Friday, February 5, 2016

Death of Maurice White: from blues to funk beginnings flakes Earth Wind & Fire – Télérama.fr

Before animate all marriages of the earth through its tubes sewn gold, Maurice White, exceptional drummer and founder of Earth Wind & amp; Fire has haunted many quality discs. He has just died at 74 years. Summary of his career five songs.

If we take a quick look in the mirror, Maurice White of the picture is not necessarily most glorious. Tight costumes embroidered with incredible patterns refer to the time when funk and Black Power were diluting themselves in the big disco bath. In the late 70s, James Brown was in dry dock and the group founded by White, Earth Wind & amp; Fire, based in Hollywood, bearing down on the highway to success, along with the Jackson brothers, with machines to dance flashy, formatted for the top 40, the worldwide disco balls and a country upholstered dollars Wonderland ( And my heart keeps Saying / Dance Boogie Wonderland ). The drummer, who has just died at 74, Wednesday, February 3, 2016 in the Californian retirement is not least one of the major figures of funk and his career is far from being limited to a few well amortized tubes made him a millionaire.

from Memphis to Chicago

Its route follows that of the great migration of black Americans, he grew up in the South, Memphis, to land in Chicago at age 16 at the end of the 50s he firmly believes in his lucky star, wants to get a place in bourgeois society and is studying medicine, but he also plays in clubs and quickly noticed. His style, rich and powerful, he honed in the Chess studios where he accompanied both Etta James as Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters. It is amazing to Rescue Me piece cult Fontella Bass that made Chicago crazy in the 60s.



From jazz to funk

Chess is a blues label, but Maurice White, who pushed away his music studies, feeds on jazz and soon found the ideal formula to enrich his palette and mix influences. From 1965 to 1970 he played with the Ramsey Lewis Trio, one of the favorite groups of London mods that interprets a class and often explosive mixture of jazz, pop and rhythm and blues. With pianist from Chicago, trained in classical music, White expands horizons, especially on stage, and shines on another near-legendary song (especially on the lands of the Northern Soul) Wade in The Water

Heading east

in the late 60s, black American music dream, once again, to reconnect with his roots African. Albums of Marvin Gaye those of Donny Hathaway, percussion are at the party and the American triumph in the Soul Makossa Manu Dibango will accelerate the movement. Maurice White is not lagging behind. By the late 60s, he frees the narrow format of the trio to form his own big band (nine musicians) that remains attached to the soul and blues roots of Memphis and Chicago, while agreeing to pyschédéliques and mystic delusions of ‘time. This is Earth Wind and Fire embracing the rhythms of Africa, Eastern thought and “good vibes” of California. They start out with a bang by signing the soundtrack of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song by Melvin Van Peebles

100% funk

for several years, the attack of the 70′s, Earth Wind and Fire seems destined to follow the royal and eccentric path opened by Sly & the Family Stone. Maurice White discovers a singer on tour in the magical falsetto, Philip Bailey and fire recruits two guitarists Al McKay of 103rd Street Rhythm Band Watts and Johnny Graham of New Birth. Able to vary the registers and chaining sugary ballads and funk pieces of bravery, the group does not have many rivals in the mid 70. In 1975 he was at the peak of his art, euphoric, positive and dancing with Shining Star .

the call of the sea

nothing stops them. They engage in lengthy sophisticated suites simply named New World Symphony or Goddess of the Sun . Their concerts become Hollywood blockbusters in the chic of the era. Lamé leotard, rhinestones and feathers, melodies increasingly blissful, groove on autopilot, the formula for success that will make them permanent guests of all marriages on earth. And much else. Let’s groove.

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