zzaJ-knuF: In Your Review Mirror

zzaJ-knuF: In Your Review Mirror Track Listing:

    1.    (0:00:35) Herbie Hancock PALM GREASE - One of the greatest drum grooves of all-time by master funky jazz drummer, Mike Clark.  This track opens Herbie Hancock's Thrust album, which is the follow up album to Headhunters.  Clark replaced Harvey Mason on drums as the only change from the Headhunters group.
    2.    (0:04:13) Herbie Hancock CHAMELEON - Speaking of Headhunters, this is the opening track to that very album to complete a nice dosage from jazz's brilliant funk era.  Herbie Hancock is arguably one of jazz's greatest innovators, and I believe Miles Davis saw that too, when he brought him in on his quintet of '65-'68.  He has pushed boundaries in just about every genre of music possible, and continues to shell out innovations in music today.
    3.    (0:10:23) Matthew Shipp SELECT MODE 2 - Choppy, electronica, hip hop from NYC-based pianist, Matthew Shipp.  Spinning off an album a year off Thirsty Ear records, Mr. Shipp running with Guillermo Brown on drums, William Parker on bass, Daniel Carter on sax, and FLAM on synths and programming.  
    4.    (0:13:10) Murs & 9th Wonder BAD MAN! - Brilliant underground hip hop players from both coasts.  Murs, of Living Legends, from California, and 9th Wonder from North Carolina.  Murs' lyrics here seem to be harsh and rock-n-roll misogynistic from the start, but tail off into a more humanistic, rather gentlemanly approach in the final verse as well as the change in lyrics to the final chorus.  
    5.    (0:17:14) Tricky feat Martina Topley Bird I BE THE PROPHET - One of my personal favorites of Tricky's from Nearly God.  Nearly God is one of the most underrated albums of all-time in my opinion, featuring breakthrough performances by Bjork and Nenah Cherry as well as Ms. Topley Bird (who is featured on Tricky's debut Maxinquaye, as well as Pre-Millennium Tension, and Angels with Dirty Faces).  Check out Martina Topley Bird in her solo music as well, Quixotic is her debut album, which was up for Mercury Prize when released.
    6.    (0:21:52) Two Lone Swordsmen A SLOW DRIVE WEST - This track is off the extremely rare double-LP by Mr. Weatherall and Mr. Tenniswood, The Fifth Mission.  When I first discovered the majority of the tracks of this album, I think a mate of mine and myself must have played it everyday in our jobsite mixes for at least a week or so, and I continued to play it in my headphones while riding the subway home from work.  It might be one of the greatest albums to just play from destination to destination while riding a packed train, with each track offering slices of minimalism with jagged edges just sharp enough to pierce the screeches and halts of metal against metal below.  Pure genius!
    7.    (0:27:14) Willis PAPER AND STONE - For whatever reason, iTunes recognizes this as S.E. Willis, which is not true.  He is a folky country musician from the States, but Willis is a UK band mixing various blues, African vibes, and folk.  Within the mix, it will read S.E. Willis, so I apologize, this is very wrong.  This is a track off their debut, Come Get Some.
    8.    (0:30:32) Blue Sky Black Death FROM SUN'S ANGLE - Underground hip hop producers from the West coast.  They signed under MUSH records and have released 8 LPs since 2006, and have collaborated with some of underground's most respected rappers including, Pep Love and A-Plus of Hieroglyphics, and Mikah 9 of Freestyle Fellowship, as well as Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers.  
    9.    (0:33:43) Cunninlynguists feat Cee-Lo CAVED IN - Off of one of the most solid hip hop records to come out in a very long time.  Underground hip hop group from Kentucky; yes, Kentucky!  This song features the brilliant musician Cee-Lo and defines the record in mood and style.  This is from A Piece of Strange.  
    10.    (0:36:49) Jamie Lidell DADDY'S CAR (BOOM BIP REMIX) - Wow!  Did you listen closely to the lyrics of this track from UK's rising star, Jamie Lidell?  Go back, and listen again, if you did not catch them.  This track came out before his debut breakthrough, Multiply, and the master Boom Bip remixed it!  I couldn't have chosen a better artist to remix a song than Mr. Bip!
    11.    (0:40:28) Four Tet SUN DRUMS AND SOIL - Another brilliant track from Kieran Hebden, who also runs improv sessions with jazz drummer Steve Reid.  Electronic musician based in the UK.  This track is off of Everything Ecstatic.
    12.    (0:46:31) Guru feat Ronny Laws THIS IS ART - Guru's Jazzmatazz Volume 4 with producer Solar revamps the rap legend featuring jazz artists to elevate the fusion of jazz and hip hop.  Guru's debut Jazzmatazz was one of hip hop's greatest achievements, and emphasized the notion that hip hop artists do truly respect the music in which they sample.
    13.    (0:48:24) DJ Logic SOUL-KISSING - Possibly DJ Logic's best output, The Anomaly, featuring outstanding collaborations, like Kudu's insanely amazing drummer, Deantoni Parks.  DJ Logic acts as a great conductor of his band, like Art Blakey did the Jazz Messengers, but does it behind the turntables.  Logic is best seen live, touring with his own group, Project Logic, which was the title of his debut LP.  Logic has also collaborated with the likes of Vernon Reid of Living Color, John Mayer, Medeski Martin & Wood, Christian McBride, and also founded The John Popper Project - featuring John Popper of Blues Traveler.  
    14.    (0:53:10) Roni Size IT'S JAZZY - Mr. Size, one of the UK's leading jungle or drum n bass artists, has won the Mercury Prize for his record New Forms.  This is from a single with DJ Krust, but can be found on several compilations as well.
    15.    (0:56:39) Kudu SUGAR - I had to end this mix with one of my personal favorite groups to come out of my neighborhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  Sylvia Gordon singing and the brilliant Deantoni Parks on drums.  Believe me, you've never seen anybody like Mr. Parks, and couldn't possibly imagine that the sounds you hear on a track like this that he is actually playing the drums, and not a drum machine.  Both went to the prestigious Berklee College of Music.  The duo often backs hip hop artists like Beans or even DJ Logic.  Sylvia also plays the bass.  Deantoni also has toured and played with John Cale of Velvet Underground, Mishell Ndegeocello, and he also sat in with one of my favorite bands, The Mars Volta when they were transitioning from Jon Theodore to Thomas Pridgen.  I had the pleasure to see him play and open for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  I once remember being one of 3 people in an audience for Kudu, and it's good to see that they have gained a bit of recognition for their amazing talents.  Oh, Mr. Parks also plays the synth sounds while he drums...haha!