A lot of press covering Nigerian music rightfully goes to Fela Kuti, yet he’s not the only innovative figure to gain international fame. His percussionist, Tony Allen, has spent a good part of five decades making music which was influenced by funk and jazz as well as Highlife. The Afrobeat sound he was instrumental in creating continues to inspire musicians like Brian Eno and Blur’s Damon Albarn.
Jazz
[Music] Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells (Live at Montreux 1981)
Tubular Bells, performed by Mike Oldfield and his band, is a masterpiece of progressive rock. Here is it in a live context.
[Music] McCoy Tyner – Passion Dance
McCoy Tyner here, featuring Elvin Jones on drums, Ron Carter on bass and Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone.
The song is from The Real McCoy on Blue Note Records.
[Music] Duško Gojković & Sarajevo Big Band – Mujo Kuje (Doboy)
Duško Gojković made his name in the former Yugoslavia. He collaborates here with the Sarajevo Big Band out of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
[Music] Carla Bley & Charlie Haden – The Ballad of The Fallen
Pianist Carla Bley continues to make gorgeous music. We lost Charlie Haden not too long ago. The album, bearing the same name, was named the Best Album in Down Beat Magazine’s Critic’s Poll.
[Music] İlhan Erşahin – Aşk
A wonderful fusion of world music and jazz from a young Turkish-Swedish composer, İlhan Erşahin.
[Music] Anouar Brahem – The Lover Of Beirut
A gorgeous fusion of North African folk, jazz and traditional music by Tunisian oudist Anouar Brahem, recoding here for ECM Records.
[Music] ECM on Vinyl
ECM Records announced that a number of incredible titles will be available for purchase on vinyl. The heavens rejoice!
[Music] Elina Duni Quartet – Ka nje mot e gjysem viti
Perhaps Albania’s most beautiful export, Swiss-based jazz singer Elina Duni captivates with this tune.
[Music] Journey – Topaz (1975)
I loathe Steve Perry. No, not as a person. I’m sure he’s swell and a blast to hang out with. I mean what he did to Journey. Former members of Santana, guitarist Neal Schon and vocalist Gregg Rolie, started the band out as a really good jazz-fusion band, touched a bit with hard rock. Perry’s vocals killed the band, at least for me, though millions of screaming teeny-boppers will, no doubt, tell me otherwise.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 