Ken Nordine - Flesh

After having posted the DJ Food track "Ageing Young Rebel", with Ken Nordine, I thought I'd go ahead a post some of Ken's own works. His deeply resonant, richly expressive, eerie voice makes Ken Nordine stand out among his comtemporaries, and he has been using it to create amazingly rich pieces since the late 40's. His style tends to be more of a thought, followed by a thought, followed by a thought, ad infinitum; a kind of wonder-wandering - always captivating and oddly trancing, surrounded by jazz-inspired works done by many (including, as of late, The Greatful Dead and Tom Waits). This track was pulled from his 1966 album Colors. The original purpose of this music was to serve as a series of commercials for the Fullers Paint company. These commercial provoked such a response from the radio audience that it spurred Nordine on to record more colors and try and get the album released.The re-released 'Colors' is equally essential for any modern listener looking for something out of the ordinary. Nordine's songs/poems/raps are witty and appropriately colourful. He uses his voice like an instrument but the instrument is more percussive than melodic. His lyrics sometimes sound like spontaneous free associations and then crystallize into gems of thought.

If you like what you hear, you really oughta go check out his website which has streams of his radio show 'Word Jazz'. He has another site for your pleasure here. So sit back, and 'stare with your ears'. (can you tell I am in love with this man???)

Groove him? Buy him...

Bonus works from his 1955 album "Word Jazz" - My Baby - Anytime, Anytime