Liz Gilbert: an independent artist we must protect

If I’ve got to think in the best example of an independent artist I must say just one name: Liz Gilbert.

Since some time ago she’s facing very complicated issues, her health isn’t too well, and some financial troubles make the situation much worse, but even under those burdens she’s always thinking in ways to write new music, to record it, and to help other artists.

Liz Gilbert was born in Canada, but lives since ages ago in the United States, she's a talented singer and multi-instrumentalist, a very gifted composer, and if you don’t know her I’m inviting you to to do it, it will be the best investment for good music lovers.

From jazz to blues, rock, folk, contemporary music, there's no a single genre or style unknown for her.

I really wish to see Liz Gilbert coming back soon in top form, if The Positive Ghetto is alive is thanks to brilliant artists and beautiful human beings as her.


Este artículo pertenece a The Positive Ghetto / This article belongs to The Positive Ghetto

Stephan Moore's JazzWrap: amazing independent jazz is waiting for you

Many people is out there helping us to discover new and wonderful independent music, and one of them is the great Stephan Moore, with his fantastic  blog dedicated to jazz called JazzWrap.

In The Positive Ghetto we want to invite you to visit JazzWrap, and to discover and enjoy the pleasures from good independent  music.

Este artículo pertenece a The Positive Ghetto / This article belongs to The Positive Ghetto

Norris Trío: open your souls, hearts, and ears of course, to beautiful new jazz

I like to say it very loud, for me jazz is a musical playground, a lot of creativity is involved, but also the ability to keep it alive as a beautiful game, and my friends from the Norris Trío are a fantastic example from my theory.

A real pleasure to work with his founder Enrique Norris, on cornet, keyboards and percussion, Pablo Díaz on drums, and now Maximiliano Kirszner on acoustic bass, until some months ago Cristián Bórtoli was the band bassist, now the talented musician is back in his Santa Fe's home.

Jazz, free jazz, avant garde, just put those labels aside and enjoy the beauty of independent art.

Bandcamp is a great musical place where you can find some of the best music from the Norris Trío, just a few dollars for each one of the great recordings they made, and I hope to listen much more magical new music produced by these amazing artists in the near future.


Este artículo pertenece a The Positive Ghetto / This article belongs to The Positive Ghetto

First steps

Somehow the first steps from The Positive Ghetto are the last steps from euskir music.
Do you know euskir music? Do you remember that project?

euskir music was an idea to give a good hand to independent musicians, music and cultural management without any charge for the musician, and in some cases a service for some music festivals and venues too.
The money to support it? From my own pocket, some coming from free lance jobs related to communications services, and sometimes coming from non profit organizations, as euskir music itself.
It was fine for a couple of years, but at some point it was impossible to keep it alive, some problem with an international festival was the last drop of poison to kill my beloved project.

The Positive Ghetto is aiming to the same direction, independent art, not only music, of course music will be the main interest, because is the field I know much better, but I think to open as many doors as possible.

There’s a basic difference, the way to sustain the project alive and kicking, without any problem.
For specific works, a charge, an arrangement with the artist or the person interested in my help, this is a non profit organization, I’m not pretending to take 50% of nobody’s profit, just a little help to keep the wheels rolling.
And the other option is to use the PayPal button you can see at right, if you love independent art, and specially if you know me, and my honest work to help artists from any country, genre, or style, add a contribution, small, middle, big, just as much as you can, I know these hard times are not easy for our wallets, but one coin here, another there, that will be enough.

My friends, well, you know me, and if you don’t, just ask someone who knows me, “good art must survive” isn’t just a catchy slogan, is a goal, and alone, I just can’t do it.


Federico Antin
Founder & CEO
The Positive Ghetto
thepositiveghetto@gmail.com

Este artículo pertenece a The Positive Ghetto / This article belongs to The Positive Ghetto

Good art must survive

Ghettos are linked to many stories, of life and death, comedy and tragedy, and even in the worst times, the sense of community is very alive in the ghetto.

Is more than clear than the enemy is outside, so the ghetto, as a big family, try to solve all the problems, big and small, always as a whole entity.

The Positive Ghetto is a worldwide project, very ambitious, as most projects, but knowing well we're facing hard times, so patience must be a main tool here.

I'm not the usual "music business guy", not even for the independent scene, because thanks to my great working experience I can reach cultural management areas beyond the activity as creative consultant for artists and cultural spaces, like press, public relations, festival and music venues, and also a good hand at online presence (websites, blogs, social networks), and many other art related matters coming from the open interchange of ideas between you and me.

Art is the key, from my side essentially music, but The Positive Ghetto is open to any independent artistic activity, from movies to literature, paintings to graphic design and photography, to be clear, all art forms are welcome, because we're always looking for a way to get people together, to find the energy in common ground, and to share our knowledge, in every artistic field.

No limits, no horizon, no selfishness, just one direction, because everyone at The Positive Ghetto knows one thing, good art must survive.


Federico Antin
Founder & CEO
The Positive Ghetto
thepositiveghetto@gmail.com

Este artículo pertenece a The Positive Ghetto / This article belongs to The Positive Ghetto

Estoy escuchando / I'm listening: Søren Dahl Jeppesen - "Pipe Dreams" (Dog Day Music, 2013)

Søren Dahl Jeppesen - "Pipe Dreams" (Dog Day Music, 2013)

Si echo un vistazo a los artículos que he estado publicando este año dos palabras vienen a mi cabeza, "mujeres" y "Dinamarca", bueno, no es una mujer en esta ocasión, porque quiero compartir mis pensamientos sobre el nuevo disco de un guitarrista de jazz muy talentoso llamado Søren Dahl Jeppesen, y bueno, él es de Dinamarca.

No es gran secreto, la escena del jazz es muy poderosa en los países Nórdicos Europeos, y esto no es nuevo, pero en los últimos veinte años es sorprendente la gran cantidad de fresca y hermosa música creciendo y creciendo allí, y "Pipe Dreams / "Sueños imposibles" (Dog Day Music, 2013) de Søren Dahl Jeppesen es otro buen ejemplo de esa brillante tendencia artística.

¡Y que banda maravillosa! Algunos de los mejores músicos de Dinamarca están profundamente involucrados en el proyecto, y nunca, así como Søren Dahl Jeppesen hace, la banda olvida que son parte de un grupo musical con el objetivo de ofrecer la mejor música posible.

Mi primera impresión escuchando el álbum es un sentimiento profundo y melancólico a través de todas las composiciones, una fantástica calidad en cada composición, abriendo un mundo de tranquilos y pacíficos espacios, atmósferas a veces muy conmovedoras, y pequeñas sonrisas aquí y allí.

En un mundo donde los medios de comunicación masivos dedicados al entretenimiento están el día entero bombardeandonos con falsa felicidad, es una verdadera maravilla encontrar un momento para detenerse, y descubrir una clase de jazz tan tierno e interesante, para mantenernos humanos, por lo menos tanto como esta música toque nuestras almas, corazones, y oídos.

.

If I take a look to the articles I'd been publishing this year two words come to my mind, "women" and "Denmark", well, not a woman this time, because I want to share my thoughts about the new album from a very talented jazz guitar player called Søren Dahl Jeppesen, and well, he's from Denmark.

No big secret, the jazz scene is very powerful in the European Nordic countries, and this is not new, but in the last twenty years is amazing the great amount of fresh and beautiful music growing and growing there, and Søren Dahl Jeppesen's "Pipe Dreams" (Dog Day Music, 2013) is another good example from that bright artistic trend.

And what a wonderful band! Some of the best musicians from Denmark are deeply involved in the project, and never, as Søren Dahl Jeppesen do, the band forgets they're part of a musical team with the goal to deliver the best possible music.

My first impression listening the album is a deep and melancholic feeling throughout all the compositions, a fantastic quality in each composition, opening a world of quiet and peaceful spaces, sometimes very poignant atmospheres, and little smiles here and there.

In a world where the mass media dedicated to entertainment are the whole day bombing us with fake happiness, is a real wonder to find a moment to stop, and to discover a kind of jazz so tender and interesting, to keep us humans, at least for as long this music touches our souls, hearts, and ears.

Søren Dahl Jeppesen's "Pipe Dreams" (Dog Day Music, 2013)

1. Insomnia / Insomnio 4:50
 2. Fallback / Repliegue 4:07
 3. Rain (Part I) / Lluvia (Parte I) 3:08
 4. Pipe Dreams / Sueños imposibles 4:54
 5. Tinkerbell / Campanita 2:32
 6. Blinded / Enceguecido 4:22
 7. Broken / Quebrado 3:54
 8. Drifting / A la deriva 3:04
 9. Anytime / En cualquier momento 3:04
10. Doom & Gloom / Perdición y penumbra 5:02
 11. Rain (Part II) / Lluvia (Parte II) 2:59

Søren Dahl Jeppesen: guitarra, composiciones / guitar, compositions.
Óskar Gudjónsson: saxo / saxophone.
Klaus Nørgaard: bajo / bass.
Jakob Høyer: batería / drums.

Músico invitado / Guest musician: Simon Toldam: piano.
Cuerdas por / Strings by Bjarke Falgren.

Grabado Enero 3-5, 2013 en Copenhagen por Aske Bode. / Recorded January 3-5, 2013 in Copenhagen by Aske Bode.
Mezclado por August Wanngren y Søren Dahl Jeppesen, Febrero 2013. / Mixed by August Wanngren and Søren Dahl Jeppesen, February 2013.
Masterizado por Thomas Eberger, Febrero 2013. / Mastered by Thomas Eberger, February 2013.
Producido por / Produced by Søren Dahl Jeppesen.

Fotos por Lasse Martinussen / Photos by Lasse Martinussen.
Diseño por Iben West / Layout by Iben West.

Editado Abril 20, 2013 / Released April 20, 2013.

Sello discográfico / Label: Dog Day Music.
Distribución / Distribution: Gateway Music

Amy Duncan: las creativas cantautaoras folk están vivitas y coleando / creative folk songwriters are alive and kicking

Amy Duncan

Si echan una mirada a la biografía de Amy Duncan encontrarán las palabras folk y Escocesa, y aún cuando algún aire Celta esta presente en todos sus álbumes , la música que ella crea es mucho más rica, desde su primera grabación a su nuevo material, incluído en "Cycles of Life" / Ciclos de Vida" (Linn Records, 2013), editado en estos días de Abril, encontrarán grandes descubrimientos musicales en todo el camino.

Amy Duncan fue lo suficientemente amable en enviarme "Cycles of Life" / Ciclos de Vida" (Linn Records, 2013), y el último viernes estuve toda la noche escuchando las preciosas canciones, composiciones con coloridos matices, folk electroacústico, si, pero también algún aire de jazz, e inclusive hasta interesantes toques de música clásica aquí y allí.
Amy Duncan es una muy talentosa multi instrumentista (inclusive una dotada intérprete de contrabajo), y ese talento es esencial en la alta calidad musical de todo su trabajo.

En días previos, antes de tener la oportunidad de escuchar su último álbum, estuve escuchando desde el comienzo cada paso de su breve pero fructífera carrera, y este "experimento", siempre algo interesante de hacer con cualquier artista, me demostró una gran mejoría desde un ya gran despegue.

Su voz, casi perfecta en el pasado, es mucho más sabia, ella canta ahora con un sentimiento más profundo, más cálido, y sus composiciones, como ella las llama, "emotivas canciones sobre la vida", son refrescantes, y suficientemente bellas para mantenerlos conectados de la primera a la última nota.

Amy Duncan es la clase de artista independiente a la que realmente le deseas que encuentre una ruta directa al éxito, porque es honesta, y talentosa, y nosotros necesitamos, más que nunca, sin importar el género o estilo, tener estos fantásticos artistas a nuestro alrededor.

Amy Duncan - "Cycles of Life" / Ciclos de Vida" (Linn Records, 2013)

1. Cycles of Life / Ciclos de Vida 03:32 

 2. Song to Myself / Canción para Mi Misma 02:50 

 3. When the Dead are Watching / Cuando los Muertos Están Mirando 04:00 

 4. Your Very Soul / Tu Alma 03:43 

 5. Ivory Tower / Torre de Marfil 02:58 

 6 . Crack in the World / Grieta en el Mundo 03:46 

 7. Wild Animals / Animales Salvajes 03:14 

 8. Navigating / Navegando 03:18 

 9. Running Boy / El muchacho que corre 03:06 

 10. This Fleeting Moment / Este Momento Fugaz 03:36 

 11. Everything is Going to Be Alright / Todo Va a Estar Bien 03:41

Todas las composiciones por Amy Duncan / All compositions by Amy Duncan.

If you take a look at Amy Duncan's biography you’ll find the words folk and Scottish, and even when some Celtic air is present in all her albums, the music she creates is much more richer, from her first recording to her new material, included in "Cycles of Life" (Linn Records, 2013)”, to be released on these April's days, you'll find great musical discoveries all the way.

Amy Duncan was kind enough to send me "Cycles of Life" (Linn Records, 2013)”, and last friday I spent the whole night listening the precious songs, compositions with colorful nuances, electroacoustic folk, yes, but also some jazz air, and even interesting touches from classical music here and there.
Amy Duncan is a very talented multi instrumentist (even a gifted double bass player), and that talent is also essential in the high musical quality from all her work.

In previous days, before the chance to listen her last album, I was listening from the beginning each step from her brief but fruitful career, and this “experiment”, always something interesting to do with any artist, show me a great improvement from an already great take off.

Her voice, almost perfect in the past, is much wiser, she sings now with a deeper feeling, warmer, and her compositions, as she call them, “emotional songs about life”, are refreshing, and beautiful enough to keep you connected from the first to the last note.

Amy Duncan is the kind of independent artist you really wish her to find a straight road to success, because she’s honest, and talented, and we need, more than ever, no matter the genre or style, to have these fantastic artists around us.

Disfruten de Amy Duncan también en estos espacios / Enjoy Amy Duncan also in these spaces:

Facebook Page

Twitter

Bandcamp

Soundcloud