Confinement Diary 5 I Couldn't Live Without It

I’m now a resident in suburban West Suffolk, but have lived in Cambridge, Paris, London (twice), Evia (Greece), New Brunswick, NJ, USA, and on Merseyside until I was 24. Time and place are important, but the music and art a person is drawn to isn’t decided by borders. I first became drawn to black musical expression in the late nineteen seventies, and from then on have invested more time in it than any other art form. House, techno, and other forms of electronic dance music are black in origin, no matter who the artist in question is. To pretend otherwise is prejudiced. The roots of modern, popular music are in black expression. Everything stems from it. It’s not necessary that we all need to have an encyclopedic insight into it in order to enjoy it, but we need to be able to give credit where credit is due.

So here is a small list of important records in my life made by black artists. I’m well aware that I’ve been overdosing on lists recently, but in light of recent events, it’s the least I can do to make sure I recognize this most significant of artistic contributions.

A Love Supreme: Part 1 Acknowledgment – John Coltrane (Impulse)

The Illuminator – Underground Resistance (UR)

Calling Miss Khadija - Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (Blue Note)

Boogie Chillen – John Lee Hooker 

Synchro System – King Sunny Ade & The African Beats (Island)

M12 Milky Way - Model 500 (R&S)

Jack Johnson (Original Soundtrack Recording) - Miles Davis (Columbia Masterworks)

Expensive Shit - Feel Kuti (Soundworkshop Records)

It Is What It Is - Rhythim Is Rhythim (Transmat)

Mind Playing Tricks On Me - Geto Boys 9Rap-A-Lot)