Product Description
Includes obi/Japanese commentary ?EThe second series from Jazz Is Dead, the most talked-about label in the LA underground and current jazz scene, has already begun! ?EFeatured in the second series are Ronnie Liston Smith, Henry Franklin, Gene Caan, Phil Ranelin, Wedell Harrison, Tony Allen, Garrett Saracho, and Catalyst! ?EThe first release in the second series, like the previous one, is a preview compilation featuring one track from each upcoming album! ?EA dream collaboration across generations between masters of black jazz and rare groove whose records are sought after by diggers around the world, and The Midnight Hour, who play the most retro-modern black music today!! "We make music while paying homage to our predecessors. That's our purpose." Ali Shaheed Muhammad Jazz Is Dead, Second Series Begins!! Amidst the difficult situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has prevented the label from holding live events?the label's origin?the first series of 10 albums was successfully completed, making Jazz Is Dead the most talked-about presence in the LA underground and jazz scene today. Now, the second series has already begun. The opening bell, as with the first series, will be rang with a compilation featuring one track from each album scheduled for release in the second series. This time, the lineup begins with Ronnie Liston Smith, a pioneer of cosmic jazz-funk and fusion, followed by bassist Henry Franklin, who has left impressive performances on leader albums released on Black Jazz and on many of the label's classic albums, Gene Khan, a representative diva of Black Jazz and wife of Doug Khan, who also released an album in the first series, and even Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison, founders of the legendary black jazz label Tribe. This alone would be a dream project for rare groove and black jazz enthusiasts, but true to the spirit of Jazz Is Dead, which is known for its cross-genre and cross-generational collaborations, the lineup also includes Tony Allen, who sadly passed away in 2020 as Fela Kuti's right-hand man and created Afrobeat, and Garrett (Gary) Saracho, whose only album "En Medio," released in 1973 on the prestigious Impulse label, is still talked about in the LA scene as a masterpiece of Latin/Chicano jazz. And perhaps the dark horse of the second series, and the biggest highlight, is the collaboration with Catalyst, a collective that is currently attracting attention in the LA jazz scene. Since Catalyst's drummer, Greg Paul, has played in various places on previous releases, you can expect a sound that is a little different from the works with the other big names due to their close relationship. Just like last time, the album concludes with a new song by Adrian and Ali's unit, The Midnight Hour.
