washerman's dog: RB

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

Good Vibrations 1-2: Jazz and Funk

Nothing dramatic just some good vibrations in jazz, funk, soul and R&B. The first two volumes of collection known as The Vibe!

The Vibe! Vol 1 -- Hypnotic Grooves, Hard Bop and Modal Jazz

Track Listing:

01 Estate' 61 [Quartetto di Lucca]

02 Jambo [Guy Lafitte Jazz Combo]

03 Lotar [Quintetto Basso-Valdambrini]

04 Five, Four and Three [Lee Konitz]

05 125th St. and 7th Ave [Oliver Nelson]

06 Take Ten [Paul Desmond]

07 Got No Money [Dusko Gojkovic]

08 Concerto For Billy The Kid [Georges Russell and his Smalltet]

09 Greensleeves [Paul Horn]

10 Ode to Trane [Harold Vick]

11 Tijuana Gift Shop [Charlie Mingus]

12 A Night in Tunisia [Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers]

13 Monotonia [Sestetto Basso-Valdambrini]

here

The Vibe! Vol 2 -- Ghetto Funk, Sweet Soul and Classic Breaks

Track Listing:

01 Shape Your Mind to Die [Leon Thomas]

02 Action Speaks Louder Than Words [Chocolate Milk]

03 Would You Believe in Me [Jon Lucien]

04 A Chance for Peace [Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes]

05 Elevate Our Minds [Linda Williams]

07 Mama Soul [Harold Alexander]

08 Oops Here I Go Again [Edna Wright]

09 Do Something For Yourself [Weldon Irvine]

10 Wild Party [Tito Duarte]

11 Ain't No Change [New Birth]

12 Sunshine Holiday [Carolyn Franklin]

13 God Made Me Funky [The Headhunters]

here

Friday, November 9, 2012

Friday Night Special: R&B, Funk, Soul Mixtape

Friday night. A little mixtape of some classy Rhythm and Blues, Soul and Funk for the weekend.

Enjoy!

Track Listing:

01 (Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away [Dr. John]

02 Rainy Night In Georgia (Feat. Chris Botti) [Aaron Neville]

03 September 13th [Deodata]

04 Give It Up or Turn It a Loose [James Brown]

05 F.U.N.K.[Betty Davis]

06 Black Wonders of the World [Billy Paul]

07 Funky John [Johnny Cameron and the Camerons]

07 I Love You, I Need You [Otis Clay]

08 Below The Funk (Pass The J)

09 One More Chance On Love [Candy Stanton]

10 The Bravest Man In The Universe [Bobby Womack]

11 Crazy Love [Ray Charles and Van Morrison]

12 Bridge Over Troubled Water [King Curtis]

13 Below the Funk (Pass the J) [Rick James]

14 How Strong is a Woman [Ann Peebles]

15 Cadillac Jack [Andre Williams]

16 Soul Power [James Brown]

17 Calling [Raphael Saadiq]

18 Hello Stranger [Barbara Lewis]

19 I'm Coming Out {Chic-Mix) [Diana Ross]

20 Soulville [Aretha Franklin]

21 Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)

21 Little Ghetto Boy [Donny Hathaway]

22 Talkin [Brass Construction]

23 Runnin' [Amerigo Gazaway of Gummy Soul]

24 Right Place, Wrong Time [Ray J]

25 Stay In My Corner [The Dells]

26 Washington D.C. [Gil Scott-Heron]

27 Misty Blue [Fiji]

28 Lady Doctor [Johnny Robinson]

30 What a Man [Linda Lyndell]

31 Come On In [Sam and Dave]

here

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Sweet, no matter how you define it: Ivan Joe 'Boogaloo' Jones

Boogaloo is a term with several meanings. Officially, they say, it refers to a type of dance music born in Spanish Harlem in the 1960s. In some parts of Canada, a boogaloo is a beat up rust-bucket of a car as in, ‘where did you get that boogaloo?’ Other frightened types, say the word is the best way to describe African Americans, or anything they consider dodgy.

Ivan Joe Jones, was a R&B, blues guitarist whose music lived in the shifting sands that demarcate jazz from funk. Jones, is quite a common name and so is Joe. And in music there were quite a few other players with similar names. Especially, the jazz drummer, Philly Joe Jones. Ivan, was not so famous but just in case one day he became so, he wanted everyone to understand that he was not be confused with the other guy. So he inserted the title ‘Boogaloo’ into his name. Ivan is what the musical authorities call a journeyman. His music was solid but ‘not outstanding’. He played with many jazz and R&B greats and made a whole series of great records in the 60’s and 70’s.

Ivan Joe 'Boogaloo' Jones

Now, for me, the term ‘boogaloo’ has always meant fast or quick. And clearly that is what Ivan brings to the definition, because he playing is often like quicksilver. Running up and down the neck of his guitar with single note annunciation second to none. Listen to the fierce but absolutely joyous playing on You've Got It Bad, Girl to see what I’m talking about. Stunning stuff. It this is merely solid playing then even George Benson has to be considered a journeyman too.

Sweetback is an album from the mid-1970s . It has all the lush life of that era--soaring saxes, loungey flutes and strings, ample (but unexpected) covers of big hits (Jamaica Farewell)—as well as, of course, Ivan Joe’s finger’s boogalooing each song forward. Plump, sweet and funky! Perfect for any occasion.

Track Listing:

01 Confusion

02 Trouble In Mind

03 Sweetback

04 Have You Ever Been Mellow

05 Jamaica Farewell

06 You've Got It Bad, Girl

here

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Short Stack of Stax: Soul Sisters and Issac Hayes

When I worked in the restaurant business we used to sell an item called a short stack. This was two pancakes loaded with lots of whipped butter and hot sweet syrup.

Which is how you should think of these two selections tonight. The first is a collection of absolutely top notch, Grade A southern Memphis soul, as defined by Stax Records of Memphis, by some of the hottest and sweetest female voices this side of Aretha. You may or may not have heard their music before (I had only heard of Carla Thomas) but over the years these soul sisters have indeed become familiar companions. There is pleading, justifying, ranting, hollering and lullabying a plenty in this collection!

Track Listing: Stax Soul Sisters
01 It Ain't No Fun [Shirley Brown]

02 Short Stopping [Veda Brown]

03 You Made Me a Woman [Barbara Lewis]

04 What a Man [Linda Lydell]

05 Guide Me Well [Carla Thomas]

06 Since I Fell for You [Mavis Staples]

08 Mr. Big Stuff [Jean Knight]

09 Running Out [Mabel John]

10 Your Sweet Lovin' [Margie Joseph]

11 You've Got a Cushion to Fall [Carla Thomas]

12 The Time [Inex Foxx]

13 You Think You're Hot Stuff [Jean Knight]

here

The buttery part of the short stack comes in the somewhat obvious selection Hot Buttered Soul by the Stax producer, writer and ace superstar of the early 1970s, Issac Hayes. It is always good to replay the classics from time to time and lately I can't get enough of the very cool Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic. The 70's had a lot going for them but the decade also brought us prog rock. And Issac Hayes, ever the experimenter and pioneer, seems determined to push/explore the limits of white pop (Walk on By; By the Time I Get to Phoenix) while flirting with the self indulgent prog rocker's sensibility of songs extending into the timeframes of a symphonic movement. The shortest track on this album clocks in at 5:11 minutes.

This album was Mr Haye's foot in the door of the crack in the culture. No one has quite managed to make Jimmy Webb sound so brilliant and so edgy. Not to mention sweet, hot and buttery!

Pass the syrup please!

Track Listing: Hot Buttered Soul
01. Walk on By
02. Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic
03. One Woman
04. By the Time I Get to Phoenix

here