Mark de Clive Lowe – Church (2014) #MdCL #Markdeclivelowe #Church

Here it is !! The last lp from great Mark de Clive Lowe is finally out !! CHURCH is the 11th album from MdCL and has been funded by a Kickstarter campaign in 2013.

Everything Mark is doing is unique, special, interesting … Yes, I’m a huge fan because he is inspired by multi cultural music, each kind of music is good enough to make something special to MdCL. That’s at least how I feel it. It’s enough for me 😉

Tracklisting :

1 – The Mission feat. John Robinson : soft Piano / Bass then beautiful Horns / Drums – Progressive Pressure then … MC John Robinson. Great Piano loop …

2 – Nova Roda feat. Constramestre Xingu : Percussion / Berimbau / vocal interlude – Deep african mood (to me actually)

3 – Brukstep : Typical Instrumental MdCL tune – Fabulous piano solo, excellent drum programming and … fantastic trumpet solo by Duane Eubanks  – Shake it, Shake it !!

4 – The Processionnal : Josiel Perez Hernandez … man, you can play trumpet !! Miguel Atwood – Ferguson on Viola … INTENSE / POWERFUL

5 – Now Or Never feat. Nia Andrews : I love Nia’s voice 🙂 The Piano is insane ! Insistent lines to get absorbed deep in this strange atmosphere … You loose control while listenning to this incredible drums & Nia incantations 😉

6 – Ghazyia : The first tune I had the privilege to hear as backer (Kickstarter campaign). Smooth horns, excellent keyboards on the background, then HORNS EXPLOSION !! Oh I love this moment !!

7 – Sketch For Miguel : aaah Miguel Atwood -Ferguson … always nice … Surrounding mood and beautiful break.

8 – Hollow feat. Nia Andrews : Well … Nia Andrews is magical. MdCL knows how to captivate her energy. One of my Fav.

9 – Prayer : What a fantastic work on sounds ! Mark is incredible ! It’s never simple, he is a perfectionnist, a sound lover if that could only means something.

10 – Imam : Tim Lefevre on Bass ! Ouch ! It hurts, it’s gooood ! Heavy tempo, slighlty unstructured.

11 – Sun Up Sun Down feat. TheeKIDICARUS : Free the horns 😉 I don’t know why I feel like I’m in North Africa by listenning to this tune … Great production.

12 – Mason’s Galaxy : Down tempo, cool Bass, smooth horns, muted trumpet, sci-fi sounds. Brillant cover from great Charles Earland where Duane Eubanks reenacted Freddie Hubbard perfectly !

13 –  Distractions feat. Nia Andrews concludes this excellent piece with the best ingredients CHURCH. Speechless. It’s not too late …

 

Well done, once again Maestro ! I’ll pedge anytime with this result !

 

Jay Pharaoh – Problems (2014) #jaypharaoh

Oh oh .. Jay Pharaoh’s got problems !! He’s got issues !!

We ’bout to ride on them, we ’bout to lay em’ down.
Oh you was talking slick, well talk that shit now.
You see our pictures, we getting bitches
I sent a group text mo’ bitches

You know what? I miss Sandra…I miss Sandra. She was the one that got away. She was dope. Okay, I messed up. I did. I did. And you know what? I hate the word bitch. You shouldn’t use that word. That’s a terrible word. You kiss your mother with that mouth? I don’t know why, I don’t why I do it.

I got problems. I got issues. 
I got problems. Now where’s the tissues? 
Because I’m dying inside. Said I’m dying inside.
I’m a hard core rapper and I’m crying, my eyes. 

I smoke weed, bitch. I’m the green giant. 
Turn my eyes red. They look like fire hydrants.
I got the munchies baby: bell cheese and Reeses. 

I ain’t even really a weed smoker. I don’t do that. The first time I smoked weed, I ain’t feel nothing. But that second time, I got so high I had to check myself into the ER. So that’s not really a smart thing for me to do. I just want to be a farmer: E I E I O

I got problems. I got issues.
I got problems. Now where’s the tissues?

Money, money.
Imma make it rain. Drop a stack on these bitches-

Yo, I am in massive debt. Like, it is getting to a point where it is bad. I will suck yo dick if you help me. I am serious. My 8 baby moms be trippin. A-yo Sandra, call me up baby. 

We got those problems, I got issues.
We need hugs, ay pass that tissues
Because I’m dying inside, said I’m dying inside.
I’m a hardcore rapper, now I’m drying my eyes.

Nathan East – Nathan East (2014) #nathaneast

I think that everybody listenned once a track with the unique Nathan East Bass lines. He worked with .. well .. everybody ! Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton, Toto, Sting, Daft Punk … just to name a few. He is also a member of great Smooth Jazz Band FOURPLAY.

He just released his debut (!!) album this year ! Can you believe it ?

Tracklist (mix of original songs and some famous covers)

01. 101 Eastbound – So good to hear that Fourplay tune again, with some fresh ideas
02. Sir Duke – One of my Fav Stevie Wonder tune, revisited by Nathan E. Excellent Horn arrangements. The end is awesome !
03. Letter From Home – Pat Metheny cover .. beautiful
04. Moondance – Van Morrison must be happy 😉 Michael McDonald did a fantastic job !
05. I Can Let Go Now – Who’s back ? Michael McDonald … replaced by Sara Bereilles. Perfect.
06. Daft Funk – Funky as HELL …….. !!!
07. SeveNate – Joyful mid tempo tune
08. Can’t Find My Way Home – Excellent Steve Winwood cover featuring Eric Clapton, who prefectly knows this tune 😉
09. Moodswing – What a Double Bass performance !
10. Overjoyed – Another beautiful Stevie Wonder cover with Stevie Wonder on Harmonica
11. Yesterday – The Beatles … with Nathan East’s son NOAH on Piano
12. Madiba : Jazz Funk tribute to Nelson ‘Madiba’ Mandela
13. America the Beautiful – Honoring the USA
14. Finally Home – Donwtempo song

Some of the finest musicians dropped by ans played with Nathan East on this LP, such as Eric Clapton, Sara Bareilles, Ray Parker, Jr., Michael McDonald, Bob James, Chuck Loeb and the late … Ricky Lawson (so sad ….).

As a tribute to his late collaboration with Daft Punk on Get Lucky, here is Daft Funk (animations by the talented David Bennett) :

AlgoRythmik – Eastern Western (2014)

AlgoRythmik is back with e new EP called Estern – Western. Out on May 26th !

Here’s the teaser 😉 :

Ledisi – Like This (2014) #ledisi

Aaaaaaaaaaah … LEDISI !!! What a voice ! isn’t she great ? Yes, that’s a fact ! She’s back this year with her 7th solo album, The Truth ! Soul is alive !

13 new tracks mixing exciting down-tempo & up-tempo tunes.  Special highlights on I blame You, Loose Control, 88 boxes, The Truth and … Like This …

Watch her last live performance on The Queen Latifa Show with Like This :

Fabulous Ledisi …!

Michael Jackson – Slave To The Rhythm (2014) #michaeljackson #xscape

Here’s a new track from the last Michael Jackson album – XSCAPE. This single is Slave to the Rhythm. That performance was presented for the Billboard Music Award 2014. It’s just incredible, astonishing … Michael Jackson alive … well, almost … through an impeccable production, he came back to life through a Hologram :

Eat this !

The Lonely Island – Digital Shorts (2014) @thelonelyisland #thelonelyisland

One of the best moments of Saturday Night Live is (was) the SNL Digital Shorts, by the Great Andy Samberg and his friends Jorma Taccone (Booth …) & Akiva Schaffer.

For the 39th season finale, SNL invited Andy Samberg to host the show ! Then, The Lonely Island delivered 2 incredible Digital shorts 😉

For the first one, you’ll love David G. (and some other “dj’s” …) spoof as Davincii, featuring Lil Jon in When will the Bass drop ? :

Then, you’ve been Hugged !!! HUGS featuring Pharrell Williams, Maya Rudolph (PURE X !!!), Tatiana Maslany … HUGE !!

And if it’s not already done, listen to The Wack Album and watch Brooklyn Nine Nine !!!