The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
We Are Sent Here By History is an acclaimed studio album by Shabaka Hutchings, a British-Barbadian musician, under his band Shabaka and the Ancestors, composed of South African musicians. It was released on March 13, 2020 on Impulse! Records.
We Are Sent Here by History has charted in Germany, Scotland, U.S. and UK and reached number 3 on the latter. The album was recorded at Milestone Studio and Sumo Sounds Studio in Johannesburg, mixed at The Crush in London, produced by Shabaka Hutchings and Dilip Harris, the creative director was Josh Cheuse, and the illustration was by Daniela Yohannes.
Track Listing | 63:58 All songs were composed by Shabaka Hutchings with lyrics by Siyabonga Mthembu- They Who Must Die ~ 10:10
- You’ve Been Called ~ 6:29
- Go My Heart, Go To Heaven ~ 6:41
- Behold, The Deceiver ~ 6:01
- Run, The Darkness Will Pass
- The Coming Of The Strange Ones ~ 6:28
- Beast Too Spoke Of Suffering ~ 2:58
- We Will Work (On Redefining Manhood) ~ 5:24
- ‘Til The Freedom Comes Home ~ 7:06
- Finally, The Man Cried ~ 5:48
- Teach Me How To Be Vulnerable ~ 2:45
- Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet ~ Shabaka Hutchings
- Alto Saxophone ~ Mthunzi Mvubu
- Double Bass ~ Ariel Zamonsky
- Drums – Tumi Mogorosi
- Electric Piano, Fender Rhodes ~ Nduduzo Makhathini (track: 2, 4)
- Percussion ~ Gontse Makhene
- Piano ~ Thandi Ntuli (track: 2, 11)
- Trumpet ~ Mandla Mlangeni (track: 7)
- Voice ~ Siyabonga Mthembu
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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
Songs Of An Unknown Tongue
With the ever-mutating virus now spreading the Omicron variation, I am watching the detection and rise of this more contagious variants in South Africa, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Israel, Denmark, Botswana, Italy, Canada, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands. Suspecting that it is already in America, I am getting my booster as precaution, not necessarily to ward off, and continuing my vigilance in remaining socially distant and wearing my mask.
This week I have selected a talented British vocalist Zara Mcfarlane. Her fourth album, Songs Of An Unknown Tongue, was produced by Kwake Bass and Wu-lu, and released on July 17, 2020 on Brownswood Recordings.
This album pushes the boundaries of jazz meshed with folk and spiritual traditions of ancestral Jamaica. Zara is a part of the British echelon that is converging young and older audiences still seeking the future of jazz.
Tracks | 48:27
Side One
- Everything Is Connected ~ 3:39
- Black Treasure ~ 3:38
- Broken Water ~ 3:54
- Run Of Your Life ~ 3:11
- Saltwater ~ 6:22
Side Two
- My Story ~ 6:37
- Native Nomad ~ 6:07
- State Of Mind ~ 4:52
- Roots Of Freedom ~ 7:35
- Future Echoes ~ 4:32
Players
- Zara Mcfarlane ~ Vocals
- Kwake Bass ~ Percussion, Drums, Drum Machine, Synths, Synth Bass, Guitar, Bass Guitar
- Wu~Lu ~ Percussion, Synths, Guitar, Bass Guitar
- Camilo Tirado ~ Percussion
- Lyle Barton: Rhodes, Biscuit Flute
- Idris Rahman ~ Tenor Saxophone
- Robin Hopcraft ~ Trumpet
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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
As a nation of thinkers trepidly venture out to events, not out of fear but in caution, we continue to perform the safe practices of mask wearing and social distancing, this quarantined jazz voyager remains steadfast in protecting himself. Today I am playing one of my favorite genres, the big band, and this one is being led by a most wonderful woman. In 2020 Lenora Zenzalai Helm produced a fabulous record For The Love Of Big Band bringing to the fore the Tribe Jazz Orchestra and new arrangements to some of jazz’s classic compositions. There is something wonderful about listening to music that was created with love.
Track Listing | 1:16:00
- Blues For Mama (Nina Simone) ~ 4:42
- Bebop (Dizzy Gillespie, Deborah Brown) ~ 6:22
- Chega De Saudade (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jessie Cavanuagh, Vinicius de Moraes, Jon Hendricks) ~ 6:39
- It Could Happen To You (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke) ~ 5:26
- Soul Eyes (Mal Waldron) ~ 5:24
- Everything But You (Duke Ellington, Harry James) ~ 4:30
- I Didn’t Know About You (Duke Ellington, Bob Russell) ~ 5:50
- Sandu (Clifford Brown, Dupresha L. Townsend) ~ 9:00
- But Not For Me (George & Ira Gershwin) ~ 5:26
- A Conversation With God (Dear Lord) (John Coltrane, Lenora Zenzalai Helm) ~ 7:25
- Mississippi Goddam (Nina Simone) ~ 6:06
- Stella By Starlight (Victor Young,Ned Washington) ~ 8:23
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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
The masking and social distancing continues as we are heading into another month of factions of society refusing the vaccination, putting themselves and others in harm’s way. Keeping myself safe with limited exposure to outside forces, this quarantined jazz voyager remains for the most part, secluded. So this week I am selecting an album by Tia Fuller that was released on May 25, 2018 titled Diamond Cut on the Mack Avenue label.
Having known her since she was a student at Spelman College, she has since worked with Beyonce, emerged to international acclaim on the jazz scene and landed as a professor on the faculty of Berklee College of Music, while still holding down a demanding career as a solo artist.
Track Listing | 62:24 All songs composed by Tia Fuller except where noted
- In the Trenches ~ 6:18
- Save Your Love for Me ~ 5:40
- I Love You ~ 6:22
- Queen Intuition ~ 6:01
- Joe’n Around ~ 4:15
- Crowns of Grey ~ 5:55
- The Coming ~ 6:59
- Soul Eyes ~ 5:40
- Delight ~ 5:02
- Fury of Da’mond ~ 4:00
- Tears of Santa Barbara ~ 4:25
- Joe’n Around (Alternate Take) ~ 3:07
- Tia Fuller ~ saxophones
- Adam Rogers ~ guitar
- James Genus ~ bass
- Bill Stewart ~ drums
- Terri Lyne Carrington ~ percussion 7,8
- Sam Yahel ~ organ 2,7
- Jack DeJohnette ~ drums 4,5,7-9
- Dave Holland ~ bass 4,5,7-9,11
- Terri Lyne Carrington ~ producer
- Gretchen Valade ~ executive producer
- Sharon Green (4) ~ product manager
- Will Wakefield ~ production manager
- Margo M. Davis ~ production manager (for EP/LPG)
- Paul Antonell ~ recording engineer
- Paul Blakemore (3) ~ mastering
- Jeremy Loucas ~ mixing engineer
- Dean David Albak ~ editor
- Maria Ehrenreich ~ creative director
- Al Pryor ~ a&r (evp of a&r)
- Raj Naik ~ art direction, design
- Samantha Reese ~ makeup
- Steven Blank ~ photography, set designer
- Jerris Madison ~ photography, wardrobe stylist
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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager
Still quarantining as much as possible as the Delta variants continue to ravage the country, those of us who are continuing to wear our masks and social distancing we put on music to soothe our souls. Though most people go to the vintage classics, this week I am pulling out one of my favorite albums of recent years, With Pride For Dignity. This 2018 album was recorded by drummer Henry Conerway III at Avatar Studios, New York City on February 27~28, 2017.
The album was produced by Michael Carvin, with Conerway as executive producer. The engineers were Robert Smith and Dave Darlington with assistance from Nate Odden. It was mixed and mastered at Bass Hit Studios in New York City. The art director was Adrian Suare, cover photography by Adrian H. Tillman, and studio photography by Greg Routt.
Track Listing
- Slippery (Ray Brown, arr. Smith) ~ 6:19
- With Pride For Dignity (Kenny Banks Jr.) ~ 8:09
- Sugar Ray (Phineas Newborn, arr. Banks, Smith, Conerway) ~ 7:01
- Cottontail (Duke Elllington, arr. Conerway) ~ 4:29
- Hopscotch (Marcus Printup, arr. Banks, Conerway) ~ 7:58
- Gingerbread Boy (Jimmy Heath, arr. Banks, Conerway) ~ 6:19
- The Feel Goods (Kenny Banks Jr.) ~ 5:34
- Carvin’s Agreement (Henry Conerway III) ~ 2:48
- Henry Conerway III ~ drums
- Kenny Banks Jr. ~ Piano
- Kevin Smith ~ Bass
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