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Baobob
The Headwhiz Consort Moderne Internationale plays the music of John McGrail

It covers a wide array of mainstream avant garde and progressive music with a tip of the hat to jazz, classical, folk  world music and of course rock..  A truly diverse collection of musicians playing a truly diverse collection of compositions.

Led by the inimitable Babakar Wade of Senegal,  it comprises a group hailing from 9 countries while having absorbed the influences of many more than that!

The pieces were composed by Babakar Wade, Consort guitarist Barney Cole and John McGrail. The album is best described by Babakar himself...

It is always an honor when someone asks you to create.  That someone would actually ask me to create something for them so that they may enjoy it is so astounding and surprising.  I love to create and the creative process is what sustains me and drives me on and keeps my spirits positive.  Without it I am not sure if I could indeed exist.  It is who I am and when another asks for it because they want it and it speaks to them, I am simply humbled beyond all imagination.   To be able to make music at the behest of someone else is something that can bring me to tears.  I am just a musician.  I play music because I have to it is as essential, to me anyway, that as air.  Without any form of music I believe I would die.  Of course to be without music is difficult because one can always make it up.  Even if one plays no instrument one has a voice to sing with.  Or hum or whistle.   

Thus when J. Kinslow McGrail asked us to create music for Mind Fry— again— I privately had to fight back tears.  Such is the honor to be able to create because someone other than myself, or ourselves, wishes us to do so.  Under the circumstances we felt we had to put forth the best we could.  Again The Consort found itself wishing to do an album of John McGrail’s experimental music.  I contacted him through e-mail and we decided to get together to discuss it in Cleveland when I came to talk to J. Kinslow about the album. We went to a coffee shop and over cups of espresso we discussed the possible use of more of John’s music.  He was in agreement but he also felt that the Consort should do some of its own music   I was not so sure as only Barney and myself write much and I am not all that confident of my music.  Still John seemed certain and when he mentioned it to J. Kinslow it was settled.  That was what J. Kinslow wanted also.   

So I presented some scores to J. Kinslow and Barney got some tapes he had done of some music he felt wasn't right for his avant-jazz group “The Swingin Shards”.  They seemed to really like them.  At that point John was insisting we only do our own and to forget doing his stuff.  Ultimately from the collection before you we obviously made a compromise.  Seems we liked his music better and he liked ours better.  Such is life.

So we managed to get this music done.  It was done modular style as we could not get everyone to America at the same time.  Still we did have the quintet of Barney, Mairead, Hans, Vladimir and myself for the majority of the takes.  Others would add their parts as they were able to get to the country.  Lady Brett was only able to make it once and then for only 3 days.  Luckily she was exquisite in the execution of her parts.   

Chris Solt,  multi-instrumentalist from Cleveland, also chipped with some percussion on “Jellied Zinc”.  You see Robert flew from Tel Aviv to Dakar to meet up with Samba and then come to Cleveland.  They planned on going over some of the percussion with the possibility of sampling it and then programming it.  Unfortunately they were denied entry to the country because Samba had a copy of Cat Steven’s “Peace Train” with him.  We still haven’t heard from either one of them.  I have full faith that they are being treated well and that their innocence will be realized without any undue hardship suffered by either one of them. This is America after all.  B. Wade 2005

Or perhaps John:

What can I say.  It is a complete honor to have such a talented group of people play my music.  I mean most people here in Cleveland think of me as a ‘folkie’ rightly or wrongly but the Consort actually wanted to do my weird stuff before their own .  I wish , and hope some day, I could have such an unselfish out look.  Of course I’m a conceited pig and think my stuff is the best and no one compares to me.   My rational side tells me I full crazy as a loon* but I don’t listen to my rational side when it comes to my music cuz it don’t always tell me what I want to hear.  That is the cool thing about the Consort.  They are virtually egoless.  They just want to play good music regardless who writes it.  To be honest the pieces that Babakar and Barney brought in, I felt, could have been the release, they floored me, but they didn’t agree and ultimately it was their album.  Maybe someday I’ll do my own album of my experimental stuff but as long as the Consort wants too there really is no point as they do it at least as well as I could and probably better.  In fact if I were to attempt an album like that I would probably enlist them to help me out. Indeed Babakar contributed guitar to my last album, (Songs For Troubled Times) I have truly been blessed in meeting Babakar.  If I hadn’t the opportunity to visit my brother in Senegal I would not know him, 2 albums, and hopefully more, would not exist.  I truly feel blessed, which is not something a curmudgeonly, old cynic often thinks much less says.     J. McGrail 2005

* ‘loon’ being the most polite term to use in this instance.

Or even a word from Barney Cole:

What can I say.  I am a man of many notes but few word.  B. Cole 2005

Cost $10

Songs on this CD: