News reached us this week of the sad passing of British jazz pianist and composer Michael Garrick.

I had first heard his work on a scratchy old tape of a Gilles Peterson show back in the early 90s. The name I scribbled down in my wants list was ‘Black Marigolds’, a towering piece of modal jazz. Soaked in Eastern flavours but at the same time quintessentially English, the track I discovered was taken from an LP called Phase III by the Don Rendell & Ian Carr Quintet. The music was deep and mysterious, the way I like it and what’s more it was British. A journey to Intoxica in Ladbroke Grove the following weekend and £100 lighter my own small journey with one of our true jazz legends had begun. I was aware of players like Ronnie Scott, Pete King and Stan Tracey but I wondered why I knew nothing of the music that I was hearing here. As I would discover it was part of a tradition of exploratory and beautiful sixties jazz every bit the match of the deeper end of labels like Impulse and Blue Note.

The fact that a few weeks later I was with a handful of people watching Mike Garrick in a pokey Soho basement rather than at Ronnie Scott’s or at the Barbican says a lot about how our sixties jazz innovators have been sidelined in their own country. The series of re-issues that followed including the mighty Troppo and The Heart is a Lotus (one of his wonderful LPs recorded with Norma Winstone) was further evidence of this man’s genius and the breadth of vision which over the years saw him recording everything from Jazz Praises in St Paul’s Cathedral to a suite based around Peter Pan.

I was lucky to spend an afternoon with Michael at his house in Hertfordshire for an interview for Straight No Chaser. Over tea and cakes he regaled me with tales of Joe Harriott in sixties Soho, and read out passages from the rows of dusty old books that lined the walls of his small terraced house, including the spirituals of James Weldon Irvine and a selection of poems including Edward Powys Mathers’ ‘Black Marigolds’. I hadn’t looked at the subsequent article since it was published back in 2006 but last night I dug it out and came across these words from Michael, which seemed rather poignant as his incredibly beautiful composition ‘Dusk Fire’ warmed the November night.

“Anything that is good will be fresh forever, if you can have an instinct for tapping into that kind of stream which is durable and which evokes human emotions and experience. The artists that have endured over hundreds of years are the ones that we always refer to: whether it’s Homer, Shakespeare or Ellington. So if you asked me what were my aims, I would say to be part of that tradition that taps into humanity through history”.

“You’ve got to give part of yourself, your brazen self. To lose the assertive side in order to let something else in, and many people are afraid to either do it or contemplate the idea. Nobody wants to suffer in any general sense of the word, yet it is suffering that opens up the other areas. In those moments that you lose something you dearly want, you open up and then if something comes along it’s much more likely to take root.

Michael Garrick MBE we salute you!

Re-Up Of Show That Was Done For BBC’s 1Xtra Black History Month By Marc Mac & Dego :

4hero Presents: The Mizell Brothers Special

Via Plauge.net


R.I.P Alphonso “Fonce” Mizell 1943-2011

Here is the flyer of this festival with a difference, but there’s far more interesting stuff hidden away in the programme.

Shook 10 for the weekend

1. Colin Curtis – DJ set in the Soul Casino
2. Classic LP Living Room – Joy Division ‘Closer’ presented by Mark Moore
3. Voola and the Jayhawks – live at Let It Rock
4. Jay Strongman – Let it Rock & Warehouse DJ set
5. Karminsky Experience – Down the Back of the Sofa Leisure Lounge
6. Thomas Dolby – live at the Revue
7. The Damned (1963) Directed by Joseph Losey at the BFI
8. The Wag – Club Session in the Studio
9. Gay Bingo in the North South Divide Bar
10 The Chap Olympiad – Jubilee Gardens but remember
“Thou Shalt Never Ever Wear Pantaloons De Nimes”

A mix of rare soul, funk and illicit grooves by Timmion Records founder Tupla-Jukka. Timmion is a small indie label started 2000 in Helsinki, Finland. Specializing Soul & Funk 7″ & LP. Timmion Records released the sugar-sweet Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators album “keep Reaching Up” in 2005, an album that started the whole “retro soul” boom. Most current release is by Guest Villains “Tornado b&w Forbidden Feelings” 7″ single. Check out www.timmion.com for more medicine for your soul.

Timmion Records CEO Tupla-Jukka say “I put together this mix of original Soul & Funk 45’s. It includes my all-time favourites and some current 7″ records on rotation.”

Why don’t you download this mix and strut yo’ funky chicken ass to the rhythm.

Timmion Records “Northern Exposure” selection by SHOOK

An obituary from The Spectator below

We crept into a badly-lit room above a pub in Leeds, shy and star-struck, me with student reporter’s dictaphone in hand. Trish Keenan, lead singer of Broadcast, was exercising her voice, singing scales into a cassette recorder.

It was an other-worldly sound; classical and warm yet futuristic and in some other orbit. A few minutes later we settled for the interview (the tape may still exist in the vaults of Leeds Student Radio) and this hypnotic sound gave way to the soft Brummy hums of Trish Keenan’s speaking voice.

Gentle and funny, she laughed off the idea of being a “pop star” and joked that pop stardom didn’t really happen to people from Birmingham. Inside my copy of Work and Non Work, the band’s 1997 singles compilation, this humble tone is Biro-ed into history. Top left and small to avoid spoiling the artwork, no grand swooshes: “To Anna, Love Patricia.”

And yet the music is often grand. Squelchy robot noises interrupt epic journeys around sixties skyscrapers as resurrected synths do battle with computer loops. Keenan’s dreamlike vocals float above industrial crunches and in turn felt-tip pen melodies come along to deface the cooling towers.

At the gig which followed the interview (Leeds Duchess of York, 2000) Trish offered out her theremin to the crowd and we all joined in. It was an unpretentious “happening” to celebrate an album called The Noise Made By People.

This music was to send me flying through a kaleidoscope of similar sounds – from Plone to Stereolab via Francois Hardy, Add N To X, Kraftwerk and the 1950s space noises of the Peter Thomas Sound Orchester. This music was also to be the glue of some strong friendships for me.

The band went from quintet to duo in the middle of the noughties, releasing the humming, heavier sounding Tender Buttons which took a sideways glance at Goldfrapp.

And then 2009’s project, Broadcast and The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age, which came over like a demonic film score, all candles and séances. Trish sang at Warp Records’ 20th anniversary show, Warp20, and played an instrument which my friend Debbie Ball and I (the original interviewing duo) dubbed the “psychedelic broomstick”.

But it’s lost classic Haha Sound (2003) that will stay closest to me. It contains the hymnal “Oh How I Miss You”, crushingly simple and poignant right now. And for the uninitiated, start with the looping refrain on the opening song: “It’s never too late to colour me in…”.

Trish Keenan died on 14 January 2011 from complications with pneumonia.

Broadcast’s record label Warp said: “This is an untimely tragic loss and we will miss Trish dearly – a unique voice, an extraordinary talent and a beautiful human being. Rest in Peace.”

SATURDAY 11th DECEMBER

11pm – 7am

£17.50

JEFF MILLS presents SLEEPER WAKES (AXIS, USA)

STEVE BICKNELL (LOST/COSMIC)

BENJI B

TOMOKI TAMURA

‘The Sleeper Wakes is a project about Great Change… explores time and the absence of it. It explores the various methods of creating sound for a specific time in Space for our future, the preparation and calculation of what could and will be and most importantly, what we do with this sensitive and rare opportunity’ – Jeff Mills

LOST returns with an exclusive presentation from Jeff Mills. After 18 years of underground events LOST are as reclusive as ever. Retaining the mantra ‘revoluton for change’ this is the first in a series of exclusive presentations from long term LOST collaborator Jeff Mills. The Sleeper Wakes…

Once again setting the precedent for the future of electronic dance music, specifically that to emerge from Detroit in the latter part of the 20th Century, Jeff Mills continues to set the pace into the 21st Century forging forward the futurist tradition of musical visionaries. The Sleeper means all the things we know and expect. Wakes means to be conscious or enlightened.

http://www.lost.co.uk/

We love Love Fever here at Shook. And if you missed their last party with Nicky Siano here is another chance to feel the force. It’s gonna be fierce me dears! Oh and The Idjuts and Felix are next door in the house sauna. Ouch!

NICKY SIANO presents ‘LOVE IS THE MESSAGE: a night at the Gallery party 1977′

Film Screening and After Party.

Saturday 13th November 2010
6-8pm Film Screening
Roxy Bar & Screen, 128-132 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LB

10pm-6am ‘Love Is The Message’ After Party
Nicky Siano & Friends Room 1 // Idjut Boys & Felix Dickinson Room 2 (House Sauna)
Medusa, 302-404 Barrington Road, London, SW9 7JJ (map)

Ticket Price (from Ticketweb)
£10 Party Only
£15 Party with signed poster (limited to 100), to include free ticket to the screening

There might be as many pioneers in New York’s dance music scene as the city has burger places, but as Morrissey knew so well: some girls are bigger than others. Siano certainly is a big one. Already around since the early seventies, Siano was the owner, designer and DJ of The Gallery. The Gallery was a place that took its inspiration from the ethos of David Mancuso’s Loft, but turned the private setting into a nightclub that was accessible to a wider audience and did its part in influencing (with very different outcomes) Paradise Garage and Studio 54.

Nicky Siano’s ways crossed with Grace Jones, D.C. La Rue, Loleatta Holloway, Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles. He worked with the great Arthur Russell, released a compilation featuring some staples of The Gallery via Soul Jazz Records and is working on a documentary on his legendary club that features high quality footage taken by film students at the time.

Well, guess what? The film’s about to be released and we got an EXCLUSIVE London preview screening happening on Saturday 13th November and it seemed pretty rude not to throw a big party with Nicky afterwards.

The screening, Roxy for 100 lucky viewers will be happening at the Roxy in London Bridge from 6pm till 8pm.

After Party Medussa Club 10pm till 6am

Love Is The Message with Nicky Siano & friends

The after party will be happening in back street Brixton under the arches location, a two roomed reggae club on the site of a station transformed for the night into a den of disco iniquity. The space is fantastic and under a thrall of disco lights, balloons & our own sound system for the night, you’ll be taken on a musical journey by the man himself, Nicky Siano.

Room 2: The House Sauna bought to you by 2 Idjuts and a Fool.

Whilst in the loft space, after the success of their infrequent ‘Bring It’ parties, Felix Dickinson and the Idjut boys return to Medusa’s to team up again for one last party of the year. If you have been to one of their parties before you’ll know what to expect, if not prepare yourself for a no holds barred session of debauchery and wild abandon.

Entrance to the party will be £10 in advance from Ticketweb

Thursday, November 4 – 9 til 2
East Bloc (New City Road Venue)
217 City Road, London

More Thursday night boogie action from the wonderful Ebonite. This little session began when Red Greg and Louis Heel got talking about not being able to find a mid-week night that purely focused on soulful 70s disco and the 80s boogie sound. A month later Ebonite was born and has for the past 18 months has sprinkled its disco dust up down the Kingsland Road and various spaces around basements in Dalston and Old Street. Attracting a mixed crowd of disco queens and notebook carrying record nerds it’s become the go to monthly for those in the know. And if you haven’t checked Red Greg’s many mixes posted around the web – where have you been!

Reg Greg Ebonite 10

1. Teddy Pendergrass – ‘ Do Me’
Slept on uptempo Philly stomper from the 1979 Teddy album

2. Hi Gloss – ‘It’s Up To You’
Another great album track from the classic Prelude label that’s mixed by Francois K

3. Rim & Kasa – ‘Love Me For Real’
Early 80s NY sounding boogie out of San Francisco

4. Loleatta Rules – ‘Brooklyn Sounds’
Simplicity to the max that works the floor, Loleatta Holloway meets the old school Brooklyn hip hop classic TSOB

5. Linda Evans – ‘You Control Me’
Uplifting feel good disco that sums up the Ebonite sound)

6. Alton McClain & Destiny – ‘It Must Be Love’
A big swishy song that always gets the dance floor going

7. Robin Beck – ‘Sweet Talk’
This song cleverly combines the sweet and soulful with a stronger and powerful mood

8. Tenderness – ‘Got To Keep On Trying’
Soaring strings and powerful vocals, this is an anthem!)

9. Arts & Crafts – ‘I’ve Been Searching’
Never tire of hearing this beautiful song

10. Elijah John Group – ‘Keep a Little Love For Yourself’
The message is in the music! Just listen to the words, a message we can all relate to