Cossi Anatz ‎– Jazz Afro-Occitan

Extremely hard to find free/spiritual jazz album recorded in the South of France and released on Vendémiaire (Jef Gilson's label) with a similar style to Francois Tusques Intercommunal. Jazz Afro-occitan is written on the cover and it's clearly the case when you put the needle on wax you instantly feel the North African, Arabic & Mediterranean influences, that are quite obvious here, especially in the brass & percussions. Some brilliant tracks like the beautiful deep jazz Al Coltrane or the monster spiritual oriental jazz Aden Arabie with great Fender solo.

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Carl B. Stokes / Oliver Nelson ‎– The Mayor And The People (1970)

 An incredibly interesting record – and more of a spoken album than a jazz one, but it shares some great jazz work by Oliver Nelson too! The album's a loving tribute to Carl B. Stokes, the first black mayor of a major American city (Cleveland) – and it's one of the strongest in a series of African-American culture albums by the Flying Dutchman label at the time. Side one of the record features a press conference with Stokes, in which he outlines his ideas for revitalizing the Cleveland area. But even better is side two – which features a beautiful original composition by Nelson, entitled "A Black Suite For String Quartet & Jazz Orchestra", and which features recitations by Stokes of material by Langston Hughes and Gil Scott-Heron. The whole thing's great – extremely powerful and progressive, with tracks that include "Paint It Black", "I Too Sing America", "Mother To Son", "Sit Down", and "I Dream A World".

 Tracklist

A	The Mayor And The People Press Conference	26:20
BA	A Black Suite For String Quartet And Jazz Orchestra  (A) Take This Hammer	17:47
BB	(B) Precious Lord
BC	(C) Sit Down
BD	(D) Mother To Son
BE	(E) I Too Sing America
BF	(F) I Dream A World
BG	(G) Paint It Black

 

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Hermae (Ερμαί) Self-titled [1990]

Ultra rare experimental gem,one of the best free improvisation records to come out of Greece ever.
Self-released and limited to 500 copies.
This Lp was never available in shops but instead, circulated solely by the members in hand-to-hand fashion.
Highly recommended.

Tracklist

A	Ύμνος Προς Τη Θεά Τύχη [Hymn To Godess Fortune]	25:45
B	Αχέρων [Acheron]	24:35

 

 

Credits

• Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Βασίλης Σταματιάδης
• Guitar, Kalimba [African Sanza], Vocals – Ανδρέας Γεωργίου*
• Ocarina, Tambura, Performer [Water-sound] – Γιώργος Χατζημιχελάκης (tracks: B)
• Performer [Daouli], Bendir, Whistle – Ανδρέας Γεωργίου* (tracks: A)
• Performer [Mandoura] – Ανδρέας Γεωργίου* (tracks: B)
• Shanai [Shahnay] – Γιώργος Χατζημιχελάκης (tracks: A)
• Vocals, Oud, Flute [Shepherd's Flute] – Γιώργος Χατζημιχελάκης
• Whistle – Βασίλης Σταματιάδης (tracks: B)

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Floros Floridis, Peter Kowald, Ilias Papadopoulos ‎– Pyrichia (1991)

Tracklist
A1 Movement I: Orphic / Ορφικό 12:56
A2 Movement II: Deep Footprints / Βαθειά Χνάρια 8:17
B1 Movement III: Magic Kites / Μαγικός Χαρταετός 10:01
B2 Movement IV: Strange Friends / Παράξενοι Φίλοι 9:30
Companies, etc.

Published By – Free Music Production
Distributed By – Bebop Music
Printed By – Ορφανός - Σκαλτσάς
Recorded At – Rock Studio
Mixed At – Rock Studio
Manufactured By – Fabelsound

Credits

Bass – Peter Kowald
Clarinet, Flute – Floros Floridis
Composed By – Floros Floridis, Ilias Papadopoulos, Peter Kowald
Cover, Painting – Apostolos Kilessopoulos
Design – Simos Saltiel*
Engineer – Pantelis Deliyianidis*
Lyre [From Pontos] – Ilias Papadopoulos
Photography By – Yannis Krikis*

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Horace Tapscott / Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra - The Dark Tree : Jazz and the Community Arts in Los Angeles (2006)

While he was still in his twenties, Horace Tapscott gave up a successful career in Lionel Hampton's band and returned to his home in Los Angeles to found the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, a community arts group that focused on providing affordable, community-oriented jazz and jazz training. Over the course of almost forty years, the Arkestra, together with the related Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension (UGMAA) Foundation, were at the forefront of the vital community-based arts movements in black Los Angeles.
Some three hundred artists-musicians, vocalists, poets, playwrights, painters, sculptors, and graphic artists-passed through these organizations, many ultimately remaining within the community and others moving on to achieve international fame. Based primarily on one hundred in-depth interviews with current and former participants, The Dark Tree is the first history of the important and largely overlooked community arts movement of African American Los Angeles. Brought to life by the passionate voices of the men and women who worked to make the arts integral to everyday community life, this engrossing book completes the account began in the highly acclaimed Central Avenue Sounds, which documented the secular music history of the first half of the twentieth century and which the San Francisco Examiner called "one of the best jazz books ever compiled."


CD included with the book

Horace Tapscott piano, conductor
William Marshall lead vocal
The Voice of UGMAA vocals
(Cynthia, Vernetta, Landern, Pat K, Linda Hill, Will Connell, Willie L, Scratch, Charles, Oscar)
Los Angeles, December 2, 1969
- Tell God All Of My Troubles (From the For My People suite) (Traditional)

Horace Tapscott piano, conductor
Edwin Pleasant flute
Chico Roberson flute
Ernest Straughter flute
Black Arthur Blythe alto saxophone
Will Connell alto saxophone
Cerion Middleton III tenor saxophone
Ray Straughter tenor saxophone
Butch Morris cornet
Robert S trombone
David Bryant bass
Walter Savage, Jr. bass
Jimmy Hoskins drums
Brother Eddie conga
Marcus Hill pot
Los Angeles, May 3, 1970
- Carnival (From music from King Christophe) (H.Tapscott)
- Waltz Time (From music from King Christophe) (H.Tapscott)
- Funeral (Later titled “Warriors All”, From music from King Christophe) (H.Tapscott)

Aubrey Hart piccolo
Adele Sebastian flute
Jesse Sharps soprano saxophone
Gary Bias alto saxophone
Michael Session alto saxophone
Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq tenor saxophone
Charles Chandler tenor saxophone
Steve Smith trumpet
Lester Robertson trombone
Wendell C. Williams french horn
Red Callender tuba
Horace Tapscott piano
Linda Hill piano
David Bryant bass
Marcus McLaurine bass
Ricky Simmons drums
Moises Obligacion conga
Los Angeles, January 24, 1976
- Eternal Egypt Suite, part 4 (F.Abdul-Khaliq)

Dwight Trible vocal
Michael Session soprano, alto and tenor saxophones
Thurman Green trombone
Horace Tapscott piano
Roberto Miranda bass
Fritz Wise drums
Hollywood, December 19, 20, 1995
- Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child (Traditional)
- Ballad For Deadwood Dick (H.Tapscott)
- Little Africa (L.Hill)

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Respect to Erberken

Kahil El' Zabar's The Ritual : Another Kind Of Groove (1987)

Tracklist

A1	The Opening	5:35
A2	Ocean Deep	8:07
A3	Return Of The Lost Tribe	8:05
B1	Little Gwen	6:44
B2	Pedro	4:35
B3	Another Kind Of Groove	6:39
B4	Freedom Of Speech	6:51

Credits

• Bass, Percussion – Malachi Favors
• Drums, Flute [Bass Bamboo], Performer [Sanza], Drums [Earth], Berimbau, Bells [Ankle] – Kahil El'Zabar
• Producer – Pedro De Freitas
• Violin, Bells – Billy Bang

Notes

Recorded on 22 May 1986 at HGBS Studio.

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Inedit Grèce - Épire - Takoutsia, Musiciens de Zagori (1987)

The traditional music of Epirus, northwestern Greece, is essential for any celebration being hosted, weddings, baptisms and village festivals. The clarinet is the emblematic instrument of Epirus. The dramatic expression and craftsmanship by which it is been played, does not leave anyone without being moved. The album was recorded by the French in 1986, and introduces us to the Ensemble Takoutsia of the Zagori village musicians, who come from the Kapsalis family. Today only Gregoris survives, considered one of the greatest masters of the clarinet. On the disc we hear a beautiful miroloï , a long instrumental lement piece from the clarinet, violin and lute as well as dances and table songs.



This cd presents three categories of the traditional music of Epirus: Miroloï lement music, dance music and table songs. The first two categories involve instrumental formations: the Miroloï is performed by a clarinet, a violin and a lute, plus for dance music, a tambourine, which emphasizes the rhythmic structure. For the execution of the table songs, there is the use of a second clarinet, which replaces the first, since in this musical category, the first clarinetist becomes a singer.



As in all the Balkans and much of the Mediterranean, the scales that underlie the melodies of Epirus are of the modal type. In many cases, some of the degrees of these scales are mobile, that is to say moving slightly depending on whether the melody is ascending or descending. Other features: the transition from one mode to another within the same song that has the effect of bringing about a change of atmosphere, sound, and finally the ornamentation - often improvised - which gives a more dense texture to the melody.



In the music of Epirus, the rhythmic action of instrumental music and songs is slower than in the rest of Greece, whether it be a moroloï, or table song or dancing music which are attributed in heavy manner and are always slow moving.


Tracklist:

1. Miroloï, lement music [10:59]
2. Ilios, traditional dance [6:34]
3. Kyra Frossini, table song [3:56]
4. Zagorissio, traditional dance [4:21]
5. Otan anthisoun ta klaria, table song [5:37]
6. Arvanitiko, traditional dance [2:56]



Musicians:
Grigoris Kapsalis, clarinet and vocals
Zacharia Drambalos, clarinet
Spiros Kapsalis, lute
Kosta Kapsalis, violin
Michalis Markopoulos, tambourine
Zulas Kapsalis, tambourine

 
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