Kip Hanrahan | Tenderness | American Clavé

Song Cycle (at least sixteen folk songs from inside the city): 1. “… faith in the pants, not in the prick…” (Vallejo’s Folk Song) 2. “… when I lose myself in the darkness and pain of love, no, this love…” 3. “…she turned so that maybe a third of her face was in this fuckin’ beautiful half-light…” 4. “…at the same time, as the subway train was pulling out of the station…” 5. “…I told him ‘I don’t have to be beaten to be understood’…” 6.“…look, the moon…” (Diahnne’s) 7. “…half of sex is fear…” 8. Gillian’s Folk Song 9. History 10. “…there was something about his anger that was so…inaccessable to me…” 11. “…if I knew how to, if I knew what muscles to relax…” 12. “…you’re no pimp, and I’m certainly no whore…”[wp-audio mp3="http://theshop.free-jazz.net/files/Track137.mp3"] 13. Deep Summer 14. “…look, the moon…” (Carmen’s) 15. in place of an epilog: Lullabye for my Daughter 16. in place of a morale: Geography

All music and words written by Kip Hanrahan except “Gillian’s Folk Song” which was written by Kip Hanrahan and Leo Nocentelli Continue reading

Kip Hanrahan | Paul Haines | Darn It! | American Clavé

…Darn it! Strings together an outrageous number of artists performing one after another in a polyglot line that stretches from Paul Bley’s solo piano ‘Threats That Matter’ through funky dance numbers by Greg ‘Iron Man’ Tate to a duet by trombonist Roswell Rudd and Canadian poetry Paul Haines, ‘Etait Dans La Nuit.’ Even its beautiful package, designed by artist / film maker / musician Michael Snow (who also contributes a lovely piano piece) enforces the compilation’s linearity, unfolding into a long accordion of personnel and poetry… Darn it! Overcomes stylistic impediments successfully, reveling in the way Haines’ terse writing can endure so many different kinds of interpretation.” — John Corbett, Downbeat Continue reading

Kip Hanrahan | Days and Nights of blue luck inverted | American Clavé

Some records are there because there’s money that demands to be made, some records are there because there’s a career that demands to be realized, this is a record that’s here because there was (is?) a mood, understood or misunderstood as above, constantly succeeding itself, that demanded to be heard. “Love is like a cigarette” was written by Richard Jerome and Walter Kent, made beautiful by Duke Ellington with Ivey Anderson, and was arranged for this record by Kip Hanrahan with Alberto Bengolea. The rhythm and horn arrangements and the changes for “Gender” were written by Alien Toussaint and the words and melody were written by Kip Hanrahan. It is published by Warner Brothers/Coup de Tete (BMI). In the case of “Marriage,” the two lower mid range bass lines, which in some ways become the song, were composed by Jack Bruce. The words, melody, form and arrangement are by Kip Hanrahan. It’s published by Coup de Tete (BMI). Continue reading

Conjure | Cab Calloway stands in for the moon | American Clavé

See, at the heart of Conjure is this rhythm section (yeah, it includes legends and horns) that swings so strongly and intelligently that you can hear the joy the players have working with and writing for each other and you can’t escape the living respect they have for the magic of the tradition. And at its sharp ({enter are the words and stories of Ishmael Reed (genuine American Magical Realism?) reintegrating themselves into the verbal, griot tradition from which they come. Most magic is vertical as well as horizontal, isn’t it? — KIP HANRAHAN Continue reading