Mining the Audio Motherlode, Volume 154

Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere

With the blogger Arkadin's decision, last week, to shut down his online music sharing efforts, deep music appreciators are losing three fantastic blogs: one that was dedicated to the Italian record company Palcoscenico; another that astounded collectors by aggregating download links for every last OOP album from Flying Dutchman; and the crown jewel, Arkadin's Ark, an exquisitely curated sound salon that began almost exactly three years ago.

Arkadin announced the sad news in his most recent post, accompanying a beloved recording from the recently departed French pianist Jef Gilson. Arkadin says his sites and links will go dark at end of the month, so get cracking—and don't forget to leave some farewells and thank-yous in the comments.

Today's Motherlode presents five memorable offerings from Arkadin's Ark. Thanks for everything, Arkadin!

Jef Gilson  ~  "Europamerica"
(Blog: Arkadin's Ark)

You Will Be Missed
"It's just a (regrettable) coincidence, but my very first post exactly three years ago was an album by David Young, a rather unknown sax player who had worked with George Russell and died some days before my post. Just like Jef Gilson, the French pianist, arranger, bandleader, composer, producer, label founder and talent booster—a key figure of modern jazz in France—who sadly died on February 5. May he rest in peace! Europamerica is quite a wild thing, maybe a bit too wild for some of my regular readers as it ranges from still structured progressive jazz to free jazz expressiveness. But those of you getting through the first four tracks will be rewarded with a relatively accessible and great rendition of Gillespie's "Con Alma." Give it a try. Making this my last post feels like having completed a circle, so thanks a lot for your attention! Hope you liked some of the stuff I posted..."  (The final words from the great Arkadin) 

Marvin Whoremonger  ~  Mark III
(Blog: Arkadin's Ark)

Sweet Baadassss Songs
"Up for bids is an original copy of the notorious Marvin Whoremonger LP. This is one of only a very small handful of known copies and only the second copy to be offered publicly. These are 15 to 17 year old Vegas high school kids doing X-rated electro funk with insane basement production from Cholly Williams and half the album was recorded live in one take! I'll rob a Dante Carfagna quote here: 'Whoremonger has everything Uncle Funkenstein lacks: Personality, vision, uniqueness, drugs, hookers, you name it. There are few records out there that sound like the Whoremonger, whereas Uncle Funkenstein resembles any number of mid-70s smooth jazz LPs..." and note that this made his Top 10 list in Yusuke's new Rare Groove guide. Madman Nate Bizzo adds that Whoremonger is "the benchmark for local funk LPs" and 'rarer than Hannah Montana's virginity.'" (From a review on Popsike, reprinted at Arkadin's Ark)

 

Aleke Kanou  ~  "Aleke"
(Blog:  Arkadin's Ark)

W. Marsalis Appears on One Track...and It Doesn't Suck!
Not much is known about this Nigerian percussionist. He lived in the States for a while and performed on a number of jazz recordings, most notably Stanley Cowell's Strata-East album Regeneration from 1976. A comment from "Jay" left on the Soul Safari blog adds this: "Aleke left NY in the 80s. He now lives in Port Harcort, Nigeria and still plays occasionally in local clubs. He is in his late 60s. I met him last in 2002, where he played me some congas."

 

Dorothy Ashby  ~  "Dorothy Ashby"
(Blog:  Arkadin's Ark)

She's Got Pluck
"What made Ashby special is that she started out as a jazz pianist in Detroit. Her attack on the harp was different than most of her peers. Her style was more direct and commanding than the “blend in" harpists from the classical side. And as Ashby's many albums show, her technique and phrasing were first rate—strong improvisational ideas combined with a touching curiosity rather than just timidly adding a wash of angelic mist." (From a profile by Marc Myers, posted at All About Jazz)

 

Julian Bahula's Jazz Afrika  ~  "Son of the Soil"
(Blog: Arkadin's Ark)

Man From Malombo
"Julian Bahula, famous throughout the '60s and early '70s in South Africa because of Malombo music, came to Britain, to exile from his home, in 1973, to begin all over again. He came to Europe with the band Jo'burg Hawk at a time when the politics of Apartheid were impacting both life and music making. The move to London heralded the start of a new era for Bahula, who immediately started working with musicians around town and forming his very first band as a leader, "Jabula." Those musicians included Terri Quaye, Australian drummer Graham Morgan, Britons Ken Ely, Bob Howes, Dave Defries, bringing in fellow South Africans Lucky Ranku, Pinise Saul, Ernest Mothle, Afro-Caribbean's Mike Rose and Steve Scipio. Julian also worked in collaboration with the late Dudu Pukwana and his band "Spear," performing as "Jabula Spear." Throughout the remainder of the '70s, Jabula toured extensively in Europe, working with the African National Congress, S.A.C.T.U, together with the Anti-Apartheid Movements, raising awareness about the Struggle. Julian went to Chicago for Black History Month, performing on the University circuit; to Nigeria for the cultural festival Festac, to Cuba for the Youth Festival, to France Fete L'Humanite, and to Portugal's communist Party Festival, to Helsinki for the Peace Festival and many other major political events in Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and all other European countries. "Jabula" often provided the musical voice at festivals and rallies alongside the powerful voice of the struggle, the late President Oliver Tambo."  (From a biography posted at Jabulamusic.com)
 

 

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Comments

[The Fuddler]

A lot of these links have gone dark.

Guess the Ebayers who are charging three figures for these old records are rejoicing.

God damn the RIAA and their allies. Almost makes me want to get everything from the Pirate Bay from now on, just on principle. (Cool your jets and call off your legal vampires, RIAA. I did say "almost").

[Doug Schulkind]

@Fuddler
All Multiupload links across the Web have been wiped, including Arkadin's. In his last post, he offers to re-up some files on request. If there's anything at the Ark you desire, I recommend contacting Arkadin through his blog and asking nicely nicely.

[The Fuddler]

Thanks, Doug. I'll send Arkadin a message.

What I liked best about the music bloggers (the ones upping out-of-print music) was their spirit of sharing. There are plenty of world class music *hoarders* out there, people who buy up valuable recordings simply to put 'em into their closets and know that *they* have them and everyone else doesn't. The music bloggers on the other hand, took their stash and made it available for public consumption when the record companies wouldn't. Or couldn't, in the case of companies which are no longer in business.

Something will take the place of the music blogs, I'm certain of that. But I fear that never again will the sharing of hopelessly-out-of-print commercial recordings be as open and free as it has been.

And for whatever it may be worth, I think it was in no small part the blogs which featured easily-available, current commercial recordings that ruined it for the rest of us. They were the low-hanging fruit which the RIAA et. al. simply could not resist snapping at. I point the finger at them and say, "you were the main ones who made these bad things happen".

[joeface]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txQUVbO0oQ0&feature=related

[Leonida cuordiformaggio]

Anyone can re-up mark III Marvin Whoremonger lp?