McDonald and Giles – Suite in C
McDonald and Giles – Tomorrow’s People
McDonald and Giles – Birdman

After almost two years of doing this blog, I’m actually surprised that I hadn’t posted this album before, the single release from Ian McDonald and Michael Giles. Both men had just split from King Crimson, but thankfully the reasoning behind it wasn’t creative indifference. The sound has many elements of that early Crimson sound, personally for me, Giles and McDonald were the best things about those early Crimson recordings. I know that Fripp is the King and I do love his playing, but McDonald’s saxophone and Giles’ drums were what defined the Crimson sound as something special and different from other similar groups.

In fact I’m not sure if there is/was a more distinctive sounding drummer in Rock than Michael Giles. Some of it is in his style, most of it is literally in the sound of his drums. Recording here in 1970 that trademark sound is in full effect especially during what is one of my favorite funky prog songs, “Tomorrow’s People,” with that classic drums/percussion/hand clap breakdown about 2 minutes in. Those drums also go into unexpected areas on “Suite In C” and “Birdman,” as does the sound of the entire group.

It’s that sound that brings me back again and again to this LP. While the similarities to King Crimson are inescapable, this band pushes things in more interesting rhythmic ways while largely keeping brighter tones to the music (which according to the Crismon reissue I reviewed here was a main reason for McDonald’s desire to leave the group, the increasingly dark quality of its music). I’m sure the many many rhythmic changes made this record difficult for some to listen to, the fact that two songs take up 30 minutes couldn’t have helped in terms of radio play. For me they are the moments that make the album, such as when the sax, drums, guitar, hand claps and bass go off in “Birdman,” in all kinds of funky tightness a little after the first 4 minutes and then that same rhythm slows down to a crawl before bringing in the organ and continuing the verses. Those 2+ minutes are amongst my favorite from this entire period of progressive rock, and the album is filled with moments like that.

My love affair with the sound of this LP is part of the reason why I’ve now owned 3 different copies of it. The first was a Cotillion press, then a promo on Cotillion, my current copy is a mid-1970s reissue on Island. With each there’s been an improvement, and this reissue sounds the best of the bunch to my ears, I hear more of the minute elements and there is less distortion when the horns crest. From the inner sleeve it appears that the band recorded over at least three sessions to produce this album. Judging from the treasure trove associated with In The Court Of The Crimson King, that means that somewhere there are instrumental tracks of all these songs, alternate takes and other goodies yet to be discovered. I sincerely hope one day, in my lifetime, we hear even more out of this musical partnership, but for now I’ll cherish what I have.

Cheers,

Michael

p.s. one of the most surprising samples I’d heard in recent years was Amon Tobin sampling some of Birdman for his track “Ever Falling,” from the Foley Room…made me respect the man even more for such excellent taste:

Horace Tapscott – Horacio
Horace Tapscott – Flight 17
Horace Tapscott – Clarisse

Dug this bit of LA history up at Atomic in Burbank. Horace Tapscott isn’t particularly well known but in jazz circles he is respected as a pianist, bandleader and activist. This album was put together with a 16 piece ensemble of musicians in the U.G.M.A.A. camp, the Los Angeles answer to the A.A.C.M. in Chicago. Records from these groups aren’t particularly easy to find so when I spied this record put on on the group’s own label Nimbus, I jumped on it immediately.

Like the avant-garde in Chicago and New York, the music here is challenging and inspiring, often with African elements in the mix, particularly on “Horacio,” an upbeat number with some great flute and ensemble work to match the percussion. “Flight 17” is an extended piece, which begins with subtle notes from the piano, before erupting about 4 minutes in with the whole group in an insistent and slightly manic theme that carries through to the very end where we get some idyllic flute. “Clarisse” is truly something special, a stately melody with the full group, pensive and powerful, as was the man Horace Tapscott and the music of his groups.

Incidentally, if you want to learn more about Tapscott, the U.G.M.A.A. and the movement of musicians in Los Angeles in the 1970s, you should check out Daniel Widener’s book Black Arts West, published by Duke University Press last year. There’s a full chapter devoted just to Tapscott and these artists and their connections to the Black Panther’s and other groups. Deserving research for a deserved and dedicated group of artists.

Cheers,

Michael

Marilia Pera – Shirley Sexy
O Som Livre – Bia Bia Beatriz
Betinho – Lucia Esparadrapo

Super busy right now, so here’s just a quick one, though a really nice one. Recently I was shopping on Ebay and came across a Claudette Soares record that I thought might have “Shirley Sexy” on it, a favorite of Clifton & Miles who run Funky Sole. While doing some digital detective work on youtube, I found a second version of the song by Marilia Pera, recorded a few years before the Soares version and thus, I figured, the original. Turns out it was a track on a soundtrack, but not for a film, it was on a soundtrack for a novela, basically a soap opera. I’d never even thought of digging for novela soundtracks, I mean they’re soap operas!!??! They couldn’t possibly have cool music?!??!! But I was very mistaken, and it seems there is a bunch of Novela soundtracks from this period, many featuring the work of Marcos Valle and Antonio Carlos e Jocafi, in one way or another. “O Cafona” seems like the best of the bunch, I could have easily pulled 5 or 6 tracks from this one, but these three will have to do for now. As if all the other places to look for records wasn’t enough, now I have to pay attention to soap opera soundtracks!

Cheers,

Michael

…Just as a bonus, here’s the opening sequence from the novela, definitely with the Carlos e Jocafi vibe…