thoughts on Cover:
This is a light Jazz cover of a great song. We could have gone for more sax on this version and less easy crooning. A great song but a limp, watered down, adult contemporary cover.

Happy 50th Birthday to Gris-Gris and Dr. John

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of one of the all time great albums and the birth of a rock and roll icon. January 22nd 1968 Gris Gris was released and the world was introduced, for the first time to Dr. John.
While the world may have heard some music from session musician Mac Rebennack. they had never experienced anything from Dr. John, The Night Tripper. Mac (who was 27 at the time) was inspired by his sister to create this character tying him into New Orleans voodoo lore while he was stuck in LA, and the rest is rock and roll hall of fame history.

Seven years ago we went deep on the album for NYPL so we are not going to rehash those thoughts, we just want to take a moment to celebrate the man and his music, which was lively from the jump.

Today it is especially cosmic because tomorrow the best festival in the country, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival announces its lineup for 2018 and we hope to catch the good doctor yet again down south.

Until then enjoy some tunes from one of the coolest, oddest, and transportive debut albums of all time:




And the grand finale with help from Duane Allman:

Friday, January 19, 2018

Full Show Friday: Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah - Leverkusener Jazztage 2016

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...
Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah!

It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2018 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.

So we finish off our focus on Christian Scott with this full concert from November 9th, 2016 in Germany.  We loved his Centennial Trilogy which we wrote about all week. Jazz is such an in the moment thing, and this show starts off a bit slow but grows and cooks as it progresses

This is a solid show and a fine addition to our series. Pro Shot, Pro Sound, full setlist below. Enjoy:


● Tracklist:
1. R. Groid 2. The Walk 3. The Reckoning 4. Diaspora 5. West Of The West 6. The Last Chieftain
● Personnel: 
Christian Scott - trumpet, reverse flugelhorn, siren Braxton Cook - viola Lawrence Fields - piano, keyboard Kris Funn - bass Corey Fonville - drums Joe Dyson - drums Dominic Minix - guitar Elena Pinderhughes - flute, vocals 
● Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah - Leverkusener Jazztage 2016 Live at 37. Leverkusener Jazztage, Germany, November 9th, 2016

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Album Review: Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah- The Emancipation Procrastination

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
The Emancipation Procrastination
****and1/2 out of *****

Forward looking Jazz artist Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah went large in 2017 releasing 3 albums collectively known as the Centennial Trilogy celebrating one hundred years since the first recorded jazz song. It is a large long project that has one foot in the past and one in the future. The artist is also searching for something deeper:
The series is, at its core, a sobering re-evaluation of the social and political realities of the world through sound. It speaks to a litany of issues that continue to plague our collective experiences. Slavery in America via the Prison Industrial Complex, Food Insecurity, Xenophobia, Immigration, Climate Change, Sexual Orientation, Gender Equality, Fascism and the return of the Demagogue.
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah holds nothing back and fusing his own "Stretch Music" with modern Trap styling, West African rhythms and New Orleans Indian flair; this is concurrently an experimental and historical effort.

For the final piece of his trilogy CSaTA bridges the gap of the first two releases, synthesizing his playing, writing producing into a whole. Where Diaspora was reserved and Ruler Rebel adventurous, the combination of his ultimate stretch style is aimed for on The Emancipation Procrastination, the final result hits that target often. 

The title track announces that direction, but it is the following "AvengHer" where things fully coalesce. While on other tracks of the Centennial Trilogy guests have shone, "AvengHer" is CSaTA's jam through and through. While Marcus Gillmore (Drums, SPD- SX) and Weedie Braimah (Djembe, Bata, Congas) do play on the track it is the engaging sonic structure of Adjuah that overwhelms. Trap beats, eerie warbling bells, sounds out of a horror movie, yet somehow all groovy and encompassing; the darkness is warm and welcoming.

Skittering is not limited to the drums as Elena Pinderhughes flute closes out the evocative "Ruler Rebel" [Remix]" with bouncing melody while the Alto Sax of Braxton Cook cools out "Ashes of Our Forever" and the rhythmic African drums drive "In The Beginning". All the tracks are graceful yet full of power and promise.

The stretch style bubbles through the brief "Michele with one l" while the hip hop beats and running piano shine brighter than the smooth horns on "The Cypher".  "Videotape" dips a little bit too deep into the smooth jazz realm for these ears but the quick and angular "Gerrymandering Game" perks things up before "Unrigging November" highlights all of Adjuah's skills with gorgeous runs and dynamite rhythms.

The album concludes with two elongated passages "Cages" and "New Heroes". The nine plus minutes of "Cages" has a free jazz appeal that reminds of the late 50's early 60's classics (featuring the Tenor Sax of Stephen J. Gladney) and will speak to more jazz traditionalists while closer "New Heroes" ends The Emancipation Procrastination with confident phrasing, unique drumming and trumpet blowing that proclaims Scott has arrived.

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah has crafted a masterful trilogy which contains something for any fan of adventurous music. With the recent rise in popularity of artists like Kasami Washington onto the national stage, modern jazz is experiencing a rebirth and CSaTA is right at the forefront with this inspiring trilogy.
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RtBE has done Jazzy January for a few years now and without a doubt our favorite find was back in 2016 when we first heard Stretch Music from Christian Scott who quickly added aTunde Adjuah to his name. It is actually one of the reasons we continue to do this focus every year, hoping to find an amazing artist like this.

This week (after our MLK salute) is dedicated to CSaTA with reviews of his The Centennial Trilogy and a Full Show Friday celebrating the artist and his collaborators.

Please support the artist, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Album Review: Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah- Diaspora

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Diaspora
**and1/2 out of *****

Forward looking Jazz artist Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah went large in 2017 releasing 3 albums collectively known as the Centennial Trilogy celebrating one hundred years since the first recorded jazz song. It is a large long project that has one foot in the past and one in the future. The artist is also searching for something deeper:
The series is, at its core, a sobering re-evaluation of the social and political realities of the world through sound. It speaks to a litany of issues that continue to plague our collective experiences. Slavery in America via the Prison Industrial Complex, Food Insecurity, Xenophobia, Immigration, Climate Change, Sexual Orientation, Gender Equality, Fascism and the return of the Demagogue.
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah holds nothing back and fusing his own "Stretch Music" with modern Trap styling, West African rhythms and New Orleans Indian flair; this is concurrently an experimental and historical effort.

On the first release of this trilogy, CSaTA used his talents to fully (and excellently) evolve his Stretch style. On the second chapter, Diaspora, he is more focused on setting a relaxed mood. Taken individually this effort underwhelms, but as part of the collective whole (especially it's first and last tracks) it links thematically to it's sister records and also historically to the smooth jazz greats.

The R&B tinged title track opens the proceedings, grooving out easily with a piano motif. Cool and bubbly as a Ramos Gin Fizz from Bar Tonique the track is soulful, aided by Elena Pinderhughes flute, but on this effort CSaTA's trumpet work is the shining lead. The easy rolling continues for "IDK" where the piano again sets the theme as Braxton Cook's saxophone joins to perform a duet with CSaTA's horn work.

The city that is so much at the center of his work gets more love with "Our Lady of New Orleans (Herreast Harrison)" but where "New Orleans Love Song" on Rebel/Ruler was a burst of rhythmic energy, here the coolness of the Diaspora mellows the mood. That mellowness continues to the point of dullness as both "Desire For The Burning Girl" and "Uncrown Her" fail to live up tho their engaging titles.

"Lawless" is the first track to become inventive and it is the drums/rhythms that do all the heavy lifting here, closing with a drum solo. The percussion also perks up for the interluding "New Jack Bounce" and "No Love" rises above the other slow jams based on the low end bumping bass, finding CSaTA using all of his skills expertly.

Things revert to cool jazz for "Completely" as Pinderhughes flute gains a larger role while the album closes with the vocal help of Sarah Elizabeth Charles on "The Walk". The finale is the most positive force on the album with its hyper piano work, deeper beats, (once again) Pinderhughes flute and CSaTA's scurrying horn playing against the slow groove. 

Those fans of more direct straight, easy listening jazz will gravitate to Diaspora, the most digestible of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Centennial Trilogy. For an artist with such amazing talents this middle section just feels too safe, especially in comparison to it's bookend releases.
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RtBE has done Jazzy January for a few years now and without a doubt our favorite find was back in 2016 when we first heard Stretch Music from Christian Scott who quickly added aTunde Adjuah to his name. It is actually one of the reasons we continue to do this focus every year, hoping to find an amazing artist like this.

This week (after our MLK salute) is dedicated to CSaTA with reviews of his Centennial Trilogy and a Full Show Friday celebrating the artist and his collaborators.

Please support the artist, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:




Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Album Review: Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah- Ruler Rebel

Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
Ruler Rebel
****and1/2 out of *****

Forward looking Jazz artist Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah went large in 2017 releasing 3 albums collectively known as the Centennial Trilogy celebrating one hundred years since the first recorded jazz song. It is a large long project that has one foot in the past and one in the future. The artist is also searching for something deeper:
The series is, at its core, a sobering re-evaluation of the social and political realities of the world through sound. It speaks to a litany of issues that continue to plague our collective experiences. Slavery in America via the Prison Industrial Complex, Food Insecurity, Xenophobia, Immigration, Climate Change, Sexual Orientation, Gender Equality, Fascism and the return of the Demagogue.
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah holds nothing back and fusing his own "Stretch Music" style with modern Trap styling, West African rhythms and New Orleans Indian flair; this is concurrently an experimental and historical effort.

His first release of the trilogy Ruler Rebel is a blazing success, planting a flag in the ground of modern jazz. The album is an amalgamation of sound and style and the truest form of CSaTA's desired jazz/trap/stretch music yet. The title track sets the fusion of styles stage with bright brass, piano flourishes, strings and deep beats; a regal start. "New Orleans Love Song" gets the energy truly flowing with calypso dance beats, tambourines, piano scales and trumpet blares the song is exactly what it's title proclaims; sonic spicy gumbo.     

The past/present/future merge on "Rise Again [Allmos Remix]" and "Encryption" the two standout offerings on the album. "Rise Again" takes it's skittering trap beats, excellent piano work and fierce yet cultured horn lines into a cohesive pulsating track (ending too soon) while "Encryption" pushes things even further out and winningly succeeds. The track showcases great dance beats building with dynamic drum work, constantly supported by grooving soul claps. A dire/dred filled piano line enters and twists the sounds before the ferocious flute work of Elena Pinderhughes soars (this is simply put some of the best flute work RtBE has ever heard) raising the stakes before a noiserock finish that stuns; this track is audio dynamite. 

This album isn't perfect however, the remixed "New Orleans Love Song II" zaps the original of it's organic energy, instead injecting digital beats and a New Age melancholy that drags laboriously (even with stunningly great horn lines from CSaTA himself) while "Phases" features excellent vocals from Sarah Elizabeth Charles but never fully connects the variant parts to a greater whole.

The bass lines and rhythm foundation dominate the last two offerings, "The Coronation of X aTunde Adjuah" and "The Reckoning". The latter is ready made for an MC to arrive and take the track as their own with it's skittering bass/drum work and gorgeous high trumpet progressions while "The Coronation of X aTunde Adjuah" starts more experimental but ends with a pop brass/woodwind finish that could be the foundation for a remixed single.

With the first of his Centennial Trilogy releases Ruler Rebel is a kick ass way to announce a major release in the modern jazz world by a major player. The disk has the rare ability to cross genres, fan-bases, and worlds with it's modern sound, bold pairings and just damn enjoyable music.   
____________________________________________________________
We have done Jazzy January for a few years now and without a doubt our favorite find was back in 2016 when we first heard Stretch Music from Christian Scott who quickly added aTunde Adjuah to his name. It is actually one of the reasons we continue to do this focus every year, hoping to find an amazing artist like this.

This week (after our MLK salute) is dedicated to CSaTA with reviews of his Centennial Trilogy and a Full Show Friday celebrating the artist and his collaborators.

Please support the artist, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:




Jack White Tour Dates Spring/Summer 2018

More info coming out of Jack White's camp today as he announces the release date for his new album Boarding House Reach plus a host of tour dates for 2018.
The record is out on March 23rd and below is the full list of tour dates preceded by a special announcement regarding fans and ticket purchasing from Third Man Records:


Tickets for the just-announced headline dates will go on sale to the general public on January 26 at 10am local time. Third Man Records Vault members will have access to the very first pre-sale starting on January 22 at 10am local time. Sign up for Vault Package #35 featuring the ONLY limited edition version of the album + to gain ticket pre-sale access FIRST here
Fans will also have the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance of the public on sale during the Ticketmaster Verified Fan pre-sale to ensure tickets get directly into the hands of the fans. Registration for Ticketmaster Verified Fan is currently open and continues until January 19 at 11:59 PM ET here
Additionally, every online ticket purchased in North America for the new headline shows will include a physical copy of BOARDING HOUSE REACH on CD. Fans will also have the option to upgrade their CD to the standard black vinyl LP. BOARDING HOUSE REACH is out March 23.

April 19: Little Caesars Arena - Detroit, MI

April 20: Eagles Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI

April 21: 20 Monroe - Grand Rapids, MI

April 23: Baxter Arena - Omaha, NE

April 24: Providence Medical Center Amphitheater - Bonner Springs, KS

April 25: Chaifetz Arena - St. Louis, MO

April 27: Bomb Factory - Dallas, TX

April 29: Bomb Factory - Dallas, TX

April 30: Revention Music Center - Houston, TX

May 1: Revention Music Center - Houston, TX

May 2: 360 Amphitheater - Austin, TX

May 27: Brewery Ommegang - Cooperstown, NY

May 29: The Anthem - Washington, DC

June 4: Express Live! Outdoor Amphitheater - Columbus, OH

June 6: Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica - Cleveland, OH

June 7: Dome Arena - Rochester, NY

June 8: Artpark Mainstage Theater - Lewiston, NY

June 9: Budweiser Stage - Toronto, ON

June 27: London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo

June 28: London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo

July 2: AFAS Live - Amsterdam, NL

July 3: L'Olympia - Paris. FR

July 4: L'Olympia - Paris. FR

August 6: The Armory - Minneapolis, MN

August 8: 1st Bank Center - Broomfield, CO

August 9: SaltAir - Salt Lake City, UT

August 11: Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Portland, OR

August 12: Rogers Arena - Vancouver, BC

August 13: WAMU Theatre - Seattle, WA

August 15: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium - San Francisco, CA

August 19: Santa Barbara Bowl - Santa Barbara, CA

August 21: Viejas Arena - San Diego, CA

August 22: Comerica Theatre - Phoenix, AZ

August 23: The Chelsea @ The Cosmopolitan - Las Vegas, NV

Monday, January 15, 2018

Happy MLK Day: March on Washington 1963

This is a tradition here at RtBE. While we are including this in our Monday Dylan series, this is a necessary break from the routine.
We here at RtBE have lots of heroes and most stem from America's hard fought past. We have talked about the godfather of this site, we will probably touch on Lincoln at some point, but the man who we celebrate today is right up there both of them. Martin Luther King Jr. is an American who deserves to be honored right alongside the greatest our country has ever produced.

We are happy to dedicate this Monday to him and to help celebrate the day we will post a 10 minute clip of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and others performing songs at one of the most monumental days for democracy, the1963 March on Washington DC.

Dylan plays "When The Ship Comes In" with Baez helping out, "Only A Pawn In Their Game" solo and joins a group for "Keep Your Eyes On The Prize".



Have a great day and make sure to watch this, MLK's last prophetic public words:


It is still so incredibly moving.

The full speech is located here and worth listening to as well and you can read this amazing writing which unfortunately is still relevant today from King as well:

Friday, January 12, 2018

Full Show Friday: Anoushka Shankar Ensemble & Patricia Kopatchinskaja 4/23/16 Berlin

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...
Anoushka Shankar Ensemble & Patricia Kopatchinskaja!

It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2018 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.

We go Berlin and musically India for our Full Show Friday this week. Anoushka Shankar Ensemble with Patricia Kopatchinskaja broaden our focus on jazz even wider as we dip into our MLK weekend. Pro Shot, Pro Sound, Enjoy:


Setlist: 1. Raga Puriya Kalyan 2. Raga Pilu (with Patricia Kopatchinskaja) 3. Raga Pancham Seghara (with Pirashanna Thevarajah) 4. Raga Manj-Khammaj 

Anoushka Shankar: sitar Tanmoy Bose: tabla Pirashanna Thevarajah: mridangam Kenji Ota: tanpura Special Guest: Patricia Kopatchinskaja: Violine Großer Saal Konzerthaus 

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Album Review: Nubya Garcia- Nubya's 5ive

Nubya Garcia
Nubya's 5ive
***and1/2 out of *****

The London based saxophonist and composer Nubya Garcia has released a stunning easy flowing debut album that captures the ear right away. Nubya's 5ive is actually a six track (one alternate take) effort that catapults the artist onto the scene in a big way as each track is expansive, groovy and enjoyable.

The smooth jazz of "Lost Kingdoms" opens things as her sax mixes with Sheila Maurice-Grey's trumpet all around the warm electro keyboards of Joe Armon-Jones. The theme is established by the stand up bass of Daniel Casimir for "Fly Free" Garcia's warm tone soothes the ear as she effortlessly displays an aloof coolness, almost drifting into avant garde land but pulling back to continue the groove.

That groove takes center stage on "Hold On" as the bass along Moses Boyd and Femi Koloeso drumming get the head bopping before Garcia comes on with skittering energy in a hip hop manner. A deep track that works well with Theon Cross's tuba and a drum duet, never relenting over the seven minute roll time. While the added condensed "Alternate Take" is nice to have we will stick with the original.

"Contemplation" is starts out creeping and deliberate in its pacing, smooth jazz which while effective, seems just a touch off on the piano and drum work when compared with the slow burn of Garcia's horn. "Red Sun" is more alive with a Latin tinged drum beat and matching sounds that propel the tune forward, locked in the group can push and pull using Garcia as a lead while contributing dynamically all around her.

While not as adventurous as some of the other albums we have covered this month, it is an engaging disk that takes it's time and works with atmospherics to deliver a pleasant journey in a more conventional jazz way. As a debut album it is sure fire success, as Garcia soars into the future.     
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Continuing our Jazz January with another bandcamp gem. Support the artist, buy the album/stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:


Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Album Review: Bob Dylan - Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series 13 1979-1983

Bob Dylan
Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series 13 1979-1983
**** and 1/2 out of *****

(This is a review of the two compact disc release)

While Bob Dylan has had many shifts in his performances and songwriting styles during his storied career, none has loomed as large and yet been as hidden as his Christian phase and this Bootleg release aims to explore that period in depth.

Focusing on his live performances during this time Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series 13 1979-1983 proves that Dylan was ultra-engaged. His sings with ferocity, backed by a host of female voices acting like a holy choir (these are Mary Elizabeth Bridges, Carolyn Dennis, Gwen Evans, Clydie King, Regina McCrary, Regina Peebles, Helena Springs, and Mona Lisa Young). The gospel sense is infused with the apocalyptic Armageddon message (especially on the first disc) but the secular world also slipped into the proceedings. With disco going on elsewhere, the backing music kicks in with some funky riffs and beats.

The religious fervor famously focused Dylan in the studio, as he used topnotch session musicians and producers for the three albums this release covers Slow Train Coming, Saved, Shot of Love. That attention to details carried over to the stage for these performances. Tim Drummond holds down the bass with Arthur Rosato and Jim Keltner manning the drum kit while a host of experts play guitar (Steve Ripley, Fred Tackett) and prominent keyboards (Al Kooper, Spencer Oldham, Willie Smith, Terry Young). Even Carlos Santana arrives to play a blistering solo on “The Grooms Still Waiting at the Altar”.

Arraigned mostly chronologically the years covered here find Dylan more fire and brimstone in ’79 with a steaming “Slow Train” and powerful “Gotta Serve Somebody” (from his famous Warfield Theater run) while second versions of both songs from ’81 have already evolved, taking on a funky looseness, with less Book of Revelation/End of Times force. “Solid Rock” has two different versions with the ’79 version bumping with grooving energy and the ’81 outing revamped, sapped of all its strength and enjoyment. The burning version of “Shot of Love” from ’81 however shows that Dylan can still dig deep and use that holy power for some inspired rocking.

The final few tracks move away from specific born again Christian directness towards a more worldly spiritual inclusion with the easy reggae tinged “Watered-Down Love” the light love song “In the Summertime” the fantastic organ drenched “Caribbean Wind” all this before one of Dylan’s all-time great pieces “Every Grain of Sand” which finishes the double disc set.

In between you get to hear the artist and players wrestling with the spirits and success of the tracks. The previously unreleased songs seem to be unreleased for the proper reason; they aren’t that dynamic. “Blessed Is the Name” is the best of these, working as a throw down gospel rave up that would be hard to capture in the studio, but “Ain’t Going to Hell for Anybody” remains one note throughout and “Ain’t No Man Righteous, No Not One” is an odd pairing of strong religious declarations with music that would be right at home as a theme song to any generic early eighties network sitcom comedy.

The one thing constant throughout is Dylan’s strong performances on guitar (acoustic and electric), piano and especially vocally. From the heartfelt “Saving Grace” and “Covenant Woman” to the dynamically forceful “When You Gonna Wake Up?” and “Saved”; he is on point with his message and mission. The group stretches out studio versions adding guitar solos or piano runs to tracks but never overstay their welcome, the longest tune here is the almost seven minute piano based “Pressing On”.

Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series as a whole is amazing. It shines a light deep into the artist’s career, and while they shouldn’t be a first stop for new fans (explore the classic records first) they dig deep, unearthing linking tracks, lighthearted moments and for this entry, spiritual conversions. They are incredibly valuable to get the full scope of the man, his music and his vision as one of the most important figures of the 20th century and beyond. 

This entry continues the series stellar run and is needed to be heard, even if fans never loved or even liked these songs and aren’t apt to convert, it is clear Dylan truly felt the spirit during these years.
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Support the artist, buy the album, and peep some video below:

Two New Jack White Songs "Connected By Love" and "Respect Commander"

One of RtBE's favorites, Jack White has two new tunes out "Connected By Love" and "Respect Commander"
The first focuses on his singing and has an eerie space vibe mixed with a positive gospel sounds with big swells complete with a killer B3 organ solo. Listen for yourself:


There is a ripping guitar solo slipped in that melds with organ work. Sparse bass and drums, but the overly dramatic progressions and warbling intro keep it oddly grounded...really love it upon first listen. It is the first single from his upcoming album Boarding House Reach. 

He also released another track today, "Respect Commander". It is a skittering funky jam session that morphs into an awesome screeching outer space blues lament, birthed directly from Herbie Hancock's "Rocket":


This is clearly going to be a wild album, more info here from Third Man Records:
Today, Jack has released “Connected by Love,” the first single from his forthcoming third solo album, BOARDING HOUSE REACH, along with companion album track “Respect Commander.” Both songs are available digitally worldwide and as a physical 7” pressed at Third Man Pressing in Detroit now – listen, download and purchase HERE.
Needless to say we can not fucking wait to hear the whole thing. Jack's last two releases of new material topped our year end lists in 2012 and 2014 respectively. We have high hopes and judging from these tracks, we will not be disappointed.