Travis – Starting with a happy vibe! Sounds like a slightly Latin-y sounding Afro Pop recording. The percussion sounds like the real deal with the sparse instrumental parts kind of dancing across the top. The saxophone occasionally slips into a harmonica-like timbre and the basic form repeats with the bass line, then the bass solo fades out the tune. Los Soneros De Gamero – “Katunga” – Columbian! Cumbia music is something for me to explore, because this is not what I would have expected had Travis told me it was Cumbia. Suggesting that there are a wide variety of directions in that music to explore.
Dan – Elza Soares – “Mulher do Fim do Mundo” – I took a trip with my Love searching for Lady Slippers in Rancocas, NJ
a few weeks back and this was part of the sound track. I bought the album a few weeks before that, strictly on the strength of its evocative title The Woman of the End of the World (which isalso the title of the above song) and no knowledge of Mrs. Soares music. And what a lucky find! Her voice rings with character and the music is experimental and personal. It is something I will listen to in more depth and I recommend reading about her life story which is also compelling.
& Hassan Ibn Ali – “Almost Like Me” – The sound quality is poor, because these are home recordings that were only recently discovered and released. The playing on this song is the most free and easy playing I have heard from The Great Hassan. He was a mentor of my mentor, Odean Pope, and in the last 4(?) years 5 discs worth of rediscovered recordings have really added to his audible legacy. Here he sounds like Monk with more chops, which is exciting, and though this song was recorded elsewhere (including on his Atlantic Records debut & only label release with Max Roach) his intense playing on this version is incredible. We are recovering a considerable amount of lost music of note in the 2020’s.
Matt – Paul Stanley – “Ooh Child” – Literary Matt describes this as “The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Heard” and the wild story of being trapped by a guitar playing, HVAC installing MAGA guy, guitartruding on Matt’s attempt at modernizing his AC and forcing him to listen to this papp. I couldn’t agree with him more and I won’t waste words as to why….
& Asha Puthli – “Sunny” – I didn’t guess Asha Puthli as the singer, and our conversations revolved more around the song itself, but she has an incredibly diverse career, so it isn’t a surprise. It is also a compelling version of a well worn tune. Matt says he just got into Mrs. Puthli, which is great because she has been active, performing in L.A. last Summer, and recently sang on a Gorillaz song. She is a good time, whatever style: Pop, Disco, Avant Garde Jazz, New Wave Synth Pop and probably a few others I am missing. Let’s hope for more reissues of her early recordings soon (check Mr. Bongo!)!
Bart – Don Ellis – “Hey Jude” – We will forgive him the beard and the excessive indulgences, instead taking the wild experimentalism, explorative trumpet playing and mad science guy compositional flare. Don Ellis could really go there and here he does, The Beatles as no one had heard them before (or since), through echoplex trumpet and weird Big Band! There is a really profound use of electronics and effects here, which conflicts with the normal cheese mongering found in Big Band versions of Pop songs, it has some bite. Ellis is one of Bart’s guys (and mine to) and I think there is always something good to listen to in his recordings.
Found Sounds 