Menahan Street Band – “The Wolf” b/w “Bushwick Lullaby”; Dunham, 2009
Menahan Street Band – “The Crossing” b/w “Every Day a Dream”; Dunham, 2011
Founder, composer and pianist of the group, Will Rast, sums up the ethos of the crew quite nicely by saying “Funk seems simple, but it takes an almost spiritual dedication to the music to play it well. When we’re playing at our best, the music becomes greater than the sum of its parts. What we do requires each player to contribute a small, but integral, part of the whole; when we all lock into the groove, it becomes a sort of meditation.”
I suggest you listen for yourself just how nicely they contribute to the overall sound and just how perfectly they can lock in to a groove.
The Funk Ark - From the Rooftops; ESL, 2011
The Funk Ark – High Noon; ESL, 2012
My ears desperately want to hear the gems contained on their latest effort, so if you happen to have the goods, hook me up immediately! It’d be much appreciated!
Jungle By Night – Jungle By Night; Kindred Spirits; 2011
Jungle By Night – “E.T.” b/w “Get Busy”; Kindred Spirits; 2010
Click here to view the embedded video.
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Lord Echo – Melodies; Economy, 2010
Lord Echo and His Melodies – “Things I Like To Do” b/w “Long Time No See” 7-inch; Bastard Jazz, 2011
Various Artists – When Rhythm was King; Heartbeat, 2007
Ray Lugo – We Walk Around Like This; Jazz & Milk, 2012
The Sugarman 3 – What the World Needs Now; Daptone, 2012
Click here to view the embedded video.
In ‘60s Europe, the jazz community forged ahead with a different revolution; that of breaking away from mere emulation of their American counterparts. A distinctive, European jazz sound began to develop that combined traditional music from across Europe and around the world with the creative freedom so abundant in American jazz. Over time, the most forward-thinking creative talents of the post-Coltrane European jazz generation crafted and nurtured sophisticated and multifaceted styles of Jazz that were as radical as they were beautiful, giving modern Jazz a characteristically European flavor.
A heady mix indeed; stirring Jazz overtures with orchestra and choir, festival performances recorded live from the grassy heartlands of central Europe, modal montages inspired by pilgrimages to Asia and Africa, experiments in rhythm and sound where modern Jazz meets traditional Balkan and Flamenco Folk music. This is Spiritual Jazz – European style.
