The Countdown 2017 | The Emancipation Procrastination

The Emancipation Procrastination, the third and final chapter in The Centennial Trilogy, deals directly with the social and political issues of the day. Rather than descend into identity politics, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah sees in New Orleans many disparate cultures in one space being underserved and exploited. His worldview is not just New Orleans, as he has traveled and toured the world for almost 20 years, starting as a child in some of the most revered jazz groups of the day (McCoy Tyner, Donald Harrison, Eddie Palmieri..).

“‘I’m not interested in harming anyone. I have a responsibility as an artist to create a space where people feel welcome. When I walk outside this hotel room, that is not the reality. There is a difference when music is made with love. When people come into my space they are going to feel that. We are trying to figure out a way to treat each other better. We are all responsible for healing each other.‘”

The vision of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah is clear – that this is an opportunity for all of US to come together and address issues that affect ALL of us. Emancipation Procrastination means that we all have an opportunity to liberate ourselves from old world ideas. Let the healing begin.

The Countdown 2017 | Col Bruce Hampton

It was a shining moment for us here at Ropeadope amidst the saddest of sad times. The great Col. Bruce Hampton departed the earth on May 1, after a full night of celebration of HIS life by an all star ensemble of characters that he has influenced. As the reality of Bruce's final earthly display of outrageous showmanship settled in, we got a phone call from a friend. 'Bruce recorded one night at The Vista Room (with The Madrid Express) with the intention of pressing it on Vinyl - would you be interested in releasing it?' Nothing in this world could bestow greater honor on us than this, and we immediately said YES, please. Soon the masters arrived, and what we heard was stunning - the great showman who consistently went 'out' in his theatrics and playing had brought us the most concise record of his career. We've played the record hundreds of times, and we cannot find a single moment that is not solid power and perfection. Like Bruce, the album will not last forever, so we urge you to add this to your collection today.

The Countdown 2017 | Chantae Cann

Atlanta native Chantae Cann continues to balance out the negative in this world by delivering positive affirmations backed by a gentle and undeniable groove. Her new album, Sol Empowered, hit the airwaves on October 13th, with her smooth as a warm breeze vocals and delicate riffs. The messages are persistent : ' You Gotta Love Yourself', 'The truth is inside' are perfect examples. One standout track on the album is Craters On The Moon, a longing love letter to creation itself. Sol Empowered caught the attention of BBC and WWFM DJ Gilles Peterson, as he included it in his Essential Jazz Albums of 2017. Is life challenging? Take a moment to reflect with Chantae and soothe the rough edges. 

The Countdown 2017 | Richard X Bennett

From Jimi Hendrix in swinging London to the Art Ensemble of Chicago in the protest-roiled Paris of 1968, groundbreaking American musicians have found an audience and honed their sound abroad before returning home to make their mark. For New York pianist Richard X Bennett, the path to his arresting raga jazz repertoire runs through India, where he’s recorded a series of acclaimed albums for the nation’s largest record label (and several classical labels as well). Though Bennett has spent almost three decades playing a diverse array of music on the New York scene, his two new albums serve as an eye-opening introduction to this bracingly original jazz artist. With his first U.S. albums under his own name slated for release on Ropeadope Records, Bennett’s mesmerizing raga-powered quintet project Experiments With Truth and melodically charged trio session What Is Nowannounce the emergence of a major voice unlike any other on the American scene.

Both albums feature the dynamic rhythm section tandem of bassist Adam Armstrong and drummer Alex Wyatt, with the Experiments session expanded by Lisa Parrott on baritone saxophone and Matt Parker on tenor and soprano sax. More than the addition of the horns, what sets the two projects apart is the quintet concept, which brings music that Bennett originally conceived and performed with North Indian classical musicians into a jazz context.

Bennett says the quintet’s repertoire is “kind of like Mingus meets raga in the 21st century. This is the first time I’ve brought this music back into jazz instrumentation. I don’t claim to be a raga musician, because first off, the piano isn’t a raga instrument. I’d say it’s raga-based. I like the analogy they use on cooking shows, ‘This is my take on a dosa.’ As a jazz musician, this is my take on raga,” the vast vocabulary of melodic structures, or modes, upon which classical Indian music is based.