As many of you will know, I saw
Steely Dan live a month or two ago. Their touring band is smoking hot - three lovely backing singers, a Grand piano, and a four piece horn section all feature. Their trumpet player is
Michael Leonhart. He has been with the Dan since 1996, both in the live band and as their arranger, performer, and conductor on
Two Against Nature and it's follow-up
Everything Must Go. As a solo artist Michael has released six albums. He won a Grammy at the age of 17. He has performed and/or recorded with many acts, including A Tribe Called Quest, Arto Linsday, Bill Frisell, Bill Withers, Brian Eno, Busta Rhymes, Caetano Veloso, David Byrne, Henry Mancini, James Brown, John Barry, Joshua Redman, Lenny Kravitz, Levon Helm, Mark Ronson, Michael McDonald, Mos Def, Todd Rundgren, and Wynton Marsalis. He recorded with Yoko Ono as a featured member of the Plastic Ono Band for her 2009 album
Between My Head and the Sky, and appears on upcoming albums by Sharon Jones and the Dapkings, Foreigner, Sean Lennon, and Yuka Honda.
His latest venture is
Michael Leonhart & the Avramina 7, a gritty funk combo that records for Brooklyn's
Truth & Soul Records - where he has been the house trumpeter for a while. The Avramina 7 is comprised of musicians who have been involved in the New York/Brooklyn funk & soul scene, featuring members of the Dap-Kings, Phenomenal Handclap Band, Budos Band, Menahan Street Band, El Michaels Affair, and Antibalas. Michael plays the trumpet and sings. Their debut 7" single is out now -
Scopolamine b/w Gold Fever and Leonhart’s heavy-funk concept album "Seahorse and the Storyteller” comes later this year. Enjoy the swampy breakbeats, horns drenched in reverb, tablas pounding and massed vocals combined with spy theme vamping on
Gold Fever. The live takes were recorded earlier this year and show off the band's funky chops. If you live in NYC be sure to check them out Nov 4 & Dec 09 @ Joe’s Pub (both shows @ 9:30pm).
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Michael Leonhart & the Avramina 7 - Gold Fever (via HypeM)
Michael Leonhart & the Avramina 7 - Disco Udaipur Into Scopolamine (Live @ Zebulon, March'09)
Hot press release! Plastic Beach the new album from Gorillaz, will be released by Virgin on March 9th. The album is preceded by first single Stylo (featuring Mos Def and Bobby Womack) which will receive its radio broadcast premiere tonight and will be available for download on January 26. Five years on from the release of Demon Days, Murdoc Niccals and co. return with Plastic Beach. The band have taken up residence, recording on a secret floating island deep in the South Pacific, a Plastic Beach HQ, made up of the detritus, debris and washed up remnants of humanity. This Plastic Beach is the furthest point from any landmass on Earth; the most deserted spot on the planet. The Gorillaz' return will be marked by a headline appearance at this year's Coachella festival. The Sunday April 18 performance will be the first Gorillaz live spectacle on U.S. soil since the awe-inspiring Demon Days Live run in April 2006 at New York's Apollo Theater.
Alright. Another list. The top 25 records of 2009. Much hemming and hawing involved. And again I'm sure there are probably things I missed. I didn't rank them. I just know I listened to these 25 an awful lot last year...
The top 100 records of the last decade. I spent way too much time debating and searching and perusing and I'm still sure there are things I missed. A lot of good music here. It is not in any kind of order or rank - just a list. Feel free to remind me of what you think I missed...
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
As many of you will know, I saw Steely Dan live a month or two ago. Their touring band is smoking hot - three lovely backing singers, a Grand piano, and a four piece horn section all feature. Their trumpet player is Michael Leonhart. He has been with the Dan since 1996, both in the live band and as their arranger, performer, and conductor on Two Against Nature and it's follow-up Everything Must Go. As a solo artist Michael has released six albums. He won a Grammy at the age of 17. He has performed and/or recorded with many acts, including A Tribe Called Quest, Arto Linsday, Bill Frisell, Bill Withers, Brian Eno, Busta Rhymes, Caetano Veloso, David Byrne, Henry Mancini, James Brown, John Barry, Joshua Redman, Lenny Kravitz, Levon Helm, Mark Ronson, Michael McDonald, Mos Def, Todd Rundgren, and Wynton Marsalis. He recorded with Yoko Ono as a featured member of the Plastic Ono Band for her 2009 album Between My Head and the Sky, and appears on upcoming albums by Sharon Jones and the Dapkings, Foreigner, Sean Lennon, and Yuka Honda.
