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Funky 45's
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The Funky 16 Corners (Stones Throw) You want beats? Funky 16 Corners' got beats. You want breaks? This is some BROKEN-ASS SHIT! You need to buy this, NOW. Egon at Stones Throw has put an incredible amount of work and love into this comp and it shows. Not only is every last note from the original masters, but everything here is above board compensation/rights-wise. Props to Stones Throw on that count especially. If you're tired of buying comps that promise funky paradise and come across with a couple of brilliant jams and a whole lot of wack crap, The Funky 16 Corners is going to blow your mind. Not only are there at least a dozen certifiable classic |
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jams among the 22 tracks, but there is nary a loser among the rest. This is the comp against which all future efforts must be measured. The sound is spectacular, the quality of tracks in consistent and imaginative, and the the annotation is
amazing. The best thing about 'the Funky 16 Corners' is that Egon has selected a group of songs that illustrate the true variety of sounds that made up the funk landscape in the late 60's and early 70's. There's hard, JB-style funk, funky jazz, New Orleans-style
second line drumming and enough wah-wah guitar and spot on drum breaks to get your ass out on the dance floor. The hardcore funksters will certainly recognize a few of the tracks here, but there are also tons of surprises. Ernie and the Top Notes, Inc. 'Dap Walk' is one of the truly great New Orleans funk jams (ain't no drummer like a Nawlins drummer). There's the Meters-inspired sounds of Bad Medicine, an all-white Syracuse, NY (?!?!) group with a wicked drummer. The title track, by the fabulous Highlighters band of Indianapolis, Indiana is one of the mightiest of funk 45's. It is presented here in it's unedited form (as is the Soul Seven's 'South Side' funk which was also previously released by Stones Throw as a two part 7"). Of the tracks here that were new to me, 'The Kick' by Nap-town's Rhythm Machine (an offshoot of the Highlighters) is a monumental jam. The horn chart is amazing and they produce a deep, deep, deep, DEEP groove. The jazzy side of funk is represented her by two great tracks by James Reese and the Progressions, 'Kashmere' by The Kashmere Stage Band (you will NOT believe that this was a high school band) with a full DOZEN drum breaks, and the Wooden Glass featuring Billy Wooten (a great soulful vibes player who recorded with Grant Green) checks in with the Freddy McCoy-esque 'In The Rain'. There's also hard, hard, funk by Slim & The Soulful Saints ('Fish Head'), Billy Ball & The Upsetters ('Tighten Up Tighter), Carleen & The Groovers (with the solid 'Can We Rap'), and the Soul Vibrations ('the Dump') and another Nap-town classic, 'The Funky Buzzard' by James Bell and the Turner Brothers (of course featuring DeWayne 'The Funky Buzzard' Garvin on drums). There are also some tracks that that have a truly unexpected sound. 'What About You (In The World Today)' by the Co Real Artists is a fantastic proto-rap laid over a heavy drum track that would remind you of a more upbeat version of 'Small Talk at 125th St & Lenox'-era Gil Scott Heron. Spider Harrison's 'Beautiful Day' is a mellow, funky groove. There are also three snippets of studio jams by the Ebony Rhythm Band, including a workout on Isaac Hayes version of 'Walk On By'. The whole history of funk is brought home by the bonus track, 'Bunky's Pick' by Cut Chemist, a wild turntable workout that pulls beats and breaks from a ton of fantastic deep-funk classics by the Highlighters, Ernie & The Top Notes Inc. and others. Absolutely essential. Note: Check out our Highlighters band article, and then see Egon's in-depth interviews with many of the musicians on this comp at the Stones Throw site. You can pick up the Funky 16 Corners at Dusty Groove. | |
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Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information
(Luaka Bop) Man, I may not think much of the Talking Heads, but David Byrne sure has his ears in the right place. After almost single-handedly kicking the Tropicalia revival in the ass with reissues of Os Mutantes, here he comes with another unjustly forgotten classic. Shuggie was the son of R&B giant Johnny Otis, and he made this LP in 1974, and it is amazing. It helps to note that the Stereolab/High Llamas crowd has been hoarding this disc (and it's predecessor, 1971's 'Freedom Flight'), and if you're familiar with their work, this will show you where they stole it (much as they did with Neu). The feel is kind of hippie soul, but the songs are sooooo good, and the production and use of electronics so prescient that you'd think it was recorded last week. A very surprising LP that will get better with every subsequent listen. Check out that original version of 'Strawberry Letter 23' too. |
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Mongo Santamaria's Greatest Hits (Sony) A reissue of the late 60's collection of Mongo's later work on Columbia, this disc is a real party starter, and a beatheads delight. Composed mostly of covers (including an update of 'Watermelon Man'), this collection sees the master of the conga move into the soul era with outstanding versions of Cloud 9, Twenty-Five Miles, a reworking of Dyke & The Blazers' 'We Got More Soul' as 'We Got Latin Soul', and a heavy version of 'Green Onions'. Proof the conguero number one was still ahead of the pack. Check out the reissues of his funky Atlantic stuff as well. |
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Dom Salvador e Abolicao - Som, Sangue E
Raca (Sony Brazil) I happened upon this browsing through the racks at Borders one night, and bought it 'cause it looked cool. Guess what? Sounds cool too. Salvador (the brother on the right with the funky sideburns) was a major player in MPB, as a keyboardist and composer. This LP (from '69 or so) is yet another illustration of how brilliant Brazilian music is in general, and especially in the late-60's. Salvador has whipped together a unique mixture of Bacharach-like textures, over James Brown beats (you heard me...) and traditional samba beats. Like the Shuggie Otis disc above, this is an album that is full of happy surprises and wild sounds you probably haven't heard before. This shouldn't be too hard to find (I've seen it around and I know Dusty Groove has had it in stock). |
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Lee Dorsey - Ride Your Pony (Sundazed) God bless Sundazed for taking their eyes off of twee psyche for a moment and hittin' on Nawlins soul and funk. Their recent collection of Sansu material, 'Get Low Down' is ESSENTIAL, and their reissues of the Meters and Lee Dorsey are very well done. Case in point: 'Ride Your Pony'. This is Lee Dorsey's 1965 LP in total, plus a wealth of incredible bonus tracks. 1965 saw Lee, with Allen Toussaint at the wheel in transition (literally) from R&B to soul, with old school players like Roy Montrell and June Gardner on some tracks and the guys that would form the Meters on others. While some of the material might raise an eyebrow or two (Shortnin' Bread???), there are enough brilliant tracks, like 'Here Comes The Hurt Again' and 'Get Out Of My Life Woman' to carry it through. Among the bonus tracks are great tunes like 'Go Go Girl', Lee and Betty Harris' duet 45, and the ultra-funky, break heavy and much sought after 'Four Corners Pts 1&2'. |
