History. It doesn't rhyme with boring, but maybe it should. Who wants to look back when there's nothing more relevant than the here-and-now?
But of course relevance is what history's all about. As shrinks and archaeologists will tell you, the past is our blueprint to the present. To unlock its lessons we have to wipe off the dust. We have to see past the cobwebs of dated trappings to find the timeless truths. Squinting through cobwebs isn't everyone's idea of a good time. So I'm happy to report that on a couple of new releases, the dusting has been done for us.
It's easy to forget that jazz was once dangerous as knives. Today it may be the music of your jelly-middled pops, but back in the day it was the devil's music, seductively dark and unfamiliar. On Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked (Impulse), some of the genre's classics are given modern-day edge by the avant-garde of hip-hop and electronic.
What separates Impulsive! from other "Let's remix the archives" CDs is its first-rate roster of mostly underground talent. Are you feeling Sa-Ra? Well you'll be an even bigger fan after you hear what they've done with George Russell's "A Hell Of A Town." The song is a mad tangle of horns, cymbals, and beats, all locked in a sprint toward something over the horizon. In these capable hands, the past sure sounds a lot like the future.
Blackalicious badass Chief Xcel takes Archie Shepp's "Attica Blues" and massages it just so 'til it's brought gently but firmly into the present. With a few well-placed beats, he gives Shepp's battle cry heartrending currency. And then there's "II B.S." In its pristine state, this Mingus track is as cool as they come. But RZA freezes it further, dropping the temperature on the horn wail and bass slide 'til you're all but blinded by the ice. All this plus other tracks remixed by the likes of Kid Koala and Gerardo Frisina makes Impulsive! an experience not to be missed.
Let's switch gears and talk about gospel. Actually, it's not as much of a switch as you'd think. At its most fiery, gospel can be as dark as the most evil lick of jazz. The gospel of Sister Gertrude Morgan is a prime example. Morgan was a street-corner preacher who walked the roads of N'Awlins in the '50s and '60s, singing hymns and shouting the scriptures to all who cared to listen. She was eccentric to say the least. She took to wearing only a white nurse's uniform, calling herself the bride of Christ.
Morgan's music was recorded in 1970. On King Britt Presents Sister Gertrude Morgan (Ropeadope), producer King Britt revisits these tracks, expertly (and respectfully) remixing Morgan's songs of worship into a sophisticated soundtrack for late urban nights. Morgan's hymns are straightforward and raw, embers hurled to the heavens from a hearth of brimstone and hellfire. Britt buffs them with modern sheen without sacrificing their primitive energy. On "Let's Make A Record," he frames Morgan's fevered protestations with a psychedelic haze. "Power" rises from the singer's serpentine chant, swaying on the tentacles of Britt's bluesy riffs. And "Live Like Jesus" is a study in well-placed contrasts, draping the certainty of Morgan's call over a doubtful, questioning groove.
Both Impulsive! and Morgan bear a spiritual honesty that transcends time. This is history to which everyone can relate.
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