Eddie Kendricks : Intimate Friends
taken from the album “Slick” on Tamla (1977)

Al Wilson : Somebody To Love
taken from the album “Weighing In” on Rocky Road (1973)

Donny Hathaway : I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know
taken from the album “In Performance” on Atlantic (1980)

Nothing like two weeks without my lovely lady to bring out the sentimental, pillow-hugging, flower-purchasing, soft-serve-soul-music-appreciating parts of me. Living together for a full year now (whoa!) means that my whole daily rhythm is pretty much in sync with hers. When she’s gone, I feeeeel it. Which isn’t a bad thing really; just makes for a sweet homecoming and a reinvigorated stamina for spooning. I don’t want to get too mushy on you, but these newly aquired records are hitting the spot (or I guess it’s more like massaging the tender place) right now.

“Slick” by Kendricks doesn’t quite stand up to the impeccable mastery of People… Hold On, but it comes surprisingly close. Didn’t expect much from the cheesy airbrushed cover design, but it’s hard to resist that opening rhodes chord progression and arching falsetto on this sunny summer lovebird anthem.

Al Wilson follows up nicely with his bombastic midtempo proclamation of love power. This is the type of real world testifying that I would wake up on Sunday morning to go to church for- if it wasn’t church. Little bit of Bill Withers invocation on this one too.

No soundtrack to missing someone special would be complete without some Hathaway. This live performance from 1980 sounds like it could have been taken from the same session as one of my all-time favorite soul records. Donnie found his thing (rootsy, earthy, bluesy) and never strayed far. As always, the man’s voice reaches inward depths that seem as close to heavenly as humanly possible.

Yesterday’s New Quintet : Free Son
taken from the “Jewelz” EP on Stones Throw (2007)

Yesterday’s New Quintet : Sunrays
taken from the “Elle’s Theme” EP on Stones Throw (2001)

Still remember clearly when I first heard “Sunrays”. Prolific graf-man Bernie Bernstein put it on my barely functioning Gemini turntable. Pressed play and prayed for the plate to spin at proper speed. When it did I nearly broke my neck from the ensuing head nod.

Happy to put this new record down on my trusty dusty Technics tonight and have a similarly demanding of accupuncture type experience. As a former drummer, I will forever fall victim to the insatiable draw of blasphemously funky snare and kick drum action.

I guess I don’t have to worry about dealing with the same culprit next time. Supposedly, this is the last YNQ 12″, which completes the 5 solo follow-up EPs dedicated to each of the individual members of this invented band.

“Passport” Broadcast from 6.04.07

“Passport” Broadcast from 5.28.07

“Passport” Broadcast from 5.21.07

Seems that two or three weeks late is becoming the standard for posting up my latest radio shows. So here are a few (relatively) fresh ones for you, right on time.

Tracklists are in the following format:
Artist – Song Title – Album – (Label)

6.04.07
1. Joe Bataan “Ordinary Guy” Afrophilipino (Salsoul)
2. The Celebrant “Off Beats” S/T (Olumo)
3. Formula 7 “Trouble” S/T (Castelinho)
4. Man Chau Po Orchestra “I’m In The Mood For Love” Teen Dance Music From China and Malaysia (Thrift Store)
5. The Latin Brothers “Las Calenas Son Como Los Flores” Colombia! (Soundway)
6. Alhaji Bai Konte “Alla L’aa Ke” Kora Melodies From The Republic Of The Gambia (Rounder)
7. Bantus De La Capitale “Lisie” Africa Dances (Authentic)
8. Grupo Monumental “Si, Para Usted” Si, Para Usted (Waxing Deep)
9. La Kabala “El Cumbanchero” S/T (Discos Sonrisa)
10. Antonio Adolfo “Caminhada” Rare Brazil (RB)
11. Alix Jaques Cole Cole Band “Tessa’s Theme” S/T

5.28.07
1. Alberto Paz “Caboclo Flexeiro” Na Gira Dos Caboclos
2. The Love Of Apricot Blossom Stream “Unknown” Teen Dance Music From China and Malaysia (Thrift Store)
3. Jay Mitchell “Funky Fever” Grand Bahama Goombay (Numero Group)
4. African Brothers Band “Owuo Aye Me Bi” Owuo Aye Me Bi (Makossa)
5. Seguida “Om Marreo” New York Latin Hustle (Soul Jazz)
6. Eddie Palmieri “My Spiritual Indian” Justicia (Tico)
7. The Master Musicians Of Tanzania “Lukunzi” Rough Guide: Tanzania (World Music Network)
8. The Girls From Bahia “Berimbau” Revolucion Con Brasilia! (Warner Bros)
9. The Soul Ryders “Gijima Ndoda” Gijima Ndoda (Giraffe)
10. Pesnyary “Unknown” Mnie Viasnoju Prysnilasia (Melodia)
11. Sarolta Zalatnay “Egyser” Sarolta Zalatnay (B-Music/Finder’s Keepers)

5.21.07
1. Orquesta Zodiac “Melancolia” El Adios (Horoscopo)
2. Jay Mitchell “Goombay Bump” Grand Bahama Goombay (Numero Group)
3. Gal Costa “Relance” India (Philips)
4. Totem “El Tabano” S/T (Vampi Soul)
5. Victor Salvatierra Y Su Conjunto Colombiana “La Pollera Blanca” S/T (Discos Vergara)
6. Ananda Shankar “Vidai” Ananda Shankar and His music (Fallout)
7. Balla et ses Balladins “Sara” Guinee An X (Syliphone)
8. Sonny Okosuns – Ozziddi “Power To The People” Power To The People (Emi)
9. Quarteto Arpoador “Ela E Carioca” Bossa No Castelinho (Esquema)
10. Dungen “Familj” Tio Bitar (Kemado)

The BeATaRDs : DangDiggyDang

R. Kelly : I’mma Flurt (BeATaRdS Remix)

Public Enemy : Bring The Noize (BeAtARdS Remix)

Robin Thicke : I Wanna Love You Girl (BeATaRds Remix)

I don’t normally like to do self-promo here in the Crate, however, it would be stupid if I didn’t at least keep all of you loyal readers abreast of the latest happenings – not to mention that if you actually make it out to this party on Wednesday night, you will most definitely have a memorable experience.

So here’s the schpeal. I’m in a group called ThE BeATarDs (Chuck Wild aka Capt. Planet aka Charlie B = ME). We do a monthly party here in NYC called Mixtape Riot!. The party is like nothing else you’ve seen before. We have 4 turntables, which allows us to do live remixes using out own original beats – we produce ’em in droves. These are not mash-ups, mm kay? We’re not taking 80’s tunes, or rock songs, and throwing hip hop acapellas on top of them. We’re making beats in a WIDE variety of styles with the simple goal of making people move. THEN, on top of the live remixes, we perform our own songs – DangDiggyDang is an example of that (even though it’s not finished yet). And of course, no mixtape is complete without a FULL line-up of hot-schitt artists that will make you proud to say you saw them before they went GLOBAL. This week’s party is no exception:

Dandi Wind (Montreal)
Sasha from Jahcoozi (Berlin)
Chris Rob (ATL)
Surreall (Houston)

Southern crunk, throwback soul, future funk, and electro pop craziness all under the same roof for one night alone. For an added bonus, we’ve got a crew of B-Boys, a Double Dutch jump rope posse, and MAAAAD giveaways (Nikes, Mishka Tees etc.). Brought to you by ThE BeATarDs. Check out Mixtaperiot.com for artist bios and more info. DON’T SLEEP. hope to see all you NYC area peoples at the spot: STUDIO B in BROOKLYN (oh yeah, the flyer has the wrong addy, it’s actually 259 Banker – wooops).

And one final shameless plug: even if you can’t come out to the party, you can help us out by voting for ThE BeATaRdS at the URB Magazine NEXT 1000 contest. Thanks!

Moreno +2 : “Deusa Do Amor”
taken from the album “Music Typewriter” on Hannibal (2001)

Antonio Carlos & Jocafi : “Desacato”
taken from the album “Mudei De Ideia” on RCA (1971)

Zeep : “Agua”
taken from the 7″ single on Far Out (2007)

The Girls From Bahia aka Quarteto Em Cy : “Laia Ladaia”
taken from the album “Revolucion con Brasilia!” on Warner Brothers (1968)

I find that one of the most dificult things to do is absolutely nothing. Watching a movie is easy, but that’s something. Reading, although I’ve been pretty bad with that lately, is usually not too dificult. Still, pages are being turned and the mind is at work. When the last page has been flipped, there is a feeling of closure and accomplishment that can’t come from doing nothing. This weekend, a nice hot long one here in NY (thanks to Memorial Day and an early summer breeze), gave me the perfect opportunity to test my nothing skills. In a rare turn of events, I found myself posted up on the sidewalk actually selling records instead of buying them. The cleaning out of my crates was long overdue and it provided an excuse for doing that extremely dificult task of minimizing exertion.

Ok, so technically you could say I was doing something- selling, hanging with friends, bartering. But if you saw me out there, chillin’ in my lawn chair with the boombox playing low, basically giving away records cause it’s about time I freed up some space in my place, you’d probably have to agree I was damn near close to that coveted nothingness. It worked like the opposite of momentum, because yesterday’s pass-out-on-a-blanket-in-the-park was the undoubted lack of all activity. It was truly a non-accomplishment. Suave Brazilian melodies like these help me ease back to that place of peace and contentment. I hope they work for you as well.

Moreno Veloso (son of a certain Caetano whom you may be familiar with) is a true artist of sound. Instruments used in the making of “Deusa Do Amor”- or “Goddess Of Love”- include an iron shovel and sandpaper. The outcome is a stunningly beautiful sunbeam of soul. Check out the whole album, or the second installment of the still unfinished trilogy.

Antonio Carlos & Jocafi (who I’ve posted here before) provide this perennial favorite, from an album that I can’t recommend enough. Funk, psych, soul, strings, samba… all mixed up and executed perfectly more than 35 years ago.

Zeep is a brand new offering from Nina Miranda and Chris Franck (who you should know from their work in Smoke City and Da Lata, not to mention very cool collabos with cats like Troubleman). It’s Brazilian music for dancing and dreaming, produced with all the attention to detail that makes a song last forever. I can’t tell you when to expect their full album, but check out the Far Out Recordings website if you’re looking for more like this.

And this last little piece of Brazilian bounce comes from a record I picked up for $2 at a stoop sale yesterday (on my way to the park, to do nothing). The Girls From Bahia was the name change given to Quarteto Em Cy when they moved to the US in ’67 and tried to break into the mainstream a la Sergio Mendes. Apparently the move wasn’t as succesful as they had hoped, since they ended up recording just this and one other LP for WB – and why the Spanish title??? – but I’m still rooting for them.

The Ska-Talites : Forest Flower
taken from the album “Celebration Time” on Studio One (196?)

Sweet Charles : Soul Man
taken from the album “For Sweet People From Sweet Charles” on People (1974)

Bembeya Jazz : Armee Guineenne
taken from the album “Guinee An X” on Syliphone (1970)

After living in New York City for almost 7 years, I finally became a real New Yorker. The transformation was far from pleasant: I’ve got skinned knees, a yellowish-blue jaw and it still hurts when I blow my nose. But somehow, being jumped by three men in broad daylight on a groggy-headed Friday morning has made me more at home here. I guess it’s partly that, knowing what it is to get mugged (that quintessential NYC hazing ritual), I also know that after the blood dries on the pavement and the last siren fades into the distance, I’m quite alright. A bit shaken, sure, but isn’t a slight neuroticism natural here? So I’ll be a bit more paranoid for a while; my eyes will dart with animal quickness; I’ll place more of my weight on the balls of my feet… any nature channel aficionado would immediately recognize these characteristics as the healthy behaviour traits of Homosapien Nuyoricanus. That’s me.

Today I’m posting some random (and most highly excellent) songs I’ve had sitting on my hard drive for a while that have helped me come to terms with the new New Yorker I’ve finally blossomed into. No lyrical theme, no real musical connection, just good songs.

Jamaican music pioneers The Skatalites are still performing (with altenate members, but still). Just a few of the folks in the band include: Tommy McCook, Rolando Alphonso, Don Drummond, and Jackie Mittoo. Check out the life and times of Sweet Charles, a man who played on more James Brown (and affiliated family) records than I even knew existed. And if you like what you here from some of Guinea’s greatest (who are also still putting out albums and doing shows), then pick up some more Bembeya Jazz on CD.