JB SMITH: EVER SINCE I HAVE BEEN A MAN FULL GROWN & TWO OTHER PRISON SONGS SUNG UNACCOMPANIED

Recorded at Ramsey Prison Farm in Texas on November 18th, 1965 by Bruce Jackson, this is not only a lyrical expression about the hardships of prison life in rural Texas, but also a document about some essential aspects of the African American experience. Directly grounded in the worksongs and spirituals forged during slavery in North America, J.B. delivers a personal interpretation of a music born out of suffering - you’ll be stunned and amazed. From the liner notes:

“Smitty - J.B. Smith - is eleven years into a forty-five year sentence that begun in 1954; he is 48 years old. This is his fourth time in prison in Texas and he does not expect to be paroled for some time. For him, a song like “No More Good Time in the World for Me”, though it draws heavily on the general inmate song vocabulary, is completely personal; the situation applies to him almost without qualification.”

J.B. Smith: “The oldtimers still sing. That is, if whoever is carrying (in charge of) the squad will let them. In some cases the boss won’t let them sing.”

“The young men don’t get a chance to work with the older men and they haven’t experienced working with older men. A lot of them have never been in the system before. And the crews they work with don’t even know the songs, the worksongs that they work by. But once they get to working with the older men, they learn the songs and they try to carry them on when they can. But like I said, in most cases they can’t because they’re not permitted.”

“All Takoma records should be available from any local friendly superior record dealer, and can be ordered direct from us otherwise for $5 the copy, postpaid.”

Takoma B 1009, 1965

Side One:

1. I Got Too Much Time For the Crime I Done (9′47)
2. The Danger Line (0′43)
3. No More Good Time In the World For Me (13′26)
4. Sundown Man (0′24)

Side Two:

1. Ever Since I Been A Man Full Grown (23′19)
2. Bud Russell (0′54)

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MALAMINI JOBARTEH & DEMBO KONTE “JALIYA”

If freedom has a sound it might be embedded somewhere in the reverberations of the kora, especially as performed here by Malamini Jobarteh and Dembo Konte. This is another communion of voice and kora that elevates the heart and stirs the soul, encouraging countless metaphors relating to warmth, sunshine, etc. (that should fall right off the tip of your tongue cuz your maw will be agape at how gorgeous this record is!). These Gambian fellows are well matched, and carry on as if they have been locked together in spirit and body since the beginning of time. The second side features a track called “Cheddo” which is a longer and somewhat dissonant variation on the form, serving as a standout on the LP. From the liner notes:

“Malamini and Dembo were brought up in the same household as brothers and were taught to play by Dembo’s father, the late Alhai Bai Konte, one of the greatest kora players. Echoes of Bai’s highly individual style can be heard throughout this record.”

Triple Earth Records, STERNS 1010, 1985

Side One:

1. Segou Tutu (2′49)
2. Mbassi (5′02)
3. Solo (4′06)
4. Bamba Bojang (7′28)
5. Tutu Jara (3′11)

Side Two:

1. Fode Kaba (5′29)
2. Cheddo (17′53)

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DAVE EVANS “SAD PIG DANCE: COLLECTION OF GUITAR INSTRUMENTALS”

A really great and confident set of instrumentals, uniquely crafted and totally in-step with both the British folk revival and American Primitive pickers of the 60’s and 70’s. Dave forges his own path, with a distinctly unique finger playing style that utilizes some deft harmonics and percussive techniques. This is virtuosic playing, but remains warm and personal, totally connected to the art of music. Alex Henderson for All Music Guide writes:

“If you consider yourself an expert on folk but aren’t familiar with Dave Evans, it isn’t surprising. The acoustic guitarist never became well known, although not because of a lack of talent - Evans‘ talent is obvious on 1974’s Sad Pig Dance, his first session for Kicking Mule. On this unaccompanied solo guitar outing, Evans‘ focus is instrumental folk that incorporates elements of rock and Mississippi Delta blues.

His great instrumental talents - including techniques involving alternate tunings and percussion-like sound effects - have continued to be an obsession among guitarists from the new age crowd to free improv noise guitar deviates; this fact tends to overshadow Evans’ work as a singer/songwriter. It was in this mode that he first presented himself to the listening public on the 1971 album entitled The Words in Between. It was Evans’ picking, not his singing, that attracted fellow guitarist and record label manager Stefan Grossman who, in the late ’70s, began documenting a variety of guitarists including Evans on the Kicking Mule label. Most of Evans’ best music from the ’70s has been reissued.”

Kicking Mule Records, KM 120, 1974

Side One:

1. Stagefright (3′46)
2. Chaplinesque (1′07)
3. The Train And The River (2′25)
4. Veronica (2′16)
5. Captain (2′32)
6. Knuckles and Buster (2′32)
7. Medley: Mole’s Moan (The Gentle Man Trap) (3′00)

Side Two:

1. Sad Pig Dance (1′28)
2. Raining Cats And Dogs (2′45)
3. Braziliana (1′45)
4. Sun And Moon (3′32)
5. Steppenwolf (2′46)
6. Morocco John (1′41)
7. Sneaky (4′00)

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BALACHANDER, SOUNDS OF THE VEENA, FEATURING THE FLUTE OF RAMANI

Here’s a live recording of our friend S. Balachander and a flautist named Ramani from an unspecified date and location, released in 1966 by World Pacific. This is a lively record with some really playful renditions by Balachander, and is more like a split LP than anything - Ramani gets about the same band width as Balachander, each occupying one of the two tracks on each side (the two don’t perform together, although presumably the performances are the same concert). Also featured are Sivaraman on mridangam, Natesan on tamboura, and Ramabhadran on kanjeera.

Balachander is considered one of the all-time great Veena players, with the unique status of having never studied with a master. Developing his own style while becoming accomplished with a variety of instruments, he’s largely self-taught. Credited with both having elevated the status of the Veena from an instrument for ‘chamber concerts’ to a ‘Pucca’ or concert instrument, as well as having created a style previously “unknown, unattempted, and unexcelled.” In addition to composing film music, Balachander directed his own films which garnered some attention. From the liner notes:

“Ramani’s technical virtuosity and control of the Indian flute (which has no keys) is often remarked, even in India. But his real reputation rests on the “vocal” quality of his playing, which meets the Indian musical ideal - the human voice.”

World Pacific Stereo, WPS-21436, 1966

Side One:

1. Sarasa Saama Dhaana (11′30)
2. Koluvai Unnadae (9′00)

Side Two

1. Kadhanavarike (11′25)
2. Varanaaradha Naaraayana (9′40)

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MAHAVISHNU JOHN MCLAUGHLIN “MY GOALS BEYOND”

When I was in junior high I secretly borrowed a copy of my brothers copy of a live Mahavishnu Orchestra record, and with my music tastes ranging from Yes to The Mothers of Invention, I was pretty sure I had discovered the divine source. My interest in jazz/rock fusion only lasted a few years, and I never fully returned to my fascination with Mahavishnu Orchestra or John McLaughlin (in any of his various guises), with the exception of a record called “Johnny McLaughlin: Electric Guitarist” and this one. Interestingly, this devotional record (dedicated to John’s guru Sri Chinmoy) is split by side into two genres; the A-side containing two blazing E. Indian-tinged orchestrations, while the B-side contains all solo acoustic guitar tunes that incorporate some subtle cymbal and gong.

John McLaughlin can play guitar, almost to the point of absurdity. However, here he shows some restraint, even if he can’t help inserting some lightning scales on “Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat”, a tune that doesn’t really benefit from showboating. The central feature are the two tracks on side one, fitting smack dab into the cauldron of 70’s E. Indian hybrid jazz/rock fusion. John is less foregrounded here, allowing the synthesis of instrumentation to transcend. The A-side features Billy Cobham on drums, Charlie Haden on bass, Airto Moreira on percussion, Dave Liebman on clarinet, Badal Roy on tabla, Mahalakshmi on sitar, and Jerry Goodman on violin.

Douglas Records, Douglas 9, 1970

Side One:

1. Peace One (7′18)
2. Peace Two (12′22)

Side Two:

1. Goodbye Pork-Pie Hat (3′17)
2. Something Spiritual (3′30)
3. Hearts and Flowers (2′11)
4. Phillip Lane (2′38)
5. Waltz for Bill Evans (2′04)
6. Follow Your Heart (3′20)
7. Song for My Mother (2′35)
8. Blue in Green (2′43)

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THE TURKISH INFORMATION OFFICE PRESENTS: SONGS AND DANCES OF TURKEY

Some of the recordings here sound a lot like tracks on Rhassan Roland Kirk’s “Natural Black Inventions: Root Strata”, and it makes sense given that he incorporated an array of ethnic musical influences, as well as his use of a stritch which sounds almost identical to the Turkish zuna. Anyway, this is a fascinating record released by Folkways in 1956, leaving one to guess who might have been grooving to this sort of thing in the 50’s… No insert notes, but some descriptions about the tracks and a little background on Turkey are found on the rear. Basically, this is a comprehensive survey of the diversity of Turkish music styles, and with a geography stretching from the southeastern tip of W. Europe to the heart of the Middle East, it only makes sense the music would be so varied. Istanbul was a major crossroads to the ancient world, and has been occupied by various ethnic influences throughout history, so at times you can hear in its music what sounds like E. Indian, Asian (ala the Himalayas), Middle Eastern, European liturgical influences, and beyond.

Mostly instrumentals with a few vocal accompaniments, the record was recorded and curated by ethnomusicologist Laura Boulton, who probably had a really fun time accumulating this stuff - she presents great variety, and has good taste in music. All the songs are exceptional, the only real surprise being the recording of a military band in Izmir that’s not at all what I expect Turkish music to sound like.

Folkways Records, FW 8801, 1956

Side One:

1. Dance of Kars: clarinet, violin, drum (1′53)
2. Hop, Hop, Hop (love song from Central Turkey), chorus and orchestra (2′08)
3. Zeybek (dance from Izmir), clarinet and darbuka (1′34)
4. Zeybek (dance from Izmir), cura and darbuka (1′18)
5. Girl From Kermen (love song from Central Turkey) chorus and orchestra with bells and spoons (1′58)
6. Dance (from Rize on the Black Sea), tulum (bagpipe) (1′33)
7. Camel Bells (caravan song frm Trabzon on the Black Sea) (1′40)
8. The Waters of the Valley (love song from Erzurum), male solo and chorus (1′59)
9. Kazaska (dance from Kars), clarinet, violin, drums (1′34)
10. Dance (from Rize on the Black Sea), kemence (1′07)
11. Shepherd’s Song (from Rize on the Black Sea), kaval (0′42)
12. The Bacon Is In The Larder (dance from Rize on the Black Sea), male solo with kemence and clicks (1′30)
13. Black Pepper (popular love song from Istanbul), male solo with saz and darbuka (1′35)

Side Two:

1. Classic Song (Istanbul), chorus and orchestra (3′53)
2. Classic Song (Istanbul), chorus and orchestra (2′33)
3. Flute Solo (Istanbul) (1′30)
4. Zurna and Davul (dance from Ankara) (1′45)
5. Zurna and Davul (dance from Ankara) (1′07)
6. Mehter (classical, from Istanbul), chorus (4′58)
7. Izmir, march (3′11)
8. Dance from Kars, clarinet (2′12)
9. Every Morning, Every Dawn (love song frm Trabzan on the Black Sea) male solo with saz (2′29)

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