★IKEF
BloodLinks + SacredPlaces
Poet Laureate of East St. Louis+founder/editor of internationally acclaimed journal "Drum Voices Revue". Principal architect of black cultural arts movement of the 60s, teacher & acclaimed writer of countless volumes of poetry, Redmond has been called "the preacher of poetic rhythm" by Maya Angelou, "a carver of high song magic" by Quincy Troupe & "a worker & healer" by Ishmael Reed. On this spirited, funky, streetwise collection of 12 vintage cuts recorded live in the studio in Sacramento in 19…
The Collected Poem For Blind Lemon Jefferson
"Ikef continues to mine the extraordinary musical territory of St. Louis's fervent '60s musical innovators with the reissue of the impossibly rare Collected Poem For Blind Lemon Jefferson. Originally released on the late, brilliant saxophonist Julius Hemphill's artist run Mbari label in 1971, Blind Lemon is a highly energetic, raw and primitive avant-garde take on the Blues Mythos. Hemphill, named 'one of free jazz's most visionary composers' (Chris Kelsey, All Music Guide) is in full form as he…
Birth/Speed/Merging
After their second album, “King of Kings,” the Pyramids relocated to Oakland & reshuffled personnel before recording “Birth/Speed/Merging” in ’76. The most obvious change in the band is the addition of an acoustic bassist, on top of the electric bass they already had. This gives the band a heavier sound at certain points, while other times the bass is strummed like some sort of strange guitar. At the same time, they lost the piano which was used on the second album, which allowed them to return …
King Of Kings
The Pyramids second album, originally released in ’74. The band continued along the same general lines as they did on their first album, but they added a pianist for much of the session, & it somewhat changed the character of the music. In some ways, it seems like a more sophisticated album than “Lalibela,” & by some standards, its probably an improvement on that record – the solos in particular seem more confident, & the percussion has become more intricate & inventive, without loosing a hair o…
Lalibela
the Pyramids first album, recorded in Yellow Springs, Ohio in 1973. It was recorded in Ohio, yes, but band leader Idris Ackamoor grew up in Southside Chicago, & this album was recorded after the core of the band had made an extended trip to Africa, & these facts give a better idea of where this music is coming from. The Chicago thing is happening in that this is definitely informed by the AACM approach, especially the Art Ensemble. The African thing is probably the more important element, though…
The Ark and the Ankh
In the culturally turbulent mid-1960s, the visionary, otherworldly musical being we have all come to know as Sun Ra formed a brief but tight bond with the late storyteller, activist and poet Henry Dumas. The Ark and the Ankh is a vintage 1966 document of dialogues and meditations between the poet and the musician set to the fervent musical experiments of the Arkestra recorded live at the legendary downtown New York club and haven for the insurgent black music scene, Slug's Saloon. The Ark and th…