Tommy Stewart - Riding High

Catchy Hotlanta sun-soaked strings and smiles.

Tommy Stewart - Riding High - Tommy Stewart - 1976

Max Roach - Equipoise

Stanley Cowell's tune, with Gary Bartz on sax and Charles Tolliver on trumpet plus a much newer, wobblier take from Ninja Tune's Dwight Trible.

Max Roach - Equipoise - Members Don't Git Weary - 1968
Dwight Trible & The Life Force Trio feat. Sa-Ra - Equipoise - Equipoise CDS - 2005

Evelyn 'Champagne' King - Smooth Talk

Strong groove, catchy hook and some lovely guitar in the breakdown.

Evelyn 'Champagne' King - Smooth Talk - Smooth Talk - 1977

Edu Lobo - Vento Bravo

Real Musica Popular Brasileira from Edu Lobo. Atmospheric, as you might expect considering he had spent most of his time working on film scores before this album.

Edu Lobo - Vento Bravo - Missa Breve - 1972

Greetings *2

Time to kick start again with some more great music. After a long holiday in Australia and Japan, I'd wondered whether it was worth posting a few single tracks every week, especially considering all the great sites out there lovingly posting complete hard-to-find albums at 320kbps. However in the end I've decided it is, simply because maybe a few new songs a week is really all that anyone can handle. To that end I will endeavour to post only the music I really love and want to introduce, so you can go out and buy records and go to concerts. And, if I'm quiet for a couple weeks at a time, it's simply because I don't have something to share that's worthy of your discerning attention! Thanks to everyone for the comments and emails and I will be more responsive in the future - it's great that there's such a community of real music lovers out there.

Greetings

...Sydney, Melbourne, Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Minnesota, Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Toronto, Accra, Lagos, Johannesburg, Madeira, Lisbon, Porto, Barcelona, Rome, Bologna, Cremona, Maribor, Athens, Istanbul, Marseille, Paris, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Leicester, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Koln, Hannover, Berlin, Budapest, Bratislava, Warsaw, Stockholm, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Dubai, Lahore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Beijing, Yokohama, Tokyo...

Daniel Givens - Mandala / Mural

You've got to admire people who do their own thing and Daniel Givens certainly does that. Here's one of the more accessible tunes from the Chicago producer's 2000 album. If a mandala is a generic term for a pattern, used in meditation, that represents a microcosm of the universe from a human perspective, then this slow score certainly fits the bill.

Daniel Givens - Mandala / Mural - Age - 2000

Method Man & Redman - Cereal Killer

I feel the need for some real hip hop. Method Man and Redman from 1999. Full on from the first second heard force filth.

Method Man & Redman - Cereal Killer - Blackout! - 1999

Carl Craig - Undisputable

Carl Craig on the Moxie label with his edit of The Undisputable Truth's Sandman. Released in 2004, this is superfine.

Carl Craig - Undisputable - 12" - 2004

The Love Commitee - Just As Long As I've Got You

Mixed with Gibbon love rather than the Tom Moulton version found on their 1978 album.

The Love Commitee - Just As Long As I've Got You (Walter Gibbons 12" Mix) - Law and Order 12" - 1978

Caralho Que Bom

Herbie Mann & The Bill Evans Trio - Nirvana

Slowing it right down for Sunday evening, a lovely piece which, to me, sounds better with the slightly distorted recording.

Herbie Mann & The Bill Evans Trio - Nirvana - Nirvana - 1961

Attica Blues - Blueprint

A bit of moody Mo'Wax.

Attica Blues - Blueprint - Blueprint EP - 1995

Manu Dibango - Besoka on Salsa

With Manu leaving his sax at home and playing vibraphone, this track was improvised at the end of a studio session in 1976 and, I believe, only released on this album in 2002. Simply smouldering.

Manu Dibango - Besoka on Salsa - B Sides - 2002

Gary Bartz Ntu Troop - Uhuru Sasa

Gary Bartz and Andy Bey doing what they do best, supported by excellent driving drumming from the under-appreciated Harold White.

Gary Bartz Ntu Troop - Uhuru Sasa - Harlem Bush Music - Uhuru - 1971

Steve Reid - Kai

Steve Reid drumming with Arthur Blythe on Sax.

Steve Reid - Kai - Rhythmatism - 1975

Candi Staton - The Best Thing You Ever Had

Canzetta Maria Staton, born in a town of 800 souls in Alabama in 1943, picked cotton and sang gospel as a child. At 17 she ran away to LA with Lou Rawls, but was talked out of a wedding by Lou's mother. "We almost got married by his mother sent me back and told me to stay in school". Two minutes twenty of perfect southern-fried soul. Live on baby.

Candi Staton - The Best Thing You Ever Had - Candi Staton - 1972

Titonton Duvante & Fabrice Lig - Even Deeper

Some excellent bleep for the 100th Groove Provider post.

Titonton Duvante & Fabrice Lig - Even Deeper - Sensual EP - 2001

Fela Kuti

I'm sure you all know and love Fela, but if you don't you have to check him out. Here are some of my favourites from the legend.

Fela Kuti - Lady - Shakara - 1971
Fela Kuti - Who Are You - London Scene - 1972
Fela Kuti - Water No Get Enemy - Expensive Shit - 1975
Fela Kuti - Yellow Fever - Yellow Fever - 1976

Byron Morris & Unity - Sunshowers

A nice easy summer track from an excellent album posted on the even more excellent Pharoah's Dance.

Byron Morris & Unity - Sunshowers - Vibrations, Themes & Serenades - 1978

Experimentation

After realising that the music is more important than my mutterings I'm playing with a new name, style and layout for this blog.

Check it out here and let me know if you think it's an improvement.

A Tear To A Smile

Flora Purim - Sarara

George Duke produced and featuring Prince's Sheila E, here's Flora Purim's version of the Gilberto Gil song with some great mewing at the end.

Flora Purim - Sarara - Carry On - 1979

Gal Costa - Aquarela Do Brasil

Why don't I have a swimming pool?

Gal Costa - Aquarela Do Brasil - Aquarela Do Brasil - 1984

Gato Barbieri - Vidala Triste

The Argie Cat singing and playing flute rather than his normal rasping sax. With a great line up, including Airto Moreira, M'tume, LLS, John Abercrombie and Stanley Clark, he creates an insidious folk drone.

Gato Barbieri - Vidala Triste - Bolivia - 1973

Sly & The Revolutionaries - White Rum

Locked down with the Trojan Sound (gotta love a box set).

Sly & The Revolutionaries - White Rum - Black Ash Dub - 1980

Lonnie Liston Smith - Beautiful Woman

Some more Donald Smith vocals, as promised, on this up-tempo number from the LLS & the Cosmic Echoes. Great percussion led by Lawrence Killian, but also, I just discovered when reading the liner notes, Doug Hammond.

Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - Beautiful Woman - Cosmic Funk - 1974

Leon Thomas with the Gary Bartz Quintet - Precious Energy

Warmth.

Leon Thomas with the Gary Bartz Quintet - Precious Energy - Precious Energy - 1987

Idris Muhammad - Power Of Soul

Idris Muhammad's slick version of the Jimi Hendrix tune featuring Grover Washington Jr. sax and Bob James keys. Nice big brass opening and then in comes that smooth groove that just locks you in.

Idris Muhammad - Power Of Soul - Power Of Soul - 1974

B.T. Express - Energy Level

After 3 weeks I'm back, with my connection up and running. Here's B.T. Express gettin' high to celebrate.

B.T. Express - Energy Level - Energy To Burn - 1976

We apologise for this interruption of service

Sorry for the silence - broadband frustrations continue, although I'm assured they will be fixed next week. Plenty of other good stuff around so try out the links on the right and listen to the last.fm playlist if you need a fix.

Shamek Farrah - First Impressions

Just love this. Muzicz for Headz.

Shamek Farrah - First Impressions - First Impressions - 1975

Dedumdum duh der

Two great 'intelligent' techno tunes from 1993. It's the bouncy basslines that do it for me and both of them, to my ears, seem to be based on this Reuben Wilson track.

Bandulu - Revelation - Guidance - 1993
Speedy J - Beam Me Up! - Ginger - 1993
Reuben Wilson - Got To Get Your Own '98 - Organ Donor - 1998

Diblo Dibala

Soukous - the sound of a party in the Congo. Three tracks from Diblo Dibala, with the first from his band Loketo. Infectious feel-good happy music.

Loketo - Kimia Eve - Soukous Trouble - 1990
Diblo Dibala - Etoula - Super Soukous - 1989
Diblo Dibala - Kelele - Super Soukous - 1989

Lafayette Afro Rock Band

A few tracks for you from the Lafayette Afro Rock band - a bunch of Americans from Long Island that recorded mostly in Paris and under a few different names.

Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Darkest Light - Malik - 1975

Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Hihache - Voodounon / Movin' & Groovin' - 1974

Ice - Racubah - Afro Agban - 1978

Hope Springs Eternal

Apologies for the lack of posts recently - some damn annoying broadband issues that, I'm assured, will be sorted soon. It's given me some time to think about what to post though, so look out for some new themed slexions this weekend (fingers crossed).

Much love.

Max Roach - Garvey's Ghost

Imposing power music. The war drums are sounding and Eric Dolphy is blowing. Feel it.

Max Roach - Garvey's Ghost - Percussion Bitter Sweet - 1961

Chick Corea & Return To Forever - You're Everything

This whole album has an interesting sound with tempos that don't normally sit with the kinds of instruments and tunes featured. It's a great line up. Stanley Clarke on bass, Joe Farrell on reeds, Airto on percussion and the instantly recognisable Flora Purim singing. The song I've chosen is the opener. Don't get too lulled by the opening - it starts to take off after 2 minutes and there's a mad rush to the finish.

Chick Corea & Return To Forever - You're Everything - Light As A Feather - 1972

Alice Coltrane - Turiya & Ramakrishna

This is my favourite track from the late great Alice Coltrane. 8 minutes 21 seconds of meditative calm with blue notes and shuffling percussion aplenty but strangely no harp or horns. Turiya, according to Alice in the liner notes is "a state of consciousness — the high state of Nirvana, the goal of human life". Ramakrishna, I've learned, was a 19th Century Bengali who taught the oneness of existence; the divinity of all living beings; the unity of God and the harmony of religions. Stoned teenagers dig it too.

Alice Coltrane - Turiya and Ramakrishna - Ptah the El Daoud - 1970

I Hate I Walked Away / We Made It

Bad sampling just steals a riff and makes a fast buck off someone else's talent. Good sampling takes something, cuts it up, stretches it, reinterprets it and makes something new. Something that does justice to both the new track and the old. I was listening to tunes from Syl Johnson's Back For A Taste Of Your Love album (available at Dust2Dust) and the opening bars of the track I Hate I Walked Away just seemed so familiar. I couldn't work out why I knew them until after the 8th bar when, instead of Syl's words, I wanted to sing along "We Made It". I quickly found the tune I wanted, listened, and yes, there was the sample. But not just taken unadulterated. No. Pitched up, just the strings looped a little early to add a jump and then at the bridge a loop of that 8th bar. Nice work by Carlos “Six July” Broady. Compare and contrast, enjoy the sample game and appreciate what I can't believe is the first Hip Hop tune on this blog.

Syl Johnson - I Hate I Walked Away - Back For A Taste Of Your Love - 1971
Ghostface Killah - We Made It - Supreme Clientele - 2000

Mr Fingers - Introduction

I first stumbled across this album at my then girlfriend's sister's house in Stockholm. I was looking for something to listen to while they caught up and was very surprised to see Mr Fingers in among the Groove Armada and Air. The words Larry Heard didn't mean anything to her and apparently it belonged to an old boyfriend. She didn't understand my excitement. Larry's crystal keys and Robert Owens soothing soul now just sound like Sweden to me - clean design, clean living, smooth and untroubled.

Mr Fingers - Alright - Introduction - 1992
Mr Fingers - We Can Work It Out - Introduction - 1992
Mr Fingers - On A Corner Called Jazz - Introduction - 1992

Gabor Szabo - An Evening In The Country

A nice bit of Bob James produced guitar from the Magyar Maestro Gabor Szabo that isn't in the slightest bit macho. That is, of course, unless you think the title is a pun (much like in Hamlet when the Prince asks Ophelia: "Do you think I meant country matters?").

Gabor Szabo - An Evening In The Country - Macho - 1975

Oscar Brown Jr. & Sivuca - Nothing But A Fool

Released on RCA in 1970, this Luiz Reis & Haroldo Barbosa song comes from Oscar Brown Jr.'s score for the muscial Joy. It is the first, and very probably the last track I'll ever post from a muscial. Oscar of course was a great jazz singer, but he also wrote the show with his wife Jean Pace, presented TV shows and was very socially active. An all rounder. The show was performed first in 1966 and then in 1969 for over a year in San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. It had a significant contribution from Sivuca, the Brazilan accordianist who worked with Harry Belafonte, Baden Powell and Miriam Makeba in his time. Enjoy.

Oscar Brown Jr. & Sivuca - Nothing But A Fool - Joy - 1970

Naima

No, not America's next top model. Nor the trade association of North American manufacturers of fibre glass, rock wool and slag wool insulation products for that matter. No I'm talking about the amazing Coltrane ballad composed in 1959 for his then wife Juanita Naima Grubb. There are countless versions of this tune and I'll present a few different takes here. 4 Hero make the most out of that instantly recognisable refrain, add some of their signature strings and, for them, relatively muted beats. Carlos Santana and John McLoughlin interpret it in the style of a sleepy gondolier. McCoy Tyner's is the longest version here and, with just piano, bass and drums, it makes a great lullabye. LLS adds typically splendid spacey percussion and keyboard trills and vocals from his brother Donald (I just love his voice and wish he'd recorded more - watch out for future posts). And finally the first (and I consider the best) Coltrane recording.

4Hero - Naima - The Remix Album - 2004
Carlos Santana & Mahavishnu John McLoughlin - Naima - Love, Devotion, Surrender - 1973
McCoy Tyner - Naima - McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane Live at the Village Vanguard - 1997
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - Naima - Cosmic Funk - 1974
John Coltrane - Naima - Giant Steps - 1960

Shakatak - Day By Day

Continuing on this 80s theme, here's something from a little later in the decade: Shakatak from 1986. Al Jarreau guests on this easy tune and his singing and scatting is underpinned by good keys and that classic bass sound. Allmusic.com describes them as a British Jazz-Funk Combo and notes they're big in Japan and while this makes it all seem a bit Alan Partridge I still like it.

Shakatak - Day By Day (Featuring Al Jarreau) - City Rhythm - 1986

80s Love On

It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you, without a strong GROOVE to step to. A slexion of 12 tunes from the 80s. We open with a bright one from George Duke followed by another rich chorus from Jocelyn Brown. It then settles down into mid-tempo head-nodding heaven with that special combination of slap bass and synth. Watch out for the uncannily similar keys in the Patrice Rushen and Asso tracks, and the killer break from Webster Lewis. We then slow it down a touch and make it sweeter for the last three tracks culminating in Gwen 'sticking like crazy glue' for when the lights come on.

80s Love On (12 full songs, unmixed, 1 hour, 81mb)

George Duke - Shine On - Dream On - 1982

Inner Life & Jocelyn Brown - I Picked A Winner - Inner Life 2 - 1981

Patrice Rushen - Number One - Straight From The Heart - 1982

Quincy Jones - Betcha Wouldn't Hurt Me - The Dude - 1980

Asso - Don't Stop (12") - 1983

First Love - It's a Mystery To Me (12") - 1982

Central Line - Walking Into Sunshine (Larry Levan Mix) - 1981

George Benson - Never Too Far To Fall - In Your Eyes - 1983

Webster Lewis - Give Me Some Emotions - 8 For The 80s - 1980

Sylvia Striplin - You Can't Turn Me Away - Give Me Your Love - 1980

Don Blackman - Holding You, Loving You - Blackman - 1982

Gwen Guthrie - (They Long To Be) Close To You (Larry Levan Remix) - 1986

Ken Ishii & Lemon D

Every now and then, random play on the iPod brings up something you'd completely forgotten about and it sounds good. This is not flavour of the month in 2007. Conceivably it was in about 1996. Ken Ishii is a Japanese purveyor of intelligent techno (read ' not too fast, and with a melody'). Lemon D is a tier 2 jungle producer that had a knack for getting under the skin (read 'didn't get too much hype'). The result of their meeting, which was probably designed to chase two trends, I think still sounds pretty good. Forget scenes, listen to music for music's sake, and I think this has got something.

Ken Ishii - Overlap (Lemon D Remix) - Overlap CD Maxi Single - 1996

LINK REMOVED BY ARTIST REQUEST

Too High

Following on from Stevie's The Real Thing, here's another great song of his with some different treatments. There's the scratchy hip hop of Yesterday's New Quintet and then the sensitive nu soul of Dwele - two tracks that happen to go very well together on mix tapes. I've also included Amp Fiddler's version from Carl Craig's Detroit Experiment, which isn't as good as it should be considering the great contributors. Oh, and Stevie's original from Innervisions.

Dwele - Too High
Yesterday's New Quintet- Too High - Stevie - 2004
The Detroit Experiment - Too High - The Detroit Experiment - 2003
Stevie Wonder - Too High - Innervisions - 1973

The Real Thing

You don't need me to tell you that Stevie Wonder is a genius. And a Stevie Wonder song performed by Sergio Mendes is a match made in heaven - and that's what you get with The Real Thing - just a great tune. So great, in fact, that Mateo & Matos plundered it not once, but twice - using a killer riff as the base of In The Mood following their more straight forward vocal house cover.

Sergio Mendes - The Real Thing - Sergio Mendes & The New Brazil '77 - 1977
Mateo & Matos - In The Mood - New York Rhythms Volume Two - 1998
Mateo & Matos - The Real Thing - The Many Shades Of... - 1999