The Intersection: Future Sounds of Jazz

The Intersection is a new feature on JazzWrap that looks at artists that blend jazz with electronica (a tradition pioneered by none other than Miles Davis on such classic recordings as On the Corner).

This week's focus is Compost Records' Future Sounds of Jazz series.

Compost Records is a German label closely associated with the electronica genre called "nu jazz" or more generically "downtempo." Most people familiar with this sophisticated 21st century style will tell you that the Future Sounds of Jazz series is the nu jazz benchmark. They'll get no argument here.

The Michael Reinboth-produced 11-part series (so far) boasts a list of label and non-label talent including Jimi Tenor, Wagon Christ, Gentle People, Nightmares on Wax, Fauna Flash, Turntable Terranova, FunkStorung, Beanfield, Rainer Truby Trio, Tosca, Alex Gopher, Jazzanova, A Forest Mighty Black, United Future Organization, Peter Kruder and many many more.

Stylistically, the sounds encompass chilled downtempo, trippy exotica, jazzy drum 'n bass, Latin-tinged house, abstract hip hop, cut 'n paste and hard-edged techno. Over the course of the series, however, the emphasis is on uptempo highly polished dancefloor nu jazz.

While most of the music in the FSOJ series demonstrates a love of jazz feeling even when jazz chops or overt improvisation are apparent.

For example, Future Sounds of Jazz Vol. 8 offers up a dozen tracks, most exclusive to Compost and available for the first time on CD. Big beats mesh with murky synth loops and Latin rhythm beds, punctuated occasionally by soulful vocals and jazzy piano fills. It's a slick mix. Kaos' "Around in Circles" is cinematic big beat jazz par excellance. Jon Kennedy's "Smith vs. Smith" is simultaneously funky and intriguing. Moonstarr's "Dust" sounds like Latin lounge sucked through a hip-hop time warp. And Butti 49's "Spiritual Rotations" is jazzy as hell without meandering into self-indulgence. All in all, very nice and not in the least bit challenging -- perfect for the cocktail hour.

Next week: Amon Tobin

Bill Charlap: The Modern Pianist

Bill Charlap (piano; b. 1966)
Writen In The Stars

Bill Charlap is wonderful and accomplished pianists in the vain of Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. He has worked with Tony Bennett, Clark Terry and Gerry Mulligan among others. There's nothing technically complicated or cerebral going on here, just a nice dose of jazz with your Sunday morning tea.

I first started listening to Charlap after seeing him at the Village Vanguard in New York many years ago. I thought he was a superb performer and his band consisting of two young veterans, Peter Washington (bass) and Kenny Washington (drums) were excellent compliments to Charlap's mastery of the standards repertoire.

Charlap has an extensive catalog crossing a couple of labels but the one album that I believe is very representative of his style and is most appealing to everyone is Written In The Stars (Blue Note). Written In The Stars features the members listed above and is absolutely perfect throughout. This album is pretty widely available so you should be able to find it fairly easily. Bill Charlap is a modern craftsman of piano and someone you might want to check out if you starting your jazz collection from scratch.

Jack Kerouac: Jazz On The Road

Jack Kerouac
On The Road

I began re-reading Jack Kerouac's On The Road recently and I have to say this novel should be listed in the top 50 of American literary stories. Kerouac's vision and storytelling was always far beyond is fellow "Beat" contemporaries. While Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, William Burroughs and others were all prolific and inventive, Kerouac's writing was more appealing to the masses. Keroauc was a big jazz fan (especially of Charlie Parker) and On The Road reads like one giant jazz opus.

The cross country trek taken by Kerouac, Ginsberg and Neal Cassidy is one of beauty, grit and a magnificent description of Americana in the late '40s. For those who don't know, Kerouac wrote On The Road in 1947 and the final version wasn't published until 1957. There have been numerous reprints over the last 50 years with the most recent being the complete scrolls. This version is definitely worth buying but you can easily find the originally publishers version everywhere as well. The difference mainly is that in the scrolls features the real names of the characters before he changed them for the 1957 publication.

If you haven't read On The Road due yourself a favour a pick it up. Below is a classic clip from a Jack Kerouac documentary that epitomizes why he was one the best American writers we will ever see.

Charlie "Bird" Parker

Charlie Parker (alto saxophone; b. 1920 - d. 1955)

Along with Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker is the reason why we love jazz. Charlie Parker was responsible for creating the foundation for many musicians (not just other saxophone players) to follow. The sheer power, beauty and swift ability of his improvisation is what everyone looks to achieve as a musician, why people go to concerts and why we buy an album. His skill was the result of years of study and hard work but he is arguably the godfather of bebop.

Born in Kansas City, Charlie Parker originally spent time playing blues and R&B before switching to jazz in his teens. After moving to New York he soon began working with Dizzy Gillespie (the partnership known to many as "Diz and Bird"). His life was filled with ups and downs all fueled by drugs (mainly heroin) and other struggles with life. But this is also what fueled his creative process and for that we have a wealth of material to be thankful for and to explore. Definitely an artist from whom everyone should at have at least one CD in their collection. If you go online or to a record store you will find a plethora of music from this legend.

This entry is really meant for those who may not have a Charlie Parker album in your collection. Let me narrow it down with a little laser sharp vision. I would recommend The Best of Savoy & Dial Studio Recordings (Savoy Jazz). This collection is pretty readily available online and in-stores. The music is literally the most essential of Charlie Parker's material and many of the tracks will be familiar even to those of you who are not jazz fans such as "Scrapple From The Apple", "Orinthology" and "Yardbird Suite". Charlie Parker's performances with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie are well documented and can be found on a variety of other collections. The Best of Savoy & Dial Studio Recordings focuses on his material and while you listen you will realize you are in the presence of greatness.

Charlie Parker's influence can be felt on almost every artist in jazz in some form of another. And as one more point of reverence, one of Clint Eastwood's early production works was the film Bird which pays tribute to the legend. Not the greatest film but Eastwood is a big jazz aficionado so he deserves credit for trying.

I hope everyone has a chance to buy a Charlie Parker album at some point in their lives - you will have the opportunity to experience the Greatest right in your own room. This is why we love jazz.