I fell in love
March 16th, 2009
“A SUITE FOR MA DUKES”
James Yancey (1974-2006), better known as J Dilla was born in Detroit. His work as a producer had a defining role in Hip-Hop. He produced hits for A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Common and Erykah Badu to name a few. At 32, he passed away in Los Angeles in the care of his mother, Ma Dukes of lupus related illness. Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson pay tribute to Dilla by interpreting his music with a 40-piece orchestra.
I got this heads up from my beau Blacksmile; (DJ, producer, beat maker and J Dilla fanatic). A Suite for Ma Dukes is phenomenal. This iconic EP will surely go down in history as one of the best tributes to the legendary J Dilla there has ever been. And certainly a completely unique interpretation of some of his productions.
As a soul/funk DJ my ears are usually turned off by classical music, I need the familiar structure and syncopation of a well constructed soul record. I usually like some strings but want them crafted into a melody that I can tap my feet to. This EP by Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood Ferguson is orchestral and beautifully soulful, with a jazzy emotive lean. Fall in Love features dreamy harps and dramatic swooshes. But Find a way is my favourite, and will be getting much air play from the Mama Feel Good! camp.
Here is some more info from Stones Throw.
Carlos Niño and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson have been working together on a wide variety of projects, beginning in 2004 when Niño hired Atwood-Ferguson’s string quartet to perform on Dwight Trible & The Life Force Trio’s Love is the Answer (Ninja Tune). The J Dilla production “Antiquity” also comes from this project.
Suite for Ma Dukes initially began in 2007, on what would have been Dilla’s 33rd birthday, when Niño & Atwood-Ferguson recorded and released their strings, brass and reeds-only version of J Dilla & Common’s “Nag Champa” to DJs, producers and fans over the Internet for free. They had written the entire piece to accompany the record as a their tribute to Dilla, feeling that the producer was still in the track not by his presence but by his absence.
The 4 tracks on Suite for Ma Dukes cover Dilla’s productions from “Antiquity” and “Nag Champa”, A Tribe Called Quest’s “Find a Way” and Slum Village’s “Fall in Love”.
Early in 2009 the project received the official blessing from Ma Dukes herself. The EP is available from Stones Throw. As stated by Mochilla, proceeds from the record will go to Dilla’s heirs.
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