Undiscovered Soul: Beverley Knight

Beverley Knight (vocals; b. 1973)

I'm assuming most of the American readers may not know of Beverley Knight--but you need to. One of my favourite soul artists of the last 15 years, British born Beverley Knight, is one of the countless real old school soul singers. Like many of her American counterparts (N'Dambi, Angela Johnson, Eyrka Badu) she combines a rich soulful voice with real instrumentation and most of positive and thought-provoking lyrics. Something severely lacking in the major hit R&B/Pop artist arsenal.

The influence of soul and gospel is very apparent in Knight music. She was raised on in a religious environment but also listened to soul greats like Aretha Franklin (a wonderful combination of the two genres) and later on highly influenced by the creative forces of Prince. After absorbing the two cultural experiences and developing her own writing skills Beverley Knight finally made it to the point of working on her debut album, B-Funk (Dome Records, 1995).

B-Funk contain the great floor-filler, "Flavour Of The Old School" which still gets me jumping 15 years later. Also reflecting her gospel/soul influences was the lovely ballad "Goodbye Innocence" a loving look at moving into the next phase of life. (9.17 correction: the song is about child abuse and recovering and moving on from that. thanks for explanation nusoulfan. we definitely appreciate it).

B-Funk became a classic blueprint of new British R&B. Let's be clear, there were other British R&B artists that came before (Gabrielle and Mica Paris most notably with success across both the sides of the Atlantic) but the B-Funk made a powerful statement of that British R&B had a grown stronger and was ready to break out.

In '98 Knight returned with the explosive Prodigal Sista (EMI). This is really the point that I became a fan. There is a balance of hip-street soul and melodic introspective beauty running throughout Prodigal Sista. That balance appears in the opening tracks "Made It Back" and "Rewind" which are both joyful and beat driven. The delicate and soul-searching nature of her ballads are nowhere more evident than on "Strong Hand" as we can all ask for someone to help us through the tough times in life.

While Prodigal Sista was the album catapulted her into the British popular eye and out of the nu-soul underground, her third album, Who I Am (EMI) contained some of her most powerful material to date. Who I Am is all over the map as far as strong mixture of funk, dancehall reggae, soul and pop. Tracks like "Get Up!," "Shoulda Woulda Coulda," "Bestseller Mystery," and "Same As (I Ever Was)" all shine with a vibrant beauty and genius that most Soul artists just haven't the skill to write or even perform. This was a big statement album for me and possible my favourite of all Beverley Knight's albums. A solid piece of work that is definitely a must have of any fan of Soul music.

Beverley Knight took another step up with Affirmation (EMI; 2004), an album more pop based than soul. That's not a big thing people. Affirmation was as the title suggest--a confident and more assertive demonstration of Beverley Knight as songwriter. To me I think this was definitely the direction she should have taken at this point. "Come As You Are," "Keep This Fire Burning" and "Remember Me" all show a maturity and in the case of "Remember Me", the gospel influence comes to the forefront again. Great stuff.

Knight's fifth album, Music City Soul (EMI; 2007) was the culmination of everything she believed and had been working on since '95. Motor City Soul marries Knight's soulful voice with the raw energy of Midwestern American Blues & Soul. Possibly an underrated album in Knight's arsenal. With tracks like "The Queen Of Starting Over," and "Every Time You See Me Smile" evokes her the prime periods of both Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin. This is probably the most divergent of all her albums put it suits her perfectly.

Beverley Knight's most recent album, 100% (EMI; 2009) is a return to the robust, funky soul of Who I Am. It has a combination of pop flavour and dance oriented soul highlighted by two amazing tracks "Breakout" and "Soul Suvivour". The album closes with a wonderful rendition of Robin Gibb's "Too Much Heaven", a ballad that Beverley handles with ease.

All of Beverley Knight's albums are a reflection of her life at each moment. The remarkable thing is, everyone can relate to this experiences. And that's what makes a great songwriter. That's what makes the British Soul of Beverley Knight not just British but universal.

My two choices for anyone unfamiliar with Beverley Knight would definitely be Who I Am or if you just want a brief overview there are two compilations that cover the first five albums (The Voice: The Best Of Beverley Knight and The Beverley Knight Collection). If you haven't listened to her before now is a good time to check her out.

Vijay Iyer / Matana Roberts Live

Live At Le Possion Rouge NYC 10.9.2010
Vijay Iyer (piano)
Matana Roberts (sax)
(photos courtesy: me from my crappy mobile phone (flash off))

A night of discovery and solo bliss. It was a cool Friday night in New York City and the new space for the increasingly popular Le Possion Rouge was full and buzzing. The rare solo appearance of now New York icon, Vijay Iyer is definitely something to see.

I went with a friend who is a big fan. But I didn't really own any of Iyer's albums. I have material that he plays on so I am familiar with how good a player he is. I really hadn't thought about picking up one of his records before because I wasn't convinced of his strength. But tonight would be different.

I came into this gig with a completely closed minded. I was expecting a good show and I knew I would be entertained but I didn't think I would be blown away. Not too mention blown away twice.

You see, this was actually two performances. Matana Roberts, for whom I didn't know much about either until I went back home and realised I owned a number Brunt Sugar albums in which she performances on. In my head I realized, "that's why I loved that album so much." So this night belong to two fascinating performers with similar spiritual directions in music with subtlety different delivers.

Vijay Iyer currently promoting his new release, Solo (Act Music) was impressive with a brisk and quick deliver of mood and melody. There is a certain element of Debussey, Haydn and Satie in his work. While Thelonious Monk and Andrew Hill are definitely influences Iyer's own compositions are what really shined for me on Friday night.

Two original pieces "Patterns" and "Abundance" (currently unrecorded for the studio apparently) showed large scale creativity a beauty as the piece were rolling studies in Indian culture and modal structures. Vijay Iyer's ability to inject some muscular strength into well used standards was also something I didn't expect. His interpretations of "Darn That Dream," Monk's "Epistrophy" and now jazz staple Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" feature a distinctiveness and daring that very few musicians would be able to pull off. These standards are feature on Solo along with a "Patterns" and for this once bird-sitter, I am now venturing to investigate more Vijay Iyer as I am now totally convinced.

The other revelation Friday night was that of veteran saxophonist Matana Roberts. Matana Roberts built her reputation in the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) and has worked with a host innovative musicians including Guillermo E. Brown, Mary Halvorson, TV On The Radio and the late Fred Anderson for whom she credits a great deal of influence.

And you could sense the influence on this night as the ideas and energy she projected throughout the evening of this solo saxophone performance. Roberts who has done a lot of session and live work with others (with a small handful of releases under her own leadership) but that appears to be changing in the next few months with two albums done in the pipeline.

Friday night was a strong, bold performance with shades of Anderson, Rivers, Vandermark and Braxton all coming to my attention as I witnessed Matana move confidently up and done the scales. Her work has spacious, dark, melodic bluesy tones that show a fresh voice with diverse ideas. "Rue Vanhorne Parc" is a piece she says was created while on one of her journeys to recorded in abandoned buildings. It is a wonderful piece that is moves quietly like a journey through a cornfield with nothing but the birds and clear sky above.

Mr. Roberts can also let loose in caustic fashion that shows she has learned the balance and beauty that they aforementioned saxophonists have all mastered. Matana Roberts is currently working on a multi-tiered piece entitled Coin Coin which explores her cultrual and spiritual heritage in a similar vein that John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane and later poets Nikki Giovanni and Wanda Robinson and others have delve into with rich and extraordinary results.

The most recent album, The Chicago Project (Central Control Records) is a wonderful example of her compositional skill as well phenomenal playing. Featuring an awesome track entitled "South By West," "Exchange" and the lovely improvised pieces "Birdhouse"Worth seeking out.

For those looking for someone with some fresh ideas and bound to exploded in prominence sooner than we think--Matana Roberts is definitely the real deal folks. Get on board this train now. I glad I did--even if it was by accident.

Friday night was a great night for music and discovery. And that's why we love jazz baby...

Shelly Manne Live At The Black Hawk

Shelly Manne (drums; b. 1920 - d. 1984)

I have to begin with the statement, I really didn't get into Shelly Manne until a few years ago. But I am glad I did.

Considered one of the best drummers ever, Shelly Manne was pure gift on the kit. Mainly known as part of the West coast outfit of jazz musicians, Manne originally got his start in New York in bands with Joe Marsala (clarinet) and Stan Kenton's (piano, leader) Orchestra until he moved out west in the early '50s. Shelly Manne had a driven rhythm and was dedicated and revered leader. His groups were super-tight and always came to play. He was one of those great leaders who lets his band get on with what they do best.

In addition to being a great leader he was also a superior session member. Manne worked with Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Benny Carter and late in his life with Tom Waits. Throughout his career Manne maneuvered between his group, session work and film projects (Hitchcock's Rear Window being one of the most known) but it was always his group and performing live that drove him.

There are quite a few best of compilations that are all worth picking up if you want the general overview. The most simply and affordable one is The Best Of Shelly Manne (Contemporary Records) which covers the most significant pieces. But for the real true experience of this dynamic performer I highly suggest jazz fans shell out the money for the four disc set Complete Live At The Black Hawk (American Jazz Classics).

Manne's group was one of the best bebop bands on the West coast and could rival anything coming out of the east at the time. The nights at the Black Hawk were beautiful and blistering. It's one of those live albums that puts you front and center of the action. There's some amazing numbers including "Whisper Not," "Poinciana," "Step Lightly," "Cabu" and "A Gem For Tiffany", all of which display a quintet at the peak of its power.

Shelly Manne recorded some amazing live albums including many at his own club, Shelly's Manne-Hole but Live At The Black Hawk has always been the one that I recommend to anyone. It's powerful, beautiful and stacked with superior performances. Consider this right up there as one of great live jazz albums of all time. I have a feeling some readers may not know much about Shelly Manne but I urge to find out more...

Dave Douglas: Spark Of Being - Exapnd

Dave Douglas & Keystone
Spark Of Being: Expand (Greenleaf)

Dave Douglas (trumpet)
Marcus Strickland (tenor sax)
Adam Benjamin (fender rhodes)
Brad Jones (bass)
Gene Lake (drums)
DJ Olive (turntables, electronics)

The is the second part of the Spark Of Being Trilogy based on a re-imagination of the Frankenstein novel by film marker Bill Morrison. The accompanying music done by Douglas and his always adventurous and raucous Keystone ensemble.

Spark Of Being: Expand begins just as its predecessor did with a slow opening movement only to be enveloped by the crushing chords of the "Creature" and its swirling loops provided by DJ Olive. This along with the accumulating sounds of Marcus Strickland (sax) and Gene Lake (drums) and to the dark foreboding atmosphere of this outing. The track listings may be similar but the music does vary from its counterpart release.

Where the first installment, Spark Of Being: Soundtrack focused on the atmospherics of the film, Expand does exactly what it says--expand on the themes. The performances seem to have a little more breathing room especially on tracks like "Chroma" and "Travelogue" where Douglas and Strickland tend to take the lead more than DJ Olive and Adam Benjamin did on the Soundtrack. Strickland even turns up the funky groove quotient a bit on "Chroma".

The closing number "Prologue" remains a mid-tempo piece across both releases but on Expand it is definitely more a dark blues movement than previous. With the strength of Douglas, Lake and Strickland making it lovely outro for this second movement of the film.

As you would expect, Spark Of Being: Expand stands alone but it also gives the listens a different picture of the film in their imagination as well a jazzier soundscape to explore. The third and final instalment will be released later this month with film and score performances held surrounding the release. Spark Of Being is a concept record but probably only one that Dave Douglas & Keystone could pull off without sound trite and over conceived. This is an artist making a big leap with really big ideas and vision. Great stuff.