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On "Purple", he raps, "I don't like the way P. In the second verse of the song, he gives a vivid retelling of the death of his friend Ill Will, whose name Nas has used for his record label, and concedes that he "still feels broke with millions in the bank." The Alchamist (aka Primo-in-Training) provides a nice but somewhat generic beat.Įver the provocateur, Nas does take a couple of shots at his rivals. But it must be said that Nas does add a little more to the gangsta formula than most. He raps, "Living my life like everyday is my last night/ Alcoholic on toilets I shit blood/ Foreign cars, models and stars, life of a rich thug." Yeah, okay. On the next track, "My Way", Nas returns to his pimped-out, diamond-studded-glocks persona. Unfortunately, Nas' return is pretty short-lived. Nas namechecks Beat Street Breakers and the X-Clan while railing against "political thugs in shark suits persuade us to pull triggers." At the end of the second verse, he raps, "Your paper money was the death of Christ/ And all these shorties comin' up just resurrect your life/ It's like a cycle." After the science of "Doo Rags", the resurrection of Rakim's only true successor seems like a real possibility. The album's first track, "Doo Rags", finds Nas doing what he does best: reminiscing about his youth in the ghetto over a jazzy, piano-based loop. Hopefully, this means none of the jiggy, commercial-friendly nonsense that's really dragged down his records the past few years. Ostentatiously released for the real headz, this collection features tracks only previously released on mixtapes or over the Internet. And The Lost Tapes does, on the surface, seem like a possible candidate for that revival. 2 helps solidify Ellis’ place as a composer, musician, arranger, and American treasure.Ĭheck the price of The Lost Tapes, Vol.But, after all these disappointments, we still hold out hope for the return of hip-hop's prodigal son. “Cross Currents” is announced as being in 12/4, 6/4, 5/4, and 6/2 the intro to “Head Quarters” conjures a flock of crazed seagulls “Theme from French Connection II” is a tense revelation, while “Go Back Home” is brooding and powerful. “Without Joan” is one such groover, pounded out to a Wesleyan University audience in 1972. His large-scale works sometimes reach bombastic levels of jazz-rock grandeur, but their vibrance, dynamic breadth, and groove are undeniable.
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“A Rock Odyssey” opens the program with Ellis and orchestra exploring one of his trademark moody, dissonant pieces. 2 adds to his canon, including live recordings that feature the equally brilliant pianist, Milcho Leviev. Highlights include Live in 3⅔/4 Time, Don Ellis Live at Montreux, and Soaring (featuring “Whiplash,” recently heard in the film of the same name). Where it all would have led no one can say he suffered a fatal heart attack on December 1, 1978, at the age of 44.Įllis’ 20-plus albums span stylistically from avant-garde to jazz-rock.
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Eight more soundtracks, including The Seven-Ups and French Connection II, further documented his unique sound, equal parts musical experimentalism and mournful trumpet within often atmospheric arrangements. Ellis’ soundtrack for The French Connection took home a Grammy. Possessed of a clear, powerful tone, he wrote challenging compositions for his sophisticated big band that frequently employed odd meters. As a 1960s and ’70s trumpeter, Don Ellis is practically without parallel.