NEWSLETTER #126
Ethnic & World Music
Joe Bataan -> Various Artists
| HARRY CHOATES ERNESTO DJEDJE ALEMAYEHU ESHETE IRAKERE |
JESSIE LEGE & EDWARD POULLARD MACHITO & HIS AFRO-CUBANS EDDIE PALMIERI VARIOUS ARTISTS |
| HARRY CHOATES | Bear Family BCD 16355 | Devil In the Bayou | ● CD $41.98 | |
| Fantastic two CD set featuring all the
recordings made by this great and influential Cajun fiddler and singer for
Gold Star and Cajun Classics along with the sides he recorded in 1940 as a
meber of Happy Fats & His Rayne-Bo Ramblers. 57 tracks in all - everything
on Arhoolie 308 and a whole lot more plus an incredible 108 page book with
extensive notes by researcher Andrew, loads of rare photos and full
discographical details. This set even includes four previously unissued Gold
Star recordings from 1948. |
| ERNESTO DJEDJE | Popular African Music 305 | Le Roi Du Ziglibithy | ● CD $16.98 | |
| 12 tracks, 68 mins, highly recommended Wonderful album of
dance music from the Ivory Coast recorded in the late 70s by Ernesto Djedje
and his wonderful band which included chattering guitars and some glorious
horn playing. Djedje was the leading performer of "ziglibithy" music which
drew on a number of local and not so local influences and was based around
the local zaglobi dance. The songs are performed in the local bete language
and the music is melodic, sensuous and rhythm. Most of the tracks are
mid-tempo dance numbers but on the gorgeous Lola the tempo is slowed
right down for a beautiful love song that is much like an American soul
ballad. Djedje died in 1983 at the early age of 35 and his death was a great
loss to African music. (FS) |
| ALEMAYEHU ESHETE | Buda 82983 | Ethiopiques, Vol. 9 - Alemayehu Eshete, 1969-1974 | ● CD $15.98 | |
| 22 tracks, 70 minutes, essential The Ethiopiques series, put
out on France's Buda Musique label, surveys the golden age of Ethiopian pop
music from 1969 to 1979 during the last years of Emperor Haile Sellassie's
reign and the first few years of the military dictatorship that followed.
This music beautifully combines familiar soul, jazz, and R & B riffs and
shouts with exotic (to us) Ethiopian musical stylings. This volume compiles
twenty-two tracks by "the Ethiopian James Brown," singer/songwriter
Alemayehu Eshete, who was deeply influenced by hearing Nat "King" Cole
records and seeing the Elvis movie "Jailhouse Rock." Stranger than fiction
and more intriguing, too. (JV) |
| IRAKERE | Columbia 57719 | The Best Of Irakere | ● CD $9.98 | |
| 10 tracks, 75 minutes, essential Richly combining
traditional jazz stylings with traditional Afro-Cuban polyrhythms, Irakere
burst out of Cuba and onto the world musical scene with a new and exciting
sound in the late 1970's. Led by sax player Paquito D"Rivera, trumpeter
Arturo Sandoval, and keyboardist Jesus "Chucho" Valdes, all of who would go
on to individual stardom, they became the first Castro-era group to be
allowed to tour and record widely outside Cuba. This CD compiles some of
their best from their first decade, including the masterpiece Misa Negra.
(JV) |
| JESSIE LEGE & EDWARD POULLARD | Arhoolie 9031 | Live! At The Isleton Crawdad Festival | ● CD $9.98 | |
| 13 tracks, 52 mins, highly recommended I love this disc!
Wonderful collection of Louisiana French music featuring the superb Cajun
musician Jessie Lege who sings with that wonderful high yearning style and
plays dynamic accordion and outstanding Creole fiddler Edward Poullard
joined by a fine band with steel guitar, guitar, bass & drums. They perform
a wide ranging selection drawing on white and black Louisiana French
traditions including traditional songs and tunes plus songs from the
repertoire of Canray Fontenot, Belton Richard, Aldus Roger, Clifton Chenier
and others and a fine original by Jesse - Ma Femme Et Mes Enfants.
The playing and singing is strong and energetic throughout and the vibrant
atmosphere will transport you to a small sweaty club on the banks of a
bayou. Great stuff! (FS) |
| MACHITO & HIS AFRO-CUBANS | Proper BOX 48 | Ritmo Caliente | ● CD $25.98 | |
| Four CD set with 73 tracks from the 40s
by this great and influential Latin jazz pioneer. Includes 40 page booklet
with the Machito story and full discographical information. |
| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Blue Note 32000 | Calle 54 - Soundtrack | ● CD $17.98 | |
| 12 tracks, 79 minutes, highly recommended Music from the
2000 Miramax motion picture of the same name, "the first full-length film
dedicated to Latin jazz," this CD features a broad cross-section of
contemporary latin jazz players from all over Latin America, featuring
(among others) Argentina's Gato Barbieri to Brazil's Eliane Elias to Spain's
Chano Dominguez to Cuba's Bebo and Chucho Valdes all the way home to New
York city's own Tito Puente and Jerry Gonzalez. A dozen takes on the
"Spanish tinge." (JV) |
| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Shanachie 6057 | Music From The Yiddish Radio Project | ● CD $15.98 | |
| Wonderful collection of music from the Golden Age of Yiddish
Radio - the 1930s through the early 50s. This includes music taken from
actual radio show transcriptions along with commercial recordings. The music
encompasses klezmer music, popular Yiddish songs, "Yiddish Swing" and some
delightful commercials for such products as Adler Shoes, Manischewitz Matzo,
The Parkway Cafeteria and others along with station IDs. The performers
include Sam Medoff & The Yiddish Swing Orchestra, Dave Tarras, The Andrews
Sisters, Charles Cohan, Moishe Oysher, The Barry Sisters, and others.
Compiled and annotated by Henry Sapoznik this is some of the music from an
NPR radio series with the same name. |
| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Topic 921 | Before The Revolution | ● CD $15.98 | |
| Amazing collection of recordings made in the Caucasus and
Central Asia in 1909 by The Gramaphone Company of London providing a glimpse
into pre-Soviet culture in those regions. Included are Caucasian male
choirs, classical maqam singers, accordion music and more. |
| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Trikont 292 | Popolare Judische Kunstler - Berlin, Hamburg, Munich | ● CD $22.98 | |
| Fascinating two CD set of popular German cabaret and theatre
music as performed on record by Jewish performers. Most of the recordings
are from the period 1926 through 1933 with a few earlier ones including a
couple going back to 1903. Sound quality is excellent and there are two
illustrated booklets with extensive notes - all in German. |
| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Verve 517 956-2 | Compact Jazz - Best Of Latin Jazz | ● CD $11.98 | |
| 18 tracks, 60 minutes, essential A diverse hour of some of
the best latin jazz ever cut by masters of the genre like Machito, Cal
Tjader, Eddie Palmieri, Willie Bobo, and Chico O'Farrill (to mention only
several), originally recorded between 1949 and 1973 and released on Verve,
Mercury, and Polydor LPs. As good an introduction to Latin jazz as you can
find. (JV) |