Acid Jazz Happens

A well-known and much beloved editor for this fine blog once queried “Whither jazz?” Funny he should ask, cuz I don’t have a clue. Ask me about the past. Jazz goes where it wants to and where it’s accepted. Creatives will journey forth and the hope its followers will appear. But for every Snarky Puppy band there are hundreds of sound shifters without the recognition that could motivate them further. After all, the starving artist gig wears out its welcome and grates on the soul as quick as you can say “waitress job.” So jazz follows a unique trajectory, catering to a certain population that embraces improvisation above all, and doesn’t mind that a tune sounds different every time it’s played. Mostly grey hairs. And this population is a relatively small one. And getting smaller. Jazz appeals to a limited demographic these days due to all those young people milling about. Jazz is so yesterday, for Boomers. It’s a dense foreign language to youthful ears and whatever attracted their parents and grandparents no longer translates the sex appeal it once held.

So, whither jazz? At least for a period represented in this week’s playlist – mostly 21st century – it is getting hooked up to atypical non-jazz genres: electronica, funk, hip hop, and other musical dialects that bring together a younger audience. And it’s called “acid jazz.” If you can define it then you know what it is. Myself, I’m not sure. Though the music gathered here today, rendered in a jazzy manner, just might give a clue as to more contemporary directions.

Runlisto
Al compás del mundo
#175,
4-10-25 – acid jazz, etc

01 Greyboy Allstars - Ruffneck Jazz (USA)

02 Kamal and the Brothers - Brotherhood (USA)

03 Up, Bustle & Out - Poncho Cafe (England)

04 Kamasi Washington - Final Thought (USA)

05 Josh Roseman Unit - If I Fell (USA)

06 Papo Vazquez - The Reverend (USA-Puerto Rico)

07 Malachi Thompson and Africa Brass - The Chaser in Brazil (USA)

08 Radio Citizen - Night Part I (Germany)

09 NOMO - All the Stars (USA)

10 dZihan & Kamien - Homebase (Austria)

<-+=~Z~=+->

Comments

British blues of the 60s y 70s

This has to be one of my favorite programs. The British blues scene gave us a healthy dose of reverential and, admittedly, imitative music that awakened a youthful audience suffering from pop fatigue on both sides of the ocean. Of course, the blues, as interpreted by young white musicians who couldn’t have been much further from the Mississippi Delta or the South side of Chicago, can be considered as cultural appropriation. At the same time, those involved in the scene have reminisced that playing the blues was largely a visceral reaction to a compelling combination of rhythm, lyrics and energy that was distinct from the British music scene up to that point. I don’t believe anyone at the time felt guilty playing the songs of their Southern US heroes. Does it make a difference that a number of these groups went on to earn far more money than the originators ever dreamed of? Probably, though many of the greats – Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson and others – profi...

Nuyorican boogaloo cha-cha-cha

I’m labelling this week’s playlist as “Nuyorican” music, the lion’s share of the players from Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican ancestry. Two notable exceptions are Joe Bataan, a Filipino-African American, and Mongo Santamaria born in Cuba. What they all have in common, however, was centered around the music scene of New York City where African American and Latino musicians forged a common ground in creating “boogaloo” dance music, mixing elements of R&B, Soul, and Latin dance rhythms. The boogaloo genre was fairly short-lived, enjoying popularity during the 1960’s before giving way to salsa, in what was largely an East Coast and Caribbean impulse. “Watermelon Man” and ”El Watusi” were early and major boogaloo hits, but truly, most of the titles included in the program were popular recordings in their day, whether cha-cha-chas like Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va”, or GFyEN’s guajira. I’ve gathered them here for an hour’s worth of revelation for those too young to have heard thi...

Funk and Soul

Al compás del mundo - programa #169, 2-27-25, Funk and Soul 01 The Commodores - Brick House 02 Tower of Power - Drop It In The Slot 03 Parliament - Ride On 04 Sly & The Family Stone – Frisky 05 The Webb People – I’m Sending Vibrations 06 Ruby Delicious - Rock Steady 07 Mandrill - Git It All 08 The San Francisco TKOS – Herm 09 Ohio Players - Fire 10 Parliament - Mothership Connection (Star Child) 11 Kool & The Gang - Jungle Boogie 12 Chico and Buddy - A Thing Call the Jones 13 Little Ann – Possession 14 Lafayette Afro-Rock Band - Time Will Tell 15 Parliament - Ain't Nuthin' But a Jam Y'all What did James Brown mean when he said “we’re gonna have a funky good time”? This “funky” of which he spoke, was it strictly musical (and danceable), or maybe sexual, sociable, or even political? Or maybe a little bit of each? Funk, funky, funkify, funkadelic, funkalicious…all pointing at the pleasure principle…a new dialect for the “blue...

Search This Blog