This youthful nine piece latin band was led by trombonist Julio Millan and pianist Tony Ortega. Their sound was very much in the classic salsa vein of a heavy rhythm alongside a tight horn section with soulful vocals. The vocals are in Spanish and the groove is salsa dura.
The band was heavily influenced by the Afro-Cuban sound from Cuba and several of their songs reflect this. This debut album includes the original recording of classic latin soul number Rain.
With funky and progressive arrangements the band have a swinging descarga (jam session) feel led by the two trombones. The youthfulness and energy of the band comes through loud and clear in their musicianship, their music bursting with fiery solos, hard hitting percussion and soulful vocals. They describe their music as guaguanco, descarga, Santeria, bolero-son etc...
Brooklyn Sounds legendary 1971 debut album, full of heavy Nuyorican underground salsa dura propelled by raw trombones and in-your-face percussion, born of the barrio streets and the band's Caribbean heritage. Fully authorized by producer Bobby Marin, with liner notes detailing the Brooklyn Sounds story, featuring never-before seen photos and pressed on 180g vinyl. In the bustling rhythm-filled streets of 1970s New York, where the Latin music scene pulsated with energy, one clandestine project emerged from the shadows to become a hidden gem of raw, unfiltered musical brilliance -- the legendary Brooklyn Sounds! album. Crafted by the audacious Bobby Marin, a maestro with an appetite for risk, this masterpiece is not just an album; it's a sonic rebellion that echoes the untamed spirit of the city. The iconic album cover, a creation of the visionary Charlie Rosario, is a testament to the band's urban roots. A stark, black-and-white photograph of a snow-clad fire escape, rendered with high contrast, encapsulates the hard realities of the city that birthed Brooklyn Sounds' unmistakable sound. It's not just an album cover; it's a visual manifesto, a slice of New York's gritty soul frozen in time. As the reels rolled in the studio, capturing the essence of guaguancó, son montuno, bomba, and Latin soul, the band's music spoke to the streets, telling tales of broken romance, Santería, Puerto Rican roots, and the unbridled revelry of the city that never sleeps. The recording exuded a savage, smoggy vibe, full of heavy Nuyorican underground salsa dura propelled by raw trombones and in-your-face percussion. Released under the audacious Salsa Records -- a name that turned heads and raised eyebrows -- Brooklyn Sounds! broke free from the mold, refusing to be confined by mainstream expectations. The LP became a sought-after treasure, transcending its low-budget origins. This hidden jewel, with its relentless rhythms and untamed spirit, never succumbed to the airwaves controlled by the big labels. It's a rebellion against the establishment, a testament to the band's refusal to conform. While Brooklyn Sounds may not have soared to mainstream heights, its impact echoes through collector circles worldwide, from Toronto to Tokyo, where enthusiasts crave the rare, the raw, and the rebellious. So, dive into the infectious beats, feel the authenticity pulsating through every track, and let Brooklyn Sounds! take you on a journey back to the untamed streets of 1970s New York.
Percussion – Billy Higgins (tracks: 4, 5, 6), Sonny Brown (tracks: 1 to 8, 10)
Piano – Consuela Lee Moorehead
Vocals – A. Grace Lee Mims (tracks: 1, 5 to 7, 10)
Recorded at MINOT STUDIOS, White Plains, New York, December 19, 20 and 21, 1973. Produced by LEE-FAM ENTERPRISES
One of the most unique albums on the Strata East label and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the creative energies flowing through that legendary label! Descendants Of Mike & Phoebe is a righteous little project put together by Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, and his brothers and sisters Cliff Lee, Grace Lee Mims, and Consuela Lee Moorhead, working here in a group named after their slave ancestors, who are paid tribute in a beautifully flowing batch of tunes! The album is a prime example of an early fusion record combining elements from jazz, gospel, soul and blues as well as a great sign of the times, the early seventies when musical experimentation and coalition was all abound.
Save the drummers, this band is oddly yet aptly name. Four musical children, the sons and daughters of Mike and Phoebe Lee, join on this one and only done for Strata-East, where Lee did a good deal of bass work. What anyone who likes a bit of soul in their spiritual jazz will like are the amazing arrangements, the solid composition, and tight sound of the songs. It doesn't seem to matter which ones feature Billy Higgins (just a few) and which ones feature Sonny Brown, the drumming is solid, though one can certainly perceive Higgins' sound on the short piano led adaptation of "Boll Weevil". The tracks themselves are split between vocal and instrumental tracks. This would be a good time to note that the vocals, largely from A. Grace Lee Mims, are largely classical. Meaning, that while she has a good soul voice, such as on the first part of the opening "Two Songs for a Boy Named Mark", she spends the majority of the album, such as the second part of that first song, using classical soprano vocals. This may please many listeners, but if you're not used to it in a soul spiritual jazz connotation, it can be jarring. It's always well performed, so at least it is clearly what the group desired.
Bill takes over for the next few songs, focusing on instrumentals, and the second song, "Coltrane", is likely the one you know if you're aware of this album at all. It shows the clear abilities of the group to play great spiritual jazz, and though it's Clif Lee's flugelhorn most mocking the mighty Trane, the abilities of the band behind it are just as impressive, which continues on through the next, equally good, song "Chick Chick", and the soulful, moving "Well Done, Weldon". From there, the instrumentals take a back seat to the vocals, and this is certainly where the record gets divisive. Lee Mims' voice is front and center on most of these. This is, on a personal level, not my favorite, but I do love the music behind it. Again, it's all well done, I just wish the vocals were on her soulful side not her soprano one. Things change a bit when Clif Lee takes over the vocals for his composition, "Attica", which is about the prison riots. A good album, then, and of special interest to either vocal jazz lovers or fans of Spike Lee. Indeed, Bill was Spike Lee's father, and is probably best known for being musical director for Spike's first four films, prior to them falling out after Bill's arrest for heroin possession in 1994. Still, the key here is the music Spike's father, aunts, and uncle are making, and it's solid throughout. Why this was never followed up on is not known as it's a fairly well known Strata-East title.
I confess to having trouble separating the music on this LP from the motivations that led to its creation: the name "The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe" was chosen to honor the maternal slave ancestors of the Lee family who are six generations removed from the players (four family members play on the album). Featured on five of the ten tracks is the soprano voice of Grace Lee Mims, which is truly lovely and adds an ethereal element to the underlying jazz. My favorite track on the album is "Coltrane," which features bassist Bill Lee, who really stretches out (you can find him on numerous significant jazz albums from the 60s). This song is probably most familiar to people as played by Clifford Jordan. Cliff Lee on flugelhorn supplies the brass element and along with Consuela Lee Moorehead on piano show that this was indeed a distinguished musical family.
Unfortunately, this seems to be another cultural artifact that few will hear as I do not believe it made it out of the LP era. That is truly a shame, because both the music and the message behind it are worthy of attention. Most of the Strata East catalog is like that.
A quote from the family genealogy, written by William Edwards and cited in the liner notes, is worthwhile to demonstrate. The "Mike" of the title was a slave who was separated from his wife and family. "Mike made a vow to his wife, Phoebe, that he would work in some way to buy his freedom and come to her and the children in Alabama. He remained [in South Carolina] for four years, and by working for his master and at night for himself, made extra money to buy his freedom which he did and came to his family in Alabama. To me, this one act on the part of our great-grandfather, Mike, is worth remembering by all of his descendants. I think it was the highlight of his life. If he, a slave, could do this, how much more ought we free people do for those who are dependent on us?"
The Daytonians may let Jesus work it out, but they also do a heck of a lot themselves – more than plenty to make the record a rare funky gospel treasure from the 70s! The group hail from Dayton, Ohio, and cut the record in Atlanta – and there's some indication that Calvin Arnold was involved with the whole thing – as there's key funky currents to the music that remind us of the mix of rootsy grit and tightness in his oawn records, and which sound even better next to the magnificent harmonies of the group! As with the best soul-styled gospel albums of the period, the grooves and production are pretty darn down to earth – meaning that there's plenty here to love even if you're not taken with the spirit
So good and funky, even a hardcore atheist would love it. An absolute banger, highly recommended!
Originally released in 1978, it’s the only known album by this super hot Atlanta, Georgia band. The Chapparrals were known for wild onstage antics, deep funky sounds and for taking no prisoners when they opened for any of the numerous recording acts they had the pleasure of working with back in the ’70s. These guys are a perfect summation of popular funk groove as their album is a blistering blend of bassy rhythms and tight instrumentation. It also includes mighty sweet keyboards that sneak wonderfully alongside the guitar and horns, sometimes with wild moogy touches that are almost P-Funk. They performed with notables like The Commodores, The Isley Brothers, Sly & The Family Stone, Marvin Gaye, Graham Central Station, Kool & The Gang, Parliamant/Funkadelic and many others. This great album is a compilation of hot, stingy tunes with horns, smooth ballads with strings, featuring both fast and slow funky songs with heavy rhythmic passages. A surefire holy grail funk and soul LP!
Another Funk album that hardly anyone has ever seen an original of from a band that has not even been featured much on any compilations: only two in Discogs at the time of writing. Is it in demand for its obscurity’s sake? Not at all: It’s S-M-O-K-I-N-G! - Damn!!!
Most of the musicians have no other credits, apart from vocalist Larry Powell and producer Morris Ogletree. So much under appreciated talent, unless you were attending a lot of live concerts in the late 70s / early 80s in the USA: The included Japanese sheet features old posters advertising The Chapparrals as support acts for the likes of Bloodstone, Rufus, Donald Byrd, Kool & The Gang, Mandrill, as well as concert photos where they apparently shared the stage with Mother’s Finest, Zapp and the Bar-Kays.
The original 1978 album supposedly had a press run of 1000 copies and surprisingly, the band was around until the late 80s according to Horace Henry in the interview included in the Japanese re-issue.
The opener “Hittin’ It” is an instrumental groove with great horns in the funkiest vein of the aforementioned groups. Funk-o-sizer à la Ohio Players Funky Worm from bar one will get your attention.
“Stop Cheating On My Lady” doesn’t have the strongest song writing pedigree, but a nice 70s Soul arrangement with good horns, and background vocals. It also features nice strings, which unfortunately go uncredited. Where did they get the money from for this!?!?!
“Juicy Fruit” delivers On The One again. It’s semi-instrumental with only the title being chanted throughout. It’s got nothing to do with the later Mtume hit.
“Shake Your Head Pt.1” slows the Funk down to 108BPM and oozes out of your speakers like molasses. J-A-M - G’DAMN!!!.
“Shake Your Head Pt. 2” is a totally different groove, much faster at 120BPM but still funky with great horns. Think early Cameo stuff. Dope!!!
“Country Girl” is close to a ballad and not my cup of tea and a bit average. Again it features strings and female background vocals which are beyond what you would expect from a Chitlin’ Circuit Funk band. Once the guitarist joins in the whole things becomes like an Eddie Hazel Parliament / Funkadelic tune.
“Coming To You” is another slick and sick slow funk jam that would have qualified for a Cameo / Ohio Players / Barkays etc. album. Quality.
“The Brew” is a 138BPM instrumental Disco workout that doesn’t sit well with the rest of the album, but deserves acknowledgement for the string arrangements. The Japanese language interview with Horace Henry reveals that the producer Morris Ogletree professionally worked with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. While they are not explicitly credited, it appears that his connection allowed the recording to use a phat string ensemble. Ogletree, later also worked a keyboarder on the LA. Connection album, which further helps to explain the influence of the Cameo sound here.
“Just Be You” is real ballad territory, again with plenty of strings. The lead vocalist sings chorus and verse but is being helped by those female background voices again from the intro onwards. Horace Henry mentions in the interview text that the female background vocals are by “Trancender” supposedly toured with Marvin Gaye.
The album closer is a strong Funk groove track called “Jam Around The World” and you can imagine them also playing this as their concert closer, setting the bar very high for any of the main acts to follow.
This album is totally worth tracking down, whether original or reissue.
Razor-sharp funk from The Chapparrals -- an Atlanta group from the 70s, and one with a great balance of ensemble grooving and deeper soul roots! There was really something special in the Atlanta scene at the time -- an approach to large group funk that was different than most northern scenes, and which could still come across with a lean sort of energy, even when hitting tight on the money for the dancefloor! These guys are a perfect summation of that groove -- and the album's a blistering blend of bassy rhythms and tight instrumentation -- including some mighty sweet keyboards that snake wonderfully alongside the guitar and horns, sometimes with some wild moogy touches that are almost P&P funk. The whole thing's great -- one of those albums that's rare, but mighty satisfying too
This is a self release LP, Recorded at Stage 3 Sound Productions in Kansas City, MO.
A special thanks to Pat Morrisey for adding his distinctive trumpet accent. And to our many friends and followers who support us and the music we love. (The words of “ssSlick”, from original cover)
Original liner notes by Carol Comer, veteran singer/ musician/ songwriter, who served as Executive Director of the Women`s Jazz Festival Inc. She was also Kansas City`s correspondent for Down Beat Magazine:
This is not a perfect album, thank heaven. Perfection is sterile ... unreal. Remember it`s the kelp on the beach that gives it color; the crag on the mountain that gives it character; the cloud in the sky that gives it motion. Summing up, it is the feeling they have for their music, for each other, and for you, their audience – that makes “This is ssSlick” worthwhile.
Side 1:
Lloyd`s mellow voice and guitar are introduced in “The Song is You” where everyone contributes their two-cents (or sixteen bars) worth. Lloyd is a big favorite of mine and I`m especially impressed with his vocal duplications, simultaneously scatting the instrumental line in octave unison. You`ll get a taste of what I`m talking about later on. My favorite cut “Crisco”, really cooks, pardon the pun. Composed by Everette, it illustrates ssSlick`s penchant for funk, with DeVan and Jenkins in particulary good form; Dwights street-wise traps are testimony to his touring days with James Brown. On “Next Time You See Me”, a shuffle type blues, Dwight doubles as vocalist, although Everette endeavors to steal the show with some “organomics” that could have you believing someone changed the speed to 78 RPM. Lloyd and Kent take solo turns on the familiar standard, “Somewhere Along The Way”, offered here in a touch-dance tempo. A big band sound is simulated on “Teach Me Tonight” (no easy task for a quintet) and all five seem to have a nice, walkin` tempo good time.
Side 2:
”The People`s Choice” is a melodic minor key bossa, great to listen to and blessed with a nice guitar interlude midstream. A straight ahead version of “I`ll Remember April” (one of my faves of all time) featuring Lloyd is followed by his laid back guitar/ vocal opening the door to “Gypsy in my Soul”, a refreshing variation from the usual barn burner arrangement. “Stormy Monday” is ushered in (via Everette) with what a moan sounds like when it`s orchestrated. You`ll marvel at the George Benson-like inventions offered by Lloyd, and I think you`ll agree that this one has the power to stop clocks, cure ills, maybe even change the economy. Another DeVan original, this time a Latin number called “Voodoo Village” features Kents backphrasing vibes for openers and Everette hot on his heels with a racy and rapid fire B-3 solo. Once more everyone pitches in a passage and the only things missing are the vines and the parrots.
I had the pleasure of performing with both Everette and Kent in a group that played the old colony a few years back. We`d amuse ourselves (and occasionally the audience) by trying to surprise each other with new variations of old melodies ... unexplored patterns of familiar themes. It was a lot of fun and I think all of us grew as a result. We`re in different groups now but as I listen to the album I`m reminded of the camaraderie that prevailed during those Colony days. I`m very happy for Everette, Kent and their new group (I`m less familiar with Pat and Dwight – more about Lloyd in a moment, but having heard them I feel they`re a worthy addition) and I`m happy too, to share my impressions of their efforts on “This is ssSlick”! They perform regularly in and around Kansas City and I hope you`ll make a point of checking them out in person. You`ll be glad you did!
A cool little album from the Kansas City scene – a mix of jazz, soul, and vocals – played by a mixed group that includes organ, guitar, vibes, and percussion! The sound is swinging soul jazz, but with vocals out front at times – and the sound is nicely rough around the edges, hardly the commercial affair you might guess from a group with "slick" in their name! These guys are clearly well suited to handling a variety of crowds, as you can tell from the shifting moods of the record – but they've also got a good talent for cooking up some good soulful tunes of their own, like the bossa-inspired "People's Choice", the mellow steppin "Voodoo Village", or the soul jazz groover "Crisco" – which begins with a really great break! The whole thing's pretty nice, and there's a few tasty cuts that also feature scatting vocals going together with the guitar.
01. Call A Spade A Spade 06:06 02. Married Life 06:37 03. Forgiveness 06:26 04. No Wrong Show 05:50 05. Love Of Parents 06:19 06. People In The World 03:03
Who said that all Nigerian afrobeat from the 70s was dark and though provoking with a melancholic edge despite the ongoing powerful grooves and a more or less political message denouncing the the methods of the country’s leaders to increase their own wealth and power while the simple people suffer. Well, this 1978 album by bandleader Thony Shorby Nyenwi proves this idea wrong. What we have here is a sacredly rare gem, fetching 300 € for a copy in playable condition. A crown jewel of Nigerian afrobeat and funk music that is an utter joy listening to.
Thony Nyenwi's music is a monument of the genre carved in rock. His vocal melodies are more at the lighter and happier side of life, somehow hypnotizing with reduced note progressions on repetitive rhythm figures that rush through your whole body to make you groove along. A fine funky wah wah guitar sound and a mind blowing keyboard sound including electric piano, farfisa organ and others hook up to add colour to the stoic rhythms. The atmosphere literally cooks. This is certainly more modern with a slightly more polished feel than the political music of Fela Kuti or Segun Bucknor, but still bears an unparalleled intensity that makes this album a dance floor sweeper at each club. Coloured lights are flashing into the white haze from the fogging machines when people in glittering bell bottom trousers and twinkling shirts happily get into the groove. 70s galore. Well, the folks can also shift down a gear and rock out a sweet reggae tune that later on turns into a smooth funk, to add more variety to this black wax jewel.
No matter what Thony and his mates do here, they do it with passion and divine talent. The arrangements are a dense network of sounds, beats, melodies, voices and it goes on and on throughout the whole record. You as a fan of 1970s black music, funk, reggae, soul, all mixed up in a typical Nigerian way, will be enchanted and become swallowed by the holy cloud emerging from the speakers. A beautiful discovery after such a long time that will bring more joy to a new generation of black music aficionadoes.
Trumpet – Bunji Murata, Kenichi Sano, Koji Hatori, Kunio Fujisaki
Music written by genius composers Masahiko Sato (Mujou), Hiroshi Takami (Heian period prostitute), Norio Maeda (Soul), Kozaburo Yamaki (Sumo) on the theme of traditional Japanese culture. A masterpiece of Japanese jazz big band, where New Hard goes wild with free-jazz rock! ! (Koki Hanawa)In the 1990s, Japanese jazz gradually gained attention from enthusiasts. Around 2005, the coined word 'Japanese jazz' was coined, and Japanese jazz became a bit of a boom. In 2009, the release of the 'Wa Jazz Disc Guide (Koki Hanawa + Yusuke Ogawa)' became a big movement, and even now in 2023, when the Heisei era has changed to the Reiwa era, record collectors around the world continues to receive attention from Nearly 30 years after the wave of re-evaluation, Japanese jazz has become completely established as one of the subdivided music genres. The reason why it didn't end as a transient boom is that the more you dig into it, the more you recognize it's passionate musicality and the rarity of the original record.
Toshiyuki Miyama is a key figure in Japanese progressive big band music. He started playing jazz with his band before WWII. After the war, his big band was a hot name in the US Navy clubs in Japan. His first recorded albums contained big band classics and popular tunes of the time up to the late 60s, when the avant-garde jazz invasion (mostly introduced by young Japanese jazzmen returning from jazz studies in the States) revolutionized the country's scene.
Starting in 1967-68, Miyama adapted a new sound playing with leading genre local musicians. "Four Jazz Compositions" is not his band's first advanced release, but one among a few very early such albums, and one of the rarest. Still, its rarity is not this album's main attraction (unless you are collector), the presented music is quite unique, even for that extremely advanced time.
It's a public secret that discussions about originality (or better to say its absence) in Japanese jazz had long decades of history. Here, on "Four Jazz Compositions", the listener will easily find some early evidence of what can be tagged as "original Japanese elements".
The album's opener, the ten-minute long "Mumyoju", is composed by Japanese leading avant-garde pianist and composer of the time, Masahiko Satoh, (he plays on it as well, but percussion, not piano). It begins with silence pierced with ascetic needles of percussion, minimal brass splashes and koto. Still silence (or "free air", as it is often called in Japanese avant-garde music) is the largest and most important composition component. The music here is near static, in moments meditative, but more often - quite dramatic and recalls early Western contemporary avant-garde compositions, just with an Eastern touch.
The second composition,"Shirabyoshi", opens as if it's just a continuation of the previous one, but very soon piano, bass and the brass section take their part - here one can be sure that all the Orchestra is in action. From meditative slow tempos, it grows fast to an orchestral jazz-rock sound, but on the four minute mark, Miyama cuts the sound. What follows sounds like a well arranged pop-tune, or movie soundtrack. It doesn't last long though, at the sixth minute the orchestra moves toward a full-bodied big band sound with a muscular rock-influenced rhythm section and brass fireworks. Growing tensions explode close to the ten minute mark and continues as nervous mid-tempo orchestral "Ikisudama", recalling a more contemporary avant-garde piece than any form of jazz. The listener shouldn't be bored though - somewhere in the middle the music somehow naturally transforms to a full bodied big band sound, something that could be played by Mingus. As if it would be not enough, the orchestra explodes with distorted sound, a lot of almost cacophonous brass soloing and at the end returns back to base - slow down till almost meditative, even if still nervous in moments, avant-garde chamber orchestra sound.
The fourth and final composition opens with a drum solo and rolls ahead as a tuneful richly brass arranged jazz-rock song, very cinematic, but still with some small distortions here and there. At the end this forty minute long album, it stays in your memory as a gallery of musical pictures, some more organically related than others, but never boring.
Miyama will continue releasing advanced big band releases for some more years, but "Four Jazz Compositions" (together with "Yamataifu", "Eternity? ・Epos" and few more) will stay as one of the best examples of Japanese adventurous orchestrated jazz.
Backing Vocals – Brenda Liverman, Jackie Myrick, Jamie Cannata, Lisa Demmings, Mary Diggs, Otis Jones
Bass – Carton Brown, Kenny James
Drums – Eric Roberts, Lemanel Harper
Handclaps – Barry Ashley, Beverly Hathcock
Keyboards – Julius Faulkner
Lead Guitar – Sam "Johnson Swanson" Diggs
Percussion – Clarence Vincent
Rhythm Guitar – Harold "Sundance Kid" Bonds
Strings – Doris Bagget, Lillian Zaret, Peter Zaret, Raymond Pancarowicz
Trumpet – Greg Galishaw
Here's one very rare early 80's soul and boogie LP, as clean original copies now fetch well over $500, if you can find it...
The story of Van Jones, as with all great singers, starts off in the church. Till this day, singing alongside his brothers as ‘The King David’s Harp’, the family gospel group would see Silvanis, ‘Van’ for short, join them at a young age. Needless to say, growing up in Norfolk in the late 50s & 60s and being surrounded by producers & artists such as Lenis Guess, Danny Gold, Lee Fields to name a few, it’s only natural that Van would start an R&B group and begin touring the East Coast.
In the mid-70s, on the way to New York City to audition for The Temptations, Van would stop off to see his brother Otis in New Jersey. Their cousin was dating George Kerr at the time, so Kerr & Linda Jones were natural fixtures at Otis’ place. In knowing that, Van’s first time meeting Kerr would be on this trip, he brought up some demo tracks he had been working on which would soon after lead on to recording ‘I Want To Groove You’ at the Guess studio back in Norfolk, with his backing vocal group ’The Jays’ whom consisted of Otis & his sisters.
Whilst visiting Detroit to work on his forthcoming album ‘Time Has Made Me New’, Van went to see a performance by Norfolk native, Wilson Williams. The two had previously worked on music together, however this would be the first time he met Mary Diggs, William’s backing vocalist. Diggs, another Norfolk native, would then perform with Van as well as feature on his album.
As mentioned earlier, Van is still singing alongside his brothers, and there are future projects on the horizon, however for now, there’s only one question….well, do ya?
Van Jones is one hip dude -- stepping out here in a wonderful self-produced set from the Virgina scene of the early 80s -- but one that crackles with the best sort of sound of the New York scene of the time! The record's really well done -- a great mix of funky steppers and mellower numbers that reminds us of some of our favorite indie soul sides in the post-disco years -- with a really lean feel overall, but one that's the result of focus, more than just a rough production on Van's part. The upbeat tracks mix in wicked keyboards and bass bits -- and often have two or more female voices stepping along with the grooves -- and the few mellower tracks slide in nicely too, with a sound that's smooth but never too slick. One of those rare indie sides that really sounds like it should have been more pro at the time.
Recorded and mixed in January of 1978 in Columbia Studio II, Columbia complex, Rizoupoli, Athens.
Rare folk-disco project coming from Lebanon.The producer Ziad Rahbani released only one disco project for the Zida label and was pressed in a very limited run in 1978 of about 500 copies only (due to some difficulties coming from the political situation that occurred in Lebanon), so today it's not easy to find original copies in nice conditions and you have to consider that the original pressing quality wasn't at the highest levels. Ziad Rahbani (born January 1st, 1956) is a Lebanese composer, pianist, performer, playwright, and political commentator. He is the eldest son of Fairuz and Assi Rahbani. His compositions are well known throughout the Arab world, especially because he is responsible for Fairuz's musical works from 1980s onwards. Many of his musicals satirize Lebanese politics both during and after the civil war, and are often strongly critical of the traditional political establishment.
Close your eyes and think back to your Record Store Day 2019 for a moment. What did you do? What did you buy? What was your favorite discovery of the day? I hate to be the one to tell you this, but if the answer to at least one of these questions wasn’t Lebanese disco, you didn’t do Record Store Day 2019 as well as you could have.
For Record Store Day this year, Wewantsounds did a deep dive and came up with gold – in the form of ultra-rare 1978 Ziad Rahbani 12-inch single “Abu Ali”, the original of which is up for sale on Discogs for $650 at the very lowest. Fortunately, the curators over at Wewantsounds saw fit to remaster the album and reissue it for the first time, original artwork and all. The track clocks in at a whopping 13 minutes, plenty of time to seamlessly integrate all the hallmarks of a perfect disco track: strings, horns, and drama.
“Abu Ali” begins with a few seconds of delicate cinematic embellishment – and then the bass slaps down, soulful and driven by a simmering beat. The mix gradually grows more and more symphonic, a bold regiment of brass alternating with sinuous violin lines and electronics: guitar, bass, and keys. The percussion moves steadily, with subtle changes throughout the piece. Jazz keys add glitter. A ney flute and hand drums, along with melismatic calls from Joseph Saqr, lend more clearly Levantine influences that emerge organically from the more traditional disco soundscape.
From start to finish, “Abu Ali” is a voluptuous, exciting piece with a wordless story arc to tell. Passion, action, and intrigue are all present, somehow, in the only disco single to be found in the repertoire of legendary composer Rahbani.
No less beguiling is the more laid-back b-side, “Prelude (Theme from Mais El Rim)”. Mais El Rim, a play by Ziad’s father and uncle that originally starred Ziad’s mother, renowned Lebanese singer Fairuz, is based on classic premises: love, family, and trouble. All play a role in inspiring this overture, simpler than “Abu Ali” but no less careful in its arrangement. Here, Rahbani crosses from the cinematic into the theatrical but refrains from losing control over his composition at any time. Never is it bombastic; instead, it sounds like the beginning of a production worth sitting through, neither too light to be engaging nor too far into melodrama to entertain.
Classical composer, playwright, and political commentator, Ziad Rahbani is known much more for opera, jazz, and political and romantic aspects of his personal life than for this single disco gem. Its rich remastering and fortuitous rerelease, though, make this deviance from Rahbani’s usual style accessible again at last. This is the kind of material that should be every Record Store Day participant’s goal: unearthing the all-but-lost, taking great music from vintage obscurity into the contemporary spotlight it deserves. “Abu Ali” is a fantastic piece to rediscover some 40 years after its original release, and the orange vinyl is a must for vintage collectors of all kinds.
02. Mande Moin On Lajan, Pa Mande Moin Za Fe An Moin (My Business)
03. Turn Your Face On Me
04. Steel Ka Dance
05. Moin Epi Vou
06. Nsi Ho (Dédié À Notre Père)
Edouard Decimus - (accordion)
Francoise Lancreot - (alto flute)
Georges Decimus _ (bass, synthesizer, guitar, chorus)
Serge Bourgeois - (drums, percussion)
Charles Gassette, Gustave-Marie Catin - (saxopone)
Pirmée Ramon - (synthesizer)
Nerva Gervais, Victorius Masse - (trumpet)
Malachi Thompson (trumept)
Jocelyn Moka - (vocals)
ULTRA RARE album from Guadeloupe. Fantastic proto-zouk from Georges and Pierre-Edouard Decimus, NSI (New Sound from the Islands) was a concept launched by the Decimus family.
The album was released at the end of 1981, at the same time as Kassav's album 'N'4' with the singer Jocelyn Moka. Georges Decimus has been the bassist of Kassav' since the beginnings of the group.
NSI stands for "new sounds from the islands" – and that's definitely what you'll get here from this combo who serve up a fantastic blend of Antilles rhythms and contemporary club funk – all very much in the best spirit of the early zouk movement at the time! There's lots of great bass on the record – often used as the key core element of the tunes, with keyboards, guitar lines, and vocals layered alongside – almost with a quality that seems to echo the way that American groups were borrowing bits from the Caribbean and using it to inflect funk and soul up in the New York scene of the early 80s. The music is plenty playful, and very groovy
Lee Moses was a huge talent and if he’d had the big hit album he richly deserved, Time And Place would’ve been it. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Moses cut his teeth in the clubs of Atlanta, the ‘Motown of the South’, where he frequently performed alongside his contemporary Gladys Knight (who reportedly wanted him for the Pips, but couldn’t pin him down).
It was, however, in New York in the ‘60s that Moses made his greatest bid to find the solo fame he desired. Moses began working there as a session player, even playing frequently with a pre-fame Jimi Hendrix, but his close relationship with producer and Atlanta native Johnny Brantley eventually saw him getting his own break via a series of 45s in 1967 – most notably with covers of Joe Simon’s “My Adorable One”, The Four Tops’ “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and The Beatles’ “Day Tripper”.
It was 1971 before Moses’ dream of being at stage front was realized, when he released his Brantley-produced LP Time And Place for Maple Records. Recorded with a band including members of The Ohio Players and Moses’ own backing group The Deciples, it was, nonetheless, Moses himself whose star quality shone through, via his scratchy guitar riffs, his throat-ripping vocals and the stirring mood that permeates the LP’s heady mix of funk, soul and R&B.
The LP did no business, and Moses’ dream quickly crumbled. Though details on his life are scarce, it’s believed he fled New York disenchanted with the music industry, feeling he’d been double-crossed by Brantley both in credit and remuneration for the countless records he’d played on. Back in Atlanta, Moses returned to playing the clubs, married twice, and fell into depression and drug dependency. He died in 1997 at the age of 56.
Time And Place soon became a much-sought-after item for collectors, and its cult has continued to grow over the years. Here, we re-present it on deluxe vinyl, with brand new liner notes from Sarah Sweeney including interviews with Moses’ sister and his closest collaborator, the singer and guitarist Hermon Hitson. Through them, Moses becomes a little – but just a little – less of an enigma.
Lee Moses was a huge talent and if he’d had the big hit album he richly deserved, Time And Place would’ve been it. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Moses cut his teeth in the clubs of Atlanta, the ‘Motown of the South’, where he frequently performed alongside his contemporary Gladys Knight (who reportedly wanted him for the Pips, but couldn’t pin him down).
It was, however, in New York in the ‘60s that Moses made his greatest bid to find the solo fame he desired. Moses began working there as a session player, even playing frequently with a pre-fame Jimi Hendrix, but his close relationship with producer and Atlanta native Johnny Brantley eventually saw him getting his own break via a series of 45s in 1967 – most notably with covers of Joe Simon’s “My Adorable One”, The Four Tops’ “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” and The Beatles’ “Day Tripper”.
It was 1971 before Moses’ dream of being at stage front was realized, when he released his Brantley-produced LP Time And Place for Maple Records. Recorded with a band including members of The Ohio Players and Moses’ own backing group The Deciples, it was, nonetheless, Moses himself whose star quality shone through, via his scratchy guitar riffs, his throat-ripping vocals and the stirring mood that permeates the LP’s heady mix of funk, soul and R&B.
The LP did no business, and Moses’ dream quickly crumbled. Though details on his life are scarce, it’s believed he fled New York disenchanted with the music industry, feeling he’d been double-crossed by Brantley both in credit and remuneration for the countless records he’d played on. Back in Atlanta, Moses returned to playing the clubs, married twice, and fell into depression and drug dependency. He died in 1997 at the age of 56.
Time And Place soon became a much-sought-after item for collectors, and its cult has continued to grow over the years. Here, we re-present it on deluxe vinyl, with brand new liner notes from Sarah Sweeney including interviews with Moses’ sister and his closest collaborator, the singer and guitarist Hermon Hitson. Through them, Moses becomes a little – but just a little – less of an enigma.
It’s damn near impossible to quantify soul with regard to male vocalists, but consensus has built over the decades. Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Bobby Caldwell generally top the lists of singers who can make you break down and cry with a few syllables. Rarely, if ever, though, do you hear Lee Moses’ name among the elites. But if you learn one thing from this review, it’s that Moses—who died in 1997 at age 56—ranks as one of the best excavators of deep emotions in music history. The pain and grain of his pipes were just profoundly wrenching. That he died relatively young and unheralded only adds to the pathos when you listen to his records.
A major figure in Atlanta’s soul scene in the ’60s, Moses played guitar for some live gigs with Gladys Knight & The Pips; they wanted him to become a full-time member, but Moses yearned to make it on his own. He had high hopes for his sole album, Time And Place, but it stiffed in the marketplace upon its 1971 release. Nevertheless, true heads knew it was loaded with specialness. There’s a reason that Light In The Attic subsidiary Future Days Recordings has reissued Time And Place on vinyl four times since 2016, including this year. Once you hear Lee Moses sing, it’s like crack for your soul-starved ears. Plus, the originals and the covers that Moses selected cut you deep. You shall be moved.
The opening 1-2 gut punch of “Time And Place” and “Got That Will” should swiftly convince you that Moses was emoting on a level that few could equal. The former lopes into the frame with some horn-laden, laid-back funk as Moses testifies his obsessive love to an inamorata; it also possesses the greatest “mmm hmmm” ever to kick off a song. The latter finds Lee reeling off names of his fellow musicians who made it, and then proclaims that he’s eventually going to join them in the pantheon. Alas, that didn’t come to pass, but the song sure is soul-funk gold. “Every Boy And Girl” is a doom-laden, church soul belter that exudes “House Of The Rising Sun” vibes while “Would You Give Up Everything” is a momentous funk/soul ballad with a complex, corkscrewing bass line—a pretty rare thing. The buoyant, open-hearted melody of “Free At Last” totally embodies the title. And if you dig heart-shredding ballads, Moses sings the shit out of the staggering “Adorable One.”
The album’s best covers are among the most frequently attempted in pop/rock history. Moses puts his indelible stamp on them and makes you wonder why more people don’t consider them definitive. He slows down “California Dreaming” and alters the arrangement into stormy soul, and gruffs it up on the vocal tip. Moses doesn’t so much blow away the Mamas & The Papas’ original as he does transform it into his own joint. Then there’s one of the greatest “Hey Joe”s I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard over a dozen. In the intro, Moses explains how he was trying to dissuade Joe from going down to shoot his old lady, who was messin’ around with another man. “This is a song about a soul brother named Joe. Joe was a good friend of mine.” Etc. When Moses gets around to singing, he outshines even Tim Rose’s bruised and blustery delivery on this classic. The backing is greasy, Southern blues funk of the highest order.
Time And Place should’ve made Moses a star, with his guitar playing as gritty and expressive as his voice. Plus, he got that will to learn. But all of this somehow wasn’t enough. That the LP’s still in print a quarter century of Moses’ death, though, is a testament of sorts.
02. Why Must Our Eyes Always Be Turned Backwards 4:48
03. To The Establishment 11:14
04. Let Me Into Your Life 6:28
05. That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be 6:56
06. Come On Snob 8:03
Bass – William Murphy
Drums – Steve Holt, Willie Hall
Guitar – Al McKay
Horns – The Horns Of South Memphis
Organ – Sidney Kirk
Piano – Lester Snell
Strings – The Memphis Symphony Orchestra
Vocals – Lou Bond
I read a rave review of this CD reissue in Mojo Magazine a few months ago and was intrigued enough to order it from Amazon. Hearing the first track, a cover of a Jimmy Webb tune called "Lucky Me," I wasn't that impressed. I thought it sounded like slick, mainstream soul with syrupy strings and a singer that didn't quite cut it. But by the end of that song something struck me in Bond's plaintive vocals and I kept listening. And with each song on this CD, I became more and more entranced, caught up in the feeling in these songs, in the political slant to some of the lyrics, and I became more and more impressed.
Very hard to describe this sound, really. Lou Bond has a very earthy, soulful vocal style, straying into pop and jazz and blues territory at times, before planting himself back firmly in southern soul terrain. I'm still not crazy about some of the string arrangements on these songs. I think if the sound had been more stripped down and funky it would have been even more awesome, but this was recorded back in 1974 and it is what it is. And that's still a mighty fine, honestly moving album that soul fans NEED to hear. Another cover on here, Carly Simon's "That's the Way I Always Heard It Should Be" is positively mind-blowing, and the song following that, "Come On Snob," is possibly the highlight of the album. A brilliant, passionate vocal performance by Lou Bond on that track. Chilling stuff.
This reissue was put out by the Light in the Attic label, the ones who helped to put Rodriquez back on the musical map a few years back. Too bad they couldn't have worked the same magic for Lou Bond while he was alive; sadly, he passed away early in 2013. But this CD counts as his legacy, and it's a mighty good one. Listen up, soak it up, and enjoy!
This incredible artist passed on in 2013 and although he may yet remain unknown to most hopefully his music will be brought to the forefront because the only record he has ever released is a poignant masterpiece. Lou Bond is the epitome of an engaged artist, his self-titled release on Stax subsidiary We Produce touches upon many social causes in a very original way with unique and creative lyrics and vocals.
He brings the earnst hard hitting memphis soul approach with folk sensibilities while trying to reach ”What’s going on ” levels of artistery, relevance and orchestration. The result is a soul opus that will leave no one indifferent. This BBC review really details the context in which the record was created and allows you to hear what Bond was aiming to accomplish.
For me personally, the song To the establishement is the crowning achievement, a timeless song that transcends genres and is sure to touch any listener to the core.
So in rememberance to Lou’s music do yourself a favor and purchase the light in the attic reissue i guarantee the record will occupy a special place in your collection. At the very least listen to this song and spare a thought for a humble artist who left all of his soul on an sublime forgotten treasure of an album.
Piano, Electric Piano, Vibraphone, Vocals – Kathleen Warren
Producer – Karl Bornstein, Michael Goldberg
Vocals – Billy Pierce
A key moment in the west coast years of Motown -- and one of the most unique albums the label recorded during the early 70s! The group's got a mixture of soul, funk, and rock -- served up by a hip lineup of younger longhairs who make for a real change from the class and poise of Detroit in the decade before! There's a freewheeling vibe here that takes inspiration from Sly & The Family Stone, but which is handled with some more acoustic elements and jazzier phrasing at times too -- a really great Free Soul quality that's kept the album an under-discovered treasure for years. The whole thing feels more like a lost A&M gem from the Laurel Canyon scene -- but with a definitely soul bent, too --
As the ‘70s began Tamla Motown, flushed with cash from its ’60s successes, was about to relocate from its Detroit home to California, before this wholesale relocation took place the label got one foot in the door via the launch of a West Coast label named….yup you guessed it Mo-West. The label was quickly forgotten once the parent company set up shop in sunnier climbs, although not before they’d scored a handful of hits (Franki Valli’s ‘The Night’ being one of them), a lot of flops and the occasional record that sunk without trace at the time, before its eventual rediscovery – hello Odyssey!
Not to be confused with the late ‘70s pop/disco-ers, who scored big with ‘Native New Yorker’ and ‘Going Back To My Roots’. This Odyssey were an altogether stranger affair; counting an ex-original-member of Chicago Donnie Dacus amongst their line-up and with a musical style that might best be described as a strange amalgam of soul/funk mixed with a dash of sunshine-pop and even a light sprinkling of country – YIKES! But wait come back, check ‘Broken Road’, all super-loose afro/jazz vibes with a liberal dose of West Coast Hippie thrown in for good measure.
If the album has appeared on your radar chances are it’s down to two songs, firstly, the mysteriously titled ‘Battened Ships’ (not that mysterious actually, it’s a long thin strip of wood that helps keep the sail in place), ‘Battened Ships’ is a feet-shuffling, Latin-infused, floor-filler that’s been at the top of the more discerning DJ’s wants lists ever since the album was first deleted – rumours have it that the record was changing hands for as much as $100 in the mid-‘70s!
If ‘Battened Ships’ floats your musical boat then check out ‘Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love’, big things must have been expected of this as it was chosen as the albums lead single, it’s a bit of a no-brainer, being a super-sophisticated slice of laid-back soul with a stunning vocal from future Steely Dan and Ambrosia vocalist Royce Jones – still a sought after cut (big in Japan apparently), with a stock copy sold on the Bay recently for $125 – needless to say, the band never recorded again and the album soon hit the bargain bins and deletion cut outs section.
As a footnote top US reissue label Light In The Attic recently cribbed the ‘Our Lives Are Shaped By What We Love’ title for their Mowest compilation LP/CD…..as for the band, just the one LP and one promo ’45, Royce Jones went on to tour with Steely Dan and Ambrosia, but other than that the trail goes cold.
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Martin Dumas, Jr.
Reeds – James Whitfield
Recorded at Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida
Chicago soul brothers Rasputin's Stash didn't hit the big time, but their quality funk deserves to be resurrected and enjoyed by future generations. What the band lacks in imaginative vocal styling, they more than make up for with instrumental prowess. Rasputin's Stash plays with a perfect combination of street-smart grit, professional level chops, and drug-savvy freakiness, rocking a funk that has proven popular with latter-day beat samplers. "Your Love Is Certified" leads off the debut, and it's the strongest cut, undeniable dancefloor bait with countrified slide guitar and a bracing horn arrangement. Keyboardist Vincent Willis wrote the tune and takes lead vocals, delivering silly lyrics like "Hey baby, when you come to me/I don't worry, 'cause it's C.O.D." with conviction, and it should have been a hit. The rest of the LP gets more progressive, surveying territory similar to what fellow travelers Funkadelic were exploring at the time (though without the sheer abandon of that amazing combo). "What's on Your Mind," "You Better Think," and "I Want to Say You're Welcome" are energetic pieces with great ensemble playing, but while quieter numbers like "Take Me Back" and "You Are My Flower" are well built, the lyrics and vocal performances are a bit banal. The tracks with the most personality are a pair of hamhock-funky character studies that drip with greasy charm. After a brief spoken introduction from two jive cats sucking noisily on a joint, "Mr. Cool" slides in slow like the baddest pimp in the pool hall. Our hero brags about making it with "the president's old lady," displays his dark shades and white car, then claims to have been the first man on the moon. The chorus is marked with the declaration, "No jive/Gimme five," followed by an audible slap (later borrowed for the Beck song "High Five"). "Dookey Shoe" is more of the same, except this time the singer is preoccupied with his irresistible appeal to the women, being as he is a "nasty, nasty man" with a "dirty, funky plan in my hand." The camp factor of these tunes has grown over the years, but Rasputin's Stash was clearly out for laughs in the first place. There's a lot for serious funk mavens to play with in these grooves, and afro fetishists will probably want to buy a frame for the cover..
What about a funk group from Chicago paying homage to the famous Russian prophet/mystical? The band, founded in the early '70s by session musician Martin Dumas Jr, debuted with a killer album on Cotillion (a subsidiary label of Atlantic, operating from 1968 to 1986) in 1971 showing their intense power and a full-on blaxploitation aesthetic. Their sound was mainly a mix of fuzzy guitars and tight horns arrangements, with lots of cool percussion thrown in. At times, you can tell there's almost a Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band vibe to their approach, but mixed with some lysergic influences -- think about early Funkadelic -- verging on their more rock side of things.
After the release of the Funk box set collection "What It Is" many rare Funk groups were revealed to a new generation of grooveseekers. Rasputin's Stash was one such group. This debut record from this 8 piece outfit was recorded in Miami,Fl in 1971 for Cotillion Records a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. The 12 cuts represent a sound blended with Jazz,R&B and Funk instrumentals. "Your Love is Certified" begins as a drum introduction before the band joins in for a seasoned jam. "Take me on Back" a soulful ballad arranged with strings and horns reflect the Gospel influences of early 70's Soul."You Better Think" rings with sound effects and horns alongside voices before erupting into a Funky calibrated effort. The liner notes for this release are in Japanese with the exception of the song lyrics,thus not offering much information on the groups history. Rasputin's Stash produced only one other album during there run ,their sound was likened to early Earth,Wind&Fire and Mandrill.This release captures a Funky ensemble on the move circa 1971.
Heavenly harmony soul! This is the 3rd album by this famous east coast vocal group and it’s completely impossible to find in the original. The record has a great mix of heavy soul tracks like “Only People Can Save The World” and “Why Can’t People Be Colors Too?” plus some great mellow ballads, like “You Forget Too Easy”, “Blues Fly Away”, and “I’m So Glad I Found You”. The full original cover has the band sitting on some rocks (real ones), superimposed in a champagne glass! And as with their other records, the production and a fair bit of the songwriting was handled by George Kerr, the master of the east coast harmony sound so the sound is amazingly soulful!
An American soul group from Baltimore Maryland founded in 1969, The Whatnauts had several hits that hit the US charts in the early 1970's and released a trio of fine soul albums. Their music has been sampled by numerous artists including Kanye West, a Tribe Called Quest and Busta Rhymes. Featured here is their classic 1972 album "On the Rocks,"
Those were glory days for the east coast soul scene, when indie labels such as Stang were firing on all cylinders and released some of the best music at the time. A sound not that distinguished as Philly or Detroit or Memphis perhaps, but by all means sweetened with loads of strings, sophisticated arrangements and some warm harmony vocals. A sound way too good to be ignored! So let us all give full credit to the great George Kerr who was also responsible among others for the fine sound of Skull Snaps and behind another Baltimorean harmony group, The Optimistics… Trying times as The Whatnauts sing.
02. When The Bed Breaks Down, I'll Meet You In The Spring 2:29
03. Sing, Sing, Sing 4:09
04. Pipeline 3:45
05. Wipeout 4:25
06. Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley, Your Tie's Caught In Your Zippe 2:39
07. Topsy Part I
08. Topsy Part II
09. Topsy Part III 6:04
10. Sharp Nine 3:11
11. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 3:56
12. Got The Sun In The Morning And The Daughter At Night 1:56
13. Ohkey Dokey 2:45
Bongos, Congas – King Errisson
Drums – Jim Gordon
Horns – Steve Douglas
Large Contribution – Mike Deasy
Producer – Michael Viner, Perry Botkin, Jr.
This is the sequel to the classic 1973 ‘Bongo Rock’, which became a foundation of rap and popular music, up to the present day. This LP has been sampled by Bentley Rhythm Ace, Fatboy Slim, Macy Gray, Group Home and Koushik.
The Incredible Bongo Band is a blend of many multi-talented people. Jim Gordon is one of the featured musicians. Ringo Starr has said "Jim is one of the finest drummers in the world". Gordon composed 'Layla' in association with Eric Clapton.
King Errisson is one of the best percussionists in the world, having contributed to the Jackson Five and most other Motown hits as well as touring with Diana Ross.
Perry Botkin Jr. is a writer, musician and producer of the highest order who received an Academy Award nomination for "Bless the Beasts and the Children" and produced groups such as as The Letterman, Vanity Fair and Ed Ames.
Micheal Viner formed The Incredible Bongo Band to be a musical forum for himself and his friends. The Bongo Band has picked up ideas from a multitude of greats ranging from Harry Nilsson to Rongo Starr and Mike Deasy, who played with Elvis Presley for many years, made a large contribution to this album.
I was all prepared to say that the lesser-known follow up to "Bongo Rock" isn't as good and certainly it's less coherent but my god it's got it's moments. Less covers, more furious bongoing. I'm actually really fond of this. The last track is extraordinary.
