Jackie McLean - Consequences

Jackie McLean has long been one of my favorite musicians. His tenacity on the horn is unparalleled. His sound has always irked my brother for some reason (he says he plays sharp). Whatever it may be, McLean has carved a platform to stand on in the jazz annals. Consequences is a one of those albums that most certainly is not background music. Find a copy, pour yourself a drink and give Consequences its due spin. (Google Search)

Bob Marley - Trenchtown Rock: The Anthology (1969-78)

Picked up this Bob Marley anthology while waiting to go shoot in Chicago. I'm not a huge, pot smoking, dread-wearing Bob Marley fan but I do like his music. This is earlier Wailer's work which features work with producers like Lee "Scratch" Perry and Leslie Kong. It also shows some early work with electronic synths. Good stuff. Pick it up.

Deep Song

Deep Song is the title to Kurt Rosenwinkel's new CD. If you are unfamiliar with Kurt and his music check out his Web site or the iTunes Store to get some free previews. I really dig his sound, both his personal sound on his guitar and the sound of his music. It has a great story telling capacity to it - almost akin to reading a book. He's a got a great crew on this set with Brad Mehldau on piano, Joshua Redman on tenor sax, Larry Grenadier on bass and either Ali Jackson or longtime associate Jeff Ballard on drums. The music really swings and has great energy. It's too bad that some have labeled Kurt's music as intellectual - it's anything but that. I think it leaps off the disc and grabs you with great melodies and rhythms. Give it a listen.

Making A Playlist - Keeping the Art of the Mix Tape Alive

Do you remember back when you were younger (of course this assumes you're at least my age - a closely guarded secret) when you used to make the dopest mix tapes for you or your friends? You'd spend hours combing through your collection trying to find that right mix. It felt good. Well, I've continued to keep that tradition alive by making mix CD's for friends of mine. One of the things that I liked the most about working at the radio station was that it was like making mix tapes but for the public. Recently, I've been making a lot of "mix tapes" for my friends. Talking with Jewett one day, we were saying that in a way, we saw ourselves as ambassadors of jazz to the rest of the world. It's a music that's misrepresented in the cultural psyche of America. Almost forgotten. And that we were there to remind and wake up folks to the fact that this great music isn't dead. It has a rich history as well as many fine musicians who carry on the torch today. So to Rob and Kara and Marjorie. Enjoy these "mix tapes". I put the same love, care and attention into each one as I did when I used to make tapes of The Wizard back in the day off of WJLB!

Welcome to the Music Section of the Manrilla Blog

I thought it's be fun to share some thoughts on music. I used to be a DJ for WEMU, 89.1FM - a 24 hour jazz and blues station located just outside of Detroit. Having dabbled in music as a performer as well as spinning music for the masses has given me a deep love of music. Here you'll find reviews of albums and commentary about music as a whole. Enjoy.