
I loved what they had to offer, but found it a little funny that they made it a little longer by adding a fairly unnecessary 4 minutes of static on the last track. Nine Inch Nails- Add Violence (Capitol) – A short sampling of what NIN has been working on during their long silence. Not all of the tracks feature Twista’s blisteringly-fast rhymes, but his unique style will leave you tongue-tied on more than a few occasions if you’re ambitious enough to try to rap along. Twista seeks to tackle the corruption rife in his home city and explore the conflict between old-school hip hop and new. Twista – Crook County (GMG Entertainment) – The Chicago artist with arguably the fastest flow in hip-hop is back with his tenth studio release. While comprised of funk, soul, jazz, and spoken word, fans of hip hop and electronic music can also appreciate this album as a history lesson in the roots of many modern genres. This was compiled to accompany an exhibition at the Tate Modern of Black art from the 1960s. Soul of a Nation: Afro-Centric Visions in the Age of Black Power (Soul Jazz Records) – Funk, jazz, poetry: this compilation showcases an awesome variety. The seasons are changing, and so should your playlist. Swing, baby, swing!įall into some new music at the EPL (I’m sorry – that was terrible).

And they’re all the right ones! One of the most fabulous purveyors of modern swing and Christmas music, check these fellas out. If you’ve not heard Setzer play guitar, prepare for many notes. And finally, as we approach Christmas, the Brian Setzer Orchestra brings songs of joy and anticipation, in a swingin’ mood, straight to your pleasure center. Winner of numerous accolades and record-setting album sales, Krall can scratch that itch that Ms. Diana Krall, another modern-day siren, kicks it laid-back style with her sweltering contralto voice. Each and every album she drops is a genuine pleasure. You say you like the big band swing thing but refuse to watch black and white films or listen to music made before 1966? There are still excellent options available to you! Whether she’s belting out hits from the 30s and 40s or insinuating her way into your brain with hand-penned originals, Madeleine Peyroux is a bonafide contemporary jazz gem. And the ever-smooth Nat King Cole? His early work with the Nat King Cole Trio ranks up there with the best that swing has to offer. Perhaps best known for Fever, Lee turns everything she sings into a sultry hot springs of passion and fortitude. If it’s a chanteuse you’re wanting, you’d be hard pressed to find a better interpreter than Peggy Lee. It’s an excellent starting point for the swing-curious. Your Hit Parade: The Late 40s provides a hipster’s overview of those fabulous big band years. And Fats Waller pumps them ivories like nobody else, providing a mesmerizing piano-centric take on early jazz.Īnd time marches on. Billie Holiday adds her silky smooth voice to a musical backdrop that is clearly related to those hot dance bands but is perhaps more recognizable to modern-day listeners. The musicians featured on this album have mostly disappeared into the mists of time, the songs are not particularly well-known, but the music gives a clear idea of what was going down in the formative years of jazz. If you want to check out some early jazz, Hot Dance Bands from Okeh, 1923-1931 is an excellent starting point. Which leads to the question: What’s up with early jazz at Everett Public Library? Let’s find out, shall we? Myself, I prefer pre-WWII jive (as the hepcats say): swing, Dixieland, hot jazz, ragtime… Subgenres that soothe my soul. But let us remember that there are as many types of jazz as there are flavors of M&Ms. Many find it too academic, difficult to understand.
