The Mekong Delta Blues

Let's begin the weekending with this anniversary orgasm, featuring one of those hybridization projects where the molecules merge just right.

You may be wondering, why is he putting pictures of buildings and not people holding saxophones?

Well, for starters, the ancient kingdom of Champa is just way better looking than saxophonist Michael Blake, the marvelous mastermind of this music.

There he is. He's not a bad looking guy. But even Dexter Gordon would have to give it up for the kingdom of Champa, no?

I won't get into what this music tries to do, except to say that it's a super successful fusion of the ancient folk melodies of Vietnam with, say, the music of Michael Brecker.

This was a record in 1997. This tape hails from a tour featuring the very same personnel, but from a bunch of years hence. 

Look out for duetting drum deities Hamid Drake and Billy Martin (from Medeski, Martin & Wood) on this 100 minutes of delicious bliss.

Michael Blake & Kingdom Of Champa 

Teatro Manzoni 

Milan, Italy

1.22.2012

01 The Champa Theme

02 MB speaks

03 Dislocated In Natrang

04 MB speaks

05 Folksong

06 MB speaks

07 Purple City 

08 MB speaks 

09 Mekong 

10 Hué Is Hué? 

11 band introductions

12 Perfume River

Total time: 1:39:16

disc break goes after Track 07

Michael Blake - tenor saxophone

Clark Gayton - trombone

Steven Bernstein - trumpet

Naissam Jalal - flutes

David Tronzo - electric guitar

Bryan Carrott - vibraphone

Rufus Cappadocia - cello

Tony Scherr - bass

Billy Martin - drums and percussion

Hamid Drake - drums and percussion

digital capture of an analog RAI Radio 3 FM broadcast
561 MB FLAC/January 2021 archive link

I'll be back Sunday with something/someone even weirder than this, trust me.--J.