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Jazz Articles about Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron: Paean To The Spirit Of One Of The Last Poets
by William H. Snyder
IntroductionWhat does it take to be a griot? According to the dictionary, griots are a 'member of a hereditary caste among the peoples of western Africa whose function is to keep an oral history of the tribe or village and to entertain with stories, poems, songs, dances, etc.' Gil Scott-Heron did not grow up in West Africa so he wasn't born a griot caste member like Youssou N'Dour was. But there is another word that has been used to describe ...
read moreGil Scott-Heron-Brian Jackson: Mezzo secolo di una partnership epocale
by Angelo Leonardi
A mezzo secolo di distanza dai primi folgoranti album degli anni settanta, la figura di Gil Scott-Heron resta centrale nella cultura afro-americana contemporanea. Molti rapper l'hanno indicato come ispiratore, Makaya McCraven gli ha dedicato nel 2020 We're New Again e i suoi brani sono stati campionati da esponenti della scena hip hop come Kanye West, Drake e Common. In quest'articolo ricordiamo i primi quattro dischi del cantante/poeta di Chicago (Small Talk, Pieces of a Man, Free Will e Winter in ...
read moreRemembering Gil Scott-Heron
by Russell Perry
Gil Scott-Heron, musician and poet much loved in the jazz community, passed away 10 years ago on May 27, 2011. His recordings of the '70s and early '80s are critical touchpoints of that era, documenting African-American indignity and pride with a raw street passion. His final release, I'm New Here (XL Recordings, 2010), his first in 16 years, was uncharacteristically preoccupied by family and loss. In the last decade, singers Giacomo Gates and Charenee Wade and beat artist Makaya McCraven ...
read moreBob Thiele's Flying Dutchman Records: Ten High Altitude Albums
by Chris May
Bob Thiele is best remembered for his years as the artistic director and house producer of Impulse!. He took over from founder producer Creed Taylor in 1961 and stayed with the label until 1969, when he left to run his own Flying Dutchman Records. Thiele's tenure at Impulse! was its most glorious period, when Thiele curated a body of work--daring and ambitious, catching the zeitgeist but also timeless—which has been matched by only a tiny number of other labels.
read moreGil Scott-Heron / Makaya McCraven: We're New Again
by Karl Ackermann
"All the dreams you show up in are not your own." With those words to an interviewer at The New Yorker, Gil Scott-Heron tried to explain a degree of detachment from I'm New Here (XL Recordings, 2011), his “comeback" and the final studio album before his death that year. The project was initiated by the head of XL and was the first album Scott-Heron released in the sixteen years he struggled with addiction and two drug-related terms in prison. The ...
read moreSpoken Jazz & New Releases
by Ludovico Granvassu
Spoken word is performance art that goes hand in hand with jazz because words often sound great and notes can speak loud and clear. In this episode we will explore the best of it, together with outstanding new releases that are making our summer even hotter than it already is! Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" from Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill) (self-released) ...
read moreThe Devil and Gil Scott-Heron
by Jeff Winbush
Live long enough and you'll either be disappointed by your heroes or you'll bury them.Did I say “heroes"? Sorry. I meant to say Gil Scott-Heron wasn't my hero. He was an innovator, a trailblazer, a pioneer and an inspiration, but he wasn't my hero.He was just one of the coolest brothers I ever heard in my life.Without Gil Scott-Heron would rap music ever been born? Probably, but without the social consciousness of a Scott-Heron, ...
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