Tom Schnabel's Rhythm Planet
New Music Gems
This week Rhythm Planet showcases new albums from violinist Ray Chen, jazz from Geoffrey Keezer and John Coltrane, Haitian rara from RAM, Colombian vallenato from Very Be Careful, and cool vinyl sides from Argentina's ZZK Records.
By Tom Schnabel • • 58m ListenThis week, we listen to the newest gems in jazz, classical, and world music. We begin with an unusual and interesting version of Erik Satie’s famous “Gymnopédie #1,” featuring the superb Taiwanese-Australian virtuoso violinist Ray Chen. Although I’ve heard this famous Satie piece many times, Chen’s take on it from his debut Decca Classics album sounds completely new and fresh. Chen won the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin Competition in 2008.
Geoffrey Keezer, a two-time Grammy nominee, is a wonderful jazz pianist. We hear him here in trio format with a version of the Stevie Wonder song “These Three Words,” off of Wonder’s 1991 soundtrack for the Spike Lee film Jungle Fever. Keezer’s new album On My Way to Youfeatures Mike Popeon bass with Lee Pearsonplaying drums. Several tracks also feature vocals by Gillian Margot.
Cuban pianist Omar Sosaand Cuban singer/violinist Yilian Cañizarescollaborate next on the plaintive ballad “Duo de Aguas,” from their album Aguas due out later this year. Sosa, who now resides in Barcelona, records prolifically and tours around the world. A versatile pianist, Sosa is not afraid to experiment and cross musical boundaries. This is the first time I’ve heard Yilian Cañizares perform, but I like what I hear.
The Argentine label ZZK Records releases a cross-pollinated mix of Andean folk music with trip hop, cumbia, ambient dub, and other contemporary sounds. We hear the title track of a new ZZK-produced vinyl album from King Coyacalled Tierra de King Coya. It’s a bold mixture old and new sounds, of the traditional and the edgy.
Los Angeles’s favorite vallenatogroup Very Be Carefulbrings its accordion-driven Colombian vallenato music to us on a new album called Daisy’s Beauty Salon. Vallenato, along with cumbia, are the most popular Afro-Colombian music styles. Very Be Careful is fronted by brothers Ricardo and Arturo Guzman, and the new album’s title refers to their mom’s beauty salon. It also turns out that their mom penned many of the lyrics to the songs!
The new vinyl release by Argentine electronic producer Ujialso comes from the aforementioned ZZK label. We hear Uji’s song “Alborada” (Daybreak) featuring singer Anicca. (I also loved the track “Trocitos” by La Yegros from ZZK a while back. It sure moved a lot of people around the dance floor when I spun it.)
We seriously change lanes with the next song by John Coltrane, recorded in 1963 but lost in the shuffle when ABC-Impulse moved to MCA in the 1980’s. The never-released master tapes apparently wound up in the dumpster, but Naima Coltrane (his first wife) had kept the 7-inch reel that Impulse gave to artists to take home and review. I’ll have more to say about this album next week.
The all-star members of The Black Art Jazz Collectiveinclude tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, trumpeterJeremy Pelt, plus James Burton IIIon trombone, and a rhythm section of Xavier Davis, piano, Vicente Archer, bass, and Johnathan Blake, drums. Their new album, Armor of Pride, is straight-ahead jazz performed by true masters of the genre.
The Haitian voodoo roots group RAMhas been around since the 1990’s, but their latest album is only their seventh. The album’s title—August 1791—refers to the start of the Haitian Revolution against France, which began in 1791 and ended over 12 years later on January 1, 1804. The new album observes and celebrates a profound moment in Haitian history. A slave uprising in the French colony, then known as Saint Domingue, drove out the colonizers and Napoleon’s army, gaining independence for the island’s mostly Africa-born citizens.
The DNA of RAM’s rich music reaches back to Haiti’s Yoruba roots in Benin. The band uses both traditional rara horns (rara is a festival music in Haiti) as well as modern instruments for its musical brew. We hear the track “Danmbala Elouwe,” a ceremonial song that goes all the way back to Dahomey, the former name for Benin. Like much music from troubled countries (think Congo and South Africa before apartheid was lifted) the music defies sadness and hopelessness. The New York Times called it “jubilant music to defy grim conditions."
I close this week’s show with an old jazz radio sign-off tune, “Swan Blues” by King Pleasure(b. Nathanial Beeks), a vocaleseversion of Gene Ammons’s classic “Hittin’ the Jug.” This week marks the end of the on-demand shows that I’ve produced since the inaugural Rhythm Planet show in April 2013. All 269 shows will remain online for your listening pleasure. The Rhythm Planet music blog will continue with a new feature every week.
I want to thank my talented former blog editors Mary Falcone and Camellia Tse, my wonderful show editor Mario Diaz, and RP’s executive producer Ariana Morgenstern. My appreciation also to KCRW’s tireless web team and to KCRW for supporting these music shows for the last 5 years. Last but not least, thank you to the Rhythm Planet audience for listening and for your love of music across genres and borders. It’s been a pleasure to share the music with you through these shows.
Rhythm Planet Playlist for 6/29/18
Ray Chen & Made in Berlin / "Satie, Koncz: A New Satiesfaction" / The Golden Age/ Decca
Geoffrey Keezer Trio / "These Three Words" / On My Way To You / MarKeez Records
Omar Sosa & Yilian Cañizares / "Duo" / Aguas / OTA Records
King Coya / "Tierra De King Coya" / Tierra De King Coya / ZZK Records
Very Be Careful / "La Direccion" / Daisy's Beauty Salon / Downtown Pijao
Uji / "Alborada (featuring Anicca)" / Alborada/ ZZK Records
John Coltrane / "Untitled Original 11386" / Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album / Verve
Black Art Jazz Collective / "Miller Time" / Armor of Pride / HighNote Records
RAM / "Danmbala Elouwe" / August 1791 / Ramhaiti.com
King Pleasure / "Swan Blues" / Moody's Mood For Love / Blue Note