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

Bunny Sigler - I'm A Fool

Marcia Ann Taylor's falsetto, with a lightly southern fried feel, gives a different edge to this otherwise solidly Philly Sigler and Instant Funk grower.

Bunny Sigler - I'm A Fool - Let Me Party With You - 1977

Gimme Shelter

Nobody likes house any more. It gets a bad press. It's considered white van music. I don't care. Good house is good music. Here are four of the best.

Blak Beatniks - I'll Be There (Kerri Chandler Mix)
Alex & Rai - 4 The Love Of You
Mateo & Matos - Don't Ever Stop Loving
Masters At Work - To Be In Love