Merry Clayton : Southern Man
taken from her self-titled album on Ode (1971)

The Nazty : It’s Summertime
taken from the album “I Got To Move” on Mankind (1976)

Despite the lack of A.C., some things are still poppin’ around here at the Park Place house. Ixley got his new mix up and available for your downloadable delight. Find it under the loose tape section; same place where you can find the Gumbo Funk E.P. for sale (a meager $8, cop that shiz!). We finally have Haloscan working for comments, so it’s just one click (rather than an entire registration process) to let me know your thoughts- I want to hear them. And I did some long overdue blogroll updating- see the inspiration information list to the right. Otherwise, still summer, still hot, still sticky. I was thinking it appropriate to post some minimalist Dub or hypnotic Juju, something that captures the spacy haze of my daily routine right now. But I’m gonna wait until next week for that. In a way, these two songs are kind of coming from a similar place- Southern heat ain’t that far from tropical. I remember (with a clarity that comes only after emerging from a confounding haze), driving through Tennesse and Louisiana during my cross-country roadtrip back in ’98. Definitely the thickest, muggiest, and most dificult-to-breathe air I’ve ever experienced was down there in Louisiana, mid-August. In air like that your farts can’t dissolve, they form into condensed spheres, fall to the ground and roll away like balloons that have lost their helium. My buddy and I found a ridiculous skate park down there, but we could barely ride for more than five minutes before feeling queasy. I want to go back there for sure, but I think I’ll time my trip closer to November.

Merry Clayton comes from New Orleans. Growing up in that Louisiana air, she’s probably used to it. This is a HEAVY cover of a Neil Young song that rails against the utter wackness of the KKK and burning crosses and the whole despicable lot. Supposedly, Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote “Sweet Home Alabama” as a response to hearing the original version of this tune. I think Merry’s funkification here would be an adequate rebuttle to Skynyrd anyday, you be the judge. Home Of The Groove posted one of her tracks a while back, too bad I missed it…

The Nazty come from Detroit originally, but this record has Nashville written all over it (literally). Other than that, I can’t tell you much about the group. This was a flea market find a while back and came to the front of my crate again by accident. The back and forth vocals do a nice job of recreating the party vibe and some of these lyrics are soooo on point:

“Loving you in my air conditioned room,
it’s gonna be like heaven with wall to wall weather”

If you dig it, you can pick up the 7″ for $8. The full-length gets a bit more expensive.

George Nooks ft. Lupa : Real Man
taken from his self-titled album on Correct (1997)

Motion ft. Ruffa : Gangsta
taken from the album Hip Hop Reggae on VP (1995)

Kenny Dope ft. Screechy Dan : Boomin’ In Ya Jeep
taken from the album “The Unreleased Project” on Freeze (1993)

I remember when ragga hop was the shit. I left my Ragga Twins “Rinsin Lyrics” tape in my walkman for at least a couple weeks one summer. I decided my favorite track on the Us3 album was “Tukka Yoot’s Riddim”. And I could definitely sing along to every single song on Til Shiloh, without really knowing what half of the words were (I hadn’t been to Jamaica yet and was only 13, so give a honkey a break). I still don’t get where the “muffin” comes from in raggamuffin. Anyone? But anyway, now I’m diggin up shiz that I didn’t even know existed back when it came out. It’s not a musical focus of mine, in fact, I know there’s TONS out there that I’m entirely oblivious to, but what little Jamaican hip hop I do have, I love. There’s a few sound systems I know of that do nothing but reggae accapellas on hip hop heat. I dig it as long as there’s no mention of burning up Batty Boys, as soon as that shiz comes out I get really pissed off. It’s wierd, my tolerance for hearing violent and undoubtedly fabricated gangsta talk, along with my semi-complicity with blatantly chauvinistic and over-sexxed lyrics might lead one to belive that I don’t really care about content. Of course I DO care, but for some reason I feel like the damage being done on those fronts isn’t as immediately tangible to me as homosexuals getting stoned to death. For whatever reason, I really hate hearing that Batty Boy bullshit and was all excited when I first read this story a few months back. And seeing Stacyann Chin’s show gave me a little hope too. Then Sizzla (who’s new album I just got ’cause I work for Greensleeves) had to go and drop this track and just piss me off again. A rare example of ragga hop that I really don’t like at all- and such a siiick beat too. Well, moving on…

Last night the whole VIA crew went to an entirely dope party/art installation where (among other things) Bobo Saw was singing live over old school reggae riddims- that helped get me in the mood for sure. These are just three joints to enjoy hot summer heat by. Can’t really hate on Nooks for Jacking a beat this good (produced here by Psycho Les of the Beatnuts). Nooks is the singer, never heard of Lupa before. The “Gangsta” track reworks Buju Banton’s “Champion” on the minimal beat from the classic “Flava In Ya Ear” posse cut. I’m a little confuse about how the album credits two names for this tune, ’cause I only hear one voice. Anyone out there wanna school me? And finally, to pick it up a bit, actually A LOT, here’s a track that needs no real explanation beyond it’s entirely perfect title: “Boomin’ In Ya Jeep”. Bump that shiz too loud and you’ll definitely crack your neck from headbanging too hard.

And look everybody, ’cause a bunch of you folks have been complaining, I FINALLY GOT HALOSCAN!!!!!. Easy comments for lazy (or is it just short attention span?) web surfers. Let me know what you think.

Don Blackman : Heart’s Desire
taken from the album “Don Blackman” on GRP Arista (1982)

Breakwater : Splashdown Time
taken from the album “Splashdown” on Arista (1980)

That’s right, prepare yourselves for a muthaload of all things good when the Via crew takes over Bar Eleven this upcoming Saturday for some loud-music-mayhem! This week I’m dropping FUNK on yer domes cuz that’s what makes our asses quiver & excite, while our nipples shiver with delight. Caps & Jones are up in the piece, my boy Tito Rock will be bringing some serious shiz, and yours truly will finally release a highly danceable and original E.P. into the world at large (without a label no less). There’s free drinks, free mix CDs, T-shirt and Vinyl giveaways from Bastard Jazz, and dancing- what more do you need. Tell your friends, download the flyer and forward that shiz around ’cause you like us and want to support what we do, and definitely SHOW UP. Ok, that’s that.

This Don Blackman record has history, not just in the world of funk lovers, soul seekers, and beat fanatics, but for me personally. I tell you that in honest to god truth, I found an original promo copy of this record in excellent condition sitting on top of a trash can on 6th Ave. right near where the homeless guys sell stuff. I picked it up out of a stack of crappy 80’s pop without even knowing what it was! When I got home and put it on, transformations occured. This was the record that opened me up to the possibility that 80’s funk was entirely real. I loved M.J. and some classic 80’s hip hop, but in the fog of my ignorance I thought the rest of the recordings from the decade could explode in an overly reverbed snare hit without me missing a thing. How wrong I was. Thanks Don, you’ve helped me discover countless grooves, ridiculous breaks, and you’ve even fostered my appreciation for the well used synthesizer. I used to let this whole A-side play all the way through at every house party I threw. Some people jock this LP for the “Holding You Loving You” song that I first heard on Kenny Dope’s entirely classic mix for BBE. But my jam, for so many reasons, is “Heart’s Desire”. Some people are a little too crazed about this track, but I suppose it’s almost understandable. Check Don’s little piano solo at the outro- absolute perfection.

Lablemates Breakwater dropped their LP “Splashdown” a couple years before Don made his solo debut. But one track on this album, “Let Love In”, actually has a strikingly similar bassline. I didn’t give you that one ’cause I feel the bridge is a little bit too cheesy, but it makes for a perfect mix with “Desire” for all ye DJs out there. I don’t know that much about this group, but “Splashdown” is a sure-fire party pleaser that often brings people up to the DJ booth asking “who’s this?”

Charles Atangana & Emitais : Onguindo
taken from the album “Assalam Aleikoum Africa” on Antilles (1976)

Third World : Black Beauty
taken from the album “Aiye-Keta” on Island (1973)

Crimeny! In an attempt to appease the angry masses who have been missing out on their weekly dosage of Gumbo Funk, I place this holy sacrifice of fuzzy guitars, heavy bass, searing horns, and snapping drums! Our server has been down more than it has been up lately, in case you hadn’t already noticed. In addittion, I was out of town for a minute due to family biz… so the crate has suffered. Fear not, good music lovers, recruits are on the way. I guess being really frustrated at my computer somehow reminded me of certain experiences that I had in Cote D’Ivoir, West Africa a few years back. I’m not going into any stories right now, but lets just say if it weren’t for the super-naturally uplifting powers of funky African music, I might not be here today. And regardless of how many Afro-Funk/Beat comps there are out there, I doubt you’ve heard these tunes.

I found Assalam Aleikoum Africa pretty soon after I moved to BK back in 2001. Pretty much flipped over the cover, only to bust a triple-sow-cow upon hearing what the grooves contained. The sub-title on this LP is Progressive and Popular Music of West Africa, but all the cats on here are out of Abidjan, Ivory Coast- the pinpoint of my West African tribulations (I said no stories). I get the impression that this comp comes from a group of freinds (Charles Atangana, Francis Kingsley, and Greg Skelton) who all played together and cut singles for the SID label. Some brilliant folks at Antilles (a short-lived subsidiary of Island back when they were actually about the Islands) put together this collection that goes from funky to soulful to psych. To give a better idea of the breadth and dopeness contained herein, the artists’ list of influences contains: Tom Waits, Zappa, Dylan, Miles, Wes Montgomery, Larry Coryell, BADEN POWELL and Marley! There’s an “Ode To Hendrix” on here that is REAL hot. The whole album is hot. Keep diggin!

Then we have a bad-ass side project from Traffic ripper Steve Winwood and some Ghanian(?) groovers Remi Kabaka and Abdul Lasisi Amao who together formed Third World. These guys constructed a rad philosophy about what the futuristic “Third World” is really all about:

“The Third World is a peaceful world- where mankind will live as same people, like Shango… Universal God of Peace… What a beautiful world it will be in the third world, where everybody is free and happy.”
– Remi Kabaka

I dig, don’t you? In other important news, the release party for my GUMBO FUNK E.P. is next Saturday, June 25th… get yerselves really excited and out to Bar Eleven. Our flyer is here! Check back for updates- I know you won’t wanna miss this.

And thanks to Lou Kash for helping me straighten out album title/band name!

Baden Powell : ATE-EU
taken from the album “Images On Guitar” on MPS (1971)

Airto Moreira : Papo Furado (Jive Talking)
taken from the album “Seeds On The Ground” on Buddah (1971)

Today I had to take out my fan for the first time this year (it must have been 85 degrees, and you know someone as broke as me dosen’t have AC). I pulled out these tunes to help lower the temp too. It worked. Brazilian musicians have truly mastered the art of capturing a warm slow wind. Vocal harmonies like a shady grove and swing enough to gently move the leaves.

First off is a beauty from Baden Powell, a bit of a musical prodigy who came up in the Rio music scene of the 50’s and 60’s during the beginnings of bossa nova. On the A side of this record is the 9 minute dancefloor pleaser “Blues A Volonte” (which was compiled on Gilles Peterson’s “Brazilica” album), but I was immediately drawn to ATE-EU. After playing it five times in a row I realized where I recognized it from… remember this dope EP? I think it was 88 Keys who produced the track which samples this song (sped up to 45rpm- thus the delayed recognition time). But I used to bump that back in 2000.

Then we have Airto’s gorgeous Papo Furado track which turns the fan speed up to three (or four if your 99 cent store fan goes that high). This one was written by one of the illest looking cats ever to bless musical outness- I’m speaking of course about Hermeto Pascoal. You also hear bass from a pre-cheesy Ron Carter. When I listen to this one I picture riding in a droptop on a sunny roadtrip or at least sticking my head out the car window on the freeway and opening my mouth so it catches the wind and puffs out like Dizzy Gillespie’s. Ok, maybe my cheeks don’t get that big, but still you get the idea. It’s windy. I’m also diggin’ on the new Celso Fonseca album, equally breezy, but that’ll have to wait for another post…

Check out this MP3 site too: Stapisi.com