Cat Power Released a Second Album of Covers Called Jukebox
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SPOTLIGHT the full, flamboyant regalia of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian—also goes a long way toward explaining his desire to connect past and present. His uncle, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr., is a chief proponent of the Indian tradition, and Scott, 29, learned much about the legacy from the older musician. More important, Harrison Chris Crisman taught his nephew about maintaining versatility and open-mindedness. “Donald brams A is a perfect hybrid,” says Scott. “You’d be oah hard-pressed to find any style of jazz that N he hasn’t fully acculturated into his playing. He’s also the most rogue character that I can think of musically. That served as a great example for me when I was younger.” THENEWNO2 Fittingly, the album is Scott’s most ambitious and far-reaching work yet. A Beatle’s son forges his own path Recorded with guitarist Matthew Stevens, Jeremy Faccone, Frank Zummo , with a little help from his friends Dhani Harrison, Jonathan Sadoff, Nick Fyffe keyboardist Lawrence Fields, bassist Kristopher Keith Funn and drummer Jamire JULY/AUGUSTD 2012HANI H ISSUEARRISON IS HUMBLE AS HE headline grabber, but thenewno2 doesn’t Hicks, along with MMUSICMAG.COMJonathan Sadoff, Jeremy JULY/AUGUST 2012 ISSUE Williams, and produced by Scott andMMUSICMAG.COM Chris discusses the mysterious art of musical lean on Harrison’s family connections to Faccone, Nick Fyffe and Frank Zummo. “I Dunn, the leader’s new compositions draw inspiration. The son of late Beatle George raise their profile. Still, Harrison’s proud couldn’t be happier right now,” Harrison Kiel Adrian a direct line from the early New Orleans Harrison plays down his natural knack for to embrace the inevitable comparisons says. “We are building steam and ready for jazz to today’s cutting edge. Scott calls his finding lively hooks and heartfelt lyrics. between father and son. “It’s definitely takeoff. The way we structured the band, I S cott approach “stretch music.” “This is the first “You never know what spark is going to a talking point,” he admits. “I’ve been wanted it to be kind of like a gang. We’re fully realized stretch music album where be created,” he says. “Collaborations can around a while, so I’m used to it. It has its going from strength to strength. Everyone you can hear the many contexts and the change your musical DNA. The most exciting advantages. He’s my dad, my best friend, is a lot happier to offer their input, and it’s vernacular that we throw in,” he explains. thing about making music is learning.” but there’s hardly a lot to compare to his good to have them to bounce ideas off.” “You can take one song, like ‘Fatima Aisha In just a decade as a professional work. We have a totally different sound.” The album features collaborations with CHRISTIAN SCOTT Rokero 400,’ and there’s stuff that ties into musician, Harrison, 34, has enjoyed quite Thefearofmissingout blends elements Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, the Black Knights and the Black Indian tradition in New Orleans, an education. The London-based singer- of electronica, hip-hop and traditional rock Harrison’s Fistful of Mercy bandmate Ben Connecting past and present in one and stuff that sounds like Radiohead, and songwriter has embarked on an array of to form a distinct sensibility that defies Harper. Some artists might have adopted genre-stretching collection a Sergio Leone spaghetti western. What projects since serving as co-producer genres. Always at its center is Harrison’s a play-it-safe mentality after their first we’re trying to do is figure out a way to of his father’s posthumous 2001 album coolly understated vocal style. An eclectic blush of success, but Harrison believes CHRISTIAN ATUNDE ADJUAH ISn’t now goes by Christian aTunde Adjuah Scott, create a genre-blind improvisational form.” Brainwashed. Harrison and his avant-rock ensemble of friends and musicians has it’s his responsibility to both entertain and just the title of Christian Scott’s new double completing a tie to his African heritage. “I Now that he’s so successfully wed band thenewno2 (pronounced “the new helped him blossom into a mature and challenge his burgeoning audience. “I’m album—it represents a new phase in the didn’t destroy the name—the Scott part of my past and present, look for Scott to elaborate Number Two,” in homage to a character accomplished performer. Originally formed not afraid of making stuff that’s hit-or-miss,” jazz trumpeter’s life. “I felt my experience history is valid as well. It was just something further on future projects. “I think it’s time from the 1960s TV series The Prisoner) as a duo with Oliver Heck playing drums he says. “There’s no reason not to try. You is indicative of someone who probably I needed to clarify.” to come home a bit,” he says, “and deal recently released their second album, and synthesizer, thenewno2 now features shouldn’t have to take music too seriously.” shouldn’t be called Scott all the time,” says The cover art of the 23-track with some of those New Orleans rhythms.” thefearofmissingout. They’ve got a built-in Grammy Award-winning sound engineer Paul –Blake Boldt the New Orleans native, explaining why he collection—which depicts Scott attired in –Jeff Tamarkin CAT POWER released a second album of covers called Jukebox. Sun was further Marshall. “I never trusted it because I’m not an academic type, and After years of recording covers, Sun delayed when Marshall moved to Los Angeles with then-boyfriend, there are many different formulas when you’re in a studio that are actor Giovanni Ribisi, and found herself writing at the Boat studio. … I’d say extremely mathematical.” brings her original tunes to light “I usually write in my bedroom or apartment. I needed my privacy. Marshall decided to record and produce the record herself Psychologically I couldn’t do it with people around.” with only the assistance of a sound engineer and a guest vocal LONG BEFORE CAT POWER RECORDED SUN—HER FIRST S However, the new songwriting experience didn’t pan out. “I from Iggy Pop. She asked the punk legend to join her on “Nothin tefano Giovannini album of original material in six years—she knew there would be an played it for a friend of mine, a big-brother type, and he’s like, ‘Chan, but Time” in tribute to the song’s subject. “I wrote that song for my album with that title. “Before I did The Covers Record, I was on tour it’s so depressing. It sounds like old Cat Power.’ That really broke boyfriend-at-the-time’s daughter. She was getting bullied. She was with these songs that I wrote and some cover songs, playing this my heart, and I felt like a failure.” really in love with the Ziggy Stardust record, and because of the Passion of Joan of Arc movie by Carl Dreyer,” says Chan Marshall, Marshall took eight months off from music before giving “heroes” line in the song, I asked Iggy Pop and David Bowie. David the woman behind Cat Power, of her 2000 release and tour. “I herself a second chance. This time, she fiddled with the in-house said no, but Iggy said yes.” While encouraging someone else to decided, ‘I’m going to do a covers record real quick. I’ll do these synthesizers that inform much of the album. She often left the tape be strong, Marshall took her own bold step away from her stylistic other songs later. I’ll call it Sun and I’ll do it later.’” rolling while improvising on the keyboards, immersing herself further comfort zone. Sun now bares little resemblance to its original form. Marshall, 40, began talking about Sun again in 2006 with in a process she dislikes. “Recording has always been extremely “It’s not a guitar-driven record,” she explains. “I’m thrown for a loop.” the intention of releasing the album in 2008, the same year she difficult and painful, like going into surgery with no anesthesia,” says –Amanda Farah 18 19 M mag 21_cs6.indd 18 8/30/12 10:09 PM M mag 21_cs6.indd 19 8/30/12 10:10 PM JULY/AUGUST 2012 M MUSIC & MUSICIANS MAGAZINE.