+DRAWING+MODEL+MUSIC+BEER+: Egypt, Egypt

Egypt, Egypt setlist

Ok, jheri curls were the source of last night's session's title. That said, looking in from the outside, Egypt (and Tunisia and Yemen) currently represents the aspirations of democracy. Hence, the songs of revolution, overthrowing slavery and independence.

Much of the feedback last night was about the music's affect. Then again, it's hard not to listen to Otis Redding without a concern. Baby Huey was a highlight. Even though the rap in the last part of the song sounds dated, especially with the talk of drive-ins and grass, but his halting screeches are showstopping. So glad to find a forum for him, aside from a mixtape of hip-hop breaks (his song "Hard Times" has been sampled numerous times).

Similarly much of Fela's mid-tempo work lends itself to longer poses. There are plenty of other Fela songs I prefer over "Army Arrangement," but the lyrics of government corruption made it a better fit. Too bad the record was finished while Fela was serving a prison sentence. Bill Laswell was tapped to mix the final product so he brought in Bernie Worrell on keys and Sly Dunbar on drums. Which explains why there's a distinctly soft, '80s touch to the record. Evidently, Fela wasn't happy.

Not sure what direction we'll head in for the next session, but we will experiment with a different day: Sunday, Feb. 20, time tbd. We'll also be starting a Facebook page shortly to help spread the word.