jprpodcasts

GIG Review: Easy Star All Stars and Cas Haley 28/10/10

EASY STAR ALL STARS & Cas Haley

Sub 89, Reading, 28/10/10

Let’s start this one with a riddle: - What’s the link between Paris TX, Cambridge, Oxford, Liverpool and New York? Well, had you been in Reading this Thursday night you would have felt the connection between these 5 cities.

First, Cas Haley opened for the main band. He is a newcomer on the scene and his acoustic set of 3 songs was a delight to our ears, a warm and clear yet slightly raspy voice which kept us wanting more and took us through familiar Texan territory:  Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown meets Patsy Cline. Then, in came the Easy Star All Stars rhythm section with added trombone and keyboards, producing a solid groove layered with strong melodies; a crossover of 70’s West Coast soft rock and reggae that was really quite intoxicating. It was far too short a set though.  Cas Haley is definitely a name to look out for in the future!

Back to the connections! The band the audience came to see:  The Easy Star All Stars from NYC.  First, a musical chaos out of which emerged some of their own material from the 2008 EP “Until That Day”, a rounded sound full of energy, driven by the drummer Cliff Simpson’s mighty pulse and Ras I Ray’s authoritative & definitive dub bass. The rest of the evening was dedicated to the Pink Floyd, Beatles and Radiohead covers which ESAS are famous for.  With strong vocals by Kirsty Rock, sparkling DJ toasting by Meny More and help from a young audience who knew all the lyrics, the evening reached various climaxes on Money, dubber than ever, When I’m 64 - ska stylee, a trip-hoppy Lucky, Cas’ vocals on his own song: Better Remix, and some mind-boggling musical acrobatics from the flute and trombone players. After all this, it dissolved back into cacophonous chaos with the audience roaring and begging for more, followed  by a breathtaking and elongated cover of Karma Police as an encore, with pyromanic solos by Elena Canley and Shelton Garner, Jr. Throughout the evening, spectacular dub effects were expertly controlled by the sound engineer.

Have you got all the connections now?  A thoroughly entertaining evening and the best version of Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band I’ve heard since the late 60’s!

                                                                                                                                                                                        JPR

 

Out Of This World 79 26/10/10

Hi, this one is going out early because from Tuesday my shows will be going out on the day they are broadcast, straight after 9pm (UK time) so you can be "au fait" with what is going on that week.... This week,  Madou Sidiki Diabaté, Ahmed Fofana & Alex Wilson, Issa Bagayogo, Cas Haley, Easy Star All-Stars, Ziggy Marley and a few surprises!!!  Enjoy!  Playlist in the pages.... Next week, there will be an interview and session with Cas Haley in the studio... I bet you can't wait... Out Tuesday late!

Out Of Africa 79 26/10/10

Hi, this one is going out early because from Tuesday my shows will be going out on the day they are broadcast, straight after 9pm (UK time) or on the Wednesday at the latest...so you can be "au fait" with what is going on that week.... This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Muntu Valdo.  He talks about the music he likes and how he makes his own... He is a gentleman!   Enjoy!  Playlist in the pages....

Out Of This World 78 19/10/10

This week's edition starts with a great track by Souad Massi & Francis Cabrel from the album coming out on the 8th November on Wrasse Records, plus other tracks by Bellowhead (well impressed by that one!), Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno (really getting into the album), Tifah (that amazing French reggae band talking frankly to their President Sarkozy) Easy Star All Stars and their dub versions, and a blast from the past with Ashkhabad! Enjoy! ;-)

Out Of Africa 78 19/10/10

This week's review of African new releases by Madou Sidiki Diabaté, Ahmed Fofana & Alex Wilson, AfroCubism, Danyel Waro plus some great tracks from 2010 by various artists including Dobet Gnahore and Donso.  Check out Alex Wilson's website for a free download and tickets for the forthcoming tour! www.malilatino.com/

GIG Review: Muntu Valdo at The Forge, Basingstoke October 17th, 2010

Muntu Valdo, The Forge, Basingstoke 17/10/10

A voice, guitar, harmonica, two microphones, a box of tricks to double track the sounds is all you need to sound like a whole band! Muntu Valdo, Cameroonian prodigy, barefoot and simply dressed in jeans and a multi-coloured African shirt bearing the words Tam-Tam, proved this with dexterity and aplomb in Basingstoke on Sunday night.  The Forge is a small space, and 40 lucky people of various ethnic backgrounds were privileged to witness and be part of a unique experience: “The One and the Many”

This is the title of Muntu’s forthcoming album and his own philosophy too: We are all connected whether we like it or not. A real sense of communion existed between performer and audience.  Starting in an acoustic mode with just a nylon string guitar, sending out warm Brazilian type chord flurries complemented by harmonica “a la Neil Young”, and his melodious voice, Muntu was getting ready to light up our evening and reach out!  By the second song, talking about witchcraft, he was building up layers of rhythm guitar loops, adding licks and melodic riffs, beating percussive beats on the body of his guitar, finishing with vocal harmonies; all this was driven by a bass line played on the very same guitar. Add a dash of wah-wah pedal and a xylophone effect on the solos and the full diversity of Cameroon music styles were being explored in an innovative and passionate way.  Muntu gave us the opportunity to sing along with him and encouraged us to clap to some of his very funky beat patterns. By then we were spellbound.

There was one very touching moment when he questioned the role of the media in making and breaking the news: Nobody talks about Darfur now, does it mean the crisis is over? Of course not, but the media have other problems to deal with in a time of recession!  He dedicated a layered acapella prayer to the people of Darfur and all suffering human beings, especially children. A beautiful moment, watched through watery eyes. 

Muntu Valdo is an oddity in world music, bringing the African psyche into the 21^st century, singing in his soft Douala native language, yet sending a strong clear message of love, happiness and unity to those who are willing to listen.  Go and see him when you get the chance!

Joel Roszykiewicz

Out Of This World 77 12/10/10

Take 4 of the best female voices of World Music: Hindi Zahra, Souad Massi, Clara Sanabras and Kaissa... Mix with some upcoming World class musicians like Fool's Gold, Syriana, and a seasoned band like 3 Mustaphas 3, shake with a couple of mavericks like Muntu Valdo, bringing African music into the 21st Century and Pierre Bensusan, sending a message of unity from Freedom Square and you have the perfect program for your long Autumn evenings!!!! Get in touch and comment!  I need some feedback... Please!

Out Of Africa 77 12/10/10

A nostalgic look back at the dawn of World music as well as some of the newest sounds to come out of Africa!!! Cuarteto Patria and Manu Dibango, Muntu Valdo, Asmara All Stars, AfroCubism, Pablo Lubadika and Orchestra Makassy! I hope you enjoy this playlist as much as you have enjoyed the other ones... Do get in touch with me through the website and comment so we can share our enjoyement even more!

Out Of This World 76 05/10/10

Special programme this week with Syriana including the latest review of their live performance in Islington, London,UK and the various bands Nick Page has been in....as well as some vintage World music by Federico Garcia-Lorca and its influence on Josephine Foster and Victor Herrero!

Out Of Africa 76 05/10/10

Well, a nice week gone by again and a new set of tunes for you from....   Keziah Jones , AfroCubism, Africando, Kaissa, Tiken Jah Fakoly and Roland Tchakounte amongst others... Enjoy ;-)