Arthur’s Landing – Arthur’s Landing review

by Juno Daily on 31.01.2011 at 15:01pm.
Last edited: 01.02.2011 at 14:55pm.

Arthur Russell’s legacy has remained strong long after his untimely death in 1992, most notably in recent times with the highly respected music critic Tim Lawrence unveiling his must read biography last year; this follows a documentary Wild Combination and a collection of cover versions released by Electric Minds. It is perhaps this latest musical project, presented by the good people at Strut Records, that will be of most interest to fans of Russell’s work.

Arthur’s Landing is a collective of musicians who worked with the producer and cellist throughout his varied musical career. Led by guitarist Steve Hall, the ever morphing group of musicians have made a commitment to sustaining Russell’s musical legacy and have spent the last few years touring and performing new arrangements of tracks from the Russell canon and they present twelve of them here on this enlightening album which has been produced by contemporary NYC icon Brennan Green.

As well as presenting unique takes on both well known and unheard Russell tracks – witness the shimmering beauty of their take on “Is It All Over My Face” for instance – the album sleeve notes have detailed memoirs from the members of Arthur’s Landing discussing each track, making this a truly special album. Strut surround themselves with so many great music projects you’d have to wonder what a gaping hole would be left if they weren’t around.

Tony Poland

Leo Zero opens Disconnect series for Strut

by Juno Plus on 30.09.2010 at 12:27pm.
Last edited: 30.09.2010 at 13:36pm.

Leo Zero has compiled and mixed the inaugural Disconnect release, a new series of mixes from one of our favourite labels Strut Records.

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Danny Krivit – Edits By Mr. K Vol 2 review

by Juno Daily on 13.09.2010 at 12:55pm.
Last edited: 13.09.2010 at 18:14pm.

Strut have been long time supporters of Danny Krivit, having enlisted the Body & Soul resident to compile and mix Grass Roots, a selection of his influences as well as releasing an inaugural volume of his edits in 2003 (some time before the “edit scene” came back into vogue). Whilst that first volume was slightly populist in it’s track listing with recognisable tracks from Cymande, Diana Ross and Sly & The Family Stone amongst the ten tracks, this second volume is an altogether more exclusive affair.

Reaching deep into the Mr K archives which holds over 300 edits, Strut present a selection of ten versions that cover disco, soul and funk and includes some unreleased material. Indeed it’s the unreleased edit of Black Blood’s “Chicano” that provides one of this selection’s most enjoyable moments and highlights Krivit’s talent for editing. Reworked from the seven inch, Krivit extends the tracks by some two minutes adding some real depth to the heavily percussive groove. Elsewhere the gloriously euphoric version of Rare Pleasure and the final lolloping nine minute reworking of Chairmen Of the Board make this yet another essential release from the guys at Strut.

Tony Poland

Walter Gibbons – Jungle Music review

by Juno Daily on 09.08.2010 at 09:59am.
Last edited: 09.08.2010 at 10:00am.

With the capabilities of modern technology allowing for the current deluge of disco ‘edits’, most of which do little beyond extending an intro for ease of mixing, it would have been an intriguing prospect to see what disco edit progenitor Walter Gibbons thought. Sadly because of Gibbon’s untimely death to an AIDS related illness we’ll never find out, however current edit profiteers could do worse than check out this retrospective of Walter Gibbons remixes compiled by Strut.

Nominally split between the 70s and 80s, the first CD documents the imaginative reworks of the Salsoul catalogue that helped cement Gibbon’s reputation whilst the second CD focuses on the mid Eighties period where he worked closely with Arthur Russell. Gibbons rose to fame during the height of disco’s popularity in Manhattan thanks to his expert DJing skills (a tighter variant on the proto hip-hop tablism of DJ Kool Herc) and it was a chance encounter at the Salsoul office which afforded the 22 year old an opportunity to remix Double Exposure’s “Ten Percent” which became the first commercially successful 12″ release, laying down the blueprint for a format that remains popular to this day. That 12” mix is one of seven tracks which aptly demonstrate the percussion heavy style Gibbon’s branded Jungle Music with the closing 11 minute mix of Betty LaVette perhaps the most impressive example.

The second disc provides more sonic intrigue however, starting off with a previously unreleased remix of Arthur Russell’s “See Through” which whilst short by Gibbons standard at 3 mins 40 secs delivers a sound approaching minimalist electronica, this is followed by Gibbons seminal extended prismatic take on Dinosaur L’s “Go Bang” and perhaps the masterpiece of Gibbon’s career – a nine minute remix of Strafe’s “Set It Off” which imbues the track with a deeply organic funk feel. Strut have delivered yet another superlative retrospective which will hopefully inspire people to read up on a truly compelling character from disco’s history – with Tim Lawrence’s excellent “Love Will Save The Day” a recommended starting point.

Tony Poland

Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics – Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics review

by Juno Daily on 02.08.2010 at 16:27pm.
Last edited: 02.08.2010 at 19:04pm.

Strut take the initiative from last year’s critically lauded Inspiration Information collaboration between Mulatu Astatke and the Heliocentrics by pairing the latter up with another engrossing figure in Lloyd Miller. Born into the pulsing environment of 1938 New Orleans and raised on a diet of jambalaya and jazz, a move to Iran in the late 50s sparked what has become a lifelong obsession with the music of Persia and Eastern Asia. Miller has previously collaborated with drummer Catto and bass player Ferguson from the Heliocentrics on the Jazzman released Lloyd Miller Trio EP and this album marks the onset of a blossoming musical relationship between all. It is “Electricone” which previously featured on that EP that opens OST in such mesmerising form with the strains of wood wind and taut percussion preparing your ears for a hypnotic journey through subtle eastern jazz arrangements tinged with a soft edge of psychedelia. Miller’s appearance behind the microphone on “Lloyd’s Diatribe” dukes it out with the pensive guitar flavour of album closer “Sunda Sunset” for the highlight of an all round impressive listen.

Review: Tony Poland

Krivit compiles new edits comp

by Juno Daily on 12.07.2010 at 14:03pm.
Last edited: 13.07.2010 at 10:55am.

A collection of edits by legendary New York DJ Danny Krivit, produced under his Mr K. alias, will hit the shelves in September via Strut.

Mulatu Astatke – Mulatu Steps Ahead review

by Juno Daily on 07.04.2010 at 10:01am.
Last edited: 07.04.2010 at 10:01am.

Artist: Mulatu Astatke
Title: Mulatu Steps Ahead
Label: Strut
Genre: Jazz
Format: 12″, CD, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records (vinyl, CD), Juno Download

Generally accepted as the father of Ethio jazz, Mulatu Astatke releases his first studio album in over twenty years through Strut. Mulatu Steps Ahead signals somewhat of a new approach for the veteran who also engages with western jazz in favour of his more familiar, native style that has made him such a pioneering artist during the 60s and 70s.

Having been making jazz music for the last 50 years, Mulatu has worked with some of the greats of the jazz world. On this album, he recorded with members of the Either/Orchestra in Boston, the Heliocentrics and some of the UK’s leading jazz and African players whilst also adding contributions by traditional Ethiopian musicians in Addis. The album follows on from the success of both the acclaimed Inspiration Information collaboration and recent Strut compilation, New York – Addis – London.

Mulatu Steps does not focus on his roots however, signified by the fact that much of it was recorded in the US. The result is a more traditional sounding jazz record than we are used to from him, although that’s not to say there is less intrigue and personality woven in. In fact, each track on the album tells its very own unique story. Opener “Radcliffe” reflects on his time as a lecturer at Harvard University, “Assosa” adapts traditional music from the Assosa tribes of north-western Ethiopia, “Mulatu’s Mood” re-works a Mulatu jazz fusion composition from the early 1990s into a new swinging Afro high life arrangement and “Derashe” deals with the traditional diminishing scales of the Derashe people of Southern Ethiopia. Although different from his previous work, Mulatu Astatke continues to keep jazz fresh, contemporary and up to date whether it’s African or American. Let’s just hope it’s not another twenty years until his next studio album.

Review: Tom Jones