"The Butler" mini-bio

Pianist, composer, arranger, and producer Harold Butler is one of Jamaica's finest musical talents whom throughout his career has performed, composed, arranged and produced some of Jamaica's most popular music. As a pianist, Butler has recorded, worked and toured with a long list of musicians including Bunny Wailer and Jimmy Cliff.

He has recorded, co-produced and produced with and for some of Jamaica's best musicians and singers. Hits for singers include Pam and Woody (Book of Life), Beresford Hammond (One Step Ahead), Cynthia Schloss (Love me Forever) and Ernest Wilson (Let True Love Be). His solo albums, which include and feature both vocal and instrumental tracks, are: The Butler Did It, My Life : Part 1, Meditation Heights, African On My Mind, and the soundtrack for the movie Children of Babylon.

Jason Moran - Jazz Iz.........not ded!!

Jason Moran

From new website called made possible. Check it.

visit our other blogs:
www.turbodonkeycart.blogspot.com
www.eurojamcar.blogspot.com
www.mikethemovies.blogspot.com

"Abby's Road" : RIP Abby Lincoln

Link to a ABC news obituary about the exemplary jazz singer and civil rights activist Abby Lincoln.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wirestory?id=11408648&page=1

What the Butler did: A List of credits

As a pianist, Butler has recorded, worked and toured with a long list of musicians including Bunny Wailer and Jimmy Cliff. His older brother, Leslie, was a keyboardist who played at the Federal Studio during the 1960s and the 1970s. Another brother has recorded and toured for Bunny Wailer, Dennis Brown, Jimmy Cliff, Culture and Judy Mowatt.

He has recorded, co-produced and produced with and for some of Jamaica’s best musicians and singers. Hits for singers include Pam and Woody (Book of Life), Beresford Hammond (One Step Ahead), Cynthia Schloss (Love me Forever) and Ernest Wilson (Let True Love Be). His solo albums, which include and feature both vocal and instrumental tracks, are: The Butler did it, My Life : Part 1, Meditation Heights, African On My Mind, and the soundtrack for the movie Children of Babylon.

During the 70's he recorded for the most important Jamaican artists and producers. The list of artists he played for is huge and we want to remember a few names at least. As a keyboardist he played for Beres Hammond, Bunny Wailer ("Black Heart Man"), Culture ("Two Sevens Clash" and "Cumbolo"), Delroy Wilson, Dennis Brown ("Visions Of Dennis Brown"), The Meditations ("Guidance"), Sylford Walker, Toots & Maytals. As a pianist he played for Cedric Im Brooks ("United Africa"), Derrick Harriott, Ernest Ranglin, Ken Boothe. As an organist he played for Joe Gibbs ("African Dub All-Mighty" and "African Dub All-Mighty Chapter 3"), Pablo Moses, Trinity ("Three Piece Suit"). On synthesizer, he played for Beres Hammond, Ken Boothe. And finally we must remember him on melodica for Judy Mowatt's "Black Woman".

His solo albums are: "The Butler Did It", "My Life : Part 1", "Meditation Heights", "Africa On My Mind", and the soundtrack for the movie "Children of Babylon". By the late 80's some mental problems forced him to retire from the activity, but in recent years he has reappeared onstage with good acclaim. The present set collects some material recorded around 1978. The mood is quite puzzling. The recipe is made of Jazz, some light Roots, Soul and some so called African reminiscences on the background. The tracks are basically instrumentals, in some cases sustained by vocals and chorus. Apart from some tracks listed below, this risky mixture of sounds and atmospheres is uncertain and at the end almost disappointing. On nine tracks emerge "Liberation" (featuring Beres Hammond), "South Africa", "Crying In Soweto" and "Out Of Bondage" as a great Jazz track. The album was produced by Herman Chin Loy and recorded at his legendary Aquarius Studio. It was engineered by Mervyn Williams and Stephen Stanley; and mixed by them with the addition of Boris Gardiner

Credits

Appears on

* Children Of Babylon
o Pass The Fire
o White - Slave Lament (Trad.)
* Jah Children Invasion
o Dedication Rock
* Real Authentic Reggae Volume One
o Smile Orange Reggae

As a musician
Keyboards

* B.B. Seaton - I'm Aware Of Love [1979]
* Barry Biggs - Sincerely [1977]
* Beres Hammond - Let's Make A Song [1981]
* Bunny Wailer - Black Heart Man [1976]
* Culture - Cumbolo [1979]
* Culture - Two Sevens Clash [1977]
* Dean Fraser - Black Horn Man [1978]
* Delroy Wilson - Sarge [1976]
* Dennis Brown - The Best Of Dennis Brown Part 2 [197X]
* Dennis Brown - Visions Of Dennis Brown [1978]
* Harold Butler - Gold Connection [1978]
* Lord Laro - Yu Have Fe Dread [198X]
* Meditations - Guidance [1978]
* Sylford Walker - Nutin Na Gwan [1975-79]
* Toots & Maytals - Live At Reggae Sunsplash [1982]
* Toots & Maytals - Toots Live [1980]
* Various Artists - Jah Children Invasion [1983]
* Various Artists - Jah Children Invasion Chapter II [198X]
* Various Artists - United Dreadlocks Vol 1 [1977]
* Various Artists - United Dreadlocks Vol 2 [1980]

Piano

* B.B. Seaton - Colour Is Not The Answer [1976]
* Beres Hammond - Soul Reggae [1976]
* Cedric Im Brooks - United Africa [1978]
* Cedric Myton & Congo - Image Of Africa [1979]
* Cedric Myton & Congos - Face The Music [1981]
* Congo - Congo Ashanti [1979]
* Derrick Harriott - Reggae Disco Rockers [1979]
* Derrick Harriott & Revolutionaries - Reggae Chart Busters Seventies Style [1977]
* Ernest Ranglin - Ranglin Roots [1976]
* Harold Butler - Africa On My Mind [1978]
* Harold Butler - Gold Connection [1978]
* Joe Higgs - Unity Is Power [1979]
* Ken Boothe - Blood Brothers [1976]
* Meditations - Greatest Hits [197X]
* Pat Kelly - Lonely Man [1978]
* Prince Junior - On Top [1980]
* Ruddy Thomas - First Time Around [1981]
* Toots & Maytals - Just Like That [1980]
* Toots & Maytals - Knock Out ! [1981]

Organ

* Audley Rollens - Role Model [1984]
* B.B. Seaton - Colour Is Not The Answer [1976]
* Cedric Myton & Congo - Image Of Africa [1979]
* Cedric Myton & Congos - Face The Music [1981]
* Congo - Congo Ashanti [1979]
* Derrick Harriott - Reggae Disco Rockers [1979]
* Harold Butler - Africa On My Mind [1978]
* Harold Butler - Gold Connection [1978]
* Jerry Johnson - For All Seasons [198X]
* Joe Gibbs - African Dub All-Mighty [1975]
* Joe Gibbs - African Dub All-Mighty Chapter 3 [1978]
* Joe Gibbs & Professionals Featuring Errol Thompson - No Bones For The Dogs [1974-79]
* Ken Boothe - Blood Brothers [1976]
* Pablo Moses - Tension [1985]
* Trinity - Three Piece Suit [1977]

Synthesizer

* Beres Hammond - Soul Reggae [1976]
* Harold Butler - Africa On My Mind [1978]
* Ken Boothe - Blood Brothers [1976]
* Ruddy Thomas - Reggae By Ruddy Thomas [1983]

Strings Synthesizer

* Derrick Harriott & Revolutionaries - Reggae Chart Busters Seventies Style [1977]
* Harold Butler - Gold Connection [1978]
* Willie Lindo - It's Not Too Late [1977]

Melotron

* Derrick Harriott - Reggae Disco Rockers [1979]

Electric Piano

* Congo - Congo Ashanti [1979]
* Harold Butler - Gold Connection [1978]

Melodica

* Judy Mowatt - Black Woman [1980]

Serving Up "The Butler"

he's had some up and down times, for sure, but one thing has never waned: Harold Butler's master of the piano; his staggering range of material and sensitivity and soulful connection to the music.
Starting next week, extensive coverage on the life and times of Jamaica's piano man.


visit our other blogs:
www.turbodonkeycart.blogspot.com;
www.mikethemeovies.blogspot.com
www.eurojamcar.blogspot.com
www.liveplug-emx.blogspot.com

Barb Jungr CD review: The Men I Love

While in no way denigrating the preceding tunes, to get a full feel for the transformative powerof Barb Jungr's musical and vocal vision, go straight to the final track on this CD, Geln Campbell's "Wichita Lineman". To hear her alternately draw in tenderly and unfurl the tune - ably aided by pianist Simon Wallace - is a wondrous experience.

Indeed, its one of many on what is a well crafted, but soulful, intimate and contemporary sounding set that should resonate equally with jazz vocal purists (although the material in the truest sense is not jazz, no matter), coffeehouse hipsters or nightclub veterans.

Whether individual tuiens, like the Monkees' "I'm A Believer" or medleys like "This Old Heart of Mine-Love Hurts" the Brit chanson gets inside the song, a cliche, we admit, but if you follow my directive at the beginning of this review it should become obvious. Her empahty is clear on the Holland-DOzier-Holland classic. When Jungr coos the "I love you-ou-ou" line first made famous by the Isley Bros. all the palintive yet defiant commitment of the origianl is magically transposed.

Separate from the vocal hijinks, the album also succeeds musically. While most of the material is taken at an easygoing ballad pace, those expecting lullabies will be wowed by subtle shifts in tempo and the varied sonic palette that Jungr and Wallace have put together. One of this writer's favourite pop songs is Briab Eno and David Byrne's "Once In A Lifetime" a song I thought it would hard, if not impossible to successfully update. But here, Jungr's lyrics are gently dunked amid a swirl of sometimes Oriental, sometimes Southwestern sonic patches. Also she makes good use of the song's refrains and repeated phrases ("Same as it ever was" is one example)to transport the listener into an experience with even more gravitas than the original suggested.

As another reviewer has stated "Jungr needs no added ingredients to improve her communication of the intense feelings contained in these great songs." Given this lush attention, her "men" should be feeling pretty stoked - same goes for music lovers everywhere

Track listing:Once in a Lifetime;
I'm a Believer;
Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache;
Night Comes On;
Can't Get Used to Losing You / Red Red Wine;
The River;
I Saw the Light;
This Old Heart of Mine / Love Hurts;
Everything I Own;
You Ain't Going Nowhere;
My Little Town;
Wichita Lineman

www.barbjungr.co.uk


visit our other blogs:
www.turbodonkeycart.blogspot.com
www.eurojamcar.blogspot.com
www.mikethemovies.blogspot.com

Roberto Magris CD review - J-Mood 1.0

CD - Mating Call
Roberto Magris Quintet
J-Mood Records


Its becoming a very pleasurable habit reviewing the works of pianist Roberto Magris and his various iterations. He infuses all his records with a supple beauty that gently but inexorably hooks the audience on the first listen and wears extremely well with repeated spins. Whether with his excellent Europlane groups(orchestra or quintet), or in the "pick-up" quartet he established on his Kansas City Outbound album, his zest for life and devotion to the idiom uniformly shine through.

This time around its a quintet format with a dual sax attack - Michael O' Neill on tenor and paul Carr on soprano, with drummer Idris Muhammad and the well-travelled California-born bassist Elisa Pruett.

The proceedings start off with the bouncy Optional Man, one of only three Magris originals that pepper the relatively short program. The first real hurrah though, comes with Lament, a JJ Johnson dirge that is strikingly re-imagined as a mid-tempo Latin-tinged number.

Magirs shows, similar inventivenss, although in a different key, on Leonard Bernstein's Lonely Town, which closes the CD. Performed solo, the piece begins with sprighly hops over the keyboards and whirls into a blistering crescendo.

This spirit of true enjoyment amid a high level of technical accomplishment is shared among all the players. O'Neil's deceptively cool tones are perfectly counterpointed by Carr, and the rhythm section is rock solid.

This first outing from manager Paul Collins' J-Mood imprint bodes well for the label and creates heightened anticipation for not only the next Magris disc, but the future library as a whole.

Tracks: Optional Man;

Hill of Illusion;

Lament;

Theme For Ernie;

Mating Call;

Europlane Blues;

Lonely Town.

Players: Roberto Magris: piano, electric piano; Paul Carr: soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone; Michael O'Neill: tenor saxophone; Elisa Pruett: acoustic bass; Idris Muhammad: drums.