New topic
Printable| Author | Message |
|
Curtis Mayfield and the Black Rock Connection With only a few days to go before the BRC Orchestra spends two nights performing the Civil Rights songbook of Curtis Mayfield (http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=1834), Michael A. Gonzales reflects on the quiet musical giant.
While Curtis Mayfield was always been considered one of the greatest soul voices to come out of Chicago, CurtisMayfield00profile his guitar playing was often so understated that rock fans used to the dramatics of Jimmy Page, Prince or Carlos Santana might be weary to cite him as an influence. Yet, since the days when he was still strumming an acoustic while singing churchy sounding songs “It’s All Right” and “Amen” with the Impressions, his playing was an influence on dudes like Clapton, Beck and Steve Winwood. Another fan of the Impressions (and of Curtis’ guitar playing) was Jimi Hendrix. According to Jimi Hendrix: In His Own Words (Omnibus Press, 1994), the voodoo chile rocker once said, “I like the Impressions…they’re some people that need to be really, really respected. See, these are classical composers. I don’t care what their music sounds like today, because today, as things are happening at that particular time, the people that’s in that particular time don’t really know the value of it until it dies off. But now people really have to start learning the value of things as they’re living today.” Almost makes you wish brother Jimi could’ve lived long enough to see Curtis throwing down with wah-wah, feedback, fuzz and other electro-gadgets that caused strange music to erupt from the speakers. Tracks like “Billy Jack,” Kung Fu,” “Future Shock” and “Freddy’s Dead” captured a whole new level of racial angst and musical distortion in his grooves and licks. FOR THE REST OF THIS POST, GO TO: http://www.boldaslove.us |
- E-mail - orgNote -  Report post to moderator |
It is my humble opinion that Curtis Mayfield is the most overlooked songwriter of all time.
His catalogs with the Impressions and on his own are absolutely remarkable. Other than one mis-step with the Impressions when they tried to pull off an album of standards, every album Curtis is associated with from the early 60's to the mid 70's is spectacular. In between, he even penned soundtrack albums for the Staples Singers (Let's Do It Again) and Aretha Franklin (Sparkle) that are outrageously good. Anything keeping this man's legacy alive is a very good thing. Thanks for the post. mikemike13 said: With only a few days to go before the BRC Orchestra spends two nights performing the Civil Rights songbook of Curtis Mayfield (http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=1834), Michael A. Gonzales reflects on the quiet musical giant.
While Curtis Mayfield was always been considered one of the greatest soul voices to come out of Chicago, CurtisMayfield00profile his guitar playing was often so understated that rock fans used to the dramatics of Jimmy Page, Prince or Carlos Santana might be weary to cite him as an influence. Yet, since the days when he was still strumming an acoustic while singing churchy sounding songs “It’s All Right” and “Amen” with the Impressions, his playing was an influence on dudes like Clapton, Beck and Steve Winwood. Another fan of the Impressions (and of Curtis’ guitar playing) was Jimi Hendrix. According to Jimi Hendrix: In His Own Words (Omnibus Press, 1994), the voodoo chile rocker once said, “I like the Impressions…they’re some people that need to be really, really respected. See, these are classical composers. I don’t care what their music sounds like today, because today, as things are happening at that particular time, the people that’s in that particular time don’t really know the value of it until it dies off. But now people really have to start learning the value of things as they’re living today.” Almost makes you wish brother Jimi could’ve lived long enough to see Curtis throwing down with wah-wah, feedback, fuzz and other electro-gadgets that caused strange music to erupt from the speakers. Tracks like “Billy Jack,” Kung Fu,” “Future Shock” and “Freddy’s Dead” captured a whole new level of racial angst and musical distortion in his grooves and licks. FOR THE REST OF THIS POST, GO TO: http://www.boldaslove.us | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Fenwick said: It is my humble opinion that Curtis Mayfield is the most overlooked songwriter of all time.
His catalogs with the Impressions and on his own are absolutely remarkable. Other than one mis-step with the Impressions when they tried to pull off an album of standards, every album Curtis is associated with from the early 60's to the mid 70's is spectacular. In between, he even penned soundtrack albums for the Staples Singers (Let's Do It Again) and Aretha Franklin (Sparkle) that are outrageously good. Anything keeping this man's legacy alive is a very good thing. Thanks for the post. Curtis Mayfield's music will never die. It's lived on thru hip-hop and rock as the band Fishbone was as crazy about Curtis as Red Hot Chilli Peppers was about P-Funk..... 
mikemike13 said: With only a few days to go before the BRC Orchestra spends two nights performing the Civil Rights songbook of Curtis Mayfield (http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=1834), Michael A. Gonzales reflects on the quiet musical giant.
While Curtis Mayfield was always been considered one of the greatest soul voices to come out of Chicago, CurtisMayfield00profile his guitar playing was often so understated that rock fans used to the dramatics of Jimmy Page, Prince or Carlos Santana might be weary to cite him as an influence. Yet, since the days when he was still strumming an acoustic while singing churchy sounding songs “It’s All Right” and “Amen” with the Impressions, his playing was an influence on dudes like Clapton, Beck and Steve Winwood. Another fan of the Impressions (and of Curtis’ guitar playing) was Jimi Hendrix. According to Jimi Hendrix: In His Own Words (Omnibus Press, 1994), the voodoo chile rocker once said, “I like the Impressions…they’re some people that need to be really, really respected. See, these are classical composers. I don’t care what their music sounds like today, because today, as things are happening at that particular time, the people that’s in that particular time don’t really know the value of it until it dies off. But now people really have to start learning the value of things as they’re living today.” Almost makes you wish brother Jimi could’ve lived long enough to see Curtis throwing down with wah-wah, feedback, fuzz and other electro-gadgets that caused strange music to erupt from the speakers. Tracks like “Billy Jack,” Kung Fu,” “Future Shock” and “Freddy’s Dead” captured a whole new level of racial angst and musical distortion in his grooves and licks. FOR THE REST OF THIS POST, GO TO: http://www.boldaslove.us | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |