Jazz At The Cross(over)roads:Joe Farrell

This one goes out to the Record Feind

Blame it on The Beatles, blame it on the elevation of jazz to college musiccurricula, or blame it on free jazz (with the civil rights battle resulting in law, the search for freedom moved inward), but no matter how you look at it, jazz went through some changes around 1965.  Some called it a death (not for the first time or the last), but the facts were, that musicians had to make choices.

One could go the academic route, the hardcore free jazz route, the fusion/electric route, or the soul jazz route (or maybe a combination of all four). Cities that had strong jazz scenes started to see them die out, music funding began dropping out of school budgets, and a decline in the overall commercial and cultural footprint of jazz began to shrink.  Of course though, folks did not stop playing jazz.

Saxman Joe Farrell moved to New York in '59 and played with Maynard Ferguson, Slide Hampton, Thad Jones, Elvin Jones and Charles Mingus, earning a good rep as a versatile reed man. During the 60's he played in both jazz and rock sessions, a few produced by Creed Taylor, for whom Joe recorded his first date as a leader, Follow Your Heart (1970).

Early on CTI (the label Creed Taylor started in 1967) records were on the cutting edge of post hard bop. Not free jazz, but not compromising at all. They sold decently too, featuring top players like Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, and Elvin Jones. By the time Farrell cut his debut (he was also playing in Return to Forever at the time), elements of funk,fusion, and rock (commercial forces that Creed Taylor could not let pass) were gradually becoming the sound of choice for jazz musicians (interested in cutting records).

Straight Jazz" aficionados and critics might've bristled at the electric guitars and pianos, but these records were putting food on the table and leaving behind a legacy that wouldn't really be recognized until the hip hop era, as progressive samplers found funky beats galore on these records.  Joe Farrell had the chops to play anything and this is where he was at in the 70's. 

Moon Germs (1972)

Bass - Stanley Clarke
Drums - Jack DeJohnette
Piano - Herbie Hancock
Soprano Saxophone, Flute - Joe Farrell 

 

Inoculate for Moon Germs here... 

There's a bit of a glitch on Time's Lie..sorry

Sage Francis sampling the cut Moon Germs

 Upon This Rock (1974)

Bass - Herb Bushler
Drums - Jim Madison
Guitar - Joe Beck
Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano], Flute - Joe Farrell

 

 

Where many DJ's have gone before...

 

 Black Sheep Sampling the cut Upon this Rock

Baaad Jazz 2-Rufus Harley

 Originally posted on MOG 4.26.2007
I know a guy who plays bagpipes in one of those bagpipe clubs that is always appearing at funerals and parades and such. I thought I'd impress him by dropping Rufus Harley's name and mentioning that he was one of the few jazz bagpipe cats out there. My guy said, yeah, he knew about Rufus, but wasn't that impressed with his piping.No music conversion points for me, boo hoo, but then I said (begin embellishment here),"oh yeah, well you've probably only heard the records he made in the 60's for Joel Dorn at Atlantic (Reissued in their complete form-Courage:The Atlantic Recordings by Rhino Handmade). Have you heard his later self-released stuff."  My piper said, "no." Aha vindication! So folks, this is the good Rufus, from '72's Re Creation of the Gods.  Never (for me) have drums, b-3, and bagpipes come together like this, and lord knows, this is plenty. Jazz dancers resurrected Malika (track 7) in the late 80's and I've been grooving ever since.

Since, I made this post I found out two things. The first is that Rufus Harley passed away in 2006 (Times Obit) and the second is that Re Creation of the Gods has been reissued. RIP, Mr. Harley.

Rufus Harley-Re Creation Of the Gods (Complete LP)

Tracks from Courage
Feelin' Good

Scotch & Soul

A Discog and a nice essay about Rufus at Hip Wax

Baaad Jazz 1-Funk Inc

 originally posted 3.30.07
Don't get me wrong I've got a good share of "real jazz" records in my collection. Blue Note, Impulse,Prestige, Verve, and Bluebird are all amongst my favorite labels of all time. For many those labels produced the records that are the standards by which jazz is judged. Buyers and critics alike (not everyone)pretty much dismiss records that came out after 1965. I know what I like in classic jazz, but I find a hard time reviewing it because I feel unqualified. I just don't know enough about music theory to comment. As jazz has continued to grow and folks have continued to push the boundaries, it has for the most part left me in the dust. I can catch glimpses of brilliance, but most of todays Jazz soars over my head.
Songs From Funk Inc (1971)

After cutting edge jazz pushed beyond mass appeal in the 60's, and rock took over the world, musicians pretty much had to try to fit in or find new lines of work. Local jazz scenes that once thrived (Newark,Detroit,Indianapolis) were on the way out. Some players made moves to rock (Miles,McLaughlin)and ended up crossing over pretty well, over time gaining a little respect from the critics. Other players went more into a soul/blues/funk bag and were generaly reviled by the jazz press.
Tunes from Chicken Lickin' (1972)

The soul jazz crowd may have been the precursor of today's mostly treacley smooth jazz, but when these guys were laying it down in the 70's it was not smooth, and as hip-hop heads and jam band aficionados have noted, there was a lot of sweat soaked, fun-filled, musically challenging, and downright funky music being created in what must have seemed like the death throes of Jazz at the time.

Tunes From Hangin Out (1973)

Funk Inc.
Congas -Cecil Hunt
Drums - Jimmy Munford
Guitar - Steve Weakley
Organ - Bobby Watley
Saxophone [Tenor] - Eugene Barr

 

One group that exemplified that era for me is Funk Inc. Working with Organ,tenor,guitar,drums, and congas (killer congas I might add) in Blues based textures on 4 records from 71 to 74, Funk Inc. first fell into my lap during the acid jazz days of the 90's. There are a few very mellow, very 70's; vocal cuts, but the rest of these first 4 LP's are raw,dirty Jazz Funk, with strong blues guitar, swinging B-3, and banging funky drums.

If you are into Medeski,Martin, and Wood, you should check 'em out. If you are into hip hop, the drums from,"Kool Is Back" have been sampled into countless rap tracks from folks like DJ Shadow, Geto Boys,and Jeru tha Damaja. So despite their humble beginnings in Indianapolis,IN. Funk Inc. are still influencing and inspiring folks today.You won't find a whole lot about Funk Inc. in any jazz tomes and I didn't see anything on wikipedia either, but folks who study grooves know they are not to be missed.

Tunes From Superfunk (1973)

12.20.10 notes- Since I made this post both All Music Guide and wikipedia  (copied from All Music Guide) have entries for Funk Inc. I've also discovered there was a pretty sizable jazz scene in Indianapolis, but  more on that later. Funk Inc. recorded one other LP in the 70's:Priced to Sell, that isn't quite up to the standards of the initial 4 records and a comeback record in 1995 brought on by their support from the (also reviled...but to me crucial) Acid Jazz community. They are still gigging in one form or another.

Classic Rock Sex Change

Outside of a few luminaries (Joni,Janis,Grace)Classic Rock was dominated by male artists. So here's a Classic Rock Mix, that attempts to right that wrong. To some this mix falls under the category: If you can't beat 'em Join 'em. To me it sounds more like ladies first.

Millie Jackson vs.70's Rod Stewart or Toto-I'll take Millie, both times. Nina Simone Vs.Eric Burdon, that's a no brainer. Ella vs. Clapton,well..you be the judge.


1.Get Ready-Ella Fitzgerald

2. Light My fire-Tami Lynn

3.Sunshine of Your Love-Spanky Wilson

4.Hold the Line-Millie Jackson

5. Won't Get fooled Again-Labelle

6. Tales of the Brave Ulysses-Rotary Connection

7. Eleanor rigby-Trudy Pitts

8. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood-Nina Simone

9. For What It's Worth- Cher

10. Mighty Quinn-Julie London

11. Feelin' Alright- Lulu

12. A Whiter Shade of Pale- Trudy Pitts

13. Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?-Millie Jackson

14. Wild Horses-Labelle

15.Salt Of The Earth-Rotary Connection

16. House of the Rising Sun-Nina Simone

17. Louie,Louie-Julie London

18. Hey Jude-Ella Fitzgerald

Herbie Hancock redux

Responding to, long since inactive MOGGER, ksiglutz in this post from DEC 6,2006, I attempted to EMCD him based on his post about Herbie Hancock's Headhunter's Album..
Original Post (My first on MOG)..
ksiglutz,If you liked Headhunters, Check out Sextant (1972), too, for more afro-funk rhythms w/Herbie. More importantly seek out the same musicians minus Herbie on The Headhunters-Survival of the Fittest (1975). This space-funk-fusion slammer features the awesome breakbeat-vocal freakout,
God Make Me Funky.




Survival Of The Fittest Credits
Bass Drum, Bell, Percussion - Baba Duru
Djembe - Zak Diouf
Djembe, Log Drum, Cow Bells, Sleigh Bells, Guiro, Maracas, Quica, Belafon, Tamborim, Bongos, Caxixi, Shekere, Gankoqui & Agogo, Berimbou, Pandeira, Hindewhu, Conga Drums, Cabasa, Marimbula, Balinese Gongs, Vocals - Bill Summers
Drums, Vocals - Mike Clark (2)
Electric Bass - Paul Jackson (2)
Electric Guitar, Vocals - Dewayne McKnight
Percussion - Harvey Mason
Producer - David Rubinson , Herbie Hancock
Saxello, Bass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone, Accoustic Piano, Vocals - Bennie Maupin

Bonus material:
The funkiest track on Herbie's Sextant record is probably Hornets, but that bad boy is a 19 minute long electro-funk freakout, so I'll go with the relatively pithy, but no less freaky, Rain Dance. Folks didn't mind stretching it out in the 70's..






Sextant credits:
Bass [Fender Electric Bass With Wah-wah And Fuzz],
Double Bass - Mchezaji (Buster Williams)*
Congas, Bongos - Buck Clarke
Drums - Jabali (Billy Hart)*
Effects [Random Resonator] - Fundi (2) (tracks: A1)
Engineer [Re-mix] - David Rubinson
Mixed By [Special Monitor Mix] - Fundi (2)
Mixed By [Synthesizer, Mellotron] - John Vieira
Piano [Steinway], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Clavinet [Hohner D-6 With Fender Fuzz-wah And Echoples Dakha-di-bello], Mellotron, Handclaps - Mwandishi (Herbie Hancock)*
Producer - David Rubinson And Friends Inc.*
Recorded By - Fred Catero , Jerry Zatkin , John Vieira
Saxophone [Soprano], Clarinet [Bass], Piccolo Flute, Cabasa [Afuche], Kazoo [Hum-a-zoo] - Mwile (Benny Maupin)*
Synthesizer [Arp 2600, Arp Soloist] - Dr. Patrick Gleeson* (tracks: A1)
Trombone [Bass, Tenor, Alto], Cowbell - Pepo (Julian Priester)*
Trumpet, Flugelhorn - Mganga (Dr. Eddie Henderson)*
Written-By - Herbie Hancock
My premise for the post was a little off ...it seemed like I was saying the Sextant band was The Head Hunters, which it was not..oh well now that's all patched up. There's also a difference in the release year I listed originally ('72 instead of '73)...I was young and green back in '06. I will continue redoing these old school fixer-uppers cuz I can't bear the silent archive. Only a couple hundred to go. Also of note in the old post was how deadmandeadman busted my chops..that hasn't changed too much over the MOG years.