This episode is a nod to the crate diggers. Phil Ranelin may be considered underground, but he’s an artist of large stature in the world of rare grooves. Sought after by collectors, and for use of samples and remixes, Ranelin’s music is now widely accepted which nearly eluded him since he began back in the ’60s. His Collected Works 2003- 2019 from Wide Hive Records prove what a treasure he is. You don’t even have to take our word for it, Motown, Stevie Wonder, Freddie Hubbard, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and John McEntire of Tortoise have been hip to the notion all along. Ranelin’s music is all his own, leaning towards an Afro-centric soul vibe with a dissonant cry of freedom, future, and self-expression. Along for the ride is fellow jazz titan Pharoah Sanders, and young lion Kamasi Washington. We got Mr. Ranelin on the line to share his thoughts and feelings about this proper retrospective.Continue Reading …
The Major Scale – African American Art in the 20th Century – Roots, Harlem Renaissance, & Bebop
The Major Scale is proud to present a three-part special for Cornell Fine Arts Museum’s exhibit African American Art in the 20th Century, on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It’s a bounty of bold and brilliant masterworks that showcases paintings and sculptures from 32 African American artists. In our special series, we delve into the stories that tie together the exhibit’s themes, including jazz and civil rights, as well as the music with the show’s curator, Virginia Mecklenburg.
Part 1: The early days of the 20th century were a harsh reality for African Americans, but change was underfoot and it could be found in the art and music of the day. We’ll go from the crossroads of the early blues, to the avenues of the Harlem Renaissance, right down to the starting line of bebop. We spin Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Bird and Diz and more.Continue Reading …
The Major Scale – The Mattson 2 & Emma-Jean Thackray (with Hillary Donnell)
The Mattson 2 and Emma-Jean Thackray (with Hillary Donnell)
Keeping the fresh and bold at the forefront, and our hats off to the legends, The Mattson 2 have been making waves with their dreamy guitar and drum-based music for awhile. Rather than try and describe their sound, just looking at their frequent collaborators speaks volumes; Ray Barbee, Money Mark, Toro Y Moi, and Tommy Guerrero to name a few. With the brothers Mattson’s latest take on one of music’s most sacred cows, they may have topped themselves (as well as rattled a few cages). That’s right, they’ve gone for John Coltrane and, wait for it… his masterwork A Love Supreme! The Mattson 2 really give it a piece of their creative minds, building a lush adventure and done with loving respect, in a way Coltrane would have given thumbs up to.
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The Major Scale – St. Paul and The Broken Bones & Gilles Peterson w/ Hillary Donnell
The Major Scale hosted by Kyle Eagle featuring Gillies Peterson w/ Hillary Donnell & Paul and The Broken Bones.
St. Paul and the Broken Bones revive an energy that is desperate to break free in the 21st century. Their sound brings to mind the soul innovations of the Muscle Shoals rhythm section and Booker T. And the MG’s, but with the live energy of an Elvis or James Brown Revue. On their records they fire all cylinders, live they become a near religious experience with Paul Janeway’s stunning voice testifying from the pulpit. Janeway joins the Major Scale in conversation about the band’s album Young Sick Camellia, their sound, their family roots and, of course, that voice.
We welcome Hillary Donnell as a our guest contributor, one of the brightest talents in contemporary music journalism and DJ-ing. In this second half, she turns the mic around on another shining light of broadcasting and a true champion of music: the legendary Gilles Peterson of the BBC. They talk about his recording labels, live events, his countless showcasing of artists known and soon-to-be, and how the Winter Jazz Festival has helped to highlight Britain’s new trail blazers in jazz. It’s a movement that Rolling Stone has deemed “The Second British Invasion,” echoed by Vanity Fair, Esquire, and Newsweek.