Check out the guy who popularized the scratch with the Herbie Hancock tune "Rock it".

Herbie Hancock : Acoustic piano
Wayne Shorter : Tenor and soprano saxophones
Ron Carter : Acoustic bass
Jack DeJohnette : Drums

This is a very decent, clear audience recording of this amazing line up. Possibly a Miles tribute of some kind as there are lots of tunes associated with the great man and all four of these incredible guys put in plenty of time with him. Whatever the occasion of this tour it's wonderful to have this for those of use who didn't get the chance to be there in person. It's not often you get to hear Ron and Jack going at it.

quartet2007-10-15d1t01-so-what

quartet2007-10-15d1t02-intros

quartet2007-10-15d1t03-maiden-voyage

quartet2007-10-15d1t04-seven-steps-to-heaven

quartet2007-10-15d1t05-i-thought-about-you

quartet2007-10-15d2t01-aung-san-suu-kyi

quartet2007-10-15d2t02-someday-my-prince-will-come

quartet2007-10-15d2t03-eighty-one

quartet2007-10-15d2t04-bass-solo

quartet2007-10-15d2t05-all-blues

]]> http://tvxmole.wordpress.com/?p=396 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:30:16 +0000 televisionxmole http://tvxmole.wordpress.com/?p=396

Ahh sweet lie-in. I got blotto last night as is traditional of a Sunday before bank holiday Monday so you can imagine how much I’m suffering today. I do not want to go back into work tomorrow. So I’m gonna have a jazz day today. That’s the perfect way to prepare for going back after a long weekend. I’m gonna bust out my copy of Headhunters by Herbie Hancock. It’s one of my fav albums by him and it’s a great way to relax. In fact it almost makes it feel like a Sunday!
So back to work tomorrow and I might get up early and start the morning with this little Lolly vid. Lust, Lingerie and Lolly. My oh my, it’s a cracker and funnily enough there’s a bit of jazz in it! Enjoy, boys and girls.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the vids posted below. I definitely tried to go past the 1990's, and into the earlier days of hip hop. As a note, I've never actually seen the vid of "Rockit" before, and now I feel slightly traumatized. I would put masturbating mannequins in the "never needed to see" category.

Herbie Hancock - Rockit

Kurtis Blows - The Breaks

Herbie Hancock, keyboards

Lionel Loueke, guitar (myriad of sounds)

Chris Potter, saxophone

Dave Holland, bass

Vinnie Colaiuta, drums

Sonya Kitchell, vocals

Amy Keys, vocals

How incredible to witness Herbie Hancock right in my own backyard. The Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport, CT was the perfect backdrop for Herbie Hancock’s jazz ensemble. I complement The Fairfield Theater Company as they continuously bring quality artists to The Klein and Stage One in Fairfield, CT.

Herbie Hancock put us at ease from the start. He made The Klein his living room as he is a very inviting soul. I gained a deeper appreciation for Herbie Hancock’s Buddhism because he treats you as such an equal. He is very Zen, both a humble and spiritual person. He has an incredible warmth that is endearing to share.

The show began with a Headhunters song, Actual Proof which set the tempo for the evening. It is a smooth journey number that slowly envelops the listener.

The heart of the show was based around Herbie Hancock's last two best selling recordings, River: The Joni Letters and Possibilities. Both of these recordings are in constant rotation on my CD player. I was eager to hear pieces done live, led by the maestro himself.

Herbie Hancock, introduced the two female vocalists for the event, Sonya Kitchell and Amy Keys. They performed the title track River by Joni Mitchell admirably. As Herbie pointed out "these ladies can sing, they aren't just wallpaper." I especially liked their rendition of the U2/B.B. King classic, When Love Comes To Town, it rocked. The highlight song for me with the vocalists was Leon Russell's A Song for You sung powerfully by Amy Keys.

The ensemble of musicians that Herbie Hancock assembled for this tour was stunning. I was very pleased to finally witness world class bassist Dave Holland live. Herbie Hancock and Dave Holland have deep roots with Miles Davis's electric period with their point of integration being the seminal,  In A Silent Way

Also on hand was Vinnie Colaiuta one of the foremost in demand session drummers. I have long enjoyed Vinnie's appearances with Jeff Beck, Joni Mitchell and Frank Zappa to name a few of his contributions. His drum set said "I Hit Things". Believe me he really does so with syncopation, incredible timing and fervency.

The next player I had been longing to see play was Lionel Loueke. He is a very talented guitarist who can create a myriad of sounds. He is also a great composer. Herbie Hancock showcased an instrumental Lionel had written called Seventeens which was based upon the odd but conquerable 17 beat pattern. All the musicians in the ensemble loved this selection as it offered them the unique challenge to stay in time together. Lionel Loueke also performed a solo effort that gave us a deeper interpretation of his Benin, West Africa roots. You will be hearing more about Lionel Loueke in the future as the new genius of jazz/world music/avant-garde that I just know you will whole heartedly embrace.

What really worked fluidly is that Dave Holland, Vinnie Colaiuta and Lionel Loueke all participated on the Grammy winning recording River: The Joni Letters. This fact added so much credibility to the performance.

I don't want to overlook the very adept saxophone playing of Chris Potter. I found his horn playing top notch. He fit in so perfectly with the ensemble. He was captivatingly energetic on stage when he soloed or added his sax to the mix.

The two and one half hour concert culminated in the encore of Head Hunters Chameleon. Herbie Hancock strapped on a Roland AX-7 keytar and went to town jamming with all on stage. It was the perfect ending to a fulfilling night of jazz.

To better appreciate a visual sense of Herbie Hancock live visit  Yahoo Music Nissan Live Website where you can see the web cast of the Herbie Hancock ensemble from April 2008. Its a great music site. Nissan Live is an intimate setting of 300 persons. The artists allow a question and answer section, which gives you valuable insight into Herbie Hancock as a human being.  The real standout of the Herbie Hancock Nissan Live sessions is that Joni Mitchell joins Herbie and company for three songs, River, Tea Leaf Prophecy (both from River: The Joni Letters) and Hana (from Joni's Shine recording).

]]> http://jtaplin.wordpress.com/?p=1245 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 05:01:01 +0000 Jon Taplin http://jtaplin.wordpress.com/?p=1245 In an age where everyone is shouting with their advertising, its always fun to see a company go in the opposite direction. United Airlines hired an LA director named Jamie Caliri who used paper puppets and stop motion animation to make something that is quite beautiful. Herbie Hancock and Chinese Pianist Lang Lang did the score.

The problem with over-promoted musos is that they can’t possibly live up to the advanced billing.

Having suddenly become very aware of her, I automatically put American chanteuse Melody Gardot in this category.

But then, watching Channel 4’s Live From Abbey Road for the first time on Friday, to catch the great Herbie Hancock, I stumbled upon Melody in a live performance from Herbie’s recent album, River: The Joni Letters.

My, my – what a distinctive voice. Gardot’s beautiful tone and her innate swing enlivened Mitchell’s Edith and The Kingpin, an already great song.

I’ll be watching closely for more recordings and performances from Melody Gardot, one of my most striking recent music for grown-ups discoveries.

Great jazz funk fusion by Herbie Hancock, expect the other three track on this album to apear on this site before it reaches the 10.000 limit. This track has percusionist Bill Summers blowing in a beer bottle, propably the only time a beer bottle was used as an instrument in a recording studio.

YouTube: Watermelon Man, original recording with sleeve

.

Diferente dos Estados Unidos, onde Batman – O Cavaleiro das Trevas conseguiu segurar o lançamento de A Múmia: Tumba do Imperador Dragão, no Brasil a terceira semana do Morcegão ficou abaixo da estréia do novo filme da série do aventureiro Rick O´Connell.

O terceiro A Múmia fez 4,87 milhões de reais por aqui, uma excelente estréia, com média de público superior a 1200 pessoas por sala. Na trama, rumo à Ásia, Brendan Fraser retorna como o explorador para combater o ressurrecto Imperador Han (Jet Li) em um épico que vai das catacumbas da China antiga até o topo gélido do Himalaia.

Na segunda colocação, O Cavaleiro das Trevas caiu pouco. Foram apenas 31% em relação à semana passada. O filme já soma 23,30 milhões de reais nas nossas bilheterias e deve assumir nesta semana, em apenas 20 dias, o primeiro lugar entre os maiores filmes do ano no Brasil.

A medalha de bronze ficou no peito peludo do Kung Fu Panda. Com mais 1,2 milhão de reais, a aventura animada somou 23,97 milhões e superou Homem de Ferro como o maior filme de 2008 por aqui (por pouco tempo, já que a escalada do Morcegão é inevitável).

Pela terceira semana consecutiva Viagem ao Centro da Terra segue na quarta posição, sucesso explicado pelas exibições 3-D. São poucas salas no país, mas a bilheteria é constante.

Fechando o Top 5, Hancock é outro que encheu os cofres de sua distribuidora. O filme já soma 20,75 milhões e também ocupa a quinta posição no ranking de maiores filmes no Brasil.

.

Top 10

1. A Múmia: Tumba do Imperador Dragão

2. Batman – O Cavaleiro das Trevas

3. Kung Fu Panda

4. Viagem ao Centro da Terra

5. Hancock

6. Era Uma Vez...

7. Arquivo X – Eu Quero Acreditar

8. Space Chimps – Micos no Espaço

9. Wall - E

10. Jogo de Amor em Las Vegas

.

Fonte: Filme B

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Veja mais em:

Morgan Freeman sofreu fraturas e deverá passar por cirurgia

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Criança 44

Artist: Herbie Hancock
Album: Pure Jazz (3 CD)

Tracklist :

• Driftin'

Herbie Hancock 7º JaZZ Vitoria Gasteiz 2008

Herbie Hancock 7º JaZZ Vitoria Gasteiz 2008

Author: ivankorsario
Keywords: Herbie Hancock 7º JaZZ Vitoria Gasteiz 2008
Added: July 30, 2008

« quando fechei os olhos, senti o cheiro do vento. uma aragem de maio, inchada como uma peça de fruta, com a parte de fora áspera e o interior doce e carnudo, a rebentar de sementes. a polpa aberta e escancarada aos elementos da natureza, libertando as suas sementes de encontro à pele nua dos meus braços e deixando ficar no ar um ténue rasto de dor. - que horas são? perguntou... »

 

>> reading: haruki murakami, "a rapariga que inventou um sonho" = mais informações AQUI

 

 

[este fim-de-semana: festival ollin kan em viladoconde e herbie hancock no palácio de cristal]

 

Stephen Peppos/Vertigo

This CD of jazz and New Age instrumentals often gives off an '80s vibe. No, not '80s as in the Top-40 trends of that era or even anything from the college-radio underground. Rather, it's the sophisticated, upwardly mobile set, artists such as Chick Corea, Spyo Gyra, and Herbie Hancock. The breezy "In the Piano" could've graced New Age playlists in the late '80s with its engagingly poppy electronics. "Beach Baby" generates summer heat with its soaring sax and pleasantly propulsive keyboards. Peppos swims in more accessible forms of fusion, making would've been difficult music for Joe Q. Public into something akin to crossover Adult Contemporary.

There are a couple of truly moving compositions here, the best of which are "Summer's End," with its caressing waterfall sounds, and "The Way Home," suggesting a scenic view of a lake. The images, of course, are up to you and what your imagination can conjure up. And what better way to stir it than music that is blessed with feeling and a positive spirit such as Peppos'?

http://www.stephenpeppos.com

So here's a quick timeline I've came up with from what I know about scratching and turntablism. From Grandmaster Flash scratching in the movie Wild Style on his kitchen counter to A-Trak touring with KanYe West. This timeline of mine only focuses on the scratching aspect. There's a whole different scene with loop pedals and Controller One turntables. But I'll save that stuff for another time. I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of other important events in the process, but I should be sleeping right now.

After the jump, you'll see about 13 videos to help waste educate you if you're interested.

Here you go! Enjoy.

Grandmaster Flash 1983

Herbie Hancock + Grandmaster DST 1983

DJ Q-Bert - DMC World 1991

Rocksteady DJs - DMC 1992

DJ A-Trak - DMC World 1997

Dj Babu - ITF 1997

DJ Craze - DMC Finals 1999

X-ecutioners ( X-Men ) - DMC 1999

X-MEN VS ISP LIVE NYC

DJ P-Trix @ Skratchcon 2000

Beastie Boys - Three MC's and One DJ

Dilated Peoples - Worst Comes To Worst

DJ A-TRAK solo at KanYe West show live

During our stay in Rotterdam, we lived at a huge, packed hostel called Mafkees, right next to Rotterdam central station. The giant, dilapidated building had fifty person rooms, cost ten euros a night plus free breakfast of coffee, tea, bread, pb, and jam. Each morning, we loaded up on sandwiches (incidentally one day we woke up for breakfast at 9, quickly ate three peanut butter sandwiches and fell back asleep until 2 in the afternoon). Mafkees proved to be a surprisingly pleasant and safe hostel considering the enormous dorm rooms and lack of aesthetic appeal. Most of the people staying there were also going to the North Sea Jazz Festival and we made quite a few friends whom we went to the festival with, particularly Zlatan, a German dude who Studies in Siberia, and who has an encyclopedic knowledge about modern jazz. We talked with him for hours on end about the stuff any time the music wasn't on. Great dude who we hope to stay in touch with. We also spent time with Leo and Chaz, two jazzers from London who seemed content to booze, smoke weed and listen to jazz all day (stereotypical jazz musicians), very cool dudes, as well.

Friday, July 11, 2008 marked our first full day, which we spent almost exclusively at the enormous Hudson Stage. As a result of our loyalty to this stage, we sat in the second to fifth rows in the center for all of the concerts.

At 17:30, we started with Maria Schneider and her great Orchestra. While I'm not too into big band music, her ensemble's great modern arrangements, flawless execution and good solos kept me interested throughout.

This was the second time I’ve seen them (first was at UMASS) and I was very impressed. Plus, She's a babe (right).

Thereafter, at 19:30, we saw a great group called the Charles Lloyd Quartet: Charles Lloyd (Alto Flute, Tenor Sax); Jason Moran (Piano); Reuben Rogers (Bass); and the great Eric Harland (Drums). Unfortunately, We could hardly hear Jason Moran (who is a baller). The acoustics were bad in the second row (as bizarre as that sounds) as the speakers were basically behind us and the sound crew was struggling with the levels throughout. Nevertheless, and per usual, Eric Harland stole the show with his active and endlessly creative drumming.

Then, at 21:00, still at Hudson, we saw the Hank Jones 90th Birthday Concert. Unfortunately, Hank Jones was absent (sick). The group featured Roy Hargrove, a total goof (judging by how he acted on stage) and killer modern player, who stuck out like a sore thumb with this traditional group. Not a great band, but Roy Hargrove was highly entertaining.

At one point, after taking a great solo over an otherwise hokie version of “The Sunny Side of the Street,” RH grabbed the mic and delivered a hilarious scat/vocal chorus that appeared to be on a whim and made the concert worthwhile.

22:45 Herbie Hancock Quintet (not a traditional or particularly functional group).
Herbie Hancock (Piano, Keyboards, Keytar man!); Chris Potter (Sax); Lionel Loueke (guitar); Dave Holland (bass); and Vinnie Colaiuta (drum machine), actually drum set, but he might as well have been a machine.

Although Dave Holland and Chris Potter were in this group, and are some of the finest and most respectable jazz musicians on the planet, this group did not work, and they should not have subjected themselves to this form of debasement. Several times thoughout the gig, either when Herbie played the Keytar or was doodling with his stupid keyboards too much and getting in the way of their attempts to make real music out of his trash, they would exchange a glance that said “This is awful, get me out of here.” While Herbie used to be a respectable and great musician, he has gone completely commercial and his chops are almost nonexistent at this point. Several times throughout the performance I saw him check his watch and I even have a great picture of him looking at his watch while playing some stupid gimmicky crap on the keytar (below, right).

His concern for the time is quite ironic as his time was pretty poor. During the tune they played in 13 (that sounded awful), it was very clear that he was unable to hold it together and looked to his guitarist on several occasions to find the downbeat. Dave Holland was reserved to a basic timekeeping function (which is very uncharacteristic for him), and he even was forced to play electric (which he never does) and repeat the stupid "Chameleon" vamp 8 thousand times. Entertaining stuff nonetheless. Plus, when you could actually hear Chris Potter over Herbie’s gimmicks, he played some incredible stuff. I had never seen him live before so I was happy to see him in any capacity, as he is a rare talent.

If only Herbie could get back to his pre-80s self, before Miles' "experiment" in jazz/rock fusion ruined him (and almost ruined the great Wayne Shorter, as well). One promising moment was in Herbie's piano introduction to "Cantelope Island" when he quoted the melody to one of his great early compositions from his 1965 quintet album with Ron Carter, Tony Williams, Freddie Hubbard, and George Coleman, "Maiden Voyage" entitled "Dolphin Dance." However, we were, yet again, severely disappointed when he opted for the commercial hit instead.

At Midnight, we finally left Hudson to see Jill Scott at Maas Stage; She completely redeemed the night after Herbie’s garbage. Jilly from Philly tore the roof off the concert hall. What an awesome performance, very tight rhythm section and brass. She was an amazing entertainer and motivational speaker and the energy level was incredible.

Nearly all of the thousands of audience members were dancing to her hip, funky music. Also, her voice is so great. Note to self, I need to get more of her music pronto, and recommend others do as well.

1. Never do a rain dance on a hill.
2. Make sure you have a lot of room so you don't run into anything.
3. Spin around in clockwise circles.
4. Make up your own rain chant. It should be rhythmical and easy to say fast.
5. Yell your rain chant while spinning around in circles
[If you are trying to get rid of rain, spin in counterclockwise circles and say your chant backwards].

* Rain Dance - Herbie Hancock
* No Rain - Blind Melon
* Naked in the Rain - Red Hot Chili Peppers
* The Dumb in the Rain - Liars
* I Get the Blues when it Rains - Jerry Lee Lewis

Artist: Herbie Hancock
Album: Headhunters

Tracklist :

• Chameleon
• Watermelon Man
• Sly
• Vein Melter