Music News

Show #169: New Music that Caught Tom's Ear

Written by Tom Schnabel Jul. 29, 2016 Rhythm Planet

This week I wanted to share some new sides I’ve been enjoying at home. We begin with a reggae band I just discovered, Raging Fyah. I love the bass lines and the great rim shots, typical of good roots reggae. After that we hear two interesting and beautiful songs. First, a song suggesting Christ’s second coming by Gregory Porter, a singer who has really grown on me. This cut, “Take Me to the Alley” is the title track from his second Blue Note album. The next song features Kurt Elling as the guest vocalist on the Branford Marsalis Quartet‘s new album. We hear an unusual love song called “Practical Arrangement.” The quartet and Kurt will perform at the <a href="http://cap.ucla.edu/calendar/details/branford_2017" target="_blank">Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA in February</a>.

We continue with the big bad orchestra piano wizard John Beasley arranged and conducted to celebrate Thelonious Monk’s timeless compositions. “Epistrophy” features Gary Burton on vibes. Chico Freeman, son of veteran Chicago-based tenor sax elder Von Freeman, disappeared years ago after releasing a bunch of LP’s on the India Navigation label. I often wondered what happened to him. The answer is: he moved to Austria. He sure hasn’t lost any of his horn chops, though, and we hear him with a great Austrian rhythm section. The album Spoken Into Existence is a love song to his daughters.

The final three cuts inhabit the Lusophone universe (i.e. Portuguese speaking countries). First, a new album from singer Ceuzany that is filled with both sweet saudade and the unique Cape Verdean ingredient known as morabeza, a sort of Cape Verdean version of Hawaiian aloha. I wrote about morabeza during a visit to Cape Verde a couple of years ago.

We finish with two Brazilian classics, one bossa nova from the wonderful film Black Orpheus, then a 1957 samba by the great Dorival Caymmi. This show turned out nicely IMHO. I hope you enjoy it too.

Rhythm Planet Playlist for 7/29/16:

Raging Fyah / “Everlasting” / Everlasting / Dub Rockers/VP Records
Gregory Porter / “Take Me to the Alley” / Take Me to the Alley / Blue Note
Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest Kurt Elling / “Practical Arrangement” / Upward Spiral / Okeh
John Beasley / “Epistrophy” / John Beasley Presents Monk’Estra Vol. 1 / Mack Avenue
Chico Freeman 4-Tet / “N’tiana’s Dream” / Spoken Into Existence / Jive Music Austria
Ceuzany / “Dança Ma Mi Criola” / Ilha d’Melodia / Lusafrica/Harmonia
Elizete Cardoso & Luiz Bonfa / “Manha de Carnaval” / Rio Bossa / Chant Du Monde
Dorival Caymmi / “Maracangalha” / Rio Samba / Chant Du Monde