PRACTICE PORTAL

The late, great Grover Washington Jr. has always been one of my saxophone heroes. his playing, ever soulful and earthy, never fails to move me. i was so pleased to come across this cut from his early career as a sideman with Leon Spencer, before he shot to stardom with a string of hit records on the CTI/ Kudu label. “Message From The Meters” is a 12 bar funk blues from a record called SNEAK PREVIEW that features a raw, gritty rhythm section comprised of organ, electric bass and guitar, congas and tight, funky drums. Washington is right at home in the fat pocket and plays with a wide variety of staccato attacks, smears, slurs, etc. no notes are wasted. he uses space really well, plays phrases and responds to them, and generates so much of energy by playing repeated notes. most of his solo is based on an E minor blues scale but it never gets boring because he constantly changes his rhythmic approach. what really kills me is his sound- dark and thick but still agile and flexible…

GROVER WASHINGTON JR.- “MESSAGE FROM THE METERS” (mp3)

SOLO FROM “MESSAGE FROM THE METERS” (pdf)

A few months back i had a conversation with a  friend of mine and we started discussing Hip Hop music. we talked about our favorite records and MCs, and he mentioned that he was transcribing some verses to check out what different MCs were doing rhythmically. doing something like that had never occurred to me but after our conversation, the idea really grew on me. the guys i immediately thought about transcribing were Pharoahe Monch and Prince Poetry, formerly known as ORGANIZED KONFUSION. the NYC duo released three records during the 90s that were largely slept on perhaps due to their complex rhyme styles and underground aesthetic. they weren’t (at that time)  traditional, 16 bar and out rappers. they were “abstract”, ever evolving and different from other crews (which was, at that time, a badge of honor). both MCs are pretty incredible but Monch stands out as the mad genius of the group. he has a great voice, an incredible flow, creative wordplay and, what appeals to me most, a variety of complex rhythmic patterns that he uses at will… the late 80s to mid 90s were a really creative time for Hip Hop. song tempos were faster, geared more toward a dancing audience, grooves were rhythmically more intricate, and MCs pushed the creative envelope and strove toward creating unique styles. MCs and crews like Freestyle Fellowship, Hieroglyphics, Native Tongues, Kool G Rap, Big L, Hobo Junction, Brand Nubian, Nas, KMD, Leaders Of The New School, Poor Righteous Teachers, Black Moon, Latyrx, X-Clan, CL Smooth, Public Enemy, Guru, Digable Planets, Camp Lo, Divine Styler, etc., influenced by MCs who laid down the prototype of the New School MC (Rakim, KRS One, Ultramagnetic MCs, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Percee P, etc.), raised the lyrical and musical bar. many of the artists mentioned above took a huge  shot to the gut with the onset of so-called Gansta Rap. Hip Hop’s most creative elements were supressed in favor of a slower, more static beat, simpler rhyme styles, and a much narrower range of subject matter. Organized Konfusion was one group that fell by the wayside as the hypercommercialization of Hip Hop went into high gear. hopefully, as recession hit, cubic zirconia wearing rap dudes realize that rhyming about bank rolls is no longer in fashion, and that they have nothing to lose, as record labels aren’t spending money, even on commercial acts, they will start to embrace creativity and individuality in Hip Hop again. “The Extinction Agenda” is a track from OK’s sophmore effort, STRESS :THE EXTINCTION AGENDA, that was released in the summer of ‘94. in my opinion it was a pinnacle in lyrical creativity and precision. Prince Po and Monch utilize their voices like instruments, riding the beat closely with a 16th note staccato flow. they both are great at seasoning their lines with syncopated accents, and using phrases of irregular lengths. Monch in particular is able to articulate his intricate patterns clearly, even at quick tempos. at the time this album was released, beatsmiths were heavily mining the rich resources of jazz for material to use in their productions. “Extinction” uses a sample from Herbie Hancocks “Rain Dance” to beef up their beats. not exactly the boom bap style that was the norm at that time, this beat was looser and more syncopated, something that the average MC would most likely shy away from. Po and Monch have no fear; they take to the rhythm like fish to water. other standouts on this record are “Thirteen”, the utterly ridiculous “Bring It On”, and “Stray Bullet”, on which Monch delivers one of the all time classic verses in Hip Hop. breath control, imagery, precision rhyme schemes, intelligent swagger, thick production: OK had it all.  check  it out down below…

P.S. many thanks to Mike Z. for inspiring this post and a big shout out to Ethan Iverson at DO THE MATH for shining some light on up and coming blog geeks…

ORGANIZED KONFUSION- “THE EXTINCTION AGENDA” (mp3)

RHYTHM TRANSCRIPTION OF “THE EXTINCTION AGENDA“ (pdf)

Maceo Parker set the template for modern funk saxophone. if you listen to anyone who came up with him and after him- David Sanborn, Grover Washington, Arthur Blythe, the late Michael Brecker, Kenny Garrett, etc.- you’ll hear his substantial influence in their sound, phrasing and melodic choices. Parker’s story is familiar to most. as James Brown’s ultimate foil, he could always be depended on to bring the serious firepower whenever he was called into battle. he had a way of weaving in and out of Brown’s screams and moans and the rhythm section’s dense funk patterns, creating a rhythmic fabric that’s as complex and powerful today as it was when this recording was made 40 years ago. this version of “Mother Popcorn” is from a television show called “The Music Scene” which aired on, of all places, ABC-TV(!) James Brown and the band, as you can see from the video clip, were as powerful and finely tuned as a formula one race car. stylistically, Parker incorporates short, jabbing riffs over an insistent 2 bar vamp played by the rest of the band. everything he does is in service of the groove. no need for screeching high notes and other histrionics that so many mistake for emotional depth. just a gritty, singing sound, subtle and complex articulation, a rhythmic counterpoint that creates friction and intensity, and simple, declarative melodic motifs that function in relation to the band as a preacher does to his congregation.  as a saxophonist who puts a lot of time into learning the language of jazz, i can really appreciate how difficult it is to maintain and build interest while playing the way Parker does on this recording. yet he pulls it off with an almost casual confidence. it’s a beautiful thing to behold… the video clip is below. the solo starts at 2:52 but check out the whole thing because James Brown- wow, what a performer! his energy and force is palpable through the monitor screen. most singers nowadays can barely walk and chew gum at the same time but this man could sing, dance and conduct the band while still managing to look as cool as a summer breeze. the way Brown and Parker interact with each other, musically and visually, is deep. pure, uncut vitamin F…

“MOTHER POPCORN (1969)”

SOLO TRANSCRIPTION OF “MOTHER POPCORN (1969)” (pdf)