News & Updates — jazz

Happy birthday to one of the greats of West African highlife music! The composer of one of the biggest African songs ever, "Taxi Driver", the Nigerian entertainer and businessman Bobby Benson was leader of an 11-piece band, comedian, magician and hotel/nightclub owner. His band played calypso, jazz, jive, samba and highlife and he played the guitar and saxophone. From Ikorodu in Lagos State, he started his career in '44 in London, playing with a touring ballet, traveling throughout Europe, before returning to Nigeria where he founded a dance & theater company in '47 with his wife Cassandra. His band became...

In honor of the birthday of the great psych-funk guitarist Eddie Hazel, he of Funkadelic fame, here's a few assorted renditions of his signature emo-metal tune. It's astounding how many versions there are. While they are all pretty faithful, the range of different types of artists covering it is amazing. As such, I have included everyone from blues icon Buddy Guy to new age piano, famous rock stars to underground psych bands, alt-country to P-Funk related projects. You can decide for yourself which ones are worthy. This one, from the often boring French band AIR, possibly my fave cover of...

BRAND NEW!! OUT NOW!! The heaviest and sweatiest funk ensemble Big Mean Sound Machine's newest full length platter!! Runnin' For The Ghost is available now! Order here. Stores may contact Forced Exposure for wholesale. In a time when people need to come together more than ever, Big Mean Sound Machine is spreading positivity through communal dance by creating music that moves people of all ages and backgrounds. With this new album, the ten piece band breaks new sonic ground and creates a unique flavor of instrumental music with their fourth full-length studio album, Runnin’ for the Ghost, co-released by Peace...

The Nigerian percussionist, teacher and activist Babatunde Olatunji helped bring African rhythms to the greater music world. His 1959 album for Columbia, Drums Of Passion, became a staple on hi-fis all over the world. His bands included amazing jazz musicians like Yusef Lateef, Ahmed Abdul-Malik, Pat Patrick, Marshall Allen, Horace Silver, Charles Lloyd, Airto and others. He played with the Grateful Dead and made all kinds of music from huge ensembles of drummers and folkloric musicians to jazz and soul. As a guest or sideman he played on records by Cannonball Adderley, Stevie Wonder, Max Roach, Mickey Hart, Richie Havens...

The great Cuban conguero and bandleader Mongo Santamaría brought some spice to the American popular music scene. He had been bandleader for the prestigious Tropicana house band in Havana in the '40s before coming to NYC in 1950. He was the composer of "Afro Blue" and had a huge hit with Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man". In addition to his own groovy ensembles, he played with Cal Tjader, Tito Puente, Perez Prado, Fania All Stars, Willie Bobo, Dizzy Gillespie and others. It's always a pleasure to hear his Afro-Cuban arrangements of popular soul tunes, as well as his Orisha-guided rumbas. He...