Activist poet and musician, Gil Scott-Heron’s musical career began in the late ’60s. He quickly emerged as a sharp, intelligent critic of contemporary culture, boasting terrific jazz-styled accompaniment. By the late ’70s, Scott-Heron’s sound had adopted a bit more of a contemporary R&B aesthetic, but his jazz roots remain clear. He hasn’t released any new recorded material since 1994’s Spirits, and in the early ’00s, faced prison time for drug possession charges. He has since been released, and as of early 2009, he is working on a new record, and still makes occasional live appearances.
Playing the Madison Square Garden stage on September 23rd, 1979, taking part in the famous series of “No Nukes” concerts organized by the Musicians United for Safe Energy, he reveals not just his politics yet a driving fusion between his worlds of jazz, poetry, and R&B.
Gil Scott-Heron – vocals
Robert Gordon – bass
Tony Green – drums
Carl Cornwell – saxophone
Ed Brady – guitar
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As an added bonus, the two following tracks are from Gil Scott-Heron’s seminal album, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (1974):
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
[audio:http://www.killuglyradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/01-the-revolution-will-not-be-televised.mp3]
Home Is Where The Hatred Is
[audio:http://www.killuglyradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/07-home-is-where-the-hatred-is.mp3]
Six Degrees: Gill Scott-Heron to Debbie Gibson.
I only mention that because when Debbie was on the Arsenio Hall Show one time, he suggested that she was obviously influenced by Gill, which was easily the 14th-funniest thing I’d ever heard up till then.
Six Degrees: Gill Scott-Heron to Zappa
Gill was one of the first promulgators of rap.
Zappa rapped Dumb All Over and also Promiscuous.
I guess I was hoping for something more concrete.
Like they both used the same transcriptionist or had traded Synclavier parts or something.
Heron played with bassist Ron Carter, who played with Grace Slick, who played with FZ on “Would You Like a Snack”.
12 degrees of seperation: Zappa; Scott-Heron; Gibson:
All used toilet paper.
But, even more amazing, they all used the same brand of toilet paper!
i got to see gil on the spirits tour. the guy looked like he had seen some rough times but he still delivered on stage.