One obvious place to start is D’Angelo’s album ‘Voodoo’ where the whole album uses a characteristic rhythmic ebb and flow, a constantly moving groove often referred to by musicians as ‘push-pull’. How have these artists influenced contemporary songwriters/producers today? It refreshes these traditions with cinematic production techniques gleaned from hip hop and with attitude that is street-smart but above all highly individual, celebrating quirks instead of sanding them down for mass consumption.’ Using musical analysis, but also applying suitable caution necessary when engaging in reductive pursuits, we need to ask some questions.Ģ. Organic soul, natural R&B…it’s music that owes a debt to the old-school sounds of Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and George Clinton without expressly mimicking any of them. Borrowing from an article by the Chicago Tribune in the early 2000s: ‘Many of these artists have performed on one another’s records, creating a community of likeminded musicians forging a style that\ doesn’t have a name yet. Even though anecdotal narrative suggests that it was initially a zodiacal epiphany that helped bond these pioneers, it was their shared love for the unconventional, whether in rhythm, harmony, melody, or production style that secured their musical bonds. Original members of the Soulquarians were soon joined by artists such as Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Common, Pino Palladino, and Roy Hargrove for a creative period that lasted between 1997 and 2002. Wherever you head, it won’t take you long to realise the influence that a small group of musical pioneers made on music ever since they started collaborating in the late ‘90s. Founding members of what was to become a revolving collective were Questlove from The Roots, D’Angelo, James Poyser, and J Dilla, sharing the same star sign – Aquarius. In the case of the Soulquarians, this is such a movement, and it lasted almost five years. Further internet searching may lead you to discover the article J Dilla Essentials, shedding some light on seminal tracks produced by the late James Dewitt Yancey (J Dilla or J Dee), or you may read about the Soulquarian experiences at Electric Lady Studios. You may already be familiar with this term or you may, as I was, be on the brink of discovering something truly wonderful. Looking back at movements in the history of popular music, occasionally it seems like certain random events lead to a seemingly random group of musicians creating music so revolutionary that it causes a paradigm shift in our global musical consciousness. Go on, do it! Google the word ‘soulquarians’. Sometimes, it's as if Mehldau is playing for folks who stop off for a quick one on the way home from the office.īut then he'll play something so richly inventive, those folks will wind up missing their train home - and the one after that.X-Factory NZ Musician Click Here to download Sufjan Stevens' "Holland" takes forever to get going, and then doesn't go very far. ![]() He'll coast once in a while, as if just playing hip tunes is enough. His version of Elvis Costello's "Baby Plays Around" goes into a long out-of-tempo solo section that dilutes its effect. His left hand supplies just enough atmosphere to color the tale.īrad Mehldau is a hell of a piano player, but he doesn't always grab me. ![]() He keeps you hanging in to see how the next twist resolves, then brings you back just when you think he's lost you. The pianist builds his improvisation like a master storyteller. The one jam-session standard, Sonny Rollins' "Airegin," brings out some of Mehldau's fastest and hippest playing - his, and the rhythm section's. Where Do You Start also includes that titular Barbra Streisand weeper, as well as songs from Cuba and Brazil. At one point, the bass and Mehldau's left hand shout out to the Jimi Hendrix version. ![]() Even "Hey Joe," one of the first tunes that children of the '60s learned on guitar, traces a jazzy circle-of-fifths chord progression. Mehldau loves Nick Drake's whispered melodies like "Time Has Told Me," which starts on a simple two-chord vamp before wandering out of key. The rock, folk and pop tunes Mehldau picks all have some musical facets improvisers can dig into - the trio isn't slumming.
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