C/D Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber

Still haven't checked them out - a bit on this thread on Greg:

Greg Tate on the 30th Anniversary of Hip-Hop

I love 'em. Have bought every single CD, and the only one I got rid of was the recent 2-disc set Rise Of The Mojosexual Cotillion, which went too far in the direction of glossy '70s soul/R&B, abandoning their electric-jazz freakout stuff. I've seen them live once, at the Vision Festival, the performance that appears on Disc 2 of If You Can't Dazzle Them.... I think they're one of the greatest bands to ever come out of New York, and one of the greatest things in the history of black music, because they really do synthesize it all in a way that even the Art Ensemble never did, despite all the "Great Black Music" sloganeering. Also worth noting: all their CDs are self-produced and sold independently, even though I'm sure there are labels who would love to have them.

I'm on the same page with you there, unperson, especially about Burnt vs. AEC (and I love AEC, dontgetmewrong). Rahsaan talked a good game about bringing all the black music elements together, too, but never came near the synthesis of Burnt.

Heh. I think the only one I never bought was Rise of the Mojosexual Cotillion. I did take advantage of the offer they had through CDBaby last year--buy two disks & get two disks of remixes & "unreleased" material. Far from essential, but some fun stuff, including some alternate takes with Frank Lowe.

mispoke--I do have Rise of the Mojosexual--but I must not listen to it much. I forgot I had it.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/44299/drums-along-the-potomac-may-20-at-the-kennedy-center

Also free in NYC for 2 shows Thrsday night May 16th (tonight)

Now Tate’s biting off even more: Together with his expanded Burnt Sugar Arkestra Chamber, he’s teamed up with go-go and jazz pianist Marc Cary, the D.C.-raised poet Thomas Sayers Ellis, go-go vocalist Donnell Floyd, and percussionists Go-Go Mickey and Kenny “Kwick” Gross to form “The Upper Anacostia ~ Lower Gold Coast Symphonic.” Count on their concert, called “Drums Along the Potomac: A Global Go-Go Fantasia,” to bust loose with a challenging blend of polyrhythms, melodic vocals, and bleating horns

Still love these guys, and have never heard them attempt go-go - I bet this will kill.

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2013/05/20/greg-tate-on-go-go-burnt-sugar-the-arkestra-chamber-and-what-makes-him-giddy/

Free show in DC at the Kennedy Center tonight between 6 and 7 pm Eastern will be video-streamed on K. Ctr site and archived

Enjoyed the gig last night-- they did 3 or 4 songs chosen by the go-go participants; 3 or for from pianist/keyboardist poet Marc Cary; and 3 or 4 chosen by Greg Tate. Less avante than some of the Burnt Sugar stuff I have heard.

saw them years ago & they were great, had almost forgotten about them till this thread was bumped, then the other night I dreamed that I went to the go-go concert. It was the best music I've ever heard in my life, in the dream.

It was not that good irl, but I liked it. There was a post-show discussion-- I like hearing Greg Tate talk about music--smart and enthusiastic (he gives me some pretty interesting quotes in the City Paper link above). Pianist/keyboardist Marc Cary, and electric bassist Jared Nickerson too.

There's a surprising amount of Burnt Sugar on Spotify.

keyboardist Marc Cary (who was once in DC go-go band Northeast Groovers) just did a weekend of shows at the Apollo and the Kennedy Center with percussionist Go-go Mickey and go-go drummer Kenny Kwick Gross plus a bunch of jazz folks. Cary is playing a lot of Rhodes organ these days. He's got a new album out too (haven't heard it yet).

http://somethingelsereviews.com/2015/03/06/marc-cary-rhodes-ahead-vol-2-2015/

The new 20th Anniversary Mixtapes set is excellent

Yeah, those are really good - I reviewed them for The Wire.

Great news, thsnks. Hadn't seen this thread before. Yeah, they've always been amazing. This is from my Pazz & Jop comments re 2017 Top Ten:

Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber: All You Zombies Dig The Luminosity---precarious, hopeful ballads are accosted by punks staking a claim to "My Black Uncertainty" and singing "Are You Insaaaane?" (not a rhetorical question, not always) to self and other, all and sundry, everyone, everyone while balancing on and unbalancing guitars and a lot to gain and lose and learn and burn at stake and yes it's still a family affair.
So for instance what's with put-downs of gentrification if you're from the projects or just can't take upward mobility or even running place for granted anymore, no matter where you're from. Or is that just bullshit rationalization, also(that one gets pushback in the same song). Anyway, science friction etc(zombies can be strength in numbers btw, or that's a suggestion here): https://burntsugarthearkestrachamber.bandcamp.com/album/all-you-zombies-dig-the-luminosity

(Incl. elements of jazz and hip hop/use of tape effects---in fact the whole thing might be tape, sound quality/ambience/timbre etc not quite the bandcamp usual, in my experience. but that's not a complaint, just a comment.)

Free show in LA tomorrow night: https://hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events/2022/burnt-sugar-arkestra-chamber

From my blog round-up of 2021 picks:
Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber, Making Love to the Dark Ages–LiveWired 2009

...Meanwhile, archival 2021 release Making Love To The Dark Ages incl at very least an LP's-worth of instrumental goodness-to-greatness(good measure, in this vinyl-high, "post-album" age)---that is, my fave raves so far are the second half, at least impact-wise: "Dominata (the gabri ballad)"(15:47), and the two-part title work: https://burntsugarthearkestrachamber.bandcamp.com/album/making-love-to-the-dark-ages-livewired-2009

Now listening to yet another of their 2021 releases, younger contingent up front this time, Tate & other elders still along for the ride: https://burntsugarthearkestrachamber.bandcamp.com/album/the-darknuss Brides of Funkensteinoid for openers– "No culuds, no culuds allowwwed,"The Darknuss, by REBELLUM ~ Burnt Sugar Arkestra's Avant Funk & Roll Splinter Cell—and the set finds, mined and minds a deep sweetness, w/o ever going mushy (only disappointment, at least to non-prog-me, is that Vernon Reid shows up to play what sounds like guitar synthesizer, vintage if you want to say it politely---but may come around to this cameo, in such persuasive context). Healing heat grasp of this set also lights the enterprising horizon skylines of Burnt Sugar's Angels Over Oakanda, with not the same kind of zoom lens as The Darknuss, but also within a budding trove, here seeded by persistent glimmers of something not unrelated to yet another previously unheard-of electric Miles situation/refreshment.

(Have not yet a hold of this meaty bete noir, which always has me trying to ride with one hand x lobe waving free: Burnt Sugar, The Rites ~ Butch Morris Conductions Inspired By Stravinsky's Le Sacre Du Printemps---w Pete Cosey, Melvin Gibbs, Mazz Swift, many more of course: https://burntsugarthearkestrachamber.bandcamp.com/album/the-rites-butch-morris-conductions-inspired-by-stravinskys-le-sacre-du-printemps Founding member Vijay Ilyer's pianoizm the stomping kicking hairline clarity centering this aquarium Big Bang 4everin progress, however: spin w him, and won't ever quite founder in the wonder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyTjpf47MZk

Musicians who played with Greg Tate talking about him for NPr and the Pop Conference 2022

https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/lincoln-center-presents/the-burnt-sugar-smokehouse-179

Burnt Sugar Arkestra 25th anniversary gigs at Lincoln Center in NY

Former Burnt Sugar pianist & synth & organ player Marc Cary now lives near Baltimore and is doing a birthday gig for himself Saturday at Takoma Station in Maryland near DC with his group Marc Cary and Indigenous People. The group membership varies but always includes DC go-go musicians because of Cary's lifelong love of go-go and that he played in go-go bands in high school

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/661091/marc-cary-tick-tickboom-and-more-best-bets-for-jan-25-31/

Vernon Reid conducted Burnt Sugar Arkestra through a Love Supreme outside Brooklyn library as a tribute to recently deceased Casey Benjamin today as Solar Eclipse happened

Mike Rubin shared video clips on his IG

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5g9l1xuQFa/?igsh=MTJ2a3p0YXcxZHlidQ==

Living Color, Nona Hendryx, 24/7 Spyz,
Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber And More Come Together
For A Benefit Concert Celebrating Ronny Drayton
At Sony Hall NYC August 27
Raising Funds For Ronny Drayton's Family

uly 8, 2024 - New York, NY: Living Color, Nona Hendryx, 24/7 Spyz, Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber and more will come together for a benefit concert celebrating fellow musician and good friend, Ronny Drayton. The show will take place August 27 at Sony Hall in NYC. Other featured artists performing are Bernard Fowler (Rolling Stones), V. Jeffrey Smith (The Family Stand), Eddie Martinez (Robert Palmer, David Lee Roth), Carmine Rojas (Rod Stewart, David Bowie) and more.

Ronny Drayton's friends and colleagues organized this show because in every band, and every friend group there is always a thread that binds people together and that was Ronny. His influence, friendship, and dependability was unparalleled and he was the mentor, big brother, best friend everyone could always rely on. When Ronny passed away it felt unfathomable to those close to him, to only say, 'rest in power, we miss you.' The one thing everyone wanted to do was honor someone that will never be able to be replaced. You can’t replace the talent, you can’t replace the wisdom, the friendship, the constant sense of humor, and it feels only right for everyone to get together for one night to blow the roof off a venue as opposed to let someone go quietly.

Drayton spent his life championing his son and grandkids so all artists collectively wanted to make the show a chance to set up a fund for Ronny's family.

Drayton's music credits included playing guitar early in his career with The Persuaders and The Chambers Brothers and soon became an in-demand session musician, performing with Edwin Birdsong and Nona Hendryx. He was also a member of 24-7 Spyz and also performed with Defunkt and Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber. He has also played on albums from David Sylvian, Missing Links and Me'shell Ndegeocello. Drayton studied Composition and Arrangement at Kingsborough Community College.
Tickets: https://sonyhall.com/events/ronny-drayton/
Nona Hendryx Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonahendryx
Living Color Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingcolourofficial
24/7 Spyz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/24_7_spyz
Burnt Sugar Arkestra Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burntsugararkestra

For music, interviews, and more information - Erika Tooker - Me at ErikaTooker dot com

Drayton died back in 2020 I just looked up. It’s impressive that they are still helping his family 4 years later .