The Manrilla Blog | Life. Art. Religion. Culture.

The following is an article about the Sudanese bassist and composer, Ahmed Abdul-Malik, that was originally published in Down Beat Magazine, July 4th, 1963. The article was written by Bill Coss. Beyond an excellent insight into the workings of a master musician, Abdul-Malik ties the thread between knowing the Creator and knowing one’s world. Given Modernity’s fractured vision on the relation of things, Abdul-Malik’s words are erudite and moving. He was also a stellar musician of world-class calibre. Hat tip to Doug Benson for the resource. May Allah have mercy on his soul.

In some degree, all music is about something. But what it is about, its contents, differs widely and generally determines its essential worth.

For composer Ahmed Abdul-Malik the content encompasses all the sciences. particularly the sociological, ethnic, and theological. The easiest thing to say would be that Abdul-Malik is different from most jazz musicians, and both his brief biography and the development of his thought immediately show that difference, while at the same time serving as a primer for youngsters who might aspire to be what Abdul-Malik considers the complete musician.

All his conscious development has come from religious convictions. “People think I am too far out with religion,’ he said. “But it is so necessary to know the Creator, to know the rules of being - what it means - to know the commandments, to know you are commanded to use your intellect and will… That allows you to advance in all subjects. How else can you know about life? And music is life.

“You must do subsidiary study. All music has its own history, of course, and you need to know that, but it is also important to know the non-musical side of a people. That way you learn more about their music. By studying a people’s habits, you find their musical expressions.

“That you are commanded to do. The whole health of the world is based on each contributing to one another: doctors, bakers, musicians. If musicians want to co-operate, they must be masters of all scales which will broadcast to the receiver of the mind.”

“Really, a musician should be in excellent condition, physically, mentally, professionally, and scientifically,” Abdul-Malik continued. “I have studied all the elements: animals, insects, plants, space – the universe - old and new jazz but most importantly the Creator.

“How can you play beauty without knowing what beauty is, what it really is? Understanding the Creator leads to understanding the creations, and better understanding of what you play comes from this. How can you understand fully without knowing the start, the continuation, and the ending? Read more this entry »

Life for the past six months has had its fair share of unenjoyable moments. Non-stop work, study, writing papers and the like have left me with little free time, none of which has been spent listening to live music (which is one of my favorite things to do). The last two nights was an enjoyable break from that trend. For the first time I had an opportunity to listen and also photograph Kurt Rosenwinkel, who played at Chris’s Jazz Cafe, in Center City Philadelphia.

I have been a long time admirer of Rosewinkel’s work. He is without a doubt one of the most unique voices in modern jazz, both in his sound, playing style and especially, his song writing. Kurt was joined by Mark Turner on the tenor saxophone, who recorded with Kurt on his latest album, Deep Song. Rodney Green accompanied on drums (who played his ass off on Christian’s Sci-Fi album), as well as Aaron Park on piano and Joe Martin on bass.

Both sets I heard consisted of the same song list (my only critique as someone who came two nights in a row. Kurt’s got so many good tunes I’d've liked to have heard a few more). A couple of songs from his new album as well as a new original, Ezra, a ballad of sorts that is name after his new son. They also took a spin on Milestones which was quite enjoyable. On a personal level, Kurt was very amenable and even had a chance to shoot him with one of his old teachers, Jimmy Amadie, who showed up to see him. I hope to have another opportunity in the future to see him play. If Kurt shows up in your neck of the woods, I’d highly recommend taking the time to go as well as picking up anyone of his very good albums (Deep Song is on regular rotation for me). Additional photos here.

I can’t really believe it as I’m writing this. Michael Brecker passed away Saturday at the age of 57. It’s hard for me to picture him gone. His tone, his playing, all were so huge, so incredible. I grew up listening to the Brecker Brothers. Their brand of fusion was highly influential. Michael has been one of the most important tenor players of his generation, having created amazing music for the past thirty-plus years. He will be sorely missed. So in honor of Michael, my ipod will be on a Brecker rotation. My condolences to his family. I had the pleasure of meeting his brother, Randy, several years back while photographing him on tour. I know this must be a difficult time for him and his family. May he rest in peace.

There’s good fusion and bad fusion. This can be said to be true for all forms of music, from rock to rap, pop to folk, classical and beyond. But when the form is true to itself fusion can be just as rich and diverse as “standard” jazz. Allan Holdsworth is one such musician that has straddled the medium of jazz and fusion, most certainly one of fusion’s most important figures since its inception. His “real” debut as a full-fledged leader on I.O.U. showcases his talents as a bandleader, composer, arranger and of course, bad-ass guitar maestro. If you’re looking for a great album to massage you into the realm of fusion, I’d recommend Miles Davis’ In A Silent Way sessions. If you’re done with the cutsie day spa routine and wanna kick arse, then I.O.U.’s the one for you.

I must make something of a confession here: I am not a guitar player, guitar junkie or any other kind of guitar whore. I only say this because when I’ve gone to see Holdsworth, most of his fan base seems to be geeky guitar aficionados who don’t have a life, their skin a sickly pale hue, like slugs under a rock because they spend all their time trying to master Holdsworth/Steve Vai guitar solos. But Allan Holdsworth is no gimmick. His understanding of harmony, melody, chordal structures and more are so far out there he’s without a doubt, one of the most masterful musicians of his generation (and that’s saying something).

I.O.U.’s a watershed album for the entire genre of fusion. It is a time capsule where amazing playing, fantastic concept and great musicianship all merged to form a stellar performance. A mixture of vocal tracks and instrumentals, I.O.U. offers something for everyone. Paul Williams’ lyrics and signing (Checking Out and The Things You See [When You Don’t Have Your Gun] are two such tracks) provide a balance against the torrent of Holdsworth’s guitar onslaught. But not all of it’s over-the-top guitar chops. There are unusual, thoughtful melodies (Letters of Marque). Gary Husband also turns in a fine performance on the keys/drums. So pick up a copy of I.O.U. – you owe it to yourself.

I suppose I should preface my post here by stating that I am, first and foremost, still alive. I have dropped off the radar for a bit due to heavy school and work obligations. But rest assured, I am still here and have not been idle. I am working on a new series of photographs entitled Philadelphian: The Low-Fi Shots Series (series info here), with a focus on city life and public transportation. The two themes interweave, showing what it’s like to travel around in a city like Philadelphia. It’s also an exploration into the technology of photography. Some may take that to mean mega pixels and CF cards, which it could. Rather, my intention is to explore the limitations (if any) and the nature of photographing with what I term a “low-fi” technology: my cell phone camera. By using a small camera like my LG-V (9800), I am able to artistically crawl into tighter spaces, producing images that are both intrusive, candid and emotionally revealing. But the purpose of this post isn’t to talk about the new body of work per se, but rather the role of technology, not just in photography but other aspects of modern life as well. Read more this entry »

It is quite amazing when one thinks about the number of issues that the American Muslim must rankle with today. By this I mean, the litany of subjects American Muslims must sift and filter through their Islam (or so we believe): education, cultural engagement (or lack there of), sex and eroticism. The list goes on. And on that list, music would have to be included. “Akhiy, you listen to music? Don’t you know that’s haram?” How many of us have heard that line? Well, this is neither the post, time or current moment I plan to engage the permissibility of that subject (though I do plan to write a post on it to engage the idea of cultural navigation on behalf of American Muslims). Rather, I solely wanted to express the thoughts that skimmed across my mind as I entered the International House Philadelphia to see Cecil Taylor perform tonight.

A congratulatory word should be expressed to IHP and Ars Nova for making the performance possible. Not only for the significance of bring a musician of the notoriety and calibre of Taylor to Philadelphia but to keeping jazz and improvisational music alive in our community. Read more this entry »

Ars Nova Workshop presents:

Tonight. Thursday, September 28 | 6pm
THE HOUSE THAT TRANE BUILT
with ASHLEY KAHN + CARL GRUBBS + FRANCIS DAVIS

Kelly Writers House | University of Pennsylvania
3805 Locust Walk
FREE Admission | Limited seating

Read the Philadelphia CityPaper preview here. Read the Philadelphia Weekly preview here.

Some body please go to this!! I would if I could but I have to work

I received a call today from a person who does some music promotion. I seems that a disc that I burned for a friend of mine of some electronica tunes that I did that were used in a short film found its way into this person’s hands. After he reviewed the tracks I was requested to deliver any new tracks for review/submission. Here’s one of them. I’ve been working on a full album of electronica music (may surprise some of you who think I’m just a jazz head) - along with a billion other tiny projects. But anyway, I thought I’d go ahead and share it with the public. So take a listen to Stuck On 5 Rumsfeld Welfare Society Remix [Justice, Love and Brotherhood] (extended mix as well) from the forth coming album 2nd Time ‘Round. I named this track after the 5^th track of the disc I sent out (it appears that the promoter liked track number five and got “stuck on it”. Enjoy.