Happy 90th Birthday Ebo Taylor!

Celebrating the 90th birthday of Ghanaian music legend Ebo Taylor with some interviews and performance footage worth checking. 

Brazilian soul great Carlos Dafé previews new album with "Bloco da Harmonia"

Listen to Carlos Dafé's "Bloco da Harmonia" off his forthcoming collaborative album with Adrian Younge for Jazz Is Dead. 

Carlos Dafé – Jazz Is Dead 25

Carlos Dafé, born in Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, grew up surrounded by music and poetry. His father, a chorinho player, and his mother, a poet, nurtured his talent from a young age. By four, he was correcting notes in his father’s rehearsals; by eleven, he was studying at the Conservatory of Music, and by fourteen, he was performing with ensembles and orchestras. In the 1970s, Dafé became a pillar of Brazil’s Black music movement, alongside Tim Maia, Cassiano, Wilson Simonal, and Banda Black Rio. Known as “The Prince of Soul,”a title bestowed by Nelson Motta, Dafé brought samba, soul, and funk into harmony, creating enduring hits like A Beleza É Você Menina.

Dafé’s career spans decades of collaborations, accolades, and cultural influence. From touring internationally with the Marine Corps band to composing film soundtracks, his contributions have shaped Brazil’s artistic identity. InTrem do Soul, a 2021 documentary about Rio’s Black cultural scene, Dafé’s work is celebrated as a cornerstone of the movement. His deep voice, poignant lyrics, and innovative sound have made him a mentor and a cultural icon for generations. Adrian Younge discovered Dafé’s work through the song “Pelas Sombras” from Arthur Verocai’s groundbreaking 1972 album, a work sampled by artists such as Dr. Who Dat? and Michael Da Vinci. They were introduced by Verocai himself, which led to their collaboration on Jazz Is Dead 25, which marks a bold new chapter in Dafé’s career. In Los Angeles, Dafé was captivated by Younge’s creative process. “I was in awe of the stupendous arrangements Adrian had created, so I made sure to leave plenty of space for the instrumentals to shine,” Dafé said. Alongside collaborators BID, Gabriel Moura, his wife Marilda, and son Jorge Mário Dafé, he wrote melodies, lyrics, and spoken-word passages inspired by stories he once told his children.

Dafé also sought spiritual inspiration during the recording process, visiting a nearby church to pray for guidance. Reflecting on a conversation with Tim Maia from the 1970s, he noted how Maia had predicted the rise of spoken-word pop music, foreshadowing rap. With this in mind, Dafé infused the album with vocal textures inspired by Barry White and rhythms that echo his soulful roots while embracing modern innovation.

With Jazz Is Dead 25, Carlos Dafé reaffirms his legacy while venturing into uncharted musical territory. The album celebrates Dafé’s extraordinary ability to bridge the past and present, blending soul, samba, and funk with contemporary experimentation. His story, voice, and artistry continue to inspire, making him not only a cornerstone of Brazilian Black music but a timeless figure in global music. 

You can pre-order Carlos Dafé's forthcoming album Jazz Is Dead 25 right here. Listen to an audio clip of "Bloco da Harmonia" below. While you're waiting, those who don't already own Carlos Dafé's classic 70s recordings should check out the "Best Of" compilation gathering together Dafé's primo material recorded for Warner between 1977 and 1979 which was released by Mad About Records back in 2020 but is still available digitally via Bandcamp right here.

One For The Weekend: Ebo Taylor w/ Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Ebo Taylor puts his own spin on Afrobeat with "Kusi Na Sibo." Catch Ebo w/ Pat Thomas at the Concert Hall on April 13. 

Happy Birthday Brian Jackson!

Raising a glass to keyboardist/composer Brian Jackson on his birthday with a short interview and 2022'a This Is Brian Jackson LP.

Brazilian legend Marcos Valle, DJ Jason Palma @ Opera House, Wednesday

Singer/songwriter Marcos Valle makes a rare Toronto appearance at the Opera House with Jason Palma spinning rare Brazilian gems. 

LINKS 

Tone Glow Marcos Valle interview

Happy Birthday Wendell Harrison!

Celebrating the birthday of saxophonist and Tribe co-founder Wendell Harrison with a few stellar recordings and an interview.

Ghanaian Afro-funk legends Ebo Taylor & Pat Thomas play The Phoenix, Oct 31

Ghanaian great Ebo Taylor is featured on the new Jazz Is Dead 021 LP. Don't miss his Toronto show w/ Pat Thomas in October.

Jazz Is Dead 021 comp features Ebo Taylor, Dom Salvador, Joyce and more

With the forthcoming Jazz Is Dead 021 compilation (due October 4th), Adrian Younge's Jazz Is Dead label is previewing their Series 3 selection of new albums by Ebo Taylor, Hyldon, Dom Salvador, Antonio Carlos e Jocafi, Carlos Dafé, Joyce e Tutty Moreno and The Midnight Hour, produced by label founders Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. 

Essentially, the Jazz Is Dead 021 album is a selection of unreleased songs from Jazz Is Dead Series 3 and more. This will be a very limited offering. Once the initial pressing of 1,000 units of black vinyl and 1,000 units of color vinyl are sold out, they will go out of print. Expect international tours and other limited memorabilia to accompany each individual release within Series 3. 

Hear the first single "Obi da Woa (If Someone Likes You)" by Ebo Taylor, Adrian Younge (Kendrick Lamar, Ghostface Killah, The Delfonics) and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (founding member of A Tribe Called Quest). Opening with a triumphant horn line paying homage to his timeless classic “Love and Death,” the 88-year-old Ghanaian Afrobeat legend Ebo Taylor partners with Jazz Is Dead co-founders Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad to create the track “Obi do Woa (If Someone Loves You).”  With a massive explosion of analog synths, funky horns and gritty percussion, Ebo’s voice pierces with undeniable force making this track the perfect introduction to the long-awaited Jazz Is Dead Series 3. Check it out: 

Hailing from Ghana, Ebo Taylor is the pioneer of Highlife and co-founder of Afrobeat alongside his former college roommate Fela Kuti. At 88 years of ago, Ebo Taylor, traveled to the US for the very first time to perform at the now iconic, Jazz Is Dead Concert Series, selling out venues across the country. It was during this time he recorded a psychedelic Afrobeat album alongside Jazz Is Dead producers Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad. The swirling horns and gritty guitars are reminiscent of his seminal seventies recordings that made him one of Africa’s (and the worlds) most prolific and revolutionary artists. 

This October, Ebo Taylor embarks on a historic tour across the Americas, accompanied by The Ebo Taylor Family Band and his protégé, Pat Thomas. For the first time ever, Ebo will bring his legendary sound to stages in Mexico and Brazil. These performances also mark the debut of Jazz Is Dead concerts on both Mexican and Brazilian soil. They'll play a rare Toronto show at The Phoenix Concert Theatre on October 31. Tickets are $42.50 – get 'em right here.

Jazz Is Dead announces another offering of top-shelf recordings taking listeners on a journey through the funky sounds of Ghana all the way to down to the psychedelic soul and samba of Brazil. Produced by label founders Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jazz Is Dead Series 3 features new analog recordings from living legends Ebo Taylor, Hyldon, Dom Salvador, Antonio Carlos e Jocafi, Carlos Dafé, Joyce e Tutty Moreno as well as an unreleased LP from The Midnight Hour: Lost Tapes.

For Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, collaborating with music icons and personal heroes is a dream come true. As Younge notes, “with Series 1, our first 10 LPs, we established the sonic foundation of the Jazz Is Dead label. It’s that experimental jazz/funk that we would always search for while digging through records. With Series 2, we expanded upon this approach spending more time with our ideas and the nuances of our sound. But with Series 3, we hit a new level we never thought we could attain with the legends. The tears, the laughs and the disbelief at what we’ve accomplished is astounding. For some of these artists, these albums can be viewed as some of their best recordings to date proving that they still have a lot to say.”

In 1970s Brazil, the Black Rio Movement redefined what soul music meant for black pride in Rio de Janeiro (and Brazil). Afro-Brazilians came together and developed a funk and dance scene that challenged Brazil’s military dictatorship and the systemic racism that plagued their people. Dom Salvador, Hyldon and Carlos Dafé were all instrumental in establishing the voice of Black Rio. It was during Jazz Is Dead's concert series with these maestros that they were able to identify the through line connecting each of their individual stories to the seminal Black Rio Movement.

From Brazilian jazz to samba funk, Dom Salvador is the grand master of the Black Rio movement who later became the musical director for Harry Belafonte. Salvador is one of Brazil’s most recorded pianists and producers with over 1000 recordings to his credit. On his forthcoming release with Jazz Is Dead, producers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad highlight Salvador’s unique fusion of jazz, funk and samba.

Hyldon is recognized worldwide as a torchbearer of Brazil’s psychedelic soul. In the 1970’s, Hyldon worked with Jazz Is Dead alumni Azymuth, to produce some of Brazil’s most coveted albums. On his forthcoming release with Jazz Is Dead, Adrian Younge partners with Hyldon to create a new album that echoes the sentiments of his 1975 classic “Na Rua, Na Chuva, Na Fazenda.” In addition, this new album is one of the last recordings of the late Ivan “Mamão” Conti, drummer of Azymuth.

With his sultry voice, Carlos Dafé is notoriously known as Brazil’s Prince of Soul. He is also a voice heard on Arthur Verocai’s holy grail self-titled, debut album. On his forthcoming Jazz Is Dead release, Dafé meets Adrian Younge’s world of psychedelic and orchestral soul: a perfect harmony reminiscent of the Brazilian greats Tim Maia and Cassiano.

Antonio Carlos e Jocafi made some of the sweetest samba-soul of the 1970s by way of Salvador, Bahia. The duo emerged out of Brazil’s competitive music festivals mixing funky grooves, acid-rock guitars and sophisticated harmonies. Nearly 50 years after their initial release, Jazz Is Dead brought the pair to perform in the US for their very first time. It was during this trip they recorded their forthcoming Jazz Is Dead album in collaboration with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Together they created a delightful, anthemic album mirroring their classic Bahian sound.

The dynamic voice of singer/composer Joyce combined with the syncopated rhythms of her husband, the legendary drummer Tutty Moreno, forged a new trajectory in Brazilian music. This sound also inspired the acid jazz movement of the 1990s when DJs like Gilles Peterson discovered classic hits such as “Feminina” and “Aldeia De Ogum”. Jazz Is Dead brought the couple to Los Angeles to perform a special concert and record a new album. With Adrian Younge’s beautiful string arrangements and Joyce and Tutty’s experimental samba-jazz, their synergy reverberates on the forthcoming Jazz Is Dead album.

In 2016, Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad came together to create a new group, The Midnight Hour. With the fusion of hip hop, jazz and breaks the album continues the conversations started by yesterday’s jazz and funk pioneers; those that created the bedrock of samples for hip hop’s golden era. On their forthcoming Jazz Is Dead album, The Midnight Hour: Lost Tapes, Younge and Muhammad dig deep into their vault of analog tapes to share music previously unreleased. 

Watch a performance by Ebo Taylor from 2014...

Cortex brings Troupeau Bleu to Buffalo's Electric City, October 19

Here's the scoop...

There is hardly any comparison for the first time one hears the legendary French Jazz-Funk band, Cortex. Like tearing a sports car down the Côte d'Azur, their crisp bass lines and seductive piano stabs conjure fantasies of playful hedonism, sun-drenched luxury, and escape. Among the numerous European groups that absorbed American Funk and Jazz influences during the 1970s, few are as celebrated, or as mysterious. Over the years, their music has made its way to global audiences through Hip-Hop. As it stands, Cortex is one of the most sampled artists from France, appearing in tracks from Tyler The Creator, Flying Lotus, Conway The Machine, and most notably MF DOOM & Madlib. Check out a few Cortex performance clips below. 

There is little information available online about Cortex’s elusive founding member, Alain Mion. Born in Casablanca shortly after World War II, Mion was raised in Paris. By the late 1960s, he had formed his own trio, and was regularly gigging in Parisian nightclubs, as well as sitting in with visiting Americans such as Hank Mobley and Philly Joe Jones. In 1974, Mion founded Cortex with drummer Alain Gandolfini, and recruited talented session musicians, as well the singer Mirelle Dalbray to round out the group. Their first two albums, Troupeau Bleu and Vol. 2, brought them great attention across Europe from TV and radio stations and remain their most well-known works. 

Today, their impact among instrumental acts remains stronger than ever. Groups like High Pulp, Hiatus Kaiyote, and many others are descended from the group’s psychedelic blend of Funk and Jazz. Though they were only briefly active, the music of Cortex shaped tastes and for future generations while remaining an impenetrable mystery. Now, as they make their way to American soil, join us in what is sure to be one of Jazz Is Dead’s most unforgettable concerts. 

Cortex plays Electric City (433 Pearl St, Buffalo) on October 19. Check out Electric City's site right here: https://electriccity.com. Watch a few clips of Cortex in action below.

 

Spend a few minutes with legendary Tribe trombonist Phil Ranelin

Since it's also the 85th birthday of Detroit trombonist Phil Ranelin today, here are a few clips worth checking.  

Happy Birthday Lonnie Liston Smith!

Celebrating the birthday of Lonnie Liston Smith with some 1973 footage and a few songs from his recent album for Jazz Is Dead.  

Happy 75th Birthday Doug Carn!

Celebrating Doug Carn's 75th birthday with live performances, a few of his spiritual jazz gems and a zoom interview. 

Adrian Younge shares collaboration with Afrobeat boss Tony Allen

The late Nigerian drumming dynamo Tony Allen – longtime Fela Kuti sideman – has an unreleased Jazz Is Dead session on the way.

Here's the scoop from Jazz Is Dead...

The genius that is Tony Allen departed this mortal world in April of 2020, but not without leaving an unmatched legacy that crossed oceans and borders, bridging cultures and forging a sound that changed music. As the drummer for Fela Kuti’s revolutionary Africa 70, Allen’s polyrhythmic drumming defined Afrobeat, combining American Jazz and Nigerian Highlife to animate one of the most iconic performers of all time. Over the course of Allen’s tenure with the group, and later as a solo artist, he would continue to relentlessly innovate, incorporating new sounds and working with scores of contemporaries. His contributions as an artist and cultural ambassador left an indelible impact on every genre of popular music, from Techno to Jazz to Rock and Hip-Hop. Tony Allen’s music stands as an ongoing testament to the interconnected musical relationships and dialogues across the African diaspora, and their lasting influence on how we listen.

Aside from traditional Yoruba Juju music, Tony Allen was enamoured with Jazz, particularly the recordings of Art Blakey, Max Roach, and Elvin Jones, musicians who had begun to experiment with West African rhythms and musical concepts. At the time, Nigeria’s immensely popular Igbo Highlife music was incorporating influences from Jazz formulating what became known as Afro-Jazz, connecting the American genre back to its roots. These early cross-cultural dialogues pushed Allen to develop a drumming style that fused Highlife and Jazz. In the mid-1960s, Allen met Fela Kuti, and the two formed the group Koola Lobitos, which would later grow to become the legendary Africa 70 band. Nigerian audiences did not immediately take to this new sound, but following a trip to the United States, Kuti was exposed to James Brown and the Black Panthers. Allen began to incorporate the sounds of Black American Funk and Soul. By the 1970s, the group morphed their influences into Afrobeat, the sound of post-colonial Africa, making music that was concerned with economic and political liberation and Pan-Africanism.

The nearly 30 records which Allen appeared on with Africa 70 contain some of the most innovative drumming of all time. Throughout his time with Fela Kuti and Africa 70, Tony Allen introduced the world not only to Afrobeat, but to an entirely new way of conceptualizing rhythm.

In his post-Fela career, Allen moved to Paris and continued to be a vanguard. He experimented with Dub, Electro, and Hip-Hop. He was a willing mentor, collaborating with several generations of musicians inspired by his vernacular. French pop artists, such as Sebastien Tellier, Air, and Charlotte Gainsbourg, called upon Allen to help shape some of their most well-known work, such as Tellier’s “La Ritournelle” and Gainbourg’s “5:55”. His collaborations with Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz formed the bands The Good, the Bad, and the Queen and Rocket Juice and the Moon, where rock stars like Paul Simenon and Flea were eager to enter conversation with a musician Brian Eno once called “perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived”.

On some of his last recordings, Allen returned to his love of Jazz, while reminding listeners of the ongoing influence and legacy of the diaspora. Recording with Blue Note, he released a tribute to his hero Art Blakey, along with an album of original material and collaborating with the South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela. In 2018, Allen and Techno pioneer Jeff Mills released an EP that fused Afrobeat, Jazz, and Techno. On 2021’s aptly titled posthumous recording “There Is No End”, Allen worked with Hip-Hop artists such as Danny Brown and UK Grime star Skepta. Allen remained a constant innovator, absorbing sounds that had derived from West African music and conversing with new generations, passing on the ideals of Pan-Africanism. For Jazz Is Dead producer Adrian Younge, it is no small honor to share new music recorded with the drummer revolutionary Tony Allen.

"Don't Believe the Dancers" is the first single from the forthcoming Tony Allen JID018. Have a listen below. 

Mysterious jazz keyboardist Garrett Saracho tells his story

Garrett Saracho, who cut the Chicano jazz gem En Medio for Impulse! in '73 chats with Adrian Younge about his life. 

Listen to "People's Revolution" by Henry Franklin

Black Jazz bass boss Henry "The Skipper" Franklin just cut a new album for Jazz Is Dead – listen to "People's Revolution"

Ghanaian great Ebo Taylor @ Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg, Wednesday

Ghanaian Afrobeat/highlife guitarist, bandleader, producer Ebo Taylor makes his first U.S. appearance in Brooklyn tonight. 

Happy Birthday Doug Carn!

Celebrating the 73 birthday of keyboardist extraordinaire Doug Carn with a recent Jazz Is Dead recording and a few gems. 

Brian Jackson previews new Jazz Is Dead album with Adrian Younge

Legendary Gil Scott-Heron collaborator Brian Jackson releases his long overdue new album Aug 6th. Check out two tracks below.

Here's the scoop from Jazz Is Dead...

Brian Jackson JID008 is the first full album released by the great man in 20 years and it's a testament to his multifaceted talents that while there are moments throughout that hint at his game-changing history and track record, for the most part it reveals a musician whose considerable lessons learned from the past only serve to keep his eyes firmly fixed on the future. It's a masterclass in unbridled and open-minded creativity, no different from what Brian did half a century ago. The ease and comfort with which his ideas integrate with those of musicians a generation younger than him bears this out. To listen to this album is to hear a hot up-and-coming musician who also happens to be a major jazz-funk legend.

Brian Jackson's Jazz Is Dead 008 is out August 6. You can pre-order it via Bandcamp right here. Check out "Mars Walk" and "Nancy Wilson" below followed by an interview with Adrian Younge's chat with Brian Jackson. 

For Further Listening:

Saxophonist Gary Bartz reflects on his jazz career

Check out Gary's conversation with Jake Feinberg and two tracks from his new Adrian Younge collaboration

Doug Carn connects with Adrian Younge on Jazz Is Dead 5

Spiritual jazz great Doug Carn steps out of the shadows for a great new recording with Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

Here's the scoop...

Doug Carn's newest project, his entry in the Jazz Is Dead album series helmed by Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, takes his unique and timeless art and places it within the context of a musical culture that has always taken cues from his 70s classics. There's no mistaking the musical mind that created legendary albums like Infant Eyes and Adam's Apple, but the encounter of that with the distinctive jazz-hip hop-funk-noir that is the Younge/Muhammad/JID trademark creates something worthy of comparison to Carn's past work but which could only have been made right now. One can detect nods to musical motifs by Carn's jazz peers that have served as frequent sample fodder, but his compositional and improvisational integrity remain indisputable throughout.

Get a copy of Doug Carn's Jazz Is Dead 5 right here. Listen to "Processions" and "Lion's Walk" below.