Category Archives: Andalusia

Happy Anniversary Part 6: Jazz and Related Sounds

BigJazzNight

And so we now come to a tri-partite celebration of jazz sounds as part of the ongoing commemoration of the Washerman’s Dog achieving the milestone of 700 posts (way back a couple of months ago). Thank you again to all visitors, regulars and encouragers along the way, its been a blast and I don’t’ see any reason to cease and desist any time soon.

 

Volume one is entitled Blue Vindaloo. Straight ahead jazz mixed with a fair number of Asian and Asian-inspired tracks by jazz artists from Afghanistan to Japan. Check out the Afghan Jazz Unit’s tremendous Spinboldak Saxophony.

Title track from the Pakistani-American uber guitarist Rez Abbasi.

 

Volume two is titled Afro Jazz and indeed here you will find much jazz from the Continent, as well as soukous, pop and other African delights.  Highlights this time are from Angola!  Title track comes via the mighty Madilu of DRC.

 

Volume three, Blow Baby, Blow is dedicated to outstanding brass, woodwind and brass band jazz. Sax, trumpet, tuba and trombone. Greats and unknowns.  Hope you enjoy.

blue vindaloo

Track Listing (Vol. 1):

01 Time Is Right Dr. L Subramaniam]

02 Beauty Of The Flower [Christoph Stiefel and Lissette Spinnler]

03 Elveen [Wynton Marsalis]

04 Spinboldak Saxophony [Afghan Jazz Unit]

05 Ranglypso [Ernest Ranglin]

06 Painted Paradise [Jiro Inagaki and Soul Media]

07 Fat Mouth [Weldon Irvine]

08 Yes, Sir That’s My Baby [Nat King Cole]

09 Abbaji (For Alla Rakha) [John McLaughlin]

10 Hub-Tones [Freddie Hubbard]

11 Eastern Dawn [Amancio D’Souza]

12 Sueño de Amor (Chachachá) [feat. Cachao] [Bonus Track] Generoso Jimenez]

13 Fried Pies (Take 1) [Wes Montgomery]

14 Tempo De Amor [Baden Powell and Vinicius de Moraes]

15 What a Little Moonlight Can Do [Billie Holiday]

16 Harlem On Saturday Night [Lil Hardin Armstrong and Her Orchestra]

17 Benson’s Rider [George Benson]

18 The Best Is Yet To Come [Mr. President]

19 Nuit sur les Champs-Elysees(1) [Miles Davis]

20 Awaara Hoon [Sunny Jain Collective]

21 Sina Nari [Hüsnü Şenlendirici]

22 Tanzania [Sadao Watanabe]

23 Summertime [Ahmed Abdul Malik]

24 Garuda [Raga Bop Trio]

25 The Look Of Love [Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66]

26 Quaze Caindo [Ricardo Herz Trio]

27 The Lewinsky March. [Rabih Abou-Khalil]

28 Ma’am A’rif Leh (Gingele) [Salma]

29 Blu Vindaloo [Rez Abbasi]

30 Raga Piloo [Joe Harriot & John Mayer]

++++

beau souvenir

Track Listing (Vol. 2)

01 Johannesburg Hi-Lite Jive [Hugh Masakela]

02 Margret Odero [D.O. Misiani & Shirati Jazz]

03 Muasi Oweli Bela [bolero] [Vicky et l’OK Jazz]

04 Bolingo Ekomisi Ngai Liboma [L’orchestre Zembe Zembe]

05 Kulekule [Konono No.1 De Mingiedi]

06 La Bycicletta [Keletigui et Ses Tambourines]

07 Avante Juventude [Os Anjos]

08 Whiskey et Coca-Cola [Amadou Balake]

09 Black Egypt -Intro [Bukky Leo and Black Egypt]

10 Soweto Blues [Mariam Makeba]

11 Awa Awa [Wes]

12 Koki (Hot Koki) [Andre Marie Tala]

13 Tweta [Mombasa Party and Zuhura Swaleh]

14 Injuria [Jose ‘Zeca’ Neves]

15 Hymn for the War Orphans [Zimology]

16 Na boyi danbinzi [Orchestre Mando Negro]

17 Onyame [Ashanti Afrika Jah]

18 Sogodounou [Nahawa Doumbia]

19 1er Gaou (Ivory Coast) [Magic System]

20 Kyrie eleison [Orcestre Hi Fives]

21 Ting’ Badi Malo [Gidigidi Majimaji]

22 Din Ya Sugri [Christy Azuma & Uppers International]

23 Gidelam [Baaba Maal]

24 Tollon Tollon [Afro National]

25 Ichibanda [Oliya Band]

26 Revolution [Sonny Okosun]

27 Mosquito [Flaming Souls]

28 Beau Souvenir [Madilu System]

29 Black Woman Experience [Geraldo Pino]

30 Despedida [Dimba Diangola]

###

Blow Baby Blow

Track Listing: (Vol. 3)

01 Blue Light [Ben Webster]

02 Black Man’s Cry [Fela Kuti with Afrika 70 and Ginger Baker]

03 Zomaye [Gigi]

04 Minnie the Moocher [Big Bad Voodoo Daddy]

05 Skalloween [Skatalites]

06 From Boogie to Funk part 1_ The Blues [Bill Coleman]

07 Don’t Take Your Love From Me [Frank Rosolino Quintet]

08 See-F [Ceasar Frazier]

09 Instant Groove [King Curtis]

10 Time Is Running Out Fast [James Brown]

11 Satan’s Blues [Don Bryon]

12 i want a little girl [Big Joe Turner]

13 John McLaughlin [Miles Davis]

14 Misterioso [Sonny Rollins]

15 Sida Gangbe Brass Band]

16 The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro) [Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass]

17 Balkan Reggae [Mahala Rai Banda]

18 Qonqoza [Dudu Phukwana]

19 Got No Money [Dusko Gojkovic]

20 Crazy Mixed Up World [Little Walter]

21 Ad Lib Blues [Lester Young]

22 Need You (right now) [Trumpet Thing]

23 Kuenda Namwendo [The Umtali Chipisa Band]

24 Blues for Harvey [Johnny Griffin]

25 Celestial Bliss [Rahsaan Roland Kirk]

26 Frantic Activity [Rhythm Funk Masters]

27 Struttin’ With Some Barbecue [Louis Armstrong]

28 Asaw Fofor [Melody Aces]

29 African Battle Manu Dibango]

30 How Deep Is the Ocean [John Coltrane]

***+

Splendid Beauty: Hüsnü Şenlendirici

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A recent swing through Istanbul airport gave the chance to browse the book/music stores, which in most modern airports is a soulless undertaking. Happily not so in Turkey’s bustling jetdrome. The shelves were heavy with all sorts of books in Turkish, English and several European languages.  And the music selection was not a single naughty stand off in the corner somewhere. In addition to a few current global pop chart toppers (don’t ask me for names please, I couldn’t tell you any) there was a luxurious section of Turkish CDs of many stripes: classical, folk, gypsy, jazz, fusion, rock and vintage garage psych pop.  Mixed in this selection like lumpy raisins in a fresh roll, were Greek, North African, Arabic and Jewish CDs.

 

 

 

I had an armful ready to go until I noticed the prices…in Euro! Gulp. They love music in Turkey that’s for sure, but airports are rip offs everywhere! A difficult self-talk session followed before a more painful culling exercise left me with but a few items.  Today begins a short mini-series of Turkish music which I hope you will enjoy.

 

 

 

Husnu

Husnu

First up, is the clarinet of Hüsnü Şenlendirici. It’s been on auto repeat for three days now…and I love it more each day. Part bellydance sway, part mournful funeral band, part jazz, part swirling Turkish camp!

 

 

Hüsnü Şenlendirici was born in Bergama in 1976. He started playing clarinet at the age of five. He learned and experienced Aegean and Anatolian culture in his childhood. In 1990, he entered the Turkish Music State Conservatory at Istanbul Technical University, but discontinued. He began working beside percussionist Oktay Temiz, and participated in various festivals with the group “Magnetic Band”. Şenlendirici also joined his father and clarinetist Ergun Şenlendirici’s group “Laço”, and attended many important music festivals. Hüsnü has performed with various Turkish and foreign musicians, and has played not only Turkish music, but also Turkish pop and jazz music. In 1996, Şenlendirici founded “Laço Tayfa”, and released the album “In the Buzbag” with the Brooklyn Funk Essentials. He has given many concerts in Turkey and abroad as a soloist or a member of the group “Laço Tayfa”. In 2000, he released his first solo album “Bergama Gaydası” (Doublemoon and Traditional Crossroads). Within the project “Anadolu Güneşi”, which was organized by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Office of the Turkish Prime Ministry Publicity Fund in 2002, he accompanied the artists Kubat and Belkıs Akkale with a symphonic orchestra at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Center. Şenlendirici has also performed for various TV dramas, films and commercial music. (http://www.turkishculture.org/whoiswho/husnu-senlendirici-2185.htm)

 

 

 

Splendid-irici!

 

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Track Listing:

 

01 Oyun Havası (Dance Mood)

 

02 Çığ ( Avalanche)

 

03 Fla-Manco

 

04 Istanbul Istanbul olalı (Since Istanbul has been..)

 

05 Sina Nari

 

06 Leylim Ley

 

07 Bülbülüm Altın Kafeste (My golden-caged nightingale)

 

08 Kumsalda (On the shore)

 

09 Kimseye etmem şikayet (I won’t complain)

 

10 Tatlı dillim (Sweet Talker)

 

11 Dört Zeybek (Four Zeybek)

 

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Crooner ala Algerian: Lili Boniche

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A wonderful new discovery for me, Lili Boniche. I picked up this collection of his Arabo-Andalusian songs in Brussels a couple weeks ago.  I’m sharing the booklet as well.  Enjoy this grand music!

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lili boniche front lili boniche back

Track Listing:

01 Ya Yemma

02 Amir Le Gheram

03 Mazalet MeDJetch

04 Alleche Tu Ne M’aimes Pas

05 Elli Ghir

06 Ana Fil Houb

07 Tesfar El Achia

08 Bambino

09 N’oublie Jamais Tes Parents

10 Alger Alger

11 Elli Mektoub Mektoub

12 Ya Samira

13 Il N’y A Qu’un Seul Dieu

14 Guitarra

15 Je chanterai toujours la musique orientale

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Al Andalusia: Amina Alaoui

Amina Aloui

Amina Alaoui

What sort of music is this? It gets rave reviews in jazz journals and other high brow music publications.  But it is not like any jazz I’ve heard.  It is not classical either, though the way in which the ever-so earnest ECM label markets their music, you’d think it was the equivalent of Mozart or Brahms.

 

I don’t know what label to attach to this wonderful disc. Which is a good ting really because labels are thin and can be ripped off even by a ten year old. This music simply transcends. It rises above all labels and names and styles. It simply exists. There is no need to pin it down to any place or instance.  It just is.

 

The centerpoint around which this record revolves is the voice of Moroccan singer Amina Alaoui.  Born in Fez in 1964, Alaoui studied Andalusian music which has its roots in the Iberian peninsula and North Africa.  She has also studied western classical music and came to the attention of the wider world with another ECM record Siwan.

 

When I listen to this music my spirit soars in a similar way as when I listen to Kishori Amonkar and Lusine Zakarian. Floating is the only way I can describe the feeling. Perhaps free-falling but, without fear.

 

If you’re interested here is a review by All About Jazz.

Arco Iris

Track Listing:

01 Hado

02 Búscate en mí

03 Fado Al-Mu’tamid

04 Flor de nieve

05 Oh Andaluces

06 Ya laylo layl

07 Fado menor

08 Búscate en mí, var.

09 Moradía

10 Las Morillas de Jaén

11 Que faré

12 Arco Iris

 

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