DREAM JAZZ posted by O.W.

Ceil Miner: Stardust
From This Is For the People (Car-dor, 196?)

Frank Cunimondo feat. Lynn Marino: Beyond the Clouds
From Feelin' Good (Mondo, 196?)

Lorez Alexandria: I'm Wishin'
From Didn't We (Pzazz, 1968).

The last time I was in the Bay Area, I picked up this jazz album by vocalist Ceil Miner from the Groove Merchant and was really mesmerized by her rendition of "Stardust." It's already a "dreamy" tune to begin with but the way the song opens accentuates it even more. I've always liked "Stardust" as a standard and love Miner's take on it. And it got me thinking of other jazz vocals that have left similar impressions on me; songs the evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time I never lived through yet I have this image (no doubt ripped off from countless movies) of a smokey lounge where the songs waft through.

The first song that immediately came to mind was Lynn Marino singing "Beyond the Clouds" from Frank Cunimondo's sought-after Feelin' Good LP. The title cut is the one most people focus on and I'm not going to argue: Marino's rendition of "Feelin' Good" is one of the best I've ever heard. But as time goes by, I've gravitated more to "Beyond the Clouds." It's less fiery than "Feelin' Good" but it's that subtlety to this song that I think leaves me charmed even more (also, peep that dream-like echo effect at the end, similar to how "Stardust" opens).

What's funny is that the first time I heard "Stardust," I thought, "this sounds like a Gilles Peterson song," by which I mean that Peterson has a real penchant for these kind of jazz vocal songs, as evinced on his Digs America series. It's on last year's Vol. 2 where he turned me onto this great Lorez Alexandria song, "I'm Wishin'." I wrote about this before but it was worth bringing back for a second spin, especially in fitting into the post's theme.

Dream on, draem on. (And if you got recommendations for similar tunes, please comment!)

BODY AND SOUL posted by O.W.

Max Roach with the J.C. White Singers: Were You There When They Crucified My Lord
From Lift Every Voice and Sing (Atlantic, 1971)

Gil Scott-Heron/Brian Jackson: Peace Go With You Brother
From Winter In America (Strata-East, 1974)

When I was in Duke the other month, Mark Anthony Neal was telling me about this Max Roach and J.C. White Singers album and how powerful it was, especially the hymnal, "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord." Unfortunately, it's not the easiest album to track down - it's been out of print on CD for a while - so it took some footwork (read: eBay + patience) to track down the LP but *whistle* was it worth the wait.

Let's just first say that the sound of the song runs deep and for good reason: this is a Joel Dorn production, which is perhaps why - even though I had never heard the song before - it sounded familiar, like a lost Headless Heroes song. J.C. White has such a powerful, resonant voice on the song; the music has a slow, measured power to it too, of course, but it's White's vocals that brings the song down upon you. But wait toward the end, when the full chorus comes in and the song's emotional state changes from morose to uplifting - it's stunning.

For whatever reason, listening to this, I kept thinking about Gil Scott-Heron - stylistically, there's some clear similarities - and it motivated me to pull out one of my favorite albums by him, Winter In America (almost certainly the most successful Strata-East title ever). "Peace Go With You My Brother" begins the album and it sets a tone that, like the Roach/White song, tells you, "this is some serious sh--, listen up." Musically, the texture of the song benefits so richly from the use of electric piano (I'm assuming Rhodes here, given the flange effect). The song sounds marshmallow mellow on one hand but when you listen to what Heron is singing about, there's a abiding darkness that seeps into the otherwise soft musical fabric.

This pair of songs is best heard beginning with a deep breath. Then dive in.

Ok, with that said though, I still wanted to bring the energy level up and the perfect fit, especially with the gospel/spiritual-edge of "Were You There" would be to end this post with a little Joubert Singers:

The Joubert Singers: Stand on the Word
From 7" (Next Plateau, 1985)

I first discovered this through Murphy's Law and not having heard a lot of gospel disco, I wasn't sure what to expect but good god (appropriately enough), this song is - no blasphemy intended - f---ing incredible. According to discogs.com: ""Stand On The Word" was first ever recorded live in the First Baptist Church in Crown Heights, NYC, in 1982. Soon after the church pressed up a couple of hundred copies for the congregation," upon which, it was discovered by local DJs at places like Garage, The Loft, etc. and ended up getting a promo-release on Next Plateau (on both 12" and 7"). There's some disagreement over who actually remixed the song - there's a bootleg 12" you can find that credits Larry Levan but the actual record nods to Tony Humphries so go figure. Either way, it's just great.

I played this at Boogaloo[L.A.] and apparently, someone actually knelt to the floor and gave thanks at the song's completion. I kind of get that feeling too with it.

FUNKY OUT posted by O.W.

Editor's Note: This following reflection on funky jazz is by David Jaffe. This should have been posted a long time ago (my bad) but I think people will take away something great from his insights - and excellent tastes. --O.W.

From David Jaffe:

For a long time I’ve wanted to write about the funky side of free jazz. Like most styles of Black American music of the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s, jazz in general, and free jazz in particular, served as spiritual, protest and dance music. One might more easily recognize the spiritual side of the genre in meditations of John Coltrane or cry of Albert Ayler. Also evident is the demand for equal rights in the colorations of Archie Shepp or the staccato of Rashied Ali. What is less obvious, unless one is careful, is the music that draws less on the intellectualism of the out-jazz, new-thing scene and more on git-out-the-chair-and-shake-your-thang sound created by many of the musicians associated with the free movement.
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It is likely that most of the African-American musicians commonly classified as out players had at one time or another played in R&B outfits. Many out instrumentalists, particularly those on the rosters of labels like Prestige and Blue Note, had also played in funky soul-jazz bands. For alert listeners the influences of R&B, soul and funk can be found in the recording of the musicians regularly associated with the New Thing in jazz, even so much as the music crosses over into the realm of pure funk. In this out jazz absent is the free improvisation, tonal experimentation and textured playing most familiar to free jazz fans, and present is the in-the-pocket playing with a groove and a break down most commonly associated with the music of James Brown and deep funk.

Sun Ra was the original Method Man of the out big band scene (“mad different methods to the way he do his shit”). His musical universe covered big band, free jazz, doo wop, R&B, funk, soundtracks, and so much more. Sun Ra had a fair number of funky recordings, the most famous, or at least well known, of which is Lanquidity. The album has been described as lounge jazz, or dance jazz where dance in this case equates to disco. Neither of these descriptions apply, as was true of many of the descriptions of Sun Ra’s work. The closest approximation to a labeled style of the present example might be blaxploitation. On the track included here, the seriously funky Where Pathways Meet, even the lead solo by Eddie Gale brings the stanky stuff. The Disco Kid guitar solo is so Funkadelic, and the multiple percussionists keep the groove in the pocket.

Sun Ra: Where Pathways Meet
From Lanquidity (Philly Jazz, 1978)

Eddie Gale also recorded two lesser known lp’s for Blue Note. As an aside, it is worth noting that all of the tracks included here, like most free jazz, was recorded for smaller independents or self-released for as much as a lack of interest by the public as the lack of understanding by the majors. On this track, Black Rhythm Happening, the traps duty falls to Elvin Jones, one of the greatest jazz drummers ever. While little of Jones’ playing could be considered pure funk, he did play on many funky soul jazz sides. Unlike Jones, Gale did not have enough opportunities to record, possibly because of his militant themes. His playing was very influential, however, and the Black Rhythm Happening lp was a direct influence Archie Shepp’s better known Attica Blues.

Eddie Gale: Black Rhythm Happening
From Black Rhythm Happening (Blue Note, 1969)

One band that did have tremendous opportunities to record was the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Their soundtrack to the French film Les Stances A Sophie is a classic among jazz film soundtracks as well as some of the bands funkiest music. The film was part of the French New Wave, and not the only film of the genre to use funky accompaniment. On the cut "Theme De Yoyo" the ACOE is joined by soul and funk singer Fontella Bass, wife of trumpeter Lester Bowie. Following Bowie’s death three decades later Bass would record "All That You Give" with Cinematic Orchestra for Ninja Tune. Cinematic Orchestra would then cover "Theme De Yoyo" for their ex post facto soundtrack to Man With A Movie Camera, a silent-era Russian propaganda film).

While both Cinematic Orchestra tracks are very good and worth tracking down for downtempo fans, neither can approach the outright funky of the original "Theme De Yoyo."

Art Ensemble of Chicago: Theme De Yoyo
From Les Stances A Sophie (EMI France, 1970)

Like the ACOE, Joe McPhee had more opportunities to record overseas than at home. Also like the ACOE McPhee made his recording debut on a small, independent domestic label. In the case of the ACOE, their first recording came out as the sophomore release on the Nessa label, still active today, under the name the Roscoe Mitchell Art Ensemble. McPhee’s first release as a leader was the inaugural release on the CjR label, which as far as I know, only released three lp’s, all of which were McPhee’s. On the track "Shakey," Jake McPhee is clearly influenced by both Coltrane and James Brown. The band includes organ, electric piano, electric bass, and two percussionists. This kind of track, recorded live, includes elements of touring soul and R&B groups on which many jazz players cut their teeth, as noted above, and lengthy, free improvisation practiced by the out players. McPhee apparently decided to pursue more free avenues of expression and neither of his other later two lp’s for CjR include the kind of work heard here.

Joe McPhee: Shakey Jake
From Nation Time (CJR, 1971)

One player who frequently played in the funky vein was Phil Ranelin. His early funky sides can be found on the artist-owned Tribe label, such as "Sounds From The Village" on Vibes From The Tribe. The track is equally Funk Brothers’ Motown and electric-era Miles Davis, paying homage to the hard-bop Detroit forefathers of the previous generation (i.e. Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Roy Brooks, etc.) and looking forward to the House and Techno forefathers of two generations later.

Phil Ranelin: Sounds From The Village
From Vibes From The Tribe (Tribe, 1976)

Artist-owned labels were frequently purveyors of out jazz. Another example is the proto-Hip-Hop of Maulawi’s "Street Rap" on Strata East. More of an argument between a couple in the city than a rap, the arrangement of the vocals (!?) over the funky accompaniment is meant to be downright ghetto soul. Similarly, Rudolph Johnson’s Black Jazz recording of Devon Jean comes on like the theme song to Sanford & Son. Interestingly, Johnson’s Second Coming lp, also from Black Jazz, clearly shows the influence of less-funky-but-truly-beautiful A-Love-Supreme-era-Impulse-work of John Coltrane.

Maulawi: Street Rap
From S/T (Strata East, 1974)

Rudolph Johnson: Devon Jean
From: Spring Rain (Black Jazz, 1971)

Both Webster Lewis’ Do You Believe and Roy Brooks’ The Free Slave are live recordings that open with funky drums. The funk continues on Believe with Lewis’ organ and the vocals of Judd Watkins. If the track reminds the listener of Barry White, that is because Lewis was at one time White’s band leader. One will also be forgiven for hearing a connection to fellow funky out organist Larry Young for whom Lewis took over in Tony William’s Lifetime. Brooks was more of a soul jazz and post-bop drummer than a free drummer. He will be familiar to Blue Note junkies as the drummer behind Horace Silver’s Song For My Father. Brooks is also well know for helping introduce the world the post-bop styling of Woody Shaw, who played trumpet on The Free Slave. Shaw’s playing here harkens back to Larry Young’s Unity and Shaw’s own In The Beginning. While neither of those two titles is as funky as The Free Slave, which shows the influence of boogaloo, they are both fantastic.

Webster Lewis: Do You Believe
From In Norway - The Club 7 Live Tapes (Plastic Strip,
2007, Originally released Arne Bendiksen Records, 1971)

Roy Brooks: The Free Slave
From The Free Slave (Muse, 1972)

WEDDING TUNES REVISITED posted by O.W.

Two bits of personal trivia. 1) I have never, in the 15 years I've been a DJ, DJed a wedding. The reasons are partly logistical (I don't own speakers, lights or an amp), mostly personal (I've heard enough groom/bride-zilla stories to want to steer clear). In fact, at my own wedding, we didn't even have music, something that surprised many of my friends but seriously, it never occurred to me (note: our wedding was a potluck in a friend's backyard so "low-key" would be an understatement).

This all changed last Saturday night when I agreed to DJ a friend-of-a-friend's wedding in Los Angeles. It was a very, very nice affair, held at the Skirball Center, not too far up the 405 from where I live. In some ways, it was a little conventional: the requested playlist included such wedding favorites as "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night and Young MC's "Bust a Move" and I even had some ABBA ready to go (though never did around to playing it). I also got to drop in a few songs of my own choosing though I tried not to wild out too far - this wasn't a Boogaloo gig after all.

It did get me to thinking about wedding songs and brought me back to this older post. People should definitely check out the comments for dozens of great wedding song suggestions.

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Pamoja: Ooh Baby
From 7" (Keiper, 1970)

Bettye Swann: Make Me Yours
From 7" (Money, 1967). Also on S/T.

For me, I was reminded by how great "Ooh Baby" by Pamoja is (so I re-upped it) and I also thought about this special, wedding 7" that my friend and former DJ partner Vinnie Esparza created for his wedding a couple years back: "Make Me Yours" by Bettye Swann, one of the absolute gems from this Louisana soulstress (and a #1 R&B hit back in '67). I love the idea of a custom 45...makes me wish I had thought of that for my own wedding but oh well, maybe for the 10th anniversary.

John Coltrane: Body and Soul
From Body and Soul (Atlantic, 1960). Also on Coltrane's Sound.

From Saturday's wedding, I'm including one of the songs I played during dinner (yes, O-Dub does dinner jazz), "Body and Soul" by John Coltrane, featuring the majestic McCoy Tyner on piano, dropping an opening riff for the ages. I didn't realize this, but when "Body and Soul" originally appeared as a song in the musical Three's a Crowd in 1930, it was treated as too suggestive and banned from radio for a year. This is a beautiful rendition, like most of Coltrane's ballads from his Atlantic and Impulse years. The song just moves you.

Alton Ellis: I'm Still In Love With You
From Sings Rock and Soul (Coxsone, 1967). Also on I'm Still In Love With You.

Lastly, one song I didn't play but would love to at someone's wedding (apparently, I'm now for hire; holler): "I'm Still In Love With You," by Alton Ellis. This is NOT a cover of the Al Green song but rather, an original (I believe) by the prolific Jamaican innovator of rocksteady. Beautiful, beautiful tune and a classic riddim once Althea and Donna got their hands on it.

REMEMBERING JOEL DORN posted by O.W.

Editor's Note: Ben Newman, aka Benge, has been a Soul Sides reader for years and constantly heps me to good music not to mention plays SS downloads on his WRUV show, Sex Fly. He recently did a tribute show to Atlantic Records producer Joel Dorn, the under-sung mastermind behind dozens of astounding albums for over four decades. I certainly learned something in the process and invited Benge to write-up a tribute post for us. Enjoy! --O.W.


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Written by Benjamin Newman:

I decided to do a tribute show to Joel Dorn this past week on Sex Fly (the radio show I've been for the past 18 years on WRUV-FM in Burlington, VT) only to open up Rolling Stone a few days later and find that this was the week when "Killing Me Softly with His Song," which Dorn produced, was number one in Billboard in 1974. I had to smile, because it was a serendipitous moment which felt like part of the magic that seems to have surrounded this man.

For those who don't know the story, which sadly is way too many, Joel Dorn began his career at 19 as a jazz DJ on WHAT-FM in Philly and doggedly pursued Neshui Ertegun at Atlantic Records until Ertegun was convinced to allow Dorn to produce Hubert Laws's debut in '64. Dorn quickly rose to v.p. of the label and went on to produce an absurd number of great records at Atlantic for the likes of Max Roach, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Joe Zawinul, Roberta Flack, Mongo Santamaria, and Yusef Lateef to name a few.

I urge you to Google him, because there's a whole lot more delightful info about the man, including him starting up a number of independent labels (check Hyena, which is still putting out marvelous stuff); unearthing and re-releasing rare recording of greats he loved; writing wickedly entertaining liner notes; giving extremely funny and insightful interviews; and going on to produce folks as diverse as the Neville Brothers, Bette Midler, Black Heat, and Leon Redbone.

This past December 17th he died at the much-too-young age of 65.

I don't know if Dorn had more soul than any other white man who ever lived, but his jazz, r&b, funk, and pop work of the late-'60s and early-'70s brought such a sweet grooviness and joy to the music of those he collaborated with, he fits right at the top of the list.

There's no way to do his career justice with just a few tunes; he continued to produce great stuff through last year (I especially like Leon Parker's The Simple Life (Label M, 2001)). Here are five that make me swoon:

Roberta Flack: Reverend Lee
From Chapter Two (Atlantic, 1970)

I'm not sure what does it for me on this one. Maybe it's the keyboards. Maybe it's the bass playing. Maybe it's the horns. Maybe it's the tale of facing down the devil. Maybe it's simply the way Roberta pauses after she says the word "black" at the beginning.

Eugene McDaniels: Headless Heroes
From Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse (Atlantic 1971/Label M 2001)

From a record that reportedly prompted Spiro Agnew to call up Atlantic Records and yell, "What the hell is going on here"; a subversive political tune that featured Alphonse Mouzon on drums and provided the Beastie Boys with sample fodder.

Sonny Stitt: Blues Up and Down
From Sonny Stitt & His Electric Saxophone: Just the Way it Was, "Live" at the Left Bank (Label M 2000)

A jazz burner with Don Patterson on organ. Recorded by Dorn in 1971 and never released until he put it out on one of his own labels. Dorn's music not only provided samples for diggers, he was something of one himself, starting record labels solely for the purpose of putting out old recordings he discovered of music he loved.

Les McCann: Harlem Buck Dance Strut
From Layers (Atlantic 1973/32 Groove 1999)

Dorn had a gift to create truly great soul-jazz, a genre that more often that not combines the weakest aspects of both and that in the '70s had good musicians creating crap in the pursuit of a payday. McCann used the newly-created ARP synthesizer on this, the first-ever 32-track recording (Dorn and engineer Bob Liftin tied two 16-track machines together). It was re-released on Dorn's label under the direction of his son, Adam (who makes some pretty groovy records himself as Mocean Worker).

The Allman Brothers Band: Midnight Rider
From Idlewild South (Atco 1970)

A guilty pleasure of mine which I've never quite understood why I like so much, not being a big Allman fan. Then, just a few hours before I did the show on Dorn, I discovered that he had produced it and I realized why the groove and the vocals sound so sweet.

BACK TO THE BLUE NOTE BREAKS posted by O.W.

Lou Donaldson: It's Your Thing

From Hot Dog (Blue Note, 1969)

Ronnie Foster: Mystic Brew

From Two-Headed Freap (Blue Note, 1972)

Both on Droppin' Science (Blue Note, 2008)

Back in the mid-1990s, Blue Note Records, astutely noting how popular their catalog was becoming amongst hip-hop producers, began to release a series of anthologies in 1993 called Blue Break Breaks. Each featured about a dozen or so songs that had gotten the sample treatment - the first two or three sets included songs directly from Blue Note but by Vol. 4, they had moved to subsidiary catalogs purchased by Blue Note's parent company.

Almost nine years after the release of the last in the series, Blue Note has resurrected the concept in the form of Droppin' Science: Greatest Samples from the Blue Note Label, and more than ever, they shine the light on how these particular songs have been sampled. (I'm almost certain thanks would have to go out to the-breaks.com for some of that info). 

Here's the tracklisting:

1. Lou Donaldson - "It's Your Thing"

2. Ronnie Foster - "Mystic Brew"

3. Donald Byrd - "Think Twice"

4. David Axelrod/David McCullum - "The Edge"

5. Jack McDuff - "Oblighetto"

6. Joe Williams - "Get Out Of My Life Woman"

7. Grant Green - "Down Here On The Ground"

8. Lonnie Smith - "Spinnin Wheel"

9. Jeremy Steig - "Howling For Judy"

10. Lou Donaldson - "Who's Makin Love (To Your Old Lady)" 

BONUS TRACKS (Digital album and LP version)

11. Ronnie Laws - "Tidal Wave" 

12. Monk Higgins - "Little Green Apples"

13. Donald Byrd - "Wind Parade"

A few thoughts about this...

1) I'm curious as to who the main audience for this ends up being. Most of the songs it features were sampled as early as 20 years ago and the most recent is "The Edge," flipped by Dr. Dre ten years ago. I would think that many people who'd have a relationship to the songs that sampled these originals have been around long enough to have already copped most of these songs on an earlier release. Then again, maybe there's a new wave of nostalgia that's sweeping through, especially by all those, "I can't believe 'Crank Dat' is a hit" curmudgeons.Also, while about half of these songs appeared on one of the (out of print) Blue Break Beats series, the other half have not, including "The Edge," and surprisingly, both Donald Byrd songs. 

2) For a "best of" collection, this is solid but there are a few inclusions I found surprising: "Oblighetto"? I love me some Jack McDuff but if Tribe had never touched this for "Scenario," I'm not sure we'd be seeing it here. Same goes for "Howling For Judy." I like flute funk as much as the next guy but it's nowhere as big as a sample as some of the other songs here, especially the Donaldson cuts.

3) And if we're tackling Blue Note artists: no love for Bobbi Humphrey? Blue Mitchell? Reuben Wilson? Really? I would have gladly swapped out songs by artists whose work appears twice (Byrd and Donaldson) to broaden the artist representation. 

4) Of the songs off there, "Mystic Brew" still holds up the best (though "It's Your Thing" is still a fun listen). That bassline was a work of beauty...

SLIP THE DRUMMER ONE posted by O.W.

Specks Williams: We Gave the Drummer Some
From 7" (Jax, 196?)

Little Hooks w/ Ray Nato and the Kings: Give the Drummer Some More
From 7" (United Artists, 1972)


Nothing too elaborate here - I picked up this Specks Williams 45 recently and automatically thought of the Little Hooks song; thought the two made sense to pair together. As it turns out, there's an interesting coincidence b/t the two, insofar as Baltimore's Little Hooks w/ Ray Nato and the Kings were first signed, back in the 1950s, to the Jax imprint, same label as Newark's Specks Williams put his single out on. The Little Hooks song, however, came out on the Hollywood label, Enjay before getting picked up for wider distro by United Artists.

Of the two, I'm actually more partial to the Williams single, 1) it has the better drum break and 2) I like how it opens loud but then slides into a slick little guitar jazz number; not what you'd quite expect from it. "Give the Drummer Some More" wins for the better intro though, no question.

Holy Grails Of Bizzarro posted by murphyslaw

Yamasuki: Yama Yama, Kono Samurai, Yamasuki, Yokomo and Aieda
Taken from the album Le Monde Fabuleux des Yamasuki on Biram (1970)

This post stands as a warning to the fledgeling record head, a couple hundred LP's into the game and feeling pretty good about himself and his collection of sample-heavy CTI dollar-bin'ers and lesser known funk-rock gems on Westbound and Cotillion... You don't know how far the rabbit hole goes.

Hear me loud and clear on this one, friends: THE DEEPER YOU GET, THE DEEPER THE MUSIC GETS. There is more ill music out there than you and I can wrap our sorry little heads around and we're suckers to think otherwise.

I'll put it another way... the more stones you turn, the rockier the underbelly. Take for example

Yamasuki!

I have very little doubt that 90-some percent of the non-Japanese, non-LSD-loving populace that might lay ears on this record would be entirely perplexed by it. Even hate it. "What," they might ask, "Could have possessed somebody to combine twangy Morricone-esque guitars with Axelrod beats and Far Eastern choral arrangements?" And they would be right to ask the question.

But the answer, simply, for now and for always, is Yamasuki. Yamasuki. Yamasuki.

I will further endorse this record by saying that the five tracks posted here could have been arbitrarily selected. The whole album is start to finish sonic mayhem that gets better with each go-round. Not for the weak of heart, to be sure, but a record of such originality and--dare I say--grace, that if the first hundred listens don't make sense, you'd better hope that the hundred-and-first does because Yamasuki is like that patronizing dog from Duck Hunt: they always get the last laugh.

You're either with 'em or against 'em, friends... You know where I stand.

OH! LATIN JAZZ & ROCK posted by O.W.

Latin Jazz Quintet with Pharoah Sanders: Daria + Haarlem
From Oh! Pharoah Speak (Trip, 196?)

La Clave: Soul Sauce
From S/T (Verve, 1973)

The Sanders/LJQ LP is something I've had for years but didn't think to revisit until more recently when I caught one of the songs from it off the radio. It's difficult to over-talk this LP...it is such a wonderful meeting point between jazz, Latin and soul that each cut will have you guessing as to what style might come next. I pulled out two songs to illuminate that diversity: "Daria" opens a classic Cuban piano montuno and clave rhythm, some slick guitar work before opening into a wonderfully Latin-fied groove where the guitar switches from melody to rhythmic and the horn players get to play off. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a formal descarga but it has all the verve of one.

"Haarlem" switches up things completely with a slinky, smoky soul jazz track that could have easily found its way onto a Lou Donaldson or Donald Byrd album from the same era - feel that funky boogaloo style.

The La Clave is part of Dusty Groove's reissue series and it's one of their more interesting inclusions: a relatively obscure Latin rock/funk album from Verve. Sure, Verve had a few recordings by Willie Bobo, trying to capitalize on Latin music's popularity in the late '60s but this La Clave LP is something else, coming out of San Francisco's underrated Latin scene. Benny Velarde leads the arrangement, with Lalo Schifrin popping in for a few sessions and it's hard to imagine a funkier album on Verve's catalog. Great stuff.

REMEMBERING MAX ROACH posted by O.W.

(Editor's Note: This post was written by David Jaffe to commemorate the life, times and music of the late, great Max Roach)

Max Roach was one of jazz music's great elder statesmen until his passing on August 15th of this year. His musical advancements in drumming were on par with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie (who first brought Latin rhythms to jazz) and saxophonist Charlie Parker (who used syncopation in ways previously unimagined), with whom Roach came to prominence. Roach fronted several important bands, and it is likely that only fellow bop drumming pioneer and contemporary Art Blakey was a leader-drummer of as many significant lineups. Roach was also an outspoken activist for racial equality, a musical experimenter, and jazz educator until the end of his life.

Charlie Parker: Dexterity
From S/T (Warner Bros, 1977)

Depending on which discography one is reading, Roach first rose to prominence in the bands of Duke Ellington and Benny Carter during the early '40's, although it is likely the influence of Coleman Hawkins, one of the few greats of the Swing generation to move fluidly into the new style bop, was of the greatest significance. Most writers will point to the jam sessions at Monroe's and Minton's with Gillespie, Parker and Pianist Thelonious Monk in the mid '40's in New York as the birth of bop. The recordings that ultimately sprouted from the seeds of those jam sessions are most famously with Charlie Parker and later, Miles Davis. Listening to the early Roach recordings gives the sense of both the drum kit floating along with the music and giving it drive at the same time. It is Roach's use of the cymbal along with the bass and snare that provide the propulsive movement. The chick-a-boom rhythm of swing had always provided momentum to jazz, and in many ways is one of jazz' defining characteristics, but Roach brought a new sense of movement with his accent on cymbals and ability to layer textures of percussion that was new to jazz. 

Max Roach: Drum Conversation Pt. 2
From Autobiography In Jazz (Debut, 1954)

Charles Mingus & Thad Jones: One More
From Jazz Collaborations Vol. 1 (Debut, 1952)

In the early '50's Roach became an owner of Debut Records along with Charles Mingus, the label on which Roach would debut as a leader and which would issue the Massey Hall concert recordings. The Debut Massey Hall records are a holy grail for bop diggers, both for scarcity and for the quality of the music within the grooves. It is not hyperbole to say that the performances on this disk are some of the best in the jazz cannon; all of the players, Roach included, are in top form. Also, listen to the give-and-take stop-time soloing with Thad Jones on One More, also issued on the Debut label.

The next two major phases in Roach's career were his band with trumpeter Clifford Brown, and the remaining bands that Roach lead following Brownie's death. Brownie was a unique voice in jazz who could play solos on ballads fast and up-tempo solos slowly with a fat, warm tone, and who, despite his young age, had a style of his own. The car accident that took Brownie also killed pianist Richie Powell (great jazz pianist and fellow bop pioneer Bud Powell's brother), devastating Roach. Not only was Brownie close to Roach, but the pair shared a musical simpatico that combined the lyricism of Brown and the drive of Roach. 

Max Roach Plus Four: Lover
From Jazz in 3/4 Time (Emarcy, 1957)

With great effort Roach soldiered on after Brown's death, establishing some fantastic bands that provided Roach the opportunity to further develop his drum stylings. During this period Roach experimented with 3/4 time and with continuing to place drumming in the context of multiple, reinforcing textures. Rhythms are played on every part of the trap set, including the stands, and with a wide variety of sticks, brushes and mallets. Roach's post-Brown bands include a who's-who of great jazz musicians including Kenny Dorham, Sonny Rollins, Booker Little, Oscar Pettiford, George Coleman, and Hank Mobley. In all of these recordings, multiple rhythms are played at once on different parts of the drum set, each pattern having its own logic while still providing propulsion to a given tune. Roach was even able to play a single part of the set for an extended solo in such a way a to completely hold a listener. Check out how on the drum solo on Lover the different rhythms skip from one to the next but never loose the beat of the song as a whole.

Max Roach: Freedom Day
From We Insist! Freedom Now Suite (Candid, 1960)

Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Max Roach: Money Jungle
From Money Jungle (United Artists, 1962)

Max Roach & Archie Shepp: Suid Afrika 76
From Force (Base, 1976)

In the '60's Roach was actively involved with civil rights. He recorded several lp's, including his own We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite for Candid and Money Jungle with Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus, where the theme was pain of racial inequality. These recordings foreshadowed many of the protest records that were to follow in all styles made by Black men and women in America in the following decades. So profound were civil rights to Roach that he would continue to explore its themes for the remainder of has career, including the protest albums Force, an extended duet with Archie Shepp, The Loadstar, and Sonny Rollins' Freedom Suite. The drum solo on Freedom Day almost mimics the breaking of the shackles of slavery days, while the drum intro on Suid Afrika uses brushes to mimic the sounds and rhythms of African tribal drumming ˆ for four minutes! Money Jungle is significant because it is an Ellington tune. Ellington, one of the greatest composers in American music was not known as a protest artist, but rather as a dance-band leader and master arranger. Try to hum the melody to the Ellington composition Take the A-Train while listening to outrage expressed by all three musicians on Money Jungle.

Roach continued his career almost until his death with innovative projects like the all-drum M'Boom, experiments in free jazz, and as an educator at both the Lenox School of Jazz and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 

Certainly, a great deal of ink has used to recall Max Roach's great humanity and his profound influence on music. It is with a profound sense of both Max Roach's importance as a musician and character as a man that we say: Peace be with you, Brother Max.

--David Jaffe

Taking On Nautilus: Who Flipped It Best? posted by O.W.

Bob James: Nautilus
From One (CTI, 1974)

Lord Shafiyq: My Mic Is On Fire
From 12" (NUWR, 1987)

Main Source: Live At the BBQ
From Breaking Atoms (Wild Pitch, 1991)

Ghostface Killah: Daytona 500
From Ironman (Epic, 1996)

I had the idea for this post for quite a bit, ever since I remembered reading an interview with Bob James where he was asked what he thought about different samplings of his music. RZA's flip on "Nautlius" for "Daytona 500" drew high praise, especially because RZA transposed the sample into a different key, giving it a more sinister edge. However, RZA was the latest in line of hip-hop producers to play off "Nautilus," arguably the most popular of James' CTI-era compositions, though not the most recognizable.

I realize the three songs I picked were merely a handful out of dozens of possibilities but "Live at the BBQ" seemed like a good contrast, especially because the way Large Professor worked with "Nautilus" isn't as obvious as other uses. On the other hand, I went with Lord Shafiyq's random rap classic, "My Mic Is On Fire," because it was one of the early rap tunes to use "Nautilus" so prominently, and using one of the more striking passages at that.

KMD vs. Eric. B and Rakim: Who Flipped It Better? posted by O.W.

Bobbi Humphrey: Blacks and Blues
From Blacks and Blues (Blue Note, 1974)

KMD: Plumskinzz
From 12" (B-side of "Nitty Gritty") (Elektra, 1991)

Eric B. and Rakim: Keep the Beat
From Don't Sweat the Technique (MCA, 1992)

I wrote about the Humphrey song before, about two years back, and had this to say: "My favorite Mizell's related track though is Bobbi Humphrey's sublimely mellow "Blacks and Blues" - I love how it foregrounds Jerry Peters' beautiful piano work at the front end and Humphrey's flute floats in with a nice subtlety as does Fonce Mizell's clavinet. It's a great arrangement - memorable from jump and a song you can come back to a dozen times over and never tire of." (Note: I still feel the same way).

Of course, back in the early '90s, I didn't know much about the Mizell Bros or Bobbi Humphrey. I did know something about KMD and their sequel to "Peachfuzz." Right from jump, the beat for "Plumskinzz" caught my ear and that's no small reason why I continue to be charmed by Humphrey.

I wasn't alone - "Blacks and Blues" shows up a few other places but if you're going to go head to head with KMD, who better than Rakim Allah himself? I'm not sure how actually produced this cut (real heads know what I'm talking about) but I like how they included a vocal interpolation to go along with the original sample. The whole cut has a nice smoothness that complements Rakim's honeyed baritone well.

Ease Back: Covering the Meters Pt. 2 posted by O.W.

Grant Green: Ease Back
From Carryin' On (Blue Note, 1969)

King Herbert and the Knights With Jack Harden: Chicken Strut
From S/T (Paragon, 1970). Also on Canada's Message To The Meters

The Invaders: Look A Py Py
From Spacing Out (Duane, 196/7?)

Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band: Ease Back (snippet)
From 7" (Melting Pot Music, 2007)

In the second part in this series, I look at other covers of Meters' tunes. As noted: their sound got around, especially in the late '60s and early '70s.

This era of Grant Green's career produced many of his most celebrated soul-jazz (the genre formerly known as *hack hack* acid jazz) tunes, especially with albums like Alive! and Carryin' On. His cover of "Ease Back," backed by the indomitable Idris Muhammed on drums, is a slick interpretation of The Meters' original - it's not as raw (or brief) but it takes the core riff and puts it to good use with Green's more fluid and breezy sound.

The King Herbert flip on "Chicken Strut" is one of several Meters and funk-related covers done by a series of Canadian artists in the 1970s, all signed to the Paragon label. The original LPs by all these folks - Frank Motley being the other big name in this circle - are $200+ pieces and that high demand is no doubt influenced by the presence of covers like this (Herbert also pulls out a wicked "Hook and Sling" cover. What's the NOLA --> Canada connection about?). If you feel like parting for it, check out that anthology I linked to - good stuff all around.

The Invaders have an even Grail-ier Grail amongst funk collectors. Like the famed Xingu album from Peru, this particular LP (by a Caribbean band) draws from a range of funk influences of the era, including covers of "It's Your Thing" and "Can't Get Next To You." Their flip on "Look A Py Py" is rather outstanding, especially for that unexpected drum breakdown at the end.

Lastly, my timing for this series happened to coincide with the release of a new 7" by the folks at Melting Pot Music. The Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band's new 45 has Look A Py Py" on the A-side and a cover of "Ease Back" on the other. Just shows you: The Meters never go out of style.

Cissies Unite!: Covering The Meters Pt. 1 posted by O.W.

Trinidad Steel Band: Sissy Strut
From Super Album (Cherry Hill, 197?)

Pete Eye Trio: Sissy Strut
From S/T (Cavern, 197?)

Big Band Katowice: Madrox
From Music For My Friends (Muza, 1977)

One of the recurring songs that I'm always finding covers of is "Cissy Strut," by the Meters. Arguably the first big hit, coming on their debut Josie album, the song has found incredible resonance with artists - not just across America but across the globe. Dare I say, outside of James Brown's catalog, "Cissy Strut" might be up there with "It's Your Thing" as a funk tune from the late '60s that seemingly ends up on albums from Toronto to Tokyo; it's really quite remarkable. Just input "Cissy Strut" in iTunes and see how many covers pop up.

I've thought that part of the appeal is that The Meters really stripped funk down to its bare essence: their sound is gritty as hell, but also stark and clean - there's nothing wasted, nothing frilly about how the four group members executed their songs.

With "Cissy Strut" in particular, you have a series of great, simple riffs, beginning with George Porter's signature bass riff and then answered back by Leo Nocentelli's guitar. Underneath it all, Zigaboo Modeliste dredges those heavy drums. It's not a hard song to cover (though it's very hard to do anything that approaches the intensity of the original).

As I said - there are literally dozens upon dozens of "Cissy Strut" covers. I'm merely pulling out a few samples but this only scratches the surface. To begin with, the Trinidad Steel Band cover was probably one of the first "int'l" covers I ever heard. What's remarkable here is that steel drum bands often lack a conventional drum kit but it's clear that this group had someone on the sticks to accompany and that makes a huge difference in giving the song a more solid percussive ground to stand on. The fidelity is lo-fo but I'm patient with that, especially given how much fun this cover is to listen to as an island-funk take on the Meters.

The Pete Eye Trio version comes from a private press album out of Kansas City (there's also a fairly good cover of "Dem Changes" on there too). This time, the Trio replaces the bassline with the same riff played on on electric piano which is a slick little touch. I also like the liberties they take with the arrangement, especially in playing with that core riff. The song does get a bit noodly at times (hey, it's a private press jazz album) but I like the bass solo in the middle. But what? No drum solo? Booo.

Lastly, we have "Madrox," a late '70s jazz-funk tune out of Poland (purveyors of many a good jazz-funk tune). Even though its not credited as such, it's very clear that the first part of the song (which returns at the end) is bitten straight from "Cissy Strut." But first, sit through those wicked Latin drums, playing at double-speed. In contrast to the previous song, this song isn't lacking for drums at all - they're bleeding out the ears in percussion.

By the way, one of my favorite, favorite "Cissy Strut" covers is on a Hoctor 45 (see my previous "Jazz Instruction Records" posts). Sizzlin'!

In the second installment, we'll look at some other Meters covers (besides "Cissy Strut!)"

Primo vs... Primo?: Which Flip Is Better? posted by O.W.

Caesar Frazier: Funk It Up
From 75 (Eastbound, 1975)

Gang Starr: Ex Girl to the Next Girl
From Daily Operation (Chrysalis, 1992)

Gang Starr: Speak Ya Clout
From Hard to Earn (Chrysalis, 1994)

I thought it'd be fun, for a change of pace, to pit a producer against himself. In this case, DJ Premier sampled two different portions from the same original source: "Funk It Up" from Caesar Frazier's other Eastbound album, 75. (I put this up a little over 2 years ago. Fans of this series will get a kick out of the first line of that old post. Looks like I've backed off my own policy, at least for the time being).

Personally, I like that a producer would go back to a once-used source and find a new way to flip it (better than Marley putting out both "Ain't No Half Steppin" then "Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag"...one of the stranger re-uses I've heard). There's a rather obvious Dilla example of this too which I might throw up at some point.

What's so striking in this case though is how utterly different the two uses sound which reflects the differences in the portions of Frazier's original. It's unexpected that a single source would yield such contrasting sonic styles.

Buckwild vs. Beatnuts: Who Flipped It Better? posted by O.W.

Cal Tjader: Morning
From Agua Dulce (Fantasy, 1971). Also on Descarga!.

O.C. and Buckwild: What I Represent
From America Is Dying Slowly (Elektra, 1996)

The Beatnuts: Fluid
From white label 12" (?, 1997?)

For this latest installment, I'm rolling with 1) one of my favorite Cal Tjader songs, 2) one of my favorite O.C. songs, 3) one of my favorite Buckwild productions and 4) one of my favorite Beatnuts' productions/songs. And as fate would have it: it's all based around the same song...

Cal Tjader first recorded (I believe) "Morning" for his Soul Burst album but he re-recorded a different version, this one with a vocal chorus accompaniment, for Agua Dulce, a surprisingly difficult title of his to find despite being on Fantasy. Both versions are nice...just sublimely mellow, but I've always been more partial to the Agua Dulce version just for the vocal touch.

Apparently, Buckwild liked it a lot too since he looped this up for "What I Represent," a stand-out, yet slept-on, song from the American Is Dying Slowly soundtrack. This was back when O.C. was still like the Promised One for a lot of cats and between his lyrical content, the beat and that chorus built off Ike White and Q-Tip, the whole song was something lovely, lovely, lovely.

About a year after that, this white label of supposedly unreleased Street Level-era songs surfaced. I've heard, from some corners, that there was an official Relativity test-pressing that had three of these songs, including "Fluid" on it that came out around 1995 but I've yet to see anyone confirm its actual existence. That said, "Fluid" definitely sounds like it could have been on Street Level and it takes the "Morning" loop and juices it up more uptempo (note: I'm pretty sure the version of "Morning" here is from Soul Burst). A different style and sound from Buckwild's approach.

Discuss!

Marley Marl/Craig G vs. Puff Daddy/Biggie: Who Flipped It Better? posted by O.W.

Lou Donaldson: Who's Making Love
From Hot Dog (Blue Note, 1969). Also on Blue Note Breaks V. 1.

Marley Marl feat. Craig G: Droppin' Science
From In Control Vol. 1 (Cold Chillin, 1988). Also on Droppin' Science - The Best of Cold Chillin'.

Notorious B.I.G.: One More Chances (Hip Hop Remix)
From "One More Chance" 12" (Bad Boy, 1995)

I still remember the first time I heard the "Hip Hop Remix" of "One More Chance" and my thought process went something like this, "goddamn, this is hot...but kind of familiar...why is that?" Back in '95, Puffy hadn't quite become the beat-jackin' villain that people accused him of by the late '90s but there were more than a few heads being scratched given that BOTH remixes of "One More Chance" were using beats that had already been put out.

The more obvious comparison was the "One More Chance/Stay With Me" remix since it used the exact same DeBarge loop that Big L had just put out a few months earlier on "MVP" (production by Lord Finesse) though Biggie had a far, far bigger hit with the track than Big L ever saw. In the case of the "Hip Hop Remix," it had been a good seven years since Craig G had lit up the same track on "Droppin' Science" (arguably one of his greatest moments in a career that never caught fire like it possibly could have).

I should also add that this whole era was like one long Donaldson-love fest for producers. In general, the Blue Note late '60s/early '70s era was being torn through but Donaldson was practically the undisputed go-to artist for loops and breaks. Good times, good times.

And before I get comments full of "and [insert artist/producer here] used this same loop too!"...yeah dudes, we know. I was tempted to include both "Hot Sex" and the "Kaught in the Ak" remix but opted out mostly because 1) I've already featured Primo and ATCQ (though I'll inevitably end up bringing them back and 2) I always liked the idea of a Craig G vs. Biggie head-to-head.

Q-Tip vs. The Beatnuts: Who Flipped It Better? posted by O.W.

Monty Alexander: Love and Happiness
From Rass (MPS, 1974). Also on Strange Funky Games and Things

Apache: Gangsta B----
From Gangsta B---- (Tommy Boy, 1992)

The Beatnuts: Let Off a Couple
From Street Level (Relativity, 1994)

The Heath Brothers: Smilin' Billy Suite Pt. 2
From Marchin' On! (Strata East, 1976)

The Beatnuts: Ya Don't Stop
From Street Level (Relativity, 1994)

Nas: One Love
From Illmatic (Columbia, 1994)

I'm sure this is just sheer coincidence (or...is it?!) but in both these cases, The Beatnuts and Q-Tip both sampled the same songs...but used different parts of them to craft their beats. With the use of "Love and Happiness" (a lovely cover by the way), one could propose that the Beatnuts, not wanting to use the same part of the song that Q-TIp did for Apache's song from two years earlier, settled on a different portion of it.

With "One Love" vs. "Ya Don't Stop" though, they came out so close to one another, it could just be blind chance that they picked the same song but different sections. Whichever the case though, it does make measuring them against one another more intriguing.

---

Gilles Peterson giveaway update:
The correct answers were 1) Darondo's "Didn't I" on Music City and 2) Lonnie Hewitt on Wee. East Bay, represent!
Winners: Allen T., Adam D, and Talbot Y.
Congrats!

Learning To Boogie: Dance Instruction Records Pt. 1 posted by O.W.

Johnny Frigo: Do Whatever Sets You Free
From Collected Works (Ubiquity, 2002)

Luigi: Kick & Luigi Strut
From Jazz Class With Luigi (Hoctor, 196/7?)

Artist Unknown: Scorpio
From 7" (Hoctor, 197?)

Artist Unknown: Swahili Boogie
From Dance Bandstand (Statler, 197?)

Dance instruction records are like the poor man's library records (except that some of them are not that cheap) but they share some important similarities. For one, they were targeted at a specialized audience and though some dance records might have been sold to the general public, most of them were marketed directly to dance schools and teachers.

Also, many were recorded by anonymous (or minimally credited) studio players and though it probably wasn't a huge prestige gig, as with library records, there was a good deal of latitude given to the bands to whip out whatever they wanted. Since these weren't for pop music play (and few featured lyrics), you'd imagine the recording dates had a jam session vibe to them and especially since they were made for dance, it was all about the rhythm section letting loose. That's not to say all dance instruction records were informal or thrown together. Indeed, many had very specific themes, though less driven by musical conceits and more by the kind of dance exercises or activities they were meant to score.

The result is that dance instruction records, especially from the 1970s, are a good source for funky instrumental tracks from off-the-beaten-path. I'm, by no means, an ardent collector of them though I'm always happy to add another title to the library given their quirky nature.

The best known artist has been Chicago's Johnny Frigo who worked on a modest handful of albums with dance teacher Gus Giordano for the Orion label. The Frigo/Giordano albums are notoriously expensive (especially compared to other dance labels) but you're paying for the quality and not just scarce quantity. Luckily, Ubiquity compiled most of the best Frigo/Giordano songs on a single anthology a few years back (our friends Egon and Cool Chris worked on that project). Frigo's work is also, in my opinion, the least obviously "instructional," and stand, quite well, on their own as soul-jazz compositions regardless of what their ostensible purpose was.

The best known label - amongst record nerds - is Hoctor which has, and continues to, released hundreds of dance instruction albums over the decades. Hoctor LPs are, in my experience, the most likely to turn up of all the major dance labels but that doesn't mean all their titles are equally easy to find. There's a few titles that can easily run $100+ on the private market and in my opinion, the cost is justified. However, that doesn't mean all Hoctor titles are worth the trouble; though for many of their 1970s titles, you could often tell from the album cover or tracklisting if you held genuine gold or vinyl coal.

Jazz Class With Luigi is the most common funky Hoctor title I've seen in the field and I'm assuming it's because it was pressed up in higher numbers than other titles. Luigi is a dance instructor of considerable note (Janet Pidoux whose song appears later in the playlist trained with him, for example) and for this album at least, his conception of jazz dance centered on any number of surprisingly funk backbeats to drive the rhythm section. That band, by the way, is the Stan Rubin Orchestra and bow down to a female drummer - Julie Epstein - who anchors those beats.

As suggested, the Hoctor catalog runs deep; the songs I chose barely skim the surface and I'm holding back on some of the heaviest titles but definitely look for Byron Peterson's Jazz Rock USA and any of the Robin Hoctor LPs from the era (I know of at least two). You could do very well by just their 7" releases alone. They have one of my favorite covers of "Cissy Strut" ever and this included version of Dennis Coffey's "Scorpio" does a solid job on covering the b-boy classic (Frigo does a killer version of the song as well). I'm not sure if this appears on a Hoctor LP or is a 7" only single. If anyone knows what LP this or "Cissy Strut" appears on, let me know? Not sure which band is playing on here either - it's not credited.

Statler, like Hoctor, produced dozens (if not hundreds) of dance instruction albums as well though, in my experience, their distribution was notably smaller and it's much harder to find their titles in an ordinary record store. I've also found that Statler is much less reliable for funky tunes but it could just be that the albums I've heard have been the weaker out of the catalog. Frank Hatchett has a series of Afro-Cuban-driven Statler titles which I think could be promising but his Soul Jazz album - despite appearing like it'd be killer - is marred by bad rock guitar that ruins the otherwise excellent percussion work. "Swahili Boogie" comes off a more recent addition, out of stack of Statler titles my friend came upon. My copy of the LP didn't have the actual cover so I don't know who the players on this album are which is a shame because the percussionist is killing it on here.

Part 2 in this series nods to some kids' dance music plus a few examples of dance instruction tunes from outside the U.S.

Premier vs. Beatminerz: Who Flipped It Better? posted by O.W.

The Blackbyrds:
From Cornbread, Earl and Me Soundtrack (Fantasy, 1975). Also on Lovebyrds.

Gang Starr: Say Your Prayers
From Step Into the Arena (Chrysalis, 1991)

The Roots: Silent Treatment (Beatminerz Remix)
From "Silent Treatment" 12" (Geffen, 1995)

I've had this idea for a long time but had forgotten about it until I had cause to listen to Gang Starr's Step Into the Arena the other day. I had always remembered "Say Your Prayers" back in the day mostly because I loved the sample but it was also a short song and left me wanting more. I was pleasantly surprised a few years later when the Beatminerz remixed "Silent Treatment" by The Roots and used the same loop: the moody, mellow "Wilford's Gone" by the Blackbyrds.

Normally, in these situations, I felt like the nod goes to the originator but that rule of thumb has so many exceptions to it (see the uses of "Hydra" by Grover Washington or "Nautilus" by Bob James for excellent examples of how later uses improved upon earlier attempts) that it deserved a re-evaluation. So here you go: part one in a series of side by side comparisons, beginning with a heavyweight face-off between Primo and Mr. Walt/Evil Dee.

Gilles Peterson: Still Digging America posted by O.W.

Lorez Alexandria: I'm Wishin'
From Didn't We (Pzazz, 1968)

R.A.M.P.: The Old One, Two
From 12" (previously unreleased) (Ubiquity, 2007)

Both from: Gilles Peterson Digs America 2 (Luv N' Haight, 2007)

Bonus: Lorez Alexandria: Talk About Cozy
From Didn't We (Pzazz, 1968)

The inaugural volume of the Digs America series was one of our favorite comps of 2005 and now Gilles is back again with another romp through the rarities of musical Americana. To call his tastes "eclectic" is quite the understatement...Peterson has some obvious likes - vocal jazz dominates this volume, even more than last time - but he'll throw all kinds of curves, from the teeny, wispy voice of R&B singer Carrie Cleveland on the Bay Area ballad, "Make Love to Me" to the brassy jazz noodlings of Gap Mangione on "Boys With Toys" to rip-roaring femme funk of Detroit's Dee Edwards and her "Why Can't There Be Love" (btw, I really need that single). It's all good, good stuff.

I'll say this much too: he always knows how to pick his first songs to lead the comp. The last volume kicked off with Darondo's "Didn't I" (mmmmmmmmmm) and this one leads with Lorez Alexandria's sultry "I'm Wishin'." Why can't whole albums sound like this and not just one, errant track (see below though)? So smoky I'm catching lung cancer off the vibes.

With the R.A.M.P. (Roy Ayers Music Project) track, this is a previously unreleased song from the vaults that Ubiquity recently put out on 12" (and it's sold out already!) I'll be honest...I initially wasn't really feeling this, mostly because I was expecting "Daylight" vs. a more disco-fied track but when I got Gilles' comp in and was listening to it, I found myself drawn into the mezmerizing loop of the tune and realized: hey, this is actually much better than I initially gave it credit for. Try it, you might like it too.

For a bonus, I threw on an extra cut from the Alexandria LP (which has, by the one, one of the coolest covers I've seen for a vocal jazz album). It's not at the level of marvel that "I'm Wishin'" inspires but Lorez still sounds great on this; makes me yearn for the days of hanging out in jazz lounges that never happened. Cozy indeed.

---

GIVEAWAY!!!

Ubiquity Records has three copies of the Gilles Peterson CD to give away to Soul Sides readers. You know the deal...I ask a question, you send the correct answer to me. I pick winners out of the correct answers.

1) Please make your subject line: "Gilles Peterson giveaway"
2) Please answer the following question: On Volume 1 of Digs America, two of the songs featured were from local Bay Area labels. Name the artists, songs and labels that they originally appeared on.

Good luck! Folks have until week's end to get their answers in.

Endings posted by O.W.

As some of you probably know, Joe Zawinul passed away yesterday and given my recent posting about electric piano, it seemed apt to pay a small tribute to one of the masters. Here's two songs that, for both personal and historical reasons, always stand out when I think about Zawinul and his contribution to the music world. R.I.P.



Cannonball Adderley: Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

From Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Blue Note, 1966)




In that NPR piece I linked to, Herbie Hancock pays Joe a remarkable tribute by noting that, as a White European, Zawinul managed to compose a song that spoke to an African American spiritual and musical tradition as rich as anything Hancock had heard from a Black artist. For years, I always assumed Cannonball had come up with this one and was genuinely blown away to learn that it was actually Zawinul's tune.

Weather Report: American Tango

From Mysterious Traveller (Columbia, 1974)