Hugh Masekela : Kaa Ye Oya
taken from the album “Introducing Hezoleh Soundz” on Blue Thumb (1973)

Hugh Masekela : Night In Tunisia
taken from the album “I Am Not Afraid” on Blue Thumb (1974)

Somewhat slept on, these two records are pretty easy to find and HIGHLY rewarding. Hugh Masekela, a South African jazz legend, gives special thanks to Fela on the Hedzoleh liner notes and it’s pretty clear why. Recorded in Fela’s EMI studio in Lagos, Nigeria, the whole album is a major break from most of his other work. Masekela put out plenty of other funky and signifigant records, but none that follow in Fela’s footsteps so blatantly. The tracks are all long drawn out grooves, generally sung in African languages (not sure which ones) rather than English, and the rhythm section is derived from the same native 6/8 bounce that made up Juju and Fiji music (even though Hedzoleh is from Ghana, not Nigeria). The mood here is definitely more subdued than most of Fela’s work, but the trouble-making politics and trance-inducing song structures are definitely right in line with the newly formed Afro-beat mode. The songs I’m giving you don’t highlight Masekela’s rebelious side as clearly, but song’s like “When”, “African Secret Society”, & “Stimela” (which was used in the recent Amandla! documentary) show that Hugh was certainly no puppet to the industry.

Hugh met Fela in 1970 when he was on tour with his wife Miriam Makeba in Guinea. It was Fela who introduced him to the Ghanian group Hedzoleh. Some of those same musicians accompanied him for the “I Am Not Afraid” album, and “The Boys Doin It” (1975) which has “Mama” and a couple other good Afro-funk tunes on it. The man is still putting out records too. I haven’t heard the latest, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that it won’t be on the same level as this material. Do we really have to get old?

E.P. update- you can now find the wax at Groove Distribution online (yeah!).

Bobby Montez : African Fantasy and Kon-Tiki
taken from the album “Jungle Fantastique” on Jay-Gee/Jubilee (1958)

Two nights in a row with not much sleep, but I still decided I’d wake up early. Partly it was so that I could be a courteous boyfriend and give my girl a ride to work while the L train was down, but really it was so that I could get fresh picks at some of my favorite Brooklyn junk stores. Due to my current state of disability and brokeness, I hadn’t been record digging for what seemed like ages. I’m a full blown junkie, no secret there. Even a week without thumbing through a crate is difficult. So after almost a full month of deprivation, you’d better believe I was cringing for my fix.

The wait paid off for sure. From the depths of a dusty dollar bin comes this highly sought after latin-jazz gem. Despite the poor quality of this 1958 pressing, collectors fork over loot for this piece of wax whenever it pops up. 99 cents? Had to leave that little orange sticker on the corner to prove it. The MP3s I recorded here come from my Cubop remastered re-issue. I’m debating trying to sell this OG copy (which is in excellent shape!), but I honestly don’t know if I could part with it just yet. Kinda ridiculous given the stack of unpaid bills that are sitting in my desk drawer right now, given that I own a vinyl re-issue, and given that there’s a constant hiss throughout the whole thing. But finds like this are a rare and treasured thing for us junkies – commodity fetishism just a bit. At this point, advice would be appreciated. Any recovered addicts out there know of a 12 step program?

From the liner notes:
“A huge, handsome man strolls accross the open space. A pace behind him is a dark, hairy animal. Our hero stops in front of the tent at the edge of the clearing. He clears his throat… and says: ‘Me Tarzan, you Jane. You Mambo?’ Perhaps, if you haven’t visited the jungles, you believe it sounds fantastic. But you will believe the sounds of ‘JUNGLE FANTASTIQUE’ can make it possible.”

From the perspective of the wildman who lives in the perpetual jungle of my mind, I can vouch for Bobby’s ability to bring this mambo insanity to life. It’s all too real. I’ve been there. I’ve felt it. I can’t come back to civilization now.

Captain Planet : Samba Radiante, Deuxième Gaou, La Reina, and The Don
For a hot minute, tracks from The Gumbo Funk E.P. produced by yours truly-
now (finally) officially on wax.

Not exactly sure all the retail spots that will have it, but a couple that I’ve found so far:
Kudos and Art Music
Still available on CD in the Loose Tapes section too. Let me know if you find it at a little shop near you.

Look at me getting nice on those crutches!

R.D. Burman ft. Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar : Aa Dekhen Jara
taken from the soundtrack album “Rocky” on Polydor (1980)

Jo Tongo : Piani
taken from his self-titled album on Decca (1976)

Joe Torres : Get Out Of My Way
taken from the album “Latino Con Soul” on Pacific Jazz (1967)

Susan Cadogan : Nice And Easy
taken from the album Hurt So Good on Trojan (1975)

I’m looking over at the fat cast that covers my right leg from below the knee, and I’m wondering how much paperwork I’m gonna have to go through to prove myself poor enough to be eligible for NY-state low-income health care. It’s not a pleasant thought. There are many infinities filled with unpleasant thoughts. But listening to these supremely tasteful funkies has helped me quickly divert my attention back to the few things that are actually important- health (for the most part), good food, warm home, loving friends and family. Can’t say much for prosperity at this point, but I’m really in no position to complain.

And dwelling in that place of warmth that has been kindled by Burman and crew, I look past my foot at a copy of my own record, sitting in it’s garishly colorful sleeve, finally back from the pressing plant. Ahhhhh, warmth indeed (I’ll be making a broadcast when it hits stores). So, I’m starting off the new year with another musical pu-pu platter from some of the world’s funkiest corners. Bit of Bollywood, little Afro-discofunk, slice of Latin Soul, and some sexy-as-hell Jamaican skank. Info can be found on all these cats, but I’m too tired right now to do the looking for you.

someone else is dropping gems over at Chasing.Red. Go look and listen and be greatful for another year.

Guest Post From DZ

The Soul Messengers : Side A, track 4 and Side B, Track 3
details from the album haven’t been translated as far as we know…
Private Pressing (1978)

The Platina : Africa
taken from the album “The Girl With The Flaxen Hair” on MIO (2003, originally 1976)

Mordechai Ben David : SOUL
taken from the album “SOUL” on Aderet (1977)

Happy Chanukah to all you fellow Jews out there. This is DZ, your semitic guest blogger. Captain P has been bugging me to do an Israeli music post for a minute now, and the 7th night of Chanukah seems to be as good a time as any (yall’s oil better still be burning for another miraculous night). Now it’s no secret that my peoples are blessed when it comes to comic talent, but when combined with music the results have been, well, unmiraculous (think Adam Sandler’s Hanukah Song and the entire genre of Klezmer). But I’m here to let you know that there does exist some ridiculously ill funk and jazzish artistry born in the motherland of Israel.

The first two mp3’s up belong to Soul Messengers. I first heard some tracks from another LP of theirs on a Jewish audioblog called Hippocampus. I then came across this record on Ebay and dropped a stupid amount of loot on it during the tense final moments of a cutthroat bidding war. And don’t ask me how much. That is so Jewish of you. Anyway, it was worth it and you should feel blessed to be able to download not one, but two tracks off this ’78 rare-as-shit privately pressed LP for free. This is a group of Black Hebrews or Black Israelites (I’m not sure which is the preferred term) who lived and I believe still live in a commune in Jerusalem. It is still unclear to me if they consider themselves Jewish or if they emigrated to the Holy Land for other reasons. Either way, this isn’t just American funk/soul/disco transplanted to Israel. All these songs are sung in Hebrew, and seeing as Hebrew was actually the first language I learned, I have to say I was taken aback. Never have I heard the language infused musically with so much soul and funkiness. The first song is what good disco-funk is all about. Dope build-up, party horns, and the odd-but-ill reference to Steam’s “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”. The second song is a fast-paced joint also laced with some dope horns and funky guitar work. The Captain is far better at vivid, on-point descriptions of any given song than I am, so that’s as far as I go. Just listen.

The 3rd mp3 belongs to a jazz-fusion group called Platina. This album, titled “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair” was recorded in 1976 and re-released on CD by a small Israeli label called Mio Records. Good thing, too, because I don’t know how else I would’ve gotten my hands on a copy of this. I showed it a few weeks ago to my uncle visiting from Israel (shout-out to Rafi Adar) and he smiled and said he knew everyone on the cover personally. Nobody from this group went on to do anything particularly stunning, unless you decide to count the one member who went on tour in the states with Manhattan Transfer (dollar-bin diggers should be all too familiar with that name). Anyway, the 14 minute joint here is called Africa. Historical note here: When the U.N. considered potential locations for the state of Israel pre-1948, one area considered was Uganda. Imagine how different the world would be had that vision been realized. Anyway, you might expect something blatantly offensive from any song called Africa that was produced by a group of exclusively non-Africans, but actually this is pretty damn good. Again, I forgo the description in favor of you just listening.

The last song by Mordechai Ben David is from the Captain’s cassette tape collection (thus the not so great audio quality). Don’t expect other records from this cat to be nearly as funky, he’s definitely better known for his not so unique brand of Klezmer smegma.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the songs. If you have a minute, check my boy’s travelblog from Israel: Dakotamodamowf. Have a happy new year and 7th night of Chanukah. Peace in the middle east.

Earl Zero : Home Sweet Home
taken from the album “Visions Of Love” on Epiphany (1979)

Cultural Roots : Age Of Creation
taken from the album “Revolutionary Sounds” on Germain (1980)

Wayne Wade : Poor And Humble
taken from the album “Poor And Humble” on Live & Learn (1982)

Even the most high spiriterd folks need a little upliftment now and then. When the wallet is empty and the relationship is all fuss & fight, and the work is hard, and the future is hazy (or even glum)- for these trials and tribulations I thank the highest for the healing forces of roots reggae music. The bass and skank speak nostalgia for a Zion lost, sing acknowledgement of the brutality and injustice of Babylon, but low… within the void between the spaceous delay there too exists the room for change. Proudly prounounced with each hitting horn burst and throughout every wailing verse glimmers that promise of a brighter future for all righteous creatures. Feeling low myself, I dug out these forgotten gems- too many records to keep track of- and I’m starting to feel like I’m doing alright. Also helps to eat proper ital.

Earl only has 2 records by his own name, but it looks like he’s still keeping active by the will of Jah. “13 Months of sunshine all the time” sounds pretty nice to me right now (water is currently boiling for hot cup of tea #6). Really love the work from one Agustus Pablo on the melodica here. Guitar and musical production by Chinna. The album ends with a highly danceable steppers cut called “None Shall Escape The Judgement”, but you’re gonna have to dig for that one.

I like how Cultural Roots manage to rebel against scientific reasoning by saying that scientists “are only surmising”. No concrete evidence for the big bang? Sometimes I feel that fed up with the whole thing as well. Musical backing here by one of my all-time favorite reggae bands- The Revolutionaries. Another hot track on here is “Jah No Partial”.

Wayne Wade really speaks to me right now. Not just broke, but in debt (sorry gui), and the holidays are here and I got to get presents for people or else I look (and feel) real shmucky. But I’ll scheme up something, always do. I don’t know if I can claim to be humble- can anyone? It kinda seems like calling yourself humble is oxymoronic. But I’ll try… (cough, cough)

If you haven’t peeped the Defibrillator remixes we did, do so now, ’cause they’re SIIIIICK. Also, this party on Thursday night is gonna be really fun for all ye music lovers in the NYC vicinity. Spread love and get loved.