Credits:
Adrian Younge Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Description:
Jazz Is Dead" has become one of the most popular labels in the L.A. underground and jazz scene, thanks to its first series of 10 releases, which were successfully completed even in the midst of the Corona disaster, when the label was unable to hold the live events that are the starting point of the label. The eighth installment of the second series is now available. This eighth and final installment of the second series features Fela Kuti's right-hand man and founder of Afrobeat, Tony Allen, who unfortunately passed away in April 2020. As Fela Kuti said, "Without Tony Allen, Afrobeat would not exist." Tony Allen was the legendary drummer and musical director of Fela's band, Africa 70.Tony is one of the biggest contributors to Afrobeat, behind songs like "Water No Get Enemy" and "Zombie" from Fela's heyday, and has himself led Africa 70 on releases like "Progress" and "No Accommodation For Lagos". In hip-hop, for example, J Dilla sampled "Asiko" from his 1999 release "Black Voices" on Common's "Heat," and in rock, Blur's Damon Albarn is a big fan of Tony's work, as are Gorillaz and In the rock field, Blur's Damon Albarn is a big fan of Tony's work, often collaborating with him on projects such as Gorillaz and Good the Bad & the Queen. In the past, Tony collaborated with Jimi Tenor on Strut's "Inspiration Information" series, an album that has thrilled drummers and beat-makers around the world, and now Tony and "Jazz is Dead" are collaborating on a dream album.The Midnight Hour (Adrian Young & Ali Shaheed Muhammad) have already proven that "jazz" is not their only musical preference, having performed with numerous Brazilian music legends in their first series. Just as "Ebun," which was included on the debut compilation "Jazz Is Dead 011," was reminiscent of Africa 70, the Midnight Hour's Afrobeat style is boldly deployed throughout the entire album. The psychedelic keyboards of "Steady Tremble" was tailor-made for dance floors around the world, while "Makoko" was a moody mid-tempo jam reminiscent of Fela Kuti's classic "Gentlemen," and Tony's beat was pounded hard on the stage. No Beginning," a free-form performance by a horn section full of jazz essence over Tony's beat, and the album closer "No End," which continues uninterrupted from there, are the ideal fusion of the hip-hop generation's jazz sensibilities and Afrobeat, achieved across eras and continents, and are packaged in a highly recommended package. This is a highly recommended album.
