Tributes are being published to jazzman/rapper Gil-Scott Heron (1949-2011). Another veteran of the music scene departs far too young. I did not discover him until over a decade ago, during my clubbing years, when his track (in its many versions) "The Bottle" was among my most played. That lyric and the music just got to me.... I had been meaning to play some of his cds, but again time overtakes events. His material spanned soul, jazz, blues and the spoken word - he was a real poet. His 1970s work heavily influenced the US hip-hop and rap scenes.
Gil seemed to shun the trappings of fame and success and - like say Nina Simone - could be difficult, while his work had a strong political element, one of his most famous pieces was "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".. R.I.P. indeed.
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