Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere
It's a labor of love to spelunk the inky subterranean caverns of the Interwebs searching for the best free music, but your Miner does it with pleasure. The truth is, keeping all these amazing discoveries to himself would be a ton less fun. To provide this weekly survey he asks for nothing personal in return, just that you pony up from time to time a small token of appreciation to WFMU, which makes the Motherlode possible.
Think for a moment of all the $$$ you've saved by accessing the free music highlighted here. Using the pledge box below, please make a small donation to WFMU. Consider giving the cost of just a single CD (remember those?). It would really help a lot. Thanks.
John Mehegan, Jonas Gwanga, Hugh Masekela, Kippie Moeketsi, etc. ~ Jazz in Africa
(Blog: The Boogie Man Will Get Ya!)
Never Enough Kippie
"Jazz in Africa is basically similar to jazz in the rest of the world (same idioms, same devices, same repertoire). It just happens to be much better than jazz in the rest of the world, excepting America. The reasons for the superiority of African jazz lay in the presence of one mature giant, altoist Kippie Moeketsi, age 34, whom I would rate with Getz, Peterson...as concerns sheer melodic invention; two young disciples of Kippie's, trumpeter Hugh Masekela, age 22, and trombonist Jonas Gwangwa, age 23; and finally pianist Chris Joseph, age 21. Kippie, Hugh and Jonas are African and hail from Johannesburg; Chris is Indian and lives in Durban." (From sleeve notes, reproduced at the essential South African music resource Flat International)
Waipod Phetsuphan ~ Satellite-Era Girl/Poor Night Watchman
(Blog: Archive of Southeast Asian Music)
Out of This World
Two great tracks from Waipod Phetsuphan, who some have called the Thai James Brown (check out "Ding Ding Dong" on Soundway's Sound of Siam comp) and a third by him with vocalist Paprung Phuuthai. Oh and the cover is a beauty. (Big thanks to Sam from the Archive for the translation.)
Explosivos Bargs ~ Explosivos Bargs
(Blog: Garage Latino)
All Barg and no Bite
"Dark and forgotten band from Brazil that practiced a surf beat and dark melancholy. The band consisted of six items from extraction and over-break outside the country. Hence, the fate in store for them an uncertain end, fleeting in time. They recorded only this Ep. two and two instrumental songs sung. For me the instrumentals are better. Just my opinion. I do not want to impose my thinking or paradigms you preconceive in ferrous and stable friends. Far from me. Let me be clear: It is impossible to be objective when writing a post. So much so that the present and offer you a disc, I wonder if they hear free or submerged by the rhetoric wirtiana. I do not know what to say Brothers. Then the words become dull in my head, as if they gave a ride on carousel and then run over dizzy and did not know how to get out. And collide. And dissipate. Like any firm thought. Then I join in negligence laments. I hide my head in my hands. Luengas hours. And I reflect. And I reflect. To conclude as always: no matter if your speech influences, shapes or determines thought of another Wirtis no, never mind. All that matters, really matters, is to do whatever you want. That's why you seats nonsense, greed and arrogance. And so. Well here I leave to explosives Bargs. Another beauty recovered for you by a guy better than me." (Fairly butchered, but highly amusing, Google Translate version of a description by Wirtis)
The Foundations ~ From the Foundations
(Blog: Hippy-Djkit)
Soundations
"This multilingual combination was put together early 1967 in London, with members coming from Barbados, England, Ceylon and Dominica. With their boiling mixture of Caribbean sound, pop, rhythm & blues and sweaty soul this motley crew was swimming against the stream in the up and rising "summer of love" with psychedelia and flower power ditties." (Source uncertain, but possibly from the liners to a '91 Repertoire reissue of the original Pye release)
The Super Trio ~ Together Alone
(Blog: Mohaoffbeat)
Budapest Brings It
"All three members of Super Trio are popular and well-known Hungarian jazz musicians, who have also had a major role in discovering, and teaching new talents. Most of the compositions in their repertoire have been written and arranged by György Vukán. Vukán is one of the most prolific Hungarian jazz composers; his talent for arranging musical pieces is much appreciated in Hungary and has won international acclaim. He first tried a hand at composing film soundtracks in the 1970s and up to now has written music for 46 feature films — including two musicals. For his achievements he was awarded the Balázs Béla Prize in 1978. Balázs Berkes and Vukán have been playing together for 16 years. Berkes has played with many other groups throughout his career, has toured Europe and won several festival awards. Imre Kószegi (percussion) became well-known with his own group which had an international line-up." (From the sleeve notes)
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I would have liked to get the Hungarian Jazz album but they have a new zip file and the website you go to download the application is full of spyware or worse.
Posted by: Michael Yahwak | October 13, 2012 at 09:44 AM
Michael, I had no problem opening the zip files using Stuffit Expander. Not sure where you encountered the spyware.
Posted by: Doug Schulkind | October 13, 2012 at 09:59 AM
The reasons for the superiority of African jazz lay in the presence.
Posted by: Avelina Coombs | October 15, 2012 at 06:56 AM
I think the idea of "the superiority of African jazz" is a matter of taste, and not set in stone. How does one define "superior"-- 78rpm collectors who despise everything from the swing era on would have a very different idea of "superior" compared to bebop or free jazz fans. Are Django Reinhardt or Tubby Hayes somehow not "good" jazz musicians?
Posted by: jimson | October 15, 2012 at 11:49 AM