#The Cairo Jazz Band

[zef-zef]

Salah Ragab And The Cairo Jazz Band

source: egyptianstreets 📸: ???

[diceriadelluntore]

Storia Di Musica #332 - Area, Crac!, 1975

Le storie dei dischi dello scatolone del mese di Giugno hanno avuto un grande riscontro, e ne sono particolarmente felice. E per quelle di Luglio vorrei ripartire da quello scatolone, perché conteneva un altro disco, che però rispetto ai 5 scelti avevo già comprato da me. L’ho scelto per tre motivi: perché è l’occasione di parlare di un grande personaggio, che ho citato di striscio nelle storie del mese scorso; perché questo lavoro è un formidabile esempio della grandezza e delle capacità di uno dei gruppi italiani più grandiosi di sempre; perchè il suo titolo mi ha sedotto a trovare altri dischi che hanno nel titolo lo stesso simbolo grafico, il punto esclamativo. Gli Area, che avevano nel nome di gruppo una dicitura chiarissima, International POPular Group, sono stati una delle punte di diamante della musica europea degli anni ’70. Nascono a Milano nel 1972 quando musicisti provenienti da esperienze molto diverse mettono su un gruppo. Il primo nucleo comprendeva il tastierista Patrizio Fariselli, Giulio Capiozzo alla batteria, Johnny Lambizzi alla chitarra, sostituito subito da Paolo Tofani, Patrick Dijvas al basso e Victor Busnello al sassofono, con in più uno studente di architettura di origini greche, alla voce, Demetrio Stratos (psudonimo di Efstràtios Dimitrìou). Convergono nel gruppo esperienze diversissime: Fariselli è diplomato al Conservatorio di Pesaro, Capiozzo ha suonato per anni all’Hotel Hilton de Il Cairo e fu prolifico sessionman per la Numero Uno di Mogol e Battisti, Tofani suonava la musica beat con i Califfi, Stratos aveva avuto un certo successo negli anni precedenti, avendo cantato il brano Pugni Chiusi dei Ribelli, che entrò in classifica nel 1967.

Ma qui è tutta un’altra storia: scelgono una musica totale e creativa, ricchissima di suggestioni, puntando anche sulla “complessità musicale”. Quest’ultimo punto li vide clamorosamente osteggiati durante il loro primo tour a supporto di grandi nomi come Rod Steward e i mitici Gentle Giant, accusati dal pubblico di essere troppo ostici. Poco dopo l’incontro che cambia la loro storia (e in parte anche quella della musica italiana). Gianni Sassi è un fotografo, scrittore, artista bolognese che fonderà una etichetta, la Cramps, che scompaginerà il panorama musicale del tempo. Li mette sotto contratto, dà loro libertà creeativa ma si mette a scrivere i testi, con lo pseudonimo di Frankenstein. Il debutto è leggendario: nel 1973, Arbeit Macht Frei, la beffarda e drammatica scritta che accoglieva i deportati nei lager nazisti, già dalla copertina è un colpo alla coscienza, con un pupazzo mascherato e con un lucchetto, imprigionato tra totalitarismo e sistema del Capitale. La musica è altrettanto dirompente: un jazz rock teso, di caratura internazionale, ma che profuma di mediterraneo, vedasi il suono balcanico del primo pezzo culto, Luglio, Agosto, Settembre (Nero), netta presa di posizione a favore dei palestinesi, e che spesso vira all’avanguardia (L’Abbattimento Dello Zeppelin). Tra tutto, spicca la voce, prodigiosa, di Stratos, non solo per l’estensione o la duttilità, ma per il ruolo che gioca nelle canzoni, e per le straordinarie capacità tecniche (studierà le diplofonie, facendo della sua voce uno strumento aggiunto e inimitabile, arrivando a produrre contemporaneamente fino a 4 note diverse). Busnello e Dijvas lasciano il gruppo, quest’ultimo andrà alla PFM, e entra in formazione Ares Tavolazzi al basso. Nel 1974 arriva Caution Radiation Area (in copertina il simbolo del pericolo radioattivo) e radioattiva è la musica, che abbandona la forma canzone (tranne Cometa Rossa, che sfoggia ancora suggestioni mediterranee) e vira decisamente sull’avanguardia e la sperimentazione. Il pubblico non gradisce, ma dal vivo la band macina concerti su concerti, ad un ritmo forsennato (oltre 200 l’anno) è spesso invitata in contesti internazionali, e chi li ha visti dal vivo assicura che erano straordinari. Dopo aver registrato una versione strumentale de L’Internazionale (con lato b Citazione Da George J. Jackson, con Stratos che recita un famoso discorso del leader delle Pantere Nere) per la liberazione dell’anarchico Giovanni Marini, all’epoca detenuto in carcere per l’omicidio del vicepresidente del FUAN, Carlo Falvella, avvenuto a Salerno nel 1972, nel 1975 arriva l’atteso nuovo disco.

Crac! è un disco che media tra il primo e il secondo. L’immediatezza di alcuni brani, che furono tacciati di frivolezza (storica la stroncatura di Riccardo Bertoncelli e la contro risposta di Stratos sulla rivista Gong) ma che invece sono una lucida organizzazione del solito alto livello musicale, un formidabile jazz rock al massimo livello, a cui per una volta si aggiunge un giocoso approccio. Crac! si apre con L’Elefante Bianco, che diventerà brano culto, una cavalcata rock con i fiocchi e prosegue con La Mela di Odessa: Stratos che qui fa davvero capire che voce incredibile è stata, è anche famoso perché durante i live Demetrio raccontava la storia che la ispirò. Secondo lui infatti, il testo si baserebbe su un fatto realmente avvenuto nel 1920, e che potrebbe essere uno dei primi dirottamenti marini della storia. Un pittore dadaista tedesco, tale Apple, che intendeva assistere ad una mostra d'arte a Odessa, vi dirottò una nave passeggeri con l'intenzione di regalarla ai russi che avevano da poco fatto la rivoluzione. Una volta a Odessa, Apple venne salutato con feste enormi, che comportarono anche far saltare in aria la nave con tutti i suoi passeggeri tedeschi. Della storia non c’è traccia in nessuna fonte storica e ormai è chiaro che fosse stata inventata per rendere ancora più potente le metafore che il testo sprigiona in un brano “enciclopedia” per la commistione di generi, stili, suoni, un capolavoro assoluto. Megalopoli e Nervi Scoperti spiegano la vita mediterranea al jazz rock. Nel disco c’è anche il brano più famoso degli Area, Gioia E Rivoluzione, che dice “Canto per te che mi vieni a sentire\Suono per te che non mi vuoi capire\Rido per te che non sai sognare\Suono per te che non mi vuoi capire", e che verrà ripresa decenni dopo con successo dagli Afterhours; l’elettro-psichedelia retta dal basso di Implosion e la sperimentazione vocale di Area 5 chiudono l’LP. Il successivo tour verrà ricordato con un live, Are(A)zione, con tre brani noti dai Festival a cui parteciparono, e una nuova suite, omonima al titolo del disco.

La band durerà altri due anni: divisi dal sentirsi alfiere dell’avanguardia musicale, con scelte a volte del tutto incomprensibili, come Event del 1976, una lunga suite sconclusionata, faticosissimo tentativo di cavalcare la tigre del suono, progetti solisti che crearono tensioni, il passaggio dalla Cramps alla CGD di Caterina Caselli, che nel 1978 pubblica Gli Dei Se Ne Vanno, Gli Arrabbiati Restano, che esce pochi mesi prima che Demetrio Stratos muoia di leucemia fulminante. “Stratos è stato senza dubbio il personaggio più originale e importante nella musica italiana di ricerca degli anni Settanta, proprio per il suo voler sfuggire alle definizioni, per aver saputo, con coerenza e intelligenza, mettere in comune mondi apparentemente lontanissimi.” (Ernesto Assante).

[cyclesofmystery]

Art Hickman’s Orchestra, 1919

I’ve always really loved this novelty shot of the Hickman Orchestra, and I thought this fine colorization job by Mario Unger really brought a new life to it. The photo and colorization are the main attraction here, BUT I’m going to give some context as to who these guys are in case anyone is curious.

Hickman’s outfit is one of a couple 1910s dance bands that really laid the groundwork for what popular music would sound like in the 20s (and for what it’s worth, probably my personal favorite of that particular late-1910s style which I love so dearly). Hickman’s group was among the first popular bands to utilize a saxophone section, which was kind of a big moment for the trajectory of pop music and jazz in the first half of the 20th century. Their sound took the syncopated edge of contemporary “jass” and ragtime and infused that into a ballroom orchestra style. The resulting music carries itself with a refined and elegant air, but with a certain simmering rakishness underneath- and when these guys really dig into it, they play with an undeniable ragged verve. My favorite sides by them are probably Hesitating Blues and Cairo (both recorded 1919), however Hickman is probably best remembered by his 1917 composition Rose Room (named for the hotel ballroom at which they were the house band), which you still hear played often enough today (that is, if you’re in with the right scene). Would’ve loved to hear what this band sounded like live, I can only imagine that the old acoustic recordings don’t do them full justice.

[soulmusicsongs]

Sahara Soul: Soul from the Arab World

15 Sahara Soul songs

Argos Farfish - Sharhabil Ahmed (The King Of Sudanese Jazz, 2020)

Asif Aabas - Idir (Ay Arrac Nneɣ…, 1979)

Autopsie D'un Complot - Ahmed Malek (Musique Originale de Films, 1978)

Abu Ali - Ziad Rahbani (Abu Ali / Prelude (Theme From Mais El Rim), 1979)

Afrah El Mahgreb - Abdou El Omari (Nuits D'ete, 1976)

Alech - Dalton (Soul Brother / Alech, 1968)

Badala Zamana - Zohra (Badala Zamana / Fousse N'Melissa, 1977)

Dag Dagui - Mazouni (Fariza / Dag Dagui, 1973)

Egypt Strut - Cairo Jazz Band (Egypt Strut / Kahn El-Khaleely, 197?).

El Fen - Aït Messlaïne (Yémma / El Fen, 1976)

Forssa Saeeda - The Scorpions & Saif Abu Bakr (Jazz, 1980)

Malak Ya Saly - Sharhabil Ahmed (The King Of Sudanese Jazz, 2020)

Ores Kez Hed Antzav - Adiss Harmandyan (Adiss Harmandyan, 1971)

Sid Redad - Fadaul Et Les Privilèges (Sid Redad / Tayeh, 1975)

Zina - Ouiness (Bahebek Mara / Zina, 1979)

More Soul Songs

African James Brown in 14 songs

African Funk from the Seventies

Ethiopian Grooves

Top Fania Latin Soul Tracks

[burlveneer-music]

Aya Metwalli & Calamita - Al Saher - Middle Eastern music meets skronk

CALAMITA = KARKHANA members TONY ELIEH, SHARIF SEHNAOUI and Lebanese drummer MALEK RIZKALLAH join forces with the Egyptian singer AYA METWALLI - the result is the improbable meeting between free jazz / improv, punk rock & Oum Kalthoum! CALAMITA is the “rock project” of SHARIF SEHNAOUI and TONY ELIEH, two of the most active musicians on the Lebanese experimental scene (among others projects, both are members of the “free Middle Eastern music” collective KARKHANA). SEHNAOUI comes from a jazz and improv music background, ELIEH is primarily a rock musician and founding member of the Lebanese post-punk band THE SCRAMBLED EGGS whose work in the last decade has covered many directions from pop-rock to plain experimental. They are joined by Lebanese drummer MALEK RIZKALLAH (WHO KILLED BRUCE LEE, ex THE SCRAMBLED EGGS). As trio they develop instrumental pieces that draw their inspiration from artists as diverse as Tony Conrad, Last Exit or Oum Kalthoum. AYA METWALLI is an Egyptian singer/songwriter, composer and sound artist currently based in Beirut. Grown up in Cairo, her father would play non-stop Oum Kalthoum songs on road trips to the beach and Aya’s mother; known to have the most beautiful voice in the family, she always sang at home and at family gatherings, so long before Aya was able to form her own music taste, immense amounts of Arabic classic songs and melodies already settled in her subconsciousness Musicians: Aya Metwalli: voice,guitar,electronics Sharif Sehnaoui: electric guitar Tony Elieh: electric bass Malek Rizkallah: drums

[theloniousbach]

LIVESTREAM and ALMOST: TODD MARCUS/VIRGINIA MacDONALD with Bruce Barth, Blake Meister, and Eric Kennedy, SMALL’S JAZZ CLUB, 23 JULY 2024, 7:30 and (partial) 9 pm sets

What a find!

Billed as a two clarinet front line with Bruce Barth (sold!), I was ready to watch the later set during the day (and I did). But I came in the middle of the early set in real time just to get a feel for the set and I stayed. TODD MARCUS, it turns out, plays bass clarinet and, remarkably, is an Egyptian American. I came in the middle of the first movement of his Suite Something which was dedicated to the 2011 uprising that was central to that Arab Spring. Clarinets of course suit such music, so I was hooked.

MARCUS is from Baltimore and seems to play regularly with Blake Meister and Eric Kennedy, so they are a solid, tried and true rhythm section. Kennedy can be too exuberant but he has a rich and bright style. Barth is always good to see and he provided a steadiness and heft. VIRGINIA MacDONALD is a more recent collaborator and she really is the co-leader contributing tunes (and organizational chops for this bands recent tour of Canada, where she’s from, and the Northeast) and her own approach to the clarinet. Another thoroughly modern player on the instrument to join Anat Cohen and Ben Goldberg, she wasn’t always as woody as them, sidling up to soprano sax territory while not crossing the line. She was fluid and inventive and wove around Marcus as he wove around her. Her contrafact on George Shearing’s Conception, Retrogression, made that complex tune even trickier and Up High, Down Low was a catchy closer to the second set.

Marcus had another Middle Eastern tune, Cairo Street Ride, that seemed to be the gem of the first set. But, damn, if the following ballad had a commanding quiet with Barth playing an important role. That was probably MacDonald’s; the closer, Windmills, was Marcus’ and it was both easy and pensive.

These folks create compelling music in those paradoxes. I hope to see more of them.

[angelloverde]

"Mo Soul" Player Playlist 9 July

Joe Mensah - Africa Is Home

Fela Kuti - Gentleman

Souljazz Orchestra - Kapital

Ochestra Baobab - Utrus Horas

Vis-A-Vis - Obi Agye Me Dofo

S-Tone Inc. - Rendez-Vous R Minuit

Bob Sinclar - Ghetto (Atjazz Remix)

At Jazz - It's Complete

Jazzanova - Another New Day

Soul Bossa Trio - Words Of Love (Re-Loved By Jazzanova)

Tortured Soul - I Might Do Something Wrong (Osunlade Lonely Mix)

Sara Devine - Special (Louie Vega Remix)

Kings Of Tomorrow - Fall For You (Sandy Rivera's Classic Mix)

Nicole Conte - Moroccan Variations

The Spy From Cairo - Nafas

If you really want to enjoy music and help musicians and bands, buy their lp’s or cd’s and don’t download mp3 formats. There is nothing like good quality sound!!!

(Angel Lo Verde / Mo Soul)

[dustedmagazine]

Jonas Cambien’s Maca Conu — Maca Conu (Clean Feed)

Belgian keyboardist, composer and improviser Jonas Cambien is based in Oslo, Norway. The new ensemble that he introduces on Maca Conu includes names that you’ll surely recognize if you give the contemporary Scandinavian jazz scene much of your attention. As well as being a member of Cambien’s trio, which has recorded three albums for Clean Feed, drummer Andreas Wildhagen is a member of the Andreas Røysum Ensemble and Paal Nilssen-Love’s Large Unit. Alto and tenor saxophonist Signe Emmeluth is also a member of Røysum’s band, as well as a strong solo artist in her own right. And bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, whois a veteran of the Thing, School Days, and countless other associations with the likes of Rodrigo Amado, David Murray and Rob Mazurek, brings encyclopedic experience and unstoppable rhythmic drive.

Given the band’s versatility, it would be a missed opportunity to mine a single sound. Cambien does the opposite, using instrumental doubling and a spinning compositional compass to give each of the album’s nine tracks a singular character. “A Terrible Misunderstanding” opens the record with a Steve Lehman-like staccato attack, with Emmeluth’s alto and Cambien’s  piano darting in and out of its remorseless, mechanistic cadence like hungry birds. On “Question The Answer,” Håker Flaten’s bowed bass and Cambien’s Ace Tone organ conjure a brooding, Alice Coltrane-like vibe, only to have the whole band blow it up with a jittery, free jazz tussle. The leader layers piano and organ over a quick, loping groove on “Holy Fishtail,” melding the sonorities of vintage Ethiopian jazz to the frantic pace of a New York commute. And Håker Flaten switches to Minimoog and Cambien to soprano saxophone on “Pseudoscience,” which suspends high, flickering reed formations over a baleful groove.  

The variety of approach reflects the breadth of Cambien’s experiences. He grew up learning classical piano, and then headed to Norway to immerse himself in jazz. More recently, he’s spent some time in Cairo; in the first half of 2024 he will also appear on a record by The Handover that melds Arabic and improvisational methodologies. But Maca Conu doesn’t feel like a work of gratuitous flexing so much as a celebration of possibility.

Bill Meyer

[nwdsc]

(▶︎ Habibi Funk 020: Orkos | Maha | Habibi Funk Recordsから)

Habibi Funk 020: Orkos by Maha

HABIBI FUNK & DISCO ARABESQUO PRESENT: Completely unknown album by Salah Ragab's Cairo Jazz Band vocalist Maha, recorded in Cairo in 1979. Features productions by Hany Shenoda of Al Massrieen. Maha’s “Orkos,” originally released on cassette, is one of these standout musical diamonds that combines Jazz and Egyptian vocal traditions with Funk, Latin and Soul. Out via Habibi Funk October 10th. The arrival of the cassette age was a turning point in the music industry all over the world. Manufacturing a vinyl record was a time-consuming process, as well logistically and financially a barrier of entry for many. This soon led to a proliferation of smaller acts and record labels dedicated to a particular sound without the barriers present in making vinyl. At the same time, in Egypt in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, a new generation of musicians and composers made their way into the scene. Hany Shenoda, Mohamed Mounir, Magdy El Hossainy, Omar Korshid, Salah Ragab and Hamid El Shaeri are some names that come to mind. They all made very different music compared to one another but what connected them was their desire to add something fresh and new to what was perceived as the widely monophonic musical traditions of Egypt. Many built their sounds on a combination of their own musical upbringing with influences coming from the outside. The success of these projects varied but for each one of these artists there were numerous lesser-known bands and singers. A lot of these often-short-lived projects would release their music on cassette on tiny labels. Maha’s “Orkos” album fits this category, and it’s fair to say that it was not a success when it was originally released in 1979 by Sout El Hob. While nobody remembers the exact numbers, sales must have been very limited and the project was quickly forgotten about and no follow up release was produced. Some years ago, we had released “Al Massrieen,” music which is the passion project of their composer, Hany Shenoda. Most of the music of this band was released by the Sout El Hob label and after our reissue they were happy with the extra visibility allowed us access to their back catalogue to assess whether there might be more projects we might be interested in. Maha’s “Orkos” was immediately a stand out album. A strong and energetic voice equally grounded in jazz as well as Egyptian vocal traditions, singing over instrumentals that offer a very wide range: from the funk sounds of “Law Laffeina El Ard” excursions into Latin music in “Orkos,” to the moody mellow sounds of “We Mesheet.” Nobody at the label really remembered much about the release or Maha herself. At the same time, we knew that this was an album we wanted to turn into a re-release. While we could license the music from Sout El Hob, we didn’t want to commit to this project without the blessings and involvement by the woman who created it. We called her in late 2021 and she was clearly surprised to have someone call about music she recorded more than 40 years ago. But she also seemed interested in the idea to bring her music back to people’s attention and so the next time we were in Cairo we planned to meet. A few weeks later we were speaking with our friend Moataz, who runs the Disco Arabesquo project and showed him this great new album we found and to our surprise he knew the album, since having found a tape copy of it a year or two ago in Cairo. Thus, it was an obvious decision to team up for a collaboration for this project. Upon meeting, she told us about how her brother got her introduced to music, and how she played with various bands, including Salah Ragab’s “Cairo Jazz Band”. She also told us how, in the mid 1980’s, she decided to leave music behind for a different life. But she also discussed the struggles and challenges of a woman trying to make it in the music industry. Luckily, she kept a great collection of old photos and she even had a spare copy of the promotional poster made for her release. We explained our vision to her and the idea behind making her music available again. She approved and was happy to share her story to provide valuable information and contextualization, found in the booklet accompanying the vinyl and CD release. クレジット2022年10月10日リリース In collaboration with Disco Arabesquo.

[zef-zef]

Salah Ragab And The Cairo Jazz Band - Ramadan In Space Time from: Salah Ragab And The Cairo Jazz Band - Egyptian Jazz (Art Yard, 2006)

[Salah Ragab accompanied Sun Ra on a tour in Egypt, Greece, France and Spain in 1984.]

recorded in Heliopolis Egypt between 1968 and 1973

Salah Ragab - Conductor, Piano, Drums, Congas El Saied El Aydy, Farouk El Sayed - Alto Saxophone Abdel Hakim El Zamel - Baritone Saxophone Moohy El Din Osman - Bass Abdel Atey Farag - Bass Trombone Mohammad Abdel Rahman - Bass Tuba Sayed Ramadan - Bongos, Drums [Ramadan - Baza] Sayed Sharkawy - Drums Abdel Hamd Abdel Ghaffar (Toto) - Ney [Bamboo Nay] Khmis El Khouly - Piano Fathy Abdel Salam - Tenor Saxophone Saied Salama - Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone El Sayeed Dahroug, Mahmoud Ayoub, Sadeek BasyounyTrombone Ibrahim Wagby, Khalifa El Samman, Mohammed Abdoe - Trumpet Zaky Osman - Trumpet, Flute

[ozkar-krapo]

The SUN RA ARKESTRA meets Salah RAGAB plus The CAIRO JAZZ BAND

"In Egypt"

(LP. Strut / Art Yard. 2021 / rec. 1983) [US-EG]

[seymourmusicclub]

Salah Ragab And The Cairo Jazz Band - Oriental Mood (1973)

[soulmusicsongs]

Big Band Funk

Big Band Funk in 13 tracks: Funky music performed by azz orchestras.

Are You Ready For This - Kashmere Stage Band ‎(Bumper To Bumper Soul, 1970)

Breakaway - Part One - The Steve Karmen Big Band Featuring Jimmy Radcliffe (Breakaway - Part One / Breakaway - Part Two, 1968)

Concerto For Right Foot And Orchestra - Georges Hayes And Philarpopic Orchestra (Steeple Chase / Concerto For Right Foot And Orchestra, 1971)

Dirty Feet - Daly-Wilson Big Band Featuring Kerrie Biddell (The Exciting Daly-Wilson Big Band, 1972)

Italian Pears II - Giovanni Tommaso With The Healthy Food Band (La Banda Del Cibo Salutare, 1970)

Kahn El-Khaleely - Cairo Jazz Band (Egypt Strut / Kahn El-Khaleely, 197?)

Oh Saviour - Solid Rock Big Band (Born Again, 1979)

Sham Time - T. Honda and His Orchestra ‎(What’s Going On, 1971)

Soul Five - Klaus Lenz Modern Soul Big Band (Klaus Lenz Modern Soul Big Band, 1974)

Soul Mate - Soul Extravaganza ‎(Soul Extravaganza (The Big Band Soul), 1969)

Street Preacher - The Mike Hankinson Big Band (South African Safari, 1975)

Superstition - The Airmen Of Note (Brothers In Blue, 1974)

There’s A Promise For The Future - Helmut Pistor’s Big Rock Jazz Band (There’s A Promise For The Future / Into My Life, 196?)

More Soul Music

Saxophone Soul

Soul Jazz: 20 tracks

Funky Harp: 10 soulful harp tracks

[votava-records]

Yussef Kamaal are a London-based jazz-funk duo whose members are Yussef Dayes and Kamaal Williams (aka Henry Wu). Interestingly -- and one suspects not coincidentally -- their name recalls the great Egyptian artist Kamal Yussef, a founding member of the influential, aesthetically revolutionary, and multi-disciplinary Groupe de L'Art Contemporain in Cairo in the 1940s. The band's sound represents a collision of '70s jazz-funk with 21st century London bass, beat, and hip-hop.