The Magnificent Goldberg

Noah Howard Howard Hughes Hugh Fearnley-Whittington

Psychedelic Sally Sally, who was the pride ofour alley Sally, who went round the roses

"Yolele" by Kandia Kouyate with the Ensemble Instrumental du Mali - Disco Stock (Syllart) 14 minutes of most terrific singing! MG

Killer Priest Maxi Priest Daniil Sysoyev

Yes folks - don't forget, you'd also get the first record on an indie label to make the R&B charts - "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition" by the Royal Harmony Quartet. You KNOW you want that one, don't you? MG

Also Harold Ousley, Chicago, 23.1.1929. MG

Good grief! And they're from HERE!!!!!!!! (Perhaps I should go back to England) MG

Selfridges Swan & Edgar Harrods

I hope you're not going to start posting in cod-Texan! You can take neo-traditionalism too far! Thought it was Clem who used to do that (y'all). MG

Yes, I'm definitely on Jim Sangrey's side in all this MG

Thanks HP. I've not the patience to write a book - or the breadth of knowledge. In any case, Graeme Counsel, an Aussie DJ, has written a book, based on his PhD thesis, which is very interesting indeed. http://www.radioafrica.com.au/ MG

I just tried a Gene Ammons search. If you're looking for threads mainly about him, you want to check the box that says "titles only". So I did that and got Gene Shaw, Gene Quill and Albert Ammons and loads of other things - including threads about genes. 3 pages altogether. So I searched on "Gene Ammons" and got eleven threads, going back to 2004. Looks like that's what you want. MG

Discography The first generation Batorou Sekou Kouyate Batorou was well known as the kora player accompanying the great vocalist Fanta Damba. As far as I know, he only made three recordings as a kora soloist – Ancient Strings - Barenreiter Musicaphon (CD Buda Musique) (1970) The prime classic kora album – a work as important in its field as “Kind of blue”. Keme bourema – Makossa (1975) I haven’t heard this album and don’t know whether it’s purely instrumental or if Batorou sings on it. (Keme bourema was the younger brother of Samory Touré, so this is likely to be a vocal performance) Sekou Batourou Kouyate et sa cora – Kouma (1976) This is a purely instrumental album and may be the first example of an entire album of kora solos. Sidiki Diabate Ancient Strings - Barenreiter Musicaphon (CD Buda Musique) (1970) Rhythmes et chants du Mali – Sonafric (1977) Ba togoma – Rogue (1987) Soundioulou Cissokho Le couple royal de la musique traditionnelle à Paris - GBR (1975) (with Mahawa Kouyaté) Folklore du Senegal – Ndardisc (1975) (with Lalo Keba Drame) Histoire du couple royal de la musique traditionnelle - Volume 1- Bellot (1976) (with Mahawa Kouyaté) Musique du Folklore et Chants Traditionnels – Ndardisc (1976) Songs of the griots vol 2 - JVC (Japan) (1992) (with Mahawa Kouyaté) Djimo Kouyate Djimo – Music of the World (1982) Mamaya African Jazz – Mamaya (1988) Yankadi – Memory of African Culture (1992) Amadu Bansang Jobarteh Master of the kora – Eavadisc (1978) Tabara - Music of the World (1987) Alhaji Bai Konte Kora melodies from The Gambia – Rounder (1973) Gambian griot kora duets – Folkways (1979) (with Dembo Konte & Malamini Jobarteh) Kora music and songs from The Gambia, West Africa – Virgin (1979) Sidikiba Diabate Sidikiba’s only recording appears to be the triple LP set by Kouyate Sory Kandia L’epopee du Mandingue – Syliphone SLP36, 37 & 38 (1973). All but one of these tracks have been reissued by Syllart on a CD with the same title. The eighth track appears on the Syllart reissue “Tour Afrique de la chanson”. Kouyate Sory Kandia was the only classic djali to be recorded by Syliphone – he had one of the great voices of the century; a voice that could not be denied. But apart from this set, he was usually accompanied by modern big bands, like Keletigui & ses Tambourinis. On this, the band is kora, bala and (probably played by KSK himself, since the player is not credited) bolon. This is completely brilliant stuff; and not just for the voice of the century. The second generation Toumani Diabate Kaira – Hannibal (1987) Songhai - Hannibal (1988) (with Ketama) Songhai 2 - Hannibal (1994) (with Ketama) Djelika - Hannibal (1995) New ancient strings - Hannibal (1999) (with Djelimoussa Sissoko) Kulanjan - Hannibal (1999) (with Taj Mahal) Malicool – Sunnyside (2003) (with Roswell Rudd) In the heart of the moon – World Circuit (2005) (with Ali Farka Toure) Boulevard de l’independance – World Circuit (2006) (with Symmetric Orchestra) The Mande variations – World Circuit (2008) Djelimoussa “Ballake” Sissoko Kora music from Mali – Bibi Africa (1997) New ancient strings - Hannibal (1999) (with Toumani Diabate) Deli – Label Bleu – (2000) Tomora – Label Bleu (2004) Diario Mali - Ponderosa (2005) (with Ludovico Einaudi) Sakat – Label Bleu (2005) (with Toumani Diabate & Rokia Traore) 3MA – Contre Jour (2008) (with Driss El Maloumi & Rajery) Chamber music – Universal France (2009) (with Vincent Segal) Fode Kouyate Anka wili – Syllart (1993) Djelia – Celluloid (1996) Djeour Cissokho Hommage a pere Soundioulou – KSF (1997) Unite – KSF (1998) Guisna – Zoom-Zoom (2002) Au fond de l’inconnu - Zoom-Zoom (2006) La nuit nous voit - Zoom-Zoom (2009) Dembo Konte Gambian griot kora duets – Folkways (1979) (with Alhaji Bai Konte & Malamini Jobarteh) Jaliya – Sterns (1985) (with Malamini Jobarteh) Baa toto –World Record (1987) (with Malamini Jobarteh) Tanante – Rogue (1986) (with Kausu Kouyate) Simbomba – Rogue (1987) (with Kausu Kouyate) Jali roll – Rogue (1990) (with Kausu Kouyate) Jaliology - Rogue (1995) (with Kausu Kouyate & Mawdo Suso) Mory Kanté Mory Kanté et son ensemble - Sako Production (1981) Courougnégné - Ebony (1981) N’diarabi - Mélodie (1982) À Paris - Barclay (1984) Ten cola nuts - Barclay (1986) Akwaba beach - Barclay (1987) Touma - Barclay (1990) Nongo Village – Barclay (1994) Tatebola – Misslin (1996) Tamala – Sonodisc/Next (2001) Sabou – Riverboat (2004) Though this is an all acoustic album using traditional instruments, it’s pretty well the same kind of music Mory has always played. Damn good, too. Djeli Moussa Diawara Foté mogoban – AS Productions/Tangent (1983) (issued on Oval CD as “Direct from West Africa” and World Circuit as “Yasimika”) Soubindoor. World Circuit (1988) Cimadan – Celluloid (1992) Sobindo – Celluloid (1994) FlamenKora – Melodie (1998) Kora Jazz Trio - Kora Jazz Trio – Celluloid (2003) Kora Jazz Trio – Part two – Celluloid (2005) Sini – RSD (2006) MG

I was listening a short while ago to the two versions of the album, “Ancient strings”; the first, recorded by the Malian Ministry of Information in 1970, and featuring duets by four of the top kora players in Mali at the time; the second, recorded by Hannibal Records in 1999, featuring Toumani Diabate and Djelimoussa “Ballake” Sissoko; sons of two of the players on the 1970 recording. It struck me that many of the leading players of both generations are related and that it would be interesting to write something about these players and list as many of their recordings as I know about. The first generation Most of the leading players of the generation at its peak when independence came to Francophone West Africa and created the countries of Guinea, Mali and Senegal (and The Gambia a few years later) are dead now. These early masters largely worked in the colonial days (when there was no recording activity that I have been able to discover), and seem to have largely been ignored by the indigenous post-colonial industry, but were taken up by the foreign neo-colonial industry (companies such as Sterns, Rounder, World Circuit, Hannibal and Rogue). At the time of independence, there was great hope and confidence in West Africa; the feeling that Africans could and would stand face to face with the rest of the world and be acknowledged for their own intrinsic worth was widespread. The younger musicians had the confidence to borrow instrumentation and ideas from the west and were encouraged to create contemporary music that would (and did) equal anything that was being produced in the west. But this led to a drop in the popularity of the older musicians. Mali The present generation kora players acknowledge that the leader of the previous generation was Batorou (or Batourou) Sekou Kouyate. The Kouyates have traditionally been djeli to the royal house of Keita, descendants of the first Emperor of Mali, Sundiata (13th C), following Balla Fasseke Kouyate, Sundiata’s own djeli. Closely following Kouyate were his colleagues on the original “Ancient strings” album Sidiki Diabate; Djelimadi Sissoko; and N’Fa Diabate. Sidiki is, of course, Toumani’s father. Djelimadi is Djelimoussa’s father. The two families lived in adjoining compounds in Bamako (and presumably that’s true for the present generation). Senegal Djelimadi and his brother, Soundioulou Cissokho, both originated from The Gambia, as did Sidiki, (though his father was born in Mali). Soundioulou, the main man in Senegal, moved to Senegal and married the great Guinean singer Maa Hawa Kouyate. He didn’t record as a kora soloist but accompanied Maa Hawa almost exclusively. Her daughter, from a previous marriage, married Soundioulou’s and Sidiki’s brother, Buli Sissoko, who remained in The Gambia and has not made any recordings, although in the seventies he toured Europe and Japan extensively. The other leading kora player of Senegal was Djimo Kouyate, from the Casamance region, who, after a long career with National Instrumental Ensemble of Senegal, moved to Washington DC in the eighties. Alone among kora players of his generation, once in America, Djimo tried to meld traditional kora playing with jazz, not terribly successfully, it must be said, and returned to traditional music in the early nineties. The Gambia The leader of the Gambian kora players was Amadou Bansang Jobarteh (Diabate). Born in 1914/15, he was Sidiki Diabate’s uncle. Coming from up-river Gambia, he eventually settled in Brikama, in the west of the country, before moving to London, where he was living in the early nineties. Closely associated with Jobarteh was Alhaji Bai Konte, another resident of Brikama. It appears from sleeve notes that they, too, were neighbours. They also seem to have been related by marriage; their sons are cousins. Guinea Sidikiba Diabate was the infrequently recorded master in Guinea. He was originally from Mali and mostly worked as accompanist to the fabulous Kouyate Sory Kandia. The second generation Unlike the kora players of the previous generation, most of the contemporary generation of players have attempted, following Djimo Kouyate’s example, to meld the traditional kora styles with contemporary music of some kind. They have had varying degrees of success; a few have achieved commercial success doing so; others have returned to the traditional music. Mali The best known, and probably the best, of the younger kora players is Toumani Diabate. He is the son of Sidiki Diabate. He made his early reputation accompanying his cousin, the equally well known (now) Kandia Kouyate. His recordings for Hannibal and World Circuit have covered both traditional music and fusions with Flamenco, rock, jazz and other forms of Malian music. Djelimoussa “Ballake” Sissoko, the son of Djelimadi Sissoko, collaborated with Toumani on the “New ancient strings” album, a traditional album. Fode Kouyate was another who tried to bridge traditional and contemporary music, with considerable artistic success. He died in 1997, aged 39, after making only two albums – one modern, the other traditional. Senegal Soundioulou Cissokho’s son, Djeour Cissokho, has made a number of good albums in which Mandinke styles were fused, very well indeed, with contemporary Senegalese Mbalax. The Gambia Dembo Konte, the son of Alhaji Bai Konte, is probably the best known of the Gambian kora players. Other local players, however, reckon Kausu Kouyate, who comes from the Casamance region of Senegal, and Malamini Jobarteh, Amadu Bansang’s son, to be Dembo’s superior. Dembo has recorded with them both. Dembo and Kausu had a brief (and awful) flirtation with Rock, producing one album (“Jali roll”). They returned to traditional music soon afterwards. When I stayed at Dembo’s house a couple of years afterwards, he was adamant that attempting to “go commercial” was doomed to failure and that it was important that the traditions be kept up. Well… Malamini Jobarteh recorded twice with Dembo, both albums traditional duets of both vocals and kora. These two are better than any of the other Gambian material. He and Dembo also recorded with Alhaji Bai Konte, He doesn’t appear to have recorded by himself or with anyone else, however. Buli Sissoko’s son, Basirou, moved to Denmark and has not made any recordings, though he has cornered the market in TV appearances there. Guinea It’s probable that President Sekou Touré’s policies, which resulted in the creation of the great Mandinke Big Bands, in Guinea depressed the potential of the earlier generation’s kora players. These policies were quickly taken up by Modibo Keita’s government in Mali, to similar effect. After Touré’s death and the closure of Syliphone Records, the Guinean music industry was privatised on the instructions of the World Bank. Two excellent kora players – half-brothers - emerged at about this time: Mory Kante and Djeli Moussa Diawara. Kante had made his name in Mali, working with Rail Band (Orchestre Rail Band de la Buffet d’Hôtel de la Gare de Bamako) in the mid seventies. In Paris in 1984, be began to record commercial music that was derived equally from the Mandinke Big Band style popularised in Guinea and Mali by Government support and the popular European dancehall music of the day. And enjoyed huge commercial success – the single of Yéké yéké was a huge hit throughout Europe in 1987 and sold over a million copies. Kante is a highly rated kora player but his recordings from 1984 on didn’t provide a great deal of room for it. His latest album is acoustic, but stylistically similar to his earlier, high tech recordings – very interesting. Djeli Moussa Diawara headed south, for Abidjan, and recorded “Fote mogoban”, a rather more traditional offering than Kante’s work, in 1983. Unlike his brother, Diawara’s work leaves plenty of room for his kora playing, though since 1992 he has been recording in Paris working along similar lines. His kora playing is lush, rather than spare. Recent recordings have moved towards integrating, not terribly successfully, but certainly interestingly, kora playing with Hard Bop. Tradition Some interesting points arise out of this mini review. First is the importance of The Gambia and the neighbouring region of the Casamance in the last century or so. So many of the major players have roots there that the songs most frequently played tend to relate to the rulers of the small kingdoms that existed in the late nineteenth century along the River Gambia, and the wars they conducted as each sought to make his small kingdom into a new version of the Mali empire. There is a large element of the tradition that we don’t hear, except from Batorou Sekou Kouyate. Second, the lack of importance, except in the commercial sense, of Guinea. North-eastern Guinea was the original home of the Mandinke. The capital of the Kingdom of Mali was near Siguiri, in the days of Maghan the Handsome, father of Sundiata, the first Mansa of the Empire of Mali. The work of Sekou Touré, though aimed at securing the hegemony of the Mandinke in the new nation of Guinea, in concentrating on the big bands, possibly did significant harm to the main element of Mandinke traditional music, very little of which has been recorded. So, what we hear from the kora players who have emerged is a kind of localised part of a tradition that once spanned the present day countries of Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire (Mali was a huge and prosperous empire when Europe was just awaking from the dark ages). And yet one can also argue that the tradition continued into the modern age precisely because of the developments of the big bands, and what has followed, through Kante, Diawara and many other performers, up to the present day. There’s no denying that the big bands were hugely popular in both Guinea and Mali – some are still performing after more than four decides of existence. Their recordings sold well throughout the region, without the need for government support in foreign territories. Tribute bands were created in other countries, as well as bands which were heavily influenced by the big bands. So there’s no doubt that the new music reflected people’s post-colonial needs. And, if that’s the case, does it matter that the tradition dies? Or if it becomes unrecognisable within a new context? (Questions of some importance to jazz fans, I think.) So one has to ask what the essence of the tradition was; whether that is still needed under the new situation confronting the musicians and their public; and, if so, whether that essence still remains a strong and integral part of the new tradition. Speaking of the kora players, it’s clear that they had two essential roles. First, they were the repositories of the history of their society. Second, they used that knowledge to show their people the greatness of their society (a most important role under colonial rule) and to show them that they could and should live good and honourable lives, if they followed the examples given by history. Both roles were directed at their patrons, the aristocracy, as well as the general public. (These were, of course, roles that were also filled by players of other instruments as well as the female vocalists.) It’s difficult to envisage a society that doesn’t need at least the second role, and probably also the first, on a continuing basis, but not necessarily performed in the same way. There’s no doubt that, in the post-colonial era, the Mandinke big bands carried on this tradition. There are about 150 recordings of both long and short versions of the histories of Almamy Samory Touré, Alpha Yaya Diallo, El Hadj Oumar, Soundiata Keita, Dah Monzon Diarra, Tiramakan Coulibaly, Kelefa Sane, Keme Bourema, Bakaridjan Kone and others, some covering the whole of an LP. And this is just the tip of the iceberg; politics, in the form of ethics, history, women’s rights, party and international politics, religion, social issues and the environment, forms the vast majority of the most popular material in many kinds of West African music, to this day; it is rare to find a love song on a pop album made for the West African public (bear in mind that West Africa is not a monogamous society, so love songs, which generally emphasise and bolster monogamy, are pretty well otiose there). The neo-colonialist labels, however, are divorced from this continuing tradition. Current political issues in West Africa find no airing in the recordings made by those labels – only the “pure” traditional music, or ways in which it can be fused with western forms is of interest to them (though they do license a few recordings made by indigenous record companies). So that, in effect, those musicians who are the putative guardians of the tradition are nothing of the sort; they have been taken over by neo-colonialists for the entertainment or appreciation of western customers. And the real guardians of the tradition are the pop singers and bands. Their music is radically different from that of the kora players, but their job is basically the same as ever. A discography of the kora players dealt with in this piece is in the next post.

Not Woody Shaw either - way less well known. It's not quite time for more hints yet, but it will be soon.... I've heard Joe on Luis Gasca's LP, but I don't recall it sounding like this... So I have to guess Terumasa Hino, who was WAY into this Miles in the Sky bag at one time. You got it, although you didn't think you did. It's Luis Gasca. Anyone familiar with the album? This track does have a somewhat different feel from the rest of the album. Ah Luis Gasca - more Disco Gasca was on JH's "Canyon lady", which is where I've heard him before. MG

Oh wow! One from every decade! What a really nice thing to set before us! 1 Banjo with band – and swing it does! Is this Vess Ossman? 2 Now this one reeks of the military band, but there’s a lot more going on. I’m going to take a guess that this is James Rhys Europe. 3 Now this is more like New Orleans Jazz. Well, it is NO Jazz. Warmly raucous. Much to like about this. I suppose it’s really a Chicago band, though. 4 Early thirties. And what a lovely alto player! And a terrific baritone player! No idea which band it is. 5 “Melancholy baby” by a stride pianist – not typical of the forties. But a surprisingly modern trumpet player comes in. Then a modern guitarist and bass player. Oh, and is that Pee Wee Russell on clarinet? And they all try to ride out of town on the same horse. 6 I heard something like this once on a Capitol EP a girl friend had. 7 I think I recognise the intro, then I realise I don’t recognise it at all. I have the feeling that the trumpet player is one of them as was on “Free Jazz”. All those bells and percussion stuff make me thing of Sun Ra, though, or Pharoah Sanders. But I haven’t heard Pharoah, who is usually most recognisable. The major, and terrific, role of the trombonist makes me think he’s the leader. A St Louis recording? Damn good, but I hope there’s some Disco for the seventies track 8 Sounds like Freddie Hubbard. As the solo develops, he seems to be too much under control to be Hubbard, but he does have that sound. Cecil McBee on bass? Joe Henderson on ts – I recognise him from his work on Kudu with Johnny “Hammond” Smith So, close to Disco. Thanks Jeff 9 The tune sounds something like a rock tune, to me. I guess this is someone like Pat Metheny or the other guy I don’t like much, Paul Scofield. Oh, there are apparently two guitarists of the same ilk. Totally out of sympathy with this; for me, it’s as bad as listening to Queen or Meat Loaf on my wife’s ipod. 10 This one ain’t doin’ it for me, either. Why that should be so, when tracks 7 and 8 did get through, I don’t know, can’t say. Well, perhaps it’s the deliberateness of the trombonist. There’s this tenor player with a very nice sound and a trombonist who sounds as bland as they make ‘em and he’s trying to play licks like the tenor player. But they MEAN something different when a tenor player does them. Oh well. 11 Are there some singers on this, or is it the voicing of the horns? Takes a long time to get there. Oh yes, there are singers. This seems to be determined to be pleasant while it’s kind of on the edge of exploration. Don’t like the trombonist again. I much prefer the older guys who sounded really rough than these smooth post JJJ players. 12 “How high the moon” sung by Billy Eckstine? Anyway, by one of the East Coast Sepia Sinatras. Very lovely. Eckstine on trumpet, too? Nice sounding trombonist, too. Very Hampton-ish ending. Could it have been him on vibes? Didn’t sound like him. 13 Instantly George Freeman. Beautiful. Beautiful. “My ship” from “Birth sign”. Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. 14 “The song is you”. A charming and hot arrangement. Cracking trumpet solo. Well, they’re all cracking solos. Not my kind of thing at all, but it’s great! And great fun, too. What an interesting BFT, Jeff! Thanks very much for this. MG

FUCK ALL!!!!!! My turntable is in the menders. Just stopped working a fortnight ago. They say it'll be ready early in February. Over fifty quid, if it's an easy repair. MG

First album of the new year arrived yesterday from Da Barstids Rhoda Scott - Tale a ladder - Barclay So I celebrated by downloading something I have on poor vinyl and haven't been able to listen to for about 12 years. MG

Dave French (proprietor of a certain record label) Mike German Spanish Raymond

Jack McDuff made a record of "Summer samba", too. From the LP "Do it now". That was a quintet version, with 2 saxes/flutes. Is the record your mother's thinking of one with an orchestra or a small group? MG

What albums is that? MG

I agree with Brownie. Over here, you bought what Blue Notes you could, when you could. So I have several of these dark blue UA editions. No complaints with the sound from me, but I never compared them either. MG

Well, that they're going to focus on Soul Jazz sounds good. But there ain't much of that in this lot. MG

Back to some Soul Jazz Charlie Brown - Why is everybody always picking on me - Contact (black label) (with Purdie, Cornell Dupree & Billy Butler) Fats Theus - Black out - CTI (green label) (with Grant Green & Hilton Felton (org)) Thornel Schwartz - Soul cookin' - Argo (grey label) (with Lawrence Olds & Bill Leslie) MG

Cinderfella Fela Kuti Lekan Animashaun