Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Primitive Sound System Mixed Tape Tuesday - 01-18 at Maxwell's

Hello Y'all,
Looks like 3 acts will be performing at Maxwell's (Tues. 1/18 Louis Logic/Gym Class Heroes/The Superspecs 8 p.m. $8) tomorrow night but I'll still be holding court out front. Louis Logic and Gym Class Heroes are Hip Hop and The Superspecs appear to be a Ska band. Gym Class Heroes are a band producing their own loops with live instrumentation which always appeals to me. I hadn't checked the schedule in a while but it looks like I done good. I pulled records last week while putting away last weeks set. Ironically I pulled a pretty break heavy set as well as some Dub and Ska singles (I rarely pull these to play but I can't explain why).

-pat.

Primitive Sound System and the continuing food stylings of el Diablo Every Tuesday! (9PM - 2AM)

Maxwell's
1039 Washington Street
Hoboken New Jersey
(201) 653-1703

Here's a sampling of what's in the mix:
The 45s:
Billy Garner - "Brand New Girl" (BGP cat. BGPS 006-A)
This is one of the unreleased gems unearthed by BGP for their superior selected and sounding compilations. This track just barrels its way down the road! The snapping drum and shout that opens this up alerts everyone to get the hell out-his-way but Mr. Garner is certainly proud of his lady and has just "GOTTA, tell ya!" Damn that's good. Thank you BGP.

Harvey & The Phenomenals - "Soul & Sunshine" (Funk 45 cat. FUNK45.018)
I can't shake this tune from my head. This tune creeps in on a mellow drum, bass, and guitar intro before the horns speak up. Like a bugle in front of the calvary, but rather than lead the band into any senseless conflict these horns lead the band into a cohesive stylish groove. Some music is all about the feel and and who can argue with pure soul.

Betty Harris - "There's A Break In The Road" (SSS International (Wht. Label Promo) cat. SSS-766 (711-453))
Damn! Damn! Damn! I always picture this being performed at the top of a hill in the middle of the street. The band in silhouette back lit by the setting sun. Betty is out front and the only one doing any kind of real moving around. Stalking, pacing back and forth and shooting you a look to kill and spitting her words right in your face. Feedback laced guitar slithers its way through like a Theremin in a horror movie. It's worth a listen, believe me.

Scacy and The Sound Service - "Sunshine Part 1" (Scacy Records cat. HY 2200)
What a great example of a sound I really love, big horn backed funk bands. Filled with dynamics not found in most funk tunes this one song alone would make a great mixed tape. Big bright horns and "do, do, dos" give way to tight "choruses" of uhhs backed by some heavy recorded drums and bass that can push you around the room. This things even got a fine sax solo pushed along with some hand claps and laughs before finally fading into Part 2 on the next side.

Charlie Lucas And The Thrillers - "Wonderful Feeling" (Waterbird cat. WB001)
Some songs are named so perfectly that it can only add to the listening experience but makes it hard to think of little else. "Wonderful Feeling." Hell yeah; it's even more wonderful when the band steps it up and lets the sax roll up hill where the band meets him and immediately charges down, not down as in negative but down the hill like a when you were a kid trying to run down a hill before gravity and the hill itself over take you and roll your ass to the bottom. Undaunted and smiling ear to ear you rush right back up to do it again. "Wonderful Feeling." WEEEE! I can easily say this is one of the top 10 funky sides I own.

Eastwind - "Nabbit Juice Part II" (Magic Minstrel cat. 3002)
I have always been partial to "Part II" of this track because of its jazzier feel maybe, maybe the fact that I prefer instrumentals to vocal tracks I don't really know. It's not like there are many words to this wonderful ode to the mysterious libation known as Nabbit Juice in Part I anyway. It seems to go without saying because there seems to be a pattern here... yes this is a horn heavy funk track. Love it.

Allen Toussaint - "Get Out Of My Life, Woman" (Bell Records cat. 732 (8734))
So I spoke with Marshall Sehorn about licensing this track in 1998 or so. I had the best conversation with him. We talked for almost an hour. I called him back three days later and he hadn't a clue who I was, oh well. I still remember it and I still love this version of "Get Out My Life Woman." Unhurried and country funky, almost an instrumental version as he doesn't really sing all the words. The piano is definitely leading the way hear though horns and voice punctuate what sounds like out of breath bass. Beautiful percussive sounds lurk around in the background and occasionally pop out especially what sounds like an instrument I used to see in a drum shop on 47th street. The instrument consisted of tubes of ascending height which were beat with these paddle like things. Whatever it is it adds such a nice mood.

Johnny Zamot & His Orch, vocal: Pee Wee Fernandez - "I Got The Feeling" (Gema Records cat. 1630-A)
Johnny Zamot is one interesting guy. I have Boo-ga-loo, Funk and Salsa music he has produced brilliantly over the years. One LP has him dressed like The Hulk on the cover and the music backs up that visual claim impressively. "I Got The Feeling" is one of his funk tracks. Horn driven with repetitive lyrics throughout. For the solo a deep baritone sax wails before the frenzied vocals come back in. Of course all of this is made possible by the wonderful foundation laid down by the bass, drums and congas. A party at 45RPMs if there ever was.

LPs:
Bo Diddley "Where It All Began" (Chess Records cat. CH 50016)
Richard "Groove" Holmes - "Comin' Home" (Blue Note cat. BST-84372)
Johnny Lytle - "The Soulful Rebel" (Milestone cat. MSP 9036)
Dizzy Gillespie - "Soul Salvation" (Tribute Records/GWP Records cat. TRI 5001)
The Cannonball Adderley Quintet - "Music, You All" (Capitol cat. ST-11484)
Rusty Bryant - "Fire Eater" (Prestige cat. 10014)
Jimmy Smith Live! - "Root Down" (Verve cat. V6-8806)
Nina Simone 1974 - "It Is Finished" (RCA cat. APL1-0241)
Toots & the Maytals - "Funky Kingston" (Mango cat.MLPS-9330)
Menique y Kako and His Orchestra - "Sock It To Me Latino" (Artol Records cat. ACS-6049)
Vecchio - "Afro-Rock by..." (De Wolfe Ltd. cat. DW/LP 3220)
Freedom Power (Cometa cat. CMT 4)
Robin's Rock (Music by Dittamo) - "Music For Jazz Dance" (Hoctor cat. HLPS-4194)
Curtis Mayfield - "Roots" (Curtom Records cat. CRS 8009)
The Last Poets with Bernard Purdie - "Delights Of The Garden" (Douglas cat. NBLP 7051)
The Turtles Present The Battle of The Bands (White Whale cat. WWS 7118)

New:
Jack (Bongo) Burger - "...the End On Bongos" (HIFI Record "The Sound That Named A Company" cat. Album No. R-804)
This is one of those Latin Lounge records with the pretty girls on the cover. This one happens to be a painting rather than a photo so this would appeal more to guys who actually think cartoon woman are sexy. Some of the usual Loungey Standards (Miserlou and Boulevard of Broken Dreams), and Clifford Brown's "Jordu" are served up amongst originals that could be covers if I had more time to figure out where there familiar themes were lifted. The real surprise here would be "A Yiddisha Mambo" Yikes a sub-genre if there ever was. All in all this is a pretty great Latin Lounge record bought for $3 while on a break from work.

Lalo Schifrin - "Ins and Outs" (Palo Alto Records & Tapes cat. PA 8055-N)
1982 Recordings with Andy Simpkins (bass), Earl Palmer Sr. (drums), Sam Most (flute), Paulinho Da Costa (percussion) and of course the brilliant Schifrin on piano. The set includes some old Schifrin classics ("Down Here On The Ground" and "The Fox") as well as a pair penned by his old boss Dizzy Gillespie ("Con Alma" and "Manteca"). The recording is super clean which should be a negative for me but in this case it works just fine. This could be easily passed off as an easy listening smooth jazz record but it is much more (or less when appropriate). The real beauty of this record is the bands ability to lay aggressive passages up against soft simple playing filled with space. When the weather is warmer (or maybe on a more depressingly grey Winter day) I'm going to put this on, kick back with a cold one and just let the day breeze by...