A Soul Flavor Vol. 2 ~ Deep Soul & Funk Relics

Rare Deep Soul & Funk Relics released from 1966 to 1974, featuring Archie Bell & The Drells, Mary Jane Hooper, Stevie Wonder, Fontella Bass, Norma Jean, Joe Tex, Eddie Bo & many more... All tracks compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

Universal Togetherness Band - Universal Togetherness Band

Year : 2015

Label : The Numero Group

Genre : Jazz, Funk/Soul, New Wave

Style : Jazz Funk, Disco

The first issue of Chicago jazz funk band "The Universal Togetherness Band" lead by songwriter/producer Andre Gibson and released, at last, after over thirty years by The Numero Group label. This compilation brings together some of their best session recordings,  from 1979 to 1982, under the Columbia College audio engineering program. In spite of the many hours passed in the studio, neither album based on UTB's own material has been released, the band never had the opportunity to sign a record deal. UTB fuses Funk, Soul & Disco rhythms with Jazz breaks, offers a kind of synthesis between P-Funk & the New Wave nascent. A catchy music as the Nile Rodgers' Chic band (the reminiscence of the bass line from Bernard Edwards), Earth Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang or Prince, have could produce during the late seventies till the edge of the eighties.

  

MUSICIANS : Andre Gibson - vocals, guitar, vibes - Leslie Misher - lead guitar - Fred Misher - bass, backing vocals - Paul Hanover - harmonica, piano - Arnold Gibson - drums, bass - Louis Sanford - percussion

TRACKLIST : Ain't Gonna Cry (1979) - Real Thrill (1979) - Try Try Try (1980) - My Sentiment (1982) - Once In A Lifetime (1981) - Taken By Love  (1979) - Call For Love (1980) - I Want You (1979)

Serge Gainsbourg - Le Cinéma De Serge Gainsbourg

Year : 2015
Label : DECCA
Series : Back To Black
Genre : Jazz, Stage & Screen, Soundtrack
Style : Chanson, Psychedelic, Pop, Rock, Soul Jazz

Compilation of various works composed by Serge Gainsbourg for french directors (among others Bertrand Blier, Georges Lautner & Michel Audiar), including 14 cinematographic pieces recorded in the sixties, exactly from 1959 to 1969. Since "L'Eau A La Bouche" (1959), his first soundtrack arranged by Alain Goraguer, Serge Gainsbourg was able to surround himself  by others talented arrangers/composers, most of the time, the French Michel Colombier & Jean-Claude Vannier on several films : Si J'étais Un Espion (1967), Anna (1966), Manon 70 (1968) & Le Pacha (1968) with Michel Colombier ; Les Chemins De Katmandou (1969), Slogan (1969) & Une Veuve En Or (1969) with Jean-Claude Vannier (also in charge of the cult Serge Gainsbourg's album "Histoire De Mélodie Nelson"). The tracklist includes various songs sung by Serge Gainsbourg (Requiem Pour Un Con, L’Escroc), Anna Karina (Sous Le Soleil Exactement), Serge Gainsbourg featuring Jane Birkin (La Chanson De Slogan) and various unreleased tracks extracted from films "Si J'étais Un Espion" (Breakdown), "Les Chemins De Katmandou" (Générique & Transe Party Des Haschichiens), "Manon 70" (New Delire Again), "Le Pacha" (Un Noël 67) & "Slogan" (Paris-Bombay).

Albert Ayler - Free Jazz

Year : 1979/1964

Label : Vogue/Freedom Records

Genre : Jazz

Style : Free Jazz, Hard Bop

Although he was recognized by John Coltrane, Albert Ayler (1936-1970) remained an accursed artist who divided critics, while he was a brilliant Avant-Garde saxophonist and a eminent actor of the Free Jazz movement during the early sixties. Originally released under "My Name Is Albert Ayler" on Debut Records (Jazz label founded by Charles Mingus & Max Roach), "Free Jazz" was recorded live in 1963 in Copenhagen for the Danish National Radio. The formation consists on two danish jazz musicians, the rookie Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (16 years old bassist), pianist Niels Brønsted and american drummer, Ronnie Gardiner. Titles are mostly played in the Hard Bop style including original composition "C.T." by Ayler, jazz standards (On Green Dolphin Street, Bye Bye Blackbird)and others cover songs from Charlie Parker (Billie's Bounce) to George Gershwin (Summertime), all with free improvisations.

Sadao Watanabe & His Group - Music Break

 

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Latin Jazz
Style : Bossa Nova

Recording of the live performance at Kosei-Nenkin Kaikan in Tokyo, Jul.4, 1967, spread over two discs of the "Takt Jazz Series", the first being the "Bossa Nova Concert". "Music Break" is making part of the japanese sixties phenomenon, the big Bossa Nova Boom, which was introduced by Sadao Watanabe and also contributed to do Brazilian Music, a popular music genre in Japan. Sadao (as, fl) plays with his regular rhythm section from 1966 to 1968, featuring Jazz legends pianist Masabumi Kikuchi & drummer Masahiko Togashi, guitarist Sadanori Nakamure, bassist Masanaga Harada, percussionist Hideo Miyata (on cabasa). Titles include the Bossa Nova classics like "Mas Que Nada", "Meditation", "Samba De Orfeu" and the jazz standard "It Might As Well Be Spring" played in samba mode.

Os Brazões - Os Brazões

Year : 2014/1969
Label : Mr Bongo/RGE Discos
Genre : Latin Rock, MPB
Style : Psychedelic Rock, Funk/Soul

"Os Brazões" self-titled album was originally released on RGE Discos in 1969, the unique record of the psychedelic group formed in Rio De Janeiro in the late sixties. Lead by guitarist/singer Miguel De Deus (the frontman of Black Rio movement) featuring Eduardo 'Edu' Rocha (ds) & Mandrake Som (perc), the band started as backing band for Gal Costa and Tom Zé during the early days of Tropicália period. As their countrymen "Os Mutantes", the iconic psychedelic group from São Paulo, "Os Brazões" produced a masterpiece of Latin Rock with North American influences fusing elements from Samba to Funk/Soul & Acid Rock. Titles includes cover songs from Gilberto Gil ("Pega A Voga Cabeludo", "Volksvolkswagen Blue"), Jorge Ben/Toquinho ("Carolina, Carol Bela", "Que Maravilha") or Tom Zé (Feitiço), instrumental by Brazilian Octopus (Momento B/8) and their well-known song "Gotham City". 

Jacques Dutronc (Self-Titled)

Year : 1966
Label : Vogue
Genre : Rock, Chanson Française
Style : Psychedelic, Beat

The year 1966, may be considered as the French rock birth act whose Jacques Dutronc was one of its eminent figure. Co-written with Claude Lanzmann, the Dutronc's debut album fuses Garage Rock, Psychedelia, Folk Rock music (L'opération). However, this iconic French Pop album recycles British & US Rock success, even borrowing some familiar tunes to The Rolling Stones, The Kinks or The Yardbirds, as evidenced "La Fille Du Père Noël" which shares the same riff as Bo Diddley on "I'm A Man". Between 1966-1975, Jacques Dutronc recorded seven albums for Vogue, taking over his predecessors Yé-Yé (a typical french musical pop genre), the French dandy  is more provocative such as Serge Gainsbourg, using confusing humorous lyrics, wordplay with irreverence, cynicism and irony. Most of the songs are iconic standards of the french Pop and became big hits during the sixties :  "Les Play-Boys", "Les Cactus", "La Fille Du Père Noël" &  "Mini-Mini-Mini".

The Fine Machine - Habitat

Year : 2016/1972
Label : Cinedelic Records/CAM
Genre : Jazz, Music Library, Stage & Screen
Style : Pop, Funk/Soul, Psychedelic, Jazz Rock

Masterpiece from Italian music library, first quality reissue stricly limited to 500 copies by Cinedelic records, originally released under the CAM (Creazioni Artistiche Musicali) files in 1972. "The Fine Machine" is formed by three italian composers/arrangers, pianist Giacomo Dell'Orso aka Oscar Lindok, Nico Fidenco (Donimak), and Gianni Dell'Orso (Proluton)."Habitat" is a crossover record including progressive rock, jazz & funk including psychedelic elements ("Obsessing Promenade", "Hand Shake" or "Crazy Eel"), latin beats ("Racing Beat", the bossa "Snobbery"), and oriental expressions on "The Eastern Question". All tracks arranged by Oscar Lindok.

Norma Jean & Ray J. ‎- Raising Hell

Year : 2015/1974
Label : Superfly Records/Hep-Me
Genre : Soul
Style : Funk/Soul

Norma Jean is a gospel songstress associated with the arranger/producer Raymond Jones from New Orleans, both "outsiders" of the Soul Legends. “Raising Hell” is a rare dynamite deep-soul record out from the southern soul scene which was first released on the Hep-Me label in 1974. This "Holy Grail" was finally reissued 40 years later, by parisian record store Superfly Records, in collaboration of the japanese label Disques Dessinée. Titles include originals and covers from Dr. John (Right Time-Wrong Place) or Stax songwriter Joe Broussard (Everlasting Love), solos & duets with heavy funk (Raising Hell, I've Taken Over) and beautiful love songs (We Love Each Other).

MUSICIANS : Norma Jean - vocal - Ray J. - piano, trumpet, vocal - Walter Payton - bass - Herman Ernest - drums - Alvin Thomas - flute - Teddy Royal - guitar - Alvin Thomas - tenor saxophone - Clyde Kerr Jr. &  John Longo - trumpet

New Stream In Jazz Vol. 10

Compilation series dedicated to the golden era of the japanese jazz scene through the years 60's-70's. This volume is devoted to the Jazz standards including some Soul covers, taken back by the main protagonists from the Japanese Jazz's "New Wave" among others Toshiko Akiyoshi, Takehiro Honda, Masabumi Kikuchi, Terumasa Hino, Hiroshi Suzuki. All tracks are recorded between 1967-1975, ranging from Post Bop, Latin & Soul Jazz. Compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.

The Psychedelic Soul Vol. 4 ~ Japanese Beat, Jazz & Rock 'N Roll

Another journey into the amazing world of the japanese beat from the sixties including Psychedelic grooves, GS music (for Group Sounds), Jazz & Rock 'n Roll. This volume consists of Japanese pop songs inspired by psychedelic music & various covers of western rock standards (Black Dog, Lowdown, Crossroads) featuring Peter Pan, Hiro Yanagida, Jun Mayuzumi, Soul Messengers, Akira Ishikawa, Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Emy Jackson, Takeshi Terauchi, Maki Asakawa, Jiro Inagaki and of course Group Sounds (The Carnabeats, The Youngers, The Tempters, The Jaguars & The Jacks). All tracks released between 1966-1972, compiled & mixed by Be Hard Bop.