GFM fam wanted to put you on to a great mix that came to us by way of one of our family members and followers Priceyall. The mix has been receiving some well-deserved love and it is Priceyall is offering it as a free download, so make sure to hit that download button to add it to your collection. Also, make sure to checkout the tracklisting after the jump.

High Cotton by Priceyall

Tracklist

Applejac Feat. Shecky’s Jazz Tofu – Diana In The Autumn Wind
Pete Rock – Pete’s Jazz
The Commodores – Cebu
The Brand New Heavies – Montecario Mist
J. Rawls – Hebejeebees
J.J. Johnson – Emdee
Oddisee – All Along The River
Jinesis – Jazz w/Donald Byrd
Moka Only – The Plural Of Jazz
Gary Bartz – Gentle Smiles
Guru Feat. Slum Village – Cuz I’m Jazzy
Massive Suite Quartet – Wonder Jazz
Cream Of Beats – The Jazz Factor (Tribe Dub)
The Roots – Make Em NV
Jesse Futerman – A Tribute To Horace
Michal Urbuniak’s Fusion – Cucu’s Nest
Stetsasonic – Talkin All That Jazz
Shigeto – Self Compassion
Diego Bernal – El Corrido deChico B

Great new music from France based duo Backpack Jax( Cuban American Mauika and Iraqi Frenchman Boogie Monsta) who are described as: “Al Green & Lauryn Hill’s lovechild, Backpack Jax are an international Hip Hop group based in France. Children of political refugees, Boogie Monsta (Iraqi Frenchman) and Mauikai (Cuban American), are 80′s babies from opposite sides of the planet, born & bred on Golden Era Hip Hop, who cite music legends Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis and Nina Simone as their greatest influences.”

I know that you’ll agree when you press play that this music is good and grown!

Remember the Future (Preview) by BackpackJax

In recognition of April as “Jazz Appreciation Month” JAM I want to dedicate our ongoing series “Get Grown” to America’s Classical Music this month. Today we have this great performance from 1989 that features The Saxophone Workshop – Michael Brecker(Tenor) Ernie Watts(Alto), Bill Evans(Soprano) and Stanley Turrentine(Tenor). There is nothing like the sound of a saxophone section that can produce this type of blend and the solo work here is sublime. Enjoy!

I’m trying to stay true to one of my 2011 initiatives which is “Teach your(our) children Well…” and of course by children I mean the young and the young at heart. I am constantly on a quest to learn something new or to approach learning in a different way. As I laid out in a previous article the knowledge is out there for the taking it really is, you just have to be willing to put in the time and effort.

I will be posting videos like the above from time to time as part of a “classroom” series so that the idea of learning/teaching can become an active part of what we do here at GFM. To get the full benefit of these types of videos you have to constantly return to them

This week we bring you the finale of our series of interviews with Jamal Millner where we discuss what it means to be an independent musician, the current state of the music industry on a local, national and international level, culture, politricks, social justice and more.

In this episode we get into the deeper meaning of what it truly means to be a musician as in previous episodes this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Jamal Millner Interview Pt 3 by GrownFolksMusic

This week we bring you part two of our three part series of interviews where we discuss what it means to be an independent musician, the current state of the music industry on a local, national and international level, culture, politricks, social justice and more.

These are the types of discussions on music, culture and society that you don’t want to miss.

GFM Spotlight Interview – Jamal Millner Pt. 2 by GrownFolksMusic

Last week we brought you the music of guitarist/composer/historian Jamal Millner in the form of Blak Gsus.

This week we bring you Pt. 1 of a series of interviews where we discuss what it means to be an independent musician, the current state of the music industry on a local, national and international level, culture, politricks, social justice and more.

This is a must listen series and the conversation here is frank, open, honest and oh so necessar to foster change.
GFM Spotlight Interview – Jamal Millner (Blak Gsus) by GrownFolksMusic

The other day I was mentioning how I always equated Jazz with Christmas. Today I wanted to let everyone hear the “gift” of a great quartet hailing from Evanston, Illinois.

Just like a producer can ask for more cowbell, we’ve heard the clarion call for more Jazz and going forward into ’11 and beyond we want to bring even more great groups like The Chris Greene Quartet to the GFM family table. Enjoy!

From the press release

Artist Summary
Genres: Jazz / Funk / Soul
Label: Single Malt Recordings
Artist Bio

The Chris Greene Quartet is: Chris Greene on saxophones, Damian Espinosa on piano, Marc Piane on bass and Tyrone Blair on drums.

The Chris Greene Quartet performs acoustic organic rhythmic guerilla jazz. The Quartet draws its collective excursions and in-your-face intensity from the current sounds of rock, funk, fusion and soul. The band is able to achieve this lofty goal due to a healthy dose of respect jazz’s more traditional elements – swing, blues, interaction, the “Spanish tinge”.
More About Chris Greene Quartet

Thirty-something-year-old Chicago-based saxophonist, composer and bandleader Chris Greene is no overnight sensation. He has paid his dues on the Chicago club scene since the early 90’s, playing in bands like The Trippin’ Billies and Kevin O’Donnell’s Quality Six, and freelanced on the city’s rich jazz scene. He studied at Indiana University, home of one of the country’s strongest Jazz Studies Programs, and formed his first band, Chris Greene and New Perspective, in 1994. That band performed regularly, and released two albums of what Greene calls “electric jazz/funk/hip-hop/fusion” music, “On The Verge” (1998) and “jazz” (2004). In 2005 he formed his current unit, The Chris Greene Quartet (or “CGQ”), a band that has maintained a stable roster since its inception.

CGQ features Greene on tenor and soprano saxophone, Damian Espinosa on primarily acoustic piano (but also occasionally on electric keyboard), Marc Piane on acoustic bass and drummer Tyrone Blair. The CGQ has forged a unique sonic identity through the immediate personal chemistry these four remarkable musicians discovered when they first played together, and through subsequent steady work. In many ways, as Greene designed the band to be, they are a throwback to the classic Blue Note label jazz units – bands that featured stable personnel, hard-swinging and thought-provoking music, with a sensibility that was at one time rooted in the popular culture but was very definitely high-concept art; in other words, music for both body and mind.

The new cd, “Merge”, follows in the footsteps of the CGQ’s “Soul and Science: Volume One” and “Soul and Science 2: Electric Boogaloo”. The track list for Merge includes a healthy serving of Greene’s original compositions, as well as a tune by pianist Espinosa, jazz standards by Billy Strayhorn and Johnny Green, and one tune each by Madonna and The Black-Eyed Peas. Recorded in 2009 at Experimental Sound Studios in Chicago, the cd captures a working band at the height of its powers, with all of the telepathic communication that only a working ensemble can marshal. Greene’s influences, from Sonny Rollins to Maceo Parker, electric Miles to Prince, are clearly evident, as well is the fact that he has become his own man. Although it is definitely Greene’s band and conception, Espinosa, Piane and Blair are by no means mere sidemen; the blueprint for the band allows – in fact, demands – equal contributions from all chairs. While all of the guys have deep roots in the history of jazz, they also do not deny that they grew up with the sounds of pop, rock, funk, r&b, hip-hop and the blues in their ears. A Jazz at the Philharmonic blowing session this ain’t.

The CGQ continues to be one of the busiest working bands in Chicago, performing regularly at places like M Lounge, Pete Miller’s, Andy’s Jazz Club, Red Kiva, and most recently at that holy grail of Windy City jazz joints, The Jazz Showcase. They are steadily earning a reputation as one of Chicago’s most exciting ensembles. Greene is becoming known as one of the city’s finest rising instrumentalists. Catch them locally while you can!

Doesn’t matter what genre of music it is there will always be ongoing debates about what is and what isn’t representative of a certain musical style. I must say though, that I have never seen someone so eloquently make the case for moving the music forward and the importance of understanding the intention of an artist as opposed to the opinion of a critic as James Mtume. Enjoy!

Another great episode in the Efficacy series brought to you by Fiona Bloom from thebloomeffect.com In this episode we hear from newcomer Melanie Charles who recently wrapped up touring several Cities around the world with Laura Izibor as well as graduating last Spring from the New School in Jazz Studies(yay!). Her debut album is available now called ‘Introducing Melanie Charles and The Journey’.

Also, GFM fam in the NYC are we wanted to make you aware of a great event that is being hosted by Melanie Charles and The Journey this Monday August 2nd, from 8pm-12am @Nublu. Check out the flyer below for more info.