We got the Jazz

I just wanted to take a moment on A Story To Tell to give a big shout out to the one and only MrJazzy Jeff for his consistency and stellar output over the years. Not only is Jazzy Jeff of huge importance to the very development and recognition of hip-hop in its fledgling years through his groundbreaking work as the Fresh Prince's other half, setting new standards for hip hop as a commercial venture, winning the first ever rap Grammy, shifting huge units and basically just taking the game to a new level. But throughout that time, and since, he has continually proven himself to be one of the genre's most brilliant beat makers and performance DJs.

As if mastering and popularising DJ Cash Money's transformer scratch was not enough, he also developed the chirp scratch. But more importantly it was the focus that the Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff records gave to the art of the DJ and his turntable skills that opened up DJ wizardry to a massive audience, and helped inspire a generation to take up this key hip-hop discipline.

And then there is his work as producer and head of his own A Touch of Jazz record label and studio. Overseeing Jill Scott's stunning debut is a pretty good calling card for anyone, but the label and Jazz himself have also given their expertise to other brilliant work, from Musiq Soulchild to Floetry and Dave Hollister (just don't mention Tatyana Ali!!). Jazz has also been a guiding light to other emerging producers, including the brilliantly innovative James Poyser and Vikter Duplaix. One other element of Jazz's career of note is his work with small UK independent label Barely Breaking Even. Now BBE is a subject that we could talk about for some time to come, and undoubtedly will, but where they intersected with DJ Jazzy Jeff is key because much of his own solo work has emerged through the label.

In 2002 he was given full creative control of his own solo album for the label, resulting in the quite awesome "The Magnificent" LP. Compilation "Hip Hop Forever II" followed on BBE in 2004, and last year we were treated to "The Return of the Magnificent", a fantastic collection of tunes featuring collaborations from Big Daddy Kane and Posdnous, to Rhymefest, Jean Grae, Method Man and CL Smooth. That's right, basically the best mixtape you could think of. And that is not to mention the shelved 1998 solo album that Sony did not release as it was deemed not commercial enough, but features Masta Ace, Eminem and De La Soul, amongst other luminaries. Heaven and Jazz only know how good that one might be. But for now it really is hats off to DJ Jazzy Jeff.

If you are a hater and dismissive because of the pop route fashioned with Will Smith then you should be ashamed of yourself. If you don't recognise the importance of Jazz as a solo artist and producer in his own right then, again, you are not giving the game due care and attention, and just like Uncle Phil's treatment of Jazz himself you should be flying out that door head first!

If you goin' to New Orleans, you wanna go see the Mardi Gras

Like many of you reading this blog, amongst the earliest exposure to music that I had was the music I was surrounded by in my own house. Before I made it out into the big wide world and began to choose my influences for myself, the music I heard was largely down to my parents' own tastes. And thank goodness that my father has one of the most eclectic musical tastes, and record collections, of anyone I know. What I know about music, which is not a great deal in the grand scheme of things, I owe in no small part to his own diverse musical wanderings, which set me off on a journey of discovery and exploration that I am yet to tire of, or even come close to exhausting. And one of my earliest memories, musical or otherwise, is dancing around to the music of New Orleans piano legend Professor Longhair, and he has remained a hero to mine to this very day.

Given the travails visited upon the Big Easy in recent times there is of course an added poignancy to the tale, but if there is any thing that conjures up images of New Orleans to me it is listening to Fess' music. I've never made it to the city, and I doubt I will now that the heart has been torn out of it by nature's cruelty, and the soul removed by simply sickening governmental responses. However, for somewhere I have never actually been it still holds a special warm place in my consciousness, and a strange familiarity that started in the music of Professor Longhair and has continued since. Longhair's piano playing is nothing short of remarkable, described by fellow New Orleans' giant Allen Toussaint as the Bach of Rock'n'Roll due to its clarity of syncopation and beauty of tone (don't even get me going on Toussaint's own work with The Meters!).

Others have said he was to piano what Picasso was to painting, and if anyone deserves a title as granddaddy of fun surely Longhair is up there amongst them. His vocal style is uniquely freaky and off-kilter yet warm and appealing, and as a performer he seems second to none. I have too much good to say about him than I can fit in here, and will gladly return to the subject and those many people he inspired at some future point. His life itself was remarkable enough to recount also, but for now if you are in need of a fillip of pure joy and energy dig out some Professor Longhair, grand master of the Mardi Gras.

Ain't no fun, if my homies can't have none

So, as if drive-by shootings, felony charges, neighbourhood beefs, drug addiction and paternity cases weren't enough to get rappers in a sweat, it seems we can add cardiac complications to the list of things out to harm our lyrical heroes. The sad news has filtered through of the "mild stroke" suffered by West Coast G-Funk legend, Nate Dogg, over the Christmas period. Apparently the prognosis is positive and despite reported paralysis on one side of his body, which could and should hopefully get better through time and rehabilitation, no brain damage has been reported, nor speech or vocal problems. The news therefore, appears to be good, and thank goodness for that.

This brush with mortality, as well as being a warning to us al to look after ourselves better, gladly also offers an opportunity to just stop for a moment to pay homage to Nate Dogg, as I know it is not just me who thinks that the melodious G-Funk chorus-provider extraordinaire is an absolute legend * the proclaimed king of hooks. As if his work on Death Row with Dre, cousin Snoop, best friend Warren G, and Tupac amongst others was not enough to grant him supreme status amongst hip-hop heads, can we also just take a moment to consider the supergroup 213. Snoop, Warren G and Nate, the Long Beach massive.

I know many were unimpressed with their 2004 long-player "The Hard Way", but come along now people * just the concept itself is enough to make me go wild. Not only, in the world of false unions and forced collaborations, is this a genuine group album made by three friends who honestly seem to have enjoyed the experience, but the album is simply huge. Going back to their roots and staying true to their influences and the very streets that raised them, "The Hard Way" is a classic slice of laid-back G-funk ripe for the summertime. Who cares if it was released 10 years too late for that scene? We all love the sound, and we all love the rappers, and most of all we love Nate's singing. So get well soon Nate Dogg, the hip-hop world needs the smoothness.

Doors of Perception

Legendary LA psychedelic rockers The Doors have always been slightly puzzling to me. There is no doubt that some of their output is simply brilliant and that singer Jim Morrison was a charismatic front man to say the least, a blueprint to many sexily attractive singers to come. However, and I say this as a true fan of much of their music, there has always been something slightly unconvincing about them. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I am always a little unsure as to how much of their ongoing reputation is deserved. At their height they were absolutely huge, and over the years have sold close to 80 million records. No mean feat. And yet, unlike some major contemporaries, it is always quite difficult to chart their influence in bands or musical scenes since.

Oliver Stone's shockingly bad 1991 biopic has not helped their cause any, nor have shameless recent incarnations of the band under original members Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger. Perhaps it is Morrison's own persona that grates, his wanton self-mythologising and poetic pretensions, and alleged mystery around his death. To many, Morrison's cryptic lyrics are signs of his genius, but too often in their output the creative well seems remarkably dry. Maybe it is their unconvincing courting of controversy throughout their career that carries a whiff of the calculated. Like I say, I am not sure, but the band always feel to me like one which you get really into as a teenager and then grow out of at some point as your musical horizons truly grow.

But again, that is partly why I am puzzled as some of their stuff I just love. Self-titled debut album from 1966 is an absolute stormer, capturing the raw power of their celebrated live shows of the time, and mixing a blues sensibility with the counter-culture and psychedelic influences of mid-1960s Los Angeles. It remains one of the best debuts of all time, and any album that has Break On Through, Alabama Song and Light My Fire on it is always going to be good. And there are many other highlights throughout their career, although only 1971's LA Woman, a return to their r'n'b roots really stands up as a great album in my mind.

And so, despite the questions and doubts about their true place in the musical canon, The Doors are a band that I always return to at some stage, often against my better judgement, but almost annoyingly with relish. Because when they were good, they really were very good. Take the time to explore the full catalogue and you can be sure that you will find many pearls. Just don't necessarily believe the hype. Well, not all of it anyway.

Shades of Grae

Today I just wanted to give a shout out to someone who I think is one of my favourite MCs currently out there doing their thing. Not one of the greatest female MCs (as many might have it) but one of the best, point blank. The woman in question is none other than Jean Grae, not only a super-talented lyricist, but with a killer flow, abounding in intelligent subject matter and inventive wordplay. Funny as hell when she needs to be, aggressive and biting when the time is right, and criminally slept on. I am hoping with her recently increased profile through various collaborations with Talib Kweli and his Blacksmith label, not to mention the much anticipated 9th Wonder-helmed "Jeanius" long player, that her time may at last be coming. But this hope comes not from a worry that without it the rap game risks losing a great talent, but simply from a desire to see her get her true props, and the commercial awareness and rewards that her consistently quality output deserves.


It is undoubtedly the case that even if she does not blow up in the fickle realms of the music industry, judged by sales, video play and brand potential, that Ms Grae will keep pumping out masterful rhymes for those who do appreciate her brilliance to keep enjoying. Why? Because this is what she has been doing for years anyway, and because the internet means that the business models of artist-to-consumer have changed, and so the music can keep flowing without major label backing. Now don't get me wrong, Blacksmith is a subsidiary of Warner after all, but I am sure you know what I mean. I'm talking primarily about the so-called underground artists, or those multitudes who don't get play on MTV or other major outlets and yet are the very life-blood of real hip-hop. The internet has become like one big Lyricist's Lounge compilation and no longer do you need to worry if your favourite rapper can strike a deal, you can just go direct to their MySpace to find out what is up.

I'm sure that many of you reading this will already be a fan from way back, but I was personally unaware until recently that Jean Grae was previously incarnated as rapper What? What? who I first came across on UK group The Herbaliser's brilliant 1997 release "Blow Your Headphones". I'd always been curious as to who this wicked but seemingly short-lived rapper was, and waht became of her. And now that I know it simply serves to underline my admiration further. She has also produced under the moniker Run Run Shaw, but however you may know her, the product is always on point. Another long-player, "Pheonix", is on the way also, and like the mythological beast, Jean Grae is definitely, at long last, rising. The future's bright, the future is Grae.

Being broke is childish and I'm quite grown

Sometimes you've got to just take time to doff your cap to an artist who deserves respect, whether for perseverance, longevity or simply consistency of their output. And it would take a hard heart indeed to begrudge Mary J Blige anything but absolute serenity and good wishes. Call her the queen of R'n'B, the high priestess of hip-hop, the godmother of neo-soul, or just plain Mary, you have got to hand it to the girl. She has been through the mill, borne her heart on record after record, while also producing some of the finest soul music of our generation. I was listening to her latest long player "Growing Pains" recently and it prompted me to pause to consider the career of a singer who, I think, can still far too easily be taken for granted. The album is yet another incredibly strong collection. And even though we are used to Mary's heartfelt tales of struggle and gritty realism, her candid soul-searching and messages of positivity and strength, she still manages to evolve her musical style, her lyrical maturity, her vocal prowess on each release. And in a world of over-production and over-hype this should never be ignored.



One of the keys to the singer's appeal is of course her openness and her honesty in dealing with her own flaws and various struggles on record, from her well-publicised battle with drugs, to relationship issues, and simply dealing with being a human being in the world today. And also the fact that she can often-time turn these struggles into important lessons for others, and beyond that into life-affirming emotions, but never in a way that patronises or turns to saccharine. She can dip into cheese every now and then, but hey, she's already said that she isn't perfect, and show me a soul artist who doesn't! Standouts on this latest collection include "Roses" and "Work That", but it is precisely as a collection that is why the album works so well, with themes running like threads throughout. This is an important consideration in the i-tune world of singles and shuffle, and again Mary should be applauded for providing a long-player that works as a cohesive whole.



I remember, towards the beginning of her career, evidently when her demons were consuming her and she was railing against the world and everyone in it, she came to London to do a show and simply bombed. This was meant to be an introduction to the UK and she just missed completely, her voice was shocking, her attitude equally so, and I remember thinking at that stage that she was an over-hyped product who would soon sink like a stone. Debut "What's The 411?" was great, but who the hell was this off-key ball of anger? Well, now we know, and just like life itself, Mary has worked hard for her second chance. She has made her own fairytale through determination and hard work, and in doing so cemented a place in the highest echelons of the soul hierarchy, both male and female. What's the 411? Well' it's right there on vinyl. Every last bit of it.

Superfly

I have discussed before my absolute love for 70s soul/R'n'B/funk. If I had to pick a favourite era and style of music I think that this would be it. However, as with all music lovers I think that this can change like the wind according to any number of factors, from mood to the latest tune to flash-up on my i-pod shuffle. At present though I am digging in my own crates and simply loving the cuts that are donning my music box. And if there is a label that really sums up this affection, it has to be Curtom. Now, there are almost endless things to write about the brilliant product from this ground-breaking label, and no doubt we will, but for now I wanted to draw attention to what is just a classic slice of funky soul.

You will recognise the sample from Nas' "Street Dreams" as well as Tupac "All Eyez On Me", but the original is well worth a trip to the source. I am talking about Linda Clifford's 1979 smoothly relaxing "Never Gonna Stop" from the Curtom released album "Here's My Love". Clifford, a protégé of joint label founder and owner Curtis Mayfield, has been a prolific artist over the years, ranging from soul and R'n'B, through Disco, to some house music stormers in the 1990s, and she still records today. You'll know her tune "Runaway Love" almost certainly, and may even have come across her brilliantly strange discotized version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water". But "Never Gonna Stop" is for me just a perfect tune. It is strangely reminiscent of a lot of other songs you'll know and love.


The sultry intro, for some reason, reminds me a little of Grace Jones' "Pull Up To My Bumper", while the horn stabs come straight from the Philly soul vaults. And then there are the vocals, smooth and sensual, and as if they have been taken from the best Masters At Work remix you'll never hear. It is a groove that I find hard to top, and one I return to frequently. So if this winter is dragging on for you like it is for me, then have a look for this little nugget of gold and feel the warmth of a summer's evening come through the speakers.

This one goes to 11

There are many reasons why the 1984 satirical "mockumentary" This Is Spinal Tap is possibly the greatest comedy film of all time, and certainly too many to list here. I'm sure that many readers of this blog will agree with me, and if you need an excuse to dig it out again then this is as good as any. You already know that it is the repeated views which really do pay dividends to a film such as this, so richly and cleverly layered with the largely ad-libbed script clambering for space and every minute chock full of classic lines.

The reason why I mention it here, however, is not to revel in the unadulterated joy of its creation, but rather because I recently sat through the new DVD release of the Led Zeppelin 1976 concert film The Song Remains The Same. And this film portrays the real-life fantasy that Zeppelin found themselves swimming in through the mid-1970s as their fame, and indulgence of that fame, grew to ridiculous heights. And this is, in part, the life of stadium rockers that Tap parodies so brilliantly. However it is something of a myth that the Tap movie is based largely on Led Zeppelin excesses, despite numerous claims to the contrary. In fact Tap is an amalgam of many rock myths and true stories, but watching The Song Remains The Same, it is easy to see why the mistake might be made. It is an astonishing movie in many ways, and the story behind it has echoes of the recent clamour for tickets at the Zep's pre-Christmas one-off reunion show in London.

The film was originally made to give fans access to the band playing "live", those fans who could not get tickets to the real thing, despite the band playing shows at massive US arenas and having recently broken the Beatles' Shea Stadium live attendance record. So it arguably catches them at their live peak, although the featured show at Madison Square Garden is by no means their greatest musical moment. It does give glimpses of why their overblown power-rock did reach such heights but if you are a fan, or even a curious bystander, there are other ways to get your kicks. What are more interesting, and this is where the Tap comparisons may just come about, are the bizarre fantasy sequences intersected into the concert clips.

Robert Plant plays an Arthurian legend, John Paul Jones a spooky evil Scarecrow, John Bonham a split-personality rock star and family man, and Jimmy Page a Warlock. Menacing band manager Peter Grant even gets in on the scene as a machine-gun wielding gangster. Heaven knows what the out-takes look like! It is hilarious and is a prime example of what happens when ego meets adulation meets unprecedented success meets the decade that arguably defined excess meets a gargantuan drug intake.

However, the film is also a fascinating study of the growth of a band whose many-decibelled blues-based riffs, at one point, really did take over the world. It also stands as the capturing of an interesting moment in time, on the cusp of punk's reaction against the very stuff that the film portrays. Led Zeppelin are far too good to be sidelined in musical history by what followed them, or by an overblown ego project, but if you are in need of a lesson in humility watch this, and the do the exact opposite.