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The Love Symbol (1992) (CD)
Prince
The Love Symbol may not register as one of Prince's best but I find it far more engaging than the more popular and venerated Diamonds & Pearls the year before. The NPG had the worst time living up to The Revolution but they have some stellar moments here- and Prince was still engaged in the art of record making, producing a cool clutch of content that underlines his legend, expands some of it, while also showing his limiataions in the marketplace of trends at that moment. Over all, the thing works well enough in a way that gets you comg back.
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ELMER GANTRY (1960) (DVD)
A dyed in the wool classic for which Burt Lancaster won the Oscar, it rumbles and rolls along like a great old Hollywood epic should, with all the bells and whistles and unreal color coming at you full blast. Lancaster sizzles and strikes his way through this film, his raw virility palpable. As a charismatic confidence man who sells appliances with a fervor befitting a preacher, Lancaster's energy cannot be contained, as he punches out every line as if it were judgment day. Jean Simmons plays a successful revivalist, selling The Almighty Gospel in tents set up in small towns. Once the two converge, a routine takes shape, and this pair of sincere hucksters make all the moral moves needed to grow their constituency. There is fire and brimstone, deceit and deception, betrayals and cons, low morals and high, and the wondrous spectacle of not only Lancaster's excited performance- but dozens of peripheral characters who assist in making this sing a beautiful song. These are the kinds of film Hollywood excels at producing, and worth the 146 minutes, as you follow down what happens to just about everybody here, as they all have some sort of fascination within their motivations in which to engage the audience. However, it is Lancaster's show piece, and he is as showy as showy gets, without being exaggerated or outside the depth of what this character has on hold. And Shirley Jones as a blackmailing tramp is one for the books.
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BLUE JASMINE (2013) (DVD)
This gem from 2013 is marvelous. Cate Blanchett does a masterful turn as a ruined woman attempting to build herself back from the brink of broke, and Sally Hawkins does an absolutely stunning piece of acting as her sister, suffering through insults and aggravations brought on by Blanchett's non stop hassling of her choices and ways of being. Andrew Dice Clay is a wonderful surprise here, not exactly doing anything far from his basic character, but perfectly cast to be the man he is in this film. Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale, Louis CK, Peter Sarsgaard and Max Casella beautifully flesh out this monstrous observation on the perils of self delusion and self denial.
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The Desktop Digest of Despots & Dictators (Book)
Gilbert-Alyer
A fantastic primer as to why the concept of democracy and equal rights and a free existence are things worth fighting for and complaining about no matter how hopeless it seems, because the alternative is...oh, say..having your eyes plucked out because you didn't smile at the emperor ....that's the kind of shit we fight against- oligarchs and despots and presidents who want to be kings that want to stay forever and fill the government with cronies. It may seem a useless struggle to beat that back, but as the man once said "I'd rather be a free man in my grave than living as a puppet or a slave"
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Air (LP)
Sault
Having become familiar with the output of the UK collective over the course of 10+ releases, this album drops with profound confusion. Absolutely beautiful and wonderfully produced as all Sault releases have been, but whereas I've come to expect a pushing of the R&B/HipHop envelope, Air delivers a 20th-Century Classical orchestral/choral landscape more akin to the works of Charles Ives than Minnie Riperton. The settings shimmer with David Axelrod tribute and, all in all, a sumptuous full meal of choral concept. Get surprised.
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s/t (LP)
Meridian Brothers & El Grupo
The Meridian Brothers create a warped, psychedelic and typically humorous angle on Cumbia and Salsa. This release has them playing tighter and better than ever, though the weirdness has been just slightly muted. Thrilling performances, social commentary and a simmering strangeness pervade.
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Two Centuries (LP)
Qasim Naqvi / Wadada Leo Smith
Electronic composer, Qasim Naqvi (Dawn Of Midi) teams up with two octogenarian masters of the Jazz form to bring all of the above into the future. Probably my favorite listen of the year. It just astounds me that two 80-year-old performers are making music more forward-thinking than ANYTHING ELSE that I have heard in years. This trio is dreaming in sync and have created pure revelatory bliss.
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Así No Se Puede (LP)
Romperayo
Pedro Ojeda constructs a new music landscape out of vintage Colombian samples and new performances that skirts the borders between traditional, psychedelic and avant-garde. There is always a groove and a pulse, though sometimes careening into the deep strange. Thanks to World buyer David Gomez for dropping this gem in my lap.
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The Sixth Decade From Paris To Paris (LP)
Art Ensemble of Chicago
AEC celebrated its 6th decade of African American Improvisation by returning to Paris, where they recorded some of their most profound performances. most notably People In Sorrow and Les Stances A Sophie. This time, the two remaining original members, Roscoe Mitchell and Famoudou Don Moye bring along some veterans like trumpeter Hugh Ragin and emerging stars of the new: Moor Mother, Tomeka Reid, Junius Paul and many more. Everything you'd expect: chamber jazz meditations, vocal improvisation, North African rhythms and the sheer tenaciousness of the creative spirit.
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Moshi (re-issue) (LP)
Barney Wilen
French saxophonist Wilen is best known for his playing on Miles Davis' soundtrack to the film Lift To The Scaffold. In 1970, he traveled to Africa with a team of filmmakers to record the music of the native pygmy tribes. On return, he cut together this strange, catchy, slightly hippie document. Though it tests the lines of cultural appropriation, it is still a thing of its own. The spirit of "why not?" bubbles through its whole length. Not far afield from Don Cherry's world music experiments of the same era. I dig it.
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The Quintet (LP)
Horace Tapscott
The Mr. Bongo label has unearthed 3 forgotten performances from the same sessions that produced Tapscott's ground-breaking Flying Dutchman classic, The Giant Is Awakened. If you know those original performances, you know what to expect. Tapscott is one of my top-5 pianists of all time and these sessions with the young Arthur Blythe are legendary.
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Roots (re-issue) (LP)
Ian Carr's Nucleus
Be With Records' reissue campaign for Ian Carr's 1970's output can't be lauded enough. Trumpeter, bandleader Carr is not well known outside the UK, but man oh man is he one of my very favorite musician/arrangers! His talent at collecting the players that can bring his vision of funky, slinky, groove jazz to light is unmatched. Find anything you can by him from the late 60's-on and you won't be disappointed, but if you see copies of Belladonna or Elastic Rock, grab them!
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Silk Road: Rock Joint Cither (LP)
Hiromasa Suzuki
1973 funk jazz session lead by pianist Suzuki (heavy on the electric piano), with Yoko Uehara on sitar, killer playing by saxophonist Takeru Muraoka and oboeist Hiroshi Yoshinaga, and flat-out groove from the drummer, Hideo Sekine. Alternately driving, smooth, groovy and gorgeous. I'm a sucker for the electric piano and this one delivers.
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Fuchsia Swing Song (reissue) (LP)
Sam Rivers
Like pianist Andrew Hill, Rivers finds ways to indicate and explore the outer edges of jazz without abandoning the tradition, the changes, the swing. So glad Blue Note found it worthy of reissue, as it never stops thrilling my ears. Jaki Byard is on fire, here. One of my very favorite Blue Note recordings.
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Green Caterpillar (LP)
Masaru Imada Trio +2
The Three Blind Mice label could be favorably compared to Germany's MPS label. From 1970 to today, they've had the pulse of where the tradition was and where it was headed. Green Caterpillar from 1975 is an electric-piano driven groove, featuring the very young Kazumi Watanabe going at it like CTI-era George Benson. Yep, its a killer.
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Ptah The El Daoud (LP)
Alice Coltrane
Within the slightly cartoonish jacket is a landmark, a level-read of modern, spirit-driven improvisation. Words don't approach. Overjoyed that Verve has included this, Journey In Satchidananda and Pharoah Sanders' Karma in their recent reissue campaigns. Essential documents.
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