***(VIDEO) Suite for Ma Dukes: re-imagining of J Dillas best known works.***

[Elano]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/jhg_fPD-Lhc" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/jhg_fPD-Lhc</a>

There was magic brewing on the campus of Cal State Los Angeles ton February 22nd the kind that puts a love spell on everyone who walks into its path. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and his 40-piece orchestra managed to set the entire Luckman Fine Arts Plaza afloat on Sunday night with Timeless: Suite for Ma Dukes, their gorgeous re-imagining of J Dillas best known works. Surprise guests filtered in throughout the night, including Common, Talib Kweli andPosdnuous from De la Soul. Dillas inspiring mother was a beacon throughout the performance, small in stature but mighty in spirit.

If you listen closely to the music, the possibilities are endless
Ma Dukes (February 22nd, 2009.)

The energy onstage was infectious, and the audience was just as emotionally invested in the performance as the musicians. One could feel the grand swoops and shimmering intricacies of the music just by the motion of Atwood-Fergusons hands. When Dwele came out to do Angel, he had to stand back in awe for several moments to take in the beauty of what he was about to sing over.

In true Dilla fashion, one classic begets another, and we got to see that progression take place right before our eyes.Diana Moreira led us through the bossa nova lilt of Stan Getz and Luiz Bonfas Saudade Vem Correndo,containing the famous hook Dilla sampled into the Pharcydes Runnin. Minutes later, the orchestra changed tempo and transformed the bossa nova mood into Dillas inspired jam with vocal contributions by Amp Fiddler, Bilal andShafiq Husayn of Sa-Ra. Bilal then sang Reminesce and brought the crowd to the verge of rapture.

The night rounded out when Posdnuous surprised everyone and did his verse of De la Souls Stakes is High, and then brought on Talib Kweli to do Doves verse. The chorus which included OhNo, Alchemist, Illa J, Frank Nitty, Rhettmatic, Ma Dukes, J Davey, Houseshoes sang out the refrainLove, Vibration - eventually turning the mic over to the audience to sing along. An encore of Slum Villages Fall in Love left everyone with the sweet high that only falling in love can bring about.

People will be talking about this majestic performance for years and blessed are the ones who were able to see it bloom firsthand.

[Elano]

Suite For Ma Dukes
Carlos Nino & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
EP

Description: Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood Ferguson have chosen to pay tribute to J Dilla by interpreting his music in a contemporary chamber music style. More info, photos & Interview here.

Mochilla will release Suite for Ma Dukes on vinyl in April. Digital (MP3) is available now. Proceeds go to Ma Dukes.

Carlos Niño and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson have been working together on a wide variety of projects, beginning in 2004 when Niño hired Atwood-Ferguson's string quartet to perform on Dwight Trible & The Life Force Trio's Love is the Answer (Ninja Tune). The J Dilla production “Antiquity” also comes from this project.

Suite for Ma Dukes initially began in 2007, on what would have been Dilla's 33rd birthday, when Niño & Atwood-Ferguson recorded and released their strings, brass and reeds-only version of J Dilla & Common’s “Nag Champa” to DJs, producers and fans over the internet for free. They had written the entire piece to accompany the record as a their tribute to Dilla, feeling that the producer was still in the track not by his presence but by his absence.

The 4 tracks on Suite for Ma Dukes cover Dilla's productions from “Antiquity” and “Nag Champa”, A Tribe Called Quest's “Find a Way” and Slum Village's “Fall in Love”.

Stones Throw: I know your background in hip-hop - among other things, you wrote the first published article on Stones Throw (for Rap Pages in '96) - but some might not be so clear on how you go from spinning Dilla records to involvement with chamber music on Suite for Ma Dukes.
Carlos Niño: At the same time I wrote for Rap Pages, championing independent Hip-Hop in the wake of the ultra-commercial co-option of the culture, I was also working with Jazz, Soul and World artists of all kinds. My radio show that first aired in Fall 1995 covered a lot of ground. So I guess you could say I was always open, as I still am, to all sorts of possibilities.

When and how was this project in particular conceived, and what are your and Miguel's roles?
In 2004 I hired his string quartet, Supernova, for a record I was doing with Dwight Trible. Miguel and I became quick friends, and started working on music together pretty much right away. He was always saying to me, “We should do an orchestral album,” with this person and that person, and one of the main people on the wish-list was Dilla.

I met Dilla in L.A. sometime in 2003 - been a huge fan since 1995. I was looking forward to approaching him about a collaboration. For a while there he seemed to be on a good track, health-wise, but as we all know, he then deteriorated pretty quickly. After his funeral, Miguel and I decided move forward with our idea, as a tribute to him. It's become a cosmic conversation with him, and others, at this point.

Miguel's a writer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist that has played with great artists of all styles, from Ray Charles, John Cale to Essa Pekka Solonen. He's the writer, arranger, contractor, lead music producer, co-mixer and a performer on Suite For Ma Dukes. Together we conceived of the project and I've been involved in every step from consulting to mixing. I have to say though, that my main role has been supporting Miguel, whose whole life has gone into this!

Where and how was Suite for Ma Dukes recorded?
Nag Champa was recorded in my living room in Echo Park, 1 instrument and 1 mic at a time. Antiquity, Fall In Love and Find A Way were recorded by co-producer Benjamin Tierney in downtown L.A. Rhythm section sessions were recorded first, then Miguel wrote to those, and arranged the sections after that.

Listen to samples and buy Invididual MP3s
http://www.stonesthrow.com/store/ep/carlosninomiguelatwoodferguson/suite-for-ma-dukes-ep

[Elano]