Jazzanova Put A Live Twist On Techno Classics For Guinness Cork Jazz Festival
Amir has a full experience in jazz and hip hop. In 2011, he created the 180-Proof label, which launched the Strata catalog overseas. He is a former Vice President of the Fat Beats label, worked in the A&R department at Rapster/!K7 and ran the Wax Poetics label from 2007 to 2010.
Like Motown, which Berry Gordy founded with a loan from his family, the Strata was a triumph of determination in the face of insurmountable odds. Black Americans, especially in Detroit, had nothing to help.
Amir said, “Blacks don't have many opportunities. Nobody says: "Here you have a bag of money to do what you have to do." You must pool your resources, pull yourself together. And do it yourself."
Strata was founded in 1969 by Kenny Cox, a bank manager turned jazz pianist. He was frustrated with his Blue Note label, which constantly pressed him for commercial success. Eager to take a more experimental direction, he founded Strata and soon performed concerts for Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock and others.
He also began releasing music, although Strata released less than a dozen albums during the label's existence, which are now highly sought after by collectors. Perhaps the first to be celebrated was Lyman Woodard's "Saturday Night Special" LP, a jazz-funk masterpiece that many originally thought was the Black Exploitation soundtrack.
There is no better place to celebrate Detroit's musical heritage than the Cork Jazz Festival. Throughout its history, the festival has provided a platform for marginalized jazz voices. And Zazanova Strata is once again an unforgettable event, and with it Detroit's contribution to folk music and culture.
“You have to understand the two big riots in 1967 and 1968 that destroyed Detroit and the city,” says Amir. “And it was the epicenter of the civil rights movement in the United States. He rose from the ashes of it all. They were very clear about how they create their music and how they want their music to be perceived by the general public in Detroit.
"That's why they nicknamed them 'All Music for All'." They wanted to be able to reach everyone, not just blacks in Detroit.
Through the Jazanova project, Amir hopes to challenge the image of Detroit as a post-apocalyptic Netherlands. "It's not just that 'this whole place is desert,'" says Amir. “There is a lot of good music coming out. Let's not forget that Motown is from Detroit. Many famous jazz musicians - from Dorothy Ashby to Shirley Scott. They're from Detroit or the Detroit area. A lot of good things came out of that fight in Detroit. It turns out they were both rebelling for good reasons. I wanted to be able to tell a different side of the Detroit story. Not only creativity, but the intelligence behind creativity.”
The second goal is to prevent layers from slipping between historical cracks. Amir wants to remind modern jazz lovers of the importance of a label that has suffered over the years from the rarity of releases.
“This is without a doubt one of the motivations for this project. The plot of the level is very important. They also make great music. To be honest, they only released a few albums. I have released a lot of non-free stuff in the last 10 years." Strather's influence goes much deeper, he continued.
“Many people don't know that Oberlin College, one of America's leading jazz conservatories, was founded by Strata in the 1970s [Kenny Cox helped create the school's curriculum]. It was one of the first archives of jazz music created in America. Such a small label has a big impact on the city. This story needs to be told. That's one of the reasons I wanted to do something with Zazanova. you would have. And we'll know how to do justice to the table and history."
With Zazzanova on board, the tour goes even further, bringing this music to life in a live setting. “Travel is, in fact, the strength of the catalog. It's like a musical story. From a catalog, from the streets of Detroit.
Strata America never had a national distribution and therefore remains little known in the United States. Detroit also fears that the label will be erased from history. Amir's mission in life is to prevent this from happening.
"There are people who need to be remembered. For people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and over... it's the vocabulary of the human mind. You know the shifts. However, they had a big impact on the city: it was a small label with little production. what they did really hit Detroit."
Strata lives, sometimes surprisingly. “He is still respected in many ways. Some diaper boys were trained by them in college. Wayne State University, University of Michigan. I know some of these guys through social media or whatever. They still talk and teach what Strata did. At least that way it will be possible to pass on the legacy.”
- Jazzanova will present Project Strata on Friday, October 28 at 6:00 pm at Everyman, Cork. Tickets at guinnesscorkjazz.com
- GoGo Penguin, Everyman, Friday 28 October: The Manchester band mixes jazz, electronica, nu jazz and ambient.
- Brandi Younger, San Pedro, North Main Street, Friday through Monday: New York harpist inspired by jazz, soul, funk and classical music. His LP Pretend was described by Rolling Stone magazine as "an elegant cross-genre chillout".
- Portico Quartet, Everyman, Sunday: Mercury nominees base their ambient sound on outboard steel drums.
- MåsExödus with Omar and Jeru the Damaja, Jedermann, Saturday: A dream collaboration between Dubliners Mark Murphy and Max Jaskar attracts international guests. Omar is a British soul legend who created the classic song "There's Nothing Like It"; New York rapper Jeru Gang has collaborated with stars such as Star.
- Amaro Freitas, Trisquel, Saturday, October 29: The renowned Brazilian pianist adds the sounds of his country to his contemporary jazz repertoire.