Not-so-Mellow Yellow

Avocado asked if I'd mention a bit about my academia work, so I thought I'd try to just tie it into a post. I'm currently embarking on my final year of PhD work in ethnomusicology at Wesleyan University in CT where I also did my MA. I did my MA research in Jamaica, and my focus was investigating the connections between Rastafarian nyabingi drumming, the local, hotel-based jazz "dance" band scene of the 1950-60s in Mo' Bay and Ochi, and what drummers like Lloyd Knibb of the Skatalites ultimately ended up doing when they got down to the business of making music that no longer directly copied the musicians from up North. I spent a couple of months in Jamaica chasing down bingi drummers (which makes me realize I should put up a few of the local CDs I scored) and other musicians, and I also hung with Mr. Knibb several times, both for interviews about his time a yard with Count Ossie and others (like Cedric IM Brooks whose myspace page I curate) and little sessions where we jammed along to some old recordings. If you're feeling ambitious, here's my MA thesis A Heartbeat to Fit all Songs: Three Stops on the Journey of Nyabingi (it hurts to put it out - I'd love 5 more years to research and make it stronger, but I had to move on so go easy please!).

I took a little turn for my PhD work, and have been focusing on--you guessed it--organ jazz, particularly the funky stuff. I'm really interested in how it's been almost officially written out of jazz history--not a single guitarist or organist was discussed as a band leader in the Ken Burns' series, which is the longest documentary ever created on jazz--yet it keeps coming back with young people. First, beatmakers picked the stuff up, then you had the "soul jazz jambands" that all popped up in the early 90s. Now, I think that this blogosphere we are participating in is another incarnation of the importance and great value of this music. Clearly you and me and everyone else can't be wrong! Actually, I plan to start publishing some questions for people about their interests and views on the record collector blog world out there.

So, finally to my point, here's a little gem I dug up this past weekend. I love Yellowman. He's hilarious, his flow is fantastic, and his combination of bravado and self-denigrating humor just makes him more human than most DJs. This record, Live in London, is pretty rare I think; I couldn't find much about it online anyway. It's Yellow in his prime--I'm pretty sure it's 1983--absolutely flattening an audience atop his live band.

What's so great about this one for me is hearing Yellowman interact with his band. Unlike 98% of the djs today, who only hire a band for big festivals and then treat it with less respect than Bo and Luke Duke treated their cars, Yellowman works with his band. He rides the riddims so effortlessly, and he's in total control of the dynamics, but he lets the band follow him a bit too. He's got the crowd in the palm of his hand; listening to this makes me long to go to a show where a band and a DJ are so in tune with one another and the audience, I'm just not sure it happens so much anymore (and, honestly, I've seen most of the new big name DJs at least once but I'm no hater, I think I'm just getting old). Simply put, everyone--Yellowman, the band and the crowd--were having a REALLY good time at this show.

Before downloading be warned: The album is a little beat up. It's dirty and scratched, and it was a cheap pressing to start with. So, it's hissy in places, and there are a couple of scratches (it was bargain bin baby!). Still, if you like reggae, it's worth having. I was going to separate it into tracks, but it just made more sense to just have side a/b because the music flows seamlessly.

Link is in comments.