Review: The third volume of this series delivers an irresistible blend of funk and 60s-inspired grooves. Side-1 kicks off with a surf-rock-infused funk jam packed with energy and retro vibes. Following that, a swinging 60s sound that combining catchy rhythms and pop sensibilities keeps the momentum going. Side-2 shifts gears a groove-heavy track led by a soulful organ that oozes vintage charm. Closing the collection, there is a gem that features smooth, funk-driven melodies, topped off by a standout sax solo and a subtle British flair. This compilation offers a vibrant mix of styles, perfect for fans of classic funk with a modern twist.
Jackie McLean & Michael Carvin - "De I Comahlee Ah" (extended) (12:22)
Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath - "MRA" (6:48)
Review: The cult Melodies International label run by Floating Points and Mafalda starts a new series here. Melodies Record Club will find each curated by a different guest DJ or producer with the first one selected by the always on point Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet. He picks some of the tracks he used to spin at the legendary Plastic People and first up is an extended version of 1975 tune 'De I Comahlee Ah' by jazz stars Jackie McLean and Michael Carvin. Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath takes care of the flip with the big band energy and excellent horn work of 'MRA.'
Review: This Mr Bongo Brazil 45 reissue features two classic tracks from legendary duo Jorge Ben and Miriam Makeba. Side A presents 'Xica Da Silva,' one of Jorge Ben's most iconic songs from his equally legendary Africa Brazil album which has long been a must-have for any discerning head. This magical MPB track with its laid-back funky samba vibe instantly transports you to the blissful shores of Rio de Janeiro as Ben's vocals tell the story of a historic Brazilian icon. On the flip side, Miriam Makeba delivers a captivating, slowed-down rendition of 'Xica da Silva' which is enriched with strutting guitar, off-beat piano, and hypnotic drums while her powerful voice takes centre stage.
M Hawk - "Beat Me Till I'm Blue" (No Horns version) (2:41)
The Mohawks - "Beat Me Till I'm Blue" (Horns version) (2:42)
Review: 'Beat Me Till I'm Blue' is a wonderfully funky classic by The Mohawks presented under the M Hawk alias, the Hawk in question being none other than KPM Music Library overlord Alan Hawkshaw, who wrote the themes from everything from Grange Hill to Countdown. It was a real cornerstone of the late-1960s library and soul-infused grooves of the sort that diggers still fawn over today, and sample fiends still search out. The track delivers Hawkshaw's distinctively driving Hammond organ riffs, tight drum breaks and irresistible rhythms, all of which have made it a favourite among DJs for decades. Two versions are served up here, one with the iconic horns and one with them stripped away, and both offer plenty of energy. .
Review: Pianist and composer Ricardo Marrero and The Group's A Taste is as rare as an honest politician. Now the magical Latin sounds are available for all once more as P-Vine serves up a special edition 7" with 'Babalondia' and 'And We'll Make Love' making this a must-cop. They are taken from a debut album that is as good as it gets and originally came on the famed tax scam label TSG. The a-side here brings the funk with floor-filling grooves to spare while on the flip it's more of a mellow outing with vibrant female vocals getting you in the mood and the groove.
Nico Gomez & His Afro Percussion Inc - "Lupita" (7:16)
Review: Mr Bongo continue to churn out top-quality re-edits and here they enlist Danny Krivit aka. Mr. K, the New York producer who has longstandingly helped prop up the dance scene there since the early 1960s. Krivit is responsible for perhaps some of the earliest and most significant disco and funk edits on Earth, so we're more than happy to hear these new ones out, in which he lends his ear to two mambi from Latin extraordinaires Sabu Martinez and Nico Gomez. Percussive clanks and boxy slaps abound on this audiophiles' charm.
Review: James Mason's 'Rhythm of Life' - one of the long overlooked but now celebrated musician's most popular cuts - has never appeared on a seven-inch single before, in part because its' six-minute length made it more suitable for 12" singles and LPs (it first appeared as the title track of Mason's 1977 debut album). Dynamite Cuts have decided to address this by preparing their own (fully licensed) seven-inch edit, which successfully chops down the high-octane, spiritually inspired jazz-funk gem without losing any of its energy or soul. This time round it comes backed by another classic cut from the Rhythm of Life LP, the more laidback, spacey synth solo-sporting jazz-funk warmth of 'Good Thing'.
Review: The University Of California Santa Cruz Chamber Singers is a group from the 70s headed up by Bob Masters that released two cult albums A Birthday Celebration and Voices. Their lush, lavish, soul-enriching sound is a harmonious balm that here on the newly reissued 'Children Of Bahia' gets paired with some Latin-tinged jazz sounds, shuffling samba rhythms, busy Rhodes keys work and plenty of organic percussive layers thanks to Randy Masters and Solar Plexus. 'Torremolinos (Windmills)' is an equally spiritual sound with more prominent flutes and dancing piano chords all energising every fibre of your being.
Review: Ocha welcome back Robert Matos for more of his steamy Afro-jazz cum house fusions. 'Midnight Jazz Journey' is a real spiritual trip with the mutterings of Ron Trent buried deep in the middle. The cosmic chords ring out with real soul as live drums tumble and delicate percussion dances up top to make for a life-affirming sound full of rich and lush musicality. Casamena then dials it back a little and layers in some warming house drums for his club mix while the Coflo Backside mix is a heady broken beat dancer.
Review: Although hard-to-find, Harold McNair's 1968 cut 'The Hipster' has long been an anthem on the British jazz-dance scene, with numerous contemporary musicians (Chip Wickham included) referencing it in their work. Here reissued officially by Soul Brother, the track features the Jamaican-born flautist and saxophonist delivering energetic, life-affirming flute solos over an infectious, piano-sporting jazz groove. As the original RCA 45 did, this pressing also features fellow 'Flute and Nut' album track 'Indecision' - a more laidback affair built around brushed snares, languid jazz breaks and rubbery double bass - on side B.
Review: Medium Wave Band's 'So Tender' is a smooth, late-night jazz slow jam with sultry, soulful vocals that feel oddly familiar. The B-side, 'Games (Instrumental)' delivers a perfect example of Britfunk and UK jazz-funk with a bass-driven groove reminiscent of Elite Records releases. Surprisingly, this 7" was a private press by the band and not released on a label. The lineup featured Elliot Browne, Ron Lyseight, Andrew Proverbs, Tony Peart, Paul Snook, Linton Levy, and the stunning vocals of Jaki Graham, best known for her hit 'Could It Be I'm Falling in Love.' Only 200 copies were pressed, mainly sold in Birmingham, and so this is a cult classic for many and a welcome reissue.
Review: Medline is on a mission to serve up his own fresh cover versions of well known tunes from the movies, library music vaults, jazz funk scenes and worldwide rare grooves. He is one man who plays flute, guitar, keyboard, pads, drums, percussions and violin and lays down each part of the tune and then puts them all together with some extra studio touches at a later date. He mixes the music himself so that it is live sounding and vibrant, and then shares it with the world. These latest two cuts are heavy Afrobeat gems with cosmic synth work, psyched-out melodies and jazz invention that makes them captivating in the extreme.
Review: Brooklyn based Mighty Eye welcomes the Michael Leonhart Orchestra - which features some 20+ musicians - for their first single since 2018, although the collective has put out three albums in that time. These two cuts on this 45rpm are the first and second movements in Michael Leonhart's The Normyn Suite #1, which is a soundtrack to the five stages of grieving and is both a celebration and a requiem. The soundtrack is inspired by the death of an old dog and first appeared on The Normyn Suites album. Here it is expanded with the original brass, woodwinds, and strings now siting with choir and found percussion as well as gritty breakbeats from Nick Movshon.
Review: Athens of The North delivers once again here with another delightful reissue of a soul classic by Bernetia Miller And The Soul Groovers. An original of this Georgian gem is insanely rare and in fact the Athens boss himself has never actually seen a copy. It was recorded in the studio of Phil Walden's studio in Macon, Georgia and Bernetia herself has said it took many takes and plenty of hard work to get the result they wanted. Backing band The Soul Groovers had their own bus on which they toured plenty and this reissue is from the master tapes owned by Bernetia. 'You Can Tell Me Goodbye' has lo-fi drums and raw horns with a yearning vocal while 'I've Gotta Keep On Lovin' You' is more slow and steady and emotionally moving with a more tender vocal.
Review: Mistura Pura is an alias for Italian jazz funk artist Federica Grappasonni, who first came to light via the 2018 album Hollywood Spritz on Ubiquity. After a follow-up two years later, finally Grappasonni is back with this classy 7", which we can only assume precedes another long player for Ubiquity soon after. 'Vamo Vive' and 'Ed E' are everything you could wish for from her welcome return, bursting with infectious groove and exquisite musicality. Cop this smoking hot single now and be the first to spread the good word about this stellar artist and her latest sounds.
Review: Cuban bandleader, composer and rumba magician Ramon Santamaria had a huge influence throughout his 40 year career, notably writing Coltrane's famous "Afro Blue". Here are two of many stand-out cuts from his 1963 album Watermelon Man! While most the album's focus was on his Herbie Hancock cover, it's tracks like these that really gave the album its spirit and unique character; "Yeh Yeh!" is a samba shaking horn-led cut laced with crackling percussion and party cries while "Get The Money" leans back with rhythm and blues sass and a rhythm that's as powerful as Ramon's legacy. Moneymaker shaking guaranteed.
Review: Dippin' Records second release hears a new project from multi-instrumentalist Yuki Kanesaka, Monolog, taking on two classics from Patrice Rushen and Herbie Hancock respectively. First up and featuring the legend herself on vocals and synth lead, comes a re-performed version of the undeniable Patrice Rushen hit 'Remind Me', with a new twist. The flip, meanwhile, comprises a cover of none other than Herbie Hancock's 'Chameleon', this time hearing Julian Dessler on trumpet and with remaining live instrumentation played and produced entirely by the one-man band Yuki Kanesaka.
Review: Lorenzo Morresi and Tenderlonious are back to build on the success of their first collaboration, last year's 'Cosmica Italiana.' This new single comes ahead of a forthcoming debut album later in the year and features a couple of gorgeous tunes. 'Acqua' is a joyous tune with a steady 6/8 groove that is loaded with flutes, sax lines and arpeggiated synthesizers. On the flipside is 'Tema Cinque' which comes as an electro ballad, powered by hypnotic drums and sweeping pads with lush and moody sopranos. On this evidence, the upcoming album is going to be an utterly perfect musical escapism.
Review: There are seemingly no limits to the music Emotional Rescue will put out. This time they look back to the post punk scene of Bristol in the early 80s. Mouth was a short-lived outfit that put out just a couple of releases, but each one blazed a trail though leftfield percussive sounds, wave, weird jazz and electronics. Andy Guy and Rob Merrill were the main members with the likes of Nellie Hooper also in the band's orbit. This record is packed with tribal drumming and floating horns, broken dubs and avant-jazz but all with a proudly DIY attitude. It's packed with heady moments and wild steppers that havent aged a bit and still sound future.
You Believed In Me (Mr K instrumental edit) (4:52)
Review: Mr. K's series of edits continues. Any self-respecting music head is well familiar with the Most Excellent Unlimited series from Mr K aka Danny Krivit by now, and the latest entry into it is another doozy on 45rpm. The A-side features an edit of the title tune from a 1972 Ralph Bakshi animation originally played by a top crew of San Francisco area musicians. It is a steamy funk workout in a Latin jazz style with plenty of reverb and DJ friendly grooves. Flip it over and you'll find a gem from Philadelphia's Executive Suite which In Mr. K's hands is lit up with addictive strings and driving rhythms that never let up.
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