Colons & Trombones

Johnnny Colon Y Su Orchestra : Mira Ven Aca
taken from the album "Boogaloo Blues" on Cotique (1967)

Willie Colon : Che Che Cole
taken from the album "Cosa Nuestra" on Fania (1971)

The big bash was all gravy. Word to everyone who showed up. No line around the corner or nuthin, but folks were having a good time, sweating and dancing were abundant, and I sold my first copies of the E.P. - woohoo! I'll get sound clips up here soon. I spun a really fun and lengthy tag team set with Tito Rock and got to go back and forth on funk sides for a minute with Pandamonium Jones. The only bummer was discovering a raging snowstorm in Bar Eleven. But it's New York City, so what should I expect? I got to see friends, drink sparks (ehhh...), and started putting my budding CDJ skills to work- don't worry, vinyl will never be forgotten. These two unrelated Colons (pronounced to rhyme with "trombone", not like the organ at the top of your rectum) have absolutely no connection to the party. Some combination of high temperatures, the stickiness of my body (even 5 minutes post-cold-shower), and the laziness of a sleep-in sunday spent laying in the grass has put me in the mood to hear horns.

Despite what Allmusic says, I still think this album from Johhny is hot. He makes a sparse version of the "New York Sound" that still hits solidly to me. It's sharp where it has to be and loose around the edges. The claps are crisp, the piano has jump in it, and I love the syncopated vocals. Simple and spacious. It would be cool to do a dubbed out version of this tune, maybe that's just me though.

Anyone with their first foot in the door on latin music knows of Willie Colon. A staple of the 70's scene, he made the trombone about as gansta as it ever will be. On some of his other LP covers he's depicted in a police wanted poster, as a Wild West villian, and chilling on a Rolls Royce like Al Capone. "Che Che Cole" is a traditional West African rhythm that's been arranged, tweaked, and remixed in funky ways a bunch of times by African and Latin cats alike. Most recently (already a couple years old), Antibalas did a version available on 12" that's highly recommended.

It's Funkin' Party Time, Aiiight?

Don Blackman : Heart's Desire
taken from the album "Don Blackman" on GRP Arista (1982)

Breakwater : Splashdown Time
taken from the album "Splashdown" on Arista (1980)

That's right, prepare yourselves for a muthaload of all things good when the Via crew takes over Bar Eleven this upcoming Saturday for some loud-music-mayhem! This week I'm dropping FUNK on yer domes cuz that's what makes our asses quiver & excite, while our nipples shiver with delight. Caps & Jones are up in the piece, my boy Tito Rock will be bringing some serious shiz, and yours truly will finally release a highly danceable and original E.P. into the world at large (without a label no less). There's free drinks, free mix CDs, T-shirt and Vinyl giveaways from Bastard Jazz, and dancing- what more do you need. Tell your friends, download the flyer and forward that shiz around 'cause you like us and want to support what we do, and definitely SHOW UP. Ok, that's that.

This Don Blackman record has history, not just in the world of funk lovers, soul seekers, and beat fanatics, but for me personally. I tell you that in honest to god truth, I found an original promo copy of this record in excellent condition sitting on top of a trash can on 6th Ave. right near where the homeless guys sell stuff. I picked it up out of a stack of crappy 80's pop without even knowing what it was! When I got home and put it on, transformations occured. This was the record that opened me up to the possibility that 80's funk was entirely real. I loved M.J. and some classic 80's hip hop, but in the fog of my ignorance I thought the rest of the recordings from the decade could explode in an overly reverbed snare hit without me missing a thing. How wrong I was. Thanks Don, you've helped me discover countless grooves, ridiculous breaks, and you've even fostered my appreciation for the well used synthesizer. I used to let this whole A-side play all the way through at every house party I threw. Some people jock this LP for the "Holding You Loving You" song that I first heard on Kenny Dope's entirely classic mix for BBE. But my jam, for so many reasons, is "Heart's Desire". Some people are a little too crazed about this track, but I suppose it's almost understandable. Check Don's little piano solo at the outro- absolute perfection.

Lablemates Breakwater dropped their LP "Splashdown" a couple years before Don made his solo debut. But one track on this album, "Let Love In", actually has a strikingly similar bassline. I didn't give you that one 'cause I feel the bridge is a little bit too cheesy, but it makes for a perfect mix with "Desire" for all ye DJs out there. I don't know that much about this group, but "Splashdown" is a sure-fire party pleaser that often brings people up to the DJ booth asking "who's this?"

Everybody Loves Funky Africans!

Charles Atangana & Emitais : Onguindo
taken from the album "Assalam Aleikoum Africa" on Antilles (1976)

Third World : Black Beauty
taken from the album "Aiye-Keta" on Island (1973)

Crimeny! In an attempt to appease the angry masses who have been missing out on their weekly dosage of Gumbo Funk, I place this holy sacrifice of fuzzy guitars, heavy bass, searing horns, and snapping drums! Our server has been down more than it has been up lately, in case you hadn't already noticed. In addittion, I was out of town for a minute due to family biz... so the crate has suffered. Fear not, good music lovers, recruits are on the way. I guess being really frustrated at my computer somehow reminded me of certain experiences that I had in Cote D'Ivoir, West Africa a few years back. I'm not going into any stories right now, but lets just say if it weren't for the super-naturally uplifting powers of funky African music, I might not be here today. And regardless of how many Afro-Funk/Beat comps there are out there, I doubt you've heard these tunes.

I found Assalam Aleikoum Africa pretty soon after I moved to BK back in 2001. Pretty much flipped over the cover, only to bust a triple-sow-cow upon hearing what the grooves contained. The sub-title on this LP is Progressive and Popular Music of West Africa, but all the cats on here are out of Abidjan, Ivory Coast- the pinpoint of my West African tribulations (I said no stories). I get the impression that this comp comes from a group of freinds (Charles Atangana, Francis Kingsley, and Greg Skelton) who all played together and cut singles for the SID label. Some brilliant folks at Antilles (a short-lived subsidiary of Island back when they were actually about the Islands) put together this collection that goes from funky to soulful to psych. To give a better idea of the breadth and dopeness contained herein, the artists' list of influences contains: Tom Waits, Zappa, Dylan, Miles, Wes Montgomery, Larry Coryell, BADEN POWELL and Marley! There's an "Ode To Hendrix" on here that is REAL hot. The whole album is hot. Keep diggin!

Then we have a bad-ass side project from Traffic ripper Steve Winwood and some Ghanian(?) groovers Remi Kabaka and Abdul Lasisi Amao who together formed Third World. These guys constructed a rad philosophy about what the futuristic "Third World" is really all about:

"The Third World is a peaceful world- where mankind will live as same people, like Shango... Universal God of Peace... What a beautiful world it will be in the third world, where everybody is free and happy."
- Remi Kabaka

I dig, don't you? In other important news, the release party for my GUMBO FUNK E.P. is next Saturday, June 25th... get yerselves really excited and out to Bar Eleven. Our flyer is here! Check back for updates- I know you won't wanna miss this.

And thanks to Lou Kash for helping me straighten out album title/band name!

Breezy Brazil

Baden Powell : ATE-EU
taken from the album "Images On Guitar" on MPS (1971)

Airto Moreira : Papo Furado (Jive Talking)
taken from the album "Seeds On The Ground" on Buddah (1971)

Today I had to take out my fan for the first time this year (it must have been 85 degrees, and you know someone as broke as me dosen't have AC). I pulled out these tunes to help lower the temp too. It worked. Brazilian musicians have truly mastered the art of capturing a warm slow wind. Vocal harmonies like a shady grove and swing enough to gently move the leaves.

First off is a beauty from Baden Powell, a bit of a musical prodigy who came up in the Rio music scene of the 50's and 60's during the beginnings of bossa nova. On the A side of this record is the 9 minute dancefloor pleaser "Blues A Volonte" (which was compiled on Gilles Peterson's "Brazilica" album), but I was immediately drawn to ATE-EU. After playing it five times in a row I realized where I recognized it from... remember this dope EP? I think it was 88 Keys who produced the track which samples this song (sped up to 45rpm- thus the delayed recognition time). But I used to bump that back in 2000.

Then we have Airto's gorgeous Papo Furado track which turns the fan speed up to three (or four if your 99 cent store fan goes that high). This one was written by one of the illest looking cats ever to bless musical outness- I'm speaking of course about Hermeto Pascoal. You also hear bass from a pre-cheesy Ron Carter. When I listen to this one I picture riding in a droptop on a sunny roadtrip or at least sticking my head out the car window on the freeway and opening my mouth so it catches the wind and puffs out like Dizzy Gillespie's. Ok, maybe my cheeks don't get that big, but still you get the idea. It's windy. I'm also diggin' on the new Celso Fonseca album, equally breezy, but that'll have to wait for another post...

Check out this MP3 site too: Stapisi.com