Mono Villegas

Largely unknown outside Argentina, Enrique “Mono” Villegas (born 1913) is one of those jazz originals whose talent easily levels the likes of Bill Evans.

Enrique Mono Villegas

Because of his Argentine background, Columbia Records conveniently hired him in the early 50s for some Latin fused music, and he ended up producing two albums with them. The third album turned out to be a problem, mainly because Columbia insisted that he perpetuate the Latin cliché — chachacha, meringue. Enrique “Mono” refused.

While in Cleveland in 1957, he first heard the music of Duke Ellington. Villegas strongly identified and went on record to say:

We never repeat the music — even if we play the same songs. We’re convinced that jazz, as a conversation, should be spontaneous.

Just one delicious tune for your listening pleasure, entitled “Rosita”:

[audio:http://www.killuglyradio.com/audio/Enrique_Mono_Villegas_Rosita.mp3]

Villegas passed away in 1986. His music lives on. If you’re interested, there are some amazing out of print vinyls available online.

Have a great weekend all.

Thursday Mix: Cover Me This

I’m both pleased and proud to initiate the inaugural post of Kill Ugly Radio’s first Mixtape presentation, “Thursday Mix: Cover Me This.” Sixteen different musicians/bands performing twenty-five Frank Zappa Covers:

1. Tink / 13 — Banned From Utopia
2. Solitude — Banned From Utopia
3. Black Page #2 — Bogus Pomp
4. Filthy Hobbitz — Doot!
5. Bogner Regis — Ed Palermo Big Band
6. Heavy Duty Judy / Grand Wazoo — Ed Palermo Big Band
7. What’s New In Baltimore? — FiDO
8. Eat That Question — FiDO
9. Little House I Used To Live In — Frogg Cafe
10. King Kong — Frogg Cafe
11. Uncle Remus (Instrumental) — George Duke
12. Sexual Harassment In The Workplace — Mario Mariani
13. Packard Goose — Mario Mariani
14. Peaches En Regalia — Marzi Nyman & Estonian Dream Big Band
15. Sofa — Marzi Nyman & Estonian Dream Big Band
16. Black Page #1 — Kroumata Percussion Ensemble
17. Uncle Meat — Kroumata Percussion Ensemble
18. Eric Dolphy Memorial BBQ — Kroumata Percussion Ensemble
19. Duke of Prunes — Project Object
20. Sy Borg — Project Object
21. Pygmy Twylyte — Quintette Gaucher
22. Mr. Green Genes — Viva Zappa
23. Motherly Love — Voice of Cheez
24. Big Swifty — The Wrong Object
25. Let’s Make The Water Turn Black — Zappatistas

Most of the tracks listed above are available for download via Zappateers, or Internet Archive’s Live Music Archive, or individual band/artist websites (check them all out, there are lots of audio nuggets to be found).

Click here to listen to the mixtape.

Note: If anyone feels we are infringing their copyright, contact us and we will remove the item in question.

Low Rock from A.K.A.C.O.D. & Bourbon Princess

Now for something completely different. A recent order from CD Baby finally arrived in my mailbox before my move into my new downtown apartment (yes, folks, I’m moving on up) at the end of July. First among these CDs was Happiness by A.K.A.C.O.D. (Also Known As Colley, Ortiz, and Dersch):

Former Morphine saxophonist Dana Colley collaborates with Bourbon Princess’ front woman / bassist Monique Ortiz and Larry Dersch of Binary System creating a darkly psychedelic sound which is sensual, cinematic and otherworldly.

Tracklist:

1 Happiness
2 Spanish Fly
3 Bad Weather
4 Cheer You On
5 Fifteen Minutes
6 Minor Key
7 Sun Burns Out
8 Three Chairs
9 DMY
10 Caught Staring
11 Hypnotized
12 Yellowest Leaves

The second CD is Black Feather Wings by Bourbon Princess. Music well-suited for film noir — drony, subtly melodic, with hints of jazz and blues. Potent lyrics. Creepy, smoky, lush. Monique Ortiz’s dark velvety voice is unique.

Tracklist:

1 Stretcher
2 Another Day
3 I’ll Take A Cab
4 The Spider Sings
5 Early Train
6 Sunset
7 The Dream
8 Black Feather Wings
9 Jerkoff
10 Sleep Deep
11 One Of These Days
12 Late Train

The last CD is also a Bourbon Princess release, Dark of Days. It draws from late 70’s and early 80’s post-punk and new wave, with a sophisticated and heady, soulful bite, and has drawn comparisons to Roxy Music, Patti Smith, Jim Morrison and Nina Simone.

Tracklist:

1 Still Asleep
2 The Waiting Noon
3 Blue Kitchen
4 The Hat
5 Dark Of Days
6 Cliché
7 Supergirl’s Complaint
8 In Between Songs
9 Master Manipulator
10 Minor Key
11 So Much Time

Like a lot of “low rock”, you either love it, or hate it. I suggest you click on the CD Baby links and give some of these tracks a listen. Frankly, I was blown away.

Tourette’s

Stanley Zappa writes, and does so admirably well.
On moving from Portland to LA (among other things):

Long after the radio had been turned off you could still hear construction dudes singing “yo soy back on el chain gang, “aaaaaaaaaa yiiii yiiii yiiiiiiiii !” and “los boys are back in town, back in town, “aaaaaaaaaa yiiii yiiii yiiiiiiiii !” as if they all had Tourette’s syndrome and Thin Lizzy and the Pretenders were their tics.

Believe it or not, that always started my day with a smile, even if that smile only lasted 10 to 15 minutes.

Barry’s latest pick: It Is Not Mean If It Is True.

Be sure to check out Stanley’s 2003 album Visions by the way:

Abridging customary delineations of foreground/background, or concerto grosso layout, the group has found means to telescope complex interactions into brief and concentrated spans.

Wowie Zowie…