May 02, 2006

David Axelrod. A tribute to the white men that incorporated black music into their vision, without exploiting it. Part 1.



David Axelrod: Songs of Innocence (1968)
David Axelrod: Songs of Experience (1969)
Cannonball Adderley: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! (1966) produced by David Axelrod
David Axelrod: David Axelrod (2001)
David Axelrod was a rare musician. He had a vision, and he saw it to fruition. Did he take a little from the rhythm of Stax? Sure. Did he take some soundscapes from chamber music. Yes. Did he learn a bit from the arrangements of Ellington. Yes, again. However, unlike the Jolson's, Presley's, K-Fed's, Vanilla Ice's, Matisyahu's, Snow's, etc., he gave back.

Listen to Axelrod's music. You have never heard anything like it before. Unless you listen to DJ Shadow, Madlib, and a slew of hip hop's finest. Known more for his incorporation into hip hop, Axelrod was an enigma during his heyday. He made his mark in the game producing jazz records. Peep Cannonball Adderley's Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! The soul-jazz record. He spread his gospel with his horn. Cannonball was a monster on the alto. He made jazz fun. Yes, there was the burdgeoning sound of free jazz, yes, there were the jazz critics. But, there has always been the funk. And Cannon brings it.

Axelrod's first two solo records (below in one file) are a cinematic, soulful, beautiful trip. One listen and you know this guy wasn't getting any radio play. You know this guy didn't want any radio play. He made his music. Period. That's keepin' it real.

The final eponymous album is Axelrod putting the finishing touches on a record from 1969 that was never finished. Lou Rawls makes a chilling, powerful appearance Ras Kass opens the disc. Axelrod was content to play the background. The guy behind the sound. Neither black nor white. No commercials, no record deal advance, no sex appeal, no street cred, no bullet holes. Just plain and simple music.

Songs of Innocence/Songs of Experience:
http://rapidshare.de/files/19370288/daxelrod_soi_soe.rar.html
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=P9YXDXQ6

David Axelrod (2001):
http://rapidshare.de/files/19411159/d_axelrod_2001.rar.html
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TIJJ80FG

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy!:
http://rapidshare.de/files/19435550/cannonball_mercy_1966.rar.html
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JJVQ8SF3

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

first of your blog rocks! trully great stuff in here! guess you are too an avid wax poetics reader...

second: thanks a lot for the axelrod albums! im from hungary, so pretty much no exposure, chance for black music, so its trully a blessing that through you im finally able to listen to these albums on full, not just the few most known songs from them. thanks again!

keep that ish comin!

7:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot for the s.o.i/s.o.e
I always wanted to buy those 2 albums especially but even the re-issues of those albums are hard to find in Montreal(not too down with black music,I might add).
You're the man!!

3:58 PM  
Blogger J Epstein said...

Never heard [of] this stuff before. Digging it solid. Thanks!

-j

11:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

AXELROD, AGAIN IS BEING "DISCOVERED"! FROM HIS "LIVE" DVD AND CD TO BEINGSAMPLED TWICE BY "GRAND THEFT AUTO 4" AND NOW LIL WAYNE'S "DR. CARTER" (HOLY THURSDAY) ONCE AGAIN
A "NEW" GENERATION OF AXELROD FANS.

12:31 PM  
Blogger mangedisc.fr said...

Hello,

Axelrod's one of the greatest for sure...

Listen to Axelrod's "Heavy Axe" Album (cannonball, Johnny Guitar Watson ...)

I'll upload it on http://mangedisc.blogspot.com very soon.

keep it real.

Romain.

9:55 AM  

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