#4185: Jazz-Adjacent Music
Hear music that draws on North African and Near Eastern traditions, Indian music, Afro-Cuban music, and the Beatles, but always keeps a connection to the world of improvised music - like the cosmic jazz of Sun Ra, the spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane, or the free jazz of the late Cecil Taylor. Listen to music from Cuban percussionist Brenda Navarette, tabla player Sarathy Korwar, Japanese producer Yoshinori Hayashi, Vancouver jazz guitarist Gordon Grdina and NYC-based experimental improvisers Onyx Collective.
From the Japanese DJ and producer Yoshinori Hayashi, who studied with Japanese avant-classical composer Mica Nozawa, hear collage expression inspired by both the late pianist Cecil Taylor and house music. (Thanks to Aquariumdrunkard for the discovery.) There’s also new music by Cairo-based Maurice Louca and a 12-piece ensemble of players from Italy, Iraq, Sweden, Turkey, and Denmark which combines Arabic melody, African and Yemeni music together with the cosmic jazz of Sun Ra. It's from his forthcoming 2019 record, Elephantine.
Then, listen to music by Alice Coltrane from London-based drummer and tabla player Sarathy Korwar and the Upaj Collective, recorded at Church of Sound in London. Also hear another cover song, by NYC-based improvisers Onyx Collective, from A Day in the Life: Impressions of Pepper, - a collection of re-interpretations of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
There’s music by Vancouver jazz guitarist Gordon Grdina, who these days is playing as oud as much as guitar. Listen to his tribute to Malian guitarist Boubacar Traore – a piece for jazz quartet with near eastern percussion, and oud. Grdina has given an interview in which he notes that these days jazz is “looking outwards” to “Indian music, Iraqi music, Arabic stuff, Persian music: they’re all giving jazz another viewpoint on improvising.” (Songlines) Rounding out the show is music by Cuban singer, songwriter, percussionist, and bandleader, Brenda Navarrete, who in her song, Ochun (the goddess of love), combines bata drums and vocals along with tumbling bass and piano, and big band orchestration.
Program #4185: Jazz-Adjacent Music (First aired 12/18/2018)
ARTIST: Maurice Louca
WORK: The Leper [1:30]
RECORDING: Elephantine
SOURCE: Northern Spy Records #NS111
INFO: northernspyrecs.com | Due out Feb. 1, 2019
ARTIST: Yoshinori Hayashi
WORK: Overflow [7:35]
RECORDING: Ambivalence
SOURCE: Smalltown Supersound
INFO: yoshinori-hayashi.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Maurice Louca
WORK: The Leper [8:43]
RECORDING: Elephantine
SOURCE: Northern Spy Records #NS111
INFO: northernspyrecs.com | Due out Feb. 1, 2019
ARTIST: Sarathy Korwar feat. Upaj Collective
WORK: Alice Coltrane: Journey in Satchidanada [10:25]
RECORDING: My East Is Your West
SOURCE/INFO: sarathykorwar.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: The Onyx Collective
WORK: Within You Without You [5:17]
RECORDING: A Day In The Life: Impressions of Pepper
SOURCE: Impulse! Records
INFO: Available at Amazon.com
ARTIST: Gordon Grdina's The Marrow
WORK: Boubacar [7:06]
RECORDING: Ejdeha
SOURCE: Songlines SGL2409
INFO: songlines.com | gordongrdinamusic.com
ARTIST: Brenda Navarrete
WORK: A Ochun [5:03]
RECORDING: Mi Mundo
SOURCE: ALMA Records
INFO: brendanavarrete.com
