Abstract Index Playlist - March 12/08

I'm kinda busy with something very big coming up in the next three weeks (details to come!!!) so I'll just link you to my review in Eye Weekly about this disc.

Eye Weekly uses a star system, so I gave it 4/5. I review so many fantastic reissues and compilations that I'm tempted to give out a lot of perfect scores. And why not? The ratings deck is kind of stacked against new releases... how can a new disc of original compete against the best of a decade's worth of material, as on this disc? Moreover, as mentioned in the review, you'd have to be severely musically challenged to compile a bad bossa nova comp.

So what's to criticize here? I think I'm more likely to assign a perfect score to 'game changing' compilations, like the kind that Soundway and the Numero Group put out. These labels find extraordinarily rare and unissued material and make it available for the first time ever to a mass audience. Their liner notes and depth of research is tremendous and truly helps advance global musical knowledge. Viagem is damn good, great even, but I wouldn't say that global knowledge of bossa nova and jazz samba has taken a giant leap forward, unlike the impact of Talkin Loud's Brazilica compilations of a decade and a half ago. But this is a very, very welcome compilation and I envy Mr. Conte's crates.

Hour 1 Podcast
Hour 2 Podcast

invisible wind - jackie stoudamire (numero)
inside my world - robert owens (compost)
bad girl version - eva be (sonar kollektief)
baldamore - hadouk trio (naive)
cumbia poder - celso pina (warner musica latina)
la corriente - charanga cakewalk (triloka)
sticks - burnt friedman/jaki liebezeit (nonplace)
(sometimes) believe in yourself - roy ayers (compost)
bande lo - edgard & os tais (far out)
plaza de toros - larry young (blue note)
perception - nick ayoub (do right)
the pepper drinkers - canefire (no label)
going overdrawn - playgroup (on-u sound)
nia njia - les embassadors (nonplace)
manu - mighty popo (tamba)
mr. brown - gregory isaacs (blood and fire)
peace and love in the ghetto - johnnie clarke (moll selekta)
tribulations - earth roots and water (light in the attic)
extended spirit - sista riddim (best seven)
the message - henry and louis (bsi)