Montreux Jazz Festival 2007, Kweli reads books, Barak Obama and Hip Hop, Red Hot + Rumi
Spank Rock in Montreux
Fresh off the boat from my Swiss family vacation (yep, the whole fam), I’ve returned to a bit of chaos in Okpland… no internet in the office, gasp! OKPdan hit me in my oh-too-jet-lagged head with “hey ginger- write the update” so let me break down just a bit of the Montreux Jazz Festival 2007. Set on the idilic Lac Léman, the festival has been running since Claude Nobbs founded it in 1967, and has featured legends from Aretha to Nina Simone, Bill Evans to Herbie Hancock, Mingus to Count Basie, and so many more. These days its much more of a pop festival, having little jazz on the bill (unfortunately), likely a function of ticket sales. The big highlights from my trip included India.Arie who opened for John Legend and band, and moreover the jam sessions which followed in the Jazz Cafe. John Legend’s band (Sharief in Burgundy on guitar and Swiss Chris on drums) and India.Arie, featuring Claude Nobbs on harmonica, Black-Lillied the swiss cheese out of that room. A couple nights later our boys Spank Rock had the opportunity to open for The Beastie Boys. After a thrilling show, they too rocked the jam session after-party. A workshop presented by the man himself, Mr. Quincy Jones, left the awe-inspired audience filled with even greater insight into the machine of the music industry- albeit a bit sad that Quincy couldn’t blow for us due to a medical condition. One of my personal FAVES, Living Colour, featuring one-time-Roots guitarist Vernon Reid, along with the original line-up, sparked standing ovations and encores, ending the show with a knock-down version of “Crosstown Traffic.” Unfortunately, the headliner that night- yes, the one, the only Sly and Family Stone- tanked. It’s too sad to get into the grim details of this family affair, but I’ll tell you that dude’s manager should have never let him hit the stage in the condition he’s in. The band itself played for 30 minutes before Sly even showed, whereupon he stayed for all of 22 minutes or so, seated, mumbling, weak. I left in tears. And then I looked out across the clear bright lake, taking in the grandeur of the Swiss Alps, giant green monsters capped in white frothy snow and I smiled again. And then I cried some more because I had to leave the day before the “secret special guest” was set to perform…. PRINCE!
And now, some news…
Been to Okayplayer’s Reviews section lately? Then you know all about the latest African hip-hopper Krukid who give us African, just released on Rawkus Records. There’s been buzz about him before on the boards, in reviews, talking about his first effort Raisin in The Sun. Also from Rawkus, we get Of Gods and Girls from Mr. J. Medeiros, another 4-?uestie endeavor. Stay tuned-in to reviews for the heat!
And he READS too?? Peep the latest interview with Talib Kweli on Allhiphop.com where he addresses his love for literature.
We’re talkin’ politics. Barak Obama addresses the hip-hop question. Although he states that he does not believe hip-hop to be responsible for youth violence, he does acknowledge that he feels the hip-hop community and culture have not fully stepped up to their repsonsibility to help change attitudes and effect youth.
Events! NYC catch the last few days of Red Hot + Rumi, a music program set to bring together Iranian musicians and American professionals in the music industry on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the great Persian poet Rumi’s birth. Tonight the Iranian artists showcase their work at Joe’s pub.
-gingerlynn