Arts and Faith: Tony Allen and Jimi Tenor - Inspiration Information vol. 4 - Arts and Faith

Jump to content

Page 1 of 1
  • You cannot start a new topic
  • You cannot reply to this topic

Tony Allen and Jimi Tenor - Inspiration Information vol. 4

#1 User is offline   Josh Hurst 

  • Feel me
  • Group: Moderator
  • Posts: 3,613
  • Joined: 28-June 03

Posted 03 November 2009 - 11:51 AM

If you aren't paying attention to Strut's "Inspiration Information" series, now in its fourth installment, you're missing out on some seriously inspired music. The series-- which takes two artists who've never worked together before, sticks 'em in a room together, and lets the magic happen-- has already produced one of the year's best jazz albums: Volume 3 was a sublime collaboration between Ethiopian jazz legend Mulatu Astatke and British psychadelic rockers the Heliocentrics. But the newly-released volume 4 is the best yet, and one of my favorite things I've heard this year.

The participants this time around are Tony Allen (probably the most famous Afrobeat drummer ever, former Fela Kuti sideman and member of The Good, The Bad and the Queen) and Jimi Tenor (Norwegian musician, performance artist, and general provocateur, known mostly for his work in techno and electronica). Tenor plays all manner of vintage keyboards, sax, flute, and does a bit of singing. Allen drums like a crazy man. Stylistically, there are traces of dub, reggae, acid jazz, and traditional African music, but all of it is very seriously funky and fun. Some of the songs have sung vocals; others, rapping or spoken word, and of course there are some instrumental numbers. There are topical songs about the UK's immigration policy and a hilarious rap about kinky sex. The album is really weird, but it's also really wonderful, consistently entertaining, gloriously fun, and yes-- all inspired.

#2 User is offline   Josh Hurst 

  • Feel me
  • Group: Moderator
  • Posts: 3,613
  • Joined: 28-June 03

Posted 12 November 2009 - 08:23 AM

This is a superb record, wonderfully weird and experimental but deeply funky and unabashedly fun. My full review is posted here. But if you want a second opinion, here's a bang-up, rave-review from The Quietus, and here's a fine take from Dusted.

#3 User is offline   Gavin Breeden 

  • Member
  • Group: Member
  • Posts: 116
  • Joined: 11-August 08

Posted 16 November 2009 - 03:09 PM

Today you can download the track "Selfish Gene" from this album for FREE on Amazon. This is one of the best tracks on the record and also one of the best of 2009. You have no excuse not to check it out.

*And by "best" I mean "my favorite." ....just in case.

This post has been edited by Gavin Breeden: 16 November 2009 - 03:10 PM

Page 1 of 1
  • You cannot start a new topic
  • You cannot reply to this topic