A Tribute Mix

Ment presents Gil Scott-Heron by Ment Rasmentalism on Mixcloud

Saturday Live

Danish Drive

Staying on the Scandinavian theme for another stand out cut from our marathon jazz session..Renowned US drummer Ed Thigpen who passed on earlier in the year with an infectious groovy bassline with his Danish "Action.Re.Action" group comprising of Palle Mikkleborg - Trumpet, Kjell Ohman - Electric & Acoustic Piano, Mads Vinding - Bass, Lennart Aberg - Saxes & Flute, Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro - Percussion and the Legendary congaman, Louis "SABU" Martinez...Wickeness!

(download)



A1. House of Poetsa)
(a)Le Matin(Palle Mikkelborg)
(b)Le Soir(Palle Mikkelborg)
(c)Who's kidding who?(Palle Mikkelborg)
2. Danish Drive(Mads Vinding)
B1. Action-re-action
(a)Illusions(Ed Thigpen)
(b) Adventures of a duck with friends(Ed Thigpen)
(c)Action-re-action(Ed Thigpen-Palle Mikkelborg)
SLP-2558

I Am Your Mind

(artwork reproduced with kind permission from HVW8)
(all rights reserved)

I normally don`t like reworkings of my favorite jazz/funk artist the legendary vibraphone player Roy Ayers...but "I am Your Mind" by Parisian DJ/producer/remixer Pépé Bradock is an exception. Here his recontexualisation of the original piece of music with his own special style of subtle tweaking of the electronic knobs brings a sparkling brew of rhythm that invokes feelings of swaying through fields of sunflowers listening to that spiritual voice in your mind harmonising together, wanting to be your friend, wanting to be free, just listen to me.

Lifted from his unique collection of his finest remixes from the past decade, Pépé Bradock`s "Confiote De Bits/A Remix Collection" on bbe is an essential dose of music to have in one`s record box...Njoy!

Roy Ayers - I Am Your Mind (Pépé Bradock's Asynchronous Adventures)



A big respex goes out to the HVW8 guys, check out their Gallery, Music Releases and Podcast.

HVW8 Art + Design Gallery
661 N. Spaulding Ave. L.A. Ca 90036
open: Tues to Sun, 1 - 6pm

Motivation

For when you need that extra bit of energy to get ya shit done!..A piece of british cosmic jazz funk b-side bizniz, released on Elite Records in 1980 and given a remix 18 years later by the man from paris..dimitri...Over 8 minutes of boogie bliss, for the dancing in outta space crew...enjoy!

Atmosfear - motivation

No Trouble On The Mountain.

While in deep chit-chat with my good friend DJ mac-key the other night, he was telling me about his friend who had moved down to Tokushima on the island of Shikoku, South Japan to start an organic farm, which was a coincidence because I had been wanting to visit Shikoku for ages now and trip to Chiiori...It was then that this track by organist Richard "Groove" Holmes came bellowing out the speakers. A pure slice of quality jazz funk that I had overlooked for a long time. Lifted from his 1974 New Groove LP on Groove Merchant records, accompanied by that most underated guitar genius O`Donnell Levy.



Richard 'Groove' Holmes - no trouble on the mountain (mp3 download)

Stories Of Jungle Fever.

Well not exactly...Although i could elaborate on catching amoebic dystenry in India but i`ll refrain from that loose story for now....It is the names of two fine mid-tempo funky tracks by a band called Chakachas or Los Chakachas, as they generally played Cha-Cha, Salsa and Bossanova....The studio based band all came from Belgium and included Tito Puente's singer wife Kari Kenton...It was`t until the early 8T`s that i eventually found an original french/belgian "biram" label copy of "Stories" at a weekend Easter bank holiday flea market in Amsterdam, (That city was a religious pilgrimage every Easter for us in those days!) brought for the princely sum of 15 gilders!!..."Jungle Fever" sounded like the stuff you heard from 7T`s pornographic movies due to the heavy breathing sounds of female pleasure. Stories on the other hand is much rarer to find than Jungle Fever with a slightly more latin groove and whispering vocals...Although both tracks sound similar with that stop/start feel, they both actually stand alone as wicked tunes , but i`ll leave it up to you to decide which is best!

Jungle fever became the only hit for the band in '72 released on Polydor records. Because of the sexy murmerings it eventually lead the UK`s BBC to ban the record. It was also included on the soundtrack for the film "Boogie Nights"




Stories has been selected on a number of compilations, "Funk Jams IV", the Italian released "Mood Mosaic" and Soul Jazz Records "Barrio Nuevo" it also got a bootleg release in the 9T`s on the Rare Funk vol.2 compilation.



And for an added bonus here is Cynthia Richards one of the queens of jamaican reggae with her 1974 jamrock version. Avalilable on the Trojan 35th Anniversary Box Set.

Life On Mars!

So news that scientists have made an important discovery, finding methane (you know the stuff that comes outta cows arses) in Mars atmosphere has raised the possibility that some kind of organic life might have existed, or still does on the planet....Wow!..Dexter Gilman Wansel was right all along.

"Methane -- four atoms of hydrogen bound to a carbon atom -- is the main component of natural gas on Earth. It's of interest to astrobiologists because organisms release much of Earth's methane as they digest nutrients. Other purely geological processes, like oxidation of iron, also release methane."

'Life On Mars' was Dexter Wansell`s first LP on Gamble & Huff`s hugely influential Philadelphia international label, released in the summer 1976, the titled track was a BIG tune on the London jazz-funk dancefloors at the time and is still considered a floor filler at clubs today. The combination of fat thumping bass lines, spacey elastic lead guitar, atmospheric soul vocals and loads and loads of spatial keyboard work on the rhodes and moogs, just can`t stop people from moving their bodies to it!......with backing from Instant Funk

Dexter also wrote compositions and arrangements for the likes of...Jean Carne, The O`Jays, MFSB, Teddy Pendergrass, The Jones Girls & The Jackson`s as well as many others. Here lifted from the same LP is this cracking track. Again the backing played by Instant funk.

Covers: 'Inner City Blues'

Next up in our look at amazing tracks that other artists have covered is the phenominal tune and all time classic by Marvin Gaye, released as the third and final single from his bestselling 1971 album, 'What's Going On'. Written by Gaye and James Nyx, the song depicted the ghettos of inner-city America as it discussed how the bleak situation would lead to someone wanting to holler and throw ones hands up in dispair . In thirty eight years things haven`t changed much. The song was recorded in a mellow funky style with Gaye playing piano. Several of the Funk Brothers also contributed, including Eddie "Bongo" Brown, and bassist Bob Babbitt. Here are 4 cover versons including the original to enjoy!

Marvin`s.


Placebo - 'inner city blues' - From their 'Ball of Eyes' LP also from 1971.



Reuben Wilson from his 'The Sweet Life' LP.



From his 1981 classic release, 'Reflections' here`s Gil Scott Heron`s version.


Phil Upchurch - Wonderful Jazz/funk offering from his 1971 LP, 'Darkness Darkness'.


Marvin Gaye - 'inner city blues'(mp3 download)
Gil Scott-Heron - 'inner city blues' (poem, the siege)-(mp3 download)

2 Step Killers!

A couple of mid-tempo 2 step killers for your sunday....first up is a beautiful track by Walter Jackson titled "Its Cool", pure Chicago smoothness ....Normally known for his R&B Soul tracks on the Okeh label , this was his last ever recording in 1983. WJ passed away only 3 days after Chi-Sound released the tune.

Walter Jackson - "It's Cool"


And then the unmistakable Mr Gene Harris with a jazz/funk stomper of a tune, lifted from his Blue Note album Astral signal recorded in `74 later to be reworked by Bugz in The Attic.
Enjoy!

Gene Harris - "losalamitoslatinfunklovesong"


Gene Harris - "losalamitoslatinfunklovesong" (mp3 download)

Hunting Up Wind!

I was reminded of Sadao Watanabe the other night whilst in a jazzy conversation with a japanese friend of mine and he was amazed i actually had this track back in my library in London. So here`s the classic jazz/funk monster that was such a groover on that scene in the late 70`s in London Town. Released on Flying Disk Records in`78, it included the likes of Dave Grusin on Acoustic & Rhodes Piano, Harvey Mason on Drums and Paulinho DaCosta on percussion......Niceeeeee!!

So dust off those dancin` shoes and have a jig around the kitchen!

Sadao Watanabe & Hiroshi Fukumura - "hunt up wind"


Fukamura Hiroshi & Sadao Watanabe - "hunt up wind" (mp3 download)

The Time For Change!

This Docu-film Zeitgeist: Addendum, attempts to locate the root causes of the pervasive social corruption inflicting the planet , while offering a solution. This solution is not based on politics, morality, laws, or any other "establishment" notions of human affairs,but rather on a modern, non-superstitious based understanding of what we are and how we align with nature, to which we are a part. The work advocates a new social system which is updated to present day knowledge, highly influenced by the life long work of Jacque Fresco and The Venus Project.

Think for yourself!!

Other language subtitle editions

Covers: "Les Fleurs"

Here is a little series we can explore, of the great tunes that have been covered by various artists . First up is "Les Fleurs" An outstanding vocal track by Minnie Riperton on her first solo album after leaving the band Rotary Connection. Written by her husband Richard Rudolph and Charles Stepney. A shimmering soulful tune with beautiful strings, horny horns, jazzy piano, A cross between Burt Bacharach and Marvin Gaye.

Minnie Riperton - "Les Fleurs"


Here is 4hero`s version a musical journey with buildups and comedowns that just make your hair stand on end.

4hero - "Les Fleur" featuring Carina Anderson.

"Bubbles"

A housing bubble, a mortgage bubble, an equity bubble, a bond bubble, a credit bubble, a commodity bubble, a private equity bubble and a hedge funds bubble are all now bursting simultaneously. Do you really think this economic disaster was unplanned? What might the objectives be? And who, as always, is pulling the strings? Qui bono? To whose benefit is this happening?

"In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Wah Wah Watson - "Bubbles"

Artist Review: Gil Scott-Heron.

A musical hero of mine while growing up in 70`s London. His music resonated so much with me, right at the time i myself was becoming politicised. His brand of African American militant poetry sat prefectly with the UK in the throes of racial unrest. Best known for his poem and song "The Revolution will not be Televised"; and for writing "Home is Where The Hatred Is" an eerie account of drug use that was a hit for R&B singer Esther Phillips in 1972 and would later on in his life cause himself so many problems.



I had the great pleasure to meet the brilliantly gifted man at the Jazz Cafe in Camden Town in the mid 9o`s, where he performed without his long time partner Brian Jackson. I had gone there on my own and ascended to the top bar overlooking the stage from the right side. The show was outstanding as was to be expected, after he came up to the bar which is close to the artists dressing rooms and had a drink with the punters assembled....A great memory. The very first album i bought was "Bridges" in 1977 from Groove records and it is still my favorite LP.



In 1979, Scott-Heron played at the No Nukes concerts at New York`s Madison Sq Garden. The concerts were organized by Musicians United For Safe Energy to protest the use of Nuclear Energy following the Three Mile Island accident in 1979. (It was the most significant accident in the history of the American commercial nuclear power generating industry). Scott-Heron's song "We Almost Lost Detroit", written about a previous accident at a nuclear facility, was included on the No Nukes album.



Scott-Heron is known in many circles as "the godfather of rap" and is widely considered to be one of the genre's founding fathers. Given the political consciousness that lies at the foundation of his work. Gil played with some outstanding musicians in his time, Eddie Knowles and Charlie Saunders on conga and David Barnes on percussion on the 1970 LP "Small Talk at 125th & Lenox"
On the 1971 LP "Pieces of a Man" He was joined by Johnny Pate (conductor), Brian Jackson (piano and electric piano), Ron Carter (bass and electric bass), The great drummer, Bernand "Pretty" Pudie, Burt Jones (electric guitar), and Hubert Laws (flute and saxophone). Scott-Heron's third album "Free Will", was released in 1972 with Jackson, Purdie, Laws, Knowles, and Saunders all returning to play and were joined byJerry Jemmott (bass) and David Spinozza (guitar),Horace Ott (arranger and conductor). In 1974 saw another LP collaboration with Brian Jackson, the critically acclaimed "Winter in America", with Bob Adams (drums) and Danny Bowens (bass).
Scott-Heron and Jackson also released together "The First Minute of a New Day" in `75, "Its your World" in `76, "Bridges" in `77, "Secrets" in 1978, "1980" in the same year as well as "Real Eyes", "Reflections" in `81 and "Moving Target" in `82.

"Nippon Nights".

A little tune for all my Japanese friends for their weekend. Quite rare now this 12" on defunkt UK label "Bluebird Records" A version of the 70/80's, UK band Light of The World track they called.....'London Town'
Respect to Tatsuki-san @ Space, Tomo @ Magia,DJ Mac-Key & Sayuri....go girl!!, Ma-chan, Kenji and the Audio Sutra Crew in Tokyo. Not forgetting Mi-chan in Scotland, Junko, Jez & Miho and the kids.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu.

download 

 

You got a signal yet?

It was always a struggle for us funk fiends to find the music we were buying and hearing in the clubs, on the radio. Radio One was still churning out its daily diet of sugary pap that appealed as much to your parents as it did to your kid sister, but soon that was coming to an end, for ever!
Although Radio Invicta was nothing new, having started around the early 70`s, we just could never pick up a bloody signal...it was either our shitty little cassette radio`s or living right in the center of London with all the concrete to soak up the illicit broadcasts...Then one bright sunny Sunday afternoon we decided to head over to Regents Park from our normal plot hanging and larking out in Fitzroy square. Fitzroy is one of those beautiful squares that London prides itself on surrounded by Georgian houses with Portland stone exteriors, obviously built for the Aristos of earlier times...Regents Park on the other hand offered us a vast expanse of space..to explore, with its fantastic Nash landscape. Really looking back on it now we were very lucky to have such an incredible outlet right on our doorsteps. Passing Gt Portland Street tube station up Park Square east, Timmy`s still dancing along with his brand new Boogiebox bought the week before, we`d enter the Avenue Garden section of the park, always an advantageous position to admire the cuties either domestic or foreign passing by. Finding a spot to plot, it would be on to the dial chasing that frequency..92.4VHF....hissing, crackling...Got it!!!

You hear the jingle 'Soul over London'.....then.



It was the clearest signal we had heard, collectively our minds joined together and so did our eyes, wide open to the potential for taping to the max...."Fuck that does it", We had found another spot to call our own. "Stonehenge" we nicknamed it, due to a rather strange metallic piece of sculpture by some unknown artist, that we used to prop the boogiebox up against, which seem to improve the quality of signal. Sunday afternoon will never be the same again, we could do there what we wanted to do!!



and we did indeed, over the following years and other pirates that came and went most notably, JFM, LWR, Horizon, Solar and later Kiss, who in later years would be the only station to gain a legal status. "Stonehenge" became the mecca for all the funky kids from around the flats...Leeko "mr guitarman", Glug, The Boon, Johnny "organics sax" L, Jinadu, The Langridge family, K,P & Erica Tilly, The Legs Diamond, MD "the pusherman" all becoming one little funky family immersed in the tunes of the times!



And not only on weekends, many balmy hot summer evenings, we`d meet up outside the offy on Robert Street, armed with our sauce of choice, boogiebox and blunts, we`d jump the park gates and head further into the epicenter, so as the circling plod patrol, would never hear the 24 hour sounds...we`d party until sunrise, occasionally crashing because too mashed move.

Too all the dj`s on those stations, thank you guys!

Was it all it was Cracked up to be?

Our Church, The Temple of Funk, Synagogue of Soul, our Jinja of Jazz.

Crackers 1976 - 1979

It`s Sunday night and i have a meet with the boys.....They would always be found lounging on the railing outside Holcroft Court on Clipstone Street, W1....A short exhange of "Easy yeah...ready" and we`d be off weaving our way through the small streets of Fitzrovia to Oxford Street....Timmy dancing instead of walking and Mickey and me talking toooons.

Destination "CRACKERS" Night club.

We`d finally reach and the queue`s already 50 deep down towards Noel Street, but this never worried us as our mate was on the door...the line of dancers assembled was a who` who of the soul/funk/jazz clubbing fraternity...Shakesy, Mohammad, BP, PF and H, BKS in his deerstalker, Jazz dancers and pineapple studio goers, all ready for the evenings sweat down.
We`d sit on the inevitable parked cars right outside the entrance so we could catch the sounds waffling up the stairs and out into the clear night. Sometimes we`d hear a tune and immediately jump up and start dancing in the road, which would always seem to amuse the doorman, but the other clubbers, used to look at us as though we was off our rockers!! and we was. Totally engrossed with the sounds, we wouldn`t give a monkey`s what people thought and didn`t try to look or act cool...fuck dat, those Basslines were way to good to care....As soon as the Q had emptied we`d head down in the knowledge that this underground cavern was the ultimate in dancing heaven..

Crackers was a shit-hole really, the stench of sausage & chips they included in the price of admittance would overwhelm you, as you descended the last few steps. But the evenings entertainment would be salubrious none the less. We`d make a bee-line for the seats right of the stage area, plonk down our bags, containing a towel, Chelsea boots and change of T-shirt for when you left into the fresh night air. Now, with footwear changed we were ready, grab a juice from the bar and survey the scene.




It`s dark & hot already , the only light is on Stage where the DJ is doing his thang, George P was an unlikely DJ in this setting, a 40 year old Greek guy from Norf london but who was on the pulse of the young soul rebels of London town. Everyone is getting down to the same rhythm and there are no inhibitions. A mixed crowd of 70/30 Black & White and not a fight to be seen, although sometimes getting close. You see, it was the battle of the day, not with guns or weapons, but peoples bodies...as they slipped, slide and pirouetted there way around the dancefloor...Soon a couple of the faces would start cranking up the moves and a crowd would gather round them, whopping their approval, if you got too close you would be kicked, as the spins came think and fast, or splashed in the face with the sweat dripping off their muscular bodies..It was quite a cliquey scene, many people knew each other, Soulboys & girls from Essex, the West side, Sarf & Norf London, a right melting pot of movement. We always felt a bit intimidated but we were the West End kids and didn`t care too much for that, we was having sooooo much fun...It seemed like a perfect world to be in.

Eddie Henderson - Say you will


And it was, I felt it deep in my own soul...the basslines, horn sections, uplifting vocals and down right dirty drums....The hybrid funk of a generation.
The last tune of the evening would inevitably be a slowie, so whoever had been eyeing each other up all night, could get it Onnn!!! After the needle of the citronic deck slipped off the last piece of warm analogue vinyl, the whole assembled mass, would cheer, whistle and clap Georgie P and scream "more....one more"..but that was it, we`d have to wait until next Friday lunchtime for our next fix of narcotic Soul.

Bobby Womack - Daylight


As the crowd would be ushered out by the doorman, we`d hang back until the very last, savoring the special feeling of tired limbs and drenched clothes.....off to the toilets for a quick douse around the armpits, dry off and change back into my converse for the short walk home. Climbing the stairs, peeps would be saying their farewells as they entered, cool early morning London, hanging around outside, causing a roadblock for the mini-cabs at the top of Wardour Street, discussing other clubs and arranging meets at , Bali Hai in Stratham, The Goldmine & Lacy Lady in Essex, Frenchies in Camberley, these were all suburban clubs, except Gullivers in Mayfair, which we always had trouble to get into being so young, but we did try!.
We never ventured out to those suburban places, not having any wheels between the 3 of us and in no way could afford a mini-cab home, and why should we, we had it all on our own doorstep so to speak and or so we thought....Crackers, Ronnie Scott`s,100 club & Spatz, that seemed enough for us at the time....But that was all about to change. I`d walk back with the guys to their flats and say our "Laters".....it had been another great fucking evening and with a smile on my face, I`d head back home to hit the sack.....but not before i heard just one more Toon. I`d reach for the cassette radio......Play!

Ramp - Daylight


Hear Mark Roman's 3 part Crackers Story..

1976

And what a scorcher it was. the year of the endless summer, months of temperatures in the 90`s but as the sun shone the economy was crumbling along with the dried-up riverbeds, not that i noticed that much cause in my world there was only music, football and of course my final school exams..I was 15, sitting in those large Victorian halls sweating balls of, not over the difficulty of the tests but the heat was unbearable..by the end, with about three papers to finish i could take it no longer, during geography i upped sticks and just walked out, never to set foot in the place ever again. At first there was trepidation, what have i done, what`s my parents going to say...but as i was slowly walking passed Lord`s cricket ground, in St. John`s Wood where my school was situated, another feeling came over me.....A feeling of Freedom!!.


 
It was about the same time I was outliving the 3 C`s youth club and it was time to venture out...The two good friends i met there were also in the same frame of mind...Timmy, born of a Swedish mother and Jamaican father and Michael Darko of Nigerian decent and me born of parents who were themselves born in London, but having Irish/Sephardim Jew on my fathers side and Scottish/French on my mothers side....A right old cocktail of ethnicity, but to these unlikely 3 amigos...we were just London inn't!! 

In those days as you can image there wasn`t much dosh around, the average wage was around £72 a week then....both Timmy and i had P/T jobs on weekends, he at Wimpeys the burger bar of choice before the American invasion and me on my uncle Peggy`s stall in Piccadilly Circus, that sold dolls & postcards to tourists, It`s still there today right outside Tower records.

Coming from Central London, the boys from Cleveland Street, right under the GPO tower as it was known then and me from across the Euston Rd on the Regent`s Park Estate, we were well positioned to take advantage of all that was on offer and there was plenty.

The soundtrack that was waffling across the airwaves that summer that had any interest for us was "Tear The Roof Off The Sucker" by Parliament, "Young Hearts Run Free" - Candi Staton, "Getaway" - Earth, Wind and Fire, "Wake Up Everybody "- Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes, Brass Construction - "Movin" and a gem from Johnnie Taylor called "Disco Lady". But i was digging a sound from 3 years earlier.. 


Bobbi Humphrey - Harlem River Drive


There was, "I Love Music" by O'Jays, "Play That Funky Music" - Wild Cherry and the Seminal and sexy vocal of Donna Summer and "Love To Love You Baby", Boz Scaggs, "Lowdown" and the wonderful "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross, later to be remixed into a stomper of a chugging house number remixed by Frankie Knuckles. But the tune that was rocking my world was this classic by;  
Crown Heights Affair - "Far Out"



Disco was in full swing but we was looking for that elusive Groove and we knew where to find it!