Seems like everyone is looking back instead of forward. Maybe its the comfort of thinking that back in the day was better than now, even though when you were actually living in it you were probably thinking that further back in the day was better than now which was actuallly then. I love that line from Carly Simon’s “Anticipation” - “I’m gonna stay right here, cause these are the good old days”. And Victoria Moran, in her book “Younger by the Day” which is about becoming ageless rather than growing old, has a piece that warns against “falling in the nostalgia trap” because living in the past is one sure way to age you out fast.
This is why I really appreciate the artists who are hanging in there and giving us original, contemporary music that is based on the present, not the past. Ken Navarro has outdone himself and Steve Oliver has a totally innovative new live CD/DVD coming
out soon. Mindi Abair has delivered another set of cool instrumentals while she moves a bit more into singer/songwriter territory too..the vocal songs are just wonderful - well written contemporary pop, beautifully sung that is about now, not then. Jessy J’s “Tequila Moon” is a solid set of pure smooth jazz tunes with some latin flavor thrown in and vocalist Nyee Moses has a wonderful, inspiring and one-of-a-kind set of her own. Earl Klugh also has a new album of original material,”The Spice of Life’, his first in a while, featuring his trademark guitar sound and infectuous melodies with quite a bit of orchestration, real strings, not string synths too.
Gerald Albright’s June release will be a tribute to Stax records and the Memphis soul sound of the 60s and 70s. Actually that’s kind of cool because where Motown was glossy and has been overdone, Stax/Volt was gritty and funky. He covers the Staple Singers’ “Respect Yourself” featuring Ledisi, who has sung on several of Boney’s albums, Johnnie Taylor’s “Cheaper To Keep Her” and “Who’s Making Love”, and the Dramatics’ “What You See Is What You Get” with EWF vocalist Philip Bailey, a song that has been covered by quite a few artists. Will Downing sings “Never Can Say Goodbye” too. There are also several oriignal instrumentals including a duet with Kirk Whalum.
Brian Culbertson hopped to the same era for his new one, “Bring Back The Funk” which is basically smoothed out retro-funk. although it does get fired up at some points, especially the opening track “Funkin’ Like My Fathers”. It’s mostly vocals and instrumentals with background vocals. Some 70s soul heros like Larry Graham and Maurice White contributed. The reviewers on iTunes and Amazon seem to be lovin’ it.
David Benoit has gone in another direction, recording an album of songs by his musical “Heroes” (the title) that cover some wide territory from recognizable pop like Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” and “Your Song” to Classic rock titles - “Light My Fire” and “She’s Leaving Home” to classic jazz -”Waltz For Debbie” and “Blue Rondo A La Turk” and classic contemporary (yes there is such a thing) with Dave Grusin’s “Mountain Dance” there are two original tunes too, one being a tribute to Dave Brubeck called “A Twisted Little Etude.”
Jazz artists always recorded and improvised existing songs and one of the biggest contemporary jazz trends in the 70s was the CTI label, which specialized in jazzed up versions of familiar pop songs. Those releases were very popular then but there was also a lot of vital new music being created, all those new contemporary jazz and fusion acts and jazzy adult alternative vocalists and singer/songwriters. The ones we hear covered on almost every new CD these days. But if all our artists only record covers of songs from back in the day what will artists 30 years from now play. Songs from waaaaayyyyy back in the day? Brian Culbertsons kid covering Brian Culbertson’s cover of Earth Wind and Fire.
Forward..into the past??
