August, 2007
Hey...haven't heard from us in a minute, but we're same as we ever where,
and to start things off due to the bangin response "Chopped and Screwed
- Volume 2" has received from Burnt Sugar cd purchasers as a give-away
item, B.S.I.llc has decided to re-issue this limited-edition release exclusively
on CD Baby for purchase!!
Buy It Now....Smile About That Decision Later!!
A few words on Chopped & Screwed:
Dave Stelfox, critic for The Wire in the April 2007 issue:
"
Eclectic and experimental, yet taut and surefooted, it's a delicate and wonderfully
realised balancing act embracing jazz, hiphop, soul, rock, and blues that
never loses grip of its groove.
Despite owing absolutely nothing to Houston, Texas's lazy and hazy remixing,
Chopped & Screwed Volume Two is no disappointment. Most notable amongst
it's 18 tracks are three laptop compositions from Black Body Radiation, Tate's
own movie about a futuristic "New York populated by various Muslim sects
and mystic extraterrestials". Parred down and mechanical, they lack
the visceral thrills of Burnt Sugar's live instrumental work, yet the same
patiently measured tensions are at play, creating an ominous and eerie dystopian
vision.
However, the best is kept until last, with Butch Morris himself making
a closing appearance. Discordant as the ribbons (the Burnt Sugar horn section)
blows over the rolling basslines of "Butch Vs the Wretches" may
be, their ease and fluidity make it clear that the veteran cornet player
is both perfectly at home and perfectly in tune with his collaborators."
Brian Hull for okayplayer.com gives Chopped & Screwed Three & a Half
Afros
( out of Four ) and says...
"
It’s funny to think of Burnt Sugar releasing remix albums. It is said
they never play the same thing once, in effect making remixing the rule,
not the exception. Still, the ambling themes presented here create a strong
argument for documenting what would better be termed evolution. Chopped and
Screwed Vol. 2 marches ideas out of the depths and onto virgin land complete
with the successes and failures inherent in the adaptation of species.
Built around Burnt Sugar’s contributions to another Greg Tate creation,
Black Body Radiation, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film that collides ancient
African religion into Star Trek, Chopped and Screwed demolishes established
tracks to pull new life from the flames, like asteroids careening into the
atmosphere. As if examining the fossil record, the album must be broken into
parts and reassembled. “Ahem Saladin” strings along a familial
line of mutated tracks that can be rearranged in dozens of listening patterns.
Much of the record progresses in a similar fashion often distancing a theme
and its variation so that musical ideas bubble back up from the primordial
ooze.
A band this dependent upon improvisation always risks losing nuance in
their translation to record. Geography has prevented me from seeing Burnt
Sugar
live to test this theory, but moments in this record, as in most of their
records, feel inaccessible through a set of headphones. Despite extensively
listening to Sun Ra, I never understood his claim of “discipline and
precision” until seeing live performances in the documentary A Joyful
Noise. I suspect sitting in New York’s Tonic with Mr. Tate and family
on stage would have a similar effect of enlightenment after years of feeling
a gravitational tug back to a music I don’t always understand.
Ultimately it may be impossible to judge this record in a linear fashion.
In African drum circles the master drummer counts not linearly from zero
to infinity, but circularly from zero back to zero. Burnt Sugar is born
out of an African tradition assimilated by a Hendrix obsessed Miles Davis.
During
the Agharta era, Miles spiraled Michael Henderson’s 5-note bass
lines to pull improvising musicians into a cohesive orbit with one another.
With
this collection of remixes Burnt Sugar demonstrates their ability to
balance these ancient and futuristic forces. Perhaps not on the interplanetary
scale
imagined in Black Body Radiation, but instead at a molecular level. Ever
circling, chemically altering their surroundings, and if properly stimulated,
launching mushroom clouds into the heavens."
*
Also we have the August Suga-Tri-Fecta is fast approaching Y'all....
(visit our calendar for details)
Tuesday, August 21st - Zebulon (10pm),
&
Friday, August 24th - Williamsburg Music Club (10pm)
&
Tuesday, August 28th - Knitting Factory Tap Room (Doors 8:30-Show 9pm)
with special guest Hip Hop MC Legend....Ramm El Zee!!
Greg Tate, our fearless conductor's feelings on the Tuesday, August 28th
combustible possibilities:
"
Burnt Sugar Vs Ramm El Zee--Burnt Sugar is pan-African conducted improv at
it's loopiest. Ramm El Zee is a painter, sculptor, MC, hiphop astrophysicist
who devised Ikonoklast Panzerism, a theory that sees graf as Alpha Betic
warfare. He can be seen in the legendary film WildStyle and heard inventing
a style of rhyming that would influence The Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill and
Zach De Rocha on the equally epochal 12 inch single "Beat Bop/Ramm
El Zee Vs K. Rob" produced by Jean Michel-Basquiat. Come witness
the clash of our madnesses!"
Here's the haps for the whole night:
AUGUST 28th
Tap Bar, 'NEW YORK BURNING MAN PARTY'
DR. MADD VIBE's
Comprehensive Linkology Featuring the Medicine Cabinet - 6PM
ANGELO MOORE, frontman of Fishbone, is Dr. Madd Vibe
6PM, $8 adv / 10 at the door
www.myspace.com/drmaddvibe
BURNT SUGAR THE ARKESTRA CHAMBER FEATURING RAMM EL ZEE
8:30PM
$8 adv / 10 dos - 'pan-African conducted improv at it's loopiest'
MONIKA H BAND
11PM, $8 adv / 10 door– 'Dance with contradiction... dreamlike poetry'
monikah.com/
.myspace.com/monikahband
*
During our little
break we re-freshed our gear...Ladies, you need to get your Burnt Sugar
T!!! We have four superfly summer colors and when they're gone...
I'll say no more cause, well, we like to stay on the positive tip!!!!
So there you have it....new release ( a little different from the free
give-away too. )
gigs and a special night and new fly Ts.Y'alll Take Care
July, 17, 2007
" When Fried Eggs Fly" the film featuring Bruce Mack is on rotation
on the Starz network!
Check
your local listings for future showings.
www.whenfriedeggsfly.com
**
Satch Hoyt's making news again -
Here's a couple stories on one of his recent works; "Oil on Sugar" commissioned
for the Bicentennial commemoration of the abolition of the British slave trade.
www.bsn.org.uk
on
The BBC
**
Many of you know that artist and friend of Burnt Sugar, Sharrif Simmons was
shot in the leg in May, when he was robbed after his car broke down in Birmingham,
Alabama's south side.
Although reports looked good for a relatively speedy recovery, he's learned
that his surgeries haven't been successful & more will be necessary to
save his leg.
Instead of returning to work in September as hoped, it looks like at best,
it will be January '08 before he's able to work.
There's possible compensation from the victim's unit of the Birmingham police
dept., but those funds aren't currently available.
So - his friends are kicking into motion to help raise some financial and spiritual
support for Sharrif and his family.
If you're in our near Brooklyn, NYC - you can help by heading out to a hot
show on Wed, July 25 at Sputnik. - hosted by Liza Jesse Peterson & featuring
The Majestic Twinsound (dj sets), Burnt Sugar, the Sharrif Simmons band and
other special guests.
There's a suggested donation of $10 and smaller donation are gladly accepted!
All donations will go to help Sharrif and his family.
Wednesday, July 25
at Sputnik
262 Taffee Place,
Brooklyn, NY
Suggested donation $10.00If you can't come to the show, Sharrif's friends have
set up a special myspace page - stop by and make a donation and/or just send
your wishes to Sharrif.
myspace.com/sharrifsimmonsfund
That's it for now,
Sending our love, prayers, and good vibrations to Sharrif, Sekou and Maureen.
Love and Peace, Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber
May 1, 2007
We're jumping into May with two NYC shows and as we enjoy our seventh year
as a family - a greatest hits release. - "Never Been Kissed: The Groidest
Shiznits 1999-2006"
"Never Been Kissed is our version of a greatest hits album, even if
you've never heard a lick from our seemingly bottomless well of output. This
is only Vol One -- A gentle nudge into our Rhythm & Noise Abyss..." (Greg
Tate)
"Eclectic and experimental, yet taut and surefooted, it's a delicate
and wonderfully realized balancing act embracing jazz, hiphop, soul, rock and
blues that never loses grip of it's groove"
Dave Stelfox - The Wire- April 2007.
(If you can find a copy pick up this issue for reviews of "Never Been
Kissed" and "Chopped and Screwed")
Find the CD at these fine retailers... (offered for a limited time as a gift
with Burnt Sugar purchases -as well as sold individually.)
www.downtownmusicgallery.com
www.dustygroove.com
www.jazsound.com
www.othermusic.com
**
Friday, May 4, 2007
10:00pm
Zebulon Cafe Concert
http://zebuloncafeconcert.com/
258 Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg
(between Metropolitan and North 3rd St.)
Brooklyn, New York 11211
No Cover (donations accepted)
**
Tuesday, May 10, 2007
11:30pm
Late Night
at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater
http://web.joespub.com
425 Lafayette Street
( between East 4th and Astor Place)
Manhattan - NYC, New York 10003
Cost : $15.00
or
Bring your ticket stub from a preview performance of
The Public Theater’s Passing Strange
and purchase tickets for the discounted price of
$10.00!!
We're thrilled to be a part of this event - here's an explanation from Bill
Bragin..
" As we were planning the run of Passing Strange, we wanted to have
at least one show that will REALLY feel like a concert as much as a stage piece,
so for one night only - Thursday, May 10 - we'll be offering a performance
at a more rock showtime - 9:30 pm, at Joe's Pub prices - just $20...AND
- as if that weren't enough - plying you with food and booze beforehand
at a reception down the block at Chinatown Brasserie (the old Fez/Time Cafe location). We
can thank the Late Nite Committee of the Public Theater for helping to make this
a reality, since they are also selling premium priced benefit tix for the same
performance.
These tix will probably go pretty fast, so act right away, and feel free to
send this offer to some friends, especially those night owls, and price-sensitive
folks among ya. And remember $25 preview tix, $35 discounts for-later-in-the-run-offers
still stand, and $20 rush tickets are available at the door for every show,
while supplies last.
And if that wasn't enough, Burnt Sugar, the epic Black Rock Arkestra conducted
by Greg Tate will play at Joe's Pub at 11:30, and we're offering $10 tix to
anyone with a stub from any performance of Passing Strange. Info on that below
too.
The first performance is next Tuesday, May 1 at 7 pm. I'm really excited,
and hope to see many of you there."
And a bit about "Passing Strange"..
From Los Angeles to Amsterdam to Berlin and back, PASSING STRANGE takes musical
theater on a whole new trip. From singer-songwriter and performance artist
Stew comes PASSING STRANGE, a daring new musical that takes you on a journey
across boundaries of place, identity and theatrical convention. Stew, a popular
performer at Joe's Pub, was commissioned by The Public to develop this moving
and hilarious story of a young black bohemian in search of self and home.
www.publictheater.org/
December 18, 2006
Just a heads up for the hardcore--yeah, we know you like it more--we
got a new remix album out now called CHOPPED AND SCREWED VOLUME TWO.
Its got a bunch of kool thangs on it--like a track featuring our
friend Shariff Simmons doing his spoken word classic FUBRACTION with
the late great Frank Lowe on tenor. There's also three tracks we
recorded earlier this year with our mentor Butch Morris conducting
the band as well as other treats.- Like my 'garage band' score for
the short film i shot this summer 'Black Body Radiation', sci fi
joint about a muslim dominated new york of the near future. We've got
4 tracks from the album up on our MySpace page.
~ Greg Tate
BURNT SUGAR CHOPPED AND SCREWED VOLUME TWO
Remixes, rarities, outtakes, soundtracks and conductions.
Featuring Butch Morris, Lewis 'Flip' Barnes, Matana Roberts, Micah
Gaugh, Frank Lowe, Greg Tate's Garage Band and more.
18 tracks of sugary treats for your holiday consumption - our gift to
you - FREE with any Burnt Sugar purchase through the end of January.
(or until they're gone - which ever comes first)
One disc per customer, please (we've got a lot of mouths to feed!)
Supplies are limited, so jump on this one.
Here's a list of the fine retailers participating in this offer:
New York City, US
Other Music
www.othermusic.com
15 East 4th Street
New York N.Y. 10003
212-477-8150
*
Downtown Music Gallery
www.dtmgallery.com
211 East 5th Street
New York N.Y. 10003
212-473-0043
**
Chicago, Illinois, US
Dusty Groove America
www.dustygroove.com
1120 North Ashland
Chicago, Illinois 60622
773-342-5800
**
Minneapolis, MN, US
The Electric Fetus
www.efetus.com
2000 4th Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55404
(612) 870-9300
**
Philadelphia, PA, US
Jaz Sounds (Sound of Market)
www.jazsound.com
15 South 11th St. (2nd & 3rd floors)
Philadelphia, PA. 19107
(215) 935-3150
* *
If CDbaby is your retailer of choice, it's gonna get a bit more
complicated - but we've worked it out.
As soon as we receive notice that you've purchased a disc, we'll
email you for your address and we'll ship you the remix disc - postage on us.
