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Blending Hard Bop and Traditional Jazz, Marcus Tenney Quartet Shines on ‘Moment’

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Multi-instrumentalist Marcus Tenney is a relentless musician. He plays saxophone and trumpet in Richmond powerhouse acts Butcher Brown and No BS! Brass Band, tours with indie-duo Foxygen, and records hip-hop records under the name Tennishu, among other things.

And tonight, one of his lesser known, but equally impressive projects, the Marcus Tenney Quartet, will release a new set of recordings on Richmond record label American Paradox’s cassette series “RVA Jazz Tapes”. The album, Moment, consists of four straightforward jazz pieces that recall jazz classics of the 50s and 60s like Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, or John Coltrane’s Giant Steps.

The quartet features Tenney on trumpet, Alan Parker on guitar, Billy Williams on drums, and Andrew Randazzo on bass.

Moment was recorded live at the former American Paradox studio on the Maggie Walker museum block in Jackson Ward. “It’s cool to play jazz in a historic area, it was like the cherry on top,” said Tenney of the recording session.

The influence of hard bop on the recordings is apparent, but there are discernible elements of fusion, rock, and hip-hop throughout the recording that make this more than a throwback. “Sometimes the walls between genres are very fluid,” Tenney said.

And that blending of jazz and hip-hop, said Tenney, has experienced a resurgence in recent years.  “It seems like a time when music that has been the underdog, is coming back to the top again.”

Occasionally, the jazz ensemble will lock into a repetitive groove that resembles a hip-hop bar before breaking into a loose melody, and Williams’ drumming ranges from frenetic jazz tapping to straight-ahead rock rhythms. The mixing of styles is subtle, and to this listener, it sounds very natural and unambitious. The ideas flow effortlessly from one to the next.

Tenney said that the compositions on Moment were partly inspired by a piece called “Was” by jazz guitarist Adam Rogers. Rogers is a prolific musician who has played alongside John Zorn, Norah Jones, and Bill Evans, to name a few.

“Was” begins with a simple, repetitive theme. As the song progresses, the musicians begin to expand on the original theme until it is almost unrecognizable. “There’s a couple songs that are inspired by that kind of writing and that type of thinking, of just taking one simple thing and having everyone get creative with it,” Tenney said of Moment.

The third track on Moment, “Loss”, was partially inspired by John Coltrane. Tenney said that his favorite Coltrane records are from his transitional phase between straightforward hard bop and the spacey free jazz he recorded near the end of his life. “I like the powerful sound that he had at the end, but when he was still playing compositions that were easily recognizable,” said Tenney.

The Marcus Tenney Quartet will kick off their cassette release party for Moment at Vagabond tonight at 9 p.m. 

 

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

 

 

 

 

D. Scott is Producing the Soundtracks For Your Life

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Richmond native De’Leon “D.” Scott is stamping his name as a producer in the music industry through storytelling.

For over a year, Scott has worked on a summer release titled “Seasons,” which tells the story of progressing through life. Creating beats since he was a little kid, Scott incorporates his childhood influences into the poppy, energetic music he produces today.

“It all started with my mom and my brother,” Scott said. “My mom would always play old-school gospel music when she was cleaning up on Saturdays. I was young, but I started paying attention to different sounds more. They were the root of it all.”

Scott’s older brother taught him how to use different production software to make beats and he’s been creating beats nonstop ever since.

The emerging producer built his unique sound through experimentation. A lot of his beats were influenced by the music his mom and brother would play, which he described as “dramatic and story-oriented.” He said he pulls inspiration from the storytelling aspect of old-school music.

“I try to personify my music and give it a starting point and let the person travel along towards the end,” Scott said. “I make my music look like a story.”

D. Scott

Another major influence on Scott’s beats? Video games. Specifically, Final Fantasy. He grew up playing the game when there weren’t any character voice-overs, so during the game you would read the text on the screen to follow its dialogue. While doing so, he found himself listening to many of the soundtracks playing behind the games and pick up on the different types of sounds.

After graduating Virginia State University with a computer science degree, Scott dedicated more time to getting his name out as a producer in Richmond, working with a handful of local artists and producers including Noah-O, Michael Millions, Maestro, and Chase Royale.

Describing his music’s vibe in two words, Scott said his beats are “creatively passionate.” And after giving a few of his tracks a listen, it shows. A lot of beats in songs today have the same generic sound, but Scott’s music takes a generic sound and spins it on its head. The introduction to the song “Margarita Moonlight” by Metallic Keem ft. CanLee Sky, produced by Scott, caught my attention with its high-energy, reggae-influenced vibe heard within the first five seconds.

Scott is looking forward to releasing “Seasons,” by Metallic Keem ft. Matt Bolea. Drawing inspiration from artists like Pharrell Williams, Travis Scott, and Kendrick Lamar, “Seasons” exudes a sense of tragedy-turned-victory. The heavy lyrics describe a journey through life’s trials and tribulations, while the strong beat emanates power.  

“The song itself encompasses so much as opposed to just a feel-good type of song,” Scott said. “It’s telling the story about somebody who’s coming up from nothing, progressing through the seasons of their lives.”

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Richmond’s Newest Collaboration Brings the Conflict and Fury

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Vinyl Conflict record shop has announced that Nickelus F’s new album, Stuck, will be released on the shop’s locals-only label, Vinyl Conflict Records, later this summer with an edition of 500 copies. The album was originally released on AGM on May 11 as a digital-only release.

Vinyl Conflict is known throughout the region for its selection of punk, metal, and hardcore records. Bobby Egger, owner and operator of Vinyl Conflict, started the locals-only imprint almost a decade ago to showcase punk and hardcore groups from Richmond. Nickelus F will be the first hip-hop artist on the label.

“[Bobby] reached out to me and asked about you know, would I be interested in having it on vinyl,” said Nickelus F, “I said, ‘fuck yeah.’ Damn right I want to have it on vinyl.”

Nickelus F is a prolific underground hip hop artist who has been releasing music in Richmond since the mid 2000s. He was known early on for his appearances on BET’s 106 & Park “Freestyle Friday” and for his guest spots on several Drake songs. In 2011 he collaborated with Ohbliv for the mixtape Yellow Gold, and in 2015 he released Trick Dice with Lil Ugly Mane. He produces and writes records at a fast pace, and has released a solo album every year for the last three years.

DIY punk labels and hip hop artists have been collaborating more often in recent years, and there is history between the two genres that dates back to the early 90s when Public Enemy and Anthrax teamed up on “Bring the Noise”.

More recently, Brooklyn rapper Ill Bill recently released a split single with Ghoul on Tankcrimes records, and Austin punk label 540 Records has released several hip hop records now, but the underground punk and hip hop scenes in Richmond have not yet crossed paths, which makes this release a unique event. Nickelus F, already a fan of punk and metal in the city, sees plenty of similarities between the two genres.

“I think the underground nature of my music, the rawness of it, and the attitude of it, is very punk and very rock,” said Nickelus F. “I feel like people identify with that about my music. I like the punk rock way of doing things, I like the grind of it all.”

DIY punk labels like Vinyl Conflict don’t operate like major labels. Short runs of vinyl releases are produced without a contract between the label and the artist, and the artist receives a portion of the copies to sell on their own at concerts.

“The thing that’s dope about the way that Vinyl Conflict runs is that, its like, you get on the grind and you do this,” he said. “Like, we’ll give you these records whatever, its up to you to sell them though, its up to you to get out there and rock these shows and make people want to buy this shit. And that’s always been my mindset going into things anyway.”

The Richmond hip hop scene has been growing in recent years, and there are now more events and open mics than there used to be in the city. Monthly events like RVA Lyricists Lounge are helping bring people together in the community, and the gathering has become a place where young, aspiring rappers can cut their teeth.

“We went through some really really dark times out here,” said Nickelus F. “I think we’re raising the integrity of the art that comes out from the city when it comes to hip hop artists.”

Egger is excited for the upcoming release Vinyl Conflict records, and has several other hip hop releases planned for the near future. He was surprised to learn that Nickelus F was dialed into the punk scene well before they agreed to do the record, and that his favorite local metal band is Cough.

Nickelus F said that he’s never been to a Richmond metal show, but that it’s something he wants to do this year.

“I like the hardcore shit, I like death metal, I like sludge metal, I like the shit rugged and raw,” he said.

Nickelus F and Lil Ugly Mane are going on a short tour at the beginning of August, and will be playing Vinyl Conflict’s Customer Appreciation Day concert on August 25 alongside hardcore punk bands Bib, Nosebleed, Deviant, and Slump.

 

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

J. Cole’s Song “FRIENDS” is the Soundtrack For Life Right Now

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J. Cole’s newest album KOD, meaning Kids on Drugs, King Overdosed or Kill Our Demons (however you decide to interpret it), touches on depression, anxiety, and addiction in today’s society – all topics we tend to sweep under the rug. Yet with this new album, Cole has introduced a conversation that we must talk about whether we want to or not.

FRIENDS is the standout track on the KOD album, which he performed on the BET Award Show last night. From the very beginning, he spit some real shit; there is something about the first 30 seconds that determines if you really gonna rock with it or not.

“But I’m aggravated without it
My saddest days are without it
My Saturdays are the loudest
I’m blowing strong
Some niggas graduated with powder
I dabble later, I doubt it”

These are the first few bars of the opening verse, one that many people overlook, because they don’t realize how closely related we are to the lyrics he is dropping.

Many people say they would never even think about taking harder drugs, but it becomes common than we think as music listeners become shaped by lyrics. Every day, we watch and listen to rappers brag about the money they have, they women they get, and the drugs they are abusing. We must be careful about what we ingest, literally in our bodies and through music, because although we want to say it doesn’t, these things influences us.

Think about it. No one was really ‘sippin lean’ (a cough syrup cocktail) until it became a trend in our music, and no one was into molly or pills until artists started talking about them in their songs.

College students become exposed to everything. We’ve all wandered around at that college party and accidentally ended up in a private room where the ‘real party’ is–kids hanging in a circle with their drug of choice. There are plenty of people who wake up and have to smoke weed–without it they’re hella moody and unproductive. They can’t go to class, work, or sleep without it.

Often times, society becomes content with its habits toward drugs, thinking they have it under control. It’s just good fun. But in reality, we are just a generation of functional drug addicts, no matter your vice, whether its weed, pills, or lean.

Then here we are watching our ‘friends’ fall into this trap. I think many people forget that college doesn’t last forever, and these habits just don’t disappear after graduation.

“But fuck that now I’m older I love you ’cause you my friend
Without the drugs I want you be comfortable in your skin
I know you so I know you still keep a lot of shit in
You running from yourself and you buying product again
I know you say it helps and no I’m not trying to offend
But I know depression and drug addiction don’t blend”

People on Twitter complain about how depression and mental illness are the major ignored problems in the black community, but those same people sit and watch the people around them suffer, not saying a word. Pointing the finger is useless, because we are all guilty. The topic of addiction and mental illness is something all generations may not know how to approach without offending someone, or being made to feel like we are invading their privacy. 

Real friends know when their friends are suffering whether they decide to speak up or not. Like J Cole says, we watch our friends wallow and move like robots, just going through the motions and as soon as class is dismissed, they smoke or drink their problems away.

We have to stop and speak up, because sooner or later mental health problems are going to catch up with all of us, consciously or not. It could be watching your friends ‘graduate to powder’ (cocaine), or becoming suicidal.

Let me be clear, I’m not blaming anyone, or suggesting that if you ‘spark the jay’ (marijuana), you’re wrong and will become an addict. If you want to smoke, do it, but recognize when the drugs become a problem and dependence is built.

Ask yourself: Is there a deeper problem? Am I running from something?

If you’re going to be a friend, then be a friend. Stop allowing your friends to enter this downward spiral of depression and drug addiction. Call your friends out on their shit before it’s too late.

Love,

An OG J. Cole fan

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

Bringing the Noise to the Flying Squirrels Tonight

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Flavor Flav, reality-TV firebrand and founding member of hip-hop group Public Enemy, will be throwing the first pitch at the Flying Squirrels game tonight, as well as conduct a meet-and-greet from 5:15 to 6 p.m. at Parney’s Pub before the game. The theme of the night is “Old School Hip-Hop.”

Tickets for the meet and greet are $40 and include a field level ticket to the game, two autographs per guest, and a viking hat.

Flav is best known for his role as ‘hype man’ in Public Enemy, whose socially conscious hip-hop and densely creative production style changed the landscape of rap and hip-hop in the mid 80s and early 90s.

The band had a diverse set of influences as far reaching as psych-funk, free jazz, and musique concrete, and their inventive production techniques created an anarchic tone that reflected the highly politicized lyrical nature of the music.

As the hype man for the band, Flav was rarely the lead on any of Public Enemy’s songs, but their 1990 hit, “911 is a Joke,” credits Flav as the sole writer on the single. Public Enemy is also credited with helping create the rap metal genre by collaborating with New York thrash band Anthrax on the song “Bring the Noise.”

In the 2000s, Flav became a reality TV celebrity best known for his outlandish outfits and bizarre aphorisms. On his VH1 reality dating series, Flavor of Love, he wore a viking helmet and a large clock around his neck for the duration of the show. These days, Flav keeps a lower profile, but perhaps he’ll bring some of his antics to the Flying Squirrels game tonight.

The game starts at 6:35 p.m.

Virginia Rap Legend Pusha T’s New Album is Making all Kinds of Controversy

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Virginia rapper Pusha-T’s latest album, Daytona, released May 25 via G.O.O.D. Music, has unleashed some intense backlash for what some believe is crude cover artwork. The controversial cover photo depicts late singer Whitney Houston’s drug-covered bathroom sink taken on the night of her death in 2012.

Image result for whitney houston album cover pusha t

Kanye West, who produced the album, reportedly switched the cover art for the album at 1 am on the morning of its release after paying $85,000 to license the photo. Pusha-T told radio host Angie Martinez that the photo of Houston’s bathroom was not the original artwork, but that West changed it at the last second because he, “wasn’t feeling it.”

According to Rolling Stone, Houston’s estate was extremely disappointed in West’s decision to change the cover. “Even in Whitney’s death, we see that no one is exempt from the harsh realities of the world,” said her estate in a statement to ET on Tuesday. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Houston’s ex-husband Bobby Brown called the album cover disgusting, and said that West, “needs somebody to slap him or something.”

Prior to the release of the album, Pusha-T also escalated his long-running feud with Canadian rapper Drake. The dispute finally boiled over with the release of “Infrared,” the final track on Daytona where Pusha-T calls out Drake for using ghostwriters in his songs. Drake fired back on the same day with “Duppy Freestyle,” in which he calls Pusha-T a hypocrite since his producer, Kanye West, has publicly acknowledged his use of ghostwriters. Drake was a credited songwriter on West’s Life of Pablo.

The altercation intensified on Tuesday when Pusha-T posted a 2007 photo of Drake made up in blackface, and released a diss track called the “The Story of Adidon,” which claims that Drake fathered a child with porn star Sophie Brussaux. 

The disagreements surrounding Pusha-T’s new release are eerily similar to the manufactured publicity stunts that often accompany West’s album and product releases. West is adept at stoking strong emotions from his fan base to ramp up publicity and create fodder for gossip columns.

The controversy did not stop there, however. According to Ian Sams, a communications manager for Senator Tim Kaine, who took to Twitter, the controversy has even taken hold in the UK with press outreach asking Kaine to weigh in on the drama. 

For those who were unaware of how these things connect: Kaine campaigned with Pusha-T in Florida during Hillary Clinton’s run for President in 2016.  

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond