MUSIC | Records – Jazz & World JAZZ & WORLD
JAZZ ALICE COLTRANE The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda (Luaka Bop) ●●●●●
Ten years after her death, the world is starting to catch up with Alice Coltrane. In the late 1970s, Coltrane withdrew from the music world to become a spiritual leader, taking on the name Turiyasangitananda (‘the transcendental lord’s highest song of bliss’). But she continued to make music, releasing four private press cassettes of Hindu devotional music between 1982 and 1995. With this compilation, that music is finally enjoying a wider release. The cuts gathered here reflect Coltrane’s inclusive vision of spirituality, as she infuses traditional Hindu bhajans (hymns) with the gospel music of her Detroit childhood. This is extraordinary stuff, with vocalists chanting over organ drones and huge waves of synth that recall the mind-bending string arrangements of 1972’s World Galaxy. Coltrane’s husky alto voice is gorgeous: when she accompanies herself on harp on the sublime ‘Er Ra’ there won’t be a dry eye in the house.
JAZZ LOL COXHILL & RAYMOND MACDONALD Morphometry (Glo-Spot) ●●●●●
Asked in 2014 what he would like for his birthday, the producer and broadcaster John Cavanagh suggested that a crowd-funder be set up to release an album he had recorded by the saxophonists Lol Coxhill and Raymond MacDonald in July 2008. Now that present is here, resplendent on custard-coloured vinyl, with a delightful front cover woodcut by Ian Barrett. Coxhill, who died in 2012, was a regular visitor to Scotland, and struck up a warm relationship in his later years with Cavanagh, MacDonald and Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra. That quality comes through in these duets, recorded over an evening with a single malt to hand. Coxhill is on typically inquisitive and generous form, offering finely spun threads of soprano sax for MacDonald to elaborate on with his alto. Together they conjure a gently surreal world of chirruping blackbirds, Bashovian frogs, and skylarks improvising freely on Rodgers & Hart.
WORLD DONA ONETE Banzeiro (Mais Em Discos) ●●●●●
Brazilian singer-songwriter Dona Onete recorded her debut album, Feitiço Caboclo, at 73. Five years on, she returns with Banzeiro. Before she came to music, Onete was a teacher, folklorist and regional cultural secretary, and her love of Amazonian culture is reflected in Banzeiro’s blend of rhythms from native Brazilians, African slaves and the Caribbean. The title track is a rowdy Amazonian take on ska, its percussive groove laced with greasy saxophones and guitars. Onete’s wonderfully raspy voice is softened by lisping Portuguese consonants, and she gives it her all over the galloping rhythms and rousing backing vocals of her band. The lusty salsa of ‘Quando Eu Te Conheci’ (‘When I Met You’) celebrates a lover’s ‘crazy way of making love’, while the closing ‘Sonhos De Adolescente’ is a wistful and romantic piano ballad, its luscious strings, glistening guitars and bossa rhythms haunted by a ghostly radio signal.
WORLD VARIOUS Pop Makossa: The Invasive Dance Beat of Cameroon 1976–1984 (Analog Africa) ●●●●●
Pop Makossa transports the listener to the clubs of 1970s and 80s Cameroon, where the makossa style collided with urban dance rhythms. Dream Star’s ‘Pop Makossa Invasion’ is a striking introduction, as spacey chords and reverb-drenched hand-drums bring an air of mystery to the funk. ‘Yaoundé Girls’ by four-track production wizard Mystic Djinm takes the sound into the 80s, with cosmic synths and rubbery bass riding the most infectious of high-tempo grooves. Equally striking is Pasteur Lappé’s ‘Sanaga Calypso’ from 1981, with its glittering array of synths, processed guitar grit and Caribbean lilt. The same artist’s ‘Sekele Movement’ is a cheeky disco stepper, with clavinets and elastic bass reminiscent of Arthur Russell’s Loose Joints. It’s not hard to see why Bill Loko’s ‘Nen Labmo’ was such a huge hit in 1980: hearing that glorious melody over bright guitars, stardust synths and the syncopated makossa bounce brings instant joy. (All reviews by Stewart Smith) 92 THE LIST 1 Jun–31 Aug 2017
EXPOSURE
STATIC UNION
It’s no news when teenagers are making music – most kids, particularly given Scotland’s musical heritage, pick up a guitar at some point. Not all of them, however, are producing music feted so thoroughly as Static Union are. ‘I wish I was making music like that when I was 18,’ laments Vic Galloway about the band. The Glasgow-based four-piece are creating noises to make people sit up and listen. Their latest single, ‘Finally’, was released in May and the group are set to play Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s in June. Influenced by the National, Arcade Fire, Joy Division and the Smiths, they’re fans of the occasional anthemic banger and write songs made to be played live and loud. We caught up with lead guitarist James Harker to have a blether about their musical peers, the creative process, and how they’d really describe their sound
On their sound The next best thing since the Village People.
On the creative process Sean [McGarvey]’s been a singer-songwriter for years, so the band started with the four of us and a book full of tunes that he’d written. He still writes all the songs now, but creatively there’s a lot more give and take with the rest of us. I think as we grow as a band the creative stamp that everyone’s individual musicianship and style has on our songs is becoming more and more evident.
On their Scottish music peers Shout-out to Glasgow’s Crow’s Feet – they’re the loveliest and Fauves are the grooviest. On the Scottish music scene I think (like mostly everywhere) there’s a lot of great music being made in Scotland at the moment. As someone who’s really passionate about music, it’s frustrating to see a band I love not get the recognition I think they deserve, but on the other hand, it’s great when you do see some young Scottish bands getting high-profile gigs and climbing up the ladder.
On what to expect from them next Our latest single ‘Finally’ is out now on iTunes, Spotify etc, plus the video for the single is on our YouTube: youtube.com/staticunion. We’ve got a few tunes in the pipeline for release, as well as a headline slot at King Tut’s in Glasgow and Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh and a slot on the XpoNorth showcase in Inverness. We’re using the summer to experiment with new sounds and to keep on writing. (As told to Kirstyn Smith)
■ Static Union play Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, Sat 17 Jun.