music podcast - PFT Media

The Major Scale – The Midnight Hour & David Liebman

May 13, 2020 By Chris

The wee hours have brought the creative inspiration for eons and this episode takes that setting to heart.

First up is the aptly named Midnight Hour, a dynamic duo of Ali Shaheed Muhammed (A Tribe Called Quest) and Adrian Younge (Black Dynamite), together you will recognize them as the creators behind the breathtaking Luke Cage soundtrack. They also helm this amazing collective that has released two live recordings of dark, spacey grooves with a brow-raising list of collaborators–from neo-soul auteur Raphael Saadiq to Stereolab’s Laetia Sadier–with more work on the horizon.

The second segment is a real honor, as we’re joined by the incomparable David Liebman. Alumni of the electric Miles Davis period, and one of the early foot soldiers of jazz-rock, Liebman is both an innovator and a band leader in his own right. He hits us to the core with Earth, the final installment of a series based on the elements with a heady groove and deep future music vibe. There’s no other way to describe it than “pure dope.”Continue Reading …

The Major Scale – Karl Denson & Allison Miller

May 8, 2019 By Chris

When one wants to find out where the “mainstream” gets its lifeblood, simply look outside and underground–there you’ll find all the hidden gems and roads less taken. Karl Denson is an artist who has operated in both of these worlds since the 1980s. His saxophone is the first choice of Lenny Kravitz and the Rolling Stones, to name a few, and on the flip side he cuts with Andy Bey and the Greyboy All-Stars. Then there’s his own stunning discography… Funk, blues, rock steady, and loads of soul make up the music of Karl Denson, along with some gnomes and badgers, which he’ll explain in the segment.

One thing we’re proud to brag about here at the Major Scale are some of the artists we’ve featured from the late night talk show scene: such as Grace Kelly and Jon Lampley from Stay Human of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Thanks to a suggestion by Hillary Donnell, we can now add Allison Miller to the list. She’s one of the rotating drummers from Late Night with Seth Meyers, and upon listening to her work you can tell why she get’s the gig. Or simply ask Ani DiFranco and Dr. Lonnie Smith, some of the other excellent talent she’s held her own with. Miller’s band is called Boom Tic Boom and they’re on a roll with their latest album “Glitter Wolf.”

The Major Scale – Delvon LaMarr Organ Trio & Brother Jack McDuff

March 27, 2019 By Chris

The Hammond B-3 organ gets some big love in this episode. First up is the Delvon LaMarr Organ Trio and their debut album Close But No Cigar, a Billboard #1 in the jazz charts. The band takes the well honed sound and constructs an incredibly funky outing that comes off like a live mixtape. It harkens the spirit and quotes from the titans of B-3 like Booker T. and the MG’s, the Incredible Jimmy Smith, and Brother Jack McDuff.

Speaking of which, The Major Scale has been waxing on for a long time about the need to spread the word on Brother Jack McDuff’s overlooked spaced-out jams of the late ’60s and early ’70s. We take a look at a trio of albums he cut for Blue Note during this period: Moon Rappin’, To Seek A New Home, and Who Knows What Tomorrow’s Gonna Bring? Unlike his other work, these albums don’t turn up often on playlists, but when they do they dazzle and delight with their surreal soul and hard driving funk. Crate-diggers and producers have looked to these records since the dawn of hip-hop; just ask, J Dilla, Nas (who’s father plays on one of the albums) A Tribe Called Quest, or Black Moon.

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)