The Last Session of A Poet ..Gil Scott-Heron, Dies aged 62

Poet, musician, activist, author, bluesologist. These are all terms that have been used to describe the great Gil Scott-Heron, who more humbly refers to himself simply as a “piano player from Tennessee”. Most famous for his era-defining 1970′s poem, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” Gil Scott-Heron’s politically charged material made him a stalwart figure in the 1970′s civil rights movement. His lyrical content covered topics like the superficiality of television and mass consumerism, the hypocrisy of some would-be Black revolutionaries and white middle-class ignorance of the difficulties faced by inner-city residents. Not only a pioneer of blues, jazz and funk, his honesty, matter-of-fact delivery and fearlessness to address important social issues in the face of media criticism made him one of the foremost progenitors of contemporary hip-hop and spoken word..

Source:




Απεβίωσε χθες, από άγνωστη μέχρι στιγμής αιτία, στην Νέα Υόρκη σε ηλικία 62 ετών ο σπουδαίος αμερικάνικος συγγραφέας, ποιητής, μουσικός & spoken word artist Gill Scott Heron.
Ο Gill Scott-Heron γεννήθηκε την 1η Απρίλη του 1949 στο Σικάγο αλλά μεγάλωσε στο Tennessee και αργότερα στην Νέα Υόρκη και πήγε κολλέγιο στην Πενσυλβάνια. Σε ηλικία των 13 ετών ξεκίνησε γράφοντας ποιήματα ενω το 1970 κυκλοφόρησε το πρώτο του μυθιστόρημα με τιτλο The Vulture.

Την ίδια χρονιά κυκλοφορήσε και το πρώτο του άλμπουμ Small Talk At 125th And Lennox (που μοιράζεται τον τίτλο με μια από τις ποιητικές συλλογές του) που περιλαμβάνει την πρωτη ηχογράφηση του εμβληματικού ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised‘.

Συνέχισε να ηχογραφεί στην διάρκεια των 70s -αρχικά υπό την επίβλεψη του jazz παραγωγού Bob Thiele και από το Winter In America του 1974 (που περιέχει ένα από τα επίσης πιο αναγνωρίσιμα τραγούδια του, ’The Bottle’) και έπειτα με τον πιανίστα και παραγωγό Brian Jackson- σημαντικότατα spoken word albums, με jazz επιρροές μουσικά και γεμάτα οξεία πολιτική και κοινωνική κριτική στιχουργικά, -που θεωρούνται πλέον ως βασικός σταθμος για την εξέλιξη της Rap μουσικής και όχι μόνο.

Ο Gil Scott-Heron συνέχισε να ηχογραφεί, να γράφει βιβλία και να εμφανίζεται σε συναυλίες σποραδικά στις δεκαετίες του 1980 και 1990 με μεγάλα διαστήματα απραξίας όμως λόγω του εθισμού του στα ναρκωτικά και τα προβλήματα με τον νόμο.



Η επίστροφή του το 2010 μετά από 16 ολοκληρα χρόνια με το άλμπουμ I’m New Here στην XL Recordings ..

..έμελλε να ειναι και η τελευταία ...



κι ύστερα δρασκέλισε απο τα δεσμά του και πέταξε στους ουρανούς !

και το συνοδευτικό φετεινό remix album We ‘re New Here σε συνεργασία με τον βρετανό μουσικό και παραγωγό Jamie XX (βλ. The XX) έγινε δεκτή με μεγάλο ενθουσιασμό από κοινό και κριτικούς και τον έκανε ξανά γνωστό σε ένα πολύ νεώτερο κοινό. Source






Gil Scott-Heron (born April 1, 1949) is an American poet, musician, and author known primarily for his late 1960s and early 1970s work as a spoken word soul performer and his collaborative work with musician Brian Jackson.



His collaborative efforts with Jackson featured a musical fusion of jazz, blues and soul music, as well as lyrical content concerning social and political issues of the time, delivered in both rapping and melismatic vocal styles by Scott-Heron.



The music of these albums, most notably Pieces of a Man and Winter in America in the early 1970s, influenced and helped engender later African-American music genres such as hip hop and neo soul.



Scott-Heron’s recording work is often associated with black militant activism and has received much critical acclaim for one of his most well-known compositions “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”.



On his influence, Allmusic wrote “Scott-Heron’s unique proto-rap style influenced a generation of hip-hop artists”.




Profiles
New York Is Killing Me
The unlikely survival of Gil Scott-Heron.

by Alec Wilkinson
August 9, 2010



Sometimes when I spoke to people who used to know Scott-Heron, they told me that they preferred to remember him as he had been. They meant before he had begun avidly smoking crack, which is a withering drug. As a young man, he had a long, narrow, slightly curved face, which seemed framed by hair that bloomed above his forehead like a hedge. The expression in his eyes was baleful, aloof, and slightly suspicious.


He was thin then, but now he seems strung together from wires and sinews—he looks like bones wearing clothes. He is bald on top, and his hair, which is like cotton candy, sticks out in several directions. His cheeks are sunken and deeply lined.

Dismayed by his appearance, he doesn’t like to look in mirrors. He likes to sit on the floor, with his legs crossed and his propane torch within reach, his cigarettes and something to drink or eat beside him. Nearly his entire diet consists of fruit and juice. Crack makes a user anxious and uncomfortable and, trying to relieve the tension, Scott-Heron would sometimes lean to one side or reach one hand across himself to grab his opposite ankle, then perhaps lean an elbow on one knee, then maybe press the soles of his feet together, so that he looked like a swami.

Read more :   The New Yorker

http://gilscottheron.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Scott-Heron


Gil Scott-Heron: The Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
For one night only the legend Gil Scott-Heron launches Liverpool Sound City 2010
Gil Scott-Heron: Set
1. Blue Collar
2. Winter in America
3. We Almost Lost Detroit
4. Is That Jazz?
5. Pieces of a Man
6. Instrumental
7. Your Daddy Loves You

8. The Bottle
Encore:
9. Be Safe Be Free Be Strong

From Gil's first album in 16 years, I'm New Here.

In this extended interview (taken from Reelblack's award-winning film POET, starring Ursula Rucker), Godfather of Rap GIL SCOTT-HERON (1949-2011)

 ruminates on the definition of the word POET, and what rappers he considers worthy of the term.

Gil's new CD, I'M NEW HERE was released Feb 9, 2010 by XL Recordings.

The video for 'Where Did The Night Go' by Gil Scott-Heron. Taken from the forthcoming album 'I'm New Here' released on XL Recordings in February 2010.

RIP Gil Scott-Heron (1st April 1949 – 27th May 2011)

01. Gil Scott Heron — Offering (Midnight Band - The First Minute Of A New Day, 1974) Flying Dutchman
02. Gil Scott-Heron — Essex (From South Africa To South Carolina, 1975) Arista
03. Gil Scott-Heron — Fell Together (From South Africa To South Carolina, 1975) Arista
04. Gil Scott Heron & Brian Jackson — The Bottle (Winter In America, 1974) TVT
05. Gil Scott Heron & Jamie XX — I'll Take Care Of You (We’re New Here, 2011) XL
06. Gil Scott-Heron — Alien (1980, 1980) Arista
07. Gil Scott-Heron — Whitey On The Moon (Small Talk At 125th And Lenox, 1970) Flying Dutchman
08. Gil Scott-Heron — Did You Hear What they Said (Free Will, 1972) Flying Dutchman
09. Gil Scott Heron & Brian Jackson — We Almost Lost Detroit (Bridges, 1977) Arista
10. Gil Scott-Heron — Angel Dust (Secrets, 1978) Arista
11. Gil Scott-Heron — No Knock (Free Will, 1972) Flying Dutchman
12. Gil Scott-Heron — The Revolution WIll Not Be Televised (The Revolution WIll Not Be Televised, 1974) Flying Dutchman
13. Gil Scott Heron & Brian Jackson — It's Your World (It’s Your World, 1976) Arista
14. Gil Scott-Heron — Fast Lane (Moving Target, 1982) Arista
15. Gil Scott-Heron — B Movie (Reflections, 1981) Arista
16. Gil Scott-Heron — Lady Day & John Coltrane (Pieces Of A Man, 1971) Flying Dutchman
17. Gil Scott Heron & Brian Jackson — It's Your World (It’s Your World, 1976) Arista
18. Gil Scott-Heron Gil Scott-Heron — Fast Lane (Moving Target, 1982) Arista
19. Gil Scott-Heron — Lady Day & John Coltrane (Pieces Of A Man, 1971) Flying Man
20. Gil Scott-Heron — Everyday (Small Talk At 125th And Lenox, 1970) Flying Dutchman
21. Gil Scott-Heron — Grandma's Hands (Reflections, 1981) Arista
22. Gil Scott-Heron — Winter In America (Winter In America, 1974) TVT
23. Gil Scott-Heron — Spirits (Spirits, 1994) TVT
24. Gil Scott-Heron — Is That Jazz (I’m New Here, 2010) XL
25. Gil Scott-Heron — Rivers Of My Fathers (Winter In America, 1974) TVT
26. Gil Scott Heron & Brian Jackson — Home Is Where The Hatred Is (I’m New Here, 2010) XL
27. Gil Scott-Heron — Johannesburg (1975) Arista

28. Gil Scott-Heron — Peace With You Brother (Winter In America,1974) TVT

D / L Here : G.S.H Tribute

Gil Scott-Heron Tribute Mix by Gilles Peterson by gillespeterson