Favourites

Syl Johnson - I'm Talkin' Bout Freedom

Lillian Hale - Don't Boom Boom

Bobby Jackson - 1978 - Desiree Song

Bobby Jackson - Desiree Song 

(LP Ninth Note Records, US, 1978) 

Catalog # NNR-0072

Bobby Jackson (piano)

Tony Moreno (drums)

Enrique Mercado Reyes (trombone)

Bobby Hughes (alto saxophone)

John Howard (bass)

I am big fan of Independent Jazz Labels. This album was first made known to me a few years back by a jazz dealer of mine. He wouldn’t sell me his copy though, so I had to look for it myself. A very strong LP - and a must for lovers of spiritual jazz. I was blown away the first time I heard "Desiree Song". The Piano and messy horn bit at the end does my head in every time. Also check out "Modetique" on the album as well: Really nice (even if I do say so myself).

1.Desiree Song

2.Modetique

3.Bunglers Twist

4.Peepin

5.Pressure Funk

Unsung: The Story Of Donny Hathaway

Donny Hathaway was a Prolific Song Writer and Music Composer of the Fabulous Soul Music Era. Donny's rise to Soul Music Prominence made him the standard bearer for today's R&B Male vocalist. Indeed Donny Hathaway is responsible for creating and influencing today's modern R&B vocal style for ALL male vocalist of our time. Before Donny Hathaway, no R&B male singer or performer was singing riffs, incorporating high notes or bringing down the house with soulful, melodic vocals. Donny Hathaway was the FIRST to do it...................not Lurther Vandross, not Stevie Wonder, Not even Marvin Gaye!

Bridge - 1981 - Crying For Love

Bridge - Crying For Love

We all know the group - their mixture of soul, funk, disco and Latin elements made this marvellous grouping a really talented band with the versatility and option to change tempo, the direction and beat at the drop of a hat. Something not many artists can do today. Still, this CD is a collection of the demo cuts that won them a recording deal with the CBS owned Bang label. These songs were recorded in 1981 and were intended to become their album for the label. Sadly this was not to pass, and these songs were to sit and gather dust. As one quick spin off of this CD will show this was a criminal act. Still, First Experience has done the decent thing and has rectified this very sorry situation. 1981 as I have said before, was a vintage year for soul music and this is reflected in every song on this CD. I cannot really pull out any clear favourites on this CD but please, if I may, direct you to a few particular songs, which I think should be given special listening treatment. Vocalists Debravon Lewis and Derick Hughes are superb; the latter is very reminiscent of the sadly missed and masterful Donny Hathaway. Both "Stella" and "Listen" are excellent readings of the 1977 Norman Connors versions, and are here performed by the writers themselves in their own right. "From The Darkness To The Light" is a superb ballad complete with flute and summary percussion background which really does the honours. Continuing the trend is "Fire Burning" which underlines how criminal it was not to have had the material released years ago. The vocals on this song are stunning, with Derick Hughes really laying out the red carpet. Surprisingly, for me, was the "Next To Me" cut that was covered by drummer Kenneth Nash. On his 1986 "Mr Ears" album. These tracks are but a few of the highlights from many gems on here.

01. Crying For Love

02. Stella

03. From The Darkness To The Light

04. Fire Burning

05. Waiting Patiently

06. He Say C. She Say Game

07. Sweet & Wonderful

08. Out There In Space

09. No Where Love Affair

10. Rivers Of Love

11. Turn To Love

12. Next To Me

13. Reach Out

14. Listen

Link:Download

Jump Back - A Tribute To James Brown (2008)

01 Os Incriveis - I Feel Good

02 Jr. and The Preludes - Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

03 Soul Sounds - Lickin' Stick

04 Showmen - Voglio Restare Solo

05 Rabbits and Carrots - Give it Up Or Turn it Loose

06 Rabbits and Carrots - Sex Machine

07 Kashmere Stage Band - Super Bad

08 Soul Sound - I Got the Feelin'

09 Esquires Now - Think About it

10 The Presidents - It's my Thing

11 Victor Olaiya & His International All Stars - There Was a Time, Cold Sweat (Medley)

12 Victor Olaiya & His International All Stars - Mother Popcorn

13 Impalas - Soul

14 Big Boe and The Nighthawks - My Thing

15 The Invaders - Big Payback

16 Get Up With the Dancer - Sex Machine

17 University of Illinois Jazz Band feat. Don Smith - I Got the Feelin'

18 Harrison High School - Get on the Good Foot

19 Les Watson and The Panthers - Mother Popcorn

Link:Download

Good God! Heavy Funk Covers Of James Brown From All Over The World 1968-1974 (2007)

Good God, indeed -- a masterful compilation of some of the weirdest James Brown covers you've ever heard -- a truly global assortment of tunes, all of which really keep the best funky spirit of The Godfather in place! The tracks here go way past the usual, and most of the numbers are all quite obscure -- tracks recorded not even by soul singers, but by an assortment of artists of many different genres-- all working at different points around the globe in the 60s and 70s, brought together here by their love of James' original funky vision! And in case you're worried about these tunes being some watered-down version of the JB groove, put your fears to rest -- because all the cuts here have as many funky breaks and hard riffing as any of James' best from back in the day -- sometimes even more, given the weirdness of their styles!

01. El Klan - Cold Sweat

02. Dillard Crumb & The Soul Rockers - Mother Popcorn

03. St. Vincent's Latinaires - Hot Pants I'm Comin'

04. The Dave Pike Set - I Got The Feelin'

05. Toni Tornado - Soul Negro

06. Doublass High School Stage Band 1970 - My Thing , I Made A Mistake Medley

07. Lil' Tiger - Do It (Give It Up , My Thing Medley)

08. The Philosophers - Mama's Orgy (Cold Sweat)

09. Waltel Branco - Tema De Zorra (Popcorn With A Feeling)

10. East Of Underground - Popcorn

11. Six Pack - There Was A Time

12. Willy Dickson & The Playboys - Lickin' Stick

13. Som Livre House Band - Papa Don't Take No Mess

14. Skorpyons Of Jamaica - Think (About It)

15. El Combo Xingu - Hot Pants

16. Tihomir Pop Asanovic - Hot Pants Road

Link:Download

German Funk Fieber Vol. 2

01. Siegfried Schwab - High Snobiety

02. Malcolm’s Locks - Get Up Stand Up

03. Orchestra And Chorus Les Humphries – Mandrake

04. Lift - Wenn

05. James Last - Rice And Beans

06. The Cosmic Sound Orchestra - Listen to the Beat

07. Eric Thoener’s Sound Magazine - Speed Limit

08. Joy Fleming - Geld

09. Panta Rhei - Der Losverkäufer

10. Roland Kovac & The ORF Big Band - Operation Rose

11. Manfed Krug - Wenns Draußen Grün Wird

12. Jochen Brauer Sextett - Sunny

13. Kati Kovács - Sehnsucht

14. Memphis Black - Testify

15. Fredy Brock - Betwixt And Between

16. Don Anderson - Understanding

17. Jürgen Franke - Back Talk

18. Peter Thomas - Evening Air

Link:Listen

Link:Download

German Funk Fieber Vol. 1

01 - Gus Brendel - Night Clipper

02 - Messengers - Gang Bang

03 - Ken Aldin - Dark Alley

04 - Was Tun Band - Es Geht

05 - SWF Tanzorchester Rolf-Hans Mueller - Gate One

06 - Veit Marvos Red Point Orchestra - Family Affair

07 - Die Melon Men - Tuesday

08 - Martin Philippi Blues Band - I Got My Mojo Workin'

09 - Klaus Wunderlich - Summertime

10 - The Rainbow Orchestra - La Avispa

11 - Dave Kamien Division - Watermelon Man

12 - Howard Carpendale - Du Hast Mich

13 - Hugo Strasser - Flashlights

14 - Peter Herbolzheimer - Rock-O-Mobile

15 - Heinz Kiessling Orchestra - Uptown

16 - Sandra Haas - Kleiner Mann

18 - Udo Lindenberg - Votan Wahnwitz

Link:Download

Avenue Blue featuring Jeff Golub

In the '90s, guitarist Jeff Golub's blend of jazz, R&B, and pop earned him a reputation for being one of the edgier, more tasteful players in the crossover jazz/NAC/smooth jazz field. Although some of Golub's recordings were played on smooth jazz stations extensively, he was quoted as saying that he refuses to play outright elevator music, and to be sure, Golub's solos give the impression that he is essentially a soul-jazz improviser at heart. The Ohio native (whose influences have included Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Lee Ritenour, and Larry Carlton, among others) is quite capable of playing straight-ahead bop; he certainly has the chops for it. However, Golub chose to focus on more commercial music and has a long résumé as a rock, pop, and R&B session player. He appreciates being compared to artists like David Sanborn, the Crusaders, Ronnie Laws, Joe Sample, and the late Grover Washington, Jr., that is, instrumentalists who can be commercial and groove-oriented but still have a jazz improviser's mentality.

01 - Pick Up The Pieces

02 - Stockholm Prelude

03 - Stockholm

04 - Gimmie Some

05 - That's The Way Of The World

06 - West Side Serenade

07 - Nightingale

08 - I'll Be Around

09 - Atlanta Nights

10 - Just Goodbye

11 - Lucy, I'm Home

12 - Moon River

Link:Download

BWB - 2002 - Groovin'

WB stands for the first initials in the last names of Rick Braun (trumpet) , Kirk Whalum (soprano & tenor saxophones) , and Norman Brown (guitar).

Additional personnel includes:

Dee Dee Bridgewater (vocals)

Michael Campbell (guitar)

Ricky Peterson (Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards)

Christian McBride (bass)

Gregory Hutchinson (drums)

Bashiri Johnson (percussion)

BWB's (Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum & Norman Brown) debut album Groovin' harks back to a great '70s session vibe with a disc of classic covers given a Smooth Jazz groove, including The Radicals 'Groovin,' Booker T & The MGs 'Hip Hug Her,' Curtis Mayfield's 'Let's Do It Again,' The Isley Brothers 'It's Your Thing' and Parliament's 'Up For The Down Stroke.' The disc also includes exclusive behind-the-scenes video. Warner. 2002.

Recorded at Capitol Studios, Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, California.

01 - Groovin'

02 - Brown Sugar

03 - Ruby Baby

04 - A Woman's Worth

05 - Hip Hug Her

06 - Mercy Mercy Mercy

07 - Let's Do It Again

08 - It's Your Thing

09 - Povo

10 - Up for the Down Stroke

Link:Download

Sharpshooters - 1996 - Choked Up

Sharpshooters:

A collaboration between Seattle, WA, DJs Mr. Supreme (real name Danny Clavesilla) and Sureshot (real name Shane Hunt), the Sharpshooters produce sample-heavy down-tempo hip-hop and dance tracks. The pair released their first album, Buck the Saw, on their own Conception imprint in 1994. Two years later Shadow Records released Choked Up and garnered the duo considerable underground acclaim. A few singles followed, but it wasn't until 2003 that the Sharpshooters returned will a new full-length; Twice as Nice found the pair mixing live instruments into the already dense mix of samples and beats.

Link:Part 1

Link:Part 2

The Best Of Cookin'

Various Artists, Best Of Cookin’, Ubiquity URCD 063 (2CD, USA), 2000

This slammin' two-CD compilation collects works from the fabulous acid jazz compilations Home Cookin', Mo Cookin', Still Cookin', What's Cookin', and Is That Jazz?. Galactic, Greyboy, DJ Swingset, Sharpshooters and others contribute midlength jams that are a mix of soulful melodies, deep funk grooves, hip-hop beats, and rump-shaking dance music. While jazz has been influential in certain drum & bass circles since the late-'90s, these early-'90s neofusion hybrids serve as logical precursors and illuminate how well the artists on the set also serve the jam-band fans who've crossed over to improvised jazz largely on the strengths of funkateers like Medeski Martin & Wood and others. Even so, the tracks here sound incredibly fresh and fun, mixing live instruments and DJs for a party where everyone is playing spiritedly. At home on the dance floor or in the cocktail lounge, The Best of Cookin' is a fine reminder of the potency of acid jazz and a great introduction for electronic music fans who are interested in seeing a crucial early bridge between the jazz and DJ culture.

CD 1

01. Greyboy - Unwind Your Mind

02. Rhythm Section - Suzanne's Jam

03. Slide Five - Outerspace

04. Vibes Alive - The Spoken Word

05. Ping Pong - Goin' Downhill

06. Galactic - Black Eyed Pea

07. New Legends - Sole Food

08. Ten Bass T - Hip Hop Culture

09. Sharpshooters - Pork Pride Stride

10. Spirit Level - Solar Funk

11. Greyboy Allstars - Jungle Strut

12. Jacko Peake - SFO

13. Mock Quintet - Bolsa de Perrito

Link:Download

CD2

01. Sweet Potato - Monkey Wrench

02. Slide Five - Streamline

03. Greyboy - Grey's Groove

04. Rhythm Section - Tachyon

05. Vibes Alive - Mantra

06. Ping Pong - Be-Bop Props

07. Sky Juice - Children

08. Rhythm Section - Waiting for the Sun

09. Greyboy - Panacea

10. DJ Swingsett - Peace on the Streets

11. Sweet Potato - Wet Willie

Link:Download

Blue Mitchell - 1972 - Blues' Blues

Blue Mitchell - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Darrell Clayborn - Bass [Fender]

Ray Pounds - Drums

John Guerin - Drums

Joe Sample - Electric Piano, Piano [Acoustic]

Freddie Robinson - Guitar [Electric]

John Mayall - Harmonica

Herman Riley - Saxophone [Tenor], Flutev

At the time that this Mainstream LP was recorded, Blue Mitchell was the featured trumpeter with John Mayall's blues group. Mayall returned the favor for Blue's set, playing harmonica with an electric octet headed by Mitchell. Among the sidemen are Herman Riley (on tenor and flute), keyboardist Joe Sample and guitarist Freddy Robinson. The material (all obscure originals) is primarily blues-oriented, and the music overall is listenable and funky, but not particularly memorable. Just an average date from these fine musicians.

1. Casa Blues (8:25)

2. Just Made Up (7:32)

3. Blues' Blues (7:05)

4. Granite & Concrete (9:51)

5. I Didn't Ask To Be (10:09)

Link:Download

Push - 1996 - Can't Fight It

Label: Soulciety Records

Catalog#: ME 00481

Country: Germany

Released: 1996

Bass - Ernie McKone

Drums - Crispin Taylor

Engineer - Alex Osman , Matt G

Guitar - Mark Vandergucht

Keyboards - Mike McEvoy*

Percussion - Conor Smith

Saxophone, Flute - Jacko Peake

Trumpet - Damon Brown (2)

Vocals - Eddie Saunders

1. Theme From "Push"

2. Fight It

3. Scarper

4. Contribution

5. Positive

6. The Flute Tune

7. Gimme Some More

8. Out On Sunday

9. Awesome Measure

10. It's Over

11. Jack's Jam

12. Ice

Link:Download

Joe Henderson - 1973 - Canyon Lady

Joe Henderson - "Canyon Lady"

(LP Milestone Records, 1973)

Produced by Orrin Keepnews for Milestone Records

Recorded in October 1973 at Berkeley

Personnel :

Joe Henderson (ts)

Luis Gasca, Oscar Brashear, John Hunt (tp)

Julian Priester, Nicholaas TenBroek (tb)

Hadley Caliman, Ray Pizzi, Vincent Denham (flutes)

George Duke (el. piano)

Mark Levine (ac.piano)

John Heard (b)

Eric Gravatt (d)

Francisco Aguabella (perc.)

01. Tres Palabras

02. Las Palmas

03. Canyon Lady

04. All Thing Considered

Link:Download

Dizzy Gillespie & Lalo Schifrin - 1977 - Free Ride

Dizzy Gillespie teamed up with Lalo Schifrin to compose and produce for him. The result is some interesting parts like a bass line with congas in Incantation, but a lot of the music is light, poppy jazz with a lot of wah wah guitar, sort of like Bob James. The best track is the last, Last Stroke Of Midnight with a dark and mysterious feel to it with keyboard work that sounds like it could be part of an Afrika Bambaataa track. Really though, most of the songs tend to merge into each other in an unmentionable mass.

01 - Unicorn

02 - Fire Dance

03 - Incantation

04 - Wrong Number

05 - Free Ride

06 - Ozone Madness

07 - Love Poem For Donna

08 - The Last Stroke Of Midnight

Link:Download

Charles Williams - 1972 - Stickball

Charles Williams - Stickball

1972

Charles Williams (alto sax)

Chris Woods (alto sax, baritone sax)

David "Bubba" Brooks (tenor sax)

Frank Wess (tenor sax, flute)

Don Pullen (organ)

Clyde Lucas (drums)

Cornell Dupree (guitar)

David Spinozza (guitar)

Gordon Edwards (bass guitar)

Paul Griffin (electric piano)

Randy Brecker (flugelhorn)

Ray Barretto (congas)

David Carey (congas & marimbas)

and a 16-headedstring section, conducted by Ernie Wilkins

Recorded in NY 1972

LP: Mainstream 381

CD: Mainstream PCD 23934

Full-on funky backings for saxophonist Charles Williams -- a set that almost has him in the same territory as Stanley Turrentine during his late 70s years on Fantasy Records, or Hank Crawford over at Kudu! The style here is a bit more lush than some of the other Mainstream Records dates of the time -- full backings arranged and conducted by Ernie Wilkins -- always plenty darn soulful, and built around a mix of strings and jazzier instrumentation -- set up with the care and precision of a hip soul soundtrack, and topped by well-crafted alto sax solos by Williams.

01. Who Is He (And What Is He To You)

02. People Make The World Go 'Round

03. Where Is The Love

04. Iron Jaws

05. Drown In My Own Tears

06. Ain't No Blues

07. Just Before Day

08. Willow Weep For Me

Link:Download

Ramon Morris - 1973 - Sweet Sister Funk

Ramon Morris

Sweet Sister Funk

'73 New York

Ramon Morris (ts)

Albert Daily (el-p)

Mickey Bass (b)

Granville "Mickey" Roker (dr)

Cecil Bridgewater (tp)

Lloyd Davis (g)

Tony Waters (congas)

One of the rarest albums on the Groove Merchant label -- and one of the best! Ramon Morris has a sweet tone on the tenor that works very well with the electric piano in his tight little combo -- grooving with a style that's like the best Black Jazz funk records of the time -- mixing together bright notes, funky rhythms, and plenty of great chord changes! Cecil Bridgewater's on trumpet, and the band has a really righteous feel -- with lots of real soul and thoughtful playing mixed into the jazz funk grooves of the record. Massive -- with titles that include "Sweat", "Lord Sideways", "Sweet Sister Funk", and a nice version of "People Make The World Go Round".

01. First Come, First Serve

02. Wijinia

03. Sweet Sister Funk

04. Sweat

05. Don't Ask Me

06. Lord Sideways

07. People Make The World Go Around

Link:Download