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Jesse Sharps
Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra: Live at I.U.C.C. 11/26/1978
by Danen Jobe
In November of 1978, Horace Tapscott had some advantages that any other iconoclastic, idealistic, idiosyncratic jazz bandleader would greatly desire. For one, he was approached by a socially minded professional gambler named Tom Albach about starting a label (Nimbus West) devoted to Tapscott's music, allowing complete creative control, never expecting to make a dime of profit, and providing living money to keep the band going. Another was a steady gig in the only area in the nation that Tapscott truly ...
read moreHorace Tapscott with the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra: Ancestral Echoes – The Covina Sessions, 1976
by Karl Ackermann
When pianist/composer/conductor Horace Tapscott founded the Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra (PAPA) in 1961, it was by design a support collective for all arts, bringing pride to the black community, specifically that of South-Central Los Angeles. PAPA signified social activism, teaching empowerment, and advocating Tapscott's belief that channeling African ancestral roots was a key to succeeding. Tapscott, who died in 1999, had forsaken wider recognition to bring music and teaching to his community, but his catalog has seen a revived interest ...
read moreJesse Sharps and the Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra: Sharps and Flats
by Rex Butters
Nimbus West reached into the vault for Sharps and Flats to pull out sessions by Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra leader, composer, and reedist Jesse Sharps. The program features six tracks with quintet recorded in '85, followed by a warm chunk of '79 PAPA playing a Sharps composition live. The music is rich and urbane, unafraid of appealing melodies and varying time signatures.
Opening with The Goat and the Ramjam, snaky bass and a light piña colada piano from ...
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