The Robert Glasper Experiment Unleashes New Single “Day To Day”

The Robert Glasper Experiment just unleashed their 2nd single from their highly anticipated new album ArtScience due out September 16. As if it’s possible to get even more excited about this album, “Day To Day” sends me right over the edge. With Casey Benjamin on lead vox “Day To Day” is reminiscent of the funk/soul/jazz driven albums of Herbie Hancock in the 70s. Think Herbie Hancock Sunlight and Monster. And as per usual, Mr. Glasper owns the keys and caresses them with his signature loving touch. Check out the single below and grab the album September 16. Also check your favorite online retail outlet to place your pre-order.

 

 

 

 

New Arrival – The Miles Quintet Tee

THE MILES QUINTET TEE AVAILABLE NOW!

Liner Notes:

The Miles Quintet honors “The Second Great Miles Davis Quintet” (1964-68) consisting of Miles Davis (trumpet), Herbie Hancock (piano), Wayne Shorter (saxophone), Tony Williams (drums), Ron Carter (bass).  The Quintet’s approach to improvisation came to be known “time no changes” or “freebop,” because they abandoned the more conventional chord-change-based approach of bebop for a modal approach.

100% Fine Jersey Cotton Tee-Shirt

Black w/White & Athletic Gold Print

We Use American Apparel

SKOOL SHOP

Herbie Hancock Live Tribute Mix by Mark de Clive-Lowe

We were super excited when keyboardist/producer Mark de Clive-Lowe decided to share his Herbie Hancock Tribute mix with the world. Recorded live on June 17, 2015 at Lock & Key Bar, Los Angeles, this very special live performance recording features MdCL sharing some of his favorite Herbie Hancock moments over a 90 minute live mixtape – looping, sampling and flipping classic moments from Herbie Hancock’s early Blue Note releases through over 4 decades of music.

In Mark de Clive-Lowe’s own words:
“The first time I heard Herbie Hancock was the Miles live album My Funny Valentine/Four and More. It was the first time I’d heard that era jazz music and I remember being so blown away with the way Herbie and Tony Williams played together and interacted on that concert. That was the start of a deep admiration and love for the art, creativity and music of Herbie Hancock. I consumed everything I could that he turned his hand to – all of his work with Miles, his own solo records for Blue Note, sideman recordings with every jazz great in every decade since the 60s, his Mwandishi experimental crossover work, the Headhunters deep funk – there’s nothing the man could not do. As a pianist he’s the ultimate – harmonically so rich and inventive, melodically so lyrical, rhythmically so damn hip. I’ve been fortunate to see him play on numerous occasions all over the world. The first time was the VSOP band live in Japan along with Wayne Shorter, Wallace Roney, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. I was 17 at the time and can’t really fully explain how amazing that was to me. He’s one of my biggest inspirations and influences and through his huge body of work, a true musical mentor. In being asked to put together a tribute set, it was the perfect opportunity to go back through decades of his work and pick moments that I really love. I wanted to do more than just spin a set of tunes though, I wanted to take those moments and sample them, flip them, perform a live mixtape. It was the perfect way to share the man’s music and how I feel about it. Enjoy!”

Check out the recap trailer and the full mix below.

Tracklist:

Textures
Oliloqui Valley
Watermelon Man
Sonrisa
Trust Me
Steppin In It
Sun Touch
Twilight
You’ll Know When You Get There
Spank-a-Lee
Death Wish (Main Title)
Stars In Your Eyes
Butterfly
Chameleon
Fat Albert Rotunda
Calypso
Riot
Ready Or Not
Knee Deep
Hang Up Your Hang Ups
Wiggle Waggle
I Have a Dream
Kuru/Speak Like A Child
Jack Rabbit
Maiden Voyage
Survival of the Fittest
Nobu
St Louis Blues

Artwork by Manila Ryce.

Kyoto Jazz Sextet – Mission

Check out the hottest Japanese jazz import coming from one-half of the nujazz/broken beat collective Kyoto Jazz Massive (KJM).  Kyoto Jazz Sextet is the lastest brainchild of Shuya Okino, who along with his brother Yoshihiro Okino formed Kyoto Jazz Massive (KJM) to become two of the most sought after DJs/producers/remixers throughout the 90s and into the 2000s.

While brother Yoshihiro Okino kept himself busy DJing and running his record label and store Especial Records, his brother Shuya Okino kept himself busy producing this fantastic Kyoto Jazz Sextet album “Mission.” Shuya pulled together several of Japan’s finest musicians to turn out this massive recording for the Blue Note Japan label.  Our North American friends may not have heard about this fine jazz release due to it being a Japanese only release (at the moment) as well as the promotional material language barrier on the Internet. But take one listen to “Mission” and the jazz will tear down any and all barriers. Since it’s a Japanese import we might have to pay a little extra for it but that’s ok too. This album is worth every extra penny spent!

“Mission” recalls the genius of 60s Blue Note when greats like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard brought a fluid hard-bop balance to the label.  The Kyoto Jazz Sextet is not so focused on playing straight covers of the Blue Note classics they chose to record, but rather playing them in a refreshing mode that pays the utmost respect to the greats, the compositions and the Blue Note label. They handle the material exquisitely and with care.  All we can hope for now is a North American Blue Note release but preview the album below and you just might end up paying the extra import price for this fine recording. Basically it’s a cooker and it’s pretty irresistible!

Herbie Hancock – Possibilities – A Memoir

 

The long-awaited memoir by one of the most influential and beloved musicians of our time.  In Possibilities the legendary jazz musician and composer Herbie Hancock reflects on a life and a thriving career that has spanned seven decades. A true innovator, Hancock has had an enormous influence on both acoustic and electric jazz, R&B and hip-hop, with his ongoing exploration of different musical genres, winning fourteen Grammy awards along the way.

From his beginnings as a child prodigy to his work in Miles Davis’s second great quintet; from his innovations as the leader of his own groundbreaking sextet to his collaborations with everyone from Wayne Shorter to Joni Mitchell and Stevie Wonder; Herbie Hancock reveals the method behind Hancock’s undeniable musical genius.

Hancock shares his musical influences, colorful behind-the-scenes stories, his long and happy marriage, and how Buddhism inspires him creatively and personally. Honest, enlightening, and as electrifyingly vital as the man who wrote it, Possibilities promises to be an invaluable contribution to jazz literature and a must-read for fans and music lovers.

Possibilities is available at all fine book retailers and online outlets.

Herbie Hancock – Future 2 Future Live [Full Length Concert Film]

In honor of Herbie Hancock’s Birthday (April 12) we wanted to share this outstanding live Future 2 Future full length concert film with those who have not seen it or never knew it existed.  This concert film was released on DVD in 2002 following the 2001 release of the Future 2 Future album.  Future 2 Future was yet another innovative stylistic move for Herbie aka ‘Mr. Hands’ as he reunited with Bill Laswell and collaborated with hip hop, soul and techno artists.    For the Future 2 Future live tour as seen in this film Herbie is accompanied by Matthew Garrison on bass, Terri Lyne Carrington on drums, Darrell Diaz on vocals, DJ Disk on the turntables and Wallace Roney on trumpet. Filmed at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood.

Herbie Hancock Among 2013 Kennedy Center Honorees

Pianist, keyboardist, bandleader and composer Herbie Hancock will be among the chosen few for the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced Thursday that Hancock was selected alongside guitarist Santana, pianist, singer and songwriter Billy Joel, actress Shirley MacLaine and opera singer Martina Arroyo for the 36th annual national celebration of the arts.

In a statement, Hancock said he was “overwhelmed with emotion and, frankly, speechless when I was told that I was selected as a Kennedy Center Honoree. This is a most coveted award. To realize that my name will be among those whose outstanding work in the performing arts I most admire is very humbling.”

The honorees will be saluted during a star-studded celebration at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 15. The gala will be taped to air at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Dec. 29 on CBS.

It’s a weekend of festivities that includes a dinner hosted by Secretary of State John Kerry and a pre-gala reception at the White House with President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.

Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool 1994 Documentary [Full Length]

Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool was hailed as Time Magazine’s 1994 Album of the Year and was one of the first projects to explore the impact of AIDS upon the African American community.   At the time the recording was released, a documentary film was broadcast on PBS and released on VHS home video. To date,  Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool has never been released on DVD.  The documentary explores the consequences brought on by AIDS and features the live innovative collaborations between renowned jazz performers and contemporary hip hop/acid jazz artists that are heard on the album.  If you’ve never seen this documentary it’s a must watch.  Below is the documentary in it’s entirety.  We haven’t seen a documentary with this much social impact combined with innovative jazz/hip hop collaborations since the release of  Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool.  Some of the collaborations include Donald Byrd, Guru and Ronny Jordan; Mc Solaar and Ron Carter; Me’Shell NdegéOcello and Herbie Hancock; The Roots and Roy Ayers; Digable Planets and Lester Bowie plus many more.

Herbie Hancock: The Complete Columbia Album Collection 1972-1988

Deluxe box set features all 31 albums (across 34 CDs) released by Columbia Records; Includes first U.S. release of 8 albums which originally appeared on CBS/Sony (Japan)

Are you a die hard Herbie Hancock fan or music collector? Well here’s some awesome news! Columbia/Legacy a division of Sony Music Entertainment will release Herbie Hancock: The Complete Columbia Album Collection 1972-1988 on November 12, 2013. The deluxe 34-CD box set brings together, for the first time, the master musician’s complete Columbia Records and CBS/Sony Japan catalog consisting of 31 albums, eight of which have never been issued in the U.S. (or outside of Japan), three others have never been issued on CD in the U.S.(Sunlight, Magic Windows, Lite Me Up), and some that were issued on CD have been out of print for years. Most importantly, all of them have never been gathered in one box set collection before.

Accompanying the discs will be a 200-page book, published exclu­sively for this collection.  In addition to dozens of rare photographs, the book will contain several sections, starting with a comprehensive 5,500-word historical essay written by jazz composer, arranger, bandleader, and recording artist Bob Belden.

“Taken in its entirety,” writes Belden, “The Complete Columbia Album Collection 1972-1988 gives the listener and reader a glimpse into the internal philosophy of life of Herbie Hancock contained in these CDs.  Rarely does a collection of sound contain so much of a human being’s revelatory process.  Within these CDs you can listen to a musician reinvent himself time and time again, all at his terms.”

Herbie Hancock: The Complete Columbia Album Collection 1972-1988 

01.  Sextant: 1972-73 (rec) 1973 (rel)

02.  Headhunters: 1973 (rec) 1973 (rel)

03.  Dedication: 1974 (rec) 1974 (rel)

04.  Thrust: 1974 (rec) 1974 (rel)

05.  Death Wish – Original Soundtrack: 1974 (rec) 1974 (rel)

06.  Flood: (double LP = 1 CD) 1975 (rec) 1975 (rel)

07.  Man-Child: 1975 (rec) 1975 (rel)

08.  Secrets 1976 (rec) 1976 (rel)

09.  V.S.O.P. (2 CD) 1976 (rec) 1977 (rel)

10.  The Herbie Hancock Trio: 1977 (rec) 1977 (rel)

11.  V.S.O.P. / The Quintet (double LP = 1 CD) 1977 (rec) 1977 (rel)

12.  V.S.O.P. The Quintet: Tempest In The Colosseum(double LP = 1 CD) 1977 (rec) 1977 (rel)

13.  An Evening With Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea In Concert (2 CDs) 1978 (rec) 1978 (rel)

14.  Sunlight: 1977-78 (rec) 1978  (rel)

15.  Feets Don’t Fail Me Now: 1978 (rec) 1979 (rel)

16.  Directstep: 1978 (rec) 1979 (rel)

17.  The Piano (plus 2004 CD bonus tracks) 1978 (rec) 1979/2004 (rel)

18.  V.S.O.P. The Quintet: Live Under The Sky (2 CDs) (plus 2004 CD bonus tracks) 1979 (rec) 1979/2004 (rel)

19.  V.S.O.P. The Quintet:  Five Stars 1979 (rec) 1979 (rel)

20.  Kimiko Kasai w/ Herbie Hancock: Butterfly 1979 (rec) 1979 (rel)

21.  Monster: 1979/80 (rec) 1980 (rel)

22.  Mr. Hands: 1980 (rec) 1980 (rel)

23.  Magic Windows: 1981 (rec) 1981 (rel)

24.  Herbie Hancock Trio With Ron Carter + Tony Williams 1981 (rec) 1981 (rel)

25.  Quartet (double LP = 1 CD) 1981 (rec) 1981 (rel)

26.  Lite Me Up: 1981/82 (rec) 1982 (rel)

27.  Future Shock (plus bonus track) 1983 (rec) 1983 (rel)

28.  Sound-System (plus bonus track) 1984 (rec) 1984 (rel)

29.  Herbie Hancock And Foday Musa Suso: Village Life 1984 (rec) 1984 (rel)

30.  Round Midnight Original Soundtrack: 1985 (rec) 1985 (rel)

31.  Perfect Machine (plus bonus tracks) 1988 (rec) 1988 (rel)

Barack Obama’s Jazz by Artist JC Pagán

Nothing excites and inspires us more at Skoolwerk Apparel than Blue Note recordings and Blue Note album covers.  Now add the 1st African American President of The United States to that mix and what you have is Barack Obama’s Jazz, a collection of Blue Note inspired album covers recreated by artist JC Pagán.   Pagán’s graphic inspiration comes from the original Blue Note albums originally created by Blue Note graphic designer Reid Miles. Barack Obama’s Jazz celebrates the President’s love for jazz as well as his undeniable “cool factor.”   Artist JC Pagán’s love and passion for jazz and Blue Note album art  shines through in his recreations.  His series is wonderful and is truly steeped in the spirit of Blue Note Records past and present.

INDESTRUCTIBLE by Barack Obama and The Jazz Messengers inspired by drummer Art Blakey’s Blue Note album cover Indestructible recorded in 1964.

“THE PRESIDENT” inspired by pianist Herbie Hancock’s Blue Note album cover The Prisoner recorded in 1969.

“BACK AT THE WHITE HOUSE” inspired by Jimmy Smith’s Blue Note album cover Back at The Chicken Shack  recorded in 1960 and released in 1963.

“NO ROOM FOR SQUARES” inspired by saxophonist Hank Mobley’s Blue Note album cover No Room For Squares  recorded in 1963.

“FORWARD RADIO” inspired by pianist Robert Glasper’s Blue Note album cover Black Radio recorded in 2012.

“THE REAL MCCOY” inspired by pianist McCoy Tyner’s Blue Note album cover The Real McCoy  released in 1967.

To view the entire Barack Obama’s Jazz Series you can visit Barack Obama’s Jazz on Facebook.