Bring Out Your Dead 2009 – Volume 4

So here we are already at volume 4 in this ongoing series celebrating the many musicians who died in 2009.

Opening the set we have a wee drachm of death wisdom from Irish author Frank McCourt, who spent his youth in Limerick City in an impoverished Catholic hell and lived to tell about it in his book, Angela’s Ashes.

If you think Frank’s g-d is dead, try giving Claude Jeeters and the Swan Silvertones a listen. They may not renew your faith (assuming you had some to lose), but they will sock it to ya with some of the heaviest gospel soul ever to be pressed to wax.

Keeping the funk alive are New Orleans pianist and funk legend Eddie Bo and guitarists Mel Brown and Sam “Bluesman” Taylor. Taylor wrote hundreds of songs, including several hits recorded by folks like Freddie King, Chubby Checker, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Jay and the Americans. He also played guitar (and occassionally led bands) for Big Joe Turner, The Isley Brothers, Otis Redding and Sam and Dave.

Dubbed the Father of the Psychadelic Guitar, James Gurley led the post-Joplin Big Brother and the Holding Company into the conscious funk grooves found in the lost gem, Be A Brother (Columbia, 1970).

While he may never be called the voice of a generation, Louis Prima was certainly at the forefront of developing the sound of one — and he could not have done it without the red hot sax of Sam Butera. Speaking of red hot, you can’t go wrong with the Latin sounds of Joe Cuba, Father of the Latin Boogaloo.

George Russell was more than an incredible pianist and composer, he developed the theoretical foundations that would advance jazz and pop for decades to come. His 1953 book, The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization became a guide for playing jazz based on scales rather than chord changes. His landmark album, Ezz-thetics, introduced Eric Dolphy, and is considered by some critics to be one of the best jazz albums ever recorded.

Rusty Dedrick’s Modern Art Suite continues to inspire young players, as can be heard here in this fine example of Realism, as performed by the Wiregrass Ranch High School Sax Quartet.

The angular drumming of Rashied Ali helped build the bridge that carried John Coltrane further into the spacey world of spiritual jazz, alongside his avant-garde peers, Pharoah Sanders, and Sun Ra.

As half of Ferrante & Teicher, Arthur Ferrante is best known for borish easy listening and soundtrack LP’s, but their dual piano sound started as a highly experimental adventure that was avant-garde in technique as well as direction. In their early days Ferrante & Teicher were known for playing all parts of the piano, often striking the strings by hand with all manner of objects.

Although I doubt it was intentional, Joe Maneri’s Paniots Nine is a brilliant example of when lo-fi works. This is a killer lost track that is guaranteed to blow your mind!

Blossom Dearie’s voice could be the sweetest sound you will here in this whole series, with Chris Connor placing a close second.

Several years before Getz/Gilberto brought the Bossa Nova craze to America in the mid-1960s, the sax of Bud Shank and guitar of Laurindo Almeida had already established the groundwork in Brazil.

Closing out the set we have Belgian jazz vibraphonist Fats Sadi, and the steady rhythms of Eddie Locke supporting Kenny Burrell. Stay tuned, there is plenty more to come in this series.

Bring Out Your Dead 2009 – Volume 4:

1. Angels at the Library – Frank McCourt
2. If You Think Your God Is Dead (Try Mine) – Swan Silvertones/Claude Jeeters
3. Sissy Walk – Eddie Bo
4. Chicken Fat – Mel Brown
5. The Stinger – Sam Taylor
6. Funkie Jim – Big Brother & the Holding Company/James Gurley
7. Hard Times – Eddie Bo
8. Night Train – Louis Prima/Sam Butera
9. Jump, Jive An’ Wail – Louis Prima/Sam Butera
10. Arecibo – Joe Cuba Sextet
11. Joe Cuba’s Madness (part 1) – Joe Cuba Sextet
12. Ezz-thetics – George Russell Sextet
13. Realism – Wiregrass Ranch High School Sax Quartet (by Rusty Dedrick)
14. Tranesonic (Alternate Take) – John Coltrane/Rashied Ali
15. Whiptailed Stingrays – Ferrante & Teicher/Arthur Ferrante
16. Barracudas on the Chase – Ferrante & Teicher/Arthur Ferrante
17. Paniots Nine – Joe Maneri
18. The Sweetest Sounds – Blossom Dearie
19. Ridin’ High – Chris Connor
20. Speak Low (Alternate Take) – Laurindo Almeida/Bud Shank
21. Night Lady – “Fats” Sadi Pol Lallemand
22. Montono Blues – Kenny Burrell/Eddie Locke