I’ve mention Gamma, Like Very Ultra on this blog before. They have a new album out and it’s really great. I’m not a music critic or anything so I’m not going to write a pretentious review of it, but I am going to say that you should check it out. Watch the video below and click here to find out more about their music.
I’m always interested in bringing exciting bands to your attention and this is one. Grand Pianoramax is a drum and piano duo that combines jazz, funk, and hip hop influences with spoken word. Swiss born, Leo Tardin is the mastermind behind the group. He won the first Montreux solo piano competition in 1999.
If you live in the New York area, check them out tonight at the Canal Room. The drummer Tardin uses changes from time to time so tonight he’ll be playing with Jojo Mayer. Spoken word will be preformed by Mike Ladd and Celena Glenn.
Here’s a video of Grand Pianoramax featuring Celena Glenn.
Grand Pianoramax
“Nikola Tesla” (mp3)
from “The Biggest Piano in Town”
(Backdrop/ObliqSound)
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More On This Album
Griots are traditional storytellers. Before the use of written language in West Africa, griots were the historians and genealogists of their villages. They also advised nobility and acted as messengers and entertainers. While griots still exist, their function has changed. Now they are popular singers who perform on radio and television. They reinterpret traditional songs.
This video is about Ablaye Cissoko. It’s the promotional video for the CD, Sira, that I reviewed last week. I like it. I hope you do too.
Musician/composer Patrick Bettison has been feverishly composing tunes for his second album. The album will feature him on chromatic harmonica. As he writes his new tunes, he’s been recording demos of them. Edible Plants reminds me of a French movie or walking through the leaves on a lovely fall day.
Since I wrote a review for Gilfema’s latest album the other day, I thought it would be good to put up a video from their self-titled first album, Gilfema
Gilfema , Lionel Loueke, Ferenc Nemeth, Massimo Biolcati “Dream” (mp3)
from “Gilfema”
(ObliqSound) Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Napster Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Puretracks
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This is a live performance from the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2007. I think it’s a humorous performance. It’s good but also humorous.
I don’t what the relationship between Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins was but I would say from looking at the body language in this video that they didn’t like each other. Maybe they had a little bit of a disagreement before this was shot.
Originally from Benin, Lionel Loueke is an excellent guitarist and though he doesn’t consider himself a singer, I’d say he is. If I could make anything that sounded even remotely as good or interesting with my voice, I’d call myself a singer. He didn’t even start playing music until he was in his late teens. Check out his album Karibu
