David Holmes – The Free Association – Promo Mix 2005http://www.dustystylus.com/mymusic/electronica/mp3/freeass.mp3

– AFRICA WAKBARR (Vol. II) >  mindreset.de say : killer !!!

Okay, here?s another – requested – collection of African songs, funk tracks and ballads. Although the mixtape is compiled pretty much at random, some tracks were passed to me less randomly by my friend Fred de Vries, who lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. He introduced me to local poet Lesego Rampolokeng and to the South African rap crew Skwatta Kamp. I think Rampolokeng?s THE HALF RANTHOLOGY (2002) is an awesome record ? his use of (free) jazz and reggae samples, combined with his vocal skills and a deep consciousness of social and historical issues leave you breathless. I am also impressed by the great Geraldo Pino. I had never heard of the guy, but Soundway records (http://www.soundwayrecords.com/) recently re-released two early seventies albums: LET?S HAVE A PARTY and AFRO SOCO SOUL LIVE. I think this music is cool, funky, direct and great to dance to. When Fela Kuti saw them play live he realized how his own band should sound. These songs are held together by some famous ballads like ?Aduna Jarul Naawo?, a couple of beautiful Ethiopian tracks (11 & 12) and pop friendly songs from Salif Keita and Keng Godefroy. Sobanza Mimanisa is o­ne of the Congotronics acts ? the surprise of this year. After releasing Konono last year, Belgian label Crammed Discs now released another compilation that includes nine bands from the urban jungles of Congo and Angola. Amazing stuff ? and there?s a wonderful dvd included! (http://www.crammed.be/) Perhaps this African collection is a little less psychedelic than Africa Wakbarr Volume I, yet it contains the greatest tunes.

Tracklist:
1 Lesego Rampolokeng: Genetic Slave Rant (intro)
2 Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats: Man Pass Man
3 Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: Che Che Cole Makossa
4 Orchestre Baobab: Aduna Jarul Naawo
5 Bembeya Jazz National: Ballake
6 Sorry Bamba: Porry
7 Sobanza Mimanisa: Kiwembo
8 Skwatta Kamp: All Around
9 Lesego Rampolokeng: Rap Ranting
10 Rob: Make It Fast/Slow
11 Cirma Beyene: Ene Negm Bay Manesh
12 Samuel Belay: Aynotchesh Yerefu
13 Orchestre Regional de Kayes: Nanyuman
14 Keng Godefroy: Bon Voyage
15 Salif Keita & Buju Banton: Ladji

– WAREIKA HILL JAZZ

Nyahbinghi music was mainly heard and performed as ?grounations?: meetings in Rastafarian camps such as The Dungle and Wareika Hill in Jamaica. The hand drumming and vocal chants are said to have descended from traditional African dances. In the fifties this music gained some attention when musicologists like Edward Seaga made field recordings of Nyahbinghi sessions. In this mix I have collected songs and instrumentals by legendary hand drummer Count Ossie (1926-1976), saxophonist Cedric ?Im? Brooks (1943) and others, like trombonist Rico Rodriguez, vocalist Roland Downer en organ wizard Jackie Mittoo. Their music had an enormous influence o­n later ska and reggae music. Nyahbinghi pioneer Count Ossie was a musical and spiritual genius. He died in 1976 in a weird accident during a cricket match in Kingston when a storm panicked the crowd. Much has been said about the religious basis of Nyahbinghi, however, o­nly few people realize this music also paid tribute to Sun Ra, whose free floating space jazz and singular mythology coincided perfectly with the Rastafarian perspective of Jamaican camp musicians. In a 2002 interview Cedric Brooks elaborated o­n this theme:
?I always wanted to do the jazz situation? In that period we got introduced to Ethiopian music? so my sound was different, with that Caribbean flavour which surprised people and which they liked. Then I met Sonny Rollins, who was actually my first influence. And we went to Sun Ra, which really got me right back into the whole kind of vibes, because they were playing jazz, but it was a mixture of all the jazz styles, because they had some really great musicians with them. The energy of the music expressed the philosophy Sun Ra was talking about. I was very much taken with that, I was over-awed by it. They had a discipline, and actually I was trying to get involved in it, but I had to wait to go through the steps that were necessary. When I left the US to come back home to Jamaica, I decided to pursue the music in that way of Sun Ra. We used to dress up in African robes and everybody thought we were crazy. And we went up to the hills, to play with Count Ossie. So o­n Sundays we would go up and do some jazz, with the drums and everything ? we just played, like a grounation situation?.

Tracklist:
1 Count Ossie: Poem
2 Rico Rodriguez: Firestick
3 Cedric Im Brooks: Sabasi
4 Count Ossie: Ethiopian Serenade
5 Jackie Mittoo: Nature Boy
6 Cedric Im Brooks: Sound
7 Count Ossie: Poem
8 Prince Roland Downer: Ethiopian Kingdom
9 Count Ossie: Four Hundred Years
10 Cedric Im Brooks: Sabayindah
11 Al Vibrators: Move Up
12 Count Ossie: Blacker Black
13 Cedric Im Brooks: Sabebe
14 Dandy And His Group: East Of Suez
15 Count Ossie: Bongo Man
16 Prince Roland Downer: A Ju Ju Wah
17 Count Ossie: So Long
18 Cedric Im Brooks: Salt Lane Rock
19 Count Ossie: Poem

– FREEDOM INC.

Recently I have been reading a couple of books o­n the history of jazz, like Robert Gottlieb?s (ed.) Reading Jazz (1997), Ted Gioia?s The History Of Jazz (1997), Ian Carr?s Miles Davis. The Definitive Biography (1982) and I re-read John Szwed?s marvellous biography of Sun Ra, Space Is The Place. The Lives and Times of Sun Ra (1997). The theme of ?soundtracks? struck me. When Katrina hit New Orleans I decided it was time to start reading some unread books from my library ? they had to be about jazz. Reading served as a mental soundtrack for the New Orleans events. I also played a lot of jazz and jazzy tunes in my house during that period ? they provided another soundtrack, this time to accompany the hours of reading. Anyway, this mixtape offers a jazzy atmosphere. Which brings me to the most important question and I need your advice o­n this: what?s the best biography of Charlie Parker? I?m about to buy o­ne, but I can?t figure out which o­ne. So please email me. Thanks.

Tracklist:
1 Charles Mingus: Freedom
2 Charles Mingus: Il Bs Rza Bounce RMX
3 DJ Mitsu The Beats: Jazz (ft. Hunger)
4 Jazztronik: South Of The Border
5 Nicolas Repac: Billie In The Sky
6 Carmen McCrae: Just A Little Lovin? (GB RMX)
7 Nina Simone: Work Song
8 Vienna Art Orchestra: Hobo Ho
9 Gil Scott-Heron: Work For Peace
10 Lil Wayne: Shooter
11 Bassnectar: Blow
12 Wiley: Wot Do U Call It (Igloo RMX)
13 Trio de Janeiro: Look Out The Window
14 Monty Alexander: Monty?s Groove (ft. Sly & Robbie)
15 Lester Young & Billie Holiday: The Man I Love
16 Lester Young: Jumpin? At The Woodside
17 Dexter Gordon: Our Love Is Here To Stay
18 Blue Note Introduction

– Thanks For Spreading The Sound In 2005:

Totally Fuzzy – http://tofuhaus.antville.org/
Aduna – http://aduna.free.fr/aduna.blog/blog.htm
Benn Loxo du Taccu- http://mattgy.net/music/
Anchormix Radio – http://anchormix.blogspot.com/
Fluxblog – http://www.fluxblog.org/
I Know You Got Soul – http://www.yougotsoul.blogspot.com/
Mudd Up! – http://www.negrophonic.com/words/
Schrikdraad – http://schrikdraad.blogspot.com/
Soul Sides – http://soul-sides.com/
Uncarved – http://www.uncarved.org/blog/
Black Magic Plastic – http://blackmagicplastic.blogspot.com/
Via Captain?s Crate – http://www.bywayof.net/captains_crate.html
Play The Records – http://playtherecords.com/
Distinctly Jamaican Sounds – http://jamminjasounds.blogspot.com/
Comfort Music – http://www.comfortradio.org/comfortmusic/
Mento Music – http://www.mentomusic.com/
Mix Of The Week – http://www.mixoftheweek.com/
Wayne & Wax – http://wayneandwax.blogspot.com/
The Buggers – http://www.sea-urchin.net/buggers/
L?Affreux Thom – http://www.awfulthom.com/
African Rhythms – http://www.africanrhythmsradio.com/Radio.php
Mediamatic – http://www.mediamatic.net/
Lemon Red – http://www.lemon-red.org/blog/
Locust St. – http://inkhornterm.blogspot.com/
Art BBQ – http://www.artbbq.nl/art/index.htm