Freedom Art Records

Wis on Monk $20.00

admin — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 05:40:21 +0000

Warren Smith explores the music of Theolonious Monk through solo arrangements on percussion. He also includes live footage of his concerts from his Jazz Loft in NYC.

Warren Smith - Wis on Monk

Warren Smith
WIS on Monk (Warren Smith Solo Percussion)
Freedom Art
2007

To say Warren Smith has broad experience as a percussionist would be quite the understatement. His ability to play ALL percussion instruments in any musical style—jazz, Motown, Broadway, classical, rock and pop— makes the Chicago-born Smith one of music’s most valuable players. A list of the artists he’s worked with would be endless. WIS on Monk is therefore an important and welcome document, providing a glimpse into Smith’s personality as well as his virtuosity, particularly on marimba, vibraphone and timpani.

The DVD starts with a solo marimba version of “Monk’s Mood.” The rich wood tones of the marimba’s keys are well recorded (by Ed Montgomery) and visually it’s fascinating to see what this uncommon instrument looks like and how it is played. Yet, the aesthetically compelling elements of this DVD are not limited to the exotic instruments; on “Epistrophy” Smith is wearing a colorful, bird-like facemask! Indeed, “Light Blue” (on vibraphone) and “Epistrophy” (on marimba and timpani) also feature striking visual effects.

Monk’s melodies are so strong that you recognize them even when they are played on woodblocks or tom- toms, and as much as this is a unique take on the pianist’s melodies, harmonies and rhythms, it’s also a revelation of Smith’s sense of dignity, humor and theater. Though the DVD is not divided into parts per se, there are two different time periods represented: the Monk music recorded in 2005 (at Context in Brooklyn) and Smith’s original compositions from 1986-87 (at Studio WIS). The second half of the DVD is also very welcome, both as a document of a unique musician and because it was recorded at Studio WIS, which has long been an important musical laboratory for creative musicians in NYC.

Tracks: Monk’s Mood; Brilliant Corners; Ruby My Dear; Epistrophy; Light Blue; Well You Needn’t; Round Midnight; Warren Doin’ It; A Walk With Myself; A Talk With Myself; Kaelin’s First Steps; WIS Whistles the Blues; Conversations with Papa Jo; Blues for the People; High John The Conqueror Root; The Witch Doctor.

Personnel: Warren Smith: marimba, vibraphone, timpani, glockenspiel, drum set, gongs and many other percussion instruments.

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Race Cards – $10.00

admin — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 06:04:55 +0000

Featuring: Warren Smith – drums and vocals, Andrew Lamb – tenor Sax, Mark Taylor – french horn, Tom Abbs – accoustic bass and tuba. $10 for CD, $7.00 for Digital Download.

Warren Smith - Race Cards

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Indianas Wedding Song – Race Cards (Warren Smith)

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Love in the Open

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Love in the Open – Race Cards (Warren Smith)

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Linke und Rechte – Race Cards (Warren Smith)

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Race Cards

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Race Cards – Race Cards (Warren Smith)

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Tellievision

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Tellievision – Race Cards (Warren Smith)

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Sippin an Smoking wif Milton – Race Cards (Warren Smith)

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On Race Cards, Warren Smith tells us how he sees the world right now. If the title sounds bombastic, relax: the bombs Smith tosses detonate with pleasing mellisonance. Mr. Smith’s recitative indictment of the powerful and their tactics is good-humored yet devastating. The Dixie Chicks said far less than this and were blacklisted. Mr. Smith has less to lose than they, and more to say.

The politics of Race Cards may be what you’d expect from this 70 year old survivor of Chicago’s South Side, but without bitterness, and suffused with cool intelligence and wry humor. “I was in the neighborhood where Emmett Till got lynched,” Smith claims, adding “Oh, I’m not angry. I’m too old to be angry.” Indeed, even as he scolds, Smith and company seem to have a fine time. There’s a strong connection to the African-American musical continuum of sub-cultural dissent with a healthy dose of levity. This is central to this music’s genius: from a position of near hopelessness, where anger or despair might triumph, acceptance and celebration transcends all, resulting in heartbreakingly beautiful art.

Mr. Smith’s connection to creative music, and his role in mainstream jazz and soul music’s history, are well documented, but he’s also absorbed the musical ideas of Harry Partch, John Cage, and other moderns. “It’s all in there,” he asserts, and Race Cards is the proof.

The disc opens with two spoken word pieces, the title track and the highly enjoyable “Tellievision,” which is a fine example of how poetry, uttered by the right human, can swing. Having aired his views on current events ( Race Cards fearlessly dates itself), Mr. Smith and his excellent sidemen speak through their instruments, handling Smith’s solidly crafted compositions with relaxed mastery. Andrew Lamb’s tenor tone is warm and lovely, recalling the best years of Dewey Redman. Mark Taylor, on French horn, is tautly controlled, catching fire as needed. Tom Abbs is soulful and strong on double bass, sounding as if he’d played this music for years.

Smith’s drumming is near perfection, never abusing leader status, yet reaching heights of expressiveness. His use of cymbals should be carefully studied by younger drummers. Smith can do a lot without resorting to the big boom of bass drum and floor tom. When he uses those, he has a master’s ability to finely calibrate them, heightening the effect. Mr. Smith invites you into his sound, and it is a pleasant visit.

Spirits Awake – $10.00

admin — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 06:04:31 +0000

Featuring: Omar Kabir – trumpet, Abraham Burton – saxophone, Jaribu Shahid- bass Lloyd Haber – percussion $10 for CD, $7.00 Digital Download.

Spirits Awake - Freedom Art Quartet

Track Listing:
In the thick of it
Kimbunga
Love of Illusion
Spirits of New York
Monking Around
Sweet Tooth
Time Share

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Sweet Tooth – from Spirits Awake CD

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Monking Around – from Spirits Awake CD

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Love Of Illusion

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Love of Illusion – from Spirits Awake CD

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Kimbunga – from Spirits Awake CD

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In The Thick Of It

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In the thick of it – from Spirits Awake CD

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Freedom Art Quartet
Spirits Awake
Freedom Art Records 52962
(Down Beat 01/04)

This debut disc from New York’s Freedom Art Quartet swings from Monkish games to Ornette Coleman and Horace Silver with admirable proficiency. Drummer Lloyd Haber’s seven, neatly drawn songs are played in a sensible string, letting the tightly sheltered solos and easy architecture call up many corners of the music’s history.
Trumpeter Omar Kabir is a dark flittering presence, an expert at angular and edgy flights. Tenor saxophonist Abraham Burton thunders, although he sounds just as comfortable playing it cool. Bassist Jaribu Shahid favors a tone that’s thick and rough, which makes sense when Haber favors things simply put. Alto saxophonist Douglas Yates appears occasionally , with an especially exhilarating cameo on “Kimbunga”. The high point is “Love Of Illusion,” a medium groove that shakes and rattles, showing how easily Kabir and Burton can catch fire. Their solos are a marvelous examples of control, keeping a quiet frenzy just a step away.
Greg Buium

On Spirits Awake, the Freedom Art Quartet immediately announces its overall dedication to groove and funky second-line beats with “In the Thick of It”, as Jaribu Shahid’s ripely swinging bass gives way to Abraham Burton’s lush, confident tenor and Omar Kabir’s incisive and radiant trumpet. On “Kimbunga”, Kabir switches to flugelhorn and makes it growl like a trombone without the aid of a slide or plunger mute, and guest altoist Douglas Yates solos busily before the band returns to state the theme.

Following this enticing exposition and summary of Freedom Art’s artistic ambition, the lazy swing of “Monking Around” features Shahid dead on the beat, Burton’s coherent and authoritative tenor statements, and Lloyd Haber’s drums filling and rolling in a swirl all around. These are Haber’s compositions, and though they follow the convention of in-turn solos bracketed by main themes, the music is lively and brimming with melody, and the musicians make the most of their own time, and the listener’s.

Spirits Awake reaches its climax with “Love of Illusion”. As the tune begins, Kabir makes room for Burton to get aggressive, and the saxophonist ascends higher and higher with each bar, spurred on by the churning rhythm section. When the trumpet returns, it’s Latin-tinged, inspiring a brief but eclectic cutting session between the two horns. Sadly, the musicians are still trading lines as the piece fades out. I could have stood another ten minutes, easy. This musical crescendo makes the next track, “Spirits of New York”, sound like a benediction, resolution presented as a melodic Aylerian elegy. Burton overblows and vibrates at a sorrowful pace before the melancholy walk transforms into a more joyful stride, like a minifuneral march, New Orleans-style.

Structured like a drama in five acts (with an added scene or two), Spirits Awake captures the listener’s interest, holds that interest with creativity and intensity, then rewards it with excitement generated by musical variety and masterly expressiveness.

Bones & Tones – $10.00

admin — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 02:11:07 +0000

Featuring: Warren Smith – Vibraphone, Abdou Mboup – Vocals, kora and percussion, Jaribu Shahid – Bass, Lloyd Haber – Marimba,

Bones and Tones

Bones and Tones CD

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228 – Bones and Tones

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Breathing Water – Bones and Tones

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Digital Download Only-

Bones and Tones - Digital mp3

This a digital download of the complete Bones and Tones CD. Files will be delivered digitally only.

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Bones & Tones was conceived in the fall of 2009.

When Lloyd Haber was invited to put together a group for the Long Beach Jazz Festival he immediately knew he wanted a different sound with a world music flair. With the sound of Marimba and vibraphone as the lead voices from Warren Smith and Lloyd Haber, the one of a kind voice and percussion of Abdou Mboup and the creative bass of Jaribu Shahid, a unique sound was born. The group went into the studio in December of 2009, all eight tracks are originals from Warren Smith and Lloyd Haber. The spice on top are the vocals and kora from Abdou Mboup.

Warren Smith – Multiple percussion, composer: Warren has arguably had one of the most varied careers of any improvising percussionists, working with artists as diverse as Sam Rivers, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Bill Cole and Harry Partch. Though originally trained in modern classical percussion, jazz and improvised music became paramount after moving to New York in the late ’50s. With Max Roach, he started the important percussion ensemble M’Boom Re: Percussion and Smith also opened one of the first and longest-running performance lofts, Studio WIS, in 1967.

Abdou Mboup – Percussion, vocals and Kora: Born in Sengal, he’s taken up the traditional position of the “Griot”, keeping he’s tribe’s history alive orally.A percussion master (both studio session and live), famous for his work with the kora, he’s recorded with everyone from the Tom Tom Club and the Talking Heads to Jean-Luc Ponty, Jean-Michel Pilc and Bill Laswell.

Lloyd Haber- Multiple percussion, composer: A student of the late great Ed Blackwell. Lloyd Has played or recorded with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Bob Stewart, Craig Harris, Louis Hayes, Kalaparusha McIntyre, Charli Persip, Warren Smith, Donald Smith, Howard Johnson and Ron Burton among others. Lloyd has played all over the world including performances at Symphony Space, John Birks Gillespie auditorium and Aaron Davis Hall. Percussion Ensemble clinics at Sam Ash Music and the Long Island Drum Center. Off-Bdwy musical, Songs for the New World. Music for New LineCinema’s Happenstance.

Jaribu Shahid- Bass: One of the most influential bassists in today’s jazz scene. In Detroit Jaribu played with Martha Reeves, the Spinners, and Mary Wilson. Moved to Philadelphia to play and record with the Sun Ra Arkestra. Recorded or performed with Milt Jackson, Geri Allen, James Carter, Henry Threadgill, Hugh Ragin, and Hamiett Bluiett. Currently with David Murray and a long time member of Roscoe Mitchell’s Note Factory.

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