General Description
Artist/Band: Q-Tip || ||
Album Title: The Renaissance
Year: 2008

Don’t call it a comeback?

How I Got Into This Music
I’m still a total fan of A Tribe Called Quest. Haven’t paid any attention to any of his previous albums, but with this release I thought I’d just give it a try.

Reviews: || || ||
Videos: ||
Have a listen on:

Tracks that got my attention:
Johnny Is Dead
But what good’s an ear if a q-tip isn’t in it?
Heheh, nice one.. Guitar intro and the chorus are kinda not happening, love the keyboards and bass line.

Won’t Trade
Kinda catchy, enjoyed it the first coupla times, but now it’s almost a bit bland. Weird.

Gettin’ Up
Video:
Great track, so mellow. The keyboard intro/loop is very sweet and the bass just reeks of nostalgia It’s an incredibly simple setup, production-wise, but it’s very effective and catchy. The late great J Dilla in the producer’s seat.
This one of those Walk In The Park tracks, love it!

Official
Very strong scratchwork and samples. Makes me wish D’Angelo was doing the backing vocals. Damn it, the whole song triggers D’Angelo vibes. Like it very much.

You
Think this one’s my favorite track. Now let’s see if I can explain why.
The staccato rap flow. The simple and subtle yet funky bassline. The lyrics trigger some old memories. The very tight setup.

We Fight For Love feat. Raphael Saadiq
Meh.. Just the great bassline, but not really working for me.

Manwomanboogie feat. Amanda Diva
Triggering memories of his Breathe And Stuff period, which is a bit dubious to me. Don’t get me wrong: I liked the track, but like Vivrant Thing it was too much of the Hype Williams videos that turned me off.
Again a very nasty bass..

Move
Video:
Maybe later on I’ll learn to understand and/or like this track. But for now: me no likey.

Dance On Glass
The intro of this track: 1 full minute a capella of pure excellence. And the flow when the music joins in is blissfully well produced.

Life Is Better feat. Norah Jones
Wow! Guaranteed hit, release the track as a single as soon as friggin’ possible!
But.. what I don’t get, is the way the track’s produced: you got the excellent vocals by Miss Jones and somehow the choice was made to use a (very well performed) dedication rap as main theme. It doesn’t work for me; I’d prefer a simple love theme or whatever, but this?
Still, hope they release it soon!

Believe feat. D’Angelo
Heheh.. When will D’Angelo finally represent his shit like he used to a while back? I was lucky enough to see him perform live at the North Sea Jazz in the 90s, but we need to see him in action again!
Ehm.. Back to the track: this is how Life Is Better should’ve been produced. Sweet, laidback and sexy.

Conclusion
Like blkbetty said: this album’s a creeper. It really grows on you. I wasn’t really impressed the first coupla times I listened to it, but then I found myself playing the album over and over, getting a better understanding and feeling of the vibes and stuff..
Wonder if I’ll still be listening to it in three months. Not sure, but for now, it’s a very sweet album to listen to.

Rating:

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General Description
Artist/Band: A Tribe Called Quest || ||
Album Title: The Low End Theory
Year: 1991

One hundred percent intelligent black children

How I Got Into This Music
For me these guys are one of the most important rap groups of the business: A Tribe Called Quest. And this album is another one of my favorites.

Reviews: || || ||
Videos: ||
Have a listen on:

Tracks that got my attention:
Excursions
Jazz? Jazzy influences in rap? In 1991? For me, that was one of the first times I paid attention to rap bands using jazz.
Opening bass line, tasty and scrumptious! Vocal samples from the Last Poets.
Beats that are hard, beats that are funky
It could get you hooked like a crackhead junkie
What you gotta do to is know that the tribe is in the sphere
The abstract poet, prominent like Shakespeare

Rap Promoter
Just a groovy track, love the guitar riff sample!

Butter
Phyfe on the solo trip, being a total bad boy, heheh.. The man is one of the best rappers with an unbelievable flow. The horn sample in the chorus is Smoothness.
Well here comes Flo, with the crazy whip appeal
And I’m all true man, like Alexander O’Neal
Is this really love, then again, how would I know
After all this time tryin’ to be a superhoe
She finally played me, but yo, I’d find another
Cause I got the crazy game and yo, I’m smooth like butter

Verses From The Abstract
Q-Tip AKA The Abstract in his best form. A soft reggae flow with mister Ron Carter on Bass, oooohhwweeeee!!
The world is kinda cold and the rhythm is my blanket
Wrap yourself up in it, if you love it, then you’ll thank it
One of my favorite lyrics ever.. You could put it on my tombstone, yes please, thankyouverymuch..

Show Business
Nice tempo, sometimes a bit boring, sometimes still interesting. If I’m not mistaken, this track’s the first time they had other rappers on their work.

Vibes And Stuff
The choppy keyboard sample has been used many a time since I heard it on this album. Love it! Great dedication track.

The Infamous Date Rape
A very serious subject, putting things in perspective, I guess.

Check The Rhime
Gotta try and remember where the horn sample’s from.
Classic anthem!!! (repeat to infinity:)
Q: you on point, Phife?
P: all the time, Tip

This is a master class in rap lyrics, boys-n-girlz, pay attention!
now here’s a funky introduction of how nice I am.
Tell your mother, tell your father, send a telegram.
I’m like an energizer ’cause, you see, I last long.
My crew is never ever wack because we stand strong.

Got this one printed on a t-shirt:
One hundred percent intelligent black child.

Another shout-along:
Industry rule number four thousand and eighty,
Record company people are shady.

Everything Is Fair
Female equality, a flipside story.

Jazz
Another mellowed out track, sweet bass work and nasty horns on the sampler.
Back and forth just like a cameo song
If you dig this joint then please come dance along

What?
Momma, this is hurting me fine!! A minimalistic setup: a basic loop and beat, mixed with Q-Tip’s vocals.
A lot of very smart questions:
What’s duke ellington without that swing?

What is hip-hop if it doesn’t have violence?

Scenario
Yeah.. It took me some time to like this chant, but I love it now and it still rocks!
Here’s the video, made by Spike Lee:

Guest performances from the Leaders of the New School with a very young Busta Rhymes.

Conclusion
The importance lies in the production and choice of samples: jazz is given a serious center stage without being to preachy about it and mixing it all up into a very broad spectrum. It still is an accessible record for the rap crowd while triggering interest from the non-rap crowd.
Also the lyrics: seriously, these guys were setting new standards with the words and vocals.
This album’s a favorite, still prefer Midnight Marauders though.
Go have a listen!

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General Description
Artist/Band: José James || ||
Album Title: The Dreamer
Year: 2007

Hard work, just rewards

How I Got Into This Music
The evil man, Hieronymus Fox, all his fault
He took me to see the guy perform in Paradiso about a month ago. And I was seriously impressed!
So when his album was released I had to have a listen.

Google Search for reviews of this album || Album details at ||
Video clips at ||

Tracks that got my attention:
The Dreamer
Title track, takes you directly to the essence: jazzy trumpet, omnipresent piano and a lazy but sweet bass on the background. What? The vocals? Ooooooow, so sweet! It’s got this dreamy, lullaby softness mixed with booming vocal peaks, damn!
This song’s a classic Walk Along The Beach theme.

Velvet
The song’s strongest point is (how Zen) also its Achilles heel: the slow, repetative and grinding build up to this.. climax, I guess. And that climax isn’t that satisfactory.

blackeyedsusan
Damn, this track’s close to perfection. James’ smokey and brittle voice is great. Nice piano solo.

Park Bench People
Sample from A Tribe Called Quest’s Sucka Niggahs. Now I got to find me the original, heheh..
Interesting social commentary, soft and sharp edges at the same time.

Nola
Hauntingly beautiful song. Melancholy in a kind way.

Red
Another excellent track. Puts him in the true Jazz Vocalist category, forget Collum and those crooner types.

Winter Wind
This one’s a Walk In The Park On A Sunny Winter Day kind of track.

Desire
A bit too heavy on the drama.

Love
Nice up-tempo track; a pleasant change of style.

Conclusion
Go see this guy perform live.
This album’s a great product of hard work, devotion and soul. It’s just a bit too repetitive for my taste. It’s not James’ vocals, that’s diverse enough to take you to heaven and back. But the tracks all have the same setup, his vocals and the piano/keyboards are the main instruments. The other musicians are purely there for support, only the trumpet gets some minutes in front, that’s it.
Same thing occurred to me when I saw the band at Paradiso: how hard is it to let the drummer and the bassist join in? Again, it’s the one-sideness that caught my attention, everything else is bloody top notch.
It’s probably gonna be the same thing as with The Roots: I’m not very impressed with the albums but I’m 100 per cent sure that I’ll be seeing them play live again, the first chance that I get. I’m seriously hoping José James and band will perform during North Sea Jazz this year.
And as I said before, this guy is not of the J Collum class of easy listening crooner babies. Do not confuse crooning with jazz vocals: different disciplines and José James is of a greater quality.
Go see this guy perform live.

Rating:

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General Info
Artist: José James || ||
Location: Paradiso, Amsterdam
When: 11 January 2008

Who?
Didn’t know anything about this artist; it’s yet another one of Hieronymus Fox’s discoveries. Thanks for the tip bro’!!
Check out some of his performances at .

The Show
Such a relaxed location, the smaller of the two locations at the Paradiso. Nice large number of people attending, show starts reasonably on time. A great setup: piano/keyboards, drums, bass and James’ vocal talents. Sound quality was quite good, lights weren’t annoying, everything fine..
Now, if you’re not of an adult age and you’re reading this post, get the hell out of here because I’m gonna use some faux exclamations. Parents, have you taken the children out of the room? Fine.

H O L Y S H I T ! ! !
M O M M A , T H I S A R T I S T I S F U C K I N G U N B E L I E V A B L E ! ! !

There, you can bring the kids back to this post..

Songs that Stood Out
Park Bench People
Heheh, HF and me recognized the bass from an old A Tribe Called Quest sample, used in the Sucka Nigga track.
The scat-rap-flow is beautiful and so unbelievably mature.

blackeyedsusan
Sweetness, this guy’s vocals make the lyrics ooze the sweetest honey.

Nola
Googling my black ass off; my mind keeps telling me I know this song from some other artist, but I haven’t found it yet.
Back to the track: the band is always an important factor for an artist, in this case the band adds extra support and lays the foundation for a perfect performance of a great song.

Overall, mister James doing his improvisations
Wow..

Conclusion
It’ll take me a coupla months to really define this guy’s voice. It’s not that he hasn’t his own voice, don’t get me wrong, but there are similarities with people like Bill Withers (Park Bench People). I’ll update every time I get another name that needs to be added.
The strong supporting role of the band needs to get special attention. Pianist Gideon Van Gelder had a particularly tricky roll: on the one hand his improvisations added extra brilliance to the act, but sometimes it got a bit too freaky, too self-indulgent. Guest appearance by Ben Van Gelder on the horn was nice.
I was very impressed with José James’s incredible voice and talent, using his vocals as an instrument in a totally jazzy way. Over the last coupla years we’ve been bombarded with jazzy singers, let’s call ‘em all Jamie, but Jose is more than that: he’s a jazz singers, and the Jamies in this world just have a fraction of James’ depth of talent.
The performance itself, well.. After the initial euphoria during the first five songs you notice a bit of a pattern. That in itself is fine, but it would be more interesting to here the band perform together a bit more. A drum versus bass improv or piano versus bass, whatever. Just not always the vocals and the piano for ten songs straight. A bit more diversity would help.
Next time this guy’s in Holland, I’ll be there and his album’s coming out in two weeks, boys and girls!!

Rating: (a great way to start the new year!)

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General Description
Artist/Band: Visioneers ||
Album Title: Dirty Old Hip Hop
Year: 2006

Excellent grooviness..

How I Got Into This Music
I’ve been enjoying 4hero and Marc Mac’s Chess Cadet All Stars for about a year now. This album’s another of Marc Mac’s projects and I just had to listen to it..

Google Search for reviews of this album || Album details at Artistdirect.com || || Discogs ||

Tracks that got my attention:
Replay ft. Voice
Mellowness taking the listener on a flashback trip through the history of quality rap musicians and producers like A Tribe Called Quest, Jazzy Jeff, Gangstarr and The Pharcyde. Love the smooth vocals by Voice.

Runnin’
Never thought people would be so smitten with the original version by The Pharcyde, but I ain’t complaining! I remember hearing the intro of this version with Hieronymus Fox and we were both jumping like happy kids; when we noticed it was an instrumental version, we stopped acting silly.. for about thirty seconds

The World Is Yours
Laidback bass and keyboards, catchy loops. Love the bass solo, but not that much else happening.

Funk Box ft. Capitol A
Familiar vocals by Capitol A, who also worked with Jazzanova. Basic quality, groove and funkiness.

It’s Simple
A very relaxed version of Simple Folk, a track from Marc Mac’s project from yesteryears, The Chess Cadet All Stars.
More jazzy influences, the flute working some nice magic in the background with the guitar, and that bass? Love it.

Dirty Old Bossa Nova
Damn, got me scanning all my CD’s from A Tribe Called Quest, grmbl.. Hold on.. Nope, I give up, can’t find it, argh!
Back to the track itself: lovely bossa groove!

Run For Cover
Yep, pure gold. Great way of using a central theme in the track, and then the sudden double tempo variant at the end? Great stuff!

55 Dollars
Oooooh.. Flashback to all those TV series from the seventies. Love the horns..

Paul’s Guitar Story
Hmmm, jazz guitar track, sounds nice, just a bit too bland for my taste.

Days Gone By (Egyptology)
Much better guitar work on this track. The track sounds a bit like Jill Scott’s Slowly Surely, I’m sure that’s intentional since they’ve worked with eachother in the past on Jill’s Experience album.

Conclusion
I think my love for previous work by Marc Mac and 4hero has kinda spoilt me a bit. Dirty Old Hip Hop is a great album and very tightly produced too. But… For me, there’s not a lot of new things happening. That’s why this album’s not one of my Favorites. Still very curious to hear the remix version called Dirty Old Remixes!

Rating:

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