Express Yourself
"I ask the divine creator of the infinite universe to open me to a higher consciousness of sound and spirit." - Kahil El'Zabar
Why Now?
Now is the only time, so now it is.
I’m turning up the volume on music I love, music that challenges me, music I have on repeat, music I can’t stop thinking about.
I’ve been on a musical journey since before I can remember. Along the way I got into Pete Seeger, Simon & Garfunkel, The Eagles, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, the good old Grateful Dead and heaps of other classic rock and folk music. Then in college someone took me to a jazz bar, I bought Miles Davis’s classic Kind of Blue and Louis Armstrong’s Greatest Hits on CD. It was 1997, I’d been bit by the jazz bug and I’ve been sick ever since.
I never went to school for music, didn’t join a band, can’t read music, didn’t find a job in the music industry or anything that would give me some credentials or expertise but I’ve never stopped listening. After college my jazz collection of CDs only grew… until streaming came and I was suddenly able to indulge almost any musical whim at any moment.
So Amplify won’t be an expert’s opinion. It’s an amateur’s take on music now, music then, music for me, music for you. Expect posts every week or two or when I can’t help myself. I’ll mostly post about jazz and jazz adjacent music but when a rock album rocks my world, I won’t be afraid to use my digital soapbox to shout about it.
One Song
To kick things off, I’m sharing what’s become my favorite version of Express Yourself - the soul/funk hit originally from Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
Kahlil El Zabar’s playful, expressive, horn filled take on Express Yourself comes off his album America the Beautiful, an album that captivates from beginning to end. A thoughtful album, better for a drive or walk than background music while you’re trying to work, it’s easy to get into the music and later find oneself reflecting on America.
With 2 moving renditions of America the Beautiful and the soul stirring How Can We Mend a Broken Heart, I’ve come back to this album over and over. Then I started into his catalog and felt why he’s known for grooving the spirit.
One Album
I love El’Zabar’s America the Beautiful and if you can only listen to one of his albums, check out his 2024 work with the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Open Me, A Higher Consciousness and Spirit. I think if you open yourself to it, your spirit will groove.
Liner Notes
David Byrne has a new album out called Who is the Sky? The opening track, Everybody Laughs is fun. What is the Reason for It is worth a listen too. Here’s what Rolling Stone thinks.
Drummer/composer Kassa Overall’s CREAM is out. After several albums with vocals Kassa and his band have put out a largely instrumental album that’s an ode to Overall’s favorite hits.
Bass extraordinaire and freaky, funky dude , Mono Neon put out a soulful and nasty single titled Everybody Shiet Stank… Mines Too! No topic is off limits for Mono and I prefer the fun, soulful funk on albums like Quilted Stereo that don’t have to do with colorful shits, farts or bodily fluid.
