Classic 80's Hip Hop

I was on a road trip last weekend when I was reminded of this Hip Hop Classic, this ones for you budeee!

Enjoy!






Hey Young World

Jimmy Namaro : We Gotta Get It All Together (Quality, 1972)

This was another pull form Peter Dunn's Vinyl Museum. This jazz-funk effort from Canadian artist Jimmy Namaro was released in 1972 and features a number of choice tracks. Even with tracks like "Climax" and "Afro-Rock", the track that gets the most play is the mellow groover "Lazy Afternoon".


Lazy Afternoon



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Remember That...

I stumbled across this site toledohiphop.org and it reminded of how far Hip-Hop culture has come. For me, these classic NYC Hip-Hop flyers represent the essence of that culture.

Peace to Buddy Esquire and Phase 2.

Wilbur Niles and Thrust - Thrust Too (Tinkertoo, 1980)

The sought after album by Ohio based jazz funk artist Wilbur Niles is "Thrust", which he recorded with Machelle McNeal in 1979. Chicago indie hip hop label Chocolate Industries re-released MCNEAL & NILES Thrust in 2004

This album "Thrust Too" I picked-up at Peter Dunn's Vinyl Museum's Bloor street location during my mid 90's grab any private press phase. Although it lacks the tight, crisp energy that still makes the first album sound fresh, it does have it's moments. "Thrust Too" was recorded in 1980 without keyboardist Machelle McNeal. The drums don't hit as hard and the overall sound is clean and polished. It's still retains the Jazz-Funk-Disco elements, but with a P-Funk vibe thrown in for good measure (Check out "Survival Of The Funkiest"), I sometimes wonder what happened to McNeal since Niles includes a track titled Machelle. I'll try and get some proper photos of the jacket posted in the future.

Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Parrott City


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Herbie Hancock and The Headhunters : Live in Omaha (Bootleg 1975)

This brother has been doing his thing for a long time. His recent success at the Grammy’s with the album "River: The Joni Letters" had me revisiting his collection. I stumbled across a live session I did not know I had. This is from 1975 and features the Headhunter lineup we first herd on his album "Thrust" from the previous year. Mike Clark and Paul Jackson have to be one of the tightest rhythm sections in the history of music. For an example check what they did for the hippy crooner Shawn Phillips when they laid down the tracks for his albums "Rumplestiltskin's Resolve" and "Spaced". On this rare live recording you can feel the heat. The album starts off with the classic Watermelon Man and continues with tracks from Man-Child.

This concert is a "Slow Burner": sit back and enjoy

Herbie Hancock and Headhunters
Music Hall
Omaha, NB
11/17/75

Herbie: keyboards
Paul Jackson: bass
Mike Clark: drums
Blackbyrd Mcknight: guitar
Bill Summers: percussion
Bennie Maupin: Reeds & Lyricon

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Jan Garbarek Quartet: Afric Pepperbird (ECM, 1970)

I'm not a massive fan of Jan Garbarek, but when I herd this album all notions I had of a "Kenny G Vibe" were wiped clean. This album was recorded in 1970, and yet sounds like it might have been recorded in 2008. I don't know if this is an indication of the state of innovation in jazz today or not. The title track Afric Pepperbird reminds of Eric Truffaz's music with Arild Anderson's smooth baseline and Terje Rypdal's tremolo smothered guitar licks. What I liked about this album was his use of African instruments, rather than incorporate traditional African rhythms and music he uses them as atmospheric tools to invoke a feeling.

Jan Garbarek (tenor & bass saxophones, flute, clarinet, percussion)
Terje Rypdal (bugle, guitar)
Arild Anderson (bass, xylophone, African thumb piano)
Jon Christensen (percussion)

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R.I.P. Mudfoot

I came across Reggie Okerheire Pedro's MySpace page and really liked his artwork. I visited his website recently and was saddened to see he passed on last November. It is a shame that we will not be blessed with more expressions of life from Mudfoot.

www.reggiepedro.com

The Sidewinders - Flatfoot Hustlin' (Great Eastern 197?)

This track has been on repeat for the last week. I think it must be my homage to the coming of summer. This album came into my life via a Nova Scotian family that I grew up with. "Gift To The Sun" with its soaring horn arrangement, for me has always been the stand out track.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Gift To The Sun


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Classic Weather Report, Live!

Nothing beats Weather Report live! This band had some amazing members from the get go. The first two clips feature the first line-up which included percussionist Dom Um Romão, what he does with a pair of clogs is pure genius. Check the change in groove once Alphonso Johnson (clip 3) replaced Miroslav Vitouš on bass.

Waterfall


Directions


Boogie Woogie Waltz



Here is a live FM Broadcast from Funkausstellung, Berlin September 3, 1971. This is the full recording from clip 2 featuring the original line up with addition of some extra players on brass.

Joe Zawinul - electric piano
Wayne Shorter - saxophones
Miroslav Vitous - bass
Alphonse Mouzon - drums
Dom Um Romao - percussion
* John Surman - baritone, soprano sax, bass clarinet
* Alan Skidmore - tenor sax, flute
* Eje Thelin - trombone

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The Ray Alexander Techniques - Let's Talk (Lujon 197?)

A friend of mine found 7 of these albums sealed at a garage sale a few years back. I ended up selling this record, but before it left I made a copy.

Here is a review from groovecollector.com

"The Ray Alexander Technique were discovered by their producer, Mrs Lucy Willmams. Rare soul and sweet soul album on the label "Harlem sound" from .... NYC. Great soulful cuts .... The arranger of this group is Ray Alexander Aka Raymond Jenkins who played Guitar, too. Recorded at Advantage Sounds Studio, New York City"

Ray Alexander (guitar)
Douglas Wilkerson (bass)
Ron Mack (drum)
Holley Jones (percussion)
Chris Bartley (vocal)
Gene Walker (sax)
Quinn Lynch (sax)
Billy Gardner (organ)
George Stubbs (piano)
Lucy Williams (producer)

My Special One


My World


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Eartrip - "A Journey For Your Ears"

Here is a link to a great magazine I found at eartripmagazine. A major effort was put into the inaugural issue, with over 200 pages of top notch jazz journalism. Check it out.

The Tony Williams Lifetime - Turn It Over (Polydor, 1970)

Hey there, this is my first post. I don't have any grand plans for this blog, its only purpose is to provide a spot for me to share my music. This first album I ripped a few years ago, I can't remember when or where a picked it up. I would describe this album as uneasy listening.


Tony Williams (drums, vocals)
John McLaughlin (guitars, vocals)
Larry Young (organ)
Jack Bruce (bass, vocals)

Enjoy the trip.

To Whom It May Concern - Them


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