Jaded, My Tummy

The integration of jazz and hip-hop has appeared any many forms the past few decades. A whole crop of them were hot in the early-'90s hip-hop heyday with A Tribe Called Quest being the most notable (but remember Digable Planets and Resurrection-age Com Sense?). Even today, there are a new crop of young, innovative jazz heads who incorporate hip-hop into their music. Blue Note pianist/composer Robert Glasper is the first to come to mind (Karriem Riggins, Stefon Harris, Jason Moran...).

 Well, these three, under-21, Canadian knuckleheads are named BADBADNOTGOOD (BBNG), and they're a jazz band that reinterprets notable hip-hop songs à la El Michels Affair, except they play a whole lot more types of tracks. Recently, BBNG has been in the music news for their performance backing Odd Future at the Coachella Festival in California. One thing I really I like about their covers is that they don't feel so obligated to recreate the track in every way. They leave room for improvisation and exploration. Although their sound is real fresh and organic and I love some of their cover choices, I can't say I'd want to buy an album from them. But, luckily we don't have to, because they offer all their music for free here: http://badbadnotgood.bandcamp.com. Check out digital releases BBNG (2011) and BBNG2 (2012) where they cover Nas, Gucci Mane, Joy Division, the Zelda soundtrack, James Blake, and A Tribe Called Quest. I got word of them from The Revivalist blog (definitely worth checking for) over at Okayplayer. Here is their video for "Electric Relaxation" (A Tribe Called Quest):

Rating:
from the forthcoming Summer 2012 album What We Play Is Life

I hate to admit this, but my knowledge of the contemporary jazz scene is embarrassing. But, at the same time, much of it doesn't move me like Mingus or Monk. Well, this new track, "Groove," from trumpeter/composer Lee Hogans and his band, Pursuance, doesn't dissuade me from feeling this way. It's actually an enjoyable, head-nodding groove with some exciting improvisations, but the track as a whole doesn't really capture my imagination.

Hogans, who developed his chops backing the likes of Jay-Z, Jill Scott, Diddy, and others on their respective tours, is clearly of the hip-hop generation. The rhythmic foundation of "Groove" - a steady, bouncing hip-hop/funk jamfest - is securely held down by the chemistry and interplay between bassist Kellen Harrison and drummer Jerome Jennings. It's real easy to get lost in that groove. In fact, so much so that it somewhat bears down on the vitality of the music. What does capture my attention, though, is how lyrical Hogans approaches his solos. His effective, punctuated phrases reminds me of a hip-hop MC who skillfully manipulates syllables to fit the rhythm of the beat. It also reminds me some of Freddie Hubbard's jazz-funk classic Straight Life (1972)—but only just a little. At best, "Groove" is nice, jamming background music, but nonetheless, I still look forward to hearing what he's cooked up for the rest of his What We Play Is Life album.

For more info on Lee Hogans: http://www.bachbrass.com/artists/profile.php?aid=342

As I stated before, I really want to exercise and train my writing technique on this blog. And so, I plan to write reviews, op-eds, articles, etc. just for this blog. In particular for reviews: for songs, I plan to use the standard 5-star system, but for albums I'm going to steal Pitchfork's 10.0 point system in order to give me more flexibility and nuisances for rating LPs or a more substantial body of work. I'm still working on the graphics for the rating systems, so bare with me. Enjoy.

Even if I had a really good figure, I don't think I'd get my tits and ass out for no one. I love seeing Lady Gaga's boobs and bum. I love seeing Katy Perry's boobs and bum. Love it. But that's not what my music is about. I don't make music for eyes, I make music for ears.

Hot off the presses here. My most recent review, put up last week, is of battle-rap Monster Iron Solomon. He’s got all types of videos on YouTube.

Iron Solomon - Monster (2012)



















We’re all very familiar with this infamous rap list: Canibus, Jin, Serius Jones, etc. These are the many gifted, hungry MCs who could light up freestyle cyphers for large cash prizes but never could build that into a successful rap career or, sometimes, even get one started. Battle-rap beast and champion Iron Solomon similarly paid his dues on that circuit, dominating competitions such as Braggin’ Writes, Scribble Jam, and Fight Klub….

I wanted to post this, because I love Chrisette Michele. I loooooove her. Top flight talent. Anyways, this is one of my somewhat better bios. But, I’m really not feeling where her career is going right now, plus her last 2 albums were bleh or just so-so. I want to see her live again though (I saw her in Detroit in 2006).

Chrisette Michele
In a very short span of time, R&B singer/songwriter Chrisette Michele shot from small-time performer up to one of Def Jam’s most promising talents, purely based on her unique instrument — a gorgeous and effortlessly versatile singing voice colored with Billie Holiday-esque inflections of vocal pop and jazz….

This review I wrote for Allmusic.com. It’s one of better reviews and an example of something I didn’t like so much. I get a little bit funny on this one too. Hee.




















Many would expect that a rap album from a man who destroyed a TV camera at Madison Square Garden and sparked the infamous brawl at the Detroit Pistons-Indiana Pacers game to be nothing but hard-to-the-core beats and rhymes, and nobody would dispute his credibility, either…

Watch for Kendrick Lamar. This track doesn’t reveal his lyricism as well as his O.verly D.edicated mixtape or Section.80 (2011), but the track is hot. Apparently, Scoop Deville is making better Dre beats than Dre these days. The link is to Okayplayer.

Ok, so Jennifer Hudson is an amazingly good singer. Amazingly! I mean why else is she the one chosen to tribute Whitney Houston at the Grammys? Is always in the discussion of who should play Aretha Franklin in her inevitable biopic? Etc. etc…… But the real question is why on earth does she keep making substandard albums of her own??!!! It’s fucking ridiculous! I never know how much I can blame the artist or label or A&Rs or whoever, but some blame can go all around, I’m sure. She doesn’t need to be doing songs with T-Pain or Ludacris (now Luda’s my dude, I ain’t trying to diss). Now granted, I’ve heard good things about her 2011 album which I haven’t heard yet, so I’m going to have to check that out, but I still needed to rant. Anyways, the purpose of my rant? Like Aretha, I think Hudson needs to find her Jerry Wexler, a producer/trailblazer/A&R who knows how to tap into her soulful talents.

Well I’m starting this blog mainly as a writing exercise tool. I write music reviews, mostly hip hop and R&B, and things of that nature. I wrote for The Michigan Daily (University of Michigan student newspaper), the music database site Allmusic, and also Okayplayer so far. I’m using this blog to help me get back into freelance writing. I will post up album reviews as if I were submitting them to a magazine or paper, but also will write some in a more journal-like, free-flowing way. Because I think randomly, I of course will post about random shit, mostly related to music, but might be other things that matter to me. I don't consider myself much of a tastemaker, but I hope to y'all to some new music or ideas or way of thinking. If you come across this blog and you get bored, my bad. I guess this is mainly just for me. Also, I had started this blog at http://jadedtummy.tumblr.com but apparently nobody can reply to posts there. Dumb shit. So, you might see some reposts from over there to over here before "over there" gets deleted.