Oliver Nelson- Skull Session (1975)

A beautiful bit of funky jazz -- and one of the unsung gems in the early 70s Flying Dutchman catalog! Oliver Nelson leads a number of different groups that are filled with funky electric players -- like Mike Wofford, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Denis Budimir -- and the record's filled with cool moog, arp, and keyboard grooves that are unlike anything you'll find on any other of Nelson's albums. Some cuts are more big band oriented, but the best ones are nice and funky. Titles include "Skull Session", "125th And 7th Ave", "Flight For Freedom", "Baja Bossa", and "Dumpy Mama".

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Ana Mazzotti- Ana Mazzotti (1974)

An amazing album of icy Brazilian jazz and sweet electric funk! Singer Ana Mazzotti is at the head of the session -- singing with this breezy style that's at once cold and warm, cool and emotive -- and she's backed by a small jazz combo with some incredible moog, Arp, and organ from Jose Roberto!

The record's got a bucketful of groove-heavy tracks that feel like CTI meeting up with Joao Donato -- and the album's a treasure that should be in the collection of any fan of 70s Brazilian funk! Titles include "Cordao", "Soul", "Bairro Negro", "Eu Sou Mai Eu", "Roda Mundo", "Sou", and "Agora Ou Nunca Mais" -- plus an incredible version of "Feel Like Making Love"!

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Bobby Thurston- Sweetest Piece Of The Pie (1978)

Those who know Bobby's Prelude output will probably be surprised at how soulful he gets on this pre-disco album from 1978! This is modern soul at its finest—sultry, sexy grooves galore.

Soul singer Bobby Thurston was a native of Washington, D.C., and got his start singing and playing congas with a group called Spectrum Ltd in his high school years. He caught his break when writers/producers Willie Lester and Rodney Brown heard him sing live, and signed him as part of their attempt to forge a stable of artists in the vein of Philadelphia International. Thurston recorded this, his first album, in 1978, and it is very much in the smooth, mellow Philly soul vein, with help from keyboardist/arranger Al Johnson. Highlights include "Treat Me The Same Way", the title track, and the great "Na Na Na Baby".

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis- Afro-Jaws (1961)

A soul jazz Latin masterpiece -- one that matches the searing tenor work of Eddie Lockjaw Davis with the hard-hitting conga of a young Ray Barretto! The core group of the set is a soul jazz one -- with Lockjaw blowing over rhythm by Lloyd Mayers on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums -- plus a small added trumpet section on a few tracks. Ray comes into the mix with some really tight percussion on the bottom, aided by a few other players at times -- kicking up the tunes and giving them a lot of fire -- something that Davis seems to really respond to in his horn.

Thanks should also be given to arranger Gil Lopez, who put together the overall sound of the set -- and the album's a hard groover all the way through, filled with Latin jammers like "Wild Rice", "Jazz-a-Samba", "Guanco Lament", "Afro Jaws", and "Tin Tin Deo".

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Black Heat- No Time To Burn (1974)

A stone classic from Black Heat -- the group's second album, and even tighter than their first! The group's size has dropped a bit between albums -- but that only helps them cook even more -- dropping a bit of the horn section from before, which allows even more emphasis on their razor-sharp rhythms! There's a slight hint of Afro Funk in some of the rhythms -- and the keyboards cook with lots of sweet clavinet lines -- mixed with a production style that features some bubbling electronic elements that remind us a lot of that crazy "magic bag" that was used by the Lafayette Afro-Rock Band. That group might be a good point of comparison, but the band also shares a lot of Kool & The Gang's ensemble funk style -- especially on their cover of "Love The Life You Live" -- which they burn here beautifully! Other tracks include "Super Cool", "M&M's", "Rapid Fire", "You Should Have Listened", "Times Have Changed", and "Check It All Out".

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Black Heat- Black Heat (1972)

A searing debut from Black Heat -- one of the best funk acts to record for Atlantic during the 70s, and a tight little group with a sound that's a mixture of New Orleans funk and New York heavy! The album's got a bit of vocals -- figuring in on about half the tracks -- but the main focus here is definitely instrumental -- with a strong emphasis on choppy guitar, sweet organ licks, and cooking horn solos on trumpet, tenor, and flute -- the last two of which are played by David Newman -- not normally a member of the combo, but a great guest for this session!

The sound is very tight, but never slick -- and often recorded with an earthiness that recalls some of the best indie label funk of the period -- like the kind of grooves you might find over at Perception/Today -- with all the trippiness that might imply. Titles include "Chip's Funk", "Wanoah", "Barbara's Mood", "Chicken Heads", "The Jungle", "Send My Lover Back", "Honey Love", and "Time Is Gonna Catch You".

Joel Dorn produced the album for Atlantic, so you know it's damn funky!

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Reuben Wilson- Blue Mode (1969)

Heavy funk from the mighty Reuben Wilson -- one of his first few albums for Blue Note, and a solid soulful groover that's right up there with Lou Donaldson's work for the label at the time! Tracks are nice and long, and pretty open -- often with that kicking drum sound at the bottom that you'd normally associate with Idris Muhammad, but which is handled here by Tommy Derrick on drums.

Melvin Sparks plays some mighty mean guitar -- in that great lean early style of his -- and the group's completed by John Manning on tenor, a player we don't know at all -- but whose lines here are a great counterpart to Wilson's heavy Hammond! Titles include "Orange Peel", "Blue Mode", "Bambu", "Knock On Wood", "Twenty Five Miles", and "Bus Ride".

Splendid cover, too!

Enjoy it!

Greg

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St Vincent's Latinaires- Supersound Orchestra (1972)

Back from Notting Hill carnival I had the urge to share some caribbean sounds —and this slice of heavy calypso-tinted funk and soul hails from the island of St Vincent, so that's a good place to start.

Not much is known about the band apart from their exotic origin, but the music speaks for itself, blending sweet soul with caribbean rhythms, and a few noteworthy incursions into sweaty, downright funky music such as their infamous covers of "Hot Pants" and "Roasted or Fried".

So don't be fooled by the touristic cover and grab it!

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Wood Brass & Steel- Wood Brass & Steel (1976)

A unique record with some extremely well-built songs! This is a lost bit of New Jersey funk on the Turbo label, featuring a group that includes Doug Wimbish and Skip McDonald before they became part of the Sugarhill house band, and then part of the On-U Sound collective. The album's a great mix of warmly soulful instrumental grooving -- with some tracks that have a tight uptempo feel, and others that are slower and harder, but equally jazzy.

The whole thing's the kind of funky record that you'd love to find while digging through the crates -- and it's had long life over the past few decades, thanks to the rich variety of tunes on the set. Includes the classic cut "Funkanova", an uptempo jazzy intrumental that continued to be a club favorite throughout the house years -- plus loads of other good cuts, too, like "WBS Theme" and a WICKED version of "Always There".

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Mombasa- African Rhythm & Blues 2 (1976)

The second album from Mombasa -- and possibly even better than the first! The group have really come into their own by the time of this date -- mixing together jazz and African roots with a sound that's unlike anyone else we can think of -- quite unique in its approach to rhythms, sounds, and solos! The grooves aren't really the Afro Funk you might expect -- and instead, they're based on a headier brew of basslines and percussion, one that's somewhere in a space between Boscoe, The Pharoahs, and Demon Fuzz -- but with a sound that's ultimately different than both.

The trombone of Lou Blackburn carries the lead on most tracks -- snaking out wonderfully over the grooves, with a quality that's amazingly soulful, and which almost has him standing head to head with Fred Wesley as a 70s innovator on his instrument. Other members of the group include Doug Lucas on trumpet, Bob Reed on percussion, Alan Tatham on drums, and Don Ridgeway on electric bass -- the last of whom really does a great job shaping the sound of the tunes. Titles include "Yenyeri", "Holz II", "Nomoli", "African Hustle", and "Al Rahman".

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Mombasa- African Rhythms & Blues (1975)

A sublime blend of spiritual jazz and African rhythms -- and one of the few 70s recordings made by Mombasa, a European group put together by LA trombonist Lou Blackburn! The record's got a much more righteous sound than any of Blackburn's work of the 60s -- a boldness and sense of pride that comes from its blending of percussion, acoustic bass, and soaring horn lines on trombone, trumpet, and bamboo flute!

Other African elements slide into the music too -- like bits of kalimba -- and the lack of piano or keyboards on the record makes for an especially earthy sound, one that trades rhythm from the percussion with melodies from the horns in a really magical way. Tracks are long, and the set was recorded with the same post-colonial energy as similar work from Paris or London at the time -- a really righteous groove that longs to be rediscovered! Titles include "Nairobi", "Massai", "Holz", "Kenia", "Makishi", and "Shango".

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Seguida- Love Is...Seguida (1974)

OK, so the call for taking over the blog is still on but let me entertain you with a few gems in the meantime, as a part-time contributor of these pages... We'll start with this latin bomb cut by some of the Fania team. Quoting DG: "Fierce and funky grooves from the glory days of the NuYorican scene! The album's a killer -- filled with uptempo tracks that mix together Latin funk, jazz, and salsa -- into an electrified groove that burns mightily across all the tracks! The album's got a great blend of electric keys and funky bass, layered against lots of acoustic percussion and cutting horn solos on soprano, tenor, and flute. Most tracks have vocals, and overall, the album's sort of a funkier version of the legendary Harlem River Drive album -- if you can believe that! Titles include "Love Is", "NYC Blues Day", "Afro Rican Suite (parts 1 & 2)", "Mambo Rock", and "Funky Felix".

Enjoy it!

Greg

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Not the end but...

I will take some rest. I'll be back regularly but not as often as I was. And at the end I will quit.
First reason of all... it takes time! But there's another one, my collection is not inexhaustible and I dont wanna share things I dont really like.
It will happen little by little 'cause I cant leave you like that. It's like an addiction. I must quit step by step.
If anybody should be motivated in administrating this blog, let me know in the comments. It would be an honor for me to retreat while somebody else's still running Oufar Khan.
Bye bye and see you soon

Grover Washington Jr. - A Secret Place (1976)

Tenor and soprano saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. was faced with an almost impossible task in 1976: following up his two 1975 critically acclaimed and wildly successful commercial recordings Mister Magic and Feels So Good. Both recordings crossed over to R&B on the radio and on the charts. A Secret Place was produced by Creed Taylor and issued on his Kudu imprint, while the versatile David Matthews arranged the horn section. The players include pianist Dave Grusin, drummer Harvey Mason, Ralph MacDonald on percussion, bassist Anthony Jackson, guitarist Eric Gale, trumpeter John Gatchell, and alto saxophonist Gerry Niewood. Guests include bassist George Mraz and guitarist Steve Khan, who appear only on a reading of Herbie Hancock's Dolphin Dance.
This lineup may not be surprising, but the scope of the recording is. Washington could have gone the easy route and followed up his R&B chart success with a series of uptempo, rousing tracks that leaned heavier on funk, in the style of the title tracks of both the previous albums. But he went in a different direction, at least partially. There are four cuts here, each between eight and nine minutes. The first two (which comprise side one of the LP), the title track, and Hancock's tune, are a bit more laid-back and mysterious.
Not Yet opens the second half of the set. It's a funky groove, but the easy, laid-back feel and chord changes in this Washington original make it irresistibly sexy. Once more, Gale's guitar pleases as it leads the horn section vamps that fill his sophisticated, soulful, bluesed-out solo. The lilt in Grusin's Rhodes piano is the perfect tastemaker, since Washington's tenor is so throaty and on the low-end growl. Harvey Mason's straight up funky soul number Love Makes It Better, takes the set out on a high note, with gorgeous guitar vamps by Gale, the three-horn line playing a sparse but pronounced melody line, and Grusin filling the middle with enough sweetness and light to offer the drums and percussion room to really pop. Washington's tenor solo is sophisticated and utterly tasteful; its emotion ratchets up the dynamic in the entire tune. The bottom line on A Secret Place is that while the set did well commercially, it got nowhere near the critical praise of its predecessors. That's a shame, because it is a truly fine album whose grooves and pleasures stand the test of time easily. It's ripe for reappraisal.
Enjoy it!

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Hot Chocolate - Hot Chocolate (1975)

When Hot Chocolate's first album, Cicero Park, came out in 1974, the majority of American soul fans didn't even know that it existed. But the band received more attention in the U.S. the following year, when this self-titled sophomore effort was released and the playful You Sexy Thing became a major hit. Many of the Americans who heard You Sexy Thing on either soul or pop/Top 40 radio bought the single but passed on the Hot Chocolate LP, and that's regrettable because the Brits' second album has a lot going for it. Hot Chocolate isn't perfect, this LP isn't devoid of filler, but the material is solid more often than not. Except for You Sexy Thing, the album's best tracks are its message songs. Thoughtful, reflective offerings like A Child's Prayer, The Street, and Dollar Sign explore the sociopolitical territory that Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and Donny Hathaway had been exploring, except that Hot Chocolate bring a British perspective to the table. On Amazing Skin Song, lead vocalist Errol Brown sings from the perspective of a black man who is in love with a white woman and refuses to let racism on the part of either blacks or whites keep him from being with her. Those who heard You Sexy Thing on the radio thought of Hot Chocolate as a lighthearted group, but most of the time, this is a very serious-minded album.
Enjoy it!

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The Four Mints - Gently Down Your Stream (1973)

An incredible album of harmony soul, easily one of the best you could ever hope to find! The Four Mints were an obscure group, but they sound really wonderful here, just as great as some of the bigger proponents of the genre in the early '70s, with an especially great talent for heartbreaking ballads! The album was the only one ever issued by the tiny Capsoul label (probably best known for their volume in Numero's Eccentric Soul series) and it features all of the group's singles for the label, plus one rare track. The sound is wonderful, a must-have set for any fan of group soul from the '70s.
Enjoy it!

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The John Betsch Society - Earth Blossom (1974)

John Betsch is one of the finer jazz drummers that almost no one ever talks about. Since the 1970s, he has served as the imaginative anchor for numerous bands, notably those of Abdullah Ibrahim and Steve Lacy. His only album as leader finds him fronting a sextet which he wryly dubs the John Betsch Society. While none of the musicians are household names, they succeed in producing an enjoyable, tuneful recording. In fact, several of the tunes, including Ode to Ethiopia, Open Pastures, and Darling Doria, are downright hummable with a loose, loping, country-like groove and might even appeal to fans of early Grateful Dead or Canned Heat. Billy Puett contributes some strong Coltrane-inspired tenor playing on his own composition, Ra, and is also very effective elsewhere on flute. Overall, Earth Blossom is a solid, straight-ahead effort which includes a few songs that, were they better known, might well become standards.
Enjoy it!

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