Marcus Miller, "Afrodeezia" (Blue Note)
Inspired by his work as spokesperson for UNESCO's Slave Route Project, bass guitarist, composer and producer Marcus Miller takes listeners on a groove-filled musical odyssey on "Afrodeezia." The CD explores how the rhythms and melodies brought from Africa shaped the music of the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean.
The album opens with the funky, dance-inducing "Hylife" based on West Africa's highlife style, with Miller's snappy electric bass lines, jazzy horn riffs from alto saxophonist Alex Han and African singers. On "B's River, inspired by Malian music, Miller plucks a gimbri, an African ancestor to the bass guitar.
"We Were There" is a breezy, joyful Brazilian-flavored tune with wordless vocals by Lalah Hathaway and Brazilian backup singers and a driving electric keyboard solo by Robert Glasper. The infectious calypso-inspired "Son of Macbeth" matches blaring horns with Trinidadian Robert Greenidge's steel pan drumming.
Miller pays tribute to his church organist father on the blues and gospel-influenced "Preacher's Kid (Song for William H)" playing bass clarinet as well as acoustic bass; gets funky on a cover of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" assisted by Delta blues guiarist Keb' Mo and Motown guitarist Wah Wah Watson, and mixes avant-garde jazz with African percussion on "Water Dancer."
Miller believes music helped his ancestors persevere through the worst times and plays a similar role today. The closing track, "I Can't Breathe," has a pulsating electro beat and features Chuck D. (Public Enemy) rapping about the recent police killings of black men.
Review by Thom Jurek
Afrodeezia is bassist Marcus Miller's debut for Blue Note Records. Produced by the artist, the 11-track set features his core band -- saxophonist Alex Han, trumpeter Lee Hogans, pianist Brett Williams, guitarist Adam Agati, and drummer Louis Cato -- with an international list of guests. The music was inspired by Miller's work as a UNESCO artist for peace, and as a spokesperson for the Slave Route project.
Marcus Miller - Afrodeezia (2015) Son Of Macbeth by MusicHits1
"Son of Macbeth" is another monster groover that re-links calypso to contemporary jazz. Just as Robert Greenridge's steel pan drums made Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers' "(Just) the Two of Us" so infectious, Greenridge appears to do the same here.
Afrodeezia is a masterful contemporary reflection of transcontinental rhythms and melodies that have migrated through the bodies and spirits of African slaves as they were transported to South America, the Caribbean, and the United States before refracting back across the globe in the contemporary era through jazz, R&B, and hip-hop.
"Hylife," the set's first single, reflects the long reach of Ghana's popular style grafted on to contemporary jazz-funk with a host of Senegalese musicians on percussion and backing vocals. Lead vocals are provided courtesy of Alune Wade, the great Senegalese bassist. Despite its intense dancefloor appeal, the players' sophisticated rhythmic and harmonic interplay is ferocious.
On "B's River," kora player Cherif Soumano and guest trumpeter Etienne Charles solo with Miller on gimbri, bass, and bass clarinet. "Preacher's Kid (Song for William H)" melds modern jazz and American and African gospel. The bassist performs on upright, clarinet, and piano; Cory Henry guests with a gorgeous organ solo as Lalah Hathaway delivers wordless vocals supported by Wade, Dakar's mezzo-soprano Julia Sarr, and Take 6's Alvin Chea. "We Were There" celebrates the example of George Duke and Joe Sample and how their love for Brazilian sounds transformed modern jazz. Robert Glasper's Fender Rhodes is a nice foil for Miller's dominant bassline. Hathaway's scat vocals are appended by a Brazilian chorus with percussion from Marco Lobo. The cover of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" features guitarists Wah-Wah Watson (who appeared on the Temptations' hit), and Keb' Mo', whose blues approach arcs the lineage to the Delta. Patches Stewart adds his NOLA trumpet playing to emphasize that city's R&B groove in the heart of Northern Soul. Rightfully, this jam is ruled by Miller's bassline, which pays homage to the original while revealing how it influenced everything in popular music that came afterward.
"I Can't Breathe," with just Miller and Mocean Worker creating a wild meld of instrumental color, back Public Enemy's Chuck D in wedding hard funk, political hip-hop, and dance music, exhorting the listener to remember that the struggle for equality is not over. Miller's wide-angle view of jazz is extended further on the glorious Afrodeezia. It reveals in a sophisticated, exceptionally ambitious manner the labyrinthine interconnectedness of earlier sounds and rhythms -- which emerged from bondage and horrific suffering -- to new ones that bring the world joy.
Replies
ECL, Improvisation deals with Progression of Chords and also for you to say that Robbie Greenidge and others should consider it an honour to be allowed to play alongside a musician of that high level of versatility, don't you think that Marcus Miller could also should consider it an honour to be allowed to play alongside a musician of that high level of versatility?.
You yourself have said that you are not a Musician so how can you Judge a Musician and you do not know about Music?
I do not Criticize any Musician unless I can Do it Better. (You reminds me about some of them Judges, well, that's another story, lol)
i am going to use a stronger word than I usually use in these discussions , because this subject warrants it.
The word is ignorance ( in its true sense , not in Trini talk).
You may note that Mr..Lewis' critique is not only about pan players , but Trinidad musicians in general.
Which means that he is ignorant of the many accomplished Trinidadian musicians who have been celebrated worldwide throughout the years
Pianists like Hazel Scott and Winifred Atwell , guitarists like Fitzroy Coleman and Freddie Harris, Trumpet players like Etienne Charles and Errol Ince, singers like Edric Connor and Billy Ocean , bandleaders like Edmundo Ross,,, and that's just off the top of my head , I'm sure there are many , many more.
And there people are/were all innovative and creative musicians, and I'm not speaking about pan players .
Since you're on this forum , one has to assume you're familiar with the work of some of the pan players mentioned.
if not , a quick search of the video section should suffice.
Errol,
Ok you are considered an old timer like most of us here. We know all the music and musicians you mentioned. i suppose you would have know the Casanova combo which was led by Monty Williams. Monty's father is the late great John "Buddy" Williams. John and his men played almost every Sunday a jam session at his Woodbrook house. They played both calypso and jazz standards. They played calypso in a very jazzy way with the calypso beat but with jazz improvisations. Young Monty and his brothers were all there in between the musicians. The brothers naturally took up music and continued playing both calypso and jazz. I don't know if remember Monty Williams in particular. Jimmy Smith had nothing on him. The only thing Jimmy had on him is that jimmy was an American musician living in America-the land of musical opportunities and record companies. Whereas Monty was a Trinidadian -the land with no real musical opportunities and no real professional record companies. We can go from musicians to musicians who lived in your and my era of the early fifties and sixties which includes steel pan players, unless you re one of those who think that pan players are not really musicians. You gave yourself away when you compares Boogsie with Teague. Teague represents people having more musical opportunities now which includes music theory schools. Boogsie was born with a musical ear. he could tell the name of the note in his head. Not many people are born with that. It could be developed but with long practice It is called perfect pitch. In such very rear cases people who have perfect pitch by birth really don't have need for music score sheets. They can instantly remember a tune simply by hearing it once. not only that, they can call out the notes without reading either the letters or music score. You are a comparing a genius musician which is Boogsie, who also know a little musical theory because his parents sent him to learn music theory as a very young boy. But his music teacher tried to trick him by playing a note and asking him to name the note. He would always name the correct note and she would intentionally name an incorrect note name. But after sometime she gave up with Boogsie and Boogsie also gave her up saying that she was keeping back his mental progress. So in that sense she turned him off of music theory. she didn't recognized his natural inborn skill. She couldn't believe it. Just this carnival many people were in the yard the Thursday night before panorama Saturday. Boogsie had not lay down the ending of the song. It was around 2.00 pm that Boogsie stopped the band and began hearing his music and dancing by himself sitting down smoking a cigarette. People began to smile and laugh because they knew the ending music was now being heard for the first time by Boogsie. People were waiting for that to happen. As he heard the music swaying his head and dancing to his own music within, he began calling out the exact notes of very complex arrangements and runs complete with phrasing. Note for note and phrase he gave to his players. That is real music theory right there. No score sheets needed. Teague and most other arrangers cannot do this. They first have to sound their instruments either in the yard or at home and write down the notes on paper for fear they forget them. Then the may score the notes those who know how to do this. Boogsie writes his scores in his mind and instantly knows the names of the notes and their exact pitches used. He also does not want anyone to sound the pans (no coasting) at that time for it disturbs his hearing his notes within.So really the top class musicians of this world, and the best composers may not necessarily know how to score music notes on paper but they wrote music all the same for others to play and interpret.
Mile Davis explained it in this way. Miles was born in a fairly well to do black family of upper middle class. His father and mother were educated professionals. His father was a medical doctor. The parents wanted Miles to become a doctor but very early recognized Miles musical gifts. He learn musical theory very fast and instantly played what he heard once. So he was both perfect pitch by birth and also learned music theory as well. he began also to feel trapped in his music theory schools where they lived. So he devised a plan to follow his father. He told his father that he had a change of heart and would like to go to New York to study medicine. So his father immediately payed for his trip to New York and payed for his boarding there as well. But when he arrived in New York, he entered the famous music school there -name slips me right now. But during that time he attended the Dizzy Gillespy jazz club and other famous jazz artistes clubs in New York. he watched and eventually got to play with them after a while. He then left the music school and when his father had heard this, his father asked him why cant you follow anything right through to the end. First you fooled me then you gave up your music school. Miles explained he had met musicians who were teaching him what he wanted to hear and do. He said that the school was not giving him any understanding that he already didn't have. The musicians were in fact giving him simply by playing what he wanted to hear and do. So music is really about hearing and the ability to her. The rest is history about Miles Davis more than likely the most famous jazz musician ever up to today. A perfect pitch man.
So to say Trini musicians can't improvise and play jazz is not true. calypso is improvisation (extempo) when applied. A good calypsonian can write a verse on the spot at will on any subject surprisingly given to him or her. That is improvisation. The calypso singer is also a musician par excellence. So to say Trinis can't improvise, it is not a good thing to say among pan persons, calypsonians, Trini musicans. It is highly possible that someone could become very angry with you for this. This is my advise to you sir.
Now…I know you won't take what I'm about to say kindly…but you are the typical Trinidadian…loving everybodyelse's "thing" without believing in your own…what Dizzy and Bird and Coltrane and whoeverelse did has been valuable education to all of us that have followed in their wake…Somebody had to start it and they did…The entire jazz world is better off for it…In all my years of Jazz education and research never have I come across a line that said Coltrane was better than Duke or Miles was better than Herbie or whoever…That is the sad legacy of Pan especially…we all know who better than who…I am a Pan musician 41 years now and I will twill you for free, opinions like yours do more harm than good…But say wha?…It's your opinion…so Keep it...
Fantastic Music.
Trinidadians i.e. those who went to the Tribute to Ralph Mac Donald staged by Holy Cross College, Arima last May, were fortunate to experience Mr. Miller's expertise playing alongside Robert Greenidge, Etienne Charles and others. Truly a wonderful experience.
The name Son of Macbeth perhaps refers to Ralph Mac Donald since he was the son of Macbeth the Great. lol
Mr. Miller kudos to you
Not perhaps. It is Ralph McDonald being referred to as Son of MacBeth. Yes that concert was beautiful. By Miller's own mouth, He has connections to Trinidadian roots as well. It is people like him who should also sit in as judges in Panorama and with their type of music connections, the pan instrument both in its acoustic and electronic counterpart can travel the globe with all types of musicians from all worlds. It's the only instrument of its kind. There is really nothing similar. It's a completely original invention of T&T. Now the pan notes should not only be the tenor or seconds heard on albums. The full range of notes right down to the bass has to be featured as well. Thisis where the electronic pans will come in.