• Music

    Malaaz – Lélé / Malaazé

    August 15, 2022 - By 

    This 7-inch two-track single is pure funky joy to listen to!  Malaaz were a band out of Reunion Island, of all places, and is considered to be a solid funk gem.  The backstory of the band is here, at their label, Babani Records’ Bandcamp site: “Malaaz was initiated by Patrick Donat, who is described as a pioneer and major contributor of the Electric Maloya scene, this fusion of island traditional music and western instrumentation in the mid 70s. 
He was joined by Franck Raholison and Del Rabenja, creating this powerful band of exceptional musicians from Réunion Island and Madagascar. Lélé…

  • Music

    The Traffic – Fire​/​Bangarang

    July 29, 2022 - By 

    The first thing that came into my mind hearing The Traffic was that they have mastered the psych-soul formula to a tee.  The first track, Fire, is a Jimi Hendrix cover where the flute takes the place of Hendrix’s legendary guitar playing, and it sounds damn solid.  The second track, Bangarang, sounds like something that would have fit in well with a hip Blaxploitation soundtrack, with a heavy funk element to the track.

  • Music

    Bernard Purdie – Purdie Good!

    February 6, 2022 - By 

    Imagine having a resume working with the following acts: James Brown, The Beatles, Jeff Beck, Hummingbird, Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin,Gil Scott-Heron, King Curtis, The Rolling Stones, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Randy Brecker, Quincy Jones, Hall & Oates, Isaac Hayes, Cat Stevens, Hair and Larry Coryell among so many others. Bernard “Pretty” Purdie is something akin to an institution in modern drumming. This album, reissued by Prestige Records, is one of his more mellow jazz excursions.  The sound is meaty, and it shows off a pleasant finesse he has with percussion.  His touch is about as golden as it gets as…

  • Music

    Jerry Jones – Jerry Jones at the Hotel Kingston

    October 29, 2021 - By 

    According to the legendary Studio One Records Bandcamp site, “Geraldine “Jerry” Jones arrived in Kingston in May of 1970 to perform at the Miss Jamaica International Model Pageant held at the Hotel Kingston. She would also appear at the House of Chen, VIP Club, Hotel Flamingo, Runaway Bay Hotel and the Courtleigh Manor Hotel backed by top Jamaican show bands like Tomorrow’s Children, the Mighty Vikings, and the Boris Gardiner Happening. Her visit was arranged in part by Miami-based record producer Alty East, for whom she had recorded three singles released on the Pal Label.” Imagine loving a place so…

  • Music - Spotify

    Tofa Jaxx – A Guy Like Me EP

    June 5, 2021 - By 

    In normally more partial to listening to old, stripped down 60s soul than I am to hearing modern R&B, but this gem out of Tanzania, by way of the U.K., caught my ear in a most pleasant way. Our friends at Delicious Tunes do yeoman’s work spending time all over Africa, getting to know and working with musicians of astounding quality and getting them a proper release. Tofa Jaxx is one of these gems. Tofa’s vocals are sultry, and he can hold is own with any of modern heavyweights populating the top 40 charts, but what is especially interesting is…

  • Music

    Various Artists – Can You Feel It? Vol​.​2 Modern Soul, Disco & Boogie 1976​-​​84

    March 14, 2021 - By 

    Tramp Records out of German is gaining quite a following because of their high-quality compilations.  This one is a scorcher if you’re into funk-inflected disco.  At least as I understand it, and I’m sure the label can correct any errors I make, the artists were from around the Akron, Ohio area, and it does blow my mind a bit that these artists weren’t bigger names in the 1970s.  The music is a bit more lo-fi than the slicker top-40 fare of the day, but the bass grooves so hard in most of these tracks that it makes you forget that…

  • Music - Youtube

    Roberta Flack – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

    February 14, 2021 - By 

    While I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day too seriously (traveling and lack of a suitable mate at this time will do that), and adding that Eastern Orthodox don’t celebrate the venerable Saint’s day until July 30, I do want to wish my friends and the kind readers who show up here a lovely day with your partner. A bit of Roberta Flack singing Ewan MacColl’s masterpiece, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, should set the mood for the day nicely. Tell me these words wouldn’t make your lover swoon: The first time ever I saw your face I thought…

  • Music

    Marta Ren – Stop Look Listen (Deluxe Edition)

    January 8, 2021 - By 

    Porto, Portugal’s neo-soul queen Marta Ren has had her breakthrough album reissued with a couple of extra tracks!  From her Bandcamp website: Record Kicks re-release Marta Ren’s legendary debut LP “Stop Look Listen” on ltd edition vinyl clear LP (500 copies worldwide). By popular demand Milan label Record Kicks announce the reissue of 2016 Marta Ren & The Groovelvets seminal debut album “Stop, Look Listen” on limited edition clear vinyl LP and digital deluxe version on February 26. The digital deluxe version includes 2 bonus tracks, the previously unreleased track “Hit Me” and “Summer’s Gone” that was previously released on…