Archive for October 1st, 2012
Welcome to the October 2012 issue of Black Grooves, sponsored by the Archives of African American Music and Culture. This month we’re celebrating the publication of our 1000th review! Those who follow the Archives of African American Music and Culture on Facebook will be notified of weekly contests throughout October and will have a chance to win free CDs.
Our artist of the month is Etta James, featured in two new retrospective compilations—Live at Montreux 1975-1993 and The Complete Private Blues, Rock, Soul—as well as the Leela James’ tribute album Loving You More . . . in the Spirit of Etta James. Other compilations from Sony Legacy include the Michael Jackson Bad 25 anniversary edition 4-disc box set, the 16-CD box set The Columbia Masters by Earth, Wind & Fire, and the 2-CD set The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal, 1969-1973.
Classical music featured this month includes the Broadway cast album The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and the New Black Music Repertory Ensemble’s release of orchestral works by Florence B. Price. Under religious music is the new release Gravity by the chart topping gospel rap artist LeCrae, the live performance CD Jesus at the Center by Israel & New Breed, and an introduction to the sibling vocal group The Wardlaw Brothers on God’s Been There.
Blues releases include the country blues album Buffalo Junction by Boo Hanks and Dom Flemons (of the Carolina Chocolate Drops), the contemporary talking blues album And for the Dark Road Ahead by Samuel James, and a fun look back at the ‘80s via the newly released DVD Muddy Waters & Rolling Stones Live at Checkerboard Lounge 1981.
World music albums include the new reggae release Mecoustic by Tarrus Riley, a collection of popular second-wave ska songs by the Phoenix City Allstars titled 2 Tone Gone Ska, Puerto Rican bombas performed by Hijos de Agüeybaná on Agua del Sol, the compilation of tropical Colombian music Ondatrópica, and the sophomore release Bouger le Monde from the world renowned Congolese band Staff Benda Bilili.
Wrapping up this issue is Heaven’s Computer by Afrofuturist hip hop artist 7evenThirty, and in a nod to October’s Halloween theme, The Devil’s Music EP by the Gothic soul hardcore group blkVampires.
October 1st, 2012
Title: Loving You More…In the Spirit of Etta James
Artist: Leela James
Label: Shanachie
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: July 31, 2012
Since her 2005 debut album A Change is Gonna Come, named after Sam Cooke’s swan song, Leela James has been making R&B that harkens back to the golden era of 60s soul. Her music is so indebted to classic soul that early in her career she assumed the stage name Leela James in homage to the late, great Matriarch of R&B, Etta James, to whom Leela has been compared since her childhood singing days. But Leela would likely not have upstaged Beyoncé for the Etta James role in the feature film Cadillac Records, for she is not a good impersonator, nor does she aspire to be. Her adoration for Etta inspires her without compromising her original sound or innovative spirit. In her latest release, Loving You More: In the Spirit of Etta James, Leela proves that and shows just how a tribute album should be done by offering much more than a tribute album.
In the opening track “Soul Will Never Die,” Leela dedicates the album to Etta intoning “your soul will never die,” a promise Leela works to uphold throughout the 11-track album by breathing new life into her songs with a fresh sounding mix of hip hop, soul, gospel, and pop. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to tell whether these are covers or originals, and that applies even to Etta’s well trod classics such as “Something’s Got a Hold On Me.” In Leela’s version, the propulsive beat and catchy melody has the energy to lure droves to the dance floor:
“It Hurts Me So Much” samples the percussive piano lick from Dr. Dre’s “Still Dre” (originally taken from Grant Green’s “Maybe Tomorrow”), and gives an edgy sound to heartache. Leela’s cover of “I’d Rather Go Blind,” a sexy R&B slow jam recorded as a duet with male vocalist Shannon Sanders, is almost unrecognizable. Her sped-up version of Etta’s “Damn Your Eyes,” featuring funky keyboard runs and a drum machine, sounds like a Prince B-side. “Sunday Kind of Love” is a spare ethereal soundscape that captures the song’s romantic pining in a whole new way. And “At Last” is a swingy little number with the neo-soul sophistication of CeeLo Green or Theophilus London.
While Leela proves her chops and earns comparisons to the soul greats new and old, here and gone, Leela James sounds most of all like herself, and that is refreshingly hard to describe.
Reviewed by Betsy Shepherd
October 1st, 2012
Title: Etta James: Live at Montreux 1993
Artist: Etta James
Label: Eagle Vision
Format: DVD, Blu-Ray, CD
Release date: August 28, 2012
In Eagle Vision’s new retrospective on Etta James’ Montreux performances, two facts remain true over the course of her career: Etta was as wild a dresser as ever graced the stage and her spark never waned, though her voice noticeably lost some of its suppleness and range.
But why pay money to see an artist who is well past their prime, which arguably Etta was by 1993? It is thrilling and for some even imperative to see the great musical legends in the flesh before they exit the Big Stage. Diehard or not, it is also interesting to see how Etta reinterpreted her classic material, given the downside of having a prolonged career—the physical limitations that come with age and the monotony of singing the same songs year after year. Etta dealt with these problems like she would any of the no-good men she sings about, with attitude and a dirty sense of humor, both of which increasingly make their way into her stage persona.
Showboating across the stage in a gold lame robe in her 1993 appearance, Etta sings “Rather Go Blind” not with the tenderness and desperation of youth, but with a husky knowingness that emphasizes the song’s triumphant resignation over its heartbreak. Remembering the phantom touch of her old flame, she’s no longer “thinkin’ of [his] kiss and warm embrace.” She’s thinking about the part of him that is best left to suggestion, which she does very emphatically. The DVD also includes her ’75 version of the song, in which Etta hits on the perfect mix of sensual and sexy, mournful and authoritative:
Etta’s 1993 backing band does her a great disservice by ambushing her voice with overly slick, aggressive blues-rock instrumentation. But lucky for us, the DVD includes a sizeable portion of Etta’s ’75 performance whose lineup demonstrates the raw power of good stage chemistry. The churchy organist, the brass section, and funky guitar player work together to showcase the vibrancy of Etta’s inimitable voice, and achieve the sound of Stax Record’s classic soul. In fact, the horn section’s melodic flares punctuate Etta’s improvised vocals with such potency that Etta herself looks delighted if not a bit surprised that she’s finally found somebody that can keep up with her.
The music from her Montreaux performances is also available on CD.
Reviewed by Betsy Shepherd
October 1st, 2012
Title: Etta James: The Complete Private Music Blues, Rock’N’Soul Albums Collection
Artist: Etta James
Label: Legacy
Format: 7-CD box set
Release date: August 28, 2012
Sony Legacy’s most recent Etta James box set features 7-discs worth of the artist’s late-career recordings (1997-2004) for Private Music, a label known for its roster of New Age musicians like Yanni and Suzanne Ciani. While there is little New Agey about Miss Peaches, Private Music captures a new age in Etta’s recording career, her blues-rock era. The discs Let’s Roll, Blues to the Bone, Burnin’ Down the House, and Matriarch of the Blues leave little room for doubt: Etta was a tour de force until the very end.
In this collection there isn’t much in the way of classic rhythm and blues, with which Etta is so closely associated she’s been hailed as the Matriarch of R&B. She stays away from her old material for the most part, and instead lends her voice to blues and jazz covers and newly penned tunes. The new songs are somewhat forgettable in comparison to her early work but some of the covers see Etta expanding her repertoire and experimenting with her voice and style in refreshing new ways—the best of which is heard on her cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightnin’” and the Rogers and Hart classic “My Funny Valentine.”
This collection will primarily appeal to the camp of Etta diehards collecting her every crumb as well as to contemporary ears completely unfamiliar with her previous output.
Reviewed by Betsy Shepherd
October 1st, 2012
Title: Gravity
Artist: Lecrae
Label: Reach Records
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: September 4, 2012
Although certainly not the founding father of Christian hip hop, Lecrae Moore has become the genre’s most recognizable voice. Lecrae’s combination of Christian faith and hard-hitting rhymes has won critical acclaim in the music industry and attention from media outlets such as BET and TIME magazine. Further enhancing his reputation is the fact that his seventh and latest album, Gravity, grabbed the #1 rap album position (#3 overall) on the Billboard 200 chart within days of its release. By all signs, Lecrae is achieving the improbable: breaking out of the stigmatizing “Christian rapper” mold to achieve crossover success.
Equally improbable for an album that hit #1 on iTunes on its release day, Gravity was inspired by the fatalistic Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, according to Lecrae’s recent Christian Post interview. Marked by a sober and repeated emphasis on fallen human nature and the world’s hollow promises, the project coheres around the theme of being weighed down by sin and futility. In addition to this unifying concept, as noted in other reviews, Gravity showcases Lecrae’s artistic maturity both in production qualities exceeding those of past albums and in collaborations with secular rappers and producers—a risky choice in Christian rap circles.
Compared to some of Lecrae’s grittier, street-oriented hit singles like “Jesus Muzik” and “Go Hard,” Gravity is pop-inflected, thus continuing in the vein of his last two commercial releases (Rehab and Overdose). The project uses less hairy theological language—a sign of his intent to reach a broader audience. Even as they narrate typical human struggles in a relatable fashion, however, most tracks still articulate foundational Christian concepts such as sin and Christ’s atonement. Like Lecrae’s other projects, the album contains features by other rappers, primarily Reach Records labelmates who affirm his theological stance.
Following is the official music video for “Lord Have Mercy” featuring Tedashii:
A fascinating divergence from these voices is the track “Mayday,” wherein secular rapper Big K.R.I.T. outlines his frustration with religious hypocrisy (“Ridin’ clean, bendin’ corners, hopin’ I might find my savior/on the curb, I rarely go to church/False prophets rockin’ Prada so I rarely feel the Word”). In a response verse, Lecrae acknowledges the critique in the voice of an honest churchgoer (“When I hear K.R.I.T. confessin’ I respect him,/’cause most of us be lying like our lives don’t need perfectin’”). This creative dialogue moves the song beyond the tired formula, common in Christian and mainstream rap, of celebrity features queued up haphazardly in a rhetorically non-unified track.
The song’s multitextured beat was produced by DJ Khalil, another notable collaborator from mainstream hip hop; it exemplifies the album’s overall excellent production values. Khalil joins producers Heat Academy and The Watchmen in creating tracks that draw on a broad sonic range: classical violin, minor-key “Gothic” polyphony, reggae, and moody piano ballads. Those searching this album solely for banging street anthems or clever punchlines will be disappointed, but careful listening rewards the hearer as the project’s thematic unity is juxtaposed artfully with a plurality of musical styles.
Reviewed by Carrie Allen Tipton
October 1st, 2012
Title: Jesus at the Center
Artist: Israel & New Breed
Label: Integrity Media
Formats: CD, MP3, DVD
Release date: August 14, 2012
Delivering its message of praise and worship to fans for over 12 years, Israel & New Breed sounds as good as ever on the group’s new live album, Jesus at the Center. Since the release of their last album nearly 5 years ago, band leader Israel Houghton has released solo works, many of which have won several awards including a Grammy. This double album, which includes 17 live-performance songs and 3 studio singles, will fulfill the expectations of long-term fans while attracting new audiences. It channels the atmosphere of the concert at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, where Houghton is a worship leader, and captures all the highlights of their inspirational performances. Houghton states in the liner notes, “We purposely wanted to emphasize being a resource to the church worldwide. . . There is literally something for everyone to connect to.” This album does indeed provide music for the cross-cultural audience of churchgoers worldwide.
Disc 1 presents the first half of the concert, during which Israel & New Breed amp the audience with up-beat songs. The concert begins with each member of New Breed singing parts of “Jesus at the Center” while Israel reads from Colossians 1:15-20. They kick off the music ministry with “Jesus the Same,” which exemplifies their sound with powerful beats and horns. Their simple and highly melodic songs invite audience members to participate in the spiritual experience of the music. The group moves to another powerful tune, “Rez Power,” and further elevates the audience’s excitement. “No Turning Back” has grooves that make you want to dance; “Te Amo,” (meaning “I love you” in Spanish) will make you dance even more; and “More Than Enough” will surely keep you dancing.
The live version of “Jesus at the Center” becomes a bridge between the first and second half of the concert. The audience joins in on the music-making, singing “Jesus at the center of it all. From the beginning to the end, it will always be, it’s always been you Jesus. Nothing else matters. Nothing in this world will do. Jesus, You’re the center. Everything revolves around You. Jesus, You. The center of it all.”
Disc 2 contains the second half of the concert and features mostly ballads. Both the live and studio version of “It’s Not Over (When God Is in It)” will give you goose bumps with its touching message of empowerment, and will help ease worried minds with its lyrics of encouragement: “It’s not over. It’s not finished. It’s not ending. It’s only the beginning. When God is in it, all things are new.” The following clip from the concert demonstrates the power of their musical performance:
This last half of the concert also contains several medleys, “Hosanna/ Moving Forward/ Where Else Can I Go,” “You Have Me/ You Hold My World,” and “To Make You Feel My Love/ Name of Love” (on which Houghton’s teenage daughter, Mariah, is featured). “To Make” is a wonderful rendition of a little-known Bob Dylan song, followed by “Name of Love” whose sound really captures the church’s serenity. Israel and his daughter’s smooth voices blend together and transform this song about romantic love into one about spiritual love.
Jesus at the Center will surely make you smile and sing and feel thankful for the many talents of Israel & New Breed.
Reviewed by Yukari Shinagawa
October 1st, 2012
Title: The Columbia Masters
Artist: Earth, Wind & Fire
Label: Legacy
Format: 16-CD box set
Release date: June 12, 2012
By scheduling this set for summer release, Legacy got the jump on the many box sets and special editions slated for release prior to the holiday season. Rather than a compilation of best tracks or rarities, The Columbia Masters consists of remastered editions of 15 classic Earth, Wind & Fire albums in their entirety, enclosed in mini-LP replica sleeves with the original album art. Rarities are not entirely left out of the package. The 16-track bonus disc Constellations: The Universe of EW&F features several singles as well as alternate takes, instrumental mixes, and other previously unreleased tracks, including two from a 1980 live performance in Rio de Janeiro. The accompanying 40-page illustrated booklet provides all track listings and credits, along with illuminating (albeit brief) commentary about each disc by Maurice White.
The albums in the set follow the trajectory of EWF’s success as one of the funkiest and most versatile bands on the planet, as well as their decline in popularity in the post-disco ‘80s. Included is Last Days and Time (1972), featuring the band’s new lineup built around Maurice and Verdine White with lead singer Philip Bailey; Head to the Sky (1973), an affirmation of White’s goal to uplift humanity; Open Our Eyes (1974), notable for the introduction of Charles Stepney as arranger/producer; That’s the Way of the World (1975), the group’s breakout album that produced two megahits—the title track and “Shining Star;” Gratitude (1976), a combination of live concert and studio recordings; Spirit (1976), reflecting White’s spiritual consciousness and study of Egyptology; All ‘N All (1977), an eclectic mixture of soul, funk, and Latin pop, with contributions by Brazilian guitarist Milton Nascimento and super tight horn arrangements by Tom Tom 84; The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 (1978), a collection of the group’s top singles including a cover of the Beatles’ “Got to Get You Into My Life;” I Am (1979), featuring the Emotions on the disco hit “Boogie Wonderland” as well as the David Foster ballad “After the Love Has Gone;” Faces (1980), a solid double-album highlighting the bands signature horn and string arrangements; Raise! (1981), most notable for the opening track “Let’s Groove;” Powerlight (1983), featuring Trinidadian musician Robert Greenridge’s steel drums on the tracks “Spread Your Love” and “Side By Side;” Electric Universe (1983), which introduced (not very successfully) synths and drum machines into the EWF mix; the reunion/message album Touch the World (1987), which followed the band’s four-year studio hiatus; and Heritage (1990), an appeal to the hip hop generation featuring M.C. Hammer, which concluded EWF’s relationship with Columbia.
For those who didn’t pick up the 2004 remastered editions of EWF’s Columbia albums, this box set is a real bargain. Not only is it a fine tribute to the ground breaking band that managed to bridge the gap between the musical tastes of black and white America, but it also highlights the incredible songwriting and arranging skills of the incomparable Maurice White.
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
October 1st, 2012
Title: Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal, 1969-1973
Artist: Taj Mahal
Label: Legacy
Formats: 2-CD or 2-LP set, MP3
Release date: August 21, 2012
Veteran blues musician Taj Mahal (a.k.a. Henry Saint Clair Fredericks) may have celebrated his 70th birthday this past spring, but he is still actively performing and touring the globe, sharing his unique mélange of blues fused with funk, rock, reggae, gospel, folk, and world music genres. Lest anyone forget Mahal’s significance and his influence on the current generation of traditional blues revivalists and those pushing the boundaries of the genre, Sony Legacy’s new two-disc set serves as a reminder.
The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal 1969-1973 draws from recordings and performances from the first five years of the artist’s solo career, immediately following his 1968 self-titled debut for Columbia. Disc one focuses on unreleased studio recordings, some with Mahal’s band The Dixie Flyers, others such as the rollicking “Sweet Mama Janisse” accentuated by a full complement of tubas and horns. The final three tracks—“Good Morning Little Schoolgirl,” “Shady Grove,” and “Butter”—were recorded in New Orleans with participation from Hosal Wright on electric guitar, Eric Ajaye on bass, and production by the great Allen Toussaint.
Disc two is drawn from a live concert recorded on April 18, 1970, at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Capturing Mahal at his peak, the set is half traditional blues: Sleepy John Estes’ “Diving Duck Blues,” Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Checkin’ Up On My Baby,” an arrangement of “Runnin By the Riverside,” and a 10-minute jam on “Oh Susanna.” These are interspersed with original compositions by Mahal and others, including “Bacon Fat” by J. Robbie Robertson/Garth Hudson. Band members include Jesse Ed Davis on electric guitar, John Simon on piano, Bill Rich on bass, and James Karstein on drums. All are given ample opportunity to shine in extended solos.
The discs are accompanied by a 15 page illustrated booklet with liner notes by Miles Mellough. Though some compilations dredge the bottom of the vault, this is not one of them. Hidden Treasures should delight any Taj Mahal fan, while leaving us to speculate about other potential gems hiding in Sony’s vault from Mahal’s final three years on Columbia.
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
October 1st, 2012
Title: Bad 25
Artist: Michael Jackson
Label: Legacy
Format: 3CD + DVD box set
Release date: September 18, 2012
Three years ago Sony Legacy released a limited edition CD/DVD to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Thriller. Now Legacy has upped the ante with Bad 25, a 4 disc deluxe edition celebrating the silver anniversary of MJ’s 1987 follow up album. Included in the box set is a remastered edition of Bad, a disc of previously unreleased Bad demos recorded in Michael’s personal studio at Hayvenhurst, the DVD Live at Wembly July 16, 1988, and a CD from the same live performance, culled from the multi-track audio recorded by the sound truck. Accompanying the discs are two illustrated booklets featuring full-color tour and session photos, a double-sided poster, and a Bad 25 decal.
For many, the biggest draw of the set will be the DVD (also sold separately). Though a video of live performances from the Dangerous tour was issued in 2005, no live footage from the record breaking 14-month-long BAD tour has been officially released until now. The concert at London’s Wembley Stadium took place almost one year into the tour, and by this time MJ and the band are a super tight, extremely well choreographed ensemble, yet they still display plenty of spontaneity. Music director/keyboard player Greg Phillinganes is especially fun to watch, as is lead guitarist Jennifer Batten, bass player Don Boyette, and a tight-skirted, permed Sheryl Crow in her breakout gig as one of MJ’s backup singers. Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana also make a brief cameo appearance at beginning of the concert. The DVD was sourced from Jackson’s personal copy of the performance as shown on the JumboTrons during the concert, which apparently were archived on S-VHS tapes. Consequently, the picture is far from HD quality, but the camera work is exceptionally well done with plenty of close-ups of MJ, who displays a level of physical and emotional intensity that few singers can equal.
Any Michael Jackson fan will likely want to own this set, and the younger generation who came of age during MJ’s final years should take this opportunity to experience the performer when he was truly on top of the world.
Reviewed by Brenda Nelson-Strauss
October 1st, 2012
Title: Florence B. Price: Concerto in One Movement & Symphony in E Minor
Artists: New Black Music Repertory Ensemble (Leslie B. Dunner, conductor); Karen Walwyn, Piano
Label: Albany Records
Catalog No.: Troy 1295
Formats: CD, MP3
Release date: December 1, 2011
Although you wouldn’t know it from the scarce recordings of the works of Florence B. Price (1888–1953), she stood alongside William Grant Still, Hall Johnson, and William Dawson in an elite group of African American composers active early in the twentieth century. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra premiered her Symphony in E Minor in 1933; she won major compositional prizes; she was proudly cited by the Black press and favorably reviewed by the Chicago Tribune; and her arranged spirituals were sung by Roland Hayes and Marian Anderson. Although southern-born, Price studied at the New England Conservatory and moved to Chicago in 1927 to teach and write. Like other composers impelled by what Samuel Floyd identified as a broad “Negro Renaissance” ethos that flourished in Harlem and Chicago, Price produced nationalistic works that melded Western classical composition techniques with Black musical idioms.
Price’s relatively conservative neoromanticism marks these pieces, with their lush orchestral textures, standard forms, lyrical melodies, and tonal harmonies shot through with rich chromaticism. Their real innovativeness hinges on the incorporation of Black musical traditions: for instance, both pieces draw on the antebellum folk dance tradition of “pattin’ juba.” Additionally, while neither work quotes a spiritual or uses the 12-bar blues, a mournfulness sometimes associated with those genres permeates the symphony’s second movement and the concerto’s middle section (although in one movement, the piece contains three discrete sections that map onto the standard three-movement concerto form).
Also quite neoromantic is the virtuosity of the Concerto’s piano part, which the composer played at its 1934 debut and which is ably and clearly performed here by Karen Walwyn. With Rachmaninoff-like keyboard figuration and textures, the piece announces its aesthetic intentions immediately with a minor, blues-inflected descending motif voiced in call-and-response between brass and winds. The lyrical middle section and dancing final section give a cinematic quality to the 18-minute work as it traverses multiple moods. The current album represents the piece’s first recording, a labor of imagination and research. As Horace J. Maxile, Jr., explains in his liner notes, no copies of the orchestral part of the Concerto are extant. What is heard here is a reconstruction of the instrumentation by composer Trevor Weston, drawn from Price’s manuscript sources.
The tale of lost or overlooked works has marked Price’s legacy; many of her compositions, including the two on this album, were never published. Although the Symphony in E Minor marked the first time a major orchestra played music by a Black female composer, the current album is only the second recording of the work. This is unfortunate, since the symphony’s second movement is the high point of both the piece and the album. Built around a lyrical, chorale-like tune in the brass that alternates with other musical episodes, the movement concludes with chimes and a soaring tutti that reinforce its sacred sensibilities. The Center for Black Music Research in Chicago, the force behind this album, is to be thanked for re-introducing Price’s music with this high-quality recording and its detailed liner notes containing biographical data and stylistic descriptions.
Reviewed by Carrie Allen Tipton
October 1st, 2012
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