Gil Scott-Heron’s final opus, one that he was working on intermittently for the last two decades of his life, is not an album of music but a memoir. Autobiography isn’t quite the right word, because this book pulls down the shutters and closes shop in 1981, the mid-point in his fascinating life, leaving the artist in suspended animation.

He’s right at the height of his fame, and has just been asked to join Stevie Wonder on his Hotter Than July tour (see YouTube clip below). Bob Marley had initially been billed as the support act, but was hastily hospitalised when the cancer in his toe began spreading to the rest of his body. So Gil, who had originally been booked to play only the first dates of the tour in Texas and Louisiana, was drafted in for the whole 16-week tour.

The tour climaxed with the Rally for Peace on January 15 1981 in Washington D.C. Organised by Stevie Wonder to support the campaign to have Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday recognised as a national holiday, that Rally, and the song accompanying the campaign, ‘Happy Birthday’, forced the politicians’ hand. In a neat instance of dramatic irony, it was Ronald Reagan who signed the national holiday into law in 1983.

Reagan, or ‘Raygun’ as he was fond of calling him, was the butt of a stream of jokes by Gil Scott-Heron, the poet and provocateur who held up a mirror to America and told people what was really going on. He was the thorn in side of the politicians and he was the poet of the ordinary folk, singing about their hopes and dreams. But to actually change the statute books, irrevocably – like Stevie had set out to do – that, for Gil, was the point of the struggle.

What a previous generation, the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, had set in motion, drove Gil to write, to teach and to perform. And when Gil finds himself on stage in the National Mall, where Martin Luther King, Jr. had been in 1963 to deliver his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, he looks up: “And I could see for the first time, I could see what this brother had seen long before, what really needed to be done.”

How he got to that point there is what The Last Holiday sets out to tell. It begins in Jackson, Tennessee where Gil was raises up by his grandmother, Lily Scott – “[Jackson] was where I began to write, learned to play piano, and where I began to want to write songs.” The picture Gil paints of his grandmother is of a remarkable Southern matriarch, church-going, upright, and though never educated herself, a woman who had insisted on teaching Gil to read from a young age. They would pick out chapters from the Bible every night, or in the Chicago Defender pore over articles featuring Jesse B. Semple, the character created by Langston Hughes. Segregation was still in force in the south, and after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, Gil was one of the first students to be admitted to a white school in November 1962.

Much of the first half of the book is given over to the education that Gil receives, moving with his mother to New York, where he gains a scholarship to the prestigious private school, Fieldston, and then to Lincoln University, the alma mater of Langston Hughes and Thurgood Marshall. Marshall was the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court. It was his victory in the Brown v. Board of Education that started the path to desegregation and left an indelible mark on the mind of the young artist.

But by the time he gets to Lincoln, though, it’s no longer quite the same institution. The school has become a co-ed that year, and Gil buries himself in the library. Much to the dismay of his professors, he insists on taking a sabbatical after his first year to write The Vulture, a murder mystery novel in the mould of Chester Himes’ stories. There’s a particularly evocative scene in the memoir when Gil recalls working in a dry cleaners on the outskirts of the university campus, typing away at his novel and getting college friends to read his work. The publishers agree to take on The Vulture, and Gil returns to Lincoln with a book deal aged just 21.

During his time at Lincoln he also meets Brian Jackson. It would be their musical partnership that would create so many timeless albums, from Winter In America right through to Bridges in 1977. And Gil’s already demonstrating his political colours when he closes down the university in protest over inadequate medical facilities after a friend dies on campus.

What the reader can’t help but notice is the unbridled confidence and the razor sharp wit of the young Gil Scott-Heron (“I’ve always been a lot too arrogant and a little too fuckin’ wise,” he would say on Don’t Give Up). He waltzes into publishing houses to demand publishing deals, or into Flying Dutchman where Bob Thiele, a teenage hero of his who had produced albums for John Coltrane, offers him a contract. He befriends with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Stevie Wonder often turns up unannounced to his shows, and there are scores of other famous encounters, from Sydney Poitier to Michael Jackson.

In the Last Holiday, the makings of Gil Scott-Heron are plain to see. As listeners of his music will know, the subject of his art had always been the world around him, regular folk scrambling together a living, and he tried to give them hope. ‘It’s Your World’, he told them. But in Gil’s late career, especially on Spirits in 1994 and that final album for XL in 2010, there was a return home. On that final record too he evoked Jackson, Tennessee and Grandma Lily Scott.

Still, for all he reveals, Gil leaves many stones unturned. There are those last 30 years, which are elided in a couple of inconclusive chapters; there’s little about the music itself, how the songs were written, what they meant. The story also tends to jump around in time, each chapter, in its brevity, has an almost parable-like quality. When the publisher writes at the end of the book, “We are greatly indebted to Tim Mohr, whose editing skills and commitment to the project have resulted in The Last Holiday reading as smoothly as it does,” you suspect that publishing The Last Holiday has been no holiday for those involved.

On reflection, what we’re left with is fragments, “jagged jigsaw pieces”, to quote a line from one of his well-known songs. His memoir may not captivate the casual reader, but for those who have been touched by the artist, either live or on record, The Last Holiday is the final chance to spend time in the company of a man who may not have changed the statute books, but whose influence is incalculable, wrought as it is on the hearts of those who heard his message.

The Last Holiday by Gil Scott-Heron is published by Canongate.

Something special to catch on the live tip, DJ Food are heading out to Greenwich to take over London’s only public planetarium with a bespoke AV show. Having recently dropped Magpies Maps and Moons – part three of three in a vinyl release series that started with One Man’s Weird Is Another Man’s World back in 2009 – there’s now a full length album to look forward to for those that missed out on the wax editions, released 23rd of this month.

Titled The Search Engine the release will collect the three limited wax plates, pushing the experimental world of DJ Food to a larger audience. Although they’ve stated there’s no official theme behind the tracks, there’s certainly the one familiar sonic landscape that all the tracks have come from. What else would you expect from the sound of DJ Food?

Ninja Tune have been perfectly on form with the creativity of their launches, recently immersing audiences in the imaginary space world of Kid Koala for the Space Cadet launch, then the live show and exhibition for Isam by Amon Tobin being some of the most innovative events of 2011. The launch of The Search Engine looks to be no different, with an amazing lineup and customised planetarium show to boot it’s going to be a unique experience you don’t want to miss.

Full details on the night below. We’re hoping to be there with review and possibly some photos from the night for the day after. It’s also worth shouting out that The Search Engine continues the tradition of incredible artwork (the vinyl came with posters), all of which will be on display at the end of the month, more details on that later.

via Ninja Tune

To celebrate the release of DJ Food’s new album The Search Engine, Ninja Tune, Strictly Kev and the good people of Royal Observatory Greenwich are pleased as punch to present a very special show (or shows, depending on how you look at it) in London’s only public planetarium!

And just to make it feel even more like an eccentric away-day, coaches will be provided to shuttle people from St. Mary’s Gate or Greenwich train station up to the Observatory (and back again), although admittedly that’s mainly because entry through Greenwich Park on foot isn’t permitted after 6pm.

Sneak Preview + Q&A

WHEN: Thursday 26th January, 8.00pm
WHERE: Rich Mix, Bethnal Green Rd, E1 6LA
HOW: To book click here or call 020 7613 7498
TICKETS: £9 (£7 conc)

Dick Fontaine / UK-USA / 2011 / 75′

Director Dick Fontaine revisits the extraordinary life of the greatest saxophone player in the world – Sonny Rollins. Still resisting stereotype and compromise, Rollins celebrates his 80th birthday with Roy Haynes, Jim Hall, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride and Ornette Coleman.

Buoyed by the charming love story, it prompted me to rewatch a documentary about Shakespeare and Company from a few years ago, Portrait of of a Bookstore as an Old Man. The old man in the title is the store’s founder, George Whitman, an extraordinary gentleman who sadly died in December, falling short of his century by just two years.

There’s plenty of quality obits about George Whitman, see for yourself. I found Jeanette Winterson’s the most poetic.

“He made his own world, and that is the best that anyone can do.”

Bonne nuit George.

www.shakespeareandcompany.com

George Whitman (December 12, 1913 – December 14, 2011)

Urban Allstar representer Neal Birnie has been one of my favourite London DJs for time, even before he hit 21. Probably the most naturally talented man I’ve seen behind the decks, the last few years he’s been honing his collection and skills digging and unearthing tunes at the highest level, and finally getting the props he deserves from his regular night at Vibe Bar in East London.

You’ll also find him behind the counter at Sounds Of The Universe, always up for a chat and recommending tuneage, so if you can’t catch him live it’s worth popping in to say hi and see what’s new.

A recent trip to Chicago and time spent in a warehouse of 45s inspired this latest selection, something he’s been promising for ages that’s well worth the wait. No tracklisting, just an hour of incredibly dope soul music.

Stambridge Soul 45’s by Neal Birnie

Southport Weekender have released the first glimpse of the provisional line up for SPW48 – The 25th Anniversary Party. This is the earliest point in years that even part of the line up has been revealed. Without saying who was playing, the almost unrivaled reputation of the UK’s friendliest party has ensured that all of our 6500 places for our 25th anniversary event have already sold out.

The 25th anniversary will be lead by a Def Mix reunion, as it sees David Morales and Frankie Knuckles reunited as headliners of the largest room at the event, The Powerhouse. Meanwhile upfront DJs will find their home in the Beat Bar, with Julio Bashmore, Floating Points and Andre Lodemann leading the charge.

Frankie Knuckles
David Morales
Danny Krivit
Kenny Dope
Kerri Chandler
Tony Humphries
Julio Bashmore
Floating Points
Andre Lodemann
Joe Claussell
Derrick Carter
Karizma
Joey Negro
DJ Jazzy Jeff
David Rodigan
Fabio & Grooverider
Al Kent
Norman Jay
Gilles Peterson
Mr Scruff
Greg Wilson

Check out the full line up here.

When I saw I’d missed this event connecting three generations of British MCs, from Asher Senator through to Skibadee and General Levy and right up to the present day with Riko Dan, Wiley, Stush, and even Lady Leshur, let’s just say I knew it wasn’t going to happen again in a hurry.

But now they’ve brought out a video so you don’t miss a single bar from that momentous show, and also get to peer behind-the-scenes interviews with many of the artists involved… well, it won’t quite make up for missing out the electric atmosphere that balmy summer night at Cargo, but it does give you a chance to see history in the making. Filmed by Rollo Jackson, he of Tape Crackers fame, you’ve got all the ingredients for the perfect stocking filler.

Get the video HERE

French label releases debut 7″ with A-side from Squeee originator Daniel Savio and Parisian onanists Wankers United on the flip. Limited to 300 copies.

Buy it HERE

Watch HERE on BBC iplayer for the next 5 days.

Join Calibre, D-Bridge, Doc Scott, Klute, Marcus Intalex plus Lynx, Dom & Roland, and Alley Cat south of the river from 10 at night til 6 in the morn. Tickets £11, available here.

If you can’t come, don’t sweat it. The night’ll be streamed live, check here for details.

To get you in the mood, here’s a dB set from earlier in the year.

D Bridge live at A Bunch of Cuts July 2011 by wefearsilence

We Fear Silence present A Bunch Of Cuts

Saturday 17th December 2011

Cable,  33a Bermondsey Street,  London,  SE1 2EG

10pm -6am

£11 Advance Tickets £14 OTD

DJs: Calibre, D-Bridge, Doc Scott, Klute, Marcus Intalex with guests Lynx, Dom & Roland, Alley Cat

MCs: SP:MC, Justyce, DRS