Disenchanted Corruptor
I'm a casual fan of Jazz, but a huge fan of this label. Every release has a really great funk edge to it. I have all 19 to date, and all are worth owning. Please keep them coming!
TONY ALLEN JID019
With each subsequent release, Jazz Is Dead continues to exalt the legacies of iconic musicians who have shaped the fabric of Jazz across generations, genres, and continents. For their latest installment, the label connected with the late great Tony Allen, best known for his foundational work as the drummer for Fela Kuti's Africa 70, and later Egypt 80. Over the course of Allen's recording career, he defined the Afrobeat sound, meshing Funk & Jazz influences with Nigerian Highlife to create a cross-cultural dialogue that has gone global. It was no small honor to welcome Mr. Allen for a very special recording session at Linear Labs Studio, and we could not be more thrilled to share these crucial and downright funky cuts with you.
On album opener "Ebun", guitars and horns build off of Allen's instantly recognizable drum patterns, stretching and warping time signatures as they cross paths. It instantly recalls the seminal Africa 70 recordings which Allen was a driving force on. Psychedelic keyboards and percussion clash on "Steady Tremble", a heavy stomper tailor-made for dancefloors in every corner of the world. Just as funky is the kinetic and expressive "Oladipo". Built between a tense call and response between the horns, the track is filled with drama, and Allen steadily keeps each element in balance. As soon as the flute struts in alongside fiery horns and guitar on "Don't Believe the Dancers", the groove plunges further, propelled by an acerbic saxophone solo that animates Allen's percussion. "Makoko" is a moody, mid-tempo jam that evokes classic Fela Kuti recordings such as "Open & Close" and "Gentleman", slowly constructing an elaborate orchestra of polyrhythm, all keeping step with Allen's rhythm. "Lagos" points towards the spiritual and literal home of Allen and Afrobeat, the capital of Nigeria, and homes in on a yearning keyboard.
Similar to on his excellent Art Blakey tribute record, Tony Allen is a revelatory jazz drummer, as heard on "No Beginning", a mid-tempo tune that sits at the nexus of Spiritual Jazz and Afrobeat, which perfectly transitions into album closer, the aptly titled "No End", a poignant number that combines all of the passion and precision of the previous tracks, and let's Allen guide listeners yet again as only he so effortlessly could.
Despite the finite time that Allen had on this planet, as do all of us, his contributions to music are timeless and untouchable, and will continue to inform and inspire generations to come. Jazz Is Dead is honored to have played a part in the legacy of Tony Allen and invites you to discover the unparalleled genius that shifted the entire world's conception of time, a magician who alchemized the past with the future and influenced countless listeners, currently and to come.
Includes unlimited streaming of Instrumentals JID019
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
ships out within 7 days
2 remaining
Purchasable with gift card
$100USDor more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
TONY ALLEN JID019
With each subsequent release, Jazz Is Dead continues to exalt the legacies of iconic musicians who have shaped the fabric of Jazz across generations, genres, and continents. For their latest installment, the label connected with the late great Tony Allen, best known for his foundational work as the drummer for Fela Kuti's Africa 70, and later Egypt 80. Over the course of Allen's recording career, he defined the Afrobeat sound, meshing Funk & Jazz influences with Nigerian Highlife to create a cross-cultural dialogue that has gone global. It was no small honor to welcome Mr. Allen for a very special recording session at Linear Labs Studio, and we could not be more thrilled to share these crucial and downright funky cuts with you.
On album opener "Ebun", guitars and horns build off of Allen's instantly recognizable drum patterns, stretching and warping time signatures as they cross paths. It instantly recalls the seminal Africa 70 recordings which Allen was a driving force on. Psychedelic keyboards and percussion clash on "Steady Tremble", a heavy stomper tailor-made for dancefloors in every corner of the world. Just as funky is the kinetic and expressive "Oladipo". Built between a tense call and response between the horns, the track is filled with drama, and Allen steadily keeps each element in balance. As soon as the flute struts in alongside fiery horns and guitar on "Don't Believe the Dancers", the groove plunges further, propelled by an acerbic saxophone solo that animates Allen's percussion. "Makoko" is a moody, mid-tempo jam that evokes classic Fela Kuti recordings such as "Open & Close" and "Gentleman", slowly constructing an elaborate orchestra of polyrhythm, all keeping step with Allen's rhythm. "Lagos" points towards the spiritual and literal home of Allen and Afrobeat, the capital of Nigeria, and homes in on a yearning keyboard.
Similar to on his excellent Art Blakey tribute record, Tony Allen is a revelatory jazz drummer, as heard on "No Beginning", a mid-tempo tune that sits at the nexus of Spiritual Jazz and Afrobeat, which perfectly transitions into album closer, the aptly titled "No End", a poignant number that combines all of the passion and precision of the previous tracks, and let's Allen guide listeners yet again as only he so effortlessly could.
Despite the finite time that Allen had on this planet, as do all of us, his contributions to music are timeless and untouchable, and will continue to inform and inspire generations to come. Jazz Is Dead is honored to have played a part in the legacy of Tony Allen and invites you to discover the unparalleled genius that shifted the entire world's conception of time, a magician who alchemized the past with the future and influenced countless listeners, currently and to come.
Includes unlimited streaming of Instrumentals JID019
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
ships out within 2 days
Purchasable with gift card
$26.99USDor more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
TONY ALLEN JID019
With each subsequent release, Jazz Is Dead continues to exalt the legacies of iconic musicians who have shaped the fabric of Jazz across generations, genres, and continents. For their latest installment, the label connected with the late great Tony Allen, best known for his foundational work as the drummer for Fela Kuti's Africa 70, and later Egypt 80. Over the course of Allen's recording career, he defined the Afrobeat sound, meshing Funk & Jazz influences with Nigerian Highlife to create a cross-cultural dialogue that has gone global. It was no small honor to welcome Mr. Allen for a very special recording session at Linear Labs Studio, and we could not be more thrilled to share these crucial and downright funky cuts with you.
On album opener "Ebun", guitars and horns build off of Allen's instantly recognizable drum patterns, stretching and warping time signatures as they cross paths. It instantly recalls the seminal Africa 70 recordings which Allen was a driving force on. Psychedelic keyboards and percussion clash on "Steady Tremble", a heavy stomper tailor-made for dancefloors in every corner of the world. Just as funky is the kinetic and expressive "Oladipo". Built between a tense call and response between the horns, the track is filled with drama, and Allen steadily keeps each element in balance. As soon as the flute struts in alongside fiery horns and guitar on "Don't Believe the Dancers", the groove plunges further, propelled by an acerbic saxophone solo that animates Allen's percussion. "Makoko" is a moody, mid-tempo jam that evokes classic Fela Kuti recordings such as "Open & Close" and "Gentleman", slowly constructing an elaborate orchestra of polyrhythm, all keeping step with Allen's rhythm. "Lagos" points towards the spiritual and literal home of Allen and Afrobeat, the capital of Nigeria, and homes in on a yearning keyboard.
Similar to on his excellent Art Blakey tribute record, Tony Allen is a revelatory jazz drummer, as heard on "No Beginning", a mid-tempo tune that sits at the nexus of Spiritual Jazz and Afrobeat, which perfectly transitions into album closer, the aptly titled "No End", a poignant number that combines all of the passion and precision of the previous tracks, and let's Allen guide listeners yet again as only he so effortlessly could.
Despite the finite time that Allen had on this planet, as do all of us, his contributions to music are timeless and untouchable, and will continue to inform and inspire generations to come. Jazz Is Dead is honored to have played a part in the legacy of Tony Allen and invites you to discover the unparalleled genius that shifted the entire world's conception of time, a magician who alchemized the past with the future and influenced countless listeners, currently and to come.
Includes unlimited streaming of Instrumentals JID019
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
...more
ships out within 2 days
Purchasable with gift card
$14.99USDor more
Streaming + Download
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Following the star-studded release of Jazz Is Dead’s second series, the venerated label returns with an intimate offering of selected instrumentals from the Series 2 sessions with the legendary vocalist Jean Carne and keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith. Here, standout moments such as Carne’s “Come As You Are” and Smith’s “Love Brings Happiness” shine with a new focus on the process and craft behind them, and the intricacies of the era-accurate all-analog equipment used at Linear Labs Studio become more present. Fertile ground for putting on headphones and embarking on a hazy solo trip, the ten selections on JID019 are transporting and mesmerizing, each track reverberating reverence for the iconic Jazz-Funk sounds made famous by the likes of Carne and Smith, and represent some of the label’s finest work to date.
As soon as you hear the low-end rumble that opens “Come As You Are”, you immediately see the vision that Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have in mind when choosing to work with vintage audio equipment and instruments. Like any great classic album, the percussion comes to life and engulfs the sound stage, animating the rest of the ensemble and propelling the inner paranoia from the saxophone and synths even further than the original. On “Love Brings Happiness”, a standout from Smith’s entry, the oozing distortion that creeps in early on shifts into a more prominent role, leading our ears and bodies through one of Younge and Muhammad’s most intense and kinetic productions in the series so far. As the rest of the tracklist splits evenly between Carne and Smith numbers, the realigned focus becomes apparent; the drums on Carne’s fantastic “The Summertime” ripen and each rimshot further entrenches the groove as the keyboards drift a little bit further than before. On Smith’s elegiac “Visions”, the rhythm section and horns conduct an interstellar seance that could only be captured through tube amps and dusty keys, beautifully merging generations of Jazz, Funk and Hip-Hop in a few short minutes. Taken anew, this latest instrumental batch presents Younge, Muhammad, and their collaborators at their finest, and is a further testament to the label’s continued devotion to faithfully presenting and preserving analog sounds.
credits
released September 29, 2023
JID019 Liner Notes
All music composed by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad unless otherwise noted; produced, recorded and mixed by Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad at Linear Labs Studios, Los Angeles, CA. Mastered by Dave Cooley for Elysian Masters. Executive Produced by Andrew Lojero. Associate Produced by Adam Block. All songs published by Adrian Younge, Linear Labs Crew (GMR) & Ali Shaheed Muhammad Cool Abdul Publishing (GMR). Graphic Design by Julian Montague Photography by The Artform Studio.
1) Come As You Are
a. Musicians:
i. Adrian Younge: Fender Rhodes piano, Alto saxophone, Monophonic synthesizer, Clavinet, Electric guitar, Percussion
ii. Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Electric bass guitar
iii. Mekala Session: Drums
b. Written by: Jean Carne, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
2) Love Brings Happiness
a. Musicians:
i. Lonnie Liston Smith: Acoustic Piano
ii. Adrian Younge: Electric guitars, Electric bass, Alto & Sopranino saxophone, Monophonic synthesizer, Clavinet, Vibraphone, Percussion
iii. Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Fender Rhodes Piano
iv. Greg Paul: Drums
b. Written by: Lonnie Liston Smith, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
3) Black Rainbows
a. Musicians:
i. Adrian Younge: Fender Rhodes piano, Monophonic synthesizers, Electric guitar, Alto and Sopranino saxophone, Percussion
ii. Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Electric bass guitar
iii. Mekala Session: Drums
b. Written by: Jean Carne, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
4) The Summertime
a. Musicians:
i. Adrian Younge: Fender Rhodes piano, Monophonic synthesizer, electric guitars, Mellotron, Percussion
ii. Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Electric bass guitar
iii. Mekala Session: Drums
b. Written by: Jean Carne, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
5) Love Can Be
a. Musicians:
i. Lonnie Liston Smith: Fender Rhodes piano
ii. Adrian Younge: Hammond B3 organ, Electric guitar, Electric bass guitar, Monophonic synthesizer, Alto saxophone, Percussion
iii. Greg Paul: Drums
b. Written by: Lonnie Liston Smith, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
6) People of the Sun
a. Musicians:
i. Adrian Younge: Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond B3 organ, Celeste, Flutes, Alto and Sopranino saxophone, Electric guitar, Electric sitar, Percussion
ii. Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Electric bass guitar
iii. Mekala Session: Drums
iv. Jazmin Hicks: Rainstick
b. V Written by: Jean Carne, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
7) My Mystic Life
a. Musicians:
i. Adrian Younge: Fender Rhodes piano, Monophonic synthesizers, Electric guitar, Clavinet, Percussion
ii. Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Electric bass guitar
iii. Mekala Session: Drums
b. Written by: Jean Carne, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
8) Cosmic Changes
a. Musicians:
i. Lonnie Liston Smith: Fender Rhodes piano
ii. Adrian Younge: Electric bass guitar, Hammond B3 organ, Acoustic guitar, Electric guitars, Monophonic synthesizer, Percussion
iii. Greg Paul: Drums
b. Written by: Lonnie Liston Smith, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
9) Black Love
a. Musicians:
i. Adrian Younge: Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond B3 organ, Monophonic synthesizers, Electric guitars
ii. Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Electric bass guitar
iii. Mekala Session: Drums
b. Written by: Jean Carne, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
10) Visions
a. Musicians:
i. Adrian Younge: Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond B3 organ, Alto and Sopranino saxophone, Acoustic guitar, Electric guitars, Percussion
ii. Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Electric bass guitar
iii. Mekala Session: Drums
b. Written by: Jean Carne, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Founded in 2017 by music producers Adrian Younge, Ali
Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), concert producer Andrew Lojero and industry veteran Adam Block, Jazz Is Dead is a global movement experienced through community and culture. We travel the world searching for rare records and the artists that created them....more
supported by 82 fans who also own “Instrumentals JID019”
what a fantastic tribute to Tony....I hear echoes (of course) of Fela, but also interestingly echoes of a wonderful one-off band from the mid 2000s called The Poets of Rhythm. Thank you guys! musiqflaneur
