____ _____ ___ ________ _______ _____ _______ _______ ____ _____
\ |/ // |/ \\_ // __//_ //_ // |/ /
_ _/ _/ / |_ / / \_ /____/ _/ / _/ /__
_\\\____\_____\______/___/\____/____\_______________\_____\_____\_____\\//_
cdr|m's
.:: a klangwerk release ..................................................::.
artist :: fertile ground
release :: spiritual war
year :: 1998
genre :: lo-fi
label :: blackout recordings
website :: www.blackoutstudios.com
ripper :: soulfiction
date :: 12-apr-2002
quality :: 192kbps/44,1khz
source :: compact disc
.::.......................................................................::.
01 libations-b 1:32
02 spiritual war 5:46
03 broken branches 4:09
04 be natural 3:38
05 natural reggae 1:26
06 holyman 1:15
07 peace & love 5:00
08 misguided warriors 4:20
09 groove 0:36
10 let the wind blow 5:50
11 colors of the night 3:50
12 runaway slave 1:17
13 homage (yesterday) 4:31
14 brazil 0:37
15 my friend the moon 11:01
16 new born grass 5:53
17 june 4:26
18 bonus track 5:42
playtime :: 01h 10m 49s
.::.......................................................................::.
almost every person who's walked into my office while i've been
listening to fertile ground's spiritual war (blackout studios) has
stopped dead in their tracks and asked, "who's that?" when i
answer, they all say the same thing, in the same pleased/
impressed/astonished tone: "sounds good."
it's the kind of across-the-board appeal you don't often find,
especially not in a music critic's office. and if a few bars can
cause that kind of immediate reaction from a wide range of folks,
then the rest of spiritual war's pancultural jazz, soul,
percussion, and poetry fusion should cause dancing in the streets.
since fertile ground's 1998 debut, field songs, vocalist navasha
daya, keysman/trumpeter/primary composer james collins, and
drummer marcus asante have worked up a batch of wonderful new
tunes, refined their arranging and studio skills, and broadened
their ambitions. there seems to be no subject or style that deters
the group. collins creates a smooth but never slick mix of sounds
and styles that spans the african musical diaspora, from the
polyrhythms of the title track to the spongy riddim of "natural
reggae" to the bustling latin groove of "peace & love" to the
jazzy strut of "homage (yesterday)." it's a week's worth of music
in just over an hour. meanwhile, the album's songs address a host
of thorny topics in today's america (the troubles that face young
black men on "misguided warriors," issues of self-acceptance on
"natural reggae") as well as themes of the home and spirit (the
grounding "broken branches," the achingly romantic "new born
grass").
the lyrics, mostly by collins, are ambitious and poetic, sometimes
to the detriment of the hard lessons and buoyant feelings they
attempt to represent. but as impressive as the musical settings
are, and as affecting (if sometimes overwrought) as the words may
be, the whole thing hangs on daya's golden tones. her supple,
sassy singing elevates even the squishiest verses;h you won't want
to miss a single note. and when she gets hold of collins' best
work, the effect is transcendent. on the sumptuous 11-minute
ballad "my friend the moon," daya (a former billie holiday vocal
competition winner) surfs a minor, midnight jam reminiscent of
miles davis' classic "all blues"; by the time the tune hits
collins' gorgeous modulated middle section, you're halfway to the
title satellite already. buy spiritual war, because you wouldn't
want to miss the trip. (black- out studios: (410) 358-6484,
.::.......................................................................::.
greetings :: sb, qdp, sour, dps, it, rac, dh, sfe, hbz, igr and mgc
.::.......................................................................::.