Music Y’All: Rev. Al Green’s Soul Meets The New School
March 25th, 2008 | 5:30 pm est |
Photo Credit: Ginny Suss
It took two long years, but Al Green’s Lay It Down is just about ready for the street: the new album drops on May 27 from Blue Note. It was produced by drummer Ahmir Thompson (a.k.a. ?uestlove) from Roots, and keyboard giant James Poyser, whose work with Erykah Badu and Common are well known. Some of the other players are heavyweights as well: the Dap King Horns are part of the mix as are the voices of Corrine Bailey Rae, Anthony Hamilton, and John Legend. Rounding out the band with Thompson and Poyser are guitarist Spanky Alford from the Mighty Clouds of Joy, and Joss Stone’s band, and Jill Scott and bassist Adam Blackstone (Jill Scott, DJ Jazzy Jeff), to name a few more. While it’s true that some superstar collaborations have been underwhelming, there is something kinetic about the vibe on this set.
And its origin is one of those fable-like stories that offers a hint of the magic in the music, like it was destined from the jump. In 2006, Reverend Green got together with Thompson, and Poyser at Electric Lady Studios in New York City with some other players to get acquainted and figure out where to go in terms of making a record together. Green had been reaching out to the hip-hop community and Roots in particular as a way of passing on his own message of love and unity, and Poyser and Thompson were big Al Green fans who were game to do something new with soul legend. The younger cats wanted to keep the basic structure and sound foundation similar to the Hi Records days when Green worked with producer Willie Mitchell, while keeping the production wholly and completely in the present-day as a way of exposing Green to a new generation. Apparently, that session fired on all burners: they sketched out nine of the album’s eleven tracks between them. Later recording was done over two more years; Green decided to accommodate the schedules of everyone he wanted to work with rather than finish it prematurely. This promo video from Blue Note gives us a small taste of what’s to come.
This sounds GOOD!
I am now looking forward to a new record!
(A lot of the cats out there trying to appeal to the young crowd should take a lesson here and work on what got them to where they got to.)
Hell yes.
How long has this thing been coming?
I want to teleport back a few years just to give this a less appreciative listen, then do it again now. Hell yeah. Music: yes.
OK - a little clarification of the above^
Just that ?uestlove is producing it means that it’s a real matter of musical appreciation (look at his recent albums), not just combining an established flavor with a new sound. That equation just sounds like it’s going to be quality. The music world needs more of that. IMO, there is too much that tries to be new, and often fails when that is its only aim. That music inevitably gets paved over within a few months. It needs to be balanced with music that references what has already been done. Maybe it’s just that picture of ?uestlove and Al, but I’m stoked. No, I think I’ve been stoked since hearing the production on the Philadelphia Experiment. That man has a good ear.