9/30/2007

Stop and Listen Vol 5. - Masters at Work

Excellent stuff... possibly the best title in this already great series. Kenny Dope and Little Louie Vega have put together this catchy-killer set of tracks with the groove running from Latin to House to Funk to Soul to Disco and back again. Sounds like a hodge-podge effort, but the Masters At Work team make it work beautifully, and its stunned at how you'll barely notice the transition between songs and moods...just more proof of the deep well of influences that Kenny and Louie are able to blend into a whole new sound and style of dancefloor rhythms.

1Karen Ramirez — Troubled Girl
2Boris Gardiner — Melting Pot
3Candido — Thousand Fingered Man
4Pepe Braddock — Deep Burnt
5Blaze — Wishin' you were here (joey negro dub)
6Isolee — Beau Mot plage
7Taana Gardner — When you touch me
8Joe Claussel — Je ka jo
9Eddie Palmieri — Puerto rico
10Sun palace — Rude movements
11Gwen Gutherie — Seventh heaven
12Cleptomaniacs — Numero Uno
13Fania All Stars — Coro Miyare
14Jazz Samba Encore — Saudabe Vem Correndo
15Nina Simone — See line woman
16Breakestra — Getcho Soul Togetha (pt 1 & pt2)
17Slum village — 2U4U
18Jill Scott — Slowly Surely
19Doug Carn — Time is running out
Stop and Listen!
***You will need both parts to play, file is one mp3

9/07/2007

Uncle Junior's Friday Fish Fry- The Market

DJ Djiniji Brown's second album, Uncle Junior's Friday Fish Fry, takes the listener on a fascinating journey around the world and through time to stitch together some truly funky, earthy beats into a mix that will get you on the floor and keep you there. It is also interesting enough for headphone listening. The seamless flow takes in diverse sources like blaxploitation soundtracks, Afro-funk, smooth house, dub, funk, hip-hop, Latin jazz, and Cuban sounds. All the tracks are first-class dance music, and the set's awash in some classic 70s funk and Latin tunes, set next to newer tracks that were clearly inspired by the older ones - and which manage to borrow their influence without sanding things down too much

Browns mixing skills are solid but unspectacular; his strength lies in the selection of the tracks and in the juxtaposition of sounds, cultures, and rhythms. Easily one of the top albums on Soul'd Out.

Tracklist:
1. Take Off Your Shoes (Intro)
2. Dennis Coffey and Luchi De Jesus - 'Theme From Black Belt Jones'
3. Mongo Santamaria - 'O Mi Shango'
4. NuSpirit Helsinki - 'Makoomba'
5. Afronaught - 'Transcend Me'
6. DJ Spinna feat. Shaun Escoffery - 'The Music In Me'
7. DJ Jazzy Jeff feat. Erro - 'Rock Wit You (Osunlade's Yoruba Soul Mix)'
8. Totico y Sus Rumberos - 'Noche Cubana'
9. Gregoy Isaacs - 'Crofs (Slum Dub)'
10. Vinia Mojica and Geology - 'Sands Of Time'
11. Peven Everett - 'Testin Me'
12. Brass Construction - 'Movin'
13. Manu Dibango - 'African Battle'
14. Djinji Brown - 'Blue Hunny (Roots In The Jungle Mix)'
15. Roc Hunter - 'Isto E Samba (Commentary Mix)'
16. Agent K. - 'Hands'
17. Marion Brown - 'Don't Take Your Love From Me (Solo Sax)'
18. Quiet Time (Outro)

9/01/2007

Emil Richards & The Microtonal Blues Band - Journey to Bliss

A fantastic bit of "Eastern" tinged jazz, and a real musical Journey To Bliss on its own. Vibist Emil Richards really outdoes himself here, working in an exotic mode that features lots of weird percussion over choppy modal grooves from keyboards, guitar, and drums...all in a wild blend of rhythms and grooves played by Richards and his Microtonal Blues Band.

Richards started playing the xylephone at age six. In the 1950s and 1960s he played various percussion instruments with jazz ensembles first in New York and then in Los Angeles, where he settled permanently in1959 . He became known as one of the most desirable percussionists in jazz, rock and other popular music and was called on to play in countless movie and television soundtracks.

Richards soon became a "first call" percussionist for the Hollywood film industry, and has played for hundreds of films. He has played for many groups, including The Doors, George Harrison, and Frank Sinatra.

Players on Journey to Bliss include Tom Tedesco and Dennis Budimir on guitar, Dave MacKay on keyboards, and Joe Porcaro on drums. All players handle a variety of instruments, as does Richards, who must play dozens of different percussion elements on the set. Features some great short groovers and groovy pop-Eastern sound.