Infectious acoustic drums rendering of a jungle/dnb mood

Jungle Energy

A walk in the woods as the shrooms begin to show their heads...'tis the season...

WOODLANDER

NIUS or now in the united states

AFRICA written by JOHN COLTRANE

a quartet recording of the Billie Holliday classic ,with Doug Kinloch guitar,Mihaly Biggs Double Bass Gary Williams drums and James Gilbert Tenor Saxophone

God Bless The Child

A Sonny Rollins classic ,given an old name for a female sex worker played by a quartet comprising Doug Kinloch guitar Mihaly Biggs double bass Gary Williams drums and James Gilbert tenor saxophone

DOXY

from a recording session in 1996 a truly global band RETURN TO ZERO collectively improvising, creating, beautiful music , with Eddie Abdullah guitar [Malaysia] Tom Johnston electric bass[USA]Robert Henry vocals [UK and Caribbean] Gautam Boon Higashino double bass [Japan]Siemy DI drums[Democratic republic of Congo and Belgium] and James Gilbert piano and saxophone [uk]

Childlike 1

The Father And The Son

A slightly edited version of an uncompromising choral/big band number from the Grand Union Orchestra's second CD Freedom Calls (1988). The music is by Tony Haynes, lyrics by John Matshikiza, South African actor, writer and anti-apartheid campaigner. We reprise it here as a gesture of musical solidarity with African people and those of African descent worldwide. (Performers below)

WORKSONG, by John Matshikiza

1: five hundred years and more a slave 
some time some time 
each year being told you're just not much
and Africans are found in herds all up and down your continent 
and boy you better dig it gal some time 
and boy you better dig it gal some time

2: five hundred years and more the fool
some time some time 
five hundred times around the sun
burned black for beauty and for kicksand hunted down with bright blue eyes 
and boy you better dig it gal some time 
and boy you better dig it gal some time

3: before five hundred years ago 
some time some time 
the world resolved its spinning course 
from dawn to midnight spring to spring and all the beasts were wonderful
and boy you better dig it gal some time 
and boy you better dig it gal some time

4: five hundred years to come they say
some time some time 
the strong must overcome the weak
and make them starve to balance books in case slave ships run out of steam
and boy you better dig it gal some time 
and boy you better dig it gal some time


It's time for the millennium 
and Jesus Christ who works for God 
who's full-time for the Vatican 
which sponsored the Americas 
which didn't need no Indians 
(all wrong on this side of the world) 
who wanted muscle brought across 
from shores which never should have left
America (continents drift) 
and suddenly there's different strains 
of animals across the sea 
and some are good and some are bad 
and some drink out of cyanide streams 
and some are worked until they're dead
to bring the goodies from the earth
on to the table of the Lord 
and of his lady and their brood 
and Jesus Christ so says the Prez 
will come to bless this cankered thing 
and all of this is good good good 
and boy you'd better dig it girl some time 

and you won't get no extra scratch 
from working harder at that patch
you'll never be the owner kid 
relax - what now? you never did 
and boy you'd better dig it girl 
and boy you better dig it girl some time

THE PERFORMERS:

The lead voice is African-American David Clarke, joined successively by Vladimir Vega (Chile), Sarah Laryea (Ghana), Joan McKay (Scotland) and other members of the Orchestra; the final extended verse is sung by Josefina Cupido (whose father fought in the Spanish Civil War). The tenor saxophone soloist is Australian Louise Elliott.  

More information: www.grandunion.org.uk

Worksong (short version)

multi instrumentalist who has played saxophone for 40 years with some of the greatest drummers of all time

DOXY

james gilbert