Live From Festival Au Desert, Timbuktu [coll] – [Clermont Music]

On the CD sleeve Manny Ansar writes: “The healthy meeting of cultures is the oldest weapon and today the most appropriate in the face of the violence and intolerance that increasingly immerse our world.” This CD records the 2012 Festival Au Desert, which included a potpourri of talented musicians who believe in the power of music as an instrument of peace. War may have come two days after this festival, resulting in the tragic postponement of future festivals, but this CD exists to prove that heartfelt music cannot be silenced.

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou – “Volume 3: The Skeletal Essences of Voodoo Funk” – [Analog Africa]

West African afro funk band Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Contonu are the kind of music that makes you wanna get funked up and shake your ass until it hurts!
Think heavy funk bass mixed with soulful guitar and organs; add some crisp horns and some poppin drumming you’ve got yourself a new favorite album for summer BBQ’s. These songs are soul-funk jams flavored with other styles such as samba, dancehall, bossa nova and big band to showcase a band that has been working their hides off since the late 60′s. Some really cool jems to be found in here.

Kuti, Fela & Africa 70 – “Everything Scatter / Noise For Vendor Mouth” – [Wrasse Records]

“Big trouble, big argument, big fights, big everything…”
and that would include a big sound. A 2-for-1 reissue of
albums KFJC does not have among its massive Kuti booty.
“Everything Scatter” is so ebullient, so indomitable,
every one coming together on the Afro-beat. Fela is
such a master of whipping up the energy of a song,
the drum starts it, the horns herald what is to come,
and the vocals hang back so long, you think the singers
missed the bus, but they’re in there, just letting the
music work its magic. Stir things up. The vocals
powerful and almost another form of percussion, the
call, the response, the pattern pulls the listener in,
s/he becomes a singer, and after a few choruses its
time to sit back and let Fela speak/sing a story.
Some funky synth on “Who No Know Go Know” and definitely
on “Noise for Vendor Mouth” had a tripped out Sun Ra
vibe. “Mattress” may stress the mistresses, but come
on that beginning is as sexy as your most secret fantasy.
Horns spouting, and the drums yearing to find the one.
“Who No Know..” and “Mattress” have some killer sax,
and likely lead to some killer sex too. The force of
procreation conquers the political, ask any senator
in a scandal, but “Everything Scatter” out-drives
even the temptation of “Mattress” on this. Both releases
originally from 1975…
-Thurston Hunger

Orchestre National De Mauritanie – “Orchestre National De Mauritanie” – [Mississippi Records]

Sedated Saharan lounge jazz firmly rooted in local traditions but looking forward to the future. The Orchestra was established in 1968 by the nation’s first president to have something to show off to foreign delegates. At the time, this desert nation was trying to establish itself as a major cultural center of West Africa, at the far tip of the continent and bordering sub-Saharan regions. Some established musicians were recruited, like Hiddu player Saidou Ba, Mohamed “Neyfara” Fall Ould on the namesake flute, and 17 year old Hadrami Ould Meidah to lead the band with his passionate vocals. They trained in Guinea where Western music was banned but certain instrumentation was still adopted, incorporating horns and the electric guitar, which voices their African modalities beautifully. Their only official recording was a 7″ of the middle 2 tracks on side A released in 1973. Check out “La Mone” for some seductive call-response work between vocals and flute and sultry electric guitar wah-nderings, along with a rhythmic breakdown or two. The band disbanded with the coup d’etat that followed a series of droughts and their recordings were almost destroyed under the military regime, saved by a rogue radio engineer who hid them in his house for decades. The cultural pluralism of this early era has largely been lost under the current impoverishment and Islamic focus of today’s Mauritania, but these recordings hearken back to years past when they dreamed of building a “Paris in the sands.”

Tembo, Chrissy Zebby & Ngozi Family – “My Ancestors” – [Qdk Media]

Wham bam thank you Zamrock (and Forced Exposure.) Originally
out in 1974 when barre chords ruled the rock and roll world
and guitar solos were always good to go, and even better to Ngozi.
Really dug Paul Ngozi’s fuzzed out fret flights on the
“45,000 Volts” reissue, and he’s as much the focus here as
drummer and vocalist Tembo. Allegedly this release was a
Ngozi alternate configuration to get Tembo some of the royalties
(ifffff you trust the internet). Tembo’s singing (all in English
by the way) is steady and often upbeat even when singing
lyrics that shout at the merchants of death. The best track,
“Coffin Maker” has Tembo finding something to keep him going
just in the ecstatic pursuit of rock, while said Coffin Maker
is surrounded by empty coffins. Fans of Crushed Butler, or
heck even confused Deep Sabbath / Black Purple peeps can
dig this.?? Reading around is funny how different reviewers cite
different bands, I think if you are of a certain vintage that
dates back to this album’s release whatever band you grew up
playing in the garage or basement, will connect to what you hear
here. And that includes “Gone Forever” as the slow dance send off,
Tembo not necessarily giddy, but atoned in the death of a paternal
figure. Ngozi gets burbly with the effects on that one. But he’s
best when the going gets rough and the distortion gets rougher,
“Trouble Maker” is the sweatiest cut. “My Ancestors” and “Lonely
Night” go with catchy pop melodies, and lots of interspersed
guitar work by Ngozi. “Oh Yeh Yeh” is an instro, riding a heavy
metal riff in a kinda Yardbirds-y way with Ngozi a la Beckola.
Ngozi, aka Paul Dobson Nyirongo RIP 1989.?? I’m not sure if Tembo
is alive to this day, I hope so. It’d be nice to hear his take on
this release and various things Ngozi.

-Thurston Hunger

Kerkar, Kesarbai – “Kesarbai Kerkar” – [Mississippi Records]

Actually an off shoot of the mighty Mississippi Records, Canary
as collected and curated by Ian Nagoski. The 8-page booklet
with an essay by Ian depicts Ms. Kerkar (1892-1977) as fierce and
forthright as any punk femme force. This paragraph pales to
what he put together, so seek that out. Song slices here date
from 1950 or so, pretty consistent in their arrangement with
Kerkar’s voice scaling and swirling in the forefront of the
mix, like mist up a mountain peak. The mountain itself is
sarangi and tabla and occasionally harmonium, that music
is sturdy, but truly just the scenery for Kerkar’s expression.
I must say, something about the deepchandi rhythm of
“Jaat kahan ho” kind of connected with me, or maybe it
was the more featured harmonium.?? The music’s interesting
but the accompanying booklet and her story is the magnificent
gem here.

-Thurston Hunger
PS??KFJC has??some interesting releases under Nagoski himself worth checking out too. More power to him as curator *and* creator!

Laila Je T’aime [coll] – [Mississippi Records]

Guitar music from the Western Sahel – A selection of field recordings taken by Christopher Kirkley between 2009- 2011. Recorded on site at locations near the riverside of Niger to the North Malian Desert. A guitar is hard to find in this part of the world, the instrument is often battered, fixed in makeshift ways and passed down from hand to hand over many years. The guitars on this recording have a gorgeous, unique tone.. they are either tuned to each other or to themselves.. The songs here are those of a communal fireside jam, dedicated to the passage of time, with the voices of musicians or listeners talking in the background or reacting to the music. The musicians here are listening to each other, conversing using their instruments, with a free and easy sense of rhythm that makes me want to sit out in the sunshine, sip on something, kick back and listen. The guitar here is often accompanied by other instruments, and always a soulful voice singing in french. Sounds like a combination of improvised jams and group songs which have been practiced many times by a circle of friends. The last song on side B is probably one of the best renditions of the Police’s Message in a Bottle you are likely to hear. Drop the needle anywhere, there is no going wrong. -Surfer Rosa

Hasabe [coll] – [Mississippi Records]

Oh Almighty Mississippi/Change Records, you have done it again!?? This wonderful collection of Ethiopian pop/rhythm and blues from 1969- 1974 showcases some of the best of the time.?? This is the third vinyl release that Mississippi/Change has undertaken to rerelease the Ethiopiques CD collection of this music, and it is a sure fire hit, or else you are dead.?? Funky soulful rhythms set the??backdrop to those amazing Ethiopian vocals.????Seemingly traditional in??vocalizing style with bends and twists to the modern ’70′s, it turns into the perfect blend of two different approaches to music making something new and, dare I say, happy.?? The vocals at times almost sound out of tune/off key yet that is the ignorance of the western ear.?? It is astounding.?? And danceable.?? I challenge you not to move to this.?? It’s music from a house party long ago where couples may have held each others hands as they shimmied and shaked around the living room.???? Pure bliss.

Littlefeather, Kyle – “Unconquered Spirit: Chants and Trances of The Native America” – [Fuel 2000]

This 2-CD set is truly a treasure, all performed by Kyle Littlefeather, about whom it is difficult to find information. That is perhaps best, as that requires a deep listening to the music, especially CD 1, which is “War Dances, Ceremonial Folk Songs & Chants” in traditional, authentic form. Be sure to read the track titles for inspiration. CD 2 is “Reconstructions & Remixes,” offering a new-age musical environment for the vocalizations and shakers, tambourines, and instruments. Each CD is special and worthy in its own way. Brother Thoth would love this, especially the unconquered spirit theme.
-Pax Humana

Kouyate, Bassekou & Ngoni Ba – “Jama Ko” – [Out Here Rec]

Thirteen track album of respected ngoni player Bassekou Kouyate and his band Ngoni Ba, with a plethora of other musicians sprinkled in on different tracks. Bassekou’s two son’s play in the band, and there’s even a collaboration with Taj Mahal (track 12).

All tracks are seemingly feelgood songs, but more deal with the harsh reality of an overthrown government (which literally happened right before they sat down to record, a half mile from the studio), and ask for peace in Mali. They are well recorded, and well mastered, but still have a jammy feeling, you can tell they’re just chilling playing their music in a living room.

Detailed liner notes, there’s an explanation for every track, of which I dug: 1,2,4,7,8,11 and 12. Check it out for yourself, first.

Ivory Coast Soul: Afrofunkin Abidjan 1972-1982 [coll] – [Hot Casa]

Take a magical journey through the Ivory Coast during their most prosperous decade since post colonialism. Abidjan was the capital of the Ivory Coast at this time, and served the Pan-Africanism ideal for many artists. Musicians from all over West Africa including Mali, Zaire, Senegal and Nigeria descended upon Abidjan creating a rich melting pot of music and culture. Prior to the 1970′s much music was imitated from western popular music from France, Spain and the United States. Some of the most influential composers and arrangers of the Ivory Coast are compiled here including Ernesto Djedje who invented and popularized the ziglibithy sound (fusion of traditional bete folk rhythm and funk soul arrangements). Fela Kuti inspired Afro-beat is displayed on several tracks including A1 featuring Pierre Antoine and B3 with Ernesto Djedje. Jimmy (inspired by Jimmy Hendrix) Hyacinthe’s Yatchimiinou‘s funky disco jam will take you back to tight white jeans and silky shirts as will Nguessan Santa’s (inspired by Carlos Santanta) Mammy Nia . Ali Ibrahim’s deep soulful La Ilaha Illalahou features tight horn section and sweet female back vocals. There is plenty of funk to go around featuring Prince Dgib who is better know in his homeland as the Ivorian James Brown. Hypnotic grooves, chants, raw breaks frenetic rhythms fill the tracks from Jean Guehi and Kassale Etles Ziglibitiens. True Love by Rato Venance is a spacey , jazzy, disco instrumental with some fine keyboard play. Thanks to a painstaking journey of nearly three year’s retrieving and restoring the original vinyl, we can now enjoy these 13 tracks dripping with sweet soul, silky grooves and funk all around.

Faited, Thonghuad – “Diew Sor Isan:The North East Thai Violin of Thonghuad Faited” – [Em Records]

Enchanting release from Em records, capturing Thonghuad Faited’s
work on the sor (see images on the album, it’s a sort of a
two-string Thai fiddle) from the 1970′s. The sound may be familiar
from some of the excellent Sublime Frequency forays into Molam
styles.?? Faited’s sor often conjures a dizzy cross between a
sea shanty and mystic trance music. I truly hope some KFJC DJ’s
who play country music will drop one of the instrumentals into
their sets, as there is a sort of Gaelic reel vibe. The full
band pieces also feature the khaen, which sounds like windy
cities of glass, kind of a heralding announcement. There seems
to also even be some chicka chicka guitar chicken scratching.
The percussion has a distinct clip-clop beat, leading to a
dancing vibe. All tracks are gorgeous, but something about how
Faited’s sor compliments the two female singers on three tracks
here really wins me over. The voice and sor both flutter and
waver in quick glissando, they are so high in pitch, but to
me both feel soothing and never shrieky. On top of it all, the
sonic beauty and grace here is matched by the benevolent gesture
from Em Records to raise funds for the aged and ailing Thonghuad.
Behold the twists of Faited’s sor!

-Thurston Hunger

Koray, Erkin – “Arap Saci” – [Pharaway Sounds]

Erkin Koray is a Turkish guitarist and baglama player who is considered the first person to bring rock and roll to Turkey. Playing since the late 1950′s and still a formidable force in Turkish music today, Koray is known for mixing traditional folk songs with rock music. Being well versed in a variety of styles, his guitar playing is highly praised. The selections from the Pharaway Sounds 2 CD release cover his first psychedelic single “Anma Arkadas”, his biggest seller “Saskin”, several covers including the Moody Blues’ “Tuesday Afternoon”, as well as many of his 1960′s and ’70′s releases on 45′s. Koray’s interest was, and still is in psychedelic and prog rock and this is displayed repeatedly in the fuzz guitar, extended guitar solos and elaborate arrangements of these pieces. CD 2 gets more tripped out but both CD’s are excellent samples of this Turkish godhead.

Os Brazoes – “Os Brazoes” – [Light in the Attic]

Rare groove magazine WaxPoetics highlighted this LP in their July 2009 Brazil Issue. Its hard-as-hell-to-find [except for a $50-$100 price tag on the web] 1969 original press quickly became a minor grail for beat diggers around the globe in terms of Brazil’s deep bass groove-driven, garagey guitar-infused Tropicalia movement of the late-60s (perhaps sparking this 2012 Swiss re-issue distributed by Light in the Attic). Beatdiggers also love it for its bongo-pellas and Clyde Stubblefield-esque stank-funk, on-the-one open bass and drum parts (there’s a butter ass guitar/bass/drum loop in the middle of the Hey Jude-ish Espiral, side B track 3, that’s dying for a longer edit and I would be surprised if Kenny Dope hasn’t already done it). As a whole, it is an acid licking Brazilian sweatbox of bugged out fast funk and swarmed up psychedelics and sometimes almost folk rock (especially on the vocal tip) laced with some jazzy arrangements and subtly dusted space echo freak-outs as well (peep: Modulo Lunar, side A track 3). Be it Tropicalia, all of this rests on a foundation of samba and bossa nova characteristic to the country’s soul style but with a rawer edge than others I’ve heard from this genre such as Jorge Ben and Os Mutantes (Os Brazoes cover both here). I hardly understand Portuguese but one gets the feeling that the lyrics are sardonic and arcane like a Frost Amphitheater convo (peep: Volksvolswagen Blue, side A track 4). Still there is more than just a side dish of US soul persuasion here as well, and it is greasy. Mann The General

Turkish Freakout 2 [coll] – [Bouzouki Joe]

“Turkish Freakout 2″, on Bouzouki Joe Records, is Bouzouki Joe’s second volume of Turkish psych and folk rock from 1970-1978.
This project is a labor of love. Joe hunts out the bins for these 45′s and LP’s from back when. He is passionate about his selections, which is obvious in the liner notes. (These are also informative and funny.) This collection, especially sides A & B, spends more time on female vocalist. These cuts are often more folk based, a bit quieter and very hypnotizing. Side C really takes off. You’ll wish Baris Manco’s “Mozart” was three times as long. And hold on for the amazing Perihan singing kind of dirty against the psych hard rock blow out. Side D has an amazing blast from Cem. This collection will make you wish you could go back to Turkey in the 70′s, tripping to the rhythms of the time.

Battisti, Lucio – “S/T” – [Dischi Ricordi S.p.A]

Battisti (1943-1998) was an Italian singer/songwriter who was popular in his native country for three decades and considered a major influence on Italian pop music. This is his self-titled 1969 release, mostly upbeat and catchy, although there are some moments that are kind of moody and evocative of something. All vocals are in Italian. Strings and horns and other musical flourishes were added but the record doesn’t seem overproduced; it strikes me as a typical pop record of the period. Side A ends with a bit of a jam… was that a backwards guitar? I believe Battisti generally wrote the music and worked with various lyricists over the years. He got more into “concept albums” in the 1970s and some of these tunes sound as though they may be part of something bigger; but I don’t understand the language so I couldn’t say. The record ends with an unexpectedly heavy rocker. All in all, a worthy addition to KFJC’s International library.

Scattered Melodies: Korean Kayagum Sanjo From 78rpm Records [coll] – [Sublime Frequencies]

Sanjo translates to Scattered Melodies. It is a stylized form of improvisation developed in Korea during the 1890s. These recordings range from 1925 to the 1950s. The stringed instrument here is the Kayagum, a smaller cousin of the Japanese Koto.. the Kayagum’s tone is not quite as bright as the Koto’s and it sounds like it could have one or two strings, though the instrument certainly holds over a dozen. Accompanying the Kayagum is an hour glass shaped hand drum called Changgo, and the occasional sound of a human voice barely coming in from a distance. The music here is improvised and quite arrhythmic, that is almost wholly melodic, with an ever present wavering vibrato. Notes slide and bend into half tones, quarter tones and everything in between on the far eastern scale. The music breathes, expressive in its building tempo changes and fleeting moments when the beat sets in… all of this dipped in the pops and scratches of the old, original vinyl. Sublime Frequencies.. always delivers. -Surfer Rosa

Afghanistan Untouched [coll] – [Traditional Crossroads]

All tracks on this album were recorded in Afghanistan by ethnomusicologist Mark Slobin in 1968. This was before the Soviet invasion and Taliban and the resulting wars. Music of the Tajik, Uzbek, Hazara, Pashtun, Herati, Kazakh, and Turkmen people includes a variety of lutes, bowed instruments, percussion, flutes and other wind instruments, and vocals. Most recordings were done live in public places so talking and laughter is sometimes heard. To my ear this is very beautiful and complex music, completely enjoyable in itself, not just a novelty snapshot of traditional music. Liner notes are excellent for background and track by track information.

Crying Princess:78 rpm Records From Burma, The [coll] – [Sublime Frequencies]

I haven’t had a whole lotta truck with Princesses, but I can only imagine
Crying ones are the tops. Sounds akin to a music box impregnated by a gamelan
(really a “pat waing” per the fine liner notes). That nasaly nhai with its
expressive shrill squeezing sound is a strong spice. The talking interchange
on #3 and #4, before the screamy, dreamy courtship of #5…all captivate.
Every track on side A is over 100 years old, wrap your head and headphones
around that! The high pitched sounds of voice and instruments help to cut
through the hiss and warp of the years. Percussion often punctuates the
poetry. The free style improvisation of the nhai is pure and spellbinding.
Track #7 has a strength in numbers for the chorus. Leading off the second
side, Yadana Myit belts it out like a blues master, her two tracks also
feature the ripples of the harp from the album’s cover. The second side
has a more breezy feel, less of the piercing joy/pain. A sleepy sax is
stirred in at one point. The two concluding tracks include electric guitar
that moves in that Hindustani slippery style….bending of notes and
sliding, but very clean and again working in the upper registers. Sublime
Frequencies always breaking geographic boundaries, but time travel here
is quite a gift too. Respect to Robert Millis, erstwhile Climax Golden
Twin, who joined KFJC hero and Sublime NAT Alan Bishop in the
anthropolyphony here! Welcome the Princess into your broken heart.

-Thurston Hunger (with a mighty merci to Monsieur Benoit and Uncle Jim)

Shin Joong Hyun & The Yup Juns – “_” – [Lion Productions]

Released in 1974 as a very limited- edition promotional item intended for radio stations, this album was originally dropped by Shin’s record label. This power trio consisted of Shin & the Yup Jun-” In Korean, yupjun literally means a brass coin,” Shin explains. “However, during that time it was used as slang to describe a sense of unpleasantness and dislike. Since I was so unpleasant and dissatisfied [in my career], I told myself, `Ok, fine, I am just a yupjun,’ and named my band with a rebellious attitude.”??Shin started this musical exploration by renting a room in Seoul’s Tower Hotel for 6 months and collaboratively wrote songs and created music with his band for this amazing and powerful release. Strong funk , psychedelic and catchy guitar riffs envelop you with the opening track ” Beautiful Woman” and Shin’s vocal intensity duets with bell ringing on “I love You”. Monster grooves and bar raising lyrical approaches can be heard all throughout this museum- worthy masterpiece . A must have for all music lovers!

-Dianthus-