One for the headz (including Above The Law)…

Hello, kiddies.

Here’s a quick post to demonstrate my love for the glory years of hip hop. I plan to dig into my not so vast collection and prepare a recipe of some of my faves in the near future. But for now, here’s one that I promised the HeavySoulBrutha I’d post last week in response to his first SoulSistas mix, which incidentally if you haven’t picked up on it yet, do yourself a favour and check it out.

Within that mix is one of my favourite 45s of all time, Erma Franklin’s reading of “Light My Fire”, which was sampled in good fashion by one of the unsung heroes of the then fledgeling West Coast hip hop scene, Above The Law. This is one of Dr. Dre and Eazy E’s first productions from 1990 for the legendary Ruthless label, and a fine production it was. I dug this one up from deep within the recesses of my old 12″ collection for you all to dig on. By the way, they also sampled The Funky Drummer in this track, but then again who didn’t back in the day…

Please download and enjoy Untouchable, an .mp3 file, 5 MB. This was the standout track from their debut LP “Livin’ Like Hustlers”.

That’s all for now, but I’m sure the feeling will hit once again, and I’ll have some more snax for you to consume real soon.

Peace and blessings.

Do It To Death, Bring It To Life…

Hello, kiddies.

In keeping with the tradition of featuring just a few of the tunes that either unfortunately didn’t make the cut on the latest recipe or were just too good to keep, I give to you a bit of just one of the many influences that made the mighty JBs one of the most beloved (and sampled) funk outfits of our generation. This was brought on by my most recent trip to Own Guru Records last week whaere I was fortunate enough to pick up two of the JB’s legendary LPs . If you don’t own these pieces of funk history, be sure to check out Dusty Groove. They are available but naturally they disappear quickly… What struck me the most was that the copy of “Doing It To Death” that I purchased was pressed on purple vinyl. I doubt that that makes the record a collector’s item (after all, it is a reissue), but as you may recall from one of my first posts here, I do have a soft spot for coloured vinyl and picture discs.

Here are a couple of the lesser played deep album cuts for your approval. I chose these tunes primarily because I love the frantic tempo as well as that great horn work.

 

Please download and enjoy Sucker, an .mp3 file, 8 MB from Doing It To Death

 

Please download and enjoy Step Child, an .mp3 file, 7MB from Breakin’ Bread

Now the number one reason for this post was to display yet another side from the legendary Curtis Ousley. Naturally I planned to buy  this one sight unseen, but when I played it for the first time, I noticed just how much this track and Doing It To Death have in common. It’s important to note that the King Curtis track predates the JBs by some seven years.

 

Please download and enjoy Soul Theme, an .mp3 file, 3 MB

That’s about all for this particular batch, but I do plan to be back sooner than later as the marathon recording session continues.

Peace and blessings.

Some Jazz for kicks and giggles…

Hello, kiddies.

I just wanted to come and drop off a few more jazzy goodies that were supposed to be a part of the last post, but time and suffering from those sinus headaches over the past two weeks made it just a bit difficult. Well, I feel much better now, so let’s get right down to it…

The first two selections come from a 45 that I was fortunate enough to find a few months ago at the fire hall. When I was a kid, there was a copy of this record in my house on a 78, but needless to say it was lost over time. It’s a rather funny reading of two well known Grimm’s fairy tales with a bit of a hep cat twist provided by none other than comedy legend Steve Allen. The narrator is Al “Jazzbo” Collins and the piano playing is done by one Lou Stein. You can share this one with the kids, but enjoy the very subtle adult themes for yourselves…

 

Please download and enjoy Little Red Riding Hood, an .mp3 file, 4 MB

 

Please download and enjoy The Three Little Pigs, an .mp3 file, 4 MB

Next is a tune that proves that Pearl Bailey can indeed do her thing. I’ve been wanting to share this one with you ever since DJ Prestige published this post several months ago. This reading of “Saturday Night Fish Fry” is a real hoot as it also features Jackie “Moms” Mabley, one of the true comedy legends that performed at the world famous Apollo Theatre along with Pigmeat Markham and so many other great comics for decades. This track is featured on the box set The Jazz Singers 1919-1994, produced by the Smithsonian Institution. The set contains a who’s who of Jazz legends past and present and is very much worth the investment.

     

Pearl Bailey and Moms Mabley… 

Please download and enjoy Saturday Night Fish Fry, an .mp3 file, 3 MB

Next time around I’ll bring back the funk. I was hipped to a couple of thrift stores in the area which are supposed to be chock full of cheap 45s, so with a little luck I won’t come home empty handed, and that will benefit us all for sure. For now, it’s time to take a quick break for some physical nourishment.

Peace and blessings.

Happy Fall (including the FufuJazz extras)

Hello, kiddies.

Glad you could drop in. No sense in delivering any more back stories this time around, let’s just get those extras served up because I know you’re all hungry.

 

First up is the second half of one of my all time fave Jimmy Smith records. The first half found its way in an earlier recipe, but I’m sure that it will again see the light of day because this is such a monster Hammond exercise.

Please download and enjoy Cat In A Tree Pt. 2, an .mp3 file, 3 MB

More bossa nova type goodness up next with that brutal stick work from “Pretty” Bernard Purdie…

Please download and enjoy Soul Bossa Nova, an .mp3 file, 3 MB

Here’s another album cut from Gloria Lynne.  I just love that voice…

Please download and enjoy If I Loved You, an .mp3 file, 3 MB

Finally, I go back to another early post. I’m glad I picked this LP up this past Spring. Another white hot Hammond workout on this reading of one of Ray Charles’ all time greats.

 

Please download and enjoy What’d I Say, an .mp3 file, 3 MB.

I have lots more on tap for the next time we meet, but after a very satisfying breakfast and having just got home from work a little while ago, it’s time for a nap. Enjoy your week, but don’t work too hard. I’ll be back soon.

Peace and blessings.

The Guilty Suspects…

Hello, kiddies.

As most of you know, especially if you came over from next door, The latest installment of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions was a smash hit! Fact of the matter is that you just can’t control what happens when you are in a live and off the cuff setting (it happens… shhh). If you listened to my portion of the show via JamNow, you’ll notice that the first record out of the box just started skipping uncontrollably. I can’t say that it made me too upset because it happened to a lot of the selectors, just that I really did want to make the opening record a special dedication to my mother for her birthday. To make things right, I will post the guilty suspects in skip-free fashion.

Please download and enjoy My Mama, an .mp3 file, 3 MB. Yeah, I posted this one before for Mother’s Day, but because I didn’t get to be with my mother for her birthday (and the record did skip on the simulcast), here it is again for all of you, and especially for my mother.

Here’s the other one which I featured in one of my earlier mixes…

Please download and enjoy The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg, an .mp3 file, 5 MB.

I just got back from another successful effort at the Fire Hall today. I scored quite a few hot pieces and replaced a few scratchy ones as well. Here’s a partial rundown of what came home with me.

Don’t Lose Your Groove-Lavell Hardy (Rojac)
The Gallop-The Chevelles (Flaming Arrow). You can still get this one over at Larry’s Place…
Stereo Freeze Pts. 1&2-The Stereos (Cadet)
Stop-Howard Tate (Verve)
Oblighetto-Brother Jack McDuff (Blue Note). Thanks Pres!
Back Street-Edwin Starr (Ric Tic)
Eighteen Pounds Of Unclean Chitlings Pts. 1&2-Mel Brown (Impulse)
Super Duper Love (Are You Digging On Me) Pts. 1&2-Sugar Billy (Fast Track)

I also scored some heaters from Lou The Pusherman too…

Funky Way-Calvin Arnold (Virtue)
Every Brother Ain’t A Brother-Gary Byrd (Real Thing)
Do Your Thing-The Delights Orchestra (Atco)

You can be certain that these fine tunes will make their way into some type of concoction in due time but for now, it’s time to get back to work. Enjoy your week and as always, be safe.

Peace and blessings.

Another Soapbox Moment…

Hello, kiddies.

No back story today, just a thought and a few very timely messages…

“Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved through understanding.” -Albert Einstein

Please download Revelation: Revolution ‘69 as performed by The Lovin’ Spoonful, an .mp3 file, 3 MB

Please download Save The Country as performed by The Fifth Dimension, an .mp3 file, 4 MB

Please download It Better End Soon as performed by the Chicago Transit Authority, an mp3 file, 15 MB.

Please download this medley of extreme importance as performed by The Fifth Dimension, an .mp3 file, 14 MB

Please play them LOUD and PROUD for the time is NOW!

www.peaceproject.com
http://peaceblog.wordpress.com

Peace and blessings.

A few AntiDivas extras…

Hello, kiddies.

The latest installment of AntiDivas is now up and ready for your consumption. In making this one, I was forced to take on the task of eliminating several selections. No surprise there… Here’s just a few from the cutting room floor for you to enjoy.

Here’s one of my all time favourite jazz sides from the legendary Nancy Wilson. The bossa nova groove sold me from the first time I dropped the needle on it some ten years ago. The LP quality here is just a little under par (I ripped it from the original first press monaural – I like ‘em better that way sometimes), but thankfully the folks at Blue Note have reissued this long out of print classic after some four decades.

Please download and enjoy Moon River, an .mp3 file, 2 MB.

Next up is the other track from that Fanny LP I told you about. I first heard this one on a 45 several years ago thanks to the Hudson Brothers. I doubt that many of you may remember back when the USA Network was just a fledgling of a cable channel. Well, they had a music program called Night Flight which ran back in 1984 if memory serves me correctly. It was there that I first saw this band via one of those ultra rare appearances from the Beat Club (Someone’s gotta put all of that stuff on DVD someday)… I went on a loose search to find some of their stuff which led me to a couple of albums. This is the best track of them all in my honest opinion.

 

Please download and enjoy Place In The Country, an .mp3 file, 4 MB.
If you’re a collector of box sets, Rhino Handmade issued a limited edition set containing the complete recorded works of this early femme rock outfit. It’s a little pricy at $90 USD, and since I don’t have much else to judge it on, I can only say that it is out there if you dare to explore. Otherwise, the LPs are quite a bit cheaper if you can find them.

This last one is just an all out ballsy 45 from blues legend Sugar Pie DeSanto that I picked up a few weeks back. I like it in bunches, so here we go…

Please download and enjoy Soulful Dress, an.mp3 file, 3 MB. As luck would have it, there’s a pretty decent comp CD containing more treasures from the Chess years out there too…

Well, that’s it for today. I’m all set to burn some more coals and get dinner started. I’ve got a couple of surprises in store for next time so y’all come back now, y’hear?

Peace and blessings.

A few from the garage…

Hello, kiddies.

I’m going to try my hand at some garage and psych rock. I really dig what DJ Little Danny at Office Naps puts down, as well as the mighty Mr. Grogan and his shares at Iron Leg. I’ve had these tunes in the crates for a while. In recapturing all those 45s over the past few weeks, I placed these three in the stack hoping that they will be recieved and enjoyed by all of you…

Please download and enjoy Fire by Five By Five, an .mp3 file, 3 MB

Please download and enjoy Dirty Story by Blackwell, an .mp3 file, 3 MB.

I don’t know too much about those groups, but the tracks do have a certain flavour that I find rather enjoyable. The next one however is a different story…

I always loved these guys. They were one of the quintessential frat rock bands…

Please download and enjoy Little Latin Lupe Lu by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, an .mp3 file, 3 MB. Check out this best of comp, chock full of timeless hits…

I’ve got more. Keep scrolling down…

Peace and blessings.

Between The Sheets: The Isleys get covered…

Hello, kiddies.

Let’s take a minute to reflect on that last bit of 45 rpm heat from the Isley Brothers. I sure hope you all enjoyed it. In keeping with that theme, I’d like to put a couple of cover versions of the timeless classic “It’s Your Thing”. What a great tune from the Isley’s yet to be reissued debut long player, but I’ve made a plea for that to be gross miscarriage of justice to be rectified already.

Please download and enjoy Dennis Coffey & The Lyman Woodward Trio’s version, an .mp3 file, 3 MB. Thanks to Record Ray from the fire hall for this relatively hard to find gem… at least I think it is, I didn’t do any homework yet.

Please download and enjoy the Temptations’ version, an .mp3 file, 3 MB. Now you need a copy of the legendary long player, Temptations’ Puzzle People. It’s a brilliant album.

Scroll down a bit further and check out that Isley’s tune I spoke of earlier. It’s a real heater, I assure you.

Peace and blessings.

Too good to keep…

Hello, kiddies.

Needless to say it’s been pretty hectic around here the past couple of weeks, but I am back once again. This time I want to put a couple of tunes up that I recently picked up at the fire hall. The trip as I had stated before was fruitful and full of surprises. Case in point right here…

Anybody who knows me at all knows that I am a sucker for an Isley Brothers record. I had always heard stories of their brief tenure on Atlantic, but I never thought I’d hear any of their work for the label, much less this maniacal piece of soul. You’ve just gotta hear this one. To the Vaccarinos, I say thank you for having this gem in your crates for me to buy. You can bet that I’ll be looking for more.

Please download and enjoy Wild Little Tiger, an mp3 file, 2 MB.

Everyone is well aware of the Equals version of this one thanks to Fleamarket Funk and Diddywah among others I’m sure. Here’s another take on this soapbox moment which I think is just a tad bit edgier. Now I won’t take anything away from the original, but once in a while, I like to hear a good cover version. This one is no exception.

Please download and enjoy Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys as performed by the ST-4, an .mp3 file, 3 MB. This is the flip side of “Funky”, a cover of the Chambers Brothers breakbeat classic which is available on this compilation here.

Well that’s about all for this installment. I’ll be back sooner than later with another one that’s bound to be just as tasty, I assure you.

Peace and blessings.