Bernie Worrell: Wave From the WOOniverse out now, featuring unfinished, archived Worrell music produced by musical director, Evan Taylor

Bernie Worrell, the late psychedelic funk pioneer and music legend of Parliament/Funkadelic and Talking Heads fame, is as known for his other-worldly persona چون چې هغه د synth او د ټولو څهونو funkadelic د خپل مسلکي لپاره دی. نو، دا د حیرانتیا نه ده چې د خپل روح په پوښونو کې د Bernie Worrell: Wave From the WOOniverse. Worrell د 2016 کال په فیزیکی نړۍ کې د رخصتۍ وروسته د لومړي الوتکې ده چې د ستراتیژۍ ډیری الوتکې لري چې د Wizard of Woo آرشیفونو څخه د مخکښ کارونو 13 ټریټونه لري.

“We were re-amping [running previous audio through an amp] Bernie’s clavinet [a keyboard] recording at my studio, Loantaka Sound, and the lights were dim, and I was only hearing his isolated keyboard, almost as if he was working out a part,” explains Evan Taylor, Worrell’s long-time collaborator, musical director, and most recently producer of Bernie Worrell: Wave From the WOOniverse. “I swear I could feel his energy. I was waiting to hear him say, ‘Hey man…’ It was definitely a moment in which I got goosebumps. These moments would persist during the project especially during final playbacks when we would all look at each other and speechlessly affirm we had done him justice.”

‍Bernie Worrell: Wave From the WOOniverse is truly a crash course on the funk genius of the P-Funk star. It was recorded in-part at Taylor’s studio, Loantaka Sound, and released on Org Music initially on vinyl on Record Store Day (April 20, 2024) and then digitally and on CD this summer at all DSPs (linktr.ee/bernieworrell). د لګولو شامل دي Bootsy کولینس (جیمز براون، P-فینک)، جری هاریسون (د خبرې سرونه)، Fred Schneider (د B-52s)، Mike Watt (د Minutemen، د Stooges)، Leo Nocentelli (د مترو) او Sean Ono-Lennon، Leo Nocentelli، Miho Hatori، Steve Scales، Marc Ribot، Fred Wesley، Marco Benevento، Stanton Moore، Steven Bernstein، Daru Jones، Will Calhoun، Buckethead، Norwood Fisher، او ډیر نور.

Worrell’s music and vibes were universally believed to be out of this world, in more ways than one. “He told me he wasn’t from here,” as Taylor, a multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and recording studio owner raised in New Jersey and living in Los Angeles, tells One West magazine. “I think we were in Montana, and he was smoking a cigarette outside and was just sorta looking up at the solar system. Then he turned to me and said, ‘Evan, you know, I’m not from here.’ And I believe him. I think all of those guys are from some other planet.”

دا هم حیرانتیا نلري چې ټایرل په دې وخت کې په سټرایډ کې د وفات لرونکي موسیقي حضور احساس کړ. د دوو په موسيقي ډول تل په lockstep کې دي، چې د 15 څخه زيات وختونو لپاره د همکارۍ سره کار کوي years. Taylor, whose first big project as a producer was 2010’s critically acclaimed Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie: Reinterpreting Black Flag<pfseg id="0">، په 2009 کال کې د Rock and Roll Hall of Famer په توګه د پارليامنس / Funkadelic غړي سره کار وکړ، په کوم کې هغه د نامتو ټانکونو لکه "Flash Light"، "Mothership Connection (Star Child)" او "Five Up the Funk" جوړولو کې مرسته وکړ، او په 2009 کال کې هغه د 10 ټوټه Bernie Worrell orchestra د موسیقي مدیر په توګه کار کړ، د نورو افسانه لکه جورج کلینټون، Bootsy کولینس، او Talking Heads سره شریک شوی، او د Worrell د ریکارډونو درې په ګډه تولید کړ. Standards and two EPs Prequel and BWO Is Landing.

“Working with Bernie was always a collaborative and diplomatic experience,” explains Taylor. “Bernie wanted to hear from everyone in the room. Even though Bernie wasn’t in the room with us, we wanted to make sure we kept his spirit alive in what we were doing. We knew we needed to make sure we were not just doing what we wanted but were serving Bernie. My goal was to make sure  the tracks were timeless to what Bernie’s life and experience on Earth was.”

When Worrell passed in 2016, he left behind a treasure trove of musical delights of unfinished songs, ideas, lyrics, and snippets of sonic magic. These compositions remained untouched for years, collecting dust on reels of two-inch analog tape. In the years following his passing, the tapes were re-examined to analyze his nuanced creative method. After a period of deep reflection, the Bernie Worrell estate decided it was time to complete his vision. That’s where Evan Taylor comes in.

“At first, it was too upsetting to think about Bernie’s passing, hear that music, and be around it,” Taylor tells One West magazine. “So, I really did distance myself from that scene after he passed. But after some time went by, it was fun to dip my feet in the water again. After some time his widow, Judie, called me and she was looking for a home for the project. It just seemed like the time was right. I was ready to do this, like, emotionally and skill-wise.”

<pfseg id="0">Taylor په 2022 کال کې د پروژې په اړه کار پیل کړ. هغه د پراختیا په مختلفو مرحلهونو کې مواد ترلاسه کړ، په شمول د ګټی ستوري لیست. "نه یو تفریح پروسه وه،" هغه یاد کوي. "ما ځینې هنرمندونه لري چې اوس مهال په انباره کې شتون لري، لکه (Living Colour ډومرر) Will Calhoun، (Meters ګیتار) Leo Nocentelli، او (Talking Heads ګیتار / کیوبارډر) Jerry Harrison. د هغوی څخه ځینې ډومر شوي دي او ځینې ډومر شوي دي. مګر په پایله کې، دا ډېر spontaneous وه. موږ فکر کولی شو، 'کونه به یو ښه مناسب وي؟' او بیا، 'کیا موږ د موضوعاتو سره

One standout track, “Transcendence,” was uncovered with a simple hand-written note that read “has potential” from avant-garde producer Bill Laswell (Fela Kuti, Motorhead, Laurie Anderson), is now a 17-minute meditation exploring Worrell’s classical influence before segueing into a trancy groove thanks to Marc Ribot (Tom Waits) and Norwood Fisher (Fishbone). “Soldiers of Stars,” sounds like the best of P-Funk, thanks in no small part to P-Funk All Stars alum Eric McFadden’s guitar. “Re-enter Black Light Phase 11” featuring Sean Ono Lennon is a cinematic, jazz fusion sonic dream.

Bernie Worrell: Wave from the WOOniverse تاریخ لیست:

1. Intro (Reflections on a Bird) - Feat. Nick Montoya
2. Distant Star - Feat. Jerry Harrison, Paul Dooley, Alecia Chakour, Invisible Familiars
3. What Have They Done To My Funk - Feat. Bootsy Collins, Michael Moon Reuben, Ouiwey Collins, Buckethead
4. Heapin'; Bowl Of Gumbo - Feat. Leo Nocentelli, Fred Wesley, Stanton Moore, Lonnie Marshall
5. Re-Enter Black Light (Phase II) - Feat. Sean Ono Lennon
6. The Big WOO - Feat. Fred Schneider, Binky Griptite, Marco Benevento, Jaleel Bunton, Kyp Malone, Ana Becker
7. Greenpoint - Feat. Steve Bernstein, Mauro Refosco, Smokey Hormel, Scott Hogan, Michael Jerome Moore
8. Soldiers Of The Stars - Feat. Daru Jones, Eric McFadden
9. When The Rain Subsides - Feat. Will Calhoun
10. Pedro WOO - Feat. Mike Watt
11. Contusion - Funkadelic
12. Transcendence - Feat. Marc Ribot, Norwood Fisher
13. Wave From The WOOniverse - Feat. Miho Hatori, Sarah La Puerta, Invisible Familiars