La Reservacion India – Detras Mi Sonrisa
La Reservacion India – Albricas
La Reservacion India – Mi Reconciliacion

This past week I had the good fortune of spending time with Adrian Younge over at KPFK as he dropped by to do a guest DJ set and interview (post coming soon). I’d forgotten that Adrian owned the Artform Studio in LA, and that I’d never gotten a chance to pay it a visit. Artform is 1/2 record store, 1/2 barbershop/hair salon but all soul and a great reflection of the man who runs it.

While thumbing through the stacks I ran into this record from La Reservacion India, a group I’m guessing is from Mexico (solely because the record was made in Mexico and they cover “Cielito Lindo”). As is often the case with latin LPs from this period of time I expected a bunch of rancheras and maybe if I was lucky one slightly rockin’ or funky song. To my surprise, there were NO rancheras at all on this album, instead it was full of classic 70s latin rock crooning with a super snappy drummer and big washes of organ. Really solid material from track to track (though no clean breaks) that reminds me so much of Chicano Batman, I wonder if Bardo and the boys have this record in their collection. Nice to have yet another spot to dig for quality sounds in the city of Los Angeles.

Cheers,

Michael

Paul and the Pack – Hidin’ From Myself
The Mad Doctors – The Mad Mad Doctor
Terry Stafford – Try My World Little Girl

I’m pretty sure the first copy of this I got at Amoeba Berkeley in their soundtrack section on the cheap, a couple years ago I ran into a sealed copy at Atomic still at the relatively affordable price of $10. Dr. Goldfoot was a thoroughly campy 1960s film that later on became a bit of the inspiration for the first Austin Powers movie. I’d seen the film back when I worked at Four Star video in Madison, WI, so when I saw the soundtrack I picked it up vaguely remembering the music as being in the swinging 60s variety.

Like a number of soundtracks on the Tower/Sidewalk labels, most of the artists aren’t particularly well-known, though Les Baxter does some composing work and likely had a hand in the sessions, and most of the tracks are nothing to write home about. But, the tracks that are good, to my ears at least are VERY good. “The Mad Mad Doctor” is actually one of my favorite instrumental tracks from around this period of time. It’s a great track to start off a night of music, really sets the tone right with those great organ lines at the start and that beat.

“Hidin’ From Myself” sounds like the kind of thing that I’d expect someone to pull out on a white label at a Northern Soul party. Perhaps the vocals aren’t as stellar as they could be, but I love that beat and I’m a well known sucker for some well placed handclaps.

The real surprise on this album continues to be Terry Stafford’s “Try My World Little Girl.” First off I was surprised that Stafford actually had a couple of hits, including a #3 hit with the song “Suspicion” (which does sound suspiciously a bit too much like Elvis). Similar to that song “Little Girl” has a back beat that is at once totally conventional and totally off-the-wall. I’m not sure whether or not that’s a moog or a theremin that’s responsible for the odd sounds in the background of the song and in the breakdown but it gives the track a unique feel that elevates it so far above Stafford’s vocal performance.

If you are a fan of mid-1960s spy spoofs, the film is worth tracking down, if only to see Vincent Price get goofy:

Cheers,

Michael

Freedom – Nobody
Freedom – Man Made Laws
Freedom – Pretty Woman

Freedom started off as a band featuring a couple of the guys who got kicked out of Procol Harem just as the band found success with “A Whiter Shade Of Pale.” Gutiarist Ray Royer and drummer Bobby Harrison formed the group, which went through a slew of personnel changes before and after releasing this, their third record. By this time the group was just a trio, with Harrison joined by Roger Saunders on guitar and Walt Monaghan on bass.

At times, the groups sounds an awful lot like the band Free, but at their best (I guess sounding like Free isn’t really a bad thing) they have this really nice gritty bluesy rock sound that grooves nicely funky. “Nobody” and “Man Made Laws” have that easy heavy rock groove, “Pretty Woman” is a solid version of the Albert King track (not to be confused with the other “Pretty Woman” from Roy Orbison). Shame the group never took off, the playing is mighty good though (predictably) I wish they’d laid down an instrumental or two (or someone would dig up the instrumental backing tracks), but all in all, pretty good music to drive or strut down the streets of a big city on a Sunday evening.

Cheers,

Michael

Richard Groove Holmes – Soul Power
Richard Groove Holmes – How Can I Be Sure
Richard Groove Holmes – Sunny

I don’t know about you, but most of the time when I run across a “Groove” Holmes record, I’m often disappointed. It’s not that Holmes was not in fact a “groovy” organ player, he certainly was. In terms of pure organ playing, he should be considered with the greats, definitely a player with greater soul feeling. But for a guy who recorded during the heyday of truly funky soulful jazz, a lot of his LPs leave a lot to be desired for my post-hip-hop ears. In my book, there are 4 “good” Groove Holmes records for fans of seriously funky jazz, Onsaya Joy on Flying Dutchman, Comin’ On Home on Blue Note, New Groove on Groove Merchant and this LP on Prestige, which is actually the oldest of the bunch. Strangely enough, it’s just in writing this post that I realized that out of 30+ Groove Holmes recorded in the 1960s & 1970s, he released exactly 1 super solid LP on each of the 4 labels he was associated with! Those 4 records are so good, I really wish the man had gotten a bit more funky during this period of time, but these are the breaks and we should feel blessed for output as funky as “Soul Power.”

I ran into this copy of Soul Power at Amoeba Berkeley back in the day where it was $4 because of the condition. Haven’t seen another copy of it since. Due to an unfortunate post-purchase incident, only Side 1 is playable now, but thankfully that is the “good” side featuring all of these tracks. “Soul Power” is truly a monster. With that guitar intro and then into those funky shuffling drums from Ben Dixon, I’d put that track up against almost every single funk-jazz track from the Prestige catalog (well…at least all of those not named “Fire-Eater”).

“How Can I Be Sure” is a cover of a tune from the Rascals, that more or less follows the original melody, but the arrangement with Holmes group is actually MUCH better than the original. Dual guitars and bright sunrise notes from Holmes’ organ and then more fabulousness from Ben Dixon and that waltz rhythm. I love Holmes’ solo on this track once it begins in earnest, just has this swoozy bluesy vibe to it because of the organ effects. “Sunny” is the kind of song you’re more likely to find on the majority of Groove Holmes records, more swinging than overtly funky, but he does light things on fire during his solo, so I think it rounds out things nicely here.

Cheers,

Michael

Melting Pot's Top Vinyl Finds in 2011

All this week I’m taking a look back at 2011, beginning with a look at my top 5 (and 1/2) vinyl records I dug up in 2011. I’m not sure 2011 was as spectacular as 2010 in terms of buying vinyl, but it was a pretty solid year as my collection slowly (and I mean slowly) regains it’s previous strength. I didn’t have nearly as much time to dig as I did the previous year, but I was able to bring back a number of records (and a handful of 45s) that I used to own and pick up a few new gems as well. As with last year, this list only includes things that I picked up in actual record stores (with an ebay assist on “5 1/2,” explained below), since to me at least buying records online (generally) just don’t count as digging.

So, here are my top 5 LP and 45 finds from 2011, I’d love to know what records you tracked down this past year, let me know what YOU dug up in 2011 here or on our facebook page!!!

***Honorable Mentions: Horace Tapscott & the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra – Flight 17 [Atomic Records, Burbank], Andrew Hill – One For One [Amoeba Records, Hollywood], Johnny Ace – The Memorial Album [Atomic Records, Burbank], A.C. Reed – Boogaloo Tramp 45 [Vamp Records, Oakland], Novella Nelson – Novella Nelson [Groove Merchant, San Francisco], David Axelrod – Songs Of Experience [Atomic Records, Burbank], The Racket Squad – Corners Of Your Mind [Records LA, Los Angeles]

5 ½. V/A – Sadma: Original Soundtrack – CBS [Records LA, Los Angeles / Ebay]

Asha Bhonsle & Suresh Wadkar – Yeh Hawa Yey Fiza

Original Post

This is a bit outside of my “record store only” rules with this list, but I feel like I should include this LP here because of the circumstances of discovery. If not for a facebook post from Records LA’s head honcho Scott Craig, I never would have had a clue that this record included a track sampled for one of my favorite songs of 2010, Gonajsufi’s “Sheep.” As soon as I saw that I had every intention of getting the record at Records LA, but by the time I got there, it was long gone…my impatience led me to the copy I now own via a dealer in the UK on Ebay. Another copy of Sadma came in later in the year to Records LA. If only I had been a little patient, this would be an unqualified #1 top find for 2011, instead it’s on the list but with an asterisk…

5. Harvey Averne Dozen – Viva Soul – Atlantic [Atomic Records, Burbank]

Harvey Averne Dozen – Free Advice

It’s fairly rare that I see this record, Averne’s first as a leader with his mighty latin soul outfit, The Harvey Averne Dozen. When I ran into it, just sitting pretty on the famed wall of records at Atomic, I couldn’t resist the temptation to take it on home (if only it were quite so easy to track down a coat just like the one Averne is wearing on this cover…sharp!). “You’re No Good” is one of my fave Latin Soul numbers of all time and the version of “The Word” on this album is a solid Latin B-boy number if I ever heard one. At some point this year I’m sure I’ll feature this record in a post of its own, but for now, just dig on “Free Advice.”

4. Ice Water Slim & the Fourth Floor – I Don’t Understand It / Dream On, Dream On – Hawk Sound 7” [Vamp Records, Oakland]

Ice Water Slim & the Fourth Floor – Dream On, Dream On

Scored this in a trade with Sean Sullivan (who runs the excellent Sound Boutique audio blog) at VAMP, a fairly new record store that Sean Boogie can often be found behind the counter, located in Oakland’s Lake Merritt area. Aside from being a Johnny Otis production, which is intriguing enough, “I Don’t Understand It” sounds A LOT like Sly & the Family Stone from this same period. So much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if this was some kind of Sly off shoot. Interestingly enough, I haven’t been able to dig up any information on Ice Water Slim, but I’ve just never heard of Otis and Sly working together so it doesn’t make total sense. I know “Slim” cut at least one other 45, but other than that there doesn’t seem to be any google-able information out there on him. All I can say is this is a pretty cool 45, with the bubbling funk of “Don’t Understand It” and the simply dreamy (though not Sly Stone sounding at all) slow groove of “Dream On, Dream On” on the flipside.

3. The Posse – You Better Come On Out And Play / That’s What Makes Us Happy – E.J.K. 7” [Records LA, Los Angeles]

The Posse – You Better Come On Out And Play

The Posse were a Detroit area group, produced by Eddie Kendricks on his own E.J.K. label. “You Better Come On Out And Play” is so so very good. It grabs you immediately with that great 30+ second introduction, where each instrument gets added into the rhythm before the vocals finally come in and, just as every beat digger would hope, you get a slightly different and totally clean version of that rhythm breakdown at the very end…Simply Breaktastic.

2. David Porter – Victim Of A Joke – Enterprise [As The Record Turns, Hollywood]

David Porter – I’m Afraid The Masquerade Is Over

Original Post

Already said quite a bit about this LP, though interesting I said very little about it’s signature tune, the otherworldly “I’m Afraid the Masquerade Is Over.” What really trips me out is that it was only when I tracked down this record this past August that I realized that Dale Warren, of 24 Carat Black fame, arranged this monster. From the horns, to the strings, to the drums, bass and piano, Warren’s style is all over this production and his involvement helps to explain why this song sounds like few others in the Stax/Enterprise catalog. A classic above all classics.

1. Clarence Reid – Masterpiece/Down The Road Of Love – Alston 7” [Records LA, Los Angeles]

Clarence Reid – Masterpiece

Original Post

Speaking of classics, I still can’t believe my good fortune in tracking this down, and getting it for the insane price of $3…I had to cover my mouth just to keep from screaming, ’cause this one’s a Masterpiece!

Arnie Barrera – Mercy
Arnie Barrera – Libro Abierto
Arnie Barrera – Grande De Cadera

I don’t know anything about Arnie Barrera y Sus Galaxies, couldn’t turn much up via google either, but I’m fairly pleased that I picked up this LP, the final LP I bought in 2011 as a matter of fact. Amoeba Hollywood has a bunch of latin records, from time to time I take a bit of time to thumb through them and see if I run into anything worth picking up. Generally it’s full of 1970s latin pop, ranchera or mariachi music, but occassionally there’s a record that looks intriguing. Just based off of the cover this one seemed worth checking out. Taking a look at the back, the track lists included a description of the song styles, which included a bunch of boleros and rancheras, but also included a “Rock Ranchera” and a “Rock Instrumental,” called “Mercy.” A quick look at the LP itself confirmed that this was going to be a cover of “Mercy Mercy Mercy.”

I was pretty gassed to drop the needle on “Mercy” and discover that it starts off with a rather tasty drum break! Unfortunately the sound in the right channel is distorted (and only on THIS song!) but at least digitally I was able to make a mono mix of the left channel which is what I’m sharing with you. “Libro Abierto” is the “Rock Ranchera” track, while “Grande De Cadera” is the least cumbia sounding cumbia I’ve heard. Really it all boils down to a very solid cover of “Mercy Mercy Mercy” and a nice way to close off a year of digging.

Cheers,

Michael

Gary Bartz – Dr. Follow’s Dance
Gary Bartz – Standing On The Corner
Gary Bartz – Sing A Song Today

Not sure why I haven’t posted anything from Gary Bartz just yet, he’s long been one of my favorite 1970s spiritual jazz players, ever since hearing his classic “Celestial Blues” on Luv’n'Haight’s Jazz Dance Classics Vol. 1 collection from back in the day. At one time I had virtually all of his prime records from 1967′s debut as leader, Libra, to 1973′s Singerella. Aside from the two volumes of Harlem Bush Music and the phenomenal live album I’ve Known Rivers, this record was always a favorite. Recently ran into a choice copy and after not having seen it since I sold my copy in the big sell-off of 2004, I had to snatch it up.

Of his albums from this era, Follow, is probably the funkiest of the bunch. As evidence look no further than “Dr. Follow’s Dance,” which begins with a crisp & clean drum break before the rest of the band joins in the rhythm. When Bartz’s sax joins in the song settles into a upbeat and breezy 1970s jazz dance number with a little bit of Mizell Bros. style (who Bartz would later work with on 1977′s Music Is My Sanctuary). Also included is Bartz’s sunny sounding though lyrically biting critique of complacency, “Standing On The Corner,” a track that I’m surprised hasn’t been chopped up by any Hip-Hop producers, at least not to my knowledge. Same goes for the darker in tone, though no less funky “Sing A Song Today.” I love especially how the song breaks down repeatedly away from the basic medley, often with virtually clean and tight drums from Howard King or amplified horn lines from Bartz that never seem to repeat. Another standout which I’m not bringing to you, “Sifa Zote” features Bey’s vocals and Bartz’s sax in praise of blackness, in fact all the tracks on this album are worth a listen as is every album from this period of Bartz’s career…tough to track down these days but well worth the effort.

Cheers,

Michael

Ray Barretto – Together
Ray Barretto – Hipocresia y Falsedad
Ray Barretto – Tin Tin Deo

I was planning on starting my show today with a couple of classic Puerto Rican jams to celebrate Miguel Cotto’s vindication revenge rematch against Antonio Margarito when I realized that, inexplicably, I’ve never done a post on this absolute classic LP from Ray Barretto! “Together” is my single favorite Latin Soul number of all time, one of my top 5 soul songs of all time and a staple of my sets whenever I spin out. So many elements of the song to love, those horns that bang out at the beginning, the upbeat punchy drums along with the duo piano and bass lines, but above all it’s Ray Barretto’s vocals that seal the deal for me. Lyrically the song is one of the best 1960s anthems to Black/Brown/White/Red/Yellow unity, but lyrics are only as good as the singer who brings it all together and Barretto’s vocal performance has got soooooooo much soul! 100% guaranteed dance floor burner.

Together the LP features a number of nice proto-salsa tracks (I don’t really think of Salsa coming together until the 1970s), as well as a nice sorta post-Boogaloo “Hipocresia y Falsedad.” “Tin Tin Deo” is a latin standard, composed by the legendary Chano Pozo, the man who more or less put the Latin in Latin Jazz back in the 1940s. Barretto does it more as a funky vamp, adding just a little bit at a time, solo trumpet, solo piano, solo percussion before everything finally erupts in the final moments. Dope Dope Dope Dope!!! Together is a record that should be in EVERY single soul DJs catalog, wihtout question!

Cheers,

Michael

Jimi Hendrix – Nine To The Universe
Jimi Hendrix – Drone Blues
Jimi Hendrix – Jimi/Jimmy Jam

Seems fitting today, on the 69th anniversary of the birth of Jimi Hendrix, to feature music from the master. Hendrix is a really important artist for me. His guitar playing is almost universally recognized as the best the planet has known, but Jimi for me was so much more than simply a guitarist. Jimi was an artist who broke down barriers and explored sound far beyond what many of his contemporaries were interested in achieving. I fell into Hendrix’s music at a young age, “borrowing” some of his cassettes from my brother. Hendrix’s music, along with a handful of others, helped me define my own identity and helped me to push for something more than just what was expected me in this society as a young black man.

I originally heard “Jimi/Jimmy Jam” from this album on WREK’s Stonehenge back when I was in high school. I’d always loved just the sound of Hendrix’s guitar and appreciated the limited amount of instrumentals that had come my way up til then. Nine To The Universe is one of the posthumous releases that have proved controversial because of the heavy-handed techinques of producer Alan Douglas. Unlike Crash Landing and Midnight Lightning, both of which featured a lot of overdubs from musicians that Hendrix never even played with, Nine To Universe features just the original players, with minimal interference from Douglas. Aside from an unnamed tambourine player that he added, this music features the musicians that were in the studio with Jimi when these loose jams were originally performed.

In recent years some of the full takes of these tracks (Young/Hendrix, Jimi/Jimmy Jam & Drone Blues) have been featured on a couple of Hendrix family releases. Having heard them, I actually think this LP is one of the rare instances where Douglas’ production is actually pretty good. Instead of 20 – 25+ jams, we have tracks that are more or less cut in half, but that sound like complete songs and are much more focused. It gives us a glimpse into Hendrix’s free-wheeling jam sessions (though, almost unbelievably, there is likely STILL more unreleased music, including performances with guitarist John McLaughlin), music that was only made for the musicians benefit, never to be released on record.

That loose nature is one of the things that makes “Nine To The Universe” such an amazing track, with a riff that will later on become “Earth Blues,” the song breaks down part of the way through into a nice Buddy Miles drum solo with Jimi in the background yelling out things like “Lord Have Mercy” and closing up with what sounds like completely improvised lyrics that might have later served as inspiration for “Message to Love” or “Power of Soul”. “Drone Blues” is one of the fastest & funkiest things Jimi ever laid down and the track that led me to this LP, “Jimi/Jimmy Jam,” with the severely under-rated Jim McCarty (of the equally under-rated Cactus, along with Mitch Ryder & his Detroit Wheels and Buddy Miles’ Express) is just plain epic.

Also intriguing are the liner notes that mention the directions Jimi wanted to take his music, influenced by Miles Davis and my personal hero Rahsaan Roland Kirk. My mind can’t fully comprehend exactly how amazing those collaborations would have sounded. Part of me hopes, against all reason, that somewhere there is some lost jam session between Jimi & Rahsaan. They would have made beautiful music together, but thankfully they left us with many beautiful bright moments to marvel at years and years after their days on this earth were done. For that I am sincerely thankful…

Cheers,

Michael

Magic Sam – That’s Why I’m Crying
Louis Myers – Top Of The Harp
Leo Evans and the Jazz Prophets – Coming Down With The Blues

I’m not sure where I picked up this collection, I’m thinking it was during my time in the Midwest, maybe in Rockford, IL at Toad Hall Records. Toad Hall was truly an experience, records everywhere, more or less organized, mostly less, with an upstairs, a downstairs and a bulding across the street just filled with records. When I went there (around 1998 and 1999) there was an older guy in a wheelchair in the center room who I always assumed was the owner. He’d always chat with me about the records I was looking for, generally jazz at that time, and about artists who he had seen and that he loved. I figure I got the record there just because of the condition of the LP, with a bit of mildew at the top, there were always a few water damaged LPs at that store, which is to be expected when you just have mountains upon mountains of records.

Regardless of the condition, I absolutely had to get this one, cause I’m a major fan of Magic Sam. Sam Maghett is perhaps my single favorite blues artist, certainly my favorite blues singer with a fantastic soaring tenor. His career was cut tragically short,just as it was taking off, from a heart attack at 32. Needless to say, there aren’t a lot of Magic Sam recordings out there, so seeing his name on the front intrigued me enough to pick up this record and I was overjoyed to find that 6 of the 11 songs featured Magic Sam’s distinctive vocals (especially “That’s Why I’m Crying”) or guitar stylings (“Top of the Harp” with harmonica player Louis Myers, I’ve included here, but the Eddie Shaw led instrumentals “Ridin’ High” and “Blues for the Westside” are also stellar and only found here).

The rest of this collection is really top-notch, including some fine early work from Luther Allison that is especially notable for the use of Hawaiian Steel Guitar. There’s also a mystery with this album in the form of Leo Evans and the Jazz Prophets. I’m not sure if this group ever recorded again, I haven’t been able to find any other credits though the notes mention “performances” the group recorded. The Jazz Prophets are described as an avant-garde group that played in Hyde Park, but none of the names seem familiar to me based on the Chicago Avant-Garde scene at that time. To top it all off, for some reason “Leo Evans” is listed as “Lefty Lopez” on the front of the LP, which adds a different mystery in who the hell is “Lefty Lopez”? Did someone mis-hear “Leo Evans” as “Lefty Lopez” or was this actually a person? Even the sound of “Coming Down With The Blues” is a little mysterious. The track was apparently recorded in 1968, but sounds like it could have come earlier. As much as I love Magic Sam, this is the track that I’ve come back to more often over the years. There’s just something about the sound, everything seems distant and pushed back a bit in the mix, giving it this different sonority than the other songs on the collection. Just a stunning piece of music that everytime I play it I wish there was more. I suppose I should just be thankful that this collection exists and that it made it’s way to my hands and my turntable.

Cheers,

Michael

…while looking up info on Toad Hall, I came across this nicely done promo video for them. The old guy in the wheelchair doesn’t seem to be the owner any more, but clearly the place is still a digger’s delight.