Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson - For Real

A lazy summer vibes version of the classic Richard Flowers song.

Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson - For Real - Step Into Our Life - 1978

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

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

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

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

Strings of Inner City Life

Photo taken on a recent walk around the site of the 2012 Olympics in East London.

Spreading the Word has posted the excellent live instrument 'jazz' version of Strings of Life by Chris Prommer. Go over and get yourself a copy. Remaking classic modern tunes this way is not new. The German group Re:Jazz has recorded albums full of them, including a fantastic version of Goldie's classic Inner City Life a couple years back, and Crybo's post has inspired me to put this up for you. The drum 'n' bass anthem turned into the deepest night-time vocal jazz...

Re:Jazz - Inner City Life
Goldie - Inner City Life (short single version)

Pharoah Sanders - Astral Travelling

I know its hard, but please forgive the ridiculous album cover. No matter the situation this track has the power to soothe me. It’s simply stunning. Every component works perfectly. Cecil McBee’s understated bass gives the tune structure and movement. Pharoah Sanders keeps himself restrained to blow some of the most beautiful and joyous saxophone you’re ever likely to hear. Lonnie Liston Smith trills on his electric piano to great effect. All of them, plus friends, add wonderful percussion elements including distinctive bird-like sound effects. Lonnie Liston wrote this, but this version on Pharoah’s Thembi album is superior in fluency and movement to the one he recorded on his own Astral Travelling record. I first heard this tune on a mix tape made for me by someone working at the Notting Hill Music and Video Exchange back in '97. At the time I was excited because I recognised it as the source for samples on Photek’s Rings Around Saturn. But it soon excited me far more in its own right. Enjoy.

Pharoah Sanders - Astral Travelling (from Thembi, 1970)
Lonnie Liston Smith - Astral Travelling (from Astral Travelling, 1973)
Photek - Rings Around Saturn (Peshay Decoder Mix)