I've Got a Lovely Bunch . . .

Right - I had a fun weekend, so didn't have time to post anything. Sorry - I will make it up with a multiple post some time this week.

In the meantime, get your dancing pants moving to this. Actually, preferably oversized zoot suit pants, 'cos here's a tune from one August Darnell aka Kid Creole. This is from the boogie classic 'Tropical Gangsters' (which also features 'Annie' and 'Stool Pigeon') and is a typically fun lovin' Coconuts track with nice vibes work from Coati Mundi. Get down to . . .

I'm Corrupt

The Ironbridge Rocket

I know very little about the origin of today's little gem. Billy Wright is more of a name I associate with Wolverhampton Wanderers than dancefloor jazz. And I ain't here to write about that shower! (Sorry any Black Country visitors to my blog)

He had a long career and was quite influential in shifting R'n'B into the rock'n'roll in the early 50s. This number 'Summer Love' is a funky, swinging jazz number with a hugely groovy bass. I'm not going to emote anymore - just download and check it yourself.

You may have noticed I am posting at quite a rate, beginner's enthusiasm and all that. I will settle down into a more infrequent rate of posting, so make the most of it. And while I may have a leaning towards disco, funk, jazz & all that - beware, I am going to potter around quite a few musical categories at some point. Music is music, categories are the fetish of the narrow-minded.

Oh, I'll shut up now . . .

Summer Love

I got the Afro-beat blues . . .

Now it was a bit cold in Hong Kong today, and of course cold in HK is only 9 or 10 degrees, so you're probably wondering what I'm moaning about. Well, it was one of those mornings where you didn't want to get out of bed (most mornings?). Fortunately, the music system isn't far away and I was able to slip this tune on to warm things up.

'Money is the Root of Evil' is pure, unadulterated Afro-beat - ten minutes of meandering, sinewy rhythm. Don't know much about the artist Dan Boadi - other than he was from Ghana and he originally put this tune out in the late 70s in Chicago. By all accounts, the States wasn't ready for Afro-beat yet, although surely Fela Kuti was known by then and the likes of David Mancuso had made a reputation for picking up gems like this. In fact, this tune has a nice 'Loft' feel to it.

Boadi didn't release anything else. This is another wonderful re-find & reissue, this time from Aestaurium, who put out the excellent Philip Cohran Artistic Heritage Ensemble album - check that out for some understated, percussive, spacy jazz (God, that sounded a bit Fast Show).

Anyway, it woke me up this morning and it has the capacity to move any open-minded dancefloor.

Money is the Root of Evil

EDIT - just discovered his website - www.danboadi.com - seems he is still very much recording and has a band called Ghannata.

My Magic Wand

Herbie Hancock needs no introduction - a genius adapter & innovator, a real pioneer of electronica and damn funky too. Here's a track from a neglected album - 'Magic Windows'.

Released in1981, it was his first significant release after the 'disco' years and retains a strong dancefloor flavour, but with a few more chances to noodle in his own inimitable way. The Brothers Johnson provide tight backing and Sylvester also features on the album as a guest vocalist. The track I have chosen, however, does not feature him. 'Magic Number' is a nice electronic R'n'B jam lifted to a sublime level by a wonderful latin piano break halfway into the track. I've heard Theo Parrish play this section on a night out and it tore the place down. Some smutty lyrics about using your 'magic wand' complete the experience.

Come wave my wand, baby . . .

Magic Number

Camino del Sol hotel, Palm Beach

Welcome welcome. This is only adding to the vast number of music blogs out there, I suppose, but the more the merrier, I say. I hope people enjoy the music here and are encouraged to share their love, too.

Anyway, 'nuff of dat. On with the music . .

If you're apt to go out, you may have noticed a lovely edit by Todd Terje going round of Antena's 'Camino del Sol'. Antena were a French three piece who were around in the early 80s and actually put out an album on Factory (through their Benelux division!).

It seems a very open time musically (I say *seems* 'cos I was only 7 at the time) - and in Antena you can hear a real mix of sounds and influences. It's Latin, of course, but at the same time New Wave, electronic and, yet, a very French sound influenced by the likes of Francoise Hardy and Jane Birkin. You can also hear echoes of their contemporaries like ACR.

Their lovely electro-bossa sound in a lot of ways foreshadows the likes of Stereolab and Saint Etienne, and even the more modern interpretations of bossa from the likes of EBTG and Bebel Gilberto. Sadly, they did not exist in their three-piece form for long - releasing one album 'Camino del Sol' before separating. Isabella Antena (the lead) still records but has gone all a bit smooth for my liking - there's none of the fragile beauty of the early recordings.

Here's another track of the album, well worth tracking down - it's had a CD reissue as far as I know - but make sure you do try and get it, whatever format you're after. Enjoy - more soon.


Seaside Weekend