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The Major Scale – Sly5thAve & Adam Rudolph

October 17, 2018 By Chris

The Major Scale welcomes one of the finest artists in the nu-skool of Jazz and the latest in a long tradition of Texas tenors, Sly 5th Ave. The Austin native has taken the work of Dr. Dre and re-imagined it as an orchestral tribute. Sound heavy and stuffy? It’s not, it’s a treasure trove of joyful noise.

The new renaissance continues and comes full circle with The Invisible Man. Sly creates a dreamy masterpiece to nod your head by re-arranging the beat maker’s classics. The arranger meets the re-mixer at the composer’s house on this one.

Adam Rudolph’s music knows no bounds. For 40 years he’s been creating endless possibilities as a leader and contributor with the likes of Don Cherry, Yusef Lateef, and Bill Laswell. His countless recordings have been recognized by the NEA, and the Rockefeller Foundation, and have taken him across the globe. His journeys have been prolific in the last few years with Glare of The Tiger, Morphic Resonances, and The Epic Botanical Beat Suite- multi-kulfi rhythm and groove, chamber strings plus percussion, and dark cinematic electronica respectively. The musical gamut these albums run say so much about this brilliant composer, and he joins us talk about it and impart some wisdom.

This episode is definitely for curious ears.

SONG CREDITS FOR THIS EPISODE:

THEME: Jazz Phantom by Chomsk’ (from the album “Different Beats” on Magentic Records).

FIRST HALF: Shiznit, California Love, The Jam/My Name Is…/Interlude No. 3, Guilt Conscience/Interlude #4 andThe Edge/The Next Episode by Sly5thAve (from the album “The Invisible Man” on Tru Thoughts Records)

SECOND HALF: Ecstaticized by Adam Rudolph and Moving Pictures (from the album “Glare of the Tiger” on M.O.D./Meta Records)

Kwa-Shi and Akete by Adam Rudolph and Hu Vibrational (from the album “Epic Botanical Beat Suite” on M.O.D. Technologies)

Syntactic Adventures by Adam Rudolph (from the album “Morphic Resonances” on M.O.D. Technologies)

Dialogics and Rotations by Adam Rudolph and Moving Pictures (from the album “Glare of the Tiger” on M.O.D./Meta Records)

The Major Scale – The Chuck Stewart Songbook

October 10, 2018 By Chris

We have the Chuck Stewart Songbook – a collection of standards from an artist whose instrument was his camera. If you’ve ever scanned through iTunes, dug through the crates at a record store, or watched a documentary or movie, chances are you know Chuck Stewart‘s work. His creative eye and sense for the “defining” moment yielded a bounty of iconic images with the likes of John Coltrane, James Brown, Billie Holiday, Quincy Jones, Led Zeppelin that graced the covers of Impulse, Verve, Columbia, CTI, Atlantic Records, and scores more. We pay tribute to him with the music he covered through posthumous interview clips, and commentary by renowned photographer Brian Cross, aka B+, Tad Hershorn of the Jazz Institute at Rutgers University, and the legendary Sonny Rollins.Continue Reading …

The Major Scale – Josef Leimberg & Felix Cavaliere

October 3, 2018 By Chris

Josef Leimberg & the Spiritual Jazz of the Rascals with Felix Cavaliere

The meaning of jazz is taking on new dimensions in the 21st century, and Josef Leimberg is helping to lead the charge. His debut album, Astral Progressions, is rich in psychedelic soul and spacey grooves that evokes the musical memories of Prog-rock and Alice Coltrane. Leimberg cut his teeth on the west coast for years playing and performing at Project Blowed and the World Stage, not to mention producing and arranging for Neo-Soul maverick Bilal, legendary Mikah Nine, as well as Grammy and Pulitzer winner Kendrick Lamar.

Evoking the “and everything in between” part of our motto, we take a closer look at the Rascals, with the band’s driving force, Felix Cavaliere, joining us in conversation. Many don’t realize that the Rascals used several jazz titans on their records to help flesh out their the music as they developed their sound towards more soul and jazz territories. Names like Herbert Laws, Ron Carter, and Alice Coltrane lent their talents to making some of the best, if not unsung experiments in Jazz-rock and fusion – standing among bands like Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Chicago, as well as opening the doors for Steely Dan and more. Be ready to have a whole new appreciation for the Rascals!

SONG CREDITS FOR THIS EPISODE:

THEME: Jazz Phantom by Chomsk’ (from the album “Different Beats” on Magentic Records).

FIRST HALF: Interstellar Universe, The Awakening, Lonely Fire(Miles Davis) and Between Us 2 by Josef Leimberg (from the album “Astral Progressions” on World/Galaxy/Alpha Pup).

Galaxy Around Olodumare (snippet) by Alice Coltrane (from the album “World Galaxy” album on Impulse Records)

SECOND HALF: Galaxy Around Olodumare (snippet) by Alice Coltrane (from the album “World Galaxy” album on Impulse Records)

Little Dove by The Rascals (from the album “Peaceful World” on Columbia Records)

Nama by The Rascals (from the album “Search and Nearness” on Atlantic Records)

Mother Nature’s Land by The Rascals (from the album “Peaceful World” on Columbia Records)

Nubia by The Rascals (from the album “See” on Atlantic Records)

Peaceful World by The Rascals (from the album “Peaceful World” on Columbia Records)

Buttercup and Time Will Tell by The Rascals (from the album “Island of Real” on Columbia Records)

The Major Scale – Ahmad Jamal & Noah Haidu

September 26, 2018 By Chris

The Major Scale is humbled and proud to bring you one of the finest artists America ever produced, the incomparable Ahmad Jamal! He spoke with us about his latest effort, the beautiful Marseille, as well as the state of things today and American classical music – that’s what we squares call jazz.

Staying on theme, Noah Haidu is another artist who has a way with the piano. Downbeat certainly noticed, they consider his Infinite Distances among the best albums of 2017. If things keep going they way they are, Mr. Haidu will rank among the likes of the aforementioned Ahmad Jamal. One listen and you’ll know why

SONG CREDITS FOR THIS EPISODE:

THEME: Jazz Phantom by Chomsk’ (from the album “Different Beats” on Magentic Records).

FIRST HALF: Marseille (vocal), Marseille (Instrumental), Autumn Leaves, and Pots En Verre by Ahmad Jamal (from the album “Marseille” on Jazz Village).

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child by Ahmad Jamal (from the album “Alhambra” on Universal Media Group)

SECOND HALF: This Great Darkness, Momentum, The Subversive, They Who, Hanaya and Guardian of Solitude by Noah Haidu (from the album “Infinite Distances” from Cellar Live)