Monday, August 15, 2011

George Benson - White Rabbit


Year : 1971
Label : CTI
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Fusion

A 'Gypsy' project with heavy orchestration conducted & arranged by Don Sebesky as on The Other Side Of Abbey Road. Titles include some Andalusian tunes (White Rabbit, El Mar) coupled with Straight Ahead Jazz, the trademark of CTI records. Great reprises of the standards pop' White Rabbit & California Dreaming. Earl Klugh & Jay Berliner are associated to george on accoustic guitar. The rest of the band including the finest Fusion Jazz players such as Ron Carter (bass), Herbie Hancock (electric piano), Billy Cobham (drums), Airto Moreira (percussions, vocals), Hubert Laws (flute).

01. White Rabbit
02. Theme from Summer of '42
03. Little Train (from Bachianas Brasileiras No.2)
04. California Dreaming
05. El Mar

Lonnie Smith - Move Your Hand


Year : 1969
Label : Blue Note
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Jazz Funk

Hammond B3 organ master, Lonnie Smith (not to be confused to Lonnie 'Liston' Smith, also keyboardist) became known as member of the George Benson first quartet (Cookbook & It's Uptown) in 1966. After recorded his first solo album Finger Lickin' Good, he became sideman for Lou Donaldson between 1967 to 1970 on five album as Midnight Creeper & Everything I Play Is Funky, and later for others international artists such as Teruo Nakamura on Rising Sun album in 1976. This LP was recorded live at Club Harlem in Atlantic City and includes the famous  Move Your Hand where Smith sings in a 'broken voice' style, the pop song Sunshine Superman from Donovan.

Lonnie Smith_organ, vocal
Larry McGee_guitar
Ronnie Cuber & Rudy Jones_saxophone
Sylvester Goshay_drums 

01. Charlie Brown
02. Layin' In The Cut
03. Move Your Hand
04. Sunshine Superman

Richard Groove Holmes - Comin' On Home


Year : 1971
Label : Blue Note
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Jazz Funk

Unique LP for Blue Note by Groove Holmes featuring Ray ArmandoWeldon Irvine and guests, bassist Chuck Rainey (Theme from Love Story), percussionist James Davis (percussions and vocal on Don't Mess With Me). Titles include Soul & Jazz Funk tunes, Theme From Love Story by french composer Francis Lai, Bossa Nova standard by Jobim, Wave, two compositions of Weldon Irvine (Mr. Clean & Down Home Funk) and two others from Groove Holmes. Produced by George Butler, recorded by Rudy Van Gelder.

Richard Groove Holmes_organ
Weldon Irvine_electric piano
Jerry Jemmott_bass
Gerald Hubbard_guitar 
Darryl Washington_drums 
Ray Armando_congas 

01. Groovin' for Mr. G.
02. Theme from Love Story
03. Mr. Clean
04. Down Home Funk
05. Don't Mess With Me
06. Wave
07. This Here

Freddie Hubbard - Red Clay



Year : 1970
Label : CTI
Genre : Jazz
Style : Modal, Hard Bop, Post Bop, Soul Jazz

Essential album in the Freddie Hubbard discography, the first release for CTI records. "Red Clay" is an Hard Bop album including Funk/Soul expressions performed in quintet featuring outstanding musicians, Joe Henderson (saxophone, flute), Herbie Hancock (electric piano, organ), Ron Carter (bass) & Lenny White (drums), all former member of the legendary Miles Davis Second Great Quintet (1964-1969). Titles include heavy grooves ( The Intrepid Fox), Soul Jazz (Delphia) and modal forms (Red Clay). All tracks composed & arranged by Freddie Hubbard, recorded at studio Rudy Van Gelder, produced by Creed Taylor.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Reuben Wilson - Set Us Free


Year : 1971
Label : Blue Note
Genre : Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Jazz Funk

Last album for Blue Note mixing Soul Jazz & Jazz Funk (his new route) featuring Jerome Richardson  David Spinozza, Ray Armando, arranger Wade Marcus and a chorus trio, Essence group,  formed by the sisters Brown, Mildred & Rosalyn, plus Naomi Thomas. Titles include Soul covers of Marvin Gaye, Jean Knight, Eddie Harris' Set Us Free Right On With This Mess of Wade Marcus and original compositions by Reuben Wilson. All tracks arranged by Wade Marcus & Jimmy Briggs (vocals), produced by George Butler, recorded at studio Rudy Van Gelder

Reuben Wilson_organ
Jerome Richardson_soprano & tenor saxophone 
Richard Davis_bass
David Spinozza_guitar & sitar
Gene Bianco_harp
Jimmy Johnson_drums 
Ray Armando_congas
Gordon Powell_percussion

01. Set Us Free
02. We're In Love
03. Sho-Nuff Mellow
04. Mr. Big Stuff
05. Right On With This Mess
06. Mercy, Mercy, Me (The Ecology)
07. Tom's Thumb

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Kimiko Kasai - What's New


Year : 1973
Label : CBS
Genre : Jazz
Style : Vocal, Cool Jazz

The fifth album by Kimiko Kasai supported by the Masahiro Kikuchi Trio featuring pianist Masahiro Kikuchi, bassist Yoshio Suzuki & drummer Hiroshi MurakamiKimiko takes over the great standards of jazz vocal that performed the great Ladies of Jazz, such as Billy Holiday (But Not for Me), Ella Fitzgerald (Close Your Eyes), Sarah Vaughan (Body & Soul), Nancy Wilson (But Beautiful) or also Helen Merrill (What's New). All tracks arranged by Masahiro Kikuchi and produced by Kiyoshi Itoh.

LISTEN SAMPLE

Jorge Ben - A Tabúa De Esmeralda


Year : 1974
Label : Philips
Genre : Latin, Pop, Rock
Style :  Samba, MPB, Funk/Soul

"A Tabúa De Esmeralda" is a highlight point in the Jorge Ben's career, the first act of a esoteric trilogy, considered as the sixth greatest Brazilian album of all the time. "A Tabúa De Esmeralda" opens a spiritual period for Jorge Ben and a back to the african roots including the climax album "Africa-Brasil" in 1976. It was recorded with the support of famous arrangers Osmar Milito and Hugo Bellard (worked for Tim Maia & Marcos Valle). Titles include only original compositions, in particular, the mystical song "Errare Humanum Est", "Zumbi" (a tribute to a famous brazilian slave leader), the spiritual Soul groove "Brother" and the pure samba "O Namorado Da Viúva".

O'Donel Levy - Simba


Year : 1973
Label : Groove Merchant
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Funk

Rare  groove cult LP by jazz fusion guitarist O'Donel Levy composed in association with saxophonist, arranger Manny Albam  and featuring Steve Gadd, John Faddis, Eddie Daniels, the soilists Burt Collins &  Cecil Bridgewater. Titles include the wellknown Bad, Bad, Simba which appears on many compilations as the Pulp Fusion series and the incredible highly funky Playhouse with the unleashed solo flute of Daniels. All tracks arranged by Manny Albam and produced by Sonny Lester.

O'Donel Levy_guitar
Tony Levin_bass
Steve Gadd_drums 
Warren Bernhardt_keyboards 
Eddie Daniels_flute, piccolo flute, saxophone 
Bill Watrous_trombone 
Alan RubinBurt CollinsCecil Bridgewater & Lew Soloff_flugelhorn
Burt CollinsErnie RoyalJon Faddis & Lew Soloff_trumpet
Jim Madison_percussion

01. Bad, Bad, Simba
02. Kilimanjaro Cookout
03. Playhouse
04. Sierra Lonely
05. Sad, Sad, Simba
06. Joni
07. Nigerian Knights

Marie Queenie Lyons - Soul Fever


Year : 1970
Label : De Luxe
Genre : Soul
Style : Funk/Soul

First and unique album of songstress Marie Queenie Lyons, best known as James Brown's chorist released on DeLuxe label. She started his professional career at the club Castaway in 1963 in Ohio, then was recruited as vocalist by Jackie Wilson and later evolved in the backing band of soul saxophonist King Curtis. Titles include great gospel inspirations and funky protest songs such as the James Brown's soul classic "Try Me", her two singles "See And Don't See", timeless classic "Fever" and "Your Thing Ain't Good Without My Thing" selected for British Harmless Soul Funk compilation "I'm A Good Woman" Vol. 1 in 2000. 

LISTEN SAMPLE

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Señor Soul - Plays Funky Favorites


Year : 1968
Label : Double Shot Records
Genre : Soul, Jazz
Style : Soul Jazz, Funk/Soul, Latin

First album of the pre-incarnation of the "Eric Burdon & WAR" band, lead by Charles Miller, who was actives from 1967 to 1969. Later only Charles Miller joined "WAR", conceived with producer Jerry Goldstein and Eric Burdon, born on the ashes of "The Creators" & "Nightshift" bands (formed with Howard E. Scott and Harold Brown). Señor Soul revisits the Pop & Soul classics from the sixties in the Latin Funk style, including "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "Gimme A Little Sign", "Sunshine Superman" and "Up Tight". Titles include also two of their original compositions, "Poquito Soul" and "Mucho Funky". It features Charles Miller (sax, fl, org), Edwin Stevenson (vib, p), Willie Briggs (eb), Howard Talley (eg) and James Tillman Crump (ds).

LISTEN SAMPLE

Marlena Shaw - Live At Montreux


Year : 1974
Label : Blue Note
Genre : Jazz
Style : Funk/Soul

A reissue for the Cooking with Blue Note at Montreux serie, great performance of Marlena Shaw surrounded by a Jazz trio featuring George Gaffney, Eddy Boyer & Harold Jones. Titles include the Horace Silver' The Show Has Began, the cover song, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life by Stevie Wonder and a long version of Woman Of The Ghetto introduced by scat singing from Liberation Conversation performed by Marlena Shaw. Some excerpts of Woman Of The Ghetto were sampled by french artist, St. Germain for Rose Rouge from his Blue Note' album, Tourist released in 2000. Recorded live during the Montreux Jazz Festival sessions in Switzerland on July 5, 1973 and produced by George Butler.  

Marlena Shaw_vocal
George Gaffney_ piano, electric piano
Eddy Boyer_bass
Harold Jones_drums

01. The Show Has Begun
02. The Song Is You
03. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
04. But For Now
05. Save The Children
06. Woman Of The Ghetto

Wax Well Records In Amsterdam


There
are not many music shops in Amsterdam, but here is one record store that is worth seeing. An interesting choice of Soul Funk, Jazz & Grooves rarities. There are also some Hip Hop, Reggae & Pop Music discs not very expensive.



Visit their website : Wax Well Records



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