Burnt Sugar?

[John B]

Is anyone here familiar with any of Burnt Sugar's discs? I've been hearing praises of them for a while now and finally want to get around to exploring some of their work. Dustygroove has, go figure, heaps of praise for them:

"A mesmerizing set of jazzy space funk from the ever-evolving Burnt Sugar collective -- captured live at Banlieus Bleues in France, in March of '04! The Arkestra tag in the group's moniker couldn't be more appropriate for these cats -- as the vibe indeed runs through the cestial groove of Sun Ra and electric Miles, but the crew also dips heatily into the play book of prime Art Ensemble and the lowdown funky drive of Funkadelic. "

and

"Arranger/producer Greg Tate and his titanic Burnt Sugar collective continues to ascend into its own intergalactic space station of heavy cosmic jamming, instrumental funky jazz, and wildly spacious trippiness with this double disc -- by far the most unique and individualistic indie funk album we've heard in a long, long time! As on their previous sets, Burnt Sugar takes the past three or more decades worth of avant funk and jazz, from the celestial influence of Sun Ra projects, to the bass thumping righteousness of Blacksploitation soundtracks, to the dancefloor oriented 70s fusion funk of Larry Mizell's productions -- but the loose collective looks as much inward and forward with their approach, giving the recordings as much of a profound newness as anything in the latter day avant garde"

Of course, these reviews make these discs sound essential. Anyone have a suggestion for which disc(s) to start with?

[John B]

I've heard a lot about Jackie-O, usually in the same breath as NNCK and/or Sunburned Hand of the Man. Any similarities with those two?

I'll probably still end up checking out Burnt Sugar at some point but your comments jibe with one other person I know who has heard a disc. Good music, but nothing earth-shattering.

[JSngry]

Is this Greg Tate the writer?

[John B]

Is this Greg Tate the writer?

yes. I've read some of his work in the Village Voice, not sure where else he is published.

[John B]

Jackie-O at their best are WAAAAAY more like composers, closer to Burnt Sugar/conduction tho' w/different tools/methods, than No Neck (whom i laud for weirdness & otherwise easily ignore). The little i have heard/read about Sunburned seem similar, if less purposefully messy. are they interested in making records that sustain one outside the, uh, "festival" setting? if you have ears in that direction, Jackie-O are tops along w/the more trad underground folkies likes P.G. Six or Ben Chasney (Six Organs of Admittance), who are very Incredible String Band & Sandy Bull (& John Fahey) influenced respectively. tho' i appreciate the outsider spirit, i don't need THAT much shambling or process.

try "Liberation" or "Magick Fire Music" for Jackie-O. like Burnt Sugar, they're worthy & thus far, for my tastes, a couple steps deeper, tho' i haven't even tried to think about the growing list of live cd-rs they have. (you probably shouldn't either.)

U Sound Archive

tan as fuck* clem

* GREAT band name

I really dig Chasny's work. I have several Six Organs discs and really enjoy all of them. It is also interesting to hear him with Comets on ire, for a very different take on psych.

[JSngry]

Greg Tate wrote one of (if not THE) the first "mainstream reappraisals" of Miles' 70s work, for Down Beat, somewhere just before or after the retirement ended, I don't remember which.

Who all's in this collective?

[kdd]

yes, greg tate the writer. I believes he conduct a la Butch Morris on the gigs. Lots of Black Rock Coalition types usually playing on the gig.

[John B]

Greg Tate wrote one of (if not THE) the first "mainstream reappraisals" of Miles' 70s work, for Down Beat, somewhere just before or after the retirement ended, I don't remember which.

Who all's in this collective?

I'm sure there are more musicians than tehse but, according to the website:

Egyptian turntablist DJ Mutamassik; trumpeter Lewis ‘Flip’ Barnes of William Parker’s lauded O’Neal’s Porch Group; bassist Jared Nickerson who has toured and recorded with The The, Freedy Johnston and Gary Lucas; and pianist Vijay Iyer.

[JSngry]

Hey, the presence of Iyler alone would get my attention, but throwing in an Egyptian turntablist seals the deal!

[John B]

Jackie-O at their best are WAAAAAY more like composers, closer to Burnt Sugar/conduction tho' w/different tools/methods, than No Neck (whom i laud for weirdness & otherwise easily ignore). The little i have heard/read about Sunburned seem similar, if less purposefully messy. are they interested in making records that sustain one outside the, uh, "festival" setting? if you have ears in that direction, Jackie-O are tops along w/the more trad underground folkies likes P.G. Six or Ben Chasney (Six Organs of Admittance), who are very Incredible String Band & Sandy Bull (& John Fahey) influenced respectively. tho' i appreciate the outsider spirit, i don't need THAT much shambling or process.

try "Liberation" or "Magick Fire Music" for Jackie-O. like Burnt Sugar, they're worthy & thus far, for my tastes, a couple steps deeper, tho' i haven't even tried to think about the growing list of live cd-rs they have. (you probably shouldn't either.)

U Sound Archive

tan as fuck* clem

* GREAT band name

thanks for the link! I'll give a listen to that rasio show in the next day or so.

[John B]

Hey, the presence of Iyler alone would get my attention, but throwing in an Egyptian turntablist seals the deal!

I keep imagining a cross between Bitches Brew and Tabla Beat Sound System.

I have yet to be disappointed by a disc with Vijay on it.

[bluesoul]