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Limited repress of Hendrix's 1970 live album with Buddy Miles and Billy Cox from the new "Capitol Vaults" reissue series. Each title in the series is faithfully restored to audiophile sound quality standards and pressed on heavy duty 180g red vinyl. The...
expand review album comes in a faithful reproduction jacket and includes "Machine Gun(1)," "Message to Love(2)," "Power of Soul(3)" and the Miles-penned "Changes(4)" and "We Gotta Live Together(5)." -Van Hammersly
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Bataan's an interesting guy. A half-Pinoy Black dude who grew up in a solidly Puerto Rican neighborhood, he coined the term "salsoul" and was responsible for one of the first rap tunes ever put to wax ("Rap-O Clap-O"). He's never had any...
expand review problem mixing and inventing new styles, even back in 1968 when this LP was released. So here you get tracks like the opener "It's A Good Feeling(1)," a 7-minute soul session that owes as much to Motown as it does to El Barrio, leading into the straight doo-wop "For Your Love." Bataan and the kick-ass band then easily switch gears for some Palmieri-inspired hard salsa ("Muneca," the hot "Pa'Monte(2)" and "Mambo De Bataan(3)"), before getting to what have proved to be the lasting cuts from this set: "What Good Is A Castle(4)" and "Ordinary Guy(5)." Re-recorded numerous times in his career, these gut-wrenching soul songs are unique. I can only think of something like Syl Johnson's "Is It Because I'm Black" to compare to them in intensity. "Castle" changes tempos halfway to a charging, horn heavy beast, while "Ordinary Guy" is a song the Truth & Soul / Daptone camps could die happy after making. Pure deep soul perfection. Nine songs total. -monk
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John Patton's albums are some of my favorite in the Blue Note catalog. Whereas most organ players of the time where into masturbatory organ solos (see any Groove Holmes album), Patton crafted balanced songs that gave shine to his fellow players. Grant...
expand review Green takes front stage on the title track(1), while you can tell Bobby Hutcherson's influence comes to the front on the airy "Latona(2)." To lead off the b-side, Patton covers another Blue Note gem, Hank Mobley's "Turnaround(3)," a fiery uptempo number that Green lights up and smokes. In fact, if you didn't know better, you'd think this was a Grant Green album. Lastly, check out the closer"One Step Ahead(4)." 6 tracks in all. Do I need to even mention the beautiful cover at this point? -the mgmnt
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Heliocentrics opened the doors or a whole new kind of funk movement this year, and Now-Again is about to blow that door into a portal with this release. Introducing Karl Hector & The Malcouns. The band is a kind of super group...
expand review comprised of the leader of the Funk Pilots, Karl Hector, plus Jay Whitfield from Poets Of Rhythm and Thomas Myland and Zdenko Curlija, the founders of longtime Soul Fire associates the Malcouns. The result is a kind of funk gumbo that blends psychedelic, Afro-beat and Southern funk sounds into an entirely new kind of experience. The album is meant to be listened to in its entirety, complete with intros and abstract transitions. Here are my suggestions, but like I said, it's best as a whole. Check the goods: "Nyx(1)," "Followed Path(2)," "Sahara Swing(3)," "Debere(4)," "Jabore Pt. 3(5)," "Mellow - Version(6)," "Rush Hour(7)," and "Passau Run(8)." Listen for impeccable drum kits, thick with funky basslines, classic solos, and a rhythm section that lives for the pocket. Highly recommended. -C'mish
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This Omaha outfit has emerged as one of the retroactive leaders among funk bands so obscure their own friends had barely heard of them, being "rediscovered" a generation later. You gotta hand it to Egon, PB Wolf and them, they sure...
expand review are tenacious with this shit! But if not for them, we would be denied both the ambitious funk and fascinating story behind the LA Carnival, and their biracial drummer/leader Lester Abrams, extensively detailed in the liner notes. During a magical two-year spell between 1969 and 1971 (the utter apex of the obscure-funk-45 culture, as well as lots of other types of music), they laid down a series of tough and forward-looking tracks. Of these, only "Color(1)" ever made it to wax at the time. But the rest of their material, such as "Flyin'(2)," "We'd Like To Pose A Question(3)" and the excellent "Blind Man(4)" display a savoir-faire that sometimes recalls a rawer version of early Tower Of Power. The lyrics, mostly an outgrowth of Abrams' experience as a racially-ambiguous young man in the Midwest of the 60s, are sharp and thought-provoking. A lot of similar bands from this era whose singles now fetch outrageous sums don't do much stylistically beyond basic hard funk. LA Carnival, however, display an admirable flexibility on songs like "Can You Hum A Tune(5)," which has a nice acoustic intro with vague folk and Latin tinges. "Black Man's March(6)" is another track where this band reaches beyond the usual arrangement styles and continues to confront the day's cultural and political issues head on. 10 tracks total and definitely an album worth checking out. Gatefold pressing. -gregcaz
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One of Prestige's finest jazz-funk releases from the early 70s. The balance of this recording is still leans more heavily on the jazz side a la Blue Note breaks. "The Slide(1)" opens up the album nicely with crisp drumming by Idris Muhammad...
expand review and fiery horn play by Virgil Jones and Grover Washington. The funk centerpiece here is the cover of the Meter's "Message From The Meters(2)." Once again, Idris kills it, but also check out Melvin Sparks subtle guitar play. Lastly, check out the beautiful "5-10-15-20(3)," one of those super-feelgood jazz tracks that belongs in a soundtrack. 6 tracks in all. -the mgmnt
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Of all the jazz-funk period Blue Notes, this one may have been the most in-demand. It has everything going for it: The striking sky blue cover with Lonnie Smith and scarved female hanging out the skyroof of his caddie; the genius typeface...
expand review treatment; and a high profile Tribe sample (Can I Kick It) on Lonnie's version of "Spinning Wheel(1)." So much so, that I dropped $40 at the Union Square record show for it (which was a shit ton of money in my college days). The rest of the album keeps pace as it's got a continual fiery quality that other albums from the same era lack. Check "Twenty Five Miles(2), Psychedelic Pi(3)," and "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolf(4)." 5 tracks in all. -the mgmnt
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Classic Blue Note release from 1967. First of all, love the cover, one of the finest Blue Note femme fatale designs. Aligator Boogaloo sees our sax hero Lou Donaldson straddling 60s boogaloo and the oncoming 70s funk onslaught. The title track(1)...
expand review is one of the earliest examples of the Blue Note Breaks sound with an active Leo Morris (aka Idris Muhammad) supplying the crisp drum beats. "One Cylinder(2)" is also exceptional with Lonnie Smith's moody organ chords setting up the dark tone and George Benson's brilliant guitar solo. "Ah Shucks(3)" isn't as much a standout as the first two tracks, but it's a feelgood organ number in the vein of Smith's stuff on Groove Merchant. 6 tracks in all. Get grown. -the mgmnt
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Firstly, gotta love that this reissue features the original Blue Note gatefold cover. This album isn't the sample bonanza of other Lou Donaldson records like Hot Dog, but it was recorded in the prime Blue Note years of 1969-70 with the top...
expand review lineup of Idris Muhammad, Melvin Sparks, Charles Earland (alternating with Lonnie Smith) and Blue Mitchell. The title track is a bonafied Blue Note Breaks classic, highlighted by the chorus casually sung by the band. "Hamp's Hump(1)" is one of those slow chugging funk tracks, complete with the background grunting by the players. "Donkey Walk(2)" is an uptempo heater, reminiscent of Lee Morgan's finest work. Lastly for the lounge swagger, check "Minor Bash(3)." 6 tracks in all. -the mgmnt
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Another classic Blue Note breaks album set off by one of the most sampled songs from the label. "Ode To Billy Joe(1)" with its Leo Morris intro break is a true heavyweight, touched by such SP-luminaries as Tribe, Beatnuts, Cypress Hill, De...
expand review La Soul, Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, and too many others. "Peepin(2)" is the other heat rock here, a feelgood number in the mode of the Booker T favorite "Hip-Hug-Her." Also check out "Humpback(3)" (Lonnie Smith!) and "The Kid(4)." 5 tracks in all, another sweetly design cover. -the mgmnt
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Solo Maceo Parker album from 1974. It's not that quite easy to leave the family however, James Brown still had a heavy hand producing the album (Brown's name appears an astonishing 8 times on the back cover). Signature tracks here include the...
expand review funky 45s: "Soul Power(1), Parrty(2)" and "Doing It To Death(3)." The cover of "Drowning In The Sea Of Love(4)" is Maceo's shining moment with the back-up singers chanting "Maceo, don't play so hard" and Maceo obliging with a peppering of delicate sax notes. The album concludes with the 10 minute plus ballad "The Soul Of A Black Man" with James Brown vocals playing foil to Maceo's emotive wailing. I forgot how great this album is. -the mgmnt
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Marva is fly... booming voice with the attitude to match. Add the James Brown connection and it's explosive. The main attraction here is "Unwind Yourself(1)," the sample source of the 45 King's "900 Number"... retarded break that ranks up there in...
expand review JB's moments of genius. "It's My Thing(2)" is hands down the funkiest cover of the Isleys' hit with nasty breakdown(2) and extended part 2. My favorite track, however, is the vocal "I'm Tired, I'm Tired, I'm Tired(3)" with low-slung funk arrangements that take a second seat to Marva's political fire. Also checkout the instrumental cut "In the Middle(4)." Marva in a teddy on
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