Fire Departments

Jimmy Smith on Wikipedia: Smith influenced many other jazz organists, as well as rock keyboardists like Jon Lord, Brian Auger, Keith Emerson. More recently, Smith influenced bands such as the Beastie Boys, who sampled the bassline from “Root Down (and Get It)” from Root Down — and saluted Smith in the lyrics — for their own hit “Root Down,” Medeski, Martin & Wood, Will Culbreath of Jazzmatic and The Hayden-Eckert Ensemble.

Music of Puerto Rico : Since its inception in 1954, the legendary band Sonora Ponceña, from Puerto Rico, has been one of the most consistent producers of great salsa music. Led by Enrique “Quique” Lucca Caraballo, born in Yauco, Puerto Rico, this group has included many of the most talented in the world of salsa, at one time or another.

Blues Access : Perched on a chair in the middle of the stage is Snooks Eaglin, compact and slightly stoop-shouldered with a stocky, almost muscular upper torso, his slender legs and knobby knees sticking out of a pair of shorts. The blind 63-year-old guitar virtuoso cocks his right arm back, floats his claw-like fingers across the strings of his red Epiphone hollow body guitar like a butterfly and stings them like a bee.

Hard Bop : Always fueled by his renegade spirit, Les McCann was recommended by Miles Davis to play with Cannonball Adderly, but turned it down in order to form his own band. In 1960, McCann was signed to the L.A.-based Pacific Jazz label owned by producer Nick Venet, who recognized Les signature soul groove style that mothered an entire movement of back-to-the-roots jazz.

Senor Coconut : Señor Coconut, the man of a thousand aliases, has struck again and amazed everyone once more. Following “El Baile Alemán” (dedicated to the German Electro pioneers Kraftwerk), “Fiesta Songs” (a joyful collection of popular songs including “Smooth Operator”, “Beat It”, “Smoke on the Water”) and “Yellow Fever” (a tribute to his Japanese fellow musicians of the Yellow Magic Orchestra) ….

Susana Baca : But it wasn’t until after meeting Chabuca Granda that Baca was given her first real opportunity to record professionally in Peru. However the composer’s sudden death left Baca in limbo.

Maysa : In the early 90s, Maysa auditioned over the phone to become a member of the acclaimed British jazz/funk/R&B band Incognito and in 1992 she relocated to London and recorded Tribes & Scribes, featuring the hit single “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing.”

Vik’s Lounge : Martin Denny describes the music his combo plays as “window dressing, a background”. It is the perfect compliment to the exotic setting of Hawaii. “A lot of what I’m doing”, he states in Incredibly Strange Music Volume 1 “is just window dressing familiar tunes.

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