Andy Laverne • Between Earth And Mars

 

www.andylaverne.com ...
 

Mendes and Brasil '66 • Four Sider

 

Review by Stephen Cook

Covering the extent of Brasil '66's output from 1966-1972, Four Sider is the best available retrospective for those new to Mendes' successful Brazilian pop outfit (the 45-song Very Best of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 offers a more comprehensive, yet potentially daunting overview). Typical of the band's original albums, Four Sider includes a mix of Brazilian material and '60s pop hits. Also on display is Mendes' winning blend of bossa nova rhythms and lounge-a-go-go elements (churning organ riffs and rock basslines), complimented by a variety of percussion, airy vocal harmonies, and his own jazz-informed keyboard contributions and horn charts. Highlights include renditions of the Beatles' "Nowhere Man" and Joni Mitchell's "Chelsea Morning," in addition to several Brazilian hits, like Jorge Ben's "Mais Que Nada" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave." Other Brazilian luminaries are represented as well, including Edu Lobo, Dori Caymmi, and Oscar Neves, not to mention Mendes himself ("Look Around"). Wrapping up the set are a few Brasil '77 cuts, which spotlight the post-bossa nova sounds of tropicalismo (Ben's "Pais Tropical" and Mendes' "Promise of a Fisherman"). This is a fine collection; one that shows Mendes wasn't simply another space-age bachelor, but an innovative musician and arranger as well.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/four-sider-mw0000652296

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Reseña de Stephen Cook

Cubriendo la extensión de la producción de Brasil '66 de 1966 a 1972, Four Sider es la mejor retrospectiva disponible para aquellos nuevos en el exitoso equipo pop brasileño de Mendes (la canción de 45 minutos Very Best of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 ofrece una visión más completa, pero potencialmente desalentadora). Típico de los álbumes originales de la banda, Four Sider incluye una mezcla de material brasileño y éxitos pop de los 60. También se muestra la mezcla ganadora de Mendes de ritmos de bossa nova y elementos de lounge-a-go-go (riffs de órgano y bajos de rock), complementados por una variedad de percusiones, armonías vocales aéreas, y sus propias contribuciones de teclado y de trompa basadas en el jazz. Lo más destacado incluye interpretaciones de "Nowhere Man" de los Beatles y "Chelsea Morning" de Joni Mitchell, además de varios éxitos brasileños, como "Mais Que Nada" de Jorge Ben y "Wave" de Antonio Carlos Jobim. Otras luminarias brasileñas también están representadas, incluyendo a Edu Lobo, Dori Caymmi, y Oscar Neves, sin mencionar al propio Mendes ("Look Around"). Para cerrar el set, hay algunos cortes de Brasil '77, que destacan los sonidos post-bossa nova del tropicalismo ("Pais Tropical" de Ben y "Promesa de un Pescador" de Mendes). Esta es una buena colección; una que muestra que Mendes no era simplemente otro soltero de la era espacial, sino también un músico y arreglista innovador.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/four-sider-mw0000652296

 

 

 

 https://sergiomendesmusic.com/

 

 

Focus • Moving Waves

 

Review by Paul Co

The album that boosted Focus into at least semi-fame outside of continental Europe, Moving Waves blasts off with their hit single, "Hocus Pocus." Built around a killer guitar hook by Jan Akkerman and a series of solo turns by the band, this instrumental replaced "Wipeout" as a staple of FM radio. The bizarrely hilarious vocal and accordion solos by Thijs van Leer -- one of which absurdly concludes with rousing stadium cheers -- have to be heard to be believed. After this over-the-top performance, the other tracks seem comparatively constrained: the gentle "Le Clochard" features some gorgeous classical guitar over Mellotron strings. The album concludes with "Eruption," which while mimicking the multi-suite nomenclature of Yes and King Crimson, is essentially a side-long jam session. Stop-time Emersonian organ solos alternate with languid sections of jazzy guitar redolent of Santana, while still other sections are flat-out electric blues-rock stomps. It's impressive playing, though it comes off as a bit meandering after the tightly structured solos that began the album.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/moving-waves-mw0000197956

Note by egroj:
Mr. Paul refers to Emerson (ELP) indicating his influence or that he borrowed riiffs from the great progressive organist, being that this Focus album was recorded before the second ELP album, and being that Focus was formed a year before ELP; "Santana" and "Abraxas" are contemporary albums of Carlos Santana and I sincerely don't think they are a strong influence; the same can be said of Yes or King Crimson. While everyone took something from everyone, symphonic or progressive rock was composed and performed by musicians of enormous talent and knowledge, along with experimentation with new horizons and fusion with other genres.

PS: Mr. Paul also forgets "Janis" a beautiful and melancholic ballad that alone is worth the album.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

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Reseña de Paul Co

El álbum que impulsó a Focus a alcanzar al menos la semifama fuera de la Europa continental, Moving Waves despega con su exitoso sencillo, "Hocus Pocus". Construido alrededor de un gancho de guitarra asesino por Jan Akkerman y una serie de giros en solitario por la banda, este instrumental reemplazó "Wipeout" como un elemento básico de la radio FM. Los extrañamente hilarantes solos vocales y de acordeón de Thijs van Leer -uno de los cuales concluye absurdamente con animadas aclamaciones en el estadio- tienen que ser escuchados para que se les crea. Después de esta actuación exagerada, los otros temas parecen comparativamente limitados: el suave "Le Clochard" presenta una magnífica guitarra clásica sobre cuerdas de Mellotron. El álbum concluye con "Eruption", que si bien imita la nomenclatura multi-suite de Yes y King Crimson, es esencialmente una sesión de improvisación lateral. Los solos de órgano de Stop-time Emersonianos se alternan con secciones lánguidas de la guitarra jazzy redolente de Santana, mientras que otras secciones son zapateados de blues-rock eléctrico. Es una interpretación impresionante, aunque parece un poco serpenteante después de los solos estrechamente estructurados que comenzaron el álbum.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/moving-waves-mw0000197956

Nota por egroj:

El señor Paul se remite a Emerson (ELP) indicando su influencia o que haya tomado prestado riiffs del gran organista progresivo, siendo que este disco de Focus fue grabado antes del segundo disco de ELP, y siendo que Focus se formó una año antes que ELP;  "Santana" y "Abraxas" son discos contemporáneos de Carlos Santana y sinceramente no creo que sean una influencia fuerte; lo mismo puede decirse de Yes o  King Crimson. Si bien todos tomaban algo de todos, el rock sinfónico o progresivo era compuesto e interpretado por músicos de enorme talento y conocimiento, junto a la experimentación de nuevos horizontes y fusión con otros géneros. 

PD.:  El señor Paul olvida también  a "Janis" una preciosa y melancólica balada que por sí sola vale el álbum.

Dave ''Baby'' Cortez • Rinky Dink

David Cortez Clowney, known by the stage name Dave "Baby" Cortez (born August 13, 1938, Detroit, Michigan), is an American pop and R&B organist and pianist.

Clowney attended Northwestern High School in Detroit. His father played the piano, and encouraged him to pursue a musical career. Clowney played the piano for 10 years, then he took up the organ.

Clowney made his first record in 1956 under his own name but it was not until three years later that he scored a major success using the stage name Dave "Baby" Cortez. His instrumental, "The Happy Organ", was the first pop/rock hit to feature the electronic organ as lead instrument; it featured drummer Gary Hammond and was co-written by noted celebrity photographer James J. Kriegsmann and frequent collaborator Kurt Wood. The guitar solo is by session musician Wild Jimmy Spruill. The 45 rpm single was the first instrumental No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart. Clowney became the first African-American artist to have an instrumental #1 hit. Before making his big break with an instrumental record, Clowney had sung with two doo-wop groups, the Pearls and the Valentines.

The original 45 rpm single was released on the independent Clock Records label but the LP which featured it was released by RCA Victor by arrangement with Clock.

Cortez had another Top Ten hit in 1962 with "Rinky Dink" on Chess Records. This record became well known in the UK as the signature tune of the Saturday afternoon programme Professional Wrestling, introduced by Kent Walton, although few knew the name of the tune or the artist. The song has a strong resemblance to 1957's "Love Is Strange" by Mickey & Sylvia, since it used the same guitar riff.

In 2011, after a 39-year hiatus from recording, Cortez returned with a new album on Norton Records backed by Lonnie Youngblood and His Bloodhounds, including underground luminary Mick Collins of the Dirtbombs and the Gories.

wiki

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David Cortez Clowney, conocido por el nombre artístico de Dave "Baby" Cortez (nacido el 13 de agosto de 1938 en Detroit, Michigan), es un organista y pianista americano de pop y R&B.

Clowney asistió a la Escuela Secundaria Northwestern en Detroit. Su padre tocaba el piano y le animó a seguir una carrera musical. Clowney tocó el piano durante 10 años, y luego se dedicó al órgano.

Clowney grabó su primer disco en 1956 con su propio nombre, pero no fue hasta tres años más tarde que obtuvo un gran éxito con el nombre artístico de Dave "Baby" Cortez. Su instrumento, "The Happy Organ", fue el primer éxito de pop/rock en el que el órgano electrónico fue el instrumento principal; en él participó el baterista Gary Hammond y fue co-escrito por el célebre fotógrafo James J. Kriegsmann y el frecuente colaborador Kurt Wood. El solo de guitarra es del músico de sesión Wild Jimmy Spruill. El single de 45 rpm fue el primer instrumental No. 1 en la lista de Hot 100 de la revista Billboard. Clowney se convirtió en el primer artista afroamericano en tener un éxito instrumental Nº 1. Antes de hacer su gran descubrimiento con un disco instrumental, Clowney había cantado con dos grupos de doo-wop, los Pearls y los Valentines.

El single original a 45 rpm fue lanzado por el sello independiente Clock Records, pero el LP que lo incluía fue lanzado por RCA Victor con un arreglo con Clock.

Cortez tuvo otro éxito en el Top Ten en 1962 con "Rinky Dink" en Chess Records. Este disco se hizo muy conocido en el Reino Unido como la melodía característica del programa de los sábados por la tarde Professional Wrestling, presentado por Kent Walton, aunque pocos sabían el nombre de la melodía o del artista. La canción tiene un gran parecido con "Love Is Strange" de Mickey & Sylvia de 1957, ya que usaba el mismo riff de guitarra.

En 2011, tras un paréntesis de 39 años de grabación, Cortez regresó con un nuevo álbum en Norton Records respaldado por Lonnie Youngblood and His Bloodhounds, incluyendo a la luminaria underground Mick Collins de los Dirtbombs and the Gories.

wiki

 

 

The Transformation of Black Music: The rhythms, the songs, and the ships of the African Diaspora

 

Powerful and embracive, The Transformation of Black Music explores the full spectrum of black musics over the past thousand years as Africans and their descendants have traveled around the globe making celebrated music both in their homelands and throughout the Diaspora. Authors Samuel A. Floyd, Melanie Zeck, and Guthrie Ramsey brilliantly discuss how the music has blossomed, permeated present traditions, and created new practices. As a companion to the ground-breaking The Power of Black Music, this text brilliantly situates emerging, morphing, and influential black musics in a broader framework of cultural, political, and social histories.

Grappling with subjects frequently omitted from traditional musical texts, The Transformation of Black Music is guided by more than just the ideals of inclusivity and representation. This work covers overlooked topics that include classical musicians of African descent, and builds upon the contributions of esteemed predecessors in the field of black music study. Providing a sweeping list of figures rarely included in conventional music history and theory textbooks, the text elucidates the findings of ethnomusicologists, cultural historians, Americanists, Africanists, and anthropologists, and weaves these accounts into a powerful and informative narrative. Taking its readers on a journey - one that has never been attempted in a single volume alone - this book reflects the musical phenomena generated by forced African migration and collective memory, and considers the kinds of powerful stories that these musics were meant to tell.

Filling in critical musical and historical gaps previously ignored, authors Floyd, Zeck, and Ramsey infuse an engaging musical dialogue with a deeper understanding of the interrelationships between black musical genres and mainstream music. The Transformation of Black Music will solidify not only the inestimable value of black musics, but also the importance and relevance of black music research to all musical endeavors.

 

FLOYD (Autor)