This Ain’t Livin’ can be found on 2Pac’s Until the End of Time is the seventh studio album, and third posthumous album by him. It follows his previous posthumous albums R U Still Down? (Remember Me) and Still I Rise. The album consists of material recorded while the rapper was on Death Row Records from 1995–1996.
Robert Wyatt Announces His Greatest Misses Compilation – Now Available On Vinyl For The First Time On October 9
On October 9 via Domino, the singular Robert Wyatt will release His Greatest Misses—a compilation spanning his decades-long career—on vinyl for the first time ever.
His Greatest Misses acknowledges that Wyatt’s career has taken place outside the limited space and definition of commercial pop success, but simultaneously recognizes that Wyatt’s non-careerist career has nevertheless proven both productive and rigorous. The collection, originally released as a Japanese edition, includes selections dating from Rock Bottom (1974) to Cuckooland (2003), although its running order is non-chronological. This makes the subtle point that Wyatt’s recordings are best considered as a non-linear catalog—a world through which the listener can move at any pace in any direction.
The compilation showcases many of Wyatt’s musical abilities, particularly his favored technique of allowing his serpentine keyboard melodies to intertwine with his voice, vividly present in the opening bars of “Sea Song.”
Across the nineteen songs present, His Greatest Misses pays tribute to Wyatt’s much noted gift as an interpreter of other songwriters’ material—most notably, Chic’s “At Last I Am Free,” and Clive Langer and Elvis Costello’s “Shipbuilding.” The latter, along with Wyatt’s cover of Neil Diamond’s “I’m A Believer,” originally made popular by The Monkees, placed him in the Top 40 singles chart.
As well as Wyatt’s celebrated cover versions, His Greatest Misses includes his version of “Arauco,” originally written by the Chilean artist Violeta Parra. Wyatt’s version of this protest song and the eerie and powerful “Foreign Accents” from Cuckooland demonstrate Wyatt’s rare gift for singing in languages other than English. For an artist regularly associated with a certain Englishness, Wyatt has always been an avowed internationalist.
Born in Bristol in 1945, Wyatt was a founding member of the bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole, before embarking on a solo career; his discography is one that flows with the force and intensity of a river in full spate. Each recording on His Greatest Misses is a benchmark in the life and work of a steadfast and true original, providing an opportunity for listeners to enjoy some wild swimming through a powerful, idiosyncratic, and unclassifiable catalog.
The release of His Greatest Misses coincides with the release of Side by Side, a book by Robert Wyatt and his wife Alfie Benge: visual artist, songwriter, and the person who has nurtured and overseen Wyatt’s career for the past 46 years.
Tracklisting:
1. P.L.A.
2. Worship
3. Heaps Of Sheeps
4. Free Will And Testament
5. I’m A Believer
6. Sea Song
7. Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road
8. Solar Flares
9. At Last I Am Free
10. Arauco
11. The Age Of Self
12. Alien
13. Shipbuilding
14. Memories Of You
15. Muddy Mouse (b)
16. Mister E
17. Foreign Accents
New Thelonious Monk Album, Palo Alto, Announced For Release On September 18
In the fall of 1968, a sixteen-year old high school student named Danny Scher had a dream to invite legendary jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk and his all-star quartet to perform a concert at his local high school in Palo Alto, CA. In a series of twists and turns, against a backdrop of racial tension and political volatility, that concert was recorded by the school’s janitor. Palo Alto is now set for release on September 18 physically on Impulse! Records.
“That performance is the one of the best live recordings I’ve ever heard by Thelonious,” says T.S. Monk, son of the pianist/composer maestro, drummer and founder of the Thelonious Monk Institute. “I wasn’t even aware of my dad playing a high school gig, but he and the band were on it. When I first heard the tape, from the first measure, I knew my father was feeling really good.”
The vibrant 47-minute album spotlights Monk’s steady touring band (tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, bassist Larry Gales, drummer Ben Riley) and features his touring repertoire, which were his finest compositions.
1968 was a tumultuous year in America, marked by the shocking assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, unsettling revelations about the Vietnam War, and protests and unrest throughout the country. Palo Alto and the primarily African-American neighboring town of East Palo Alto were no different. This was the stage for young high school student Danny Scher, a jazzhead with an idealistic bent and knack for concert promotion (who later on became a well-known promoter who worked with legendary San Francisco rock promoter Bill Graham.)
Looking back, Scher says, “I always looked at music as a way to put issues on hold or up to a mirror, whether they be political or social. On October 27, 1968, there was a truce between Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. And that is what music does.”
In many ways, Thelonious Monk was at the pinnacle of his career in 1968– his quartet was at its best musically, and he was still riding high in the public eye, having sustained his popularity since appearing on the cover of TIME Magazine a couple of years prior. However, behind the scenes finances were strained and his health had deteriorated. When he got a call in the middle of his three-week run at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco, he listened to the teen on the other end of the receiver. Perhaps he was moved by the young promoter’s gumption.
And so it came to be that on October 27, 1968, Thelonious Monk and his quartet – Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Larry Gales (bass), and Ben Riley (drums) – climbed out of the Scher family van and walked through a rainy parking lot full of stunned Palo Alto and East Palo Alto residents, into Palo Alto High School’s auditorium and delivered a stellar, energetic and historic 47-minute set.
Included in the mix is Monk’s lyrical love song “Ruby, My Dear” (Rouse boldly blowing the melody with Monk comping in his unique oblique way then taking the lead with a dazzling solo); the dynamic and spirited “Well, You Needn’t” taken for a 13-minute ride with solos by all members; the pianist’s captivating solo reading of “Don’t Blame Me” by Jimmy McHugh; an epic dance through “Blue Monk”; and a playful charge through “Epistrophy.” The show ends with a truncated encore of Monk slowly striding through the 1925 Tin Pan Alley hit tune by Rudy Vallee, “I Love You Sweetheart of All My Dreams” and after a standing ovation saying his goodbye because they had to leave to make their San Francisco date that evening.
The concert was quite impressively recorded by Palo Alto High School’s janitor, and the tape sat in the attic of Scher’s family home for years. Now it will finally be available to the public.
Palo Alto – Thelonious Monk:
Ruby, My Dear
Well, You Needn’t
Don’t Blame Me
Blue Monk
Epistrophy
I Love You Sweetheart of All My Dreams
Big Sean Drops Eagerly Anticipated New Album, Detroit 2, Available Today
Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum artist Big Sean releases his long-awaited new album DETROIT 2, available today via G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Recordings/Universal Music Canada, the country’s leading music company.
On release day, fans in Detroit can stop by Spirit Plaza for an experiential floral installation inspired by the DETROIT 2 album cover. Sponsored by 1-800 Flowers, the activation includes over three thousand flowers and will serve as a tribute to the beautiful city of Detroit.
Prior to DETROIT 2, all four of his albums – which also include Finally Famous, his RIAA platinum debut of 2011, and Hall Of Fame (2013) – debuted at #1 on the Rap chart. I Decided. (2017) Sean’s second consecutive album to debut at #1 across-the-board on the pop, R&B/hip-hop, and Rap charts, following landmark RIAA platinum Dark Sky Paradise (2015). Twenty88, his 2016 collab with fellow G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam star Jhené Aiko, also debuted at #1 on the Rap and R&B/hip-hop charts.
In addition to his RIAA platinum albums, Big Sean’s track record boasts an impressive 15 platinum and multi-platinum hit singles, among them a trio of #1 urban radio staples: “Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay”(featuring Kanye West and Roscoe Dash, with over 45 million combined YouTube views); Kanye’s 4x-platinum “Mercy” featuring fellow Def Jam MCs Pusha T and 2 Chainz (over 200 million views); and the 5x-platinum “I Don’t Fuck With You” featuring E-40 (nearly 400 million views).
With over 43 million combined Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Soundcloud followers, and over 1.7 BILLION YouTube views since his signing to G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam in 2007, Big Sean has become one of urban and rhythm radio’s most consistent hitmakers, and one of Def Jam’s major core artists.
DETROIT 2 – Tracklist:
Why Would I Stop?
Lucky Me
Deep Reverence ft. Nipsey Hussle
Wolves ft. Post Malone
Body Language ft. Ty Dolla $ign & Jhene Aiko
Story by Dave Chappelle
Harder Than My Demons
Everything That’s Missing ft. Dwele
ZTFO
Guard Your Heart ft. Anderson .Paak, Earlly Mac, Wale
Respect It ft. Young Thug & Hit-Boy
Lithuania ft. Travis Scott
Full Circle ft. Key Wane & Diddy
Time In – TWENTY88
Story by Erykah Badu
FEED
The Baddest
Don Life ft. Lil Wayne
Friday Night Cypher ft. Tee Grizzley, Kash Doll, Cash Kidd, Payroll, 42 Dugg, Boldy James, Drego, Sada Baby, Royce Da 5’9” & Eminem
Story by Stevie Wonder
Still I Rise ft. Dom Kennedy
Funkadelic’s Isolated Vocals For “(Not Just) Knee Deep”
Something about the music, she always makes me dance. Here’s almost 8 minutes of the original 15 minutes, 21 seconds, of Side 1 of Funkadelic’s 1979 album Uncle Jam Wants You.
Backstreet Boys’ Isolated Vocals For “I Want It That Way”
The song was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Song and Record of the Year, and has been included in lists by Blender, MTV, Rolling Stone and VH1.
Tips for Keeping Senior Dogs Healthy and Happy
Good pet owners are committed to keeping their animals healthy and happy not just when they are young and cute, but throughout their entire lives. Like aging people, senior dogs become more prone to age-related health problems and disorders. Thankfully, there are a few easy steps that any dog owner can take to ensure that his or her furry friend continues to live a good life well into old age.
- Use Joint Supplements
Joint supplements that contain beneficial ingredients like glucosamine, turmeric, and other anti-inflammatories and herbal pain remedies can do a world of good for senior dogs with mobility problems. These supplements reduce pain and inflammation, improving mobility and making it easier for older dogs with arthritis to stay active. Visit vetnaturals.com to learn about supplements that can help.
- Watch the Dog’s Weight
It’s common for dogs to put on weight as they age, but this problem isn’t as benign as it may seem. Having more weight to lift as they get up and down, head out for walks, or take on stairs makes it more difficult for overweight dogs to move and puts more stress on senior dogs’ hips and joints. It also makes them more prone to developing serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes.
The best way to tell if a dog is a healthy weight is to check his or her ribs. As a general rule, pet owners should be able to feel their dogs’ ribs with their fingertips but shouldn’t be able to see them. However, this varies by breed.
- Keep Pets Active
Older dogs often have trouble moving from standing to sitting positions and vice versa. It’s not because they’re lazy or incapable of getting up to go for walks and play with their owners, but because the muscles they need to get up have become weakened. Practice “sit” and “come” commands throughout the day to help those muscles stay strong and make it easier for older pets to continue getting up and moving around and start a targeted exercise routine.
- Elevate Food and Water Bowls
Don’t let an aging dog lay down to eat and drink unless that’s all the animal can do. Keeping them standing will get them a little more exercise and help to ensure proper digestion. Switching to a food formulated just for senior dogs can also help.
- Buy a Good Harness
Some dogs need extra help staying active. A good harness with handles that pet owners can use to assist their animals with potentially difficult or dangerous tasks like getting up from a prone position or taking the stairs safely protects the animal’s health and helps to avoid potentially disastrous injuries. The last thing a senior dog needs is to undergo surgery, so it’s wise to take extra precautions when living on multi-floor homes.
The Bottom Line
Senior dogs can still live happy, healthy lives. They just need a little extra help in the form of a better diet, targeted exercise, a few lifestyle adjustments, and plenty of love and attention. What pet owner wouldn’t do that for his or her favorite furry friend?
Canadian Record Label We Are Busy Bodies To Release Long Out-Of-Print Winston ‘Mankunku’ Ngozi’s ‘Yakhal’ Inkomo’
Toronto, ON’s influential record label We Are Busy Bodies announces the release of Saxophonist Winston ‘Mankunku’ Ngozi’s 1968 masterpiece Yakhal’ Inkomo as a Canadian exclusive limited to 300 copies and remastered under Senior Mastering Engineer and owner of Lacquer Channel Mastering, Noah Mintz. It’s on pre-sale now here.
Yakhal’ Inkomo stands in the front rank of global jazz recordings. A certified jazz classic in South Africa, it has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and has never been out of print. But like so many other crucial South African jazz LPs, it was never released outside the country, and went unheard at the time by the wider world. This reissue is the first time that this truly essential jazz recording has been properly available outside South Africa.
Mankunku’s masterwork is one of those rare recordings whose audience saw at once that it embodied the spirit of the age. The title, Yakhal’ Inkomo, refers to the bellow made by a bull just before it is sacrificed, and the mourning cries of its fellow cattle as they see it struck down. For South African listeners, the reference was understood as a cry against the violence and brutality of the times, and an act of mourning for all those who were suffering under the barbarity of apartheid. Mankunku’s horn spoke eloquently and profoundly for and to an oppressed people, and like John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, the album became the musical touchstone for a generation.
From today’s historical vantage point, Yakhal’ Inkomo appears as not just an indispensable lost element of the international jazz canon, but as one of the towering cultural documents of its time. This trail-blazing release allows Mankunku’s classic work to gain its deserved place on the international stage.
Mankunku chose to remain in his native Cape Town during apartheid. This meant that he was subjected to the Separate Amenities Act and similar apartheid legislation. A classic tale tells of his performance with an all-white big band in the Cape Town City Hall in 1964, where, because a mixed-race band was unlawful, he was forced to play behind a curtain so as to remain out of sight. He died on October 13, 2009 after a long struggle with illness.
The album is part of a reissue series by We Are Busy Bodies which also includes influential South African jazz group, The Heshoo Beshoo Group and their sole album, Armitage Road is out October 30, 2020. Additional albums included as part of the series are The Drive’s debut album, Can You Feel It and Vis-A-Vis’ Obi Agye Mi Dofo and Odo Gu Ahorow out in early 2021. Additional albums will be announced shortly. All albums have been remastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel.
Yakhal’ Inkomo Tracklist
A1 Yakhal’ Inkomo
A2 Dedication (To Daddy Trane And Brother Shorter)
B1 Doodlin’
B2 Bessie’s Blues
Jazz-Pop R&B Artist Sammy Jackson Looks in the “Past Tense” for New Single
Canadian jazz-pop R&B artist Sammy Jackson sets her sights on the “Past Tense” with the release of her new single — available now!
The song lands ahead of her forthcoming sophomore album, With You, a five-track EP fully encapsulating Jackson’s uniquely distinct, genre-fusing sound with thoughtful lyricism that’s honest and relatable. “With You explores themes of vulnerability, broken relationships, and love,” the St. Catharines, Ontario-based singer/songwriter shares. “‘Past Tense’ is about the journey from feeling insecure about your significant other’s past relationships to seeing those doubts disappear as your love grows.”
As heard and seen on JAZZ FM, One-Stop Jazz Safari, The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar, Luminato, TIFF Bell Lightbox, and more, Sammy Jackson has also shared the stage with the likes of Barbra Lica, Robi Botos, Rich Brown, and Larnell Lewis, to name a few.
The follow up to her debut release, 2016’s Take Me Back, With You features all-original compositions in collaboration with vocalist and songwriter Jacqueline Teh, as well as Tom Fleming (guitar), Chris Pruden (piano), Mark Godfrey (bass), and Ian Wright (drums).
With You was funded by the Ontario Arts Council and FACTOR.
“Past Tense” is available now.
With You is available September 14th, 2020.
Aussie Rockers skinsNbones March “Forever On” in New Issue-Raising Single
Australian ‘oldSkool rock’ and ‘nuSkool rollers’ skinsNbones rarely place one issue or storyline to their songs, and their newest single “Forever On” — available now — is no different.
“Our songs are definitely not about ‘boy meets girl’ or ‘boy loses girl,’” the band assures. “Each of our songs highlight a different social issue that we try to make the listener more aware of and to question.”
Case in point: “Forever On” is first and foremost an ode to mental difference, as they suggest calling it, and the band’s effort to help change perceptions around it. “We feel strongly about reducing stigma associated with mental dis-ease, or ‘mental difference,’” the band says. “We ask: ‘what would the world be like without mental difference?’
“Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Isaac Newton, Beethoven, Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Michelangelo…” they continue. “We could go ‘Forever On,’ but they all had mental dis-ease/difference. Without them thinking and seeing the world so differently, where would we be? No E=mc^2! No understanding of electrical energy that we’re now only just using! And the art! Where would we be without such beauty?! Such inspiration!
“The world’s greatest minds had mental dis-ease/difference which is why they thought DIFFERENTLY, in ways others couldn’t even dream. The world would be very bland and backwards without mental dis-ease/difference.
“Plus, mental dis-ease/difference is linked to higher IQ and also helps develop a higher EQ, the ability to empathise and care. So again, we ask: ‘what would the world be like without mental difference?’ Without seeing “new views” from being “around the bend”?
“The second thing it’s about is finding the inner light within the Self — or from a higher Source — from tough experiences and using them to become more enlightened, a better person,” they continue. “It’s about fully accepting that mistakes will be made but used to grow and not to put one’s Self down.
“It’s about using the ‘rocks that tripped (you) up’ as stepping stones for others, and using all ways to learn, grow and burn brighter and brighter in Spirit ‘Forever On.’
“We’re all about promoting how beneficial Self growth is, especially from hard times, and that becoming a better being — not a bitter being — is healthy for not just your Self, but also the world around you.”
While they prefer to divert attention away from the group itself, focusing instead on the issues they’re bringing to light through dynamic lyricism and their driving rock sound, skinsNbones is a collaboration of Aussie artists, including Bones Barrett, Jason Kafoa, Gunnar Lindblom, and Red Rock. First formed in 2019, they’ve quickly created a sound all their own, rooted in thumping rhythms and in-your-face guitar, layered with soaring melodies and one of the genre’s most dynamic voices around.
Above all else, however, remains the lyrics and issues they amplify. “One reason our logo is a question mark is skinsNbones like to raise questions or issues to get people to think and question the world around them,” they offer. “We are not about self promotion, but the promotion of the issues our songs raise. We want people to use their discernment, even with what we’re saying.
“The ability to increase awareness, perception, and to discern what is — and is not — is vital these days.
“We recorded ‘Forever On’ at Rocking Horse Studios at Byron Bay Australia with our producer Paul Pilsneniks. The studios are in a lovely, laid-back country location, and are the perfect surroundings to get you into the right frame of mind to record.
“We have as much fun as possible in the studio, and we definitely have more laughs than takes. Especially when our little dog Ringo, who weighs about 8kg, wouldn’t let another producer into the studio. We think he was protecting our songs by not letting anyone else hear them. He is normally extremely friendly, but we all agreed Ringo can be in charge of security from that moment on.
“We treat our music and the issues we raise seriously, but keep things as light as we can in the process.
“After all, it is called ‘playing’.”
“Forever On” is available now.