record huntin.

Stones Throw is a crazy label. Their last idea is to "lose" boxes full of records across the country (USA, of course... it would be interesting ot make it an international quest), starting with their own California. 

Though the idea may not be totally new, it will certainly stimulate an authentic hunt.

Fetch your GPS. 

soleil rare 13 - be real black for me.

Before getting into some more eclectic (and sometimes strange) stuff, here's a new selection of soul music. 

Donny Hathaway - A Song For You. 

Born in Chicago, raised in St. Louis, Donny Hathaway still is arguably one of the biggest talent in soul music. His warm voice, his game on the keys, his arranging skills, and overall his ability to sing about various topics got him a spot in the heart (and the record collection) of any black music lover. 

Taken from his "Donny Hathaway" album, "A Song For You" bears Donny's signature, with its piano introduction, and Donny's way of singing love with melancholy and almost sadness. No drums or percussions here, but light flutes and acoustic bass instead. Anyway, don't forget that this song is a cover of a Leon Russell's creation from 1970. The next year, Donny took it to another level on his own album.  

And like Prince said : "Donny's Hathaway's 'Song 4 U' ain't the same without you here"...  

Isaac Hayes - One Woman. 

First of all, one of the most famous cover art of soul music. This "Hot Buttered Soul" is an absolute landmark in music, showcasing Isaac Hayes' talent in just 4 tracks. Mr. Hayes was indeed an adept of long format songs. 

Backed by The Bar-Kays, Isaac Hayes helped expanding the fame of the Stax sound, at a time when the label could have collapsed. In 1969, Stax's biggest asset, Otis Redding, had died, and the whole catalog had been lost to Atlantic Records. The label had to start everything back from scratch, and released 27 albums in a few months span. Among these, "Hot Buttered Soul" by a then-underappreciated session player and songwriter, Isaac Hayes. Hayes' touch, made of unusual orchestrations, was already very clear in this album. "One Woman" is pretty restrained, but still, it's a masterpiece. 

O.V. Wright - Mirror Of My Soul. 

He may not enjoy the same kind of fame as Al Green, Marvin Gaye or Barry White but O.V. Wright definitely has a strong fanbase. Some even call him the greatest deep-soul singer ever. The guy undoubtly has incredible skills, and a necessary asset in soul music : a voice. THE voice.  Unfortunately, like Donny Hathaway, he died too soon. 

"Mirror Of My Soul" was featured on his last album "We're Still Together", produced by his long-time mentor Willie Mitchell. Strangely, the song sounds like it was recorded during the golden era of the 1960's, and does not suffer from disco influence or anything like that. It's raw, it's warm, it's black, it's O.V. The fact that the music sounds like a Al Green's song is no surprise : they were on the same label, Hi Records, which fought with Stax for the domination on Memphis. So, expect violins, horns, hard snares and a O.V. at his best.    

The Gap Band - Yearning For Your Love. 

A few bands experienced a good transition from their soul/funk period into the disco era. The Gap Band (for Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band) did. A track like "Yearning For Your Love" proved that they stay true to themselves, providing a sound that's not very "commercial", not highly danceable. A sound that's not obvious. Something creative. 

The production emphasizes the guitars, the bass and the drums, and of course, Charlie Wilson's melodious voice. 

Some 13 years after its release, a young guy had this song sampled for its own game-breaking album. 

Black Ivory - You And I. 

Ok, you got your fix of deep-down voices. Now, here's some high-pitched one, with Black Ivory's Leroy Burgess. Hailing from Harlem, the band had a few hits through the 1970's and 1980's, thanks to Burgess' talent and ability to compose in different genres like soul, funk, disco, boogie... 

There's no denying the intro of "You And I" is catchy. The rest is just pure soulful music. Mellowness, memorable lyrics, and here you go with a timeless classic. 

Sampled by Q-Tip for "Gettin' Up" and Madlib for "Understanding (Comprehension)". 

Smokey Robinson - I'm In The Mood For Love. 

Ok, crappy cover. It's because it's not vintage. This album was released in 2006. Still, Smokey Robinson still sounds like a young man. After all, he is the sugar man, and he's seen it all, since his period among The Miracles, since his years at the top of Motown's hierarchy. 

Here, he just let the talent speak for itself, over a cover of "I'm In The Mood For Love", a classic popular song dating from 1935, combined with the jazzy instrumentation of James Moody, composed in 1949.

Considering the time of the recording, expect clean production, so for the average soul lover, it might lack rawness ; still, Smokey does provide emotions on this one. It's like a whisper in your ear. Crooning style. 

Lou Rawls - Trade Winds. 

Those were the glory days for Philadelphia International and for Gamble & Huff. The producing duo made a great move by adding Lou Rawls to their roster. Indeed, Lou Rawls was already a praised singer (he received compliments from Frank Sinatra for his singing skills) and scored big albums for the Philly-based label. In this pre-disco era, Lou Rawls helped Philadelphia International solidifying their base. Once again, it might lack the original rawness of soul music, but Mr. Rawls brought something else to the table. He acted like a bridge between jazz vocalists and soul singers. 

"Trade Winds" was featured on the "Let's Clean Up The Ghetto" album, by the Philadelphia International All Stars. Although the album was naturally produced by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, "Trade Winds" was written by Ralph MacDonald ("Where Is The Love ?", "Just The Two Of Us") and William Salter. A cuddle from Lou. 

Badder Than Evil - Child Of Tomorrow. 

The main guy in Badder Than Evil also wrote the music for "Twin Peaks" and "Mulholland Drive". Yeah. Badder Than Evil is a "fake" band, supposedly made of Andy Badale and Al Elias. Well, if Al Elias does exist, Andy Badale is really Angelo Badalamenti, a white composer who probably thought it would be better to wear a suitable name for a Blaxploitation movie. I guess he was right. 

Released on Buddah Records in 1973, the soundtrack for "Gordon's War" featured several tracks by the pair. Actually, the vocals on this track belong to soul singer Barbara Mason, who was part of the Buddah Records roster at the time, and who provided a powerful performance, matching the high level of composition of the song. 

Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come. 

Truly one of the most beautiful voice ever, one of the most charming singer ever. Like Donny Hathaway, Sam Cooke died at 33, just when he decided to take his career to another level. This "Ain't That Good News" album was his last studio album before he was shot to death, in 1964. In this album, Sam Cooke took the road towards activism ; as a matter of fact, the Civil Rights Movement is the topic of "A Change Is Gonna Come". It constituted a major turn in Sam's career, as he was previously seen as only a polished pop singer. Unfortunately, his death prevented him from taking this change further. 

The legend says Sam Cooke wrote this song after hearing Bob Dylan's "Blowin In The Wind", a protest song that was written by a white man. The music, arranged by Rene Hall, is pretty far from the standards of soul music, but add to the mourning feeling with its extensive use of horns and chords. It's grandiose, soulful and gives you shivers.  

Roberta Flack - Let Them Talk. 

Ok, a last sweet before heading to bed. Though Roberta Flack was Donny Hathaway's soulmate, she didn't hired him for "Quiet Fire". Which is strange, since she worked with him before on "Chapter Two", and after on "Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway". Here, she replaced him with Joel Dorn as producer.

This sweet effort features Roberta on the piano, backed by a sexy saxophone, vibes, and quiet drums and bass. It's Roberta Flack at her best, gentle, sweet. 

Notice that the album features some of the greatest musicians of the period (Hubert Laws, Ron Carter, Bernard Purdie, Deodato - as an arranger -, Ralph MacDonald, etc.). 

Now you're ready for bed. 

You know where to find the link. 

Red Bull Music Academy.

The Red Bull Music Academy is on again, in Madrid this year. 

Counting among its alumni almost 700 musicians and/or music lovers from all over the world, the RBMA is clearly a strange but welcome intiative, a modern patronage, a disinterested sponsorship. 

It seems to provide a cool environment for developing one's creativity, thanks to a daily collaboration between musicians with various backgrounds, and also thanks to the prestigious lecturers who come to discuss their art, most of the time in front of a worshipping, selected, crowd. 

Just take a look at the alumni list, and be amazed : Aloe Blacc, Baris K, DZA, Débruit, Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, Jneiro Jarel, Kissey Asplund, Mr. Hudson, Onra, Pursuit Grooves, Samiyam, Sammy Bananas, just to name a few I know. 

The rules to get a spot inside the Academy are pretty simple, and everyone gets a chance. But before, during and after the class, one requirement : be creative.

Edit : the videos of the lectures are available to watch online. Lecturers include, so far, people like MF Doom, Erykah Badu and Tom Zé. Needless to say they are very interesting about things like the creative process and the music industry. 

Muro Stoned.

Self-proclamed "King Of Diggin'", DJ Muro doesn't only dig into old records. He also mixes tasty hip hop compilations. While his compatriot DJ Mitsu The Beats was compiling tracks from the BBE discography (well, he also compiled Stones Throw and Blue Note, just like... Muro), Muro was mixing records from the Stones Throw catalog. That was back in 2004. The Japan-only promo mix CD featured classics of the Californian label, as well as more confidential songs by the likes of Dooley O, Mr. Magic, or The Highlighters. 

Today, it's 2011, and Muro is releasing a second volume of "Muro Stoned". Once again, it's a Japan-only CD release. The mix hosts a lot of Dâm-Funk, a bit of MED, J. Rocc, a pre-major Mayer Hawthorne, as well as a post-rap Aloe Blacc, Dilla and Lord Quas. 

Notice the artwork, that reproduces the latest covers of the Beat Konducta's LPs by Jeff Jank. This could become a graphic theme... not the best you've seen, but whatever. 

I forgot to say : both Muro and Mitsu are legendary DJ's, highly skilled, with great tastes and a real passion for music. By the way, check this video by Spine TV, where Muro browses through his huge record collection. 

gettin the 2Pac treatment.

That's kind of what is happening to J Dilla. Indeed, since James Yancey passed away, several albums, compilations, reissues and other projects, authorized or not, got released. Frankly, I don't really know what to think about it, but I feel uncomfortable somehow. I was pleased with the legacy Jay Dee left us. It is meant to stay in the history of music the exact way he wanted it. 

Of course, this post was motivated by the announcement of the future release of "The Rebirth Of Detroit" in 2012. The goal of the project is to let rappers from the Mo-town express themselves over "new" instrumentals from the MPC master. 

Don't get me wrong : I'm not saying this will be a bad project ; I haven't heard anything of it. But I would like this posthumous frenzy to be more reasonable. Go back to your record collection, listen to the music Dilla released himself and be surprised again. 

You can hate me now. 

still missin you Mehdi.

This is a public service announcement for French readers : run to your favorite newsstand and buy the latest issue of Snatch Magazine. They released DJ Mehdi's ultimate interview, 20 pages of stories about his career, which he started as a teenage rapstar, only to become an icon of electro music. 

The strange thing is that the interview was conducted in June, a few weeks only before Mehdi died. This is the first time I read so much about Mehdi's life and career... fans should of course get this issue. 

Still about Mehdi, his dear friend A-Trak released a mini-mix as a tribute, available on Soundcloud. He also included this track in his October issue of "Fool's Gold Radio", his monthly mix. 

You know what to do. 

soleil rare 12 - global warming.

Bert Kaempfert - Noted Arrival.

How surprising. A German composer performing a Spanish guitar melody on a soundtrack. Composed for the "A Man Could Get Killed" movie in 1966, this is a nice example of Bert Kaempfert's versatility and eclectism. 

The soundtrack and the movie feature the original melody of "Strangers In The Night", and wear one of the most beautiful cover ever.  

Joe Harriott & John Mayer Double Quintet - Gana.

Joe Harriott was Jamaican. Yeah, I know, it does not sound like it. This track here showcases one of Harriott's innovations, the jazz fusions. With assistance from John Mayer, an India-born British composer, Harriott reunited five jazz musicians with five Indian musicians and made three albums of "indo-jazz" fusions in the second half of the 1960's. Don't expect improvisation on the jazzy side, as it sounds closer to what we nowadays labelled under easy-listening. But the traditional elements of Indian music are there : tablas, sitars etc. The result sounds fresh. 

Piero Umiliani - Commandos.

This is movie scoring legend Piero Umiliani delivering the percussions fury for your listening pleasure. This is not a very elaborate track, but it provides tension... it's like the soundtrack of a car chase. Furious indeed. 

If you know about Piero Umiliani's work, do not miss this "Guerre Et Destruction 1" album, which is a music library, as it will certainly widen your perception of the master's legacy. 

Baris Manço & Kurtulan Ekspres - Sari Cizmeli Mehmet Aga.

Does this man still needs an introduction ? Baris Manço is THE icon of Turkish progressive music. Baris started his professional career in Western Europe, singing in various languages. When he returned in Turkey, he founded Kurtalan Ekspres, his own backing band. Together, they recorded the classic "2023". In 1979, they released the album "Yeni Bir Gun". 

This track is all Baris : psych weird synth sounds, traditional folk influences, catchy sung gimmicks, powerful choruses. It's needless to say this album, as all albums by Baris are impossible to find in their original form.

Gal Costa - India.

Beware : rarity again. Classic album, both for the music and for the cover (censored when it got released in 1973).  A real goddess of Brazilian music, Gal Costa started her career with the support of Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso. 

The title song is an adaptation of a Paraguayan song, arranged by Rogerio Duprat. What more can I say ? It's beautiful, it's Brazil's finest. 

Peter Makana - Peter's Blues.

This compilation, "Music Was Born In Africa", got released in 1956, in South Africa. The musicians are pretty confidential, and so is Peter Makana. It's hard to find data... 

It's a fine example of African jazz, provided by a groovy flute, a rhythm guitar and exquisite brushes. It's a call for dancing, a track to set a good mood in the room.   

Seyfu Yohannes - Tezeta.

This song will bite your stomach. seyfu Yohannes' voice is a marvel of Ethiopian music. This song showcases all the power of Ethio-jazz ; the horns give you chills, the piano in the back almost sounds off-tune and on top of all this, Seyfu's charisma.

Incidentally, this song launched the Ethiopiques compilation series, and today the world of music lovers is grateful for this discovery. "Tezeta" was originally released by Amha Records in 1970. 

Rap listeners will of course recognize the sample of "The Game" by Common, produced by Kanye West.  

Sachin Dev Burman - Gambler (Title Music).

The Dev Burman dynasty didn't start with the overwhelming Rahul. No, Rahul is Sachin's son. Sachin Dev Burman started his scoring career in 1937, and composed until his death in 1975.

The music for the "Gambler" movie (by the way, the cover is awesome), was composed in 1971. It includes latin elements, such as mariachi-like trumpets, mixed with the legendary Bollywood scoring recipe. A classic of Indian scoring music.  

Sinn Sisamouth - Sat Thee Thuy.

I know you guys underappreciate Cambodian and Asian pop music, but this track will give you a start into it. Sinn Sisamouth was the most popular artist of the pre-Khmers Rouges era, as explained earlier on this blog, so your search for quality Cambodian songs should start here. 

"Sat Thee Thuy" starts with the unbelievable : a drum break. Yeah, Asian got that too. Then come the Cambodian instruments and lots of high-pitched choruses and notes, as you would expect in Asian music. Anyway, give this record a chance, it might convince you there's some heat in Asian vintage pop music. 

You know the deal for the audio.

kebap funk.

This man's name is Mustafa Ozkent. To most of the world, including myself of course, he remained unknown until Finders Keepers (yeah, these guys again) reissued his classical album "Gençlik Ile Elele". Originally released in 1973, this guitar and percussions galore has since then served as a sample fountain, for Oh No! for instance. 

Along with Turkish psych legend Baris Manço, Mustafa Ozkent recently accessed to the legendary stage, mainly thanks to this one album, even if he released others. 

After studying in Belgium, he collaborated with prog (soon-to-be) icons Baris Manço, Okay Temiz, Mogollar (aka The Mogols), 3 Hurel... Until the obscure label Evren approached him and talked him into recording an album with his band, named orchestra for the case. These recording sessions became the masterpiece "Gençlik Ile Elele", on which fellow Turkish guitar prodigy Cahit Oben played. Ozkent also worked as a studio musician, released other solo albums and lately came back composing guitar albums.
Ozkent is known for using guitar of his own design, in order to produce unique sounds and integrate them into funk and psych music. That's part of the reason why Mustafa Ozkent sounded so innovative.
And what about this cover ? Bizarre. Wonderful. Rare. All this leads to... expensive ! Or worse : impossible to find.

Laid Back recently posted a rare audio interview with the Turkish master. Enjoy this special moment. 

Search for the ridiculous YouTube videos for audio clips.

some more chinoiseries...

As announced a few days ago, the French loopdigga Onra is ready to launch the second installment of his Chinese sounds, aka "Chinoiseries Pt. 2". It's a real return to the roots, for several reasons : first, Onra had his biggest hit with "The Anthem", which was featured on the first installment of "Chinoiseries" ; second, since this success, Onra kinda felt like testing other waters, by producing futuristic boogie, remaining classy nonetheless.  

So, through the Irish imprint All City, get ready for 32 beats, crafted from the most obscure Chinese and Vietnamese vinyls. More info on XLR8R, with the video trailer of the release. If only that video could turn into a full documentary... oh, and by the way, there seems to be a lot of vinyls left over there. Excited ? Huh huh.

Oops, I forget to tell you the release date : November 15th. Mark your calendar, and get your local record store to know about it.

Edit : while browsing the Rush Hour website, I realized they posted soundclips of "Chinoiseries Pt. 2". Get (Chinese) funked right now, or cry trying. The verdict so far : head banger. Grab a free track, "A New Dynasty" here. 
And a correction : the video trailer was shot in Bangkok and not in Vietnam. 
Getting excited...


Edit 2 : as announced earlier, "Chinoiseries Pt. 2" will be available on cassette. 

sweet Miriam.

The cool guy at Electric Jive just posted a marvelous article about Miriam Makeba. 

The South African goddess embodied the anti-Apartheid fight during the second half of the 20th century. Her voice crossed the oceans, and you probably heard it once in your life, like in the original version of "Phatha Phatha".

So, what's the goal ? Another compilation ? Another best of ? Not really... Electric Jive made a "list of 25 of [his] favorite least common selections of Miriam Makeba". Errr... yeah, that's a real digger's work. And you can even get your free download daily fix. Nice.

Czechoslovakian jazz.

Jazz did not gained popularity only in America. It also enjoyed a major influence in Eastern Europe. Polish jazz has been under the light for a few decades already. Now it's time to get familiar with jazz from Czecholosvakia. The youngest ones might not know what that country is ; well, it's not anymore, as it splitted in Czech Republic and Slovakia during the 1990's. 

The Blast kid wrote a very interesting article for the Laid-Back website about the development of modern jazz in Czechoslovakia in the late 1940's. And of course, it comes with a mix.

You should also visit his own website, on which he kindly shares his extended knowledge about jazz music, and other black music genres. His record collection seems huge, so don't get jealous. 

still Pretty.

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie is arguably one of the best drummers of all time. His presence has genuinely sprung over jazz, soul, rock and even electronic music through the sampling revolution.

As people need to get educated about Purdie's legacy, here's a video by Gas Face Magazine, titled "Pretty As I Wanna Be" : 

It's a bit short, and you'll have to get over the beatboxing, but still, it's a start in gathering some knowledge about the guy who inspired your favorite rappers, producers and more. 

soleil rare 11 - gotcha.

Philippe Nicaud & Eddie Barclay - Le réveil.

Yeah, Barclay on the track ! Eddie Barclay, the music nabab, playing for his own label-to-be-major. Philippe Nicaud was a comedian, who recorded a few records ; some of them became hard-to-find (as original issues) gems like "Erotico...Nicaud". 

Here Nicaud says a text like if he were acting at the theater, talking to his mistress when waking up. But it's a monologue, only Nicaud, and you'll have to imagine the responses if you understand the French language. 

The music is a slow funky track that becomes of secondary interest after a few seconds. Weird and unexpected, the theme of this compilation. 

Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra - Zambesi.

I don't really know what's behind the genre called "easy-listening". That's how Bert Kaempfert's music is generally labelled. To me, he's underrated. He was a melody maker, and a decent jazz player and songwriter. Sometimes, he's confused with Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass ; it's true they often use the same formula.

He's the composer of one of the most sung songs in the world, but is unfortunately never credited for it : as a matter of fact, "Strangers In The Night" is his legacy, but was made famous by Sinatra's voice.

The track "Zambesi" is featured on "A Swingin's Safari", an album that was influenced by South African music, released in 1962. Swinging indeed.     

Tom Scott - Baby, I Love You.

Tom Scott is pretty ignored. Well, was. Until the main sample of Pete Rock & CL Smooth's "T.R.O.Y." was identified. Indeed, the horn part was taken from this album. The same saxophone is the main attraction of this "Baby, I Love You", backed by nice chorus shouts. The use of the sitar is a time signature : "The Honeysuckle Breeze" was released in 1967 by Impulse!.

Some funky danceable jazz here. 

BADBADNOTGOOD - Fall In Love.

So far, this is a mp3-only release by BADBADNOTGOOD. As explained earlier on this blog, BBNG is a young Toronto-based trio, with a simple yet exquisite formula : keys, bass, drums. All live. 

This track is of course a cover of Slum Village's song "Fall In Love", originally produced by Jay Dee, off the classic album "Fantastic Vol. 2". Since Dilla died, this song has been heavily remixed as tributes to the master. 

BBNG's interpretation is hypnotic, like most of their tracks. While playing the track, drums addicts will have to be patient, but it's for their own good. The whole thing sounds so fresh, so authentic. Get a decent rapper on this. 

Björk - Aeroplanes.

Björk is a character. Always has been, always will be. The song "Aeroplanes" is taken from her album "Debut", released in 1993. This album was her first work after she left Iceland to settle in London. 

The move to London was a major turn for Björk, as she left her punk period behind her to make what only her knows how to label. 

"Aeroplanes" was actually composed while the singer was still a member of The Sugarcubes, in Iceland. But the track didn't fit with the punk outfit. So, Björk kept it for a future demo. "Aeroplanes" showcases the classic elements of Björk's music : nature sounds, tribal percussions, chimes, and of course her powerful voice. And another weird element : sax. Surprising. A nice introduction to Björk's world. 

Sébastien Tellier - Kissed By You.

This guy is a weirdo. A genuine one. You never know what his next move will be. "Kissed By You" gives you an example of what he's able to do. A very very slow ballad, interrupted by aggressive guitar riffs. What the hell.

Considering his abilities to waste his own tracks and to vary the moods, it's no wonder that his major successes are his movie scores and soundtracks. Because they are dope.

Since the beginning of his career, Tellier has been linked to the finest of the French electro scene. He's notably linked to Air, Mr. Oizo, and the Ed Banger crew. A weird but nice association of horizons.   

Janko Nilovic - Tapatapa.

Back in the days, Janko Nilovic was the godfather of library music. Nowadays, he gives interviews at McDonald's. His influence on today's music is heavily underappreciated : just listen to the track. It starts like a Just Blaze track. And then, everything's there, the beat, the choruses, the guitar solo... "Tapatapa" is from "Supra Pop Impressions", which is among his most wanted and expensive albums. 

The Roland Kovac Set - Genesis.

I don't know much about Roland Kovac, except he's Austrian. 

The song starts like a church song. But next, whoa, it's all psychedelism... just like a Pink Floyd track, with electric guitars under deep wah-wah influence ! Then come the drums, free as a bird, then back to the organ... unreal ! Crazy. Crazy good but crazy nonetheless. And the end ? Just nonsense. You wanted something different ? Gotcha.  

Charlie Winston - Like A Hobo.

I know, if you're a European, you heard it too much a couple of years ago. On TV, radio, in commercials... everywhere, anytime. Still it remains a catchy song, a very famous one, so it was perfectly unexpected here. Charlie Winston put whistling and chanting back in the charts. It became a decent alternative to the "Seven Nation Army" in the stadiums. 

Paul Piot et son Grand Orchestre - L'Amour Et L'Enfer.

This must be the Holy Graal of the library music records. But anyone knows it as it has been sampled by the best and most thorough diggers. The album, recorded for the library label Chappell, contains wonderful melodies coupled with funky drums. A digger's dream. 

Strangely enough, it's hard to find data about Paul Piot ; yet, he backed a lot of bands and singers with his orchestra in the 1950's and 1960's. But I guess the guy stayed in the shadow all his life... his music stays. Priceless (but expensive).   

Link in the comments. 

RIP Sylvia.

You may not know it because her name has disappeared from the headline since the 1980's, Sylvia Robinson passed away a few days ago. 

It's nothing to say that Sylvia Robinson made history, by founding, with her husband Joe Robinson, the mythic Sugar Hill Records. In its first years, the label released three major early hip hop anthems : "Rappers Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, "The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, and another track by Flash & The Five "The Message". If you know your rap history, there can't be any denial about these songs being genuine foundations. 

Sugar Hill Records also sheltered rap stars Melle Mel and Positive Force. Even Candi Staton was once signed on the label. 

But hip hop wasn't Sylvia's first interest. As a singer herself, she was involved into black music. With her entrepreneuring mind, Sylvia created the label All Platinum, helping acts like The Rimshots, The Moments, Retta Young, and George Kerr, among others. All Platinum even released a Malcolm X record. 

Sylvia's own career was pretty chaotic ; she scored hits (remember this ? and that ?) in the 1950's, then waited until 1973 for another moment of fame, with her sexually explicit "Pillow Talk". 

Anyway, Mrs. Robinson will mainly stay in the music history as a label founder and as the "mother of hip hop". 

Thank you Mrs. Robinson. 

BadBadNotGood.

The first time I heard about BBNG (aka BadBadNotGood), it was through Odd Future. What a pair...

BBNG made it to the light by covering Odd Future's first hits, in a free jazz mode. These "Odd Future Sessions" became popular over the web thanks to a wonderful video and the possibility to download the mp3 files of the recording session. 

But... who are they ? Three guys from Toronto, still in their teens or just above. They play an excellent mix of instrumental hip hop and jazz using a simple combination of keys (piano or synths), drums, and bass (guitar bass or upright bass). They have obviously been inspired by hip hop, as you can hear in their latest release (free download y'all !), which includes covers/interpretations of rap classics "Mass Appeal", "The World Is Yours", "Brooklyn Zoo"...

This being said, they released on their Bandcamp a lot of other projects, which can be called EP's, and tracks, like this J Dilla tribute. It looks like the band has developped a real cult for Tyler, The Creator and his friends, as they recorded a "Goblin" interpretation, once again both in mp3 files and streaming video.

Get jazzed.  

Egon's Funk Archeology.

Egon, specialist in international digging, owner and manager of Now-Again Records, Madlib's manager, casual DJ, heavy collector, is also a writer. Of course, he writes about records and digging. 

He owns a spot on NPR, dedicated to what he calls "Funk Archeology". Basically, it's about digging groovy records all across the world, and acknowledging the musical history and inheritance of the most neglected countries. 

Sometimes, based on what Egon writes, you can guess what Now-Again's next releases will be. 

The latest article is about Houston jazz scene of the 1970's, and especially Bubbha Thomas and the Youthful Musicians Summer Program, that Egon discovered through the Kashmere Stage Band, a band that already enjoyed reissues on Now-Again.   

soleil rare 10 - that funk.

Dat funk, dat funk baby...

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Soul Drums.

Pretty Purdie is one of the most famous drummers ever. His sticks are behind some of the best breaks ever. He's backed music icons like James Brown, Al Kooper, Galt MacDermot, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker, Steely Dan, Quincy Jones, Isaac Hayes and many many many more. 

Needless to say that when Pretty Purdie brings the heat, you'd better listen. 

"Soul Drums", his first solo album, was released in 1968. It has since been reissued and it's a good thing, as the original pressing reached such high prices... Here, the drums are the star of the show, backed by horns and a quiet bass. Enjoy the drummer's moaning. 

Mtume - Kiss This World Goodbye.

Another ex-collaborator of Miles Davis, percussionist James Mtume later expanded his own wing. Note that Mtume is the name of an authentic band, James Mtume being the leader, kind of in a Bon Jovi way (sorry for the reference). 

"Kiss The World Goodbye" is a strong album from 1978. The balance here is enjoyable, with all the elements of funk : electric guitars, greasy bass, horns, synths and drums... vocals are quite discreet, because instruments are the real stars. 

Booker T. & The M.G.'s - Hi Ride.

A classic Booker T's effort : dancing drums, loud grooving organs, what more do you need ? 

Dating from 1971, "Melting Pot" was a late success for the band, before it collapsed. Nonetheless, the band had enjoyed a remarkable reputation, both as in-house band for Atlantic and Stax, and as a band on its own. They contributed to the definition of the southern style of soul music, focusing on the groove. 

Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out.

"I'm... coming... I'm... I'm... coming...". You probably heard this on a Notorious B.I.G.'s posthumous song, "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems", featuring Puffy and Maze. "B.I.G.P.O.P.P.In...", classic.

Well, the original is from the queen Diana Ross. Can you feel the influence here ? The Motown's era was gone... Diana found a new home under Nile Rodgers's wing. Yeah, Nile Rodger, and Bernard Edwards, from the Chic Organization. "Le Freak" and all that... that's why it sounds so disco, but good anyway. Nile is probably responsible for the round bass of the track. The drums are just crazy at the beginning, with hard breaks cutting the guitar riff... there's even a trumpet at the end ! Wow, flawless. 

The Budos Band - Ghost Walk.

In recent years, many bands devoted to instrumental soul and hip hop emerged : The Budos Band, El Michels Affair, the Dap-Kings, The Will Sessions, etc. 

The Budos Band cultivated a mix of jazz, afro-soul and funk, whil other bands focused on a specific genre. Their first self-titled album was released in 2005, and since then, they released a couple others and collaborated with label mates Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. 

Enjoy that special swing on "Ghost Walk" ; killer percussions here. 

Kool & The Gang - Jungle Jazz.

You all of course know Kool & The Gang. But most people know their mainstream disco era, which is the less interesting of their stuff.

Featured on their 1975 album "Spirit Of The Boogie", "Jungle Jazz" is a variation of their 1973 hit "Jungle Boogie" ; but what's interesting with this track is the improvisation of the musicians, particularly on sax, flute and trumpet. The result is a wonderful track and a musical galore that surpasses all their disco hits of the 1980's. 

With that kind of performances, Kool & The Gang proved to be an authentic soul/funk band.

Idris Muhammad - Crab Apple.

Another original jazz drummer in this "Soleil Rare" compilation. In his career, Muhammad drifted from classic jazz to bebop, hardbop and generally more funky styles. Until this kind of tracks, "Crab Apple", which is pure instrumental funk, evn if it's usually labelled as jazz fusion. 

Actually, the bass/drums couple at the beginning says it all. Indeed, the album "Turn This Mutha Out" was released in 1977, right in the eye of the funk storm.  

"Crab Apple" features solid performances by all musicians, and includes a funky synthetizer performance alongside flying dancing horns. 

The Delfonics - Hurt So Bad.

The highly sampled The Delfonics may not be the most respected soul bands ever, but they delivered beautiful sessions of both vocal and instrumental performances. 

A pure product of Philly, The Delfonics were helped on their first album, "La La Means I Love You" by local legend Thom Bell. 

"Hurt So Bad" provides a high-tempo example of soul music. William Hart girly voice clearly serves the topic. Short, but good. 

Zulema - It's All Right With Me.

Zulema Cusseaux had that kind of warm deep voice that Tarantino would love. Kind of a confidential act in the R&B scene, she performed as a backing vocalist for Aretha Franklin, assumiong at the same time a solo career that never reached the top ranks of the charts. 

However, in retrospect, Zulema seems to be gaining more and more respect from diggers and soul lovers. 

Her performance here could easily be featured on soundtracks like "Jackie Brown", as it is pure soul with a big touch of funk, all thanks to Zulema's charisma behind the microphone. 

MFSB - TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia).

The sound of "Soul Train" ! Hell yeah. And who could have played it if not Philly's own MFSB ?

MFSB started as Philadelphia International Records in-house band, originating the Philly sound under the guidance of Leon Huff and Kenneth Gamble. Vibraphonist and arranger Vince Montana created the band with 30+ band, to be able to provide the walls of sound that the Philly International groups required.

"TSOP" may be the most famous MFSB track, as it sold over a million copies, and also thanks to the "Soul Train" classic TV show. Philly sound indeed. 

United States Navy Port Authority Soul Band - We're All The Same.

The 1960's and 1970's were the heavy years of propaganda in the US. The US armes forces were recruiting hard as the war in Vietnam was going on. There are a few examples of official bands made of members of the armed forces. The US Navy Port Authority Soul Band is one of them, and they released the "Together" album in 1973. 

Being an instrument of propaganda obviously didn't stop them from delivering soulful performances. "We're All The Same" is a very honest soul track, with a strong groove provided by an efficien guitar riff and a round heavy bass. Get Navy-funked. 

As usual, link in the comments.