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

Bernie Worrell, pioneer psychedelic funk na legenda musik Parliament / Funkadelic na Talking Heads reputasi, ogé dipikawanoh pikeun persona-worldly nya dina anjeunna pikeun master nya tina synth na sadaya hal funkadelic. Jadi, éta teu aneh anjeunna roh posthumously mantuan dina sesi rekaman pikeun Bernie Worrell: Wave From the WOOniverse. album munggaran Worrell dirilis saprak ninggalkeun dunya fisik dina 2016 mangrupakeun studded double-album nu ngagambarkeun 13 lagu karya saméméh teu selesai ti archives of The Wizard of Woo.

“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. The 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) jeung lajeng digital jeung dina CD sabudeureun ieu di sadaya DSPs (linktr.ee/bernieworrellThe lineup kaasup Bootsy Collins (James Brown, P-Funk), Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads), Fred Schneider (The B-52s), Mike Watt (The Minutemen, The Stooges), Leo Nocentelli (The Meters) jeung 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, jeung loba leuwih.</pfseg>

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.”

Ieu ogé teu aneh yén Taylor ngarasakeun kagiatan musisi kadua di studio dina titik ieu. nu duanana selalu di lockstep musikally, geus kolaborasi pikeun leuwih 15 taun. Taylor, anu proyék badag kahiji salaku produser nyaéta 2010 anu dipikawanoh kritik Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie: Reinterpreting Black Flag<pfseg id="0">, dimimitian kerja jeung Worrell, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer salaku anggota Parliament / Funkadelic dimana anjeunna mantuan nyieun lagu-lagu penting kayaning "Flash Light", "Mothership Connection (Star Child)," jeung "Five Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)," dina 2009. Standards na dua EP Prequel jeung BWO Is Landing.

"Pekerjaan jeung Bernie éta selalu hiji pangalaman kolaboratif jeung diplomatik," ngécéskeun Taylor. "Bernie hoyong ningal ti sadaya di kamar. Sanajan Bernie teu di kamar jeung urang, urang hoyong mastikeun yén urang ngajaga rohna hirup dina naon urang ngajalankeun. Urang nyaho urang kudu mastikeun urang teu ngan ngajalankeun naon urang hoyong tapi ngajalankeun Bernie. Tujuan kuring nyaéta pikeun mastikeun track anu tanpa waktos kana naon hirup jeung pangalaman Bernie di Bumi nyaéta."

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.

"Awalna, éta terlalu ngabalukarkeun pikeun ngarasa ngeunaan ngalawan Bernie, nelepon musik, jeung jadi di sakuliah eta," Taylor nyebutkeun 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.”

Taylor dimimitian kerja dina proyék dina 2022. Anjeunna disadiakeun bahan dina sababaraha tahap ngembangkeun, kaasup daftar bintang tamu. "Ieu éta hiji prosés fun," anjeunna ngingat. "Kami boga sababaraha artis anu geus geus komitmen pikeun aya dina album, kayaning Will Calhoun, Leo Nocentelli, jeung Jerry Harrison (gitaris Talking Heads / keyboardist). Sababaraha tina aranjeunna geus geus disimpen barang jeung sababaraha tina éta disimpen. Tapi sapanjangna, éta pisan spontan. Urang bakal nganggap, 'Naon bakal cocog?"

Satu track standout, “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,” sound 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 mangrupakeun cinematic, jazz fusion sonic dream.

Bernie Worrell: Wave from the WOOniverse track listing:

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
Ngeunaan alat-alat ieu, anjeun tiasa nyadiakeun alat-alat ieu pikeun ngajalankeun masalah anjeun.
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