John Tripp Creative

Category: MUSIC NEWS

  • Mark de Clive Lowe Enterprets Big Band Vibes on Take The Space Trane with The Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra

    Big orchestral jazz grooves with a nod to club productions for a modern, experimental take on the big band sound

    Buy it from iTunes, Amazon, or direct from us

     

    1891‘Take The Space Trane’, out 4th February, is the new album from producer, composer and musician Mark de Clive-Lowe in collaboration with the Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra. Joining forces for the first time here, they deliver big orchestral jazz grooves with a nod to club productions for a modern, experimental take on the big band sound. The LP brings together bespoke compositions alongside existing cuts from across MdCL’s prolific career, plus a cover of the jazz standard, “Caravan” – all realised with traditional big band arrangements and instrumentation.

    Japanese-New Zealander Mark de Clive-Lowe is a complex producer, keyboardist, composer and DJ. He embraced the piano at age four, soon becoming an accomplished Jazz musician. Before moving to LA last year, MdCL spent a decade in London where he honed his production skills working alongside the likes of Bugz In The Attic and Jody Watley. Having deployed his varied talents on more than 250 releases – both his own and in collaboration – he released his 14th solo album ‘Renegades’ on Tru Thoughts last year, featuring luminaries including Omar, Tawiah, Pino Palladino and Sheila E; continually touring, with his live improvised music shows, DJ sets and self-promoted jam night, Church (LA/NYC), he is becoming increasingly recognised as a lynchpin of the international live scene.

    The idea for this project was born when MdCL met the trumpeter Rob van de Wouw at an improv festival where he was performing, in Rotterdam; on hearing him play, van de Wouw asked if he would guest with his big band. Having played in big bands back in high school in New Zealand, while cutting his teeth as a jazz pianist, MdCL seized the opportunity to revisit it from this whole new standpoint: “Big band was the sound of dance music in the ‘20s and ‘30s so to apply that aesthetic and sound to my own music was going to be fun”, he says.

    In preparation, MdCL selected some of his own releases to be adapted to the band, wrote two new compositions especially, and chose one classic jazz standard – made most famous by Duke Ellington – to round out the repertoire. The RJO’s arranger and conductor, Johan Plomp, then created the arrangements, bringing the big band voice to the tunes. ‘El Dia Perfecto’ (originally out on Universal Jazz in 2000) was an obvious vehicle for this kind of project, with its horn-like melody lines and harmonies; but when he chose vocal cuts like “Money (Don’t Let It Catch Ya)” and “Relax…Unwind” – originally voiced by Bembe Segue and Abdul Shyllon, respectively – it was impossible for MdCL to imagine the big band arrangements. When he heard them for the first time, he says, “it was unreal! He’d taken the vocal melodies and harmonies and transposed those to saxophones, trumpets and trombones.”

    The new compositions that MdCL wrote for the project allude to the different influences and thread the concept together. “Blues For Six” has an old school bluesy swing intro and then goes into an Afro 6/8 groove. The title track, another new one, is a melding of the ‘60s Coltrane and McCoy Tyner feel with a UK brukstep rhythm – the avant-garde aspects of the jazz tradition head to head with the driving beats. The album title is a play on Duke Ellington’s big band classic “Take The A Train”, “but with the modal jazz influences a la John Coltrane and undercurrent of beats and electronic elements, it just made sense to be ‘Take The Space Trane’!”, MdCL elaborates.

    The band had a half day rehearsal and then hit their first show at Amsterdam’s Melkweg. The next day was the second show, from which this album is cut (subject to some edits for the confines of the CD format). And the next time they performed this repertoire, it really divided the audience: “Some older big band music fans were walking out in disgust (“that’s not big band music!”) while the younger music lovers were revelling in hearing something totally fresh… Nothing like ruffling a few feathers!” says MdCL.

    Sample Tracks “Take The Space Trane”

  • terry callier passes away

    [iframe width=”100%” height=”480″ scrolling=”yes” src=”http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/9640739/Singer-Terry-Callier-dies-aged-67.html”%5D.

    //www.mixcloud.com/widget/iframe/?feed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mixcloud.com%2Fsoulsearching_michaelruetten%2Fsoulsearching-666-rip-terry-callier-joe-davis-far-out-mixtape%2F&embed_uuid=2f281f8b-1e54-4159-9929-6412bda72d7c&stylecolor=&embed_type=widget_standard

    Soulsearching 666 – R.I.P. Terry Callier / Joe Davis Far Out mixtape by Soulsearching: Michael Ruetten on Mixcloud

  • The Return of Banda Black Rio – New Studio Album ‘Super Nova Samba Funk’

    William Magalhães with members of Banda Black Rio (Photo by Júnior “Samba Rock Na Veia”)

    William Magalhães forms a modern-day Banda Black Rio epitomising the spirit of his father Oberdan’s original ’70s Brazilian samba soul and funk group. BBR defined the Black Rio movement now enjoying a revival headed by Magalhães’ incarnation with the passion of soul and funk again linking Rio and New York for a feel-good blast that also takes in hip-hop, samba, pop and bossa. Brazilian icons Seu Jorge, Marcio Local and Elza Soares feature alongside bossa pioneers Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil as well as Flame Killer and GOD PT3 from the famed NYC Mobb Deep crew. Super Nova Samba Funk brings Rio’s black music cultures together to embody the ecstatic revival of Brazil and the Black Rio movement.

    (more…)

  • Brownswood Electr*c Plots the Blips & Beeps of the Underground

     

    Listen to the full compilation at AOL Music

    In June of 2010, Gilles Peterson’s mighty Brownswood collective (specifically Peterson’s assistant Alex Stevenson) hand-picked artists to form a compilation that represented the multi-dimensional, kaledescopic landscape of the label’s musical interests. A tight, bright roundup of bass music at that sliver of time, ‘Brownswood Electr*c’ bred a new wave of producers and paved the way for a new sound, capturing the beats and personalities of then-up-and-comers (now game-changers) George Fitzgerald, Mount Kimbie, Mosca, Rockwell and Pearson Sound, among many others. The collection found fans in DJ Mag (nominating it for their ‘Best of British’ Awards that year), Martyn and Hemlock’s Untold, who aptly summed it up: “It’s a really spot-on snapshot of the grey area of “dance” music that keeps getting messier.”

    Messy or delightful chaos (your choice), the grey area hidden between the frayed splinterings of microgenres is perhaps where the most unexpected colours form. It’s where imaginations are freed, and artistic expression lies abound: no confines, no uncomfortable boxes to tick nor adjectives to hold on to. Taking in the relentlessly malleable state of electronic music of late, what’s considered ‘future’ today may very well be tagged ‘post’ within a handful of months. The naysayers and genre-enthusiasts may argue otherwise, but to Mr. Peterson and his Brownswood family, the music world couldn’t be in a more fruitful and exciting place as a result.

    (more…)

  • Creole Choir of Cuba Coming to North America

    When one thinks “Cuba” the idea of creole culture doesn’t often come to mind, but the island shares a long and intertwined history with Haiti and the Dominican Republic. A million Cubans speak creole, a fusion of African, French and other tongues. The islands have a shared history: many Haitians fled to Cuba after the revolution of 1790, others during the oppressive regime of Duvalier.

    In the 1800s more than 30,000 Haitians emigrated to eastern Cuba with another wave occurring from 1920 – 1940 and yet another in the 1980s. Today, estimates of the Haitian population in Cuba range from 300, 000 on up to 1 million. Each wave of immigrants had its own distinct characteristics and brought with them the strong musical and dance traditions, their religion, customs, rituals and cultural habits on their journey from Haiti to Cuba.

    (more…)

  • Italy’s Record Kicks Sweats It Up With Releases from Nick Pride & the Pimptones, the Liberators, Dojo Cuts & Mo’ Record Kicks

    For Milan’s dancefloor-heavy label Record Kicks the summer is shaping up to be hot and sweaty, with essential funk, afro-funk artist full-lengths and compilations hitting the streets. Representing some of the freshest new live sounds from Australia’s massive scene as well as Europe and the U.S.A., Record Kicks has its pulse on the resurgent afro-funk & soul sounds that are burning up the dancefloor.

    The Dojo Cuts

    The Dojo Cuts

    Formed late in 2008, it didn’t take long for six piece band THE DOJO CUTS to become Australia’s hottest heavy funk unit. With drummer Ed, bassist Locky, guitarist Nathan, trumpet player Matt, saxophonist Andrew and the delectable Roxie Ray on vocals, Dojo combine crisp, tight, funky instrumentals with some killer vocals that are in equal parts power and grit. Inspired by the sounds of the 60’s and 70’s, combined with elements of modern funk, Dojo Cuts create timeless, classic feel-good music. Their debut self-titled album dropped in 2009 following the release of first single “The 1-2-3’s”, which had already secured them massive airplay on radios and dancefloors worldwide.

    (more…)

  • Fort Knox Recordings Reggae Duo “See-I” Get Heavy

    Fort Knox Collaborators & Thievery Corporation Vocalists Arthur “Rootz” Steele And Archie “Zeebo” Steele Bring Their Unique Brand Of Reggae On Their Debut Album – Injected With Heavy Doses Of Funk, Soul, Dub And Rock – To The Fort Knox Vault

    Fort Knox Recordings presents the debut album from See-I entitled “See-I.” Long time Fort Knox collaborators Arthur “Rootz” Steele and Archie “Zeebo” Steele bring their band’s unique brand of Reggae – injected with heavy doses of Funk, Soul, Dub and Rock – to the Fort Knox vault.

    (more…)

  • Africa HiTech: Mark Pritchard & Steve Spacek Go to the Source

    Nearly nine years ago Mark Pritchard and Steve Spacek began bonding over their shared passion for the seemingly disparate spheres of bubbling Detroit techno, soul and fierce Jamaican digital dancehall. First came an appearance by Spacek on Pritchard’s Troubleman album, then the collaborative track “Turn It On” released on Sonar Kollektive.

    It was when they both, by pure coincidence, found themselves living in Australia that the connection was cemented. Africa HiTech is the moniker which represents both Steve and Mark’s love for all things progressive within music, whilst acknowledging that the roots of much of today’s popular music can be traced directly back to Africa.

    (more…)

  • Briefs: Antibalas ‘Rat Race’, Captain Planet’s “The Ningané EP”, Moombahton Rising, Derek Allen ‘DJA’

    Summer of Moombahton

    Ever since DJ/producer Dave Nada created the tag Moombahton after slowing the Afrojack remix of the Silvio Ecomo & DJ Chuckie song “Moombah” to 108 beats per minute (whose tempo nears that of the reggaeton, thus the label) the dance music sub-genre has been steadily gaining acclaim and momentum.  Moombahton’s rise began last year when Nada released a five track Moombahton EP with the promotional assistance and support of DJ Ayres and DJ Tittsworth at T & A Records. This was followed by an article at Generation Bass that drew even more attention to the genre. With the support of influential tropical DJs like Sabo, Thomas Blondet and Obeyah and its progenitor Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom Moombahton has spared like wildfire, birth a slew of bootleg releases and enormously successful parties like D.C.’s U- Street Music Hall’s Moombahton Massive. Mad Decent records’ “Blow Your Head: Dave Nada Presents Moombahton” selects 15 essential tracks that tell the history, the present and the future of moombahton, furthering the viral spread of the music. Much like dubstep took British bass-oriented dance music into a new era, moombahton promises the same for tropical-bass. The summer is just getting heated up and moombahton will undoubtedly be the soundtrack of many a rooftop, beach and sweaty nightclub party.

    More info at Turntable Lab

    Antibalas Release ‘Rat Race’

    Recorded in Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, and produced by studio owner and Antibalas keyboardist, Victor Axelrod, the 12-inch features an innovative arrangement of the Bob Marley classic “Rat Race”, and “Se Chifló” featuring Spanish vocals by Marcos García.

    Bastard Jazz Recordings Releases Captain Planet’s “The Ningané EP”

    After the success of 2009’s “Speakin’ Nuyorican EP” Captain Planet returns back to form on Bastard Jazz Recordings with a dancefloor-destroying 12” steeped in the tough international breakbeat sound that he’s become known for, enlisting the vocal talents of Congolese singer Fredy Massamba on “Ningane”. “Dame Agua” is a fire-breathing Latin scorcher followed by “Macumba” – a down and dirty Samba influenced 108BPM breakbeat joint with  beautiful Portuguese vocals.

    More at Bastard Jazz

    Derek Allen’s Debut  EP “DJA”

    Coming from a background of hip hop and dubstep production Derek Allen has worked with Diplo and Mad Decent records, co-writing Major Lazer’s “Lazer Theme” and “Come On” with Diplo and Tiesto; as well as engineering and additional production for MIA. Derek’s DJA EP combines dozens of his influences into a sound all his own.

     

  • Novalima to Release “Karimba” on ESL Music, On Tour This Summer

    Novalima to release its third album, “Karimba”, on ESL

    ESL Music announced it would release the 3rd full-length album of Novalima, titled “Karimba”, on September 13, 2011. This collective based out of Lima Peru brings together Afro-Peruvian roots music with modern electronic, dub, and afro-beat. The founders of Novalima, Ramon Perez-Prieto, Grimaldo Del Solar, Rafael Morales, and Carlos Li Carrillo, became friends while in high school in Lima. Since that time they have created a recipe to take Peruvian roots music into the future. Karimba takes the listener on a trip through history and travels the Afro-Diaspora of sound and struggle. From ancient to future, Novalima digs deep into Afro roots while extending those branches on that musical tree.

    (more…)