TITLE: Doing What Comes Naturally
ARTIST: Charles Wright
LABEL: Dunhill 1973

This is one of favorite records to listen to. You know you got those records with like 1 good track or sample, but this 2 lp recording has a continuous groove throughout.

The title track is an upbeat soul/funk classic. The fuzzy bass and upbeat lyrics are sure to turn the party out. You can't front, this shit will have thugs smilin. "You are the One for Me" has a hard, stripped-down bassline and drum backing and nice laid back lyrics, also a party favorite. Like I said, almost everything on here has a catchy groove. I think there's even a Tribe sample in the beginning of "Mother's Love."

Above all, what I like most about this album is the upbeat vibe. This shit is happy music. We pump it at the Lab when we have all-niters. Even the ballads got a groove to them, perfect for staring into space when you're feeling bezerk.

TITLE: Jazz Confronto
ARTIST: Roy Haynes
LABEL: 1975

This album comes from a Italian series of Jazz albums. This one is number 29. It's a live session recorded in 75 in Rome, Italy. The other ones I've seen around have been pretty much boring straight jazz. This one is also pretty boring except for the monster funk track "Guadalupe."

Roy Haynes was mainstay in the 60s jazz scene. He played with everyone famous (Monk, Coltrane) and had a series of solo albums for the Mainstream label. Although primarily known for straight jazz drumming, on this cut Roy lays down some severely funky beats. "Guadalupe" starts of with very hard rolling drum break (sample dis!) then the bass and wah guitar come even harder, then this crazy horn section loop brings down the house. I sound stupid illiterate right now, but that's just how this track is. The group jams on Roy's hard drums for about 6 minutes (this track is long). Then about 3/4s through Roy bursts into a heavy drum solo (lot of break snippets) and just when you think he's going over the edge, he brings back the drum break he starts off with. The band comes in again, but this time a little more mellow. This section could be a funky jem on it's own.

If you ever see this record pick it up. These European funk joints are rare and I've only seen one other copy. I think "Guadalupe" was issued one of those break comps recently.

TITLE: Talk to My Lady
ARTIST: Gene Russell
LABEL: Black Jazz 1973

Once again on the famed Black Jazz label. Gene Russell was the founder of this label and this is one of the label's earliest releases. Gene is known for his production skills (he produced most of the Black Jazz label), but he is also known for his soulful piano and fender playing. He has a very similar sound to that of Blue Note's Gene Harris.

On this album the cut to catch is "Get Down." This track is a beat-digger's classic. The track stars of with a funkier than your grandma in shorts Henry Franklin bassline. It brings shivers down my spine every time I hear it. Then the drums roll in, and funk madness begins. The drum and bass groove for a bar or two slightly off kilter, but straight up head nodding. Then Gene lays down some nice licks then proceeds to the tear down the roof with some real soul-jazz piano playing. He builds a funk hut, then at the height of it, the track comes back to the original bass and drums (I love it when tracks do that).

The rest of the tracks aren't as memorable as "Get Down," but the album is worth it for that track alone.

TITLE: Savage! Super Soul Soundtrack
ARTIST: Don Julian
LABEL: Money 1972

Super-rare, super-expensive 70s' blaxploitation soundtrack on the west-coast label Money. I've never actually seen the movie, but judging by the tagline ("on the streets or on the sheets, he's a savage!"), it seems pretty righteous.

This is the work of funky guitar-man Don Julian. I've heard people describe the sound of this album as being similar to the S.O.U.L. sound. The title track is huge, it takes the intensity of "Theme from Shaft" and flips it over and over. There are multiple beat changes with some hard funky drumming. This track makes me want to do some WWF shit. "My Favorite Beer Joint" is a soul stomp with some blazing organ and sax solos.

The rest of the album is a lot more downtempo, but very funky. Almost every track has got some funky flute playing and head nodding bass lines. Check out "Lay it on Your Head" for funky flute work that goes into a minute long bass-only interlude.

Big up to the salvation Army. Found this one there for a buck.

TITLE: Cotton Comes to Harlem Soundtrack
ARTIST: Galt McDermot
LABEL: Kilmarnock 1970

Galt is one of those weird musicians that beat diggers love. He's widely known publicly for doing the score for "Hair," but to beat diggers, he's that weird white guy who makes some weird shh. He did a lot of obscure soundtracks (mostly on Kilarmonrock), played in some experimental outfits (Nucleus), and even teamed up with drummer Bernard Purdie. He got props in the hip-hop world for his track "Space" from the "Woman is Sweeter" Soundtrack which was used in Busta's "Woo-Ha" almost in it's entirety.

This isn't one of Galt's stronger works. It's a little over-produced compared to his other works. I picked it partially because the cover art is some of the best 70's illustration I've seen. That shit is butter.

There are a few good tracks on here. The most catchy is "Harlem Medley" that changes composition, not even on beat, 4 times. The first section of this track is some N'awlins twang guitar and drum break funk very similar to the Meters' sound. " Stockyard" is an erie instrumental with some spooky keyboard noises that Reminds me of a Gravediggaz track.

TITLE: Makin Waves
ARTIST: George Semper
LABEL: Riverside 1968

George Semper is a serious soul jazz brother from the west coast. This LP consists of about a dozen short funky tracks. Lot of cool song titles like : "Collard Greens; Hog Maws and Cabbage; Corn Bread and Chitlins."

To beat diggers this LP is know for the jem drums on his version of "Get Out My Life Woman." The whole track is a jem and the famous break appears twice on the track. Hard snare, hard kick, and clicking high hat make this break perfect for producers. I think Beatnuts used it in "Off the Books."

Semi-rare and usually overpriced.

TITLE: Wild!
ARTIST: The Afro-Latin Soultet
LABEL: Tower 1968

Found this record somewhere in Nevada for a buck while on my trip cross country (nyc to sf). This album has a tight west-coast afro-latin-jazz sound. You can compare to the works of the Afro Blues Quintet, except with a harder groove (A lot of the players on here have connections to the Afro Blues Quintet).

Tracks include "I couldn't Live Without Your Love; Afro Breed; Afro Freakout; Afro Soul; The Sheik." A solid play throughout. Most of the tracks are characterized by Latin/Soul Jazz vibe thing with lost of deep percussion, funky flute, and belly booming bass. I especially like the track "Better Get Ready" with it's groovy instrumentation and the vocals telling his woman to get ready: "You lost your hair?"

Last week me, Jasper, and Nick were dancing real bugged to this shh.

TITLE: Spark Plug
ARTIST: Melvin Sparks
LABEL: Prestige 1972

Melvin is when you give a girl a wedgie in the front. Melvin Sparks is a hot damn guitar player. He is was the guitar fire behind many Prestige and Blue Note jazz-funk recordings. Rare groove collectors can't seem to get enough of his Westbound recordings (Texas Twister is super rare). His Prestige solo joints (Akilah, Sparks) are easier to find but still pretty scarce.

This is his second Prestige joint with another all-star line-up of trumpeter Virgil Jones, a younger pre-CTI Grover Washington, organ brother Leon Spencer and of course the man who puts the "boom" in boom-bangin', Idris Muhammed.

Spark Plug is known for the monster remake of Kool & the Gang's "Who's Gonna Take the Weight." Idris is the star here with some changing heavy drum breaks. The production here actually pushes Idris drums to the top of the recording and of course that sweet Kool & the Gang melody fuses nicely with his boom. "Spark Plug" is also a hot track with Sparks showcasing his fire on a steadier beat. Side two is more laid back smooth guitar, reminiscent of Boogaloo Joe Jones earlier works.

TITLE: 93' Til Infinity
ARTIST: Souls of Mischief
LABEL: Jive 1993

On mine and everybody else's top ten list. Too bad the Souls never matched this classic record.

My favorite track (although all are on point) is "Anything can Happen." That spy beat, the lyrics, the storytelling.

This is the blue vinyl edition. Saw kids on e-bay pay $100 for it! What the hell is goin on?

TITLE: Just Hangin Out
ARTIST: Main Source
LABEL: Wild Pitch 1991

Probably one of the most classic singles from the golden years of hip hop. "Just Hanging Out" remix is a production classic. The Sister Nancy "Bam Bam" loop is catchy like a prostitute on 9th street. I like to play the instrumental at parties and watch all the girls get down and dirty during the beat breakdown.

Flip it over and you got one of those classic crew tracks that the early 90s was known for : "Live at the Barbecue." Once again, another production classic with that hype beat and the riot ensuing "hooo."

"When I was 12, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus."
-Nasty Nas

This line in Barbecue is historic, cause it opened up lyricism to a new level. Nas' debut verse combined the wordplay of a Native Tongues' verse, the street ingenuity of a Kool G verse, and a smooth delivery never heard before.

Black Jesus causing seizures
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