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January 10, 2014 Radio

Breakdown: Top 5 Reissues of 2013

All this week we’re focusing on the best music we heard in 2013. Today’s post looks at the top reissues from the past year. 2013 was another year of surprisingly unreleased music being dug up from true masters as well as choice cuts from around the world. At some point we’ll have uncovered all of the unreleased material from all of the giants of music, but thankfully it doesn’t appear that is any time soon. Here are my picks for the top reissues of 2013, let me know your favorites in the comments.

***Honorable Mentions: V/A – Good God!: Apocryphal Hymns (Numero), Sly & the Family Stone – Higher! (Legacy), Ilaiyaraaja – Ilectro (Finders Keepers), Unwound – Kid Is Gone (Numero Group)

5. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou – Volume 3: The Skeletal Essence of Afro Funk 1969-1980 – Analog Africa

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou – Min We Tun So

Original Post

Three volumes in and still not a single disappointment with Analog Africa’s ongoing exploration into the catalog of Benin’s Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou. The series has already done more than just put Poly-Rythmo on the map, the group has reformed and recorded new music and we’re still only at volume three of what is sure to be a very long series. Though Volume 2 remains my favorite of the three, the slow burn of “Min We Tun So” might be my favorite track from the group thus far.

4. Songs: Ohia – Magnolia Electric Co.: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition – Secretly Canadian

Songs: Ohia – John Henry Split My Heart

Original Post

I very recently wrote about this collection, a 10th anniversary set of the final, and perhaps best, album Jason Molina recorded under the Songs: Ohia banner. As someone who is always fascinated with the process of making music, hearing the demos of the songs, stripped bare with just Molina’s voice and his guitar, become transformed and fully realized on the finished album is a truly precious thing. So to is the chance to once again marvel at the artistry of Jason Molina.

3. Jimi Hendrix – People, Hell & Angels – Experience/Legacy

Jimi Hendrix – Mojo Man

We knew this day would eventually come. After over 40 years of posthumous releases, we’ve finally (apparently) come to the end of the road with unreleased material from James Marshall Hendrix. People, Hell & Angels marks the final unreleased studio recordings from Hendrix, mostly alternate takes or unvarnished cuts from some of his last recording sessions, including more stripped down versions of “Earth Blues” and “Izabella.” “Mojo Man” is the track that I keep coming back to, showcasing the tougher and funkier sound that Hendrix was moving towards and likely would have further developed had he lived past 1970. We might still get a few “unreleased” live performances from the Hendrix vaults, but if this is the final collection of unheard tracks from Hendrix, we can be thankful for the care that’s been applied to his lasting musical legacy.

2. Shuggie Otis – Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love – Legacy

Shuggie Otis – Magic

Original Post

At some point in 2012 I was listening to Inspiration Information wishing that there was more recordings from this period of Shuggie Otis’ career. Lo and behold, in 2013, we got not only additional tracks recorded around the same time as that classic album, but also a full disc of tunes Otis had been recording over the years, proving that he never really retired, and was just biding his time until we were all finally ready for him. This set is in some ways bittersweet, because it’s clear that Otis likely had many more songs that could have been recorded had he found the right situation and the right label to put out his music. But it’s hard to bittersweet when hearing all of these songs and witnessing the return of Shuggie Otis, instead it’s very easy to be thankful for all that we’ve gained.

1. Donny Hathaway – Never My Love: The Anthology – Rhino

Donny Hathaway – Memory Of Our Love

As much of a surprise the unreleased material from Shuggie Otis was, this set from one of my favorite soul singers was even more shocking. Shocking primarily because the unlreased tracks are so incredibly good that it’s really hard to imagine how they could have sat on a shelf for so long. When you hear gems like “Memory Of Our Love” and consider that it went unreleased for 40 years, you can’t help but wonder how that even happened. No matter what, as with many of the other releases on this list, let’s be thankful that this music was not lost and now it can be enjoyed by anyone with a heart and ears to hear it.

January 9, 2014 Dig Deep, Radio

Breakdown: Top 5 Finds Of 2013

All this week I’m taking a look back at 2013, beginning with a look at the top 5 vinyl records I dug up in 2013. Truth be told, about the only positive thing in 2013 was tracking down a whole lot of nice records, online, at record swaps and stores. This might have been the most records I’ve bought in a calendar year in a while, but even with three straight strong years of digging, it’s clear I’ll never have as many records as I used to. I’m totally cool with that. This year I spent a fair amount of time buying quality records, that I either used to own or that I’ve always wanted. As with previous years, this list only includes records I tracked down in physical locations, and not any of the records I bought online. As always I’d love to hear what vinyl you tracked down in 2013. Here are my top 5 finds for the past year.

***Honorable mentions: Max Park – Al Tocar Diana [Atomic Records, Burbank], Shogun Assassin: Original Soundtrack [Amoeba Music, Hollywood], V/A – O Primeiro Amor: Original Soundtrack [Beat Swap Meet, Chinatown], Ray Barretto – Acid [Gimme Gimme Records, Highland Park], The Latinaires – Camel Walk [Pasadena Record Swap, Pasadena]

5. Linda Jones – Hypnotized – Loma [Amoeba Music, Hollywood]

Linda Jones – The Things I’ve Been Through (Loving You)

Linda Jones’ “Hypnotized” is an all-timer for me, and for almost a year I’ve been staring at this record, far up on the wall of Atomic records, and thinking to myself, “I really need to get that record.” The record was so high up the wall that I couldn’t even see the price, but generally nothing gets on the wall at Atomic unless it’s $25 or more. Most times I’d be there I just didn’t have the money. On those instances where I had it, and I would think to myself, “today’s the day, I’m getting that Linda Jones record,” I’d get there and there would be something that was even rarer that I couldn’t say no to. Sometime in December while I was looking for a Yusef Lateef album just after his passing, I happened upon this copy at Amoeba, for an imminently affordable price of $9. I know lots of DJs who refuse to buy records that are priced over $10, because they believe that eventually they’ll track down a copy for less. I don’t dig enough to subscribe to that mentality (mine is more, “if I have the money, I’m getting that record now), but it is always nice to have it happen nonetheless.

4. Mongo Santamaria – Live At Yankee Stadium – Vaya [Beat Swap Meet, Chinatown]

Mongo Santamaria – Coyulde

The December Beat Swap Meet was one of the only ones I’ve been able to spend quality time at. Generally the BSM is on Sundays which is when I do my radio show at KPFK. If I’m able to go, it’s often for only an hour or so before I have to leave to go to the station. This one happened to be on a day where I didn’t have my show and so I was able to dig and dig and dig through almost all of the vendors, right up until closing time. I found this one almost literally at the end of the event, with a number of other vendors packing up and the dealer talking about leaving after I was done. I’d been looking for this particular Mongo Santamaria record ever since I’d heard Matthew Africa play it on his radio show, recognizing it immediately as a track used on DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist’s sequel to Brain Freeze, Product Placement. Pretty much everytime I’d start buzzing through Mongo records at a spot, I’d hope that it would be there, but it never happened. I actually was thinking to myself as I looked through this final box of records, “Damn you Matthew Africa, I’m never gonna find that record,” and not three records later, there it was, as if Matthew and the record Gods decided I’d been through enough. Aside from “Coyulde” this is a really boss record from Mongo, heavy and funky through and through. Well worth the wait tracking this down.

3. J.J. Julian – 100 Lbs. Of Pain (In My Heart) – Eleventh Hour [Gimme Gimme Records, Highland Park]

J.J. Julian – 100 Pounds Of Pain (In My Heart)

I first heard this in a guest DJ set from Cultures Of Soul head honcho Deano Sounds. There were plenty of choice cuts in the set, but this one in particular stood out to me, with those hard, driving, tough as nails horns and the fuzzy guitars. Deano mentioned that he had found it at what used to be his favorite store in NYC, Gimme Gimme Records, which relocated to Highland Park in the last year. It didn’t even occur to me at the time to immediately go to the store and see if there were more copies. Maybe a month later I was able to go to the store, located the meager collection of 45s that were there (which I hadn’t even noticed on the 3 or 4 trips I’d made there before) and maybe 4 or 5 records into the box, there it was all sitting pretty and just waiting for me. There are so many times where I feel like I’ve missed records. Where I walk into a store and some Japanese collector has a stack of 60 records at the register or some random dude walks in just after me and goes to the section I was going to next and pulls a super rare record that I’ve desired for ever. It’s a much nicer feeling when you run into a record exactly where it should be, even though you didn’t expect it to be there.

2. Gabor Szabo – Dreams – Skye [Beat Swap Meet, Chinatown]

Gabor Szabo – Song Of Injured Love

Original Post

On a personal level this was probably the most satisfying buy of the year. As I mentioned previously, of all the records I sold back in 2004, this might be the one that’s haunted my dreams the most. Not because it’s a particularly rare record (at the writing of this, there are three copies currently up on Ebay), but instead simply because it’s a very beautiful record. As soon as I saw it sticking out of a crate at one of the Beat Swap Meet’s dealers, I was just overjoyed. Few records fill me with as much peace and tranquility as this one, these were things I was sorely in need of in 2013 and it was a blessing to be able to pick this one up.

1. Hopeton Lewis – Take It Easy – Merritone [Gimme Gimme Records, Highland Park]

Hopeton Lewis – This Poor Boy

While the Gabor Szabo record might have been my most satisfying find of 2013, there’s no doubt that this record was the rarest and most incredible find of the year. I was at Gimme Gimme with a fair amount of money in my pocket after not having bought any records for months and months. As expected there were a bevy of fine records to choose from, but all of my plans were changed as soon as the dude working there (not the owner) dropped the needle on “Take It Easy.” Everything just stopped. I had to really think for a moment, I knew Prince Buster’s version of the song, but couldn’t recall anyone else’s version. I was intrigued, but after the initial shock, I continued to browse through the jazz section. In hindsight, I should have immediately asked about the record, because I could have lost it right then, if any of the other 4 people in the store (including Logan from this blog, I think some people might not have believed she was a real person or a real collector, but she is on both counts) had recognized it and asked about it they would have beaten me to the punch and I would have been kicking myself for the rest of my life. Then “Sounds & Pressure” came on, my single favorite Rock Steady song of all time. I knew then that this was a Hopeton Lewis record and that it would be mine. I immediately asked the dude behind the counter what Lewis record it was, and how much it was. Turned out it was from a pile that the owner had brought to the store, but hadn’t priced. This was the second time this had happened to me at Gimme Gimme this past year. The first time around, it was a gold label copy of Ray Baretto’s Acid that was just sitting by the register, also without a pricetag on it. The owner was there that day to give me a price. This time around, they had to call the owner, who wasn’t immediately available and so a message was left. Thankfully he called back, set the price a bit over $100, which is pricey, but copies of this same record have gone for over $300 and the chances of just running into another copy would be next to impossible, so I couldn’t let it go. Not a single regret on my part and definitely the top find of 2013.

Happy Hunting for 2014,

Michael

January 6, 2014 Radio

Melting Pot’s Best Of 2013!

Another year comes to a close, another year begins and we take a look back at some of our favorite selections from 2013. This year I was simply too busy to produce my usual “Honorable Mentions” web only mix, but there’s still plenty of music packed into the two hours of the program. This first full week of 2014 we’ll be taking a look back at our favorites from the past year, starting with some of the best vinyl I dug up tomorrow, and later in the week, best reissues, records and songs of 2013. As always, thanks for listening and for checking us out here on the web, enjoy the show!

Melting Pot’s Best Of 2013: First Hour
Melting Pot’s Best Of 2013: Second Hour

Melting Pot’s Best of 2013 on KPFK Playlist:

{opening theme} Booker T & the MGs – Melting Pot – 7” (Stax)

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Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge – Return Of The Ghostface Killah – 12 Reasons To Die (Soul Temple)
Superhuman Happiness, Sahr Ngaujah, Abena Koomson and Rubblebucket – ITT (International Thief Thief) – Red, Hot & Fela (Knitting Factory)
Bosq of Whiskey Barons feat. Mendee Ichikawa – Never Feel Cold – Bosq Y Orquesta De Madera (Ubiquity)
Boogaloo Assassins – No No No (Single Edit) – Old Love Dies Hard (Sicario)
Bosq of the Whiskey Barons – Get Involved – Bosq Y Orquesta De Madera (Ubiquity)

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Dom La Nena – Anjo Gabriel – Recorded Live At KPFK (KPFK Archives)
Sly & the Family Stone – Fortune & Fame – Higher! (Sony Legacy)
Fat Night – Things You Do – 7” (Colemine)
Toro Y Moi – Grown Up Calls – Anything In Return (Carpark)
Sly & the Family Stone – Undercat – Higher! (Sony Legacy)

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Jose James feat. Emily King – Heaven On The Ground – No Beginning, No End (Blue Note)
Toddla T Sound – Worst Enemy (edit) – Worst Enemy 12” (Ninja Tune)
Amatorski – Never Told – TBC / Same Stars We Shared (Crammed Discs)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Jubilee Street – Push The Sky Away (Bad Seed LTD)
The Heliocentrics – Calabash – 13 Degrees Of Reality (Now-Again)

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Jimi Hendrix – Mojo Man – People, Hell & Angels (Experience/Legacy)
Myron & E with the Soul Investigators – If I Gave You My Love – Broadway (Stones Throw)
Golden Grrrls – Past Tense – Golden Grrrls (Slumberland)
Frootful feat. Mazen Bedwei – The Road – Heavyweight (Freestyle)
Quadron – LFT (Looking For Trouble) – Avalanche (Vested In Culture)
Shelton Kilby – Poor Wayfaring Stranger – Good God!: Apocryphal Hymns (Numero)

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Valerie June – Shotgun – Pushin’ Against A Stone (Concord)
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou – Min We Tun So – Volume 3: The Skeletal Essence Of Afro Funk 1969-1980 (Analog Africa)
Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators – On The East Side – Tortured Soul (Timmion)
Songs: Ohia – I’ve Been Riding With The Ghost – Magnolia Electric Co: 10th Anniversary Edition (Secretly Canadian)
Hot 8 Brass Band – Bingo Bango – Recorded Live At KPFK (KPFK Archives)

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Donny Hathaway – Memory Of Our Love – Never My Love: The Anthology (Rhino)
Rhye – The Fall – Woman (Innovative Leisure)
Hiatus Kaiyote – Nakamarra – Tawk Tomahawk (Flying Buddha)
King – In The Meantime – Recorded Live At KPFK (KPFK Archives)

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{closing theme} Adam Franklin – Big Sur (Instrumental) – Drones & Clones (Self-Released)

December 31, 2013 Radio

Breakdown: December 29th on KPFK’s Melting Pot

{I know I was away for ALL of December, but now that I’ve gotten all caught up, I’ll be taking the rest of the week off and then next week we’ll be taking a look back at all of our picks for the best music from 2013! Have A Happy New Year!!!}

Traditionally, the last show of the year has been reserved for the best vinyl that I dug up (including online) over the past 12 months. My collection still isn’t anywhere near it’s former glory, but it’s slowly getting there and this year I clearly did a lot of musical therapy in picking up so many records. It was almost too many records, not only did I have to leave a crate of records at home since I already had two bags packed, but I didn’t even play some of the best records I bought this year. With these vinyl freeform shows, I just go where the spirit moves me, and a day after Funky Sole’s 14th anniversary, I was very much in a funky mood for most of the show. Quite a lot of the things I picked up this year were records that Matthew Africa turned me onto, or reminded me of good times shared in Oakland with him, so it seemed fitting to have a set of a few of those records. The show closes up with what I think is one of the best sets I’ve ever spontaneously produced, coming together with roughly two minutes to go before I had to drop the needle on the first song, which ended up being maybe my top find of the year, Hopeton Lewis. I already know that 2014 is going to be a much leaner year on the homefront, so there won’t be nearly as many records to showcase, but at least in terms of music, 2013 was pretty good to me.

Melting Pot on KPFK #150: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #150: Second Hour

Playlist: 12-29-2013
{opening theme} Boris Gardiner – Melting Pot – Is What’s Happening (Dynamic)

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Yusef Lateef – Russell & Elliot – The Best Of Yusef Lateef (Atlantic)
Eduardo Aruajo & Silvinha – Opinage – Sou Filho Desse Chao (Beverly)
The Grodeck Whipperjenny – Evidence For The Existence Of The Unconsciousness – The Grodeck Whipperjenny (People)
Johnny Pate – Constant Wind – Outrageous (MGM)

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Lebron Bros. – Dance, Dance, Dance – Brothers (Cotique)
The Isley Bros. – Keep On Doin’ – 7” (T-Neck)
Horace Silver – Acid, Pot & Pills – Total Response (Blue Note)
Johnny Frigo Sextet – Scorpio – The Electric Jazz OF Gus Giordano (Orion)
Junior Mance – Don’t Rush Us – With A Lotta Help From My Friends (Atlantic)

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Miguel De Deus – Black Soul Brothers – Black Soul Brothers (Underground)
Dave Pell Singers – Oh, Calcutta – Mah-Na-Mah-Na (Liberty)
Weldon Irvine – I Love You – Sinbad (RCA)
Marvin Gaye – Where Are We Going – 12” (The Power Of Funk & Soul)
Donald Byrd – You and Music – Places and Spaces (Blue Note)

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Sugar Billy – Brand New Girl – 7” (BGP)
Mongo Santamaria – Coyulde – Live At Yankee Stadium (Vaya)
Dee Edwards – Why Can’t There Be Love – 7” (GM)
The Jackson Sisters – I Believe In Miracles – 7” (Mums)
The Ohio Players – Ecstasy (Matthew Africa Edit) – 7” (Dub Plate)
Mary Jane Hooper – I’ve Got Reasons (Instrumental) – Psychedelphia (Funky Delicacies)

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Di Melo – Ma-Lida – Di Melo (Odeon)
Gabor Szabo – Galatea’s Guitar – Dreams (Skye)
Darondo – Listen To My Song – 7” (Music City)
Erasmo Carlos – Minha Gente – Sonhos E Memorias (Polydor)

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Hopeton Lewis – Hardships Of Life – Take It Easy (Merritone)
Johnny Hartman – Down In The Depths – Songs From The Heart (Bethelem)
George Jones & Tammy Wynette – Never Grow Old – George Jones With Love (Musicor)
Irma Thomas – Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand) – Take A Look (Imperial)

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{closing theme} Dungen – C. Visar Vagen – Tio Bitar (Kemado)

December 31, 2013 Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Willie Colon – Crime Pays – Fania (1972)

Willie Colon – Che Che Cole
Willie Colon – Eso Se Baila Asi
Willie Colon – Juana Pena

As part of what has become a tradition here on Melting Pot, here’s the last record that I picked up in 2013. I was over at Gimme Gimme Records hoping I’d run into the Jim Hall Bill Evans record Undercurrent. Instead I ran into this LP, a collection of some of the best sides from Willie Colon’s first several albums for Fania, from 1967-1970. Fania records are fairly hard to pick up over here on the West Coast, so anytime I run into any of them it’s hard to pass them up. In this case, knowing most of these songs, without having owned any of these records, there wasn’t a chance I was gonna let this one go. “Che Che Cole” and “Juana Pena” both come from 1970’s Cosa Nuestra, “Eso Se Baile Asi” is from 1968’s The Hustler, every single one of the other tracks is just as classic as these, all with that big beautiful trombone from Colon. I can’t think of a better way to close out a banner year of vinyl archeology.

Cheers,

Michael

December 31, 2013 Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: Songs: Ohia – Magnolia Electric Co.: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition – Secretly Canadian

Songs: Ohia – Farewell Transmission

Jason Molina’s passing earlier in the year was a helluva blow. Personally, I’d always hoped I’d get a chance to interview Molina to talk to him about his songwriting and his singular style. I won’t get that chance, but I will be able to continue to spread Molina’s music as long as I do this blog and the radio show. Magnolia Electric Co. was the final album for Molina’s Songs: Ohia, after this record he took the title as his own and used it as the name of his band. The sound of the album, released in 2003, marked a bit of a change in direction, from the more acoustic work of his first six or so albums, and the more electric sounds that marked the band Magnolia Electric Co. Molina’s prolific career was marked by a really high level of consistently incredible songwriting, and it’s quite possible that this record was his best. For the 10th anniversary edition, Secretly Canadian has added a second disc which just features Molina’s demos of these same tracks, likely recorded at home, on a four-track or maybe even on a tape-deck. They provide an interesting juxtaposition between the finished songs and the demos, as well as between the acoustic and electric leanings of Molina. “Farewell Transmission” is perhaps my favorite song on this album, one of my favorite song from Molina. What is even more striking about this recording is that apparently it was largely improvised on the spot in the studio. It makes it all the more stunning when you here the power in this performance. Talent like Molina’s will be sorely missed, but we should all be thankful that he recorded as much as he did and that he found his way to a label like Secretly Canadian who released it all.

December 31, 2013 Radio

Breakdown: December 22nd on KPFK’s Melting Pot

Returned from a fundraising break with what turns out to be the last “regular” Melting Pot on 2013, featuring our mix of new and classic recordings. Quite a lot had happened since the last time we were on, with the passing of Nelson Mandela, a extraordinary concert from Charlie Haden at RedCat, the epic grand finale of the Afro Funke weekly party and the arrival of Winter. We tried to pay tribute to all of these things in the first part of the show. Managed to get a few new things too, including long-awaited music from Sharon Jones and Swervedriver (not together of course, though THAT would be an interesting pairing!), unreleased Donny Hathaway and rare music from 24-Carat Black. Hoping to share some exciting news about changes coming to Melting Pot in the new year, but for now you’ll just have to wonder and enjoy our shows from this past year.

Melting Pot on KPFK #149: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #149: Second Hour

Playlist: 12-22-2013
{opening theme} Booker T & the MGs – Melting Pot – 7” (Stax)

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Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra – Nkosi Sikelel’I Afrika – Dream Keeper (Blue Note)
Jose James – Winterwind – The Dreamer (Brownswood)

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Afro Funke Sound System – Grand Finale Mix – Self-Released (soundcloud.com/the_remitch)

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Donny Hathaway – Don’t Turn Away – Never My Love (Rhino)
Myron & E – Clap, Sing & Shout About It – Cold Game (Timmion)
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – Making Up and Breaking Up – Give The People What They Want (Daptone)
The Aggrolites – Tonight – IV (Hellcat)
Mind & Matter – No One Else Can Do It To Me Baby – 1514 Oliver Avenue (Basement) (Numero)

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24 Carat-Black – Your Love Is In A World That Is Not Real – Acetate (Numero)
William Onyeabor – Something You Will Not Forget – Who Is William Onyeabor? (Luaka Bop)

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Swervedriver – Deep Wound – Single (Self-Released)
Matthew Sweet – Do It Again – Altered Beast (Zoo)
Broadcast – Come On Let’s Go – The Noise Made By People (Warp)
Danny Brown feat. Charli XCX – Float On – Old (Fools Gold)
Damon – Birds Fly So High – Song Of A Gypsy (Now-Again)

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The Pepper Pots – We Must Fight – We Must Fight (Legere)
The Strange Boys – Between Us – Be Brave (In the Red)
Wolfe – Dancing In Circles – Bespoken Future (BBE)
Rhye – Last Dance – Woman (Innovative Leisure)
James Mason – Funny Girl – Soulful (Luv’n’Haight)

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{closing theme} Dungen – C.Visar Vagen – Tio Bitar (Kemado)

December 31, 2013 Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Gabor Szabo – Dreams – Skye (1968)

Gabor Szabo – Galatea’s Guitar
Gabor Szabo – Fire Dance
Gabor Szabo – Lady In The Moon

Of the many records I sold back in 2004, this is the one that has haunted me the most. I can’t remember now where I first bought this, likely at the Atlanta Record Show, but I’m not totally sure. I had started digging on the music of Gabor Szabo back when I still bought CDs and I was getting deeper into jazz. I was working through the Impulse catalog and I got a copy of his album Sorcerer, recorded live in 1967 at the Jazz Workshop. I was particularly entranced by Szabo’s measured use of feedback, a rare thing for a jazz guitarist, but Szabo was so much more than “just” a jazz guitarist. Of all of the albums I’ve heard of his (and at one time I owned 11 albums from Szabo) Dreams remains my favorite. When I ran into this copy at the December Beat Swap Meet, I just had to pause for a moment and breeze a deep sigh of relief.

“Galatea’s Guitar” leads off the album and it showcases everything that was beautiful about the way Szabo played and the way he was able to deftly mix together multiple genres into a unique mix. For me, it’s the single best thing he ever recorded and one of my all-time favorite compositions. Every single thing about the song is beautiful, every single thing. It sounds like nothing else under the sun and it transports you away from everything that is going on around you into a pure state of bliss. Some of the other tracks on the album are a bit hit and miss, with pop elements sometimes featuring too prominently, but when the band hits their stride, as they do on “Galatea,” “Firedance” and “Lady In The Moon,” it is something glorious to hear. Truly beautiful and so glad that I ran into this record, seemingly right when I needed this music in my life most.

Cheers,

Michael

December 31, 2013 Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: Hartley & Wolfe – Bespoke Future – BBE

Hartley & Wolfe – Dancing In Circles

Part of the danger of this overly digitized music landscape we find ourselves in is that there are so many mp3’s being sent and downloaded, many of which have spotty ids and titles that it’s easy to make mistakes and lose track of who makes the music, let alone how much of it you have and where it’s located between all our many many devices. Case in point, this record. It was only after I had the thought to post this here that I even realized that the band’s name wasn’t simply “Wolfe” as the track was listed, but was Hartley & Wolfe and that Hartley & Wolfe doesn’t involve anyone named Hartley or Wolfe, but is just the title for the latest collaborative release from Russian born, London bred, NYC & Berlin dual resident DJ Vadim. Vadim has had a long and varied career, here with Hartley & Wolfe he’s in a much more focused soul vein, with his co-conspirator, Mr. Wolfe, Greg Blackman. The sound is thoroughly modern and would be a welcome addition to any contemporary R&B radio playlist, but because commercial radio is so close-minded and lacking in freedom, the music will never get the shine it so richly deserves. Thankfully these days artists like Vadim are able to carve out a successful career and find audiences who appreciate their craft, and I’m more than happy to play a small part in that.

December 31, 2013 Radio

Breakdown: December 1st on KPFK’s Melting Pot

I know, I know, it’s been essentially all of December since I did anything, including posting up the shows we did this month. Truth is, it was just a brutal month on the personal side of things and I didn’t have the time. Things have stabilized here at the end, so now I’m catching up, before I take another break until next week. This show was at the very beginning of December, before a two-week break for fundraising, features a few newer things and a couple things that I should have played more of earlier in the year. Wasn’t quite able to cram everything in, so I had to cut off the William Onyeabor track at the end, but there always seems to be not enough time and too much music. I’ll do my best to keep it regular in 2014…

Melting Pot On KPFK #148: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #148: Second Hour

Playlist: 12-1-2013
{opening theme} Booker T & the Mgs – Melting Pot – 7” (Stax)

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John Mayall – Dream With Me – Back To The Roots (Polydor)
Songs: Ohia – Farewell Transmission – Magnolia Electric Co: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Secretly Canadian)
Chelsea Wolfe – Destruction Makes The World Burn – Pain Is Beauty (Sargent House)
The Fresh & Onlys – God Of Suez – Soothsayer (Mexican Summer)

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Pruno Truman – I Want More Of You – Amigos EP (Empty Cellar)
The Velvet Underground – I Found A Reason – Loaded: Fully Loaded (Rhino)
Cat Power – Hate – The Greatest (Matador)
James Carr – Dark End Of The Street – 7” (Goldwax)

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Danny Brown feat. Freddie Gibbs – The Return – Old (Fool’s Gold)
Dennis Coffey & the Detroit Guitar Band – Garden Of The Moon – Evolution (Sussex)
Adam Franklin & the Bolts Of Melody – I Used To Live For Music – Black Horses (Goodnight)
Spain – Love At First Sight – Sargent Place (Glitterhouse)

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Haze – Waiting For The Moment – Purple Snow: Forecasting The Minneapolis Sound (Brainfeeder)
Thundercat – Heartbreaks + Setbacks – Apocalypse (Brainfeeder)
Charlie Haden – Ballad Of The Fallen / Si Me Quieres Escribir – Ballad Of The Fallen (ECM)

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Donny Hathaway – Memory Of Our Love – Anthology (Rhino)
Milosh – Jetlag – Jetlag (Deadly)
Julien Dyne feat. Dalziel – Tonight – December (BBE)
N.A.S.A. (Sam Spiegel & Ze Gonzales) feat. Aynzil Jones – Hide – Hide (Spectrophonic Sound)
Hartley & Wolfe – You’ve Got Nothing – Bespoken Future (BBE)

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Tim Maia – Hadock Lobo Esquina Com Matoso – Nuvens (Seroma)
The Crystal Antlers – Anywhere But Here – Nothing Is Real (Innovative Leisure)
Unwound – Warmth – Kid Is Gone (Numero)
William Onyeabor – Body & Soul – Who Is William Onyeabor (Luaka Bop)

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{closing theme} Dungen – C.Visar Vagen – Tio Bitar (Kemado)

December 31, 2013 Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Clifford Coulter – Do It Now, Worry About It Later – Impulse! (1972)

Clifford Coulter – Yodelin’ In A Whatchamaname Thang
Clifford Coulter – Ridin’ On Empty
Clifford Coulter – Mr. Peabody/JVC

As with past years, I spent quite a bit of 2013 getting reacquainted with records that I used to own. I’m surprised that I hadn’t run into this Clifford Coulter record sooner, but I was more than happy to run into it at Atomic records a few months ago. “Do It Now” is part of a couple handfuls of seriously funky records on Impulse, which is best known as the house that Coltrane built, but by the 1970s had a very diverse roster.

Though I’m not certain, I’m pretty sure that Clifford Coulter came out of the Bay Area, aside from his debut being called “East Side San Jose” there’s just something greasy about the way he plays his funk that seems emblematic of that Bay Area sound. This album features one of my all-time favorite instrumentals, the absolutely atrociously titled, “Yodelin’ In A Whatchamaname Thang.” Part of my problem with the title is that while there is some wordless singing in the song, there isn’t any actual Yodeling. Additionally, the length and silliness in the title takes away from what is a really scintillating funky track. It’s not I can offer a better title, but damn near anything would be an improvement, even if it was just a description of what the song is, like “Breezy Funk.” The vibe of the song is certainly something that sticks in your mind and stays there for a long long time.

I’ve also included one of two full-on vocal performances from Coulter, “Ridin’ On Empty” as well as the party funk of “Mr. Peabody,” which in some ways I kind of wish didn’t have the chatter but kept the soul clap. Since “Peabody” and “JVC” run right together on the record and they’re both some dern funky, I didn’t see any reason to break-up a good thing. Not sure why it took me so long to dig this one up, I likely could have gotten a copy online any day of the week, but some records you only remember how much you loved them once you run into them again after being away for a long time.

Cheers,

Michael

December 31, 2013 Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: William Onyeabor – World Psychedelic Classics 5: Who Is William Onyeabor? – Luaka Bop

William Onyeabor – Good Name

From the picture on the cover, you might think the answer to the question, “Who Is William Onyeabor?” is some kind of Black JR Ewing from Dallas, but you’d be wrong…Onyeabor put out some very distinctive funk out of Nigeria in the 1970s. Luaka Bop has decided to shine a light on his music as part of their resurgent World Psychedelic Classics series (last year’s addition was the very necessary collection of Tim Maia’s 1970s output) and it’s an absolutely worthy addition. Almost all of the songs are around 10 minutes but none of them disappoints or loses your attention and all of them certainly keep you moving.

November 27, 2013 Radio

Breakdown: November 24th on KPFK’s Melting Pot

Been a really long time since we did one of these vinyl only shows, so it was my pleasure to pack a big bag of vinyl and saunter down to KPFK. Was able to throw on a few things I haven’t played for y’all yet, including a real choice number from Hopeton Lewis, Ame Son, Barry Goldberg, Silvinha and Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra (somehow the left channel didn’t come through on that one…all apologies). The last Sunday in November is always special because of our tradition of paying tribute to one of my musical heroes, Jimi Hendrix, whose birthday is Nov. 27th. For this year’s tribute we just focused on tracks recorded live from Jimi and so far, after 4 of these tributes, we still haven’t repeated ourselves, though as ever I’m gonna need more vinyl to keep that from happening next year. Hope you enjoy the show, we’ll be back with more new music next week.

Melting Pot on KPFK #147: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #147: Second Hour

Playlist: 11-24-2013
{opening theme} Booker T & The MGs – Melting Pot – Melting Pot (Stax)

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Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra – War Orphans – Liberation Music Orchestra (Impulse)
Yes – Yesterday and Today – Yes (Atlantic)
Ame Son – Reborn This Morning On The Way Of… – Catalyst (BYG/Actuel/Metronome)
Cymande – Them and Us – Second Time Round (Janus)

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Hopeton Lewis – Why Must I Cry – Take It Easy (Merritone)
Barry Goldberg – You’re Still My Baby – Two Jews Blues (Buddah)
Clifford Coulter – Yodelin’ In A Whatchamaname Thang – Do It Now, Worry About It Later (Impulse)

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JJ Julian – 100lbs Of Pain (In My Heart) – 7” (Eleventh Hour)
Silvinha – Banho De Sorvete – Silvinha (Odeon)
Johnny Pate – You’re Starting Too Fast – Outrageous (MGM)
Cactus – One Way Or Another – One Way…Or Another (Atco)

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Jimi Hendrix – Drivin’ South – Early (Baron)
Jimi Hendrix – Stone Free – Band Of Gypsies 2 (Capitol)
Jimi Hendrix – We Got To Live Together – Band Of Gypsies (Capitol)

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Jimi Hendrix – Red House – In The West (Reprise)
Jimi Hendrix – Hear My Train A Comin’ – Rainbow Bridge: Original Soundtrack (Reprise)

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Jimi Hendrix – Wild Thing – Historic Performances Recorded At The Monterey International Pop Festival: The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Reprise)

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Jimi Hendrix – Little Wing – In The West (Reprise)