UPPER EGYPT SERIES ISSUE 9 = DJ TRES !!

Is there room for another podcast in the bottomless space of Internet? You bet there isn't! So you should seriously cut your choices to what really matters. Haven't you heard? All those hollow head trend makers post-modern post-mortem ultra latest fashionists have delcared: Myspace  is dead, Facebook is ready to kick the bucket, Twitter will follow shortly... So what then? What comes after YouTube? (one of the so called primary sources of information , ha!, for the young young generations) Well, there's a thought, my friend. 

But in the meantime, here's why Web 3.0 is so exciting: "three" is the name of my Serie B's colleague Tres, "ooh" is what you will say when you listen to this ultimate ecclectic selection of dusty cracking tracks called "Amenemhet selection".

It's the latest edition of the Upper Egypt Series (now down to their issue numero 9): the kind of sharp underground musical thinking we miss in our ever bitching state of mind, but eventually real because of their solid stubborness to make as opposed to moan.

Take a trip to this far far away land of no-boundariesm. Head first, feet first: it doesn't matter.  The truth shall be revealed.

You migt as well take notes and learn. Call it playlist. It'ds available for download RIGHT HERE.

DJ Tres aka Amenemhet selection

1. - KING CRIMSON  "I Talk To The Wind" (Previously Unreleased Version)

extraido de The Young Person´s Guide To King Crimson 

(EG Music/ Island Records, 1976 - Edición Española)

2. - THE VELVET UNDERGROUND "Venus In Furs"

extraído de The Velvet Underground & Nico 

(MGM, 1966 - Edición Española de 1984)

3. - THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA with JOHN McLAUGHLIN "You Know You Know"

extraído de The Inner Mounting Flame

 (CBS, 1971 - Edición holandesa)

4. - SOFT MACHINE "Penny Itch"

extraído de Seven 

(CBS, 1973 - Edición española)

5. - BRAND X "Malaga Virgen"

extraído de Livestock 

(Charisma, 1977 - Edición española)

6. - MICHAEL FRANKS "St. Elmo´s Fire"

extraído de The Art of Tea 

(Reprise, 1976 - Edición española de 1984)

7. - GINO VANELLI "Lady"

extraído de Powerful People 

(A&M Recordings, 1974 - Edición española de 1977)

8. - IT´S A BEAUTIFUL DAY  "White Bird"

extraído de It´s A Beautiful Day

(CBS, 1969 - Edición española de 1980)

9. - MAN "Kerosene"

extraído de Rhinos, Whinos + Lunatics 

(United Artists, 1974 - Edición española)

10. - ORQUESTRA MIRASOL "Hancock"

extraído de Salsa Catalana (Zeleste, 1974)

11. - THE CRUSADERS "I Felt The Love"

extraído de Free As The Wind 

(ABC Records, 1976 - Edición española)

12. - TOM SCOTT & THE L.A. EXPRESS "Sneakin´ in the Back"

extraído de Tom Scott & the L.A. Express 

(Ode Records, 1974 - Edición española)

13. - HARRY MUDIE meets KING TUBBY´S "Roman Dub"

extraído de In Dub Conference Vol. 1 

(Moodisc Record, 1976 - Reedición)

14.-  MONEY MARK "Got My Hand in Your Head"

extraído de Mark´s Keyboard Repair 

(Mo Wax, 1995)

David Valera selection

15. QUINTEPLUS “El Marques”

extraído de Quinteplus

(EMI, 1972 - Edición Argentina)

16. DAVID AXELROD “One”

extraído de Seriously Deep

(Polydor, 1972)

17.- ANTIBALAS ”Beaten Metal”

extraido de Security 

(Anti, 2007)

 

18.- PETER HERBOLZHEIMER “Green Witch 1”

 extraido de  Waitaminute

(MPS, 1973 - Edición Alemana)

19.- GARAGE A TROIS “Gatswamba”

 extraido de  Emphasizer

(Tone Cool, 2003)

20.- GROOVE HOLMES “You´ve Got It Bad”

 extraido de New Groove

(Groove Merchant, 1974)

21.- SOUND DIRECTIONS “Fourty Cars”

 extraido de The Funky Side Of Life

(Stones Throw, 2005)

22.- JOHN SCOFIELD “A Go Go”

extraido de  A Go Go

(Verve, 1998)

http://www.myspace.com/upperegyptseries

Trombone Shorty: true orleans wonder

Talking about the obvious goes like this: New Orleans is full of anonymous wonders. In spite of the tourist jazploitation the city remains cooked up with wonderful musicians who shift and juggle with jazz tradition, blues, soul and jazz. It's the bottomless scene of jam bands, brass combos and multi-instrumentalists who very often only record for small labels, club labels or self-produced releases but come full of surprises and joy. But the happy end is digitalism. Thanks to iTunes, Amazon downloads and Last.Fm many overlooked and underground artists can have their chance.

One of my shameful (ignorant) recent discoveries is this man: Trombone Shorty. I accidentally fell upon his cover of Pharrell's "Frontin" (smooth and brassie) and that made me go and find out about his sweet talent. And sweet is nothing compared to the variety and versatile heart and soul this wonder boy has been doing ever since he was 6 years old. 

Now go on and click him out. Don't stay in the dark ignorance like I was until now...

www.tromboneshorty.com

Mark Farina's Mushroom Jazz

For anyone who knows Mark Farina, despite sharing or not his passion for mainstream house, we must admit his commitment to one of the longest downtempo compilations until date. I'm talking about his Mushroom Jazz series for Om Records. As a matter of fact, Farina reached wider audiences as a DJ below 100 bpm before his name got global recognition as a house selector. From his very first Mushroom Jazz volume, way back in 1996, until his recent volume 6 (the mix cd appeared on october 2008 but the LP version has just been released internationally) he has proved being someone with a quick ear for all sorts of sources who sail smoothly inside the delicate waters of downtempo, a style or genre that very easily gets labeled as cheese crackers. And we don't need to remember now  the undeniable list of compilations who literally exhausted the, otherwise, honest option of pre-party, early morning or just chillin sessions. 

I'm not a downtempo man, since downtempo can mean a lot of crossover things when no one is looking: anything from Bach, Morricone, Glen Gould, Mark Isham, Scarlatti, Paolo Conte or Joni Mitchell can (for the artists) offensively fall into my own downtempo. But I admire the persistence of Farina building up a small library of moods and artists who, if you dare, one can enjoy now as a a six cds plus specials package. An interesting memoir of artists and combos for contemplation and seduction. 

Listen and comment if you will (sorry for the JUNO promo again but I love their flash player):

Get your own player at Juno Records

Schwarz strikes back!

The man is back: and strong! The question is: does he ever go away? Not at all! He's one of the busiest producers and most sought after because of his smart, cutting edge and melodic extended remixes. He has created a unique blend of jazz, techno and house. His solo performances are among the best live acts you can melt yourself into. Over the last months we had him remixing Jazanova's "Let Me Show Ya" (october, 2008), Kuniyuki Takahasi's "Dear African Sky" (october, 2008), Code 718's "Equinox" (january, 2009) and this month's hottest releases: his own "I'm feeling you" and the boombastic Detroit Experiment's "Think Twice".

Just the kind of tracks I was missing as an anti-inflation mood. Excuse my JUNO unvoluntary promotionm but they are the ones releasing this jewel.

Get your own player at Juno Records

Sunday special: Michel Petrucciani

He disappeared ten years ago, on January 6th 1999. I remember clearly the call from my editor, a message in my answering machine late at night. A call reminding me we needed to update the running interview we had for our upcoming issue of Cuadernos De Jazz, since I had just written the conversation Petruche and me had had less than two months ago, after a solo piano concert in Madrid.Suddenly, a joyful and inspiring dialogue became and epitaph.

He was a master and a beautiful human being who filled you inmediately with the same energy and joie de vivre he showed in his physical and explosive solo sessions. We talked for more than a hour, when we were supposed to have less than 30 minutes. We connected, laughed, shared references for musicians and the passion for this music, jazz, as the ultimate expression of our souls and not only an excercise on intelect - like so many artists insist  -. But he only  had words of respect and gratitude for everyone, but also energy and optimism when it comes to the act of creating music. With all that in mind I couldn't help myself and I started crying when I heard the news in the machine. 

For no particular reason, as I always do on sunday morning, I chose this cd: one of my favourite records. It's a double record published in the peak of Petruche's career: "Au Théâtre Des Champs Elysées" (Dreyfus, 1995). A musical journey to the heart and soul of a generous artist, a man full of happiness and wisdom, respect and devotion for the tradition of jazz, but also a true hero who challenged his body limitations, the pain, the reflection of a strange creature to reach the size of a giant who remains as one of the masters of the last quarter of the XX century.