Posted on Radio

Breakdown: Matthew Africa Tribute on KPFK’s Melting Pot

It’s been almost a week since Matthew left this world, 4 days since I heard the news and still I’m having a hard time believing he’s really gone. Maybe part of the reason for that is that so much of the music I listen to and even HOW I listen to music was influenced in one way or another by Matthew. It is as if he’s always present. It doesn’t take away the pain of loss, but there is some comfort in the fact that I know I’ll likely be spending the rest of my life running into “Matthew Africa Records.” On Sunday’s show I paid tribute to Matthew Africa, playing music that reminded me of him.

In some cases they were songs that he turned me onto (“Fire Eater,” “No. 1 Lady”), others were artists and songs that I know were some of Matthew’s favorites, (I can remember having conversations about Love’s Forever Changes, his love of Damo Suzuki era Can and how It Takes A Nation Of Millions to Hold Us Back from PE was his favorite rap record). I also included excerpts from several of his mixes, especially the all 7 inch mix he just recently completed that might have been his last (separate post on that below). Finally there are a few moments where you hear Matthew’s voice, talking with Oliver Wang (who stopped by and talks with me at length in the first hour about what made Matthew so special) about how he started collecting records and revealing the mystery of how “Africa” became his family’s name as well as attempting to enlighten his mates on the Stay Hatin’ podcast on Jamaican music. There’s also a short snippet from an interview I did with Matthew for my research on DJs in the second hour. I tried to get him to divulge what the most money he’d spent on a record was, but he wouldn’t budge and just as he predicted, we’re all left to wonder.

I wanted to do a tribute that would give at least a small sense of why Matthew was so important to me and so important to many others, to share some stories and music but also to share a little of his personality. I’m thankful that I was able to express to him how grateful I was while he was still here with us, but more than anything I feel truly blessed to have known him and have been his friend.

Matthew Africa Tribute on KPFK's Melting Pot 09-09-2012: First Hour
Matthew Africa Tribute on KPFK's Melting Pot 09-09-2012: Second Hour

Playlist: 09-09-2012
{opening theme} Booker T & the MGs – Melting Pot – 7” (Stax)

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Rusty Bryant – Fire Eater – Fire Eater (Prestige)
Love – You Set The Scene – Forever Changes (Elektra)
Billy Harper – Priestess – In Europe (Soul Note)

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Jimi Hendrix – Crosstown Traffic – Electric Ladyland (Elektra)
Matthew Africa On How He started Collecting Records –Excerpt From An Interview With Oliver Wang
Buddy Miles – Down By The River – Them Changes (Mercury)
Sly & the Family Stone – Can’t Strain My Brain – Small Talk (Epic)
Excerpt from A Tribute To The Mizell Brothers: A Mix By Matthew Africa (blog.djmatthewafrica.com)

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Can – Halleluhwah – Tago Mago (UA)
James Brown – You Mother You – SHo Is Funky Down Here (King)

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Jackson 5 – Walk On – Goin’ Back To Indiana (Motown)
Public Enemy – Caught, Can We Get A Witness – It Takes A Nation OF Millions To Hold Us Back (Def Jam)
Excerpt from Stay Hatin’ #24 (matthewafrica.podomatic.com)
Excerpt from Yay Game: The E-40 Mix by Matthew Africa (blog.djmatthewafrica.com)
Melvin Bliss – Synthetic Substitution – 7” (Sunburst)

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Ohio Players – Ecstasy (Matthew Africa Extended Edit) – Ecstasy (Westbound)
Hunt’s Determination Band – No. 1 Lady – Get Your Act Together (Earwax)
Matthew Africa on the most he paid for a record – Excerpt From An Interview with Michael Barnes
Darling Dears and Funky Heavy Prod. – I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Love Another – 7” (Flower City)
Toni Tornado – Me Libertei – B.R.3 (Odeon)

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Excerpt from Matthew Africa Plays Seven Inches (blog.djmatthewafrica.com)

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{closing theme} Dungen – C. Visar Vagen – Tio Batar (Kemado)
Matthew Africa On The Origins Of His Name – Excerpt From An Interview With Oliver Wang
The Trinikas – Remember Me – 7” (Pearce)

Posted on Radio

Be Our Guest: Matthew Africa Plays Seven Inches

Matthew Africa Plays 7 Inches

{I never asked Matthew to do a guest post or come on to Melting Pot for a guest DJ set. I very much wanted him to, but figured at some point he’d be in LA for a spell and he’d come on down. Now that will never happen. So instead, I’m going to share this mix, perhaps the last one Matthew worked on, so that he can be the first guest poster here on Melting Pot. The mix brings up a lot of good memories for me, as Matthew mentions below, connected to Wednesday nights at the Ruby Room in Oakland. The Ruby was my regular haunt for a couple years before I just got too busy with PhD research and falling in love with my wife. Strangely enough, the mix was posted on our wedding anniversary and my reaction to it ended up being one my final communications with Matthew, via facebook (the final one being his compliments on my choices of first songs when we moved into our new house, “Like A Ship” from TL Barrett and “A Love Supreme” from John Coltrane).

Aside from the memories, this is just a fantastic mix, all on original vinyl, some very deep tunes you don’t hear often, flashes of rather deft mixing style from Matthew and an interesting choice at the very close. The mix ends with a very scratchy version of Otis Brown’s “Who’s Gonna Take Me Home,” and Matthew chose to let the record end and just let it spin in the dead wax for much longer than you’d expect. I don’t know why he did it, if it was on purpose, or if it was just a moment of pure chance. But given all that’s happened it just about brought me to tears hearing that sound at the end of this mix. There’s something so deeply personal about it, maybe because I can just see Matthew, after having completed a full take on this mix, going to get a drink and just nonchalantly stopping the record. I’m so glad he left that there, so glad that he shared all this music with us and blessed to have known him as a friend.}

Originally Posted on “I Wish You Would” August 14, 2012

This Friday (August 17th, 2012) I’m playing at the 45 Sessions, an all-45 monthly hosted by some friends from the Oakland Faders crew, DJ Platurn, E Da Boss & DJ Enki. (Also playing with us, the homie stromie Joe Quixx!)

These days I really never play 45 sets except when I’m out in NYC and drop in on friends who do vinyl parties like Mr. Finewine or JBX. The last time I remember doing that on the west coast was for an all-45 45th birthday party for my friend DJ Stef (an idea I may be biting sooner than I wish).

As a warm-up for the 45 Sessions, I made a little mix, pulling out about 100 records and sort of going from there. It’s mostly 70s era funk and soul– lots of classics, some recent favorites, some oddities. Hopefully there’s some “oh shit, it’s great to hear that”, some “wait, what the hell is that?” and maybe an “ooh, he’s got that?” or “wait, that’s on 45?!?” or two.

1. New Birth – You Are What I’m All About
2. The Blowflys – Funky
3. Van Grack and Company – NT
4. Ronnie Keaton & the Ocean-Liners – Going Down for the Last Time
5. The Notations – Super People
6. The Trinikas – Remember Me
7. The Quickest Way Out – Tick Tock Baby (It’s a Quarter to Love)
8. Dee Edwards – Why Can’t There Be Love
9. Matata – I Want You
10. House Guest Rated X – What So Never the Dance Pt. 1
11. Myra Barnes – Super Good Pt. 1
12. C. Fortune & J. Brinson – The Hipster
13. Tony Alvon & the Bel-Airs – Boom Boom Boom
14. Leroy & the Drivers – Sad Chicken
15. Nancy Sinatra – Bang Bang
16. Betty Chung – Bang Bang
17. Heart – Give Me a Happy Day
18. Dionne Warwick – You’re Gonna Need Me
19. The Sisters Love – Now Is the Time
20. Popcorn Wylie – Funky Rubber Band
21. Apple & the 3 Oranges – Free & Easy Pt. 1
22. Hank Ballard – I’m a Junkie for My Baby’s Love
23. Robert Jay – Alcohol Pt. 1
24. Sugar Billy Garner – I Got Some
25. Junior & the Classics – Kill the Pain
26. The Fabulous Souls – Take Me
27. Sir Guy & the Speller Bros. Band – Let Home Cross Your Mind
28. 6 Pak feat. Larry Berney – There Was a Time
29. Harvey Scales & the Seven Sounds – The Yolk
30. Dynamic Corvettes – Funky Music Is the Thing Pt. 2
31. The Jackson Sisters – I Believe in Miracles
32. Chuck Colbert & Viewpoint – Stay
33. The Isley Brothers – Keep On Doin’
34. Graham Central Station – The Jam
35. Bobby Franklin’s Insanity – Bring It On Down To Me Pt. 1
36. The Soul Company – Hump the Bump Pt. 1
37. Creations Unlimited – Chrystal Illusion
38. Joey Irving – Don’t Throw Our Love Away
39. Pearly Queen – Quit Jive’in
40. Marvin Gaye – ‘T’ Plays It Cool
41. Billy Young – Suffering With a Hangover Pt. 1
42. Lenny Williams – Feelin’ Blue
43. MFQ – Every Minute of Every Day
44. Nolan Porter – If I Could Only Be Sure
45. The New Establishment – Ridin’ High
46. Otis Brown – Who’s Gonna Take Me Home

This mix started off as a practice run playing 45s and then got more involved when I realized how shitty at it I’d become. It’s a lot less like riding a bicycle than I’d hoped.

I used to play 45s all the time. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Wednesday nights I would often grab a box of them and head down to my friend DJ Kitty’s funk party to play a set on what is to this day maybe the shittiest sound system I’ve ever played. (The Ruby Room’s system was pretty awful to begin with but after some noise complaints from a neighbor the management disabled the mixer by gluing caps over the volume and bass knobs.)

But it was good practice. I remember being invited by DJ Shadow to open for him and Cut Chemist when they did their Product Placement show back in 2001– which was a super-big deal to me– and putting together an hour-long routine in a day or so and nailing it on the first take. That didn’t happen this time. When I rolled the tape I found that I blew almost every mix and it took a lot of work to tighten things up.

Playing 45s is tough. The main thing is that a lot of the music I played doesn’t lend itself to mixing. Arrangements are dense and arbitrary (an unfrustrated person would say “creative” or “inspired”) and tempos wander all over the place, so mixing is tricky.

Then there are all the technical issues Serato has freed me from remembering how to deal with: that there are no cue points, that speeding up or slowing down a record too quickly can mess up the pitch, that records often skip when you’re cueing or cutting them and that you can easily destroy a record through normal use. This is particularly true of records that happen to be pressed not from vinyl but from styrene, a substance that often seems to cue burn at a mere glance. (Case in point, the Leroy & the Drivers 45 heard in the mix: that persistent shhhh sound and loss of high end is textbook styrene. Ugh.)

About the title of this mix: all of the records I played were 7″s, but not all were 45s– a handful were made to play at 33 rpm, so I named it accordingly. For those who care about this sort of thing, I didn’t use any reissues.

Oh lastly, if (to borrow a phrase from the Martorialist) you’re one of those poncey bastards who’ll only listen to a mix if it’s on Soundcloud then we can do that, too:

(Oh wait, I spoke too soon. Soundcloud tells me that my cover image is infringing someone’s copyright (?!) and that therefore they won’t host it. Ugh. Dispute filed.)

Posted on Ephemera

Rest In Peace…Matthew Africa

{I’ll be paying tribute to Matthew Africa on today’s Melting Pot, on KPFK, 90.7 FM in Los Angeles, KPFK.ORG worldwide, from 4-6pm. I’ll be including some of his mixes, a few of the many artists that I know he loved, things he turned me on to personally, things he turned us all on to via his show and blog and sharing some of my memories. Oliver Wang of Soul-Sides.com will also be a guest to remember one of the best DJs and all around human beings we’ve known.}

I’m still in a complete state of shock after learning that my friend Matthew Africa has died in a car accident. I don’t even know where to begin or how to quantify the impact that Matthew had on me as a DJ and Music Lover. I always liked to joke with him that he had ever single record anyone should have. His knowledge and appreciation of music was as deep as any person I’ve ever known. In 1994 or 1995 I got a copy of Jazz Dance Classics Vol. 1 from Luv’n’Haight which Africa helped compile and wrote the liner notes. The collection had an instant effect on me and was one of the prime catalysts for me to really start digging. It changed how I listened to music. When I came to Berkeley and eventually started working at KALX, I came to know Matthew and we became friends. More than a few times our shifts followed each other and almost every week Matthew turned me and all of his listeners onto things we’d never heard. It seems like just a minute ago that we were reminiscing on facebook about times spent DJ-ing together at the Ruby Room in Oakland. Some of my fondest memories as a DJ involve Matthew. It was an honor to spin just before him at his 30th Birthday party, to talk music, politics and culture, which we could do endlessly. I don’t know what else to say except that I can’t believe he’s gone. I’ll likely have a tribute this Sunday on Melting Pot for Matthew. For now, here’s just a few things that remind me of him.

Gary Bartz – Celestial Blues

This is the first track off of the Jazz Dance Classic comp. that Matthew helped compile. At the time he was an employee of Groove Merchant, with was the headquarters of Ubiquity and Luv’n’Haight records. Few songs seem more fiting than this one as a testament to Matthew, who many will remember for his taste in music, but was so much more than just a DJ. He was one of the most intelligent men I’ve ever known.

Rusty Bryant – The Fire Eater

Monster track also on Jazz Dance Classics Vol. 1. It wasn’t my introduction to the world of Jazz-Funk, but almost 20 years later since the first time I heard this, I don’t think my ears have ever recovered. Demolishes all other tracks with those massive drums from Idris Muhammad and the organ solo from Bill Mason is just legendary. As with all the other tracks on this collection, hearing this completely blew me away and started me down the path of digging for much more obscure music than I was up on at the time.

U.S. 69 – I’m On My Way

This is one of many tracks that I got turned on to because of Matthew’s radio show. KALX constantly shifted the DJs around, you had to be approved for your time slot based off of the judgement of a small programming council. Several times we’d follow each other, his show before mine for a time, my show before his. I still remember the first time I heard this one, as I was putting away my music in the KALX library the sitar and the beat from this song hit and I literally ran back to the studio to find out what this amazing bit of music was.

Gal Costa – De Um Role

Another discovery because of Matthew’s radio show, and another track that he once led off his show with and I just had to run back into the studio to find out what it was. Part of me always wished that Gal Costa had recorded a studio version of this song, a cover of Novos Baianos. I’m glad she didn’t, it makes this version, from her live album Fatal A Todo Vapor even more special, especially now.

Pearly Queen – Quit Jivin’

My fondest memories of Matthew center around time spent on Wednesday nights at the Ruby Room in Oakland. DJ Kitty’s “Soulvation” night was one of the first places in the Bay Area where I really felt at home. Hanging out and dancing with my fellow DJs, Kitty, Sean Sullivan, Joe Quixx and Matthew made it all the more special. I don’t know if I ever asked him, but “Quit Jivin'” struck me as one of Matthew’s favorite songs. I say that because anytime anyone played he’d immediately hit the dance floor to do his signature dance. Everytime I hear it I can immediately see Matthew putting down his beer and hitting the floor.

Lee Dorsey – A Lover Was Born

Back in 2001, when DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist followed up their legendary Brain Freeze mix with Product Placement, Matthew was one of the DJs they asked to spin ahead of them that evening. He was on early, but his set was as good as any of the others that night. At the end of the night they brought all of the DJs on stage to play an additional song. Matthew’s choice was “A Lover Was Born” from Lee Dorsey, and if I close my eyes I can still see him on stage, doing his dance just overjoyed to be playing the music he loved.

Dee Edwards – Why Can’t There Be Love

Matthew just recently had posted a mix of music from 45s, kind of prep for special night of dj-ing in the Bay Area. As was always the case, there were many many songs that I’d never heard before and that I’ll obssess over until my days are gone. Dee Edwards’ “Why Can’t There Be Love” is the one that has stayed in my mind and it’s hard to believe that this is the last thing that Matthew turned me onto. You will be sorely missed.

Posted on Ephemera

Giveaway: The Heavy @ the El Rey on September 7th!!!

The Heavy were a revelation back when they burst onto the scene in 2007. Led by the gruff falsetto of Kelvin Swaby (who once upon a time did vocals for Alpha) the band mixes together a bit of Hip-Hop production with a hard rock edge. They’ve become darlings of music supervisors and that’s made them into stars, with their songs turning up in commercials and films. “Short Change Hero” is perfectly placed as the theme music to the all-action drama “Strike Back.” They’ve gotten quite a lot of love from Los Angeles from the beginning and will be back in support of their brand spanking new album, “The Glorious Dead,” performing at the El Rey on Friday September 7th. If you’d like to go courtesy of Melting Pot, e-mail me at michael[at]meltingpotblog.com before 12noon on Thursday September 6th!!!

Here’s a little bit of inspiration if you need it, courtesy of the boys from the Land of Noid:

“How You Like Me Now”

“Short Change Hero”

“Set Me Free”

Posted on Radio

Breakdown: September 2nd on KPFK’s Melting Pot

First “real” show in over a month and with the move into the new house, I barely know where anything is. Combined with the whirlwind that is the begin of a new semester, I was woefully ill-prepared for this weeks show. There are a few more mistakes than usual, but that’s mainly because I was forced into “seat of the pants” radio and things didn’t settle down until well into the second hour. Fair amount of new tunes, including a new project from Doom titled JJ Doom, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffitti, Kendra Morris and the Menahan Street Band. There are a number of summer songs in the mix as well, since Labor Day is the “unofficial” end of summer, including some recent faves from Shintaro Sakamoto, Real Estate, Allo Darlin, Katalyst and a classic from Jimi. Enjoy the show, we’ll have much more new music next week and I’ll make sure that the ship is running right and tight.

Melting Pot on KPFK #96: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #96: Second Hour

Playlist: 09-02-2012
{opening theme} Booker T & the MGs – Melting Pot – Melting Pot (Stax)

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The Minutemen – This Ain’t No Picnic – Double Nickels On The Dime (SST)
The Coup – Magic Clap – Single (Self-released)
Sureshot Symphony Solution – Mr. Fortune And Fame – 7” (Self-released)
Dojo Cuts feat. Roxie Ray – My Lovin’ Is All About You – 7” (Record Kicks)

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JJ Doom – Rhymin’ Slang – Key To The Kuffs (Lex)
Gaslamp Killer feat. Dimlite – Seven Years Of Bad Luck – Breakthrough (Brainfeeder)
Can – Bubble Rap – The Lost Tapes (Mute)
Pere Ubu – Final Solution – Datapanik In The Year Zero (DGC)

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Antibalas – Ibeji – Antibalas (Daptone)
Katalyst feat. Stephanie McKay – Day Into Night – Deep Impressions (BBE)
Shintaro Sakamoto – You Just Decided – How To Live With A Phantom (Other Music)
Jimi Hendrix Experience – Long Hot Summer – Electric Ladyland (Reprise)

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Aretha Franklin – I Say A Little Prayer – Aretha Now! (Atlantic)
Kendra Morris – If You Didn’t Go – Banshee (Wax Poetics)
Bart Davenport – A Young One – Palaces (Antenna Farm)
Boogaloo Assassins – Magic Rose – Recorded Live At KPFK (KPFK Archives)
Wilson Simonal – Meia Volta – Wilson Simonal (Odeon)

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The Heavy – Set Me Free – Great Vengeance & Furious Fire (Counter)
Menahan Street Band – Seven Is The Wind – The Crossing (Dunham/Daptone)
Donnie & Joe Emerson – Baby – Dreamin’ Wild (Light In The Attic)
Allo Darlin – Tallulah – Europe (Slumberland)

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Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffitti – Only In My Dreams – Mature Themes (4AD)
Real Estate – Out Of Tune – Days (Domino)
The Van Pelt – Do The Lovers Still Meet At The Chang Kai-Shek Memorial – The Sultans Of Sentiment (

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

Posted on Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Wilson Simonal – Wilson Simonal – Odeon (1969)

Wilson Simonal – Correnteza
Wilson Simonal – Meia Volta
Wilson Simonal – Vesti Azul

In a post back in March on Jorge Ben’s From Brazil, I talked about a bit of a mystery connected to a mis-press of that album that included music from Wilson Simonal. After a little digital detective work (Youtube really is amazing) I was able to start tracking down most of the songs that I originally copied from that LP. There were songs from throughout Simonal’s late 1960s career, spanning 5 different records and a couple of singles. Based off of that I knew that the record that I had must have been a compilation of Simonal’s material. Lucky enough for me, this particular record was available on Ebay from a dealer in Mexico, including a tracklist. The tracklist didn’t include my favorite track from the entire LP, what I now know is “Correnteza,” so I thought that maybe this wasn’t the one I was looking for. Since it had so many of the songs, I decided to go ahead and get the record and see if I’d finally solved this year’s long mystery.

Perhaps fitting given how long this mystery had been bugging me, I was yet again delayed in getting to the bottom of things. After I bought the record inexplicably the Post Office never delivered it to my house. Instead it just sat in the sorting facility as if it had gone out. Because the dealer had mentioned that shipping from Mexico was taking 3-4 weeks, I didn’t think anything of the extra time it seemed the record was taking to make it’s way to me. On the day where I finally decided ask him about the record, and he directs me to a tracking number to check on the shipping, the Post Office decides to ship it back to Mexico as unclaimed mail! The LP makes it’s way safely to Mexico, but then we had to wait (and wait and wait) until my new housing situation got resolved just to make sure the whole thing didn’t happen again. A full 6 months after I had bought the record, I finally was able to put the mystery to rest and just enjoy these sounds again.

Turns out that not only was this music mistakenly pressed onto at least a few copies of Jorge Ben’s From Brazil, there were also mistakes on the tracklist. Instead of the 9 tracks that were listed on the front cover, there were actually 12 on the record. On the back, “Se Voce Pensa” is mislabeled as “Se Vonce Pensa.” Clearly there were some serious quality control issues when this LP got pressed up.

Thankfully, the music is nothing but quality. Back when I first got the Jorge Ben LP I hadn’t heard much at all from Simonal. The only track I’d heard from him was “Nao Vem Que Nao Tem,” which is more spoken than sung and so I didn’t recognize his singing voice. It’s interesting comparing the two albums, since there are some sonic similarities between them. Both artists were mixing up Brazilian bossa nova and samba with Rock, Jazz and Soul sounds during this time. The 12 tracks are a cross-section of Simonal’s recordings from 1966-1969, all on the Odeon record label. It appears that the record was created specifically for the Mexican market, based on the Spanish liner notes and as such has a different label than what I’m used to seeing from Odeon records out of Brazil. The label is very similar to the Capitol records labels of the time, with the rainbow of colors around the edge.

My best guess for how Simonal’s music ended up on a Jorge Ben record in the first place is that the Capitol pressing plant in Mexico must have also dealt with Kapp/4 Corners. The two records must have been pressed back to back and a few copies get mis-pressed in the process. I’m actually really thankful for that mistake. I’ve gained two albums of top shelf material and a wealth of knowledge about both Jorge Ben and Wilson Simonal in the process.

Cheers,

Michael

Posted on Ephemera

In Heavy Rotaton: Dojo Cuts feat Roxie Ray – My Lovin’ Is All About You – 7″ (Record Kicks)

Dojo Cuts feat. Roxie Ray – My Lovin’ Is All About You

After such a long hiatus, it’s nice being back on the air for Melting Pot. Unfortunately, my favorite season, Summer, is just about over. I’m always on the look-out for songs that have a late summer kind of vibe. “My Lovin’ Is All About You,” is one of those tracks, even though it was released earlier in the year (thoguh I only just recently heard it). I love the easy and breezy quality of the music and Roxie Ray just nails the vocals. Top-notch retro soul from this long running Australian outfit.

Posted on Radio

Breakdown: August 26th on KPFK’s Melting Pot

Wow, it’s been a REALLY long time since I’ve been on the air! Just about three whole weeks. So much was going on on the personal end that I just needed to take a break, which coincided witth our recent fundraiser (thanks to all who supported KPFK!). Nice to come back to our all vinyl show at the end of the month, along with a number of things I just recently picked up around my birthday. Becky & Sandy you should be familiar with, since that’s what I left you with here on the blog, also fantastic music from Sonny Rollins, Laurindo Almeida, Funkadelic, the Pogues, Max Roach and we begin with a short tribute to the incomprable Chavela Vargas who recently passed away. Back with a “regular” show next Sunday and ALSO we’ll be back at The Virgil on Tuesday nights in a couple of weeks as Breakaway becomes a weekly affair!

Melting Pot on KPFK #95: First Hour
Melting Pot on KPFK #95: Second Hour

Playlist: 08-26-2012
{opening theme} Boris Gardiner – Melting Pot – Is What’s Happening (Dynamic)

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Chavela Vargas – La Llorona – Chavela Vargas (RCA)
Laurindo Almeida – Amor Flamenco – Brazilliance (World Pacific)
Gal Costa – Mini Misterio – LeGal (Philips)
Dr. John – Glowin’ – Babylon (Atco)

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The Meters – Ease Back – The Meters (Josie)
Mike & the Censations – That Was The Straw That Broke The Camel’s Back – Don’t Sell Your Soul (Luv’n’Haight)
The Temptaions – Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind – Psychedelic Shack (Gordy)

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Becky and Sandy – I Wish We’d All Been Ready – Becky and Sandy (Mission)
Louvin Bros. – Keep Your Eyes On Jesus – The Great Gospel Singing Of The Louvin Bros. (Capitol)
TL Barrett & the Youth For Christ Choir – Like A Ship – Like A Ship (Light In The Attic)
Jimi Hendrix – Jimmy/Jimi Jam – Nine To The Universe (Reprise)

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Max Roach – Mendacity – Percussion Bitter Sweet (Impulse)
Tim Maia – Tributo To Booker Pittman – Tim Maia (1970) (Polydor)
The Pogues – A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day – Rum, Sodomy and the Lash (Stiff)

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Sonny Rollins – East Broadway Run Down – East Broadway Run Down (Impulse)

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Joey Pastrana – King Of Latin Soul – Joey (Cotique)
Hell Preachers Inc. – Turn, Turn – Supreme Psychedelic Underground (Marble Arch)
Funkadelic – Friday, August the 14th – Free Your Mind… (Westbound)

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{closing theme} Kenny Baker – Mississippi Waltz – Plays Bill Monroe (County)

Posted on Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Becky and Sandy – I Know Where I’m Going – Mission Records (19??)

Becky and Sandy – I Wish We’d All Been Ready
David Lewis – Coming Super President Of The World Sermon and Prayer
Becky and Sandy – Ten Thousand Years

{In addition to being off the KPFK airwaves until Aug. 26th, I’ll be taking a bit of time off from the blog as we move to a new house and I celebrate a birthday. Enjoy the sounds, especially these from Becky and Sandy!}

Just the other day I was waxing poetic with a friend about how 2012 has been somewhat disappointing on the apocalyptic front. We got some good stories at the start of the year, but now everyone has been focused on the Olympics and the Presidential Race, it’s like they forgot about the end of the world that’s supposed to come in December. Well, thanks to this find dug up at the Record Jungle in Montebello for $4, I think we’re covered by this blast from the past rapture and antichrist “gospel doom” record.

When I run across albums like this, created by a family, I can’t help but wonder what happened to these people. Did they stay in the church? Did they lose themselves in Hollywood or Sin City? Or did they just lead (or are leading) normal lives? When you see a cover like this, with music AND a sermon like this, you just have to wonder. As best I can tell, the Lewis family was from West Virginia. I’m guessing this was their only recording on the Nashville based Mission Records, who boast “let us record you at prices you can afford.” Lord only knows how many of these were pressed, but they’ve found there way onto a couple of other blogs largely for the slightly unsettling cover art. Perhaps more unsettling, at least for those not familiar with this kind of preaching, is the explicit focus on damnation for those who are not saved. The title of the record, “I Know Where I’m Going” and also the title of the best song here, the rapture anthem, “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” hint at this. Becky and Sandy are part of the saved, they are clearly going to heaven. But when the rapture comes, ALL of us are not going to be going because ALL of us simply were not ready. There’s some truly classic lines in “Ready,” perhaps I’ll transcribe the lyrics at a later date, it’s definitely the best “Left Behind” song I’ve ever heard and almost has a Nancy Priddy kind of quality to it.

As quirky and unique as the songs from Becky and Sandy are, on the flip side we have a 17 minute sermon and prayer by their father David Lewis. This simply just has to be heard and experienced so I’ve put virtually the whole thing out there (only cutting off the somewhat crass reminder that they also have cassettes of this sermon available for sale). For non-religious ears, there are a number of sample worthy quotations to pull from this as Lewis talks about the anti-christ and the powers of Satan. For the faithful, a record like this (as well as the countless other unknown or obscured private press gospel albums like it) is a reminder of the powers of belief. Such an extraordinary record, guaranteed to be on my year end list of best digs of 2012…that is, IF we make it to 2013.

Cheers,

Michael

Posted on Ephemera

Pound for Pound: Happy Soul with a Hook of Hippy Skippy Moon Strut for a Happy Man

I’m thinking he likes the “Moon Strut” version best!

There have been a couple of very nice discussions of why there are all these different versions of this classic breakbeat, including one from Oliver Wang of Soul-Sides. My question is much more simple. Between the 4 versions of this break, which one do YOU think is the best? Each one has a subtle difference from the others. “Happy Soul With A Hook” was the first one I heard, but as soon as I head “I’ll Be A Happy Man” I thought that one was on top, but damn if it isn’t nice to just hear those horns all by themselves on “Happy Soul” or with the extra appeal of a little grunting shout of “Hippy Strut” from “Hippy Skippy Moon Strut.” Somewhere I’m sure there’s a bollywood version of this that tops them all…

Latin Blues Band feat. Luis Alves – I’ll Be A Happy Man

The Moon People – Happy Soul

Dave Cortez and the Moon People – Happy Soul With A Hook

The Moon People – Hippy Skippy Moon Strut

Posted on Ephemera

In Heavy Rotation: V/A – The Future Sounds of Buenos Aires – Waxploitation/ZZK

La Yegros – Viene De Mi

Future Sounds of Buenos Aires is one of the first collaborations between US label Waxploitation and Argentina’s ZZK Collective. It represents emerging styles and sounds, primarily focused on Nu-Cumbia, which mixes the classic genre with electronica. ZZK has an interesting story, having grown out of the Buenos Aires club scene in 2006 to being one of the great exporters of contemporary Latin music. Of all the tracks, the one that stands out the most for me is from Mariana Yegros aka La Yegros. La Yegros’ track here lacks some of the more “future” elements of artists like El Remolon or King Coya, but with her distinctive vocals and the fantastic mid-tempo cumbia beat, it’s a perfect sound for the summer. There should be a full-length release from La Yegros later in the year, so don’t worry not only is the more to come, but you will definitely hear it here on Melting Pot.

Posted on Dig Deep

Dig Deep: Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Blacknuss – Atlantic (1972)

Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Make It With You
Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Ain't No Sunshine
Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Blacknuss

Last year at this time I was surprised that I hadn’t posted up a record from Rahsaan Roland Kirk, given that he’s one of my all-time favorite musicians and all around human beings. Since today is Rahsaan’s birthday, I thought I post up another of his records (which I believe makes him the first artist that I’ve repeated in this section to date). Blacknuss is very much connected to Rahsaan’s activist work with the Jazz & People’s Movement, a group he formed to put pressure on networks to broadcast more “Black Classical Music” as he called jazz. The album primarily features a number of covers of contemporary soul songs, the best of which are “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Make It With You,” but the way Rahsaan covers these songs is clearly less focused on riding the coat-tails of popular melodies and instead on highlighting both the accomplishments of the original artists and his own style.

The song “Blacknuss” stands by itself, but also helps to put the whole album into focus. Highlighting just the black keys doesn’t mean that the white keys aren’t important on the piano, but when they receive most of the attention, it’s good sometimes to throw a little shine the other way. The focus on those “minor” keys gives the song a certain mood, as does the singing of each letter of the title by Rahsaan and Cissy Houston (makes you wonder if a little 8 year old Whitney was in the studio at the time, I think it is very likely that Rahsaan’s activism influenced her own). Incredible sounds from an incredible musician who brought so many beautiful bright moments to the world.

Cheers,

Michael

Posted on Ephemera

Breakaway – Tuesday at the Virgil in Los Angeles August 7th!!!

Enjoyed myself so much back in May playing records at the Virgil for KPFK’s Elevate, that I’m returning this Tuesday night to play more records. It’s been a long time since I spun just by myself for 4 hours, and I’m not sure how things will develop. Tuesday nights are fairly laid back but with all-night Happy Hour, this is THE night to check out the Virgil’s vaunted drink selection. In terms of my selections, expect a lot of funky material, from all over the world, but mostly in the pocket and from the States. If you’re in LA and out and about on a Tuesday night, swing on by, say hello or just enjoy the sounds. The Virgil is located at 4519 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90029.

I can guarantee that I’ll be playing this, since it’s the theme song of the night:

I can also guarantee that I’ll be playing some Rahsaan since August 7th is his birthday. Might start off with this:

…and I can also completely guarantee that I’ll be closing up the night with some deep soul and blues sounds, more than likely finishing up with this one: