Melting Pot - Uncovering Bright Moments Across the Musical Spectrum -

May 28, 2013 Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Red Allen & Kid Ory – Red Allen Meets Kid Ory – Verve (1960)

Red Allen & Kid Ory – Blues For Jimmy
Red Allen & Kid Ory – Keep Off Of Katie’s Head
Red Allen & Kid Ory – Tishomingo Blues

It’s just about to become summer here in LA, the days and nights are quite as hot as they will be and most times there’s a nice breeze that for whatever reason puts traditional Dixieland/Hot Jazz sounds into my mind. Something about the prospect of just hanging out in our house with the windows open and that breeze flowing in and those sounds pouring out of my speakers just makes my heart glad (as does the old school Verve label on the LP). It’s hard not to smile with a collaboration like this featuring two of masters at their craft. In fact, if there was a trad jazz record that someone who has never bought any trad jazz was going to get, I’d likely suggest this one. Kid Ory cut hs teeth in perhaps the first great jazz band along with King Oliver and Pops, he’s a New Orleans trombonist through and through. Red Allen always gets lumped in with the traditional crowd, but his playing on trumpet was always thoroughly modern, to the point where I doubt there are many contemporary trumpet players that could match his wit and skill when he solos. The pair together are pure heaven on the mid-tempo “blues” one of which is dedicated to Kid Ory’s former partner, a legend in his own right, clarinetist Jimmy Noone. The way the music swoons and sways always inspires me to do a little dance as if I’ve been transported back in time to a speakeasy where these sounds would have found a home in the 1930s, let alone during the revival of the late 1950s/early 1960s.

The most interesting track is “Keep Off Of Katie’s Head.” From the title alone, the song seems like a threat or a warning, but once Kid Ory tells this man to not only “Keep Of Of Katie’s Head” but also to “Please Keep Out Of Katie’s Bed” it gives the song a bt more of a playful bent, which seems to be less about domestic violence and more about some oral funtimes. If I was Katie’s neighbor I’m sure I’d probably still call the Cops on the person he’s singing to, but I think things might get awfully awkward for everyone once they showed up. For maximum effect I suggest playing the record with the windows open and loud enough to let your neighbors be aware that some misbehavin’ is goin’ on next door.

Cheers,

Michael

May 28, 2013 Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: Shannon & the Clams – Dreams In The Rat House – Hardly Art

Shannon & the Clams – Into A Dream

Shannon Shaw first came onto my radar due to her work with Hunx & His Punx. As I was listening to what would become one of my favorite tracks of the year, “Lover’s Lane,” I kept getting floored by one of the voices in the mix. Equal parts sweet, sultry, gruff and wild, Shannon Shaw’s vocal style is a rare and marvelous thing. With her own band that voice is fully on display along with the group’s take on “old-school” Rock’n’Roll.

May 28, 2013 Radio

Breakdown: May 19th on KPFK’s Melting Pot

Well, I had really high hopes for this fundraising editon of Melting Pot. I’d put together an amazing 6-pack of CDs (still available if you pledge online here) with a short supply of 6 additional CDs, a few tickets for the UCLA Jazz & Reggae fest and a goal of $2,000. We didn’t come close to making our goal, making around $900. While that’s disappointing, it’s more disappointing only getting 9 new subscribers. I know there are a lot more people who listen to Melting Pot and would support the show, but for whatever reason we’re not getting the level of support that we need (and thus we’re off, yet again, for the remainder of the fundraiser and likely the next one in August or October too). I’m not sure what to do to get to the bottom of it, but I’ll likely be asking for your opinions on it in coming weeks on the show as well as trying to organize different ways to raise funds for the station that allows me to do this show. As always it was a pleasure being on air with Morgan Rhodes and despite the lack of support, it’s still the high quality kind of show you’d expect from us at Melting Pot. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy putting it together, and if you can, please support KPFK and Melting Pot.

Melting Pot on KPFK #127: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #127: Second Hour

May 28, 2013 Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Black Ivory – Don’t Turn Around – Today (1972)

Black Ivory – Don’t Turn Around
Black Ivory – Surrender
Black Ivory – You And I

My Wife and I have been listening to a fair amount of Sweet Soul or Oldies of late. It’s interesting because we have very different relationships with this music. For me, growing up in Atlanta and the South, I always associated this music with the Northeast, since most Southern Soul is grittier and “deeper,” but the really sweet stuff always seemed to come from Philly, New York, Detroit or Chicago. It’s a sound for slow dancing late in the summer for me. My wife however grew up in the LA Area, and this style of music is really strongly connected to Mexican/Mexican-American communities out here to the point where we actually get in arguments over “Who’s Music Is This?” (which is the kind of thing that might just spark a bit of academic inquiry in the future).

What’s not up for debate is how lovely a lot of this music is. Black Ivory’s “Don’t Turn Around” has been something I’ve been on the look out for years and years, after hearing comedian Tommy Davidson request it during a radio appearance at a Bay Area station. Generally if I run into the album out and about it’s all beat up from being overplayed. With Sweet Soul on my mind more and more I made sure to pick up a decent copy off of Ebay and here it is. It’s pretty amazing to note how young all the members of this group were when they released “Don’t Turn Around”, not even in their twenties at that time. While it shares a lot of elements from other Sweet Soul tunes, slow tempo, falsetto lead, etc., it’s THOSE strings that keep bringing me back to this one again and again. It wasn’t until I came across this video of the group’s only Soul Train appearance that I realize that the dude in the center of the LP cover wasn’t singing that falsetto, but instead it was Leroy Burgess, who really was the creative force behind the band. In addition to missing harmonies like these, I really wish bands still choreographed their moves they way they used to:

“You And I” treads similar territory, but cranks up the levels of epic-ness as it builds and builds, ending with some sample-worthy instrumentation (especially after some says, “Don’t Stop Now,” in the background during that last minute). “Surrender” is a bit more upbeat, as are a couple of the other tracks on the album. But really what it all comes down to is that truly sweet soul sound. Hearing that, I don’t know how anyone could resist turning around for another glance. I’m sure you’re like me, once you’ve heard “Don’t Turn Around” you keep coming back for more and more.

Cheers,

Michael

May 28, 2013 Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: The Heliocentrics – 13 Degrees of Reality (Now-Again)

The Heliocentrics – Calabash

Been a minute since we’d heard from Malcolm Catto and the Heliocentrics. I have nothing but respect for Mr. Catto, he’s probably my favorite living drummer (though Sara Lund, formerly of Unwound, is right up there) and locks into a groove like he’s the love child of Earl Palmer and Jaki Liebezeit. Though the Heliocentrics have put out some collaborations with Mulatu Astatke and Lloyd Miller, this is the proper follow-up to 2007’s Out There. Like that debut, the album is a less a collection of songs than it is a long piece of music, best listened to as a whole, akin more to a spaced out mix tape than a traditional funk, jazz or rock record. There are more than a few times where the group hits on an amazing groove that disappears or morphs into a different track or spoken word piece. Sometimes it can be frustrating, but there are so many quality tunes that I can’t fail but to be impressed by what Catto and the gang have done. Surefire addition to the best of 2013 for me.

As if a new album from the Heliocentrics wasn’t a gift enough all by itself, Gas Lamp Killer created a mix from the materials on 13 Degrees Of Reality and that really is a match made in Heaven, or perhaps some place a little darker…you can hear/download that mix by clicking here.

May 28, 2013 Radio

Breakdown: May 12th on KPFK’s Melting Pot

Mother’s Day is always tough for us, this is the 17th Mother’s Day since my mother passed, 3rd since my wife’s mother passed. But as tough as it is it’s also nice to reminisce about the times shared and pay tribute to mothers on these shows. So, virtually every set has at least one Mother’s Day song, starting off with a personal one from me, a bit of a tradition playing “Rasberry Beret” just because I heard it on repeat, back in the days before there was a repeat button, so often in the 1980s. Other Mother’s Day inspired tracks throughout the show from Pedro Infante, Lady, Sly & the Family Stone, Boogaloo Assassins and Max Roach with the JC White Singers. Lots of new tunes as well, from the King Midas Sound, Coultrain, Sharon Jones, Skip & Die and Quadron.

Melting Pot on KPFK #126: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #126: Second Hour

May 28, 2013 Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Wilson Pickett – In Philadelphia – Atlantic (1970)

Wilson Pickett – Get Me Back On Time (Engine Number Nine)
Wilson Pickett – Bumblebee
Wilson Pickett – Run Joey Run

The kind of record that should be in just about every self-respecting DJs collection, Wilson Pickett in Philadelphia is a perfect combination of contrasting styles, the grit and gruff of Southern Soul with the stately fuzz of Philly’s Holland & Dozier. “Get Me Back On Time” is an absolute classic, sampled by a few. “Run Joey Run” is a fairly weak song overall, but man oh man does it have a monster introduction and “Bumblebee” is a nice tune for the dancefloors with punchy horns and big expansive drums. For years I’d always assumed that the whole “Engine Engine Number 9” line from Black Sheep was inspired by this song, but then again there’s a “Engine #9” mention in “Super Good” too, and it gets me to thinking of how little I actually know about this titular engine, since I grew up in the South and have spent most of the rest of my time on the West Coast. Maybe there are a bunch of other “Engine #9” songs out there, but even if there are, I highly doubt any are as thrilling, wild and funky as this classic.

Cheers,

Michael

May 28, 2013 Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: Jaimeo Brown – Transcendence – Motema

Jaimeo Brown – I Know I’ve Been Changed

{I know what you’re thinking…as good as that King interview was, I thought about just retiring and having that be the final post. But really, I’ve just been super busy as the semester closed in Long Beach. Here’s the first in a flood of long awaited posts.}

I play far less jazz on Melting Pot than I should, particularly from more recent artists. Part of it is the nature of doing a show at KPFK without a functional music department or library. So on those rare instances where an exceptional contemporary jazz record finds it’s way into my hands I’m overjoyed. Jaimeo Brown’s Transcendence is a fascinating record on a number of levels. The playing from the trio is top-notch, but so is the approach, where Brown and his cohorts have constructed musical pieces that incorporate both live and sampled voices. While it shares some comparisons to other “Jazz with Voices” records, most notably Max Roach’s collaboration with the JC White Singers, the use of sampling and other electronic flourishes give it a unique style and sound all it’s own. Had I not read more on the album I never would have even realized the voices were sampled, which is pretty rare for someone with such sampling atuned ears. One of my favorite jazz records in recent memory and one of my favorites of 2013. Here’s to hoping that Jaimeo and crew will make their way to Los Angeles at some point so we can have them in at KPFK. I wasn’t sure how this album would translate into live performance until I saw this incredible performance of “This World Ain’t My Home”:

May 6, 2013 Radio

Be Our Guest: King on KPFK’s Melting Pot!!!

Los Angeles based trio King were our guests for an incredible interview/performance at KPFK. In the spring of 2011 the group self-released three tracks as well as a music video for their song “The Story” and caused a legitimate sensation, gaining major league cheerleaders in Phonte Coleman of Little Brother/Foreign Exchange, Questlove of the Roots, Erykah Badu and even Prince. Since then, they’ve been honing their craft, collaborating with Robert Glasper on the Grammy award winning Black Radio and working on their proper debut release, which we might just see here in 2013. In our interview we talked about the origins of the group, which features twins Paris and Amber Strother as well as their friend Anita Bias. We also discussed how they conceive of their own special brand of “Soul” music, how they’ve dealt with the acclaim this early in their career and a little bit about lies ahead for King.

The group played all four of the songs that they’ve released, “Supernatural,” “Hey,” “In The Meantime” and “The Story” for us during the session. Anita sings lead on “Hey” while Amber sings lead vocals on the rest of the tracks. All of the music was provided by Paris on her Nord keyboard (you might think there had to be a bass player present, but no, it’s just Paris’ skillful left hand).With the sound stripped down a bit, it highlights not only Paris’ talents as a player,but even more the special vocal harmonies that mark the trio’s signature style. Though they’ve only released a handful of songs, King is a group where the age-old adage, “the sky is the limit” truly fits. As amazing as they’ve sounded so far, there is so much more to come from this talented bunch. I’m just thankful that we were able to bring them in so we could all bear witness to their deservedly rising star. Big thanks to Mark Maxwell for his work on the sound, to Lori Lousararian and Sofia Gold for help setting things up and especially massive thanks to Paris, Amber & Anita for spending time with us at KPFK.

King on KPFK’s Melting Pot: Recorded 04-26-2013

If you haven’t seen it before, here’s the video for “The Story,” the song that started it all for King:

May 6, 2013 Radio

Breakdown: Cinco De Mayo on KPFK’s Melting Pot

We begin the show with a song from the great Mariachi singer Miguel Aceves Mejia in honor of Cinco De Mayo, a holiday I’m especially thankful for (check the history if you don’t know) and this week in particular I was especially thankful just to even be on the air. On Saturday I was involved in a accident while riding my bike in Pasadena. The car I slammed into had the worst of it, but considering how bad it could have been I was just thankful to even be more or less in good health. Unexpected moments like that can really make you think about your blessings. It’s a great privilege to host this show on KPFK and be able to bring music to the people on a weekly basis. That is especially so with shows like this past week where we were able to broadcast our interview with LA’s King (separate post to follow). King are a really special group and it was a real pleasure to have them perform for our listeners. During the first hour of the show, there’s a fair amount of new tunes, including tracks from Shannon & the Clams, King Midas Sound, Girls Names, Jungle Fire, Nametag & Nameless, Czarface and more. After 4 straight weeks with guests & interviews, next week should be just a regular show, but since it’s Mother’s Day, we’ll likely have something special going on, please tune in then.

Melting Pot on KPFK #125: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #125: Second Hour

Playlist: 05-05-2013
{opening theme} Booker T & the Mgs – Melting Pot – 7” (Stax)

~~~~ Break ~~~~

Miguel Aceves Mejia – Fiesta En El Corazon – El Gallo Colorado (Arcano)
Shannon & the Clams – Into A Dream – Dreams In The Rat House (Hardly Art)
Ilaiyaraaja feat. SP Balasubramaniyam – Sirikkum Mattum – Ilectro (Finders Keepers)
Jungle Fire – Firewalker – 7” (Colemine)
Czarface feat. Ghostface Killah – Savagely Attack – Czarface (Brick)
Ikebe Shakedown – Road Song – 7” (Ubiquity)

~~~~ Break ~~~~

Miguel Atwood Ferguson Ensemble feat. Coco O Of Quadron – A Song For You – Art Don’t Sleep Presents: That 70’s Soul (Self-released)
Amatorski – Never Told – TBC (Crammed Discs)
K-OS – Nobody Else – Black On Blonde (Nettwerk)
King Midas Sound – Aroo – Single (Ninja Tune)
Kode-9 – Xingfu Lu – 12” (Hyperdub)

~~~~ Break ~~~~

Nametage & Nameless feat. Black Milk – Oxymoron – For Namesake (Brick)
Toddla T Sound – Worst Enemy (Edit) – Single (Ninja Tune)
Girls Names – Hypnotic Regression – The New Life (Slumberland)
Prince & the Revolution feat. Apollonia – Take Me With U – Purple Rain: Original Soundtrack (Warner Bros.)
Shuggie Otis – Don’t You Run Away – Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love (Legacy)
Orgone – Quit The Bit – Fuzzed Up (Self Released)

~~~~ Break ~~~~

King – Interview & Performance – Recorded Live At KPFK (KPFK Archives)

~~~~ Break ~~~~

Robert Glasper Experiment feat. King – Move Love – Black Radio (Blue Note)
Alice Russell – Twin Peaks – To Dust (Tru Thoughts)
Lady – Money – Recorded Live At KPFK (KPFK Archives)
Willie West & the High Society Bros. – She’s So Wise – 7” (Timmion)

~~~~ Break ~~~~

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

May 6, 2013 Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Bo Diddley – Big Bad Bo – Chess (1974)

Bo Diddley – Hit Or Miss
Bo Diddley – He Got All The Whiskey
Bo Diddley – Stop The Pusher

Sometime ago, I was eyeing a reasonably priced copy of Bo Diddley’s funk/psych freakout record Black Gladiator at a local spot. I didn’t have the cash for the record so every now and again I’d check to see if it was still there until eventually within that month it was gone. When I saw a copy of this album I made sure not to make the same mistake and snatched it up quickly.

Big Bad Bo finds Diddley far away from his signature sounds. Though the record was released in 1974, it sounds like it might have been recorded a few years before, just based off of the kind of funk on display here. “Hit Or Miss” is probably the best known song, because of it’s use in the LP mix of De La Soul’s “Buddy.” I prefer Diddley’s version to Odetta’s original. The pace is a bit quicker, the vocals a bit looser and Diddley injects a certain strutting badness to the song that translates nicely onto the dancefloor. It won’t please fans of Bo’s indestructible beat, but the record as a whole is a solid funky effort and worthy of a spot in not only collection, but likely in yours as well.

Cheers,

Michael

May 5, 2013 Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: Shuggie Otis – Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love – Legacy

Shuggie Otis – Things We Like To Do

As you should all be aware of by now (especially after our interview last week!) Shuggie Otis’ legendary 1974 album Inspiration Information has been re-reissued by Legacy. In contrast to the Luaka Bop issue from the early part of this century, this version includes a wealth of things we’ve never heard before. All told there are a full 17 tracks that have been previously unreleased until this release. As Shuggie mentioned in the interview, a lot of the post-Inspiration music was recorded at his home studio over the years (roughly 1975-2000) in the hopes of having enough material to release another album. It took a long time coming, but I think we’re all thankful it’s finally come out. The most fascinating aspect of this release for me is the unreleased music that was recorded in between Freedom Flight and Inspiration Information. 4 tracks are included here (“Things We Like To Do” above) that were originally recorded to be a part of his next record, but for whatever reason Shuggie decided to go a different way and the rest is history as they say…however thanks to this release we’re now able to hear these tracks and marvel at even more music from early 1970s Shuggie Otis, and what might have been and what still may be.

April 29, 2013 Radio

Be Our Guest: Shuggie Otis on KPFK’s Melting Pot!!!

It was truly an honor to interview Shuggie Otis this past Saturday at KPFK. In the early 1970s, Otis recorded three very different, but all equally fantastic, solo records before seemingly disappearing until a reissue of Inspiration Information by David Byrne’s Luaka Bop records brought him back into the public eye. Though I had known about Shuggie’s music prior to hearing that reissue, like a whole lot of people hearing that set was a revelation. Inspiration Information is the rare legendary record that actually deserves every single piece of acclaim it has gotten and then some. Recently Sony Legacy has reissued “Inspiration” along with close to 20 previously unreleased tracks that Shuggie recorded from the 1970s up until 2000. Shuggie has stepped back out into the public eye again and this time around it seems he’s here to stay. In our interview we talk a little about the influence of growing up as the son of Johnny Otis, some of his favorite guitar players, the stories behind some of his classic songs, including “Strawberry Letter 23,” “Inspiration Information” and “Island Letter.” We also discuss how Shuggie’s apparent absence from music was never really an absence (something KPFK and KPFA listeners already knew) and how he’s excited for the next chapter of his career to begin. Big thanks to Andrew Cahn & Eric Molk for helping to set up the interview and of course to Shuggie Otis himself for blessing us with all of this beautiful music. Enjoy!

Shuggie Otis Interview On KPFK’s Melting Pot: Recorded 04-27-2013

Here’s an short documentary on the Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love project that features Shuggie talking about multiple tracks from the album, getting into even more depth than we were able to in our interview. Hopefully this is just the first step towards the full-length documentary that Shuggie so richly deserves: