High-profile rappers strike a Blue Note
DIGABLE PLANETS REALIGN, RECORD ON FABLED LABELBy Jon MatsumotoSpecial to the Mercury News
It might seem odd that the recent compilation album by the hip-hop outfit Digable Planets is on Blue Note Records, which has produced mostly jazz albums since 1939. But Digable Planets isn't your mean-streets-variety rap group. It is a rare high-profile hip-hop brigade that actually draws on jazz influences.
The trio's critically acclaimed 1993 debut album, ``Reachin' (A Refutation of Time and Space)'' contained samples of music by the likes of Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The disc's cool vibe tapped into the spirit of the jazz of the 1950s and 1960s.
Joining a classic
``Blue Note is classic,'' says Digable Planets' Craig Irving (a.k.a. Doodlebug) in a phone interview. ``I still have my Blue Note book with all the old jazz albums they put out. It has all the different album covers and photos from different shows by the classic jazz artists that were on the label. My mom grew up listening to that label, and she and my dad were the ones who first introduced me to jazz.''
The Digable Planets anthology, ``Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles,'' is the first album released by the group since 1994's ``Blowout Comb.'' The trio split up in 1996 and re-formed last year. ``Beyond the Spectrum'' includes tracks from the platinum-selling ``Reachin' '' and ``Blowout Comb,'' as well as several previously unreleased songs.
Irving says reviving Digable Planets was ``a long process,'' which he initiated. All three members had kept in contact with one another over the years. The trio, which also includes Ishmael Butler (a.k.a. Butterfly) and Mary Ann Vieira (Ladybug), finally decided to reunite to accept an offer to tour Europe. As the tour progressed, the musicians were having so much fun that they decided to keep the unit going beyond the tour.
On its current tour, Digable Planets comes to the Agenda Lounge in San Jose on Thursday and to the Catalyst in Santa Cruz on Saturday. Besides the three rappers, the touring lineup includes a drummer, bass player, guitarist, keyboardist and DJ. The use of so many musicians goes against the stereotype of rap as a producer's medium concocted mostly in a studio.
So why did Digable Planets disband after achieving that rare combination of popular and critical success?
``There were a lot of things involved,'' Irving says. ``It's hard to pinpoint one thing. It was a combination of bad management, the label we were initially signed to and issues involving the three of us -- personal issues that, at the time, we were too immature to deal with.
Unfazed by fame
``When we were at the top, we really weren't fazed by the hype and the fame. We just wanted to make good music. At some point, the fame became more important than the music to some people, like the label and the management. It became less attractive to us.''
During their nine years apart, the three artists enjoyed productive careers. Irving became the CEO of the multimedia company 7 and a Crescent and established the hip-hop ensemble known as the Cosmic Funk Orchestra. He is still involved in both projects.
Vieira released the solo album ``Trip the Live Fantastic'' last June on her own record label. The project was delayed for several years because of a dispute with another record company with which she had been affiliated. She also composed the score for the short film ``The Monster'' in 2001.
Butler went on to form the band Cherrywine, which released the album ``Bright Black'' in 2003. In addition, he composed music for commercial clients such as Pepsi and Fila and took up acting in film (the 2002 ``I Am Ali'') and off-Broadway.
Digable Planets will begin recording a new album next month, a self-financed project. ``I don't know what the upcoming album is going to be like, but it will definitely be the Digable Planets sound but with the 2006 and beyond flavor,'' Irving says. ``You can't live in the past no matter how much people might want another record like the ones we did 10-plus years ago. We've all grown individually as artists and producers. I know that I would like to see a more up-tempo record. We never really did too many up-tempo tracks before. I want to see how that works.''
Digable Planets
Where: Agenda Lounge, 399 S. First St., San Jose
When: 11 p.m. Thursday
Tickets: $15
Call: (40
380-3042, or see www.agendalounge.com.
Also: 9 p.m. Saturday, the Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, $32, $27 advance, (831) 423-1338
*Note if you are in LA Digable Planets is rocking at the Conga Room
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DIGABLE PLANETS REALIGN, RECORD ON FABLED LABELBy Jon MatsumotoSpecial to the Mercury News
It might seem odd that the recent compilation album by the hip-hop outfit Digable Planets is on Blue Note Records, which has produced mostly jazz albums since 1939. But Digable Planets isn't your mean-streets-variety rap group. It is a rare high-profile hip-hop brigade that actually draws on jazz influences.
The trio's critically acclaimed 1993 debut album, ``Reachin' (A Refutation of Time and Space)'' contained samples of music by the likes of Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The disc's cool vibe tapped into the spirit of the jazz of the 1950s and 1960s.
Joining a classic
``Blue Note is classic,'' says Digable Planets' Craig Irving (a.k.a. Doodlebug) in a phone interview. ``I still have my Blue Note book with all the old jazz albums they put out. It has all the different album covers and photos from different shows by the classic jazz artists that were on the label. My mom grew up listening to that label, and she and my dad were the ones who first introduced me to jazz.''
The Digable Planets anthology, ``Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles,'' is the first album released by the group since 1994's ``Blowout Comb.'' The trio split up in 1996 and re-formed last year. ``Beyond the Spectrum'' includes tracks from the platinum-selling ``Reachin' '' and ``Blowout Comb,'' as well as several previously unreleased songs.
Irving says reviving Digable Planets was ``a long process,'' which he initiated. All three members had kept in contact with one another over the years. The trio, which also includes Ishmael Butler (a.k.a. Butterfly) and Mary Ann Vieira (Ladybug), finally decided to reunite to accept an offer to tour Europe. As the tour progressed, the musicians were having so much fun that they decided to keep the unit going beyond the tour.
On its current tour, Digable Planets comes to the Agenda Lounge in San Jose on Thursday and to the Catalyst in Santa Cruz on Saturday. Besides the three rappers, the touring lineup includes a drummer, bass player, guitarist, keyboardist and DJ. The use of so many musicians goes against the stereotype of rap as a producer's medium concocted mostly in a studio.
So why did Digable Planets disband after achieving that rare combination of popular and critical success?
``There were a lot of things involved,'' Irving says. ``It's hard to pinpoint one thing. It was a combination of bad management, the label we were initially signed to and issues involving the three of us -- personal issues that, at the time, we were too immature to deal with.
Unfazed by fame
``When we were at the top, we really weren't fazed by the hype and the fame. We just wanted to make good music. At some point, the fame became more important than the music to some people, like the label and the management. It became less attractive to us.''
During their nine years apart, the three artists enjoyed productive careers. Irving became the CEO of the multimedia company 7 and a Crescent and established the hip-hop ensemble known as the Cosmic Funk Orchestra. He is still involved in both projects.
Vieira released the solo album ``Trip the Live Fantastic'' last June on her own record label. The project was delayed for several years because of a dispute with another record company with which she had been affiliated. She also composed the score for the short film ``The Monster'' in 2001.
Butler went on to form the band Cherrywine, which released the album ``Bright Black'' in 2003. In addition, he composed music for commercial clients such as Pepsi and Fila and took up acting in film (the 2002 ``I Am Ali'') and off-Broadway.
Digable Planets will begin recording a new album next month, a self-financed project. ``I don't know what the upcoming album is going to be like, but it will definitely be the Digable Planets sound but with the 2006 and beyond flavor,'' Irving says. ``You can't live in the past no matter how much people might want another record like the ones we did 10-plus years ago. We've all grown individually as artists and producers. I know that I would like to see a more up-tempo record. We never really did too many up-tempo tracks before. I want to see how that works.''
Digable Planets
Where: Agenda Lounge, 399 S. First St., San Jose
When: 11 p.m. Thursday
Tickets: $15
Call: (40
380-3042, or see www.agendalounge.com.Also: 9 p.m. Saturday, the Catalyst, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, $32, $27 advance, (831) 423-1338
*Note if you are in LA Digable Planets is rocking at the Conga Room
email thisprint this
