Did Celebrity Kill the Harmony Group?

I'm not saying that I miss the Back Street Boys, 'NSYNC or any of those Boyz II Men wannabe groups, but seriously, who out there in the popular music world is really championing harmony vocals? The genesis of this question came from a conversation with harmony vocal authority (but not himself a practitioner) Andy Noble, aka the vision behind Kings Go Forth. I interviewed Andy back in March while out at SxSW for a Wax Poetics profile coming out in the next issue (#42). We had a nice long talk (according to Andy, his 2nd best interview since becoming semi-famous with the breakout of KGF - I woulda liked to sit in on the #1 interview) about Kings Go Forth, the genesis of the band and its clear focus on harmony vocals and the use of arrangements in soul music, both of which Andy pointed out, are dying traditions.

Andy reminded me that harmony vocals groups were active until very recently (think: Jodeci, En Vogue, Tony Tone Toni, Boys II Men, etc) and that even as the sweet sounding R&B vocals faded out, the rise of the Hip-Hop posse and their vocal camaraderie seemed to momentarily fill its place. But who was to blame? Why weren't these voices coming together to create something larger than the sum of their parts still getting play on the radio, the TV or in the hearts and minds of young musically-inclined youth? We both pondered who the culprit of this harmonic genocide could have been . . . Without thinking too long we both came to the conclusion that, surprise, THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, was mostly likely to blame. Kids growing up in tough neighborhoods with few opportunities to succeed will naturally look to those in their communities who have succeeded and model themselves in their hero's fashion, be they community leaders, business owners, religious leaders, drug dealers or rappers/DJs. If a record label has the option of putting out one record choosing from either: (A) fantastic-sounding four piece vocal harmony group, or (B) super charismatic female vocalist with a pretty face and the rest of the usual assets - which one represents a more sure chance at fame and money? The celebrity factor dominates.

How do you market a vocal group in today's celebrity culture? Label execs, celebrity tabloids and everyone else wants to pick the group apart to find the "star" because, sadly, the performers aren't really about the performance anymore, they're about the look, the style, and the accessories of celebrity: clothes, sex, drugs, etc. It's strange to know that even with a group like Kings Go Forth this is happening, where there's real pressure for the vintage-era vocalist "Black Wolf" to become the "leader", the charismatic band representative despite Andy's best intentions to present the group as just that, a group.

I also blame that new-fangled television with its moving pictures that lets you know in no uncertain terms that no matter how sweet the Spinners sounded, they didn't look so sweet. Sure, they could lose the moth-print jackets, but let's not kid ourselves, there's no "star" in the group. But is music for listening or watching? For old-timers and honorary old-timers, like myself, it's for listening, but I don't think anyone under 30 would agree and with that we mourn the loss of ugly dudes singing sweetly. R.I.P.

But before we go, let me share my favorite new discovery in the Vocal Soul Harmony tradition: The Younghearts! These guys rule with their dynamic arrangements, killer voices and memorable hooks. I first snagged this fantastic two-sided 45 with "Oo La We" and "Change of Mind" a couple months back and then a couple weeks ago found, what I believe to be, their first LP "Do You Have the Time?". They reminded me a lot of Kings Go Forth and the great combination of unusual song structures/arrangements with heavenly harmonies. I'm sure if Andy were here right now, he could recite their curriculum vitae and give you a top ten . . .

The Young Hearts - Oo La We
I love any soul song with acoustic guitars and this weird song just works its way into your brain and heart, making one want to remark to complete strangers: "Oo La We!"
The Young Hearts - Change of Mind
Another fantastic arrangement with more of a funk or rock feel.

The Young Hearts - I'm Still Gonna Need You
You can't be a vocal group and not have a fair share of slow jams. Historically, that's where vocal groups really excelled and this is no exception. I believe this was the main single from this album.


The Younghearts - Do You Have the Time? (S.K.A.T.T.)
Speaking of Hip-Hop posses, this track is the equivalent of a golden-era hip-hop skit . . . a short and sweet playful studio goof, but unlike most skits this little throw-away rehash of the 6-minute title track is pure fire. Makes me wanna be an old school radio jock just "rapping" about the weather and shit over this funky groove.

Argentinian Fire From Egle Martin

I picked up this rare 7" single in Curitiba, Brazil back in 2004 at a record store run by a very nice dude named Julio. I was buying a fair bit of stuff so he just sorta threw it in as a bonus and because it was a Uruguayan (turns out its an Argentinian record - I could be wrong again but it would appear that Egle's from Argentina, but the band is from Uruguay - correct me if you know differently) record he wasn't even sure what it was worth. It's since become a favorite of mine and a few friends I've shared it with.

But then last night I dropped it in my set at Dalva (word up, Toph One) and it became the clear runaway hit of the night. I'll be scanning the cover and uploading for all to see, but here are the two tracks, both great, but the intro to the first one is so dramatic and jazzy . . . then the smokin' latin beat drops!

Egle Martin - Dombe BariloEgle Martin - El Dombe

There's an Argentine pressing here on eBay.
This is what that eBay seller had to say about the record:
Egle Martin (a.k.a. La Negra) was sorta like La Lupe from the south of the southern hemisphere. She was deeply involved into the Afro-Latin American culture, and especially the underground Uruguayan and Brazilian scene (experiencing the Bossa and Candomble, often with her Brazilian friends, Maysa and Luiz Eca, among others, and skilled Uruguayan musicians). The Dombe was a rhythm inspired by the afro-Uruguayan Candomble, of her own creation, which also mixes American Funk, Boogaloo and Latin Jazz. Dombe Barilo is a KILLER track in its own right, with those fantastic bongo drums, brass sections, horn arrangements, funky bass-n-drums, plus Egle's vibrant manner of singing, with some lush and intense scat vocal in parts. El Dombe, is the track which gives its name to the rhythm, and is equally good. Both tracks have cool lyrics, and they mainly refer to the dance, and this rhythm.

Great Songs (Now With Lyrics!)

I am certain there are a million and one other examples of this phenomenon (classic instrumental songs getting new lyrics), but this post stems from my relatively recent fascination with jazz vocalist Mark Murphy. I never in my boringest dreams thought that I would have anything resembling a fascination with a "jazz vocalist." Sure, I showed my sensitive side in college with my "best of" Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday CDs and how can you not like a little Frank Sinatra now and then, but somehow these icons escape the labeling of "jazz vocalist". Partly, I think it's the fault of all those too-smooth (Al Jarreau), silly (Bobby McFerrin) crappy-ass jazz vocalists that are ruining it for the truly artistic and inspired examples out there still doing their thing (check out Jose James).

I first heard Mark Murphy on a mix made by my man Greg Caz. The song was "Sunday in New York" and no doubt the slightly funky rhythm section, hot horns and because I lived in NYC at the time allowed me to listen deeper. After a few listens it was all about Mark's vocal style and delivery. I've been tracking down his catalog ever since. Something I noticed on a few of his albums was how he would take a classic jazz track and write lyrics for it so that the listener could immediately relate to the tune, but now there was a new element, a new soloist doing their thing in an unfamiliar way over a familiar song. Sure, there's "Watermelon Man" with its latin/vocal version by Mongo Santamaria (though there aren't many words to this lyric, "Hey, Watermelon Man!") or Carmen McCrae's vocal take on "Take Five", but Mark picks some tracks that clairvoyantly speak to the hip-hop generation as they are classic sample cuts. But before we get into some "serious" jazz music, I asked my co-worker, Eric, for any ideas on this theme and he suggested this classic lyrical interpretation of a familiar instrumental tune:



Mark Murphy - On the Red Clay
This is a killer album, possibly my favorite of Mark's so far and it took me getting out-bid a couple times before I secured my own copy. While the Freddie Hubbard version (below) is not the one that Tribe sampled (that was Jack Wilkins), it's a great tune and I feel Mark really captures the energy of the song taking only the title and extrapolating from there.



Mark Murphy - Canteloupe Island
A more obvious choice, but a great song nonetheless and Mark's lyrics seem to fit the tropical mood painted by Herbie's original version.



Mark Murphy - Sly
This was a strange choice I thought as "Sly" was not an obvious pick from Herbie's classic "Headhunters" album, but Mark really finds a bouncing vocal style to play around with Herbie's musical structure. This is from another great album my Mark Murphy that features one of the best versions of Tom Jobim's "Waters of March". Please chime in on the comments if you have any favorite instrumentals-turned-vocal tunes.

Lounge Music for Hipsters

It's not easy to peg Gary McFarland's music. At first glance he's an arranger and occasional musician or soloist, but chancing upon his 1969 album on Skye Records (he was a co-founder with Gabor Szabo and Cal Tjader) you get an entirely different view of the artist. This album lands somewhere in between light jazz, lounge music, bossa nova and jazz renditions of pop hits, but even that fails to capture the texture of most of this album. The arrangements call just as much on Smile-era Beach Boys as they do on middle of the road sixties exotica. He dares to take on Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne" a challenging tune to cover to say the least. He also taps the recent musical immigrant, Airto Moreira, to solo with the traditional Brazilian percussion instrument, the berimbau, on the tune by the same name. After listing to the album obsessively for the past few months I have come to the realization that this must have been cool-out music for the sophisticated jazz hipsters. This is no Martin Denny, but its still just as passive in that it makes for great background music. But every now and then a particular movement, vocal harmony or percussive breakdown reveals its true complexity.

It's this complexity that is McFarland's lasting legacy. On the surface he didn't appear to be making music that was that different from his peers, but repeat listens reveal a depth of understanding of musical textures, memorable melodies and subtle, yet excellent musicianship. I'm still exploring McFarland's output, but this particular album is a special one for me. There are a number of cool songs here, but the following three selections really stand out. McFarland's story is a tragic and bizarre one as the story goes he was dosed with liquid methadone while drinking with a friend at a New York City bar and died instantly. One can only imagine in which direction he would have taken his music, had he survived. You can check out Doug Payne's excellent tribute here.

Gary McFarland - Because

Gary McFarland - Suzanne

Gary McFarland - Berimbau

Mystifying Mamas - From Chicago to Paris

Just the other day I was revisiting this CD, Saravah by Cafe Apres-Midi, a Japanese compilation of music from the small, independent French record label from the late 1960s - 1980s. The range of music on here is just great with some French styles, lots of Brazilian influence, some Jazz, some soul and funk as well as some African styles.

The story goes that the label was started by singer and songwriter, Pierre Barouh (read more here if you can understand French). Barouh "discovered" Brazilian music while traveling in Portugal and was soon smitten. In 1966 he played a major musical role in the Claude Lelouch fim, Un Homme et Une Femme, otherwise known as "A Man and A Woman". Barouh sang on the soundtrack and even managed to insert his love for Brazilian music with the inclusion of the Vinicius de Moraes and Baden Powell tune "Samba da Bancao" recorded in French with Baden Powell on guitar as "Samba Saravah." The movie and soundtrack were huge hits and the money Barouh received for his performance, he directly invested into his new record label, Saravah.

In 1969 he traveled to Brazil and captured some of the country's best musicians in an extremely casual setting. The documentary was only officially released recently. Here's a clip of Paulinho da Viola jamming with Maria Bethania at a beach cafe.

The label was home to some excellent musicians and some great albums, such as Pierre Akendengue's two early 70s albums, Barney Wilen's "Moshi" and as well as Nana Vasconcelos and Bridgette Fontaine. While, I'm getting a little sidetracked here, the first song today was included in this Saravah comp even though it was originally issued on the obscure French label, Horse.

The Art Ensemble of Chicago Featuring Marva Broome - Mystifying Mama
Though I have found little evidence to definitively prove that the Art Ensemble of Chicago played on this recording, comparing it to the next track you can understand why its assumed it was them backing Ms. Broome. What a killer combination of Jazz and Soul, not quite soul-jazz but something close to that. Too bad she didn't put out more than this one single. Evidently she sings back-up vocals on Barney Wilen's superb Saravah album, "Moshi".

The Art Ensemble of Chicago Featuring Fontella Bass - Theme de Yo-Yo
So, this track isn't a product of Pierre Barouh's Saravah label, but that whole story was a nice excuse for letting me post this slamming jazz-inflected funk explosion. This song can get a little bit crazy, but I just love how the band bobs and weaves around Fontella's vocals and comes crashing down in a cacophony of horns and drums every now and then. I first heard this cut in Maine being played on public radio and I immediately had to track it down. Fontella was married to one of the Art Ensemble of Chicago players, Lester Bowie, at the time of this recording. Here's a bit of a bio on her.

Sunday in New York

Sunday in New York - Mark Murphy
'Nuff Said.

Marcos Valle . . . Beyond the 'Classic Years'

There are many favorite artists of mine that I have yet to discuss in this space, but Marcos Valle is by far one of the most important. When I was first exploring Brazilian music and starting to collect vinyl I took a chance on a record I saw reviewed at dustygroove called "The Essential Marcos Valle, Volume 2" (I had to wait a couple years for Volume 1 to get repressed before I could pick that one up). It took me a few listens to figure out what I was listening to and trying to fit it into my limited understanding of Brazilian music, but pretty soon Marcos became a cornerstone of my love of 1960s and 1970s Brazilian pop music alongside Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Jorge Ben.

Marcos Valle was an extremely prolific music writer and recording artist from 1963 until 1974 with 11 albums under his own name as well as regular Brazilian soap-opera soundtracks, movie soundtracks, the occasional one-off album without his name attached and even the soundtrack to the Brazilian Sesame Street, Vila Sesamo!

But when you look at his discography there is a major gap from 1974-1981 when he didn't release a single album in the U.S. or in Brazil. This always bewildered me especially as Marcos' releases were always such quality products and he is a very well known artist in Brazil. Upon further research we find that after his self-titled 1974 album Marcos came to the U.S. to try his hand for the second time in the American music business. Upon arrival in the U.S. he connected with a diverse group of musicians including Motown recording artist and producer, Leon Ware, the band Chicago and David (well-known songwriter and leader of the band Toto) and his father, Marty Paich, the veteran jazz arranger. It was through Marty that Marcos was introduced to Sarah Vaughan who was beginning a project covering Beatles' songs and wanted a Bossa Nova treatment for the George Harrison tune, "Something." This linked interview gets some of the details wrong (the song was "Something" not "Yesterday" for instance) but shows Marcos discussing this part of his career with an Australian radio journalist.

Sarah Vaughan - Something (with Marcos Valle)
I've always liked Sarah Vaughan, but I can't say this is one of my favorite albums of hers. I picked this one up recently purely on Marcos' participation. I do love his arrangement of this song and especially his Portuguese lyric at the end. Sarah's vocals are a bit strained and overpowering for the gentle arrangement, but it's an interesting listen nonetheless.

Marcos Valle - Paraiba Nao e Chicago (with Chicago)
Marcos returned to Brazil in the early 1980s and made this LP upon his return. It features a handful of songs that he co-wrote with Leon Ware while in L.A. and this song here is no exception. Peter Cetera, before his Karate-Kid soundtrack days, also chips in on back-up vocals and writing credits. It's cool to listen to this album and Marcos's next album from 1983 alongside Leon Ware's two Elektra albums to hear the American and Brazilian versions of the same songs. For instance, Ware's version of this song is called "Baby Don't Stop Me" and is off of his 1981 album "Rockin' You Eternally." Peter Cetera's vocals are pretty clear in the background on this one.

Marcos Valle - Agua de Coco
Here we have a much later Marcos cut from his 2003 album, "Contrasts" on Far Out. I completely dismissed his newer albums until a friend, Elan, suggested I give them a closer listen. This track is one of my favorites of his newer stuff. I hope to meet Marcos some point in the future. We spoke a couple times on the phone last time I was in Brazil, but we couldn't figure out a time to get together . . . If only he would play New York sometime soon.

I've posted some other Marcos Valle videos over on SS Videos . . .

Gringo Bossa Nova

My initial inspiration for collecting records was a way for me to further explore my newest musical passion, Bossa Nova. Bossa is a strange musical genre because it means many things to many people. When I first started out I thought the essence of Bossa was Astrud Gilberto or even Charlie Byrd's "Jazz Samba," but the deeper I dug, the more I realized how much Bossa morphed according to international trends, producing strange and exciting hybrids like Sergio Mendes' Brazil '66/'77/'88 projects. What did happen was that "Bossa Nova" became a style into itself, something that jazz, pop, rock and even soul musicians could use for a song or two and then forget, like "Joe Carioca," pictured above.

"Joe" is the classic emblem of this Brazilian-American fusion, "Jose Carioca" aka "Joe Carioca" from the 1942 Disney movie "Saludos Amigos." Joe is Disney's version of a typical Brazilian. He's a bit crass and more Disney than he is Brazilian, but like the following songs, he's got just enough Brazilian flavor to make him exotic and palatable to American audiences. The following five songs are but a few of my favorite Bossa-tinged tunes by Gringo musicians from the 60s and 70s . . .

Chris Montez - Keep Talkin'
OK, so my first selection is from someone who would no doubt resent being labeled a gringo . . . the L.A. born Chicano singer, Chris Montez. Chris recorded several albums for A&M, home to Sergio Mendes who was regularly introducing Brazilian tunes to the American chart through his best-selling Brazil '66 albums. Chris recorded a very early version of Joao Donato's instrumental "Amazonas" with English lyrics called "Keep Talkin'." It's not confirmed, but it is possible that Joao was responsible for the song's inclusion and may have even been on the recording as he was in L.A. around that time. The song sounds a bit cutesy now, but I am a sucker for just about any Donato version and this one is no exception.

The Supremes - Precious Little Things
This is a nice little soul-bossa tune by post-Diana Supremes. The song was co-written by Smokey Robinson who also produced this album. The album is a delight as are all of the early post-Diana albums and this one has at least four other solid tunes. Once again Smokey's touch is magical as the lyrics and subtle instrumentation create a gentle and touching song set to a slightly tropical beat.

Jon Lucien - Satan
Jon Lucien is also no gringo, having been born in the British Virgin Islands, but he spent nearly all of his recording and performing career in the U.S. This song is off of his album Rashida, his best in my opinion. If I didn't know before hand I would have been absolutely convinced that this song was authentically South American as Jon is a dead wringer for Milton Nascimento style crooning/warbling. The instrumentation also nails the early 70s Brazilian studio vibe. A great song from a lesser known jazz vocalist.

Michael Franks - B'wana He No Home
Michael Franks is a gringo. I was initially embarrassed to like this, but now it's one of my favorite songs, again with no small part to Joao Donato guesting on piano (check out his outro vamp . . . so perfect). This is from Frank's third album and features a couple of tunes recorded down in Brazil with some local help. Evidently the lyrics to the song (listen closely cause they're funny/sleazy/interesting) refer to a time when Dan Hicks (of Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks) was staying at Franks' place while he was away . . .

Dee Dee Bridgewater - Night Moves
Dee Dee is another excellent jazz vocalist that turns this Michael Frank's song from his "Art of Tea" album into a bass-heavy Bossa Nova tune. The band is great on this tune and Dee Dee finds a middle-ground between sexy and sleazy, falling closer to the sexy side whereas the previous tune (above) falls on the sleazy side.

I could keep going for days with these kinds of songs and maybe I'll do another round sometime in the future. Keep in mind that all of these records (excepting the Jon Lucien) can be found in most dollar bins which is a nice reminder that great songs can be found on all kinds of records, expensive or cheap.

Frank's Way

Download: Drinking Again
Today is Frank Sinatra's birthday. If he were still alive, he'd be 93 years old. Frank might seem a bit out of place on Soul Spectrum, but I don't really care and anyone who says that Frank Sinatra didn't have soul is a good-fah-nuttin-dirty-bird, as my Grandpa would say.

If you're in New York, come on by Huckleberry Bar in Williamsburg tonight for a tribute to Ol' Blue Eyes featuring yours truly as well as DJs Deepak Chopra and Amadeus. Click on the flyer above for all the relevant details.

But, seeing as this is Soul Spectrum I'm not gonna talk about the obvious Frank Sinatra touchstones, but instead focus on his intersection with Brazilian music, namely his collaboration with Antonio Carlos Jobim. This is where my appreciation for Frank all began.

Back in college and the years after I collected nearly every recording I could find that had anything to do with Bossa Nova. I was possessed by this Brazilian genre and its waves that emanated in Brazil reaching almost every foreign shore, from the U.S. to France to Japan. One of my all-time favorite non-brazilian Bossa Nova albums is the album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim from 1967. There's a particular quote from the liner-notes to this album that speak to the different mood and style that Sinatra was taking with these songs. After the trombone player botched a note, he said to Sinatra apologetically, "If I blow any softer, it’ll hafta come out the back of my neck.” The liner notes for this album are particularly great. Read them here.

In all of Sinatra's career he never recorded an album of songs from only one composer with the exception of Antonio Carlos Jobim for whom he recorded TWO full albums. The first one in 1967 and then the second one was recorded in 1969 with fellow Brazilian, Eumir Deodato (before his mega-hit remake of the Theme to 2001), but the planned album "SinatraJobim" was released in 1970 but then immediately recalled after only 3,500 8-track tapes were sent out to stores in California. Seven of the ten songs from this album would later be released on Sinatra's 1971 album "Sinatra & Company"

So, what of the three tracks that were not released on "SinatraJobim"? There was Off-Key (Desafinado), Sabia and Bonita. To complicate matters further "Sabia" and "Bonita" were later issued in Brazil on a double-LP set called "Sinatra-Jobim Sessions" which featured all of the songs from the 1967 and 1969 sessions (except "Off-Key") as well as "Manha de Carnaval" with Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfa accompanying Sinatra from his "My Way" album and another song called "Drinking Again" that must have been recorded during the 1967 with Jobim but not released on the album. It was released later in 1967 on and album called " Frank Sinatra and the World We Knew." I have included this song here at the top of this post.

You can find the Sinatra-Jobim Sessions and the holy-grail "SinatraJobim" album on the treasure cove of long-lost Brazilian records: Lornonix Using Zeca's "Find It" feature you can link to both albums available for download, though the tracklisting is a bit wrong as the "Sessions" download includes "Off-Key" though it is not on the original LP, believe me I know I'm lucky enough to have scored it when down in Brazil.



Download: The Lady Is a Tramp
Speaking of Brazil . . . Like I mentioned yesterday when talking about Brazilian musicians there is a tendency to make comparisons with American stars. While of course there are flaws in every comparison, Dick Farney was most definitely the "Brazilian Frank Sinatra." In fact, during Dick's heyday in the late 50s and early 60s, the Frank Sinatra-Dick Farney Fan Club was ground zero for many future Bossa Nova stars such as Joao Donato and Johnny Alf, among others. In addition to having a repertoire and voice similar to Sinatra's, Farney was an excellent jazz pianist and many of his albums were straight instrumental sets. Farney has quite a following over at Lornonix, so be sure to swing by and download some Dick Farney albums.