Paul Jackson - Burning In The Heat [Of Your Love]

Recorded in Japan while on tour with Herbie's Headhunters; slow-burning verse and driving chorus.

Paul Jackson - Burning In The Heat [Of Your Love] - Black Octopus - 1978

Rodney Franklin - Felix Leo

Made when he was 21 with 'Seawind' on horn. A lion tamer.

Rodney Franklin - Felix Leo - You'll Never Know - 1980

New York City

I'm off to my old stomping ground New York tomorrow, to catch up with some old friends and do a little work I guess. To keep you entertained in the meantime, a gimlet triplet of NYC greats...

Miroslav Vitous - New York City - Magical Shepherd - 1976 (booty-shaking storm trooper)
Oddysey - Native New Yorker - 12" - 1977 (opening credits of Cagney & Lacey)
Ahmad Jamal Trio - Autumn in New York - Ahmad's Blues - 1958 (super-sophisticated shuffle)

Lenny White - Venusian Summer

If you like your funk orchestral, over 10 minutes long and can handle long solos, then this is for you. While the word epic is overused (not least by me), these two cuts from Lenny White's 1975 album are truly worthy of the word. Prince of the Sea is subtitled "The story of the young prince becoming Neptune". It starts slowly and sweetly, almost silent for the first 30 seconds and passing three minutes before any drums kick in, giving a soft and rolling introduction. Fusion heavyweights Al Di Meola and Larry Coryell then take turns strutting for the remainder of the track, with brief piano interludes from Onaje Allan Gumbs (who also appears on the very different tracks by Cecil McBee and Phyllis Hyman also posted on this site). Venusian Summer Suite, in two parts, is subtitled "The haunting Venusian maidens lured starships to their doom" and is dedicated to the crew of the Starship Enterprise. The first part, called Sirenes is performed by the Brooklyn Syntharmonic Orchestra & Inner-Mission Choir Orchestra. It is eery and fearful, sounding indeed very much like atmosphere music from an early episode of Star Trek. After about four and a half minutes it breaks into part two, Venusian Summer itself. This is pulsing music, with clavinet, acoustic piano, minimoog, and stand out flute from ex Jazz Crusader Hubert Laws. Watch out for the surging synths after about 8 minutes 20.

Lenny White - Prince of the Sea

Lenny White - Venusian Summer Suite

Billy Cobham - A Funky Thide of Sings

Three tracks today from Billy Cobham's 1975 album A Funky Thide of Sings. Notable contributions from John Schofield on guitar and Michael and Randy Brecker on assorted brass with Billy directing proceedings from behind his drum kit. Panhandler and the title cut are funk workouts that could have been playing to aliens too hip for the Mos Eisley cantina. Sorcery is a portentous groove with some nice keyboard solos.

Billy Cobham - Panhandler
Billy Cobham - Sorcery
Billy Cobham - A Funky Thide of Sings