jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 02/17/2022 - The Genius of Jeen-Yuhs, Finding Lee Morgan, Eric Adams' War on Drill, Babyface Ray, Mitski...

I'm sure that if they exposed jazz and all the other arts, the people would go for it. But they don't want to because once people start thinking, they'll do more and more of it. Jazz is a true thing, and it's got to be surrounded by truth. And they don't want to get into truth. Open in browser Thursday February 17, 2022 Lee Morgan at the Ridge Crest Inn in Irondequoit, N.Y., 1958. (Paul Hoeffler/Redferns/Getty Images) quote of the day "I'm sure that if they exposed jazz and all the other arts, the people would go for it. But they don't want to because once people start thinking, they'll do more and more of it. Jazz is a true thing, and it's got to be surrounded by truth. And they don't want to get into truth." - Lee Morgan, 1970 rantnrave:// Get There to Where You Will Belong Wow those first 90 minutes of JEEN-YUHS: A KANYE TRILOGY, which shadow a young KANYE WEST from his move to New York (New Jersey, actually) in pursuit of better production gigs and an artist deal of his own to actually getting that deal, on his third (at least) try, in a ROC-A-FELLA RECORDS conference room in which the camera gets to keep rolling and Kanye appears to be rolling without any legal representation. We'll take that last detail as our evidence that "jeen-yuhs," like almost all exactly-as-it-happened, you-are-there documentaries, isn't quite presenting this story exactly as it happened. It's fashioning a narrative, always. But it's a really, really good narrative and it's astonishing raw footage of one of the giants of 21st century pop music during his come up. Here he is in his apartment in Newark painstakingly recording a verse of "ALL FALLS DOWN," hitting stop and trying again, and then again. Here he is badgering various MTV employees to put him in an MTV News "You Hear It First" segment (damn that was a different time). Here he is bumrushing random offices at Roc-A-Fella, where he hasn't yet signed, to play "All Falls Down" on the occupants' stereos while they try to get work done. Here he is telling SCARFACE what "FAMILY BUSINESS" is about and trying to convince him, with no luck, to take a verse (and here's Scarface explaining to Kanye that one does not take one's retainer out of one's mouth and put it on a desktop in plain view of one's guest). Here he is explaining that, no, you can not have one of his beats on spec. Here he is clearing up some bad vibes with old friends and mentors in Chicago. Here he is going to his mother for emotional support and centering. She really was the rock he's always made her out to be. This is basically GET BACK, with the same fly-on-the-wall vibes, but six or seven years earlier. They could've called it GET THERE. And you can watch these 90 minutes, at least I could, without worrying about what's to come two weeks from now in part three, which gets uncomfortably close to the present day and all that entails. This is when the turntable was still spinning in the right direction. The film is shot and narrated by CLARENCE "COODIE" SIMMONS, who has more than a bit of a RAY LIOTTA in GOODFELLAS cadence to his voice, which may have something to do with the fact that he's talking almost himself almost as much as he's talking about his ostensible subject. You may find yourself wondering, at times, who this film is about. But no worry, one of these men is in no danger of being overshadowed by the other, no matter who's in charge of the edit. Episode one of "jeen-yuhs" is on NETFLIX now. Coodie co-directed with CHIKE OZAH, who hasn't shown up in the story's timeline yet. Rest in Peace Bollywood disco singer and composer BAPPI LAHIRI... Early rock songwriter BEVERLY ROSS, who co-wrote the hits "Lollipop" and "Judy's Turn to Cry" as well as songs for Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Bill Haley... BLAKE MEVIS, country songwriter, producer and publisher best known for his long association with George Strait... Early '00s Canadian rocker DUANE LAVOLD, aka Custom... Philadelphia punk bassist ROGER SEGAL, a onetime member of Trashlight Vision and Sorry and the Sinatras. He was murdered Sunday in Philadelphia. - Matty Karas (@troubledoll), curator the sidewinder WBGO How a jazz legend's resting place was lost and found, 50 years after his tragic death By Nate Chinen Though the trumpeter Lee Morgan was killed in 1972, his legacy was well maintained. At least it seemed so, until one fan discovered last year that Morgan's gravesite seemed to have vanished. The FADER How much should rappers worry about Eric Adams' war on drill? By Raphael Helfand Jack Lerner, co-author of the 'Rap On Trial Legal Guide,' breaks down the implications of the New York City mayor's recent statements. Slate Kanye Doesn't Want You to Watch Netflix's New Documentary About Him. Here's Why You Should By Jack Hamilton The three-part "Jeen-Yuhs" is ethically questionable-and extraordinary. Complex This One Scene in 'Jeen-Yuhs' Explains Kanye West's Whole Career By Eric Skelton Kanye West's superhero origin story and his villain origin story happened at the same time, and it was caught on film in Netflix's 'jeen-yuhs' documentary. Billboard Don't Call It a Comeback (Yet): How 2022 Could Determine the CD's Fate By Jason Lipshutz This year will likely serve as a bellwether for the format's future — and, so far, sales are down 10.5%. Music Data Pro DJ Mixes in the world of streaming music (and video) -- Part 2 By Chuck Fishman If a song is included in 100 DJ mixes on Spotify and Apple Music, which is totally plausible for a hit song, a listener will now encounter 100 versions of that song when they search for it. Detroit Metro Times An evening with Babyface Ray, the new face of Detroit rap By Kahn Santori Davison It's 4 p.m. on a recent day in January, and downtown Detroit's Saint Andrew's Hall is bustling with all the moving parts needed for the evening's show, a one-off record release performance featuring rising Detroit rapper Babyface Ray. The New York Times Mitski, in and Out of the Spotlight By Jon Caramanica, E. Alex Jung and Cat Zhang The indie-rock musician's albums inspire deep feelings and attract ever-bigger audiences, but in many ways she remains a mystery. Okayplayer Damian Lillard's Cousin Is Helping Him Become The NBA's Best Rapper By Alan Chazaro Damian Lillard hopes to use his rap career to invest in the success of others -- and his cousin Brookfield Duece is helping with that process. HISTORY.com Pop Music Pirates By Sally Helm How did a group of young rebels launch an offshore radio station that gave the BBC a run for its money? And how did they change the course of music history? search for the new land Music x NFTs, externalities, and the future of music By Bas Grasmayer The problem facing the industry now is that anyone can create an NFT of any media. I can create an address on a blockchain, create an NFT of a random song on Spotify, and put it up for sale on a marketplace like OpenSea. Nobody would even know it was me. Dada Drummer Almanach The Lockdown Concert By Damon Krukowski Just as the virtual classroom turned out to have some strengths, at least for certain students and situations, the lockdown has opened up virtual concerts in a way I don't think would have happened otherwise. Indy Week On Third Album 'Nightroamer,' Sarah Shook's Raw, Observant Songwriting Shines Bright through Cosmic Country By Madeline Crone At the age of 17, the artist at the helm of the Chapel Hill-based neo-country outfit Sarah Shook & The Disarmers was prohibited from listening to music with the exception of worship music and classical composition. Pitchfork Beach House Are Still Surprising Each Other By Jillian Mapes The Baltimore duo on the chaos of crafting their new double LP, "Once Twice Melody," and the albums they have yet to make. Austin Chronicle For Independent Artists, What's the Cost of Quitting Spotify? By Chad Swiatecki Musicians, managers, publishers weigh in on the Joe Rogan boycott. The New York Times Irma Thomas, a Soul Queen Far Beyond New Orleans By Giovanni Russonello As she turns 81, the singer whose intimacy matches her grandeur is the subject of a PBS documentary, "Irma: My Life in Music." The New Yorker Angélique Kidjo Has Heard It All By Julian Lucas At sixty-one, the doyenne of African pop is recording with everyone from Burna Boy to Philip Glass-and still searching for new rhythms.  WBGO Large Professor's distinct soundscapes build hip-hop legacy By Greg Bryant and Large Professor In the second episode of Let Me Tell You About It, legendary hip-hop producer Large Professor pulls the curtain back on his signature instrumentals. NPR RETRO READ: 'I Called Him Morgan' Is A Tale Of Marriage, Murder And Jazz, Told From Two Sides By Nate Chinen The brilliant trumpeter Lee Morgan, whose shocking and untimely death at the age of 33 is at the center of "I Called Him Morgan," doesn't star in this documentary so much as haunt it. what we're into Music of the day "Ceora" Lee Morgan From "Cornbread," recorded 1965, released 1967. With Jackie McLean (alto saxophone), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Larry Ridley (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums). Video of the day "I Called Him Morgan" Kasper Collin Acclaimed 2016 doc about jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan and his wife, Helen, who rescued him from addiction and, 50 years ago this week, shot and killed him. Widely available on streaming sites. Music | Media SUBSCRIBE Suggest a link "REDEF is dedicated to my mother, who nurtured and encouraged my interest in everything and slightly regrets the day she taught me to always ask 'why?'" 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