Sunday, January 27, 2013

Javād Ma'roufi -- Golden Dreams & Other Romantic Melodies (Iran, 197x / SARLP-500)

  


"Javad Maroufi (جواد معروفی)  was born in Tehran in 1919. He was one of the first musicians who chose to perform Persian music on the piano. Piano and violin were brought to Persia during the reign of the Qajar King Nassereddin-Shah. In the beginning, these instruments could only be found in the royal palaces and the homes of the nobility. Qolamreza Salar Moazez, Motamedolmolk Yahyaian, and Mahmoud Mofakham were among the first musicians who introduced the piano in Persia. Alinaqi Vaziri taught piano in his music school, and later, prominent musicians like Moshirhomayoun Shahrdar, Hossein Ostovar, Morteza Mahjoubi, and Javad Maroufi were the ones who were admired by the lovers of this instrument and by ordinary people. Maroufi was the son of Moussa Maroufi, a renowned player of the tar. Mousa was the best student of Darvish Khan and Alinaqi Vaziri. He paid special attention to his son Javad’s musical education. After completing elementary school, Javad Maroufi attended Alinaqi Vaziri's School of Music. He started with the tar, but turned to the piano after a few years. Maroufi graduated from Vaziri’s School of Music in 1932. He went on to receive a diploma from the Tehran Conservatory, where he studied Western music. He believed that, in order to be able to play Persian music on the piano, one should also master the techniques of Western music. Maroufi began working at Radio Iran when it was established in 1941. He collaborated closely with the great Rouhollah Khaleghi as a piano soloist, as well as an arranger of works of other composers. He taught piano, music theory, and solfege at the School of National Music for many years. He also composed many original works for piano solo. Maroufi passed away in 1994." (Rouhollah Khaleghi Artistic Center)

Here's a much needed re-rip of this wistful, yet contemplative, solo set of Persian piano compositions by Javād Ma'roufi. Golden Dreams is a longtime personal favorite from my collection, highly recommended, we'll say, for any other homeless wanderers who've found solace in the sounds of Tsegue Maryam Guebrou. Romantic regional piano solos; Bartok's Romanian Folk Dances, as another example, are slowly becoming a strong fascination, here. Do any discerning readers out there have further recommendations? 


Javād Ma'roufi -- Golden Dreams & Other Romantic Melodies (Iran, 197x / SARLP-500)


Side A
1. Prelude no. 1
2. Prelude no. 2
3. Prelude no. 3
4. Prelude no. 4
5. Prelude no. 5

Side B
1. Jila
2. Golden Dreams
3. Kou Kou
4. Fantasie on Armenian Theme
5. Fantasie on La Minor





Thursday, January 24, 2013

Lumerians - Hartzine Mix



I fully endorse this slamming soundcloud mix put together for Hands In The Dark by Marc Meltzer of Lumerians. Heavy jams, kids. You might catch a couple of choice tracks sourced from Ghost-Capital, if you're listening close. (Sorry, no tracklist just yet) Dig it! 

Monday, January 21, 2013

Les Grands Colombias Du Peuple & Stanley Murphy -‎– Dans Becheke Pi (Côte d’Ivoire, 1982)



Another great LP graciously lent to GC by one Mr.Jason UrickThis fresh set of Ivoirienne funk was recorded at Studio JBZ in Abidjan, 1982. Haven't found much of anything in the way of group or artist bios, but more fine sounds from Stanley Murphy & Les Grands can be enjoyed at the always outstanding Oro blog. 



Les Grands Colombias Du Peuple & Stanley Murphy  -‎– Dans Becheke Pi (Côte d’Ivoire, 1982) 


*Musique Mondiale, Mond 0020

Side A
1 Saint A Tout A L'Heure 
2 Gnipa Gnileu 

Side B
1 Becheke Pi 
2 Zapin

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Waynell Jones -- The Chicken Song & Jaybird Boogie (1984 *High Water 424)



'High Water Recording Company is proud to introduce the first record by Waynell Jones, an artist with a truly distinctive sound. His music is downhome blues flavored with country and wester, modern rhythm and blues, and old-time songster material. It is a sound forged by years of performing music for a living on the streets of his home town of Henderson, Tennessee, playing for every kind of audience, black and white, young and old. Waynell was born in 1926 near Henderseon in rural Chester County and had lived there and in nearby Humboldt, Tennessee, his entire life. All of his thirty-nine aunts and uncles played instruments, and by the age of fifteen Waynell was playing guitar. He played for house parties and country picnics before becoming a street musician. For the past eighteen years he has been employed at Freed-Hardeman College in Henderson and now plays blues mostly for students and at special programs at the college. He is also the guitarist for the Gospel Travelers, a local community singing group. His years of performing in the community and at the college have made him one of Henderson's best known and best loved citizens. Both songs on this record are ones that he put together himself. "Jaybird Boogie" is the first song he ever made up. He was sitting on a country store porch playing his guitar, and the owner offered him a soft drink if he would make up a piece called "jaybird Boogie." When Waynell finished, the man gave him a whole case of drinks!' (David Evans, cover notes)


Waynell Jones -- The Chicken Song & Jaybird Boogie (1984 *High Water 424)


Produced by Dr. David Evans for the High Water Recording Company at Memphis State University in Memphis, TN. 





Saturday, January 19, 2013

Exuma -- Exuma II (1970 *Mercury SR 61314) Flac + 320





"Exuma, the Obeah Man, was born in Cat Island, Bahamas and christened as Tony McKay; he grew up through Canaan Lane off Shirley Street, Nassau, Bahamas. Drawing on the traditional Bahamian folk songs, the infectious beat of Junkanoo, ring play, myths and linguistic idioma, Exuma, through his musical recordings, performances and paintings, has promoted Bahamian heritage and extended Bahamian music throughout the world moreso than any other contemporary Bahamian recording artist." (Nina Simone Database)


Righteous Afro-Bahamian songwriter Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey, aka Exuma, sang it with depth. At times, he comes on like a man possessed, defiantly exorcising himself. His earliest work is an unreal melange of heavy folk dirges, pounding junkanoo ruckus, and the groaning incantations of mythically just, voudoun enlivened cataclysms of spiritual and material oppressions in our brave new world. Proper chant down Babylon vibes. Exuma's records have long been a staple of the countless hauntologically-minded and/or whateverly freak-folked RSS electroducts we've been privy too for years, now. I know I've dropped him here, before. This is my flac rip of Exuma II. Baal destroys me. Some contend that this record's uneven. Mayhaps its more of a for madmen only kind of thing. Nahmean? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Paz.




Exuma -- Exuma II (1970 *Mercury SR 61314)

Flac + 320

Side 1
1.  Damn Fool 
2.  Baal 
3.  Paul Simon Nontooth 
4.  Fire In The Hole 

Side 2
1.  A Place Called Earth 
2. We Got To Go 
3.  African Rhythm 
4.  Zandoo