impulsive! revolutionary jazz reworked impulsive! unmixed

Which brings us to Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked and Impulse! Unmixed, jazz compilations. This project enlists many of the most noted producers of today’s DJ culture to rework some of the most important music in jazz activism. Packaged to have the unmixed originals on one CD and remixes on another, it’s sometimes hard to tell which CD I’m listening to…the remixes or the originals while they play in the background.

The grooves from original track to remixed track don’t seem all that different in the one or two generations that exist between the them.

Some examples are: George Russell’s Hellava Town is reworked to become Sa-Ra’s Go. Sa-Ra leaves the vocal track intact on this cut, as bebop singer Jon Hendricks’ recitation of jazz poetry, shows he has more in common with today’s MC’s than not.

Rza shows his love of the blues with his reworking of Charles Mingus’ ll.B.S. to create Mingus Bounce Remix. From one musical ganstah to another!

Mark De Clive-Lowe remixes Chico Hamilton’s El Toro, enhancing the already existing Latin beats and adding strings and vocal arrangements. It’s an update that makes for a smooth transition to the 21st century dance floor.

Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked also includes reworks of jazz artists Oliver Nelson, Yusef Lateef, Dizzy Gillespie, Gabor Szabor, Clarke Terry & Chico O’ Farrill, Pharaoh Sanders and Archie Shepp by Prefuse 73, Boozoo Bajou, Chief Xcel, Kid Koala, Telefon Tel-Aviv, Gerardo Frisina and DJ Dolores.

John Coltrane was Impulse!’s most notable artist. His recordings for Impulse! are his most stellar and experimental and are considered classics today. I mention John Coltrane because Impulse! followed his musical direction, perhaps consciously or unconsciously. His sidemen and many of the musicians he influenced and experimented with ended up recording for Impulse! Including Archie Shepp, Pharaoh Sanders, Alert Ayler, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Rashid Ali.

Yes, Trane is remarkably absent in terms of his music getting some reworking. Yet after 10 tracks of reworked, the last track on Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Remixed is a poem written by John Coltrane entitled At Night.

At Night is performed by Trane’s son Ravi leading his own acoustic quartet to accompany Julie Patton’s voice, sans DJ production, in true classic jazz form. Quiet reverence is given to Trane’s words as the group interplays subtly around Ms Patton’s reading. It’s a startling but meditative end after following what are now 10 dance tracks!

Introducing reworked jazz to younger audiences of today may give them the connection to jazz artists of their own generation. Reworking music of the past may give the new listening audience music of the future and the past, perhaps making it relevant to today’s listener. Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked offers great music relevant to anyone choosing to listen today.

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