Elvis Costello: Wise Up Ghost on 2 LPs

Elvis Costello gelingt ein Kunststück, an dem viele Musiker scheitern: Obwohl er schon seit mehr als drei Jahrzehnten im Geschäft ist, überrascht er immer noch durch seine musikalische Art und Weise, Neuland zu betreten. Sein neues Album Wise Up Ghost ist ein weiterer Beweis dafür.

In Zusammenarbeit mit den Roots, die mit ihrer Soundmischung aus HipHop und Neosoul auch bereits seit den 80ern die Szene aufmischen, sind diese spannungsgeladenen Songs entstanden, die sich keinem Musikklischee zuordnen lassen.

“Ich weiß nicht, welchen Namen ich dieser Musik geben soll”, so der Altmeister. “Es ist wie ein großer Hexenkessel, in den wir allerlei Pülverchen und Zaubertränke, Frösche und Finger hineingeschüttet haben.”

Ein Album, dass sich allen Regeln des Schubladendenkens wiedersetzt.

Product Information

Elvis Costello and The Roots have announced that a collaborative album entitled Wise Up Ghost will be exclusively released by Blue Note Records.

The existence of the record was first revealed by questlove as an aside

during an interview with Billboard Magazine in January. A small number

of test pressings were distributed as white labels on Record Store Day

on the 20th of April but the full release will follow later in the year.

Most of the sessions took place in secret at Feliz Habitat Studios in

the dead of night, while others were in plain sight at Costello’s

Hookery Crookery Studios. Elvis described the record as “the shortest

distance between here and there” and containing “both rhythm and what is

read”. Ahmir says, “It's a moody, brooding affair, cathartic rhythms and

dissonant lullabies. I went stark and dark on the music, Elvis went HAM

on some ole Ezra Pound shit.”

In addition to the fabulous Roots crew and friends, the record features

a guest vocal appearance on “Cinco Minutos Con Vos” from La Marisoul,

lead singer of the Los Angeles group, La Santa Cecilia.

The album was produced by longtime Roots associate, Steven Mandel

together with Elvis Costello, and Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson.

About Elvis Costello:

Elvis Costello began working as a professional musician 35 years ago, shortly after the release of his first album, “My Aim Is True”. He has made more than 27 studio records, three live albums and numerous guest appearances on stage, studio and screen as well as working as a record producer, bit-part actor and composing music for television drama and dance performance. He has toured the world with The Attractions, The Imposters and the pianist, Steve Nieve, performing with symphony and jazz orchestras as well as in solo performance. His catalogue of songs includes collaborations with Paul McCartney, Allen Toussaint and Burt Bacharach with whom he won a Grammy for “I Still Have That Other Girl” from their 1998 collaboration, Painted From Memory. Costello’s songs have been recorded by George Jones, Chet Baker, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield and Robert Wyatt. Elvis Costello and The Attractions were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. In the same year he was awarded ASCAP’s prestigious Founder’s Award. His last record was 2010s National Ransom, produced by T-Bone Burnett. Between 2008 and 2010, Costello was the host of twenty episodes of the interview and music show, “Spectacle” on the Sundance Channel.

About Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson:

Drummer, DJ, producer, culinary entrepreneur, author and member of The Roots - Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, is the unmistakable heartbeat of Philadelphia’s most influential hip-hop group. He is also the Musical Director for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon where his beloved Roots crew serves as the house band. The musician’s indisputable reputation has also landed him musical directing positions with everyone from D'Angelo to Eminem to Jay-Z.

About The Roots:

Formed in 1987, in Philadelphia, PA, the legendary Roots

Crew, consists of Black Thought (MC), Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson

(drums), Kamal Gray (electronic keyboards), F. Knuckles (percussion),

Captain Kirk Douglas (electronic guitar), Damon Bryson (sousaphone) and

James Poyser (electronic keyboard). Having previously released twelve

projects, The Roots have become one of the best known and most respected

hip-hop acts in the business, winning four Grammys, including “Best R&B

Album” for Wake Up!, “Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance” for “Hang

in There” (with John Legend) and “Best Group or Duo R&B Vocal

Performance” for “Shine.” The ensemble was most recently nominated for

“Best Rap Album” for the 2011 release of undun. This brings the band’s

GRAMMY nomination count to twelve. Additionally, The Roots have also

become the faces of Philly’s “Fourth of July Jam,” an annual concert

held during the Fourth of July with the biggest names in music, and “The

Roots Picnic,” a yearly star-studded mix of musicians, that has become a

celebrated institution during awards season. Recently The Roots were

named one of the greatest live bands around by Rolling Stone, became the

official house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon where they currently

perform every Monday-Friday.

(elviscostello. com)

Rezensionen

,,Hier entsteht etwas Neues, das in seiner professionellen Naivität an die künstlerische Unbedarftheit des No Wave von 1978 erinnert. Wie schön, dass es noch Musiker gibt, die dieses Risiko eingehen." (Jazzthing, September / Oktober 2013)

,,Im Wechselspiel zwischen traditionellem Gesang und verhaltenem Rap verkündet der Brite seine Ansichten, während die Roots-Gang mit pointierten Beats, Samples und Scratches am Tempo schraubt." (stereoplay, Oktober 2013)

,,Mal treiben urbane und doch äußerst organische Beats die Songs an, mal gibt es einfach nur wenige Pianotupfer. (...) So blitzt in jedem Lied ein origineller Einfall auf, nichts ist vorhersagbar." (Stereo, November 2013)

,,So klingen Könner bei der Arbeit." (Audio, November 2013)