Review: An intriguing song is 'Aftershower Funk', the Latin American musician Joe Bataan's curt salsa single from 1974. Fresh, cologned, groomed, and with towel firmly wrapped round hair, Bataan's largely instrumental track is about as lightfooted as the sprightly young man he was, then at 34 years old. With heavy tin drum and cowbell clangings peppered throughout, a toe-tapping mood is sure to beset the listener. B-sider 'Fin' continues the mood, uniting percussion with piano, brass, whistle and rhythm guitar; a much fuller exercise in triumphant finality.
Dennis Coffey And The Detroit Guitar Band - "Scorpio"
The Jimmy Castor Bunch - "It's Just Begun"
B.T. Express - "Energy Level"
James Brown - "Get On The Good Foot"
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - "Planet Rock"
Manu Dibango - "Soul Makossa"
Esther Williams - "Last Night Changed It All"
The Mohawks - "The Champ"
Herman Kelly & Life - "Dance To The Drummer's Beat"
Spanky Wilson - "Sunshine Of Your Love"
James Brown - "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose"
Candido - "Soulwanco"
Arthur Baker - "Breaker's Revenge"
Manu Dibango - "The Panther"
Abaco Dream - "Life And Death In G & A"
The Jackson 5 - "Dancing Machine"
Mongo Santamaria - "Cloud Nine"
Edwin Starr - "I Just Wanna Do My Thing"
Badder Than Evil - "Hot Wheels"
Johnny Bristol - "Lusty Lady"
Review: With 'breaking' making its debut in the 2024 Paris Olympics, it seems an apt time to go back to where it all began and showcase some of the music that first made break-dancers move in the early years of hip-hop culture. Soul Jazz Records clearly agrees, hence this two-disc retrospective of early 'breaker' favourites curated by Arthur Baker - a man who's productions and remixes soundtracked many dancefloor battles in the early 80s. It's a suitably strong selection all told, with dusty funk, soul and funk-rock favourites (Johnny Bristol, James Brown, The Jimmy Castor Bunch, Spanky Wilson) being joined by disco-funk jams (Herman Kelly and Life), extra-percussive workouts (Manu Dibango, Mongo Santamaria, Candido) and a smattering of key Baker productions (Afrika Bambaata and Soul Sonic Force's 'Planet Rock' and his own infectious 'Breakers Revenge').
Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band - "Scorpio" (4:03)
The Jimmy Castor Bunch - "It's Just Begun" (3:41)
BT Express - "Energy Level" (3:46)
James Brown - "Get On The Good Foot" (4:06)
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - "Planet Rock" (6:26)
Manu Dibango - "Soul Makossa" (4:24)
Esther Williams - "Last Night Changed It All" (4:23)
The Mohawks - "The Champ" (2:38)
Herman Kelly & Life - "Dance To The Drummer's Beat" (4:13)
Spanky Wilson - "Sunshine Of Your Love" (3:40)
James Brown - "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" (6:11)
Candido - "Soulwanco" (4:12)
Arthur Baker - "Breaker's Revenge" (4:53)
Manu Dibango - "The Panther" (2:29)
Abaco Dream - "Life And Death In G & A" (2:19)
The Jackson 5 - "Dancing Machine" (3:29)
Mongo Santamaria - "Cloud Nine" (5:42)
Edwin Starr - "I Just Wanna Do My Thing" (5:18)
Badder Than Evil - "Hot Wheels The Chase" (3:01)
Review: Curated by the legendary producer Arthur Baker, Breakers Revenge is a comprehensive compilation of original funk, soul, Latin, disco and electro tracks from 1970-1984. These tracks, ranging from well-known classics to hidden gems, have become legendary in the world of breakdancing. Featuring seminal tracks like Dennis Coffey's 'Scorpio', The Jimmy Castor Bunch's 'It's Just Begun' and Afrika Bambaataa's groundbreaking 'Planet Rock', this collection embodies the essence of breakdancing culture. The percussive breakdowns and infectious beats of these tracks have not only been the soundtrack to countless block parties and park jams but have also been sampled by numerous hip-hop artists and producers. With extensive liner notes and track-by-track breakdowns, Breakers Revenge is perfect time capsule for fans of breakdancing, hip-hop and music enthusiasts.
Review: Soul Jazz Records is back with another crucial reissue, this time of Dedication by Tribe, a rare gem from the 1970s funk, soul and jazz era as a special limited-edition coloured vinyl for Black Friday 2024. It has been fully remastered and comes with original artwork and mirrors the eclectic sounds of Mandrill, The Blackbyrds and Kool and the Gang. Tribe, led by multi-instrumentalist Earl J Foster and producer Big Dee Ervin, blended funk, jazz, rock, Latin and soul into a singular style on the album which was originally released independently in 1977 and has been out of print for over 45 years. Dedication is a masterpiece that offers a deep, spaced-out fusion.
Gwen McCrae - "All This Love That I'm Giving" (3:52)
Beginning Of The End - "Monkey Tamarind" (3:33)
Latimore - "I Get Lifted" (4:38)
Raw Soul Express - "Burn The Candle" (2:36)
Chocolateclay - "Free (I'll Always Be)" (4:35)
Betty Wright - "I Love The Way You Love" (3:00)
Little Beaver - "Concrete Jungle" (4:51)
Jimmy 'Bo' Horne - "Clean Up Man" (2:33)
Timmy Thomas - "Africano" (4:29)
Charles Allen - "Winterman" (3:15)
T-Connection - "Do What Ya Wanna Do" (7:03)
Robert Moore - "Jimmie Bo Charlie" (2:14)
Milton Wright - "Keep It Up" (4:10)
Clarence Reid - "Ten Tons Of Dynamite" (2:32)
Timmy Thomas - "Why Can't We Live Together" (4:36)
Little Beaver - "We Three" (4:06)
Paulette Reaves - "Do It Again" (5:32)
Lynn Williams - "Kisses, Kisses, Kisses" (2:20)
Review: Soul Jazz Records' new Miami Sound 2 is a superlative collection of 70s soul, funk, disco and boogie featuring tracks from legendary artists such as Betty Wright, Timmy Thomas, Gwen McRae, Milton Wright, T-Connection and many more, all released on the mighty TK Records musical empire based in Miami, Florida. Centring on the curatorial efforts of TK Records founder Henry Stone, who is credited by Soul Jazz as one of the tastemaking pioneers of boogie, after the early ferments of gritty funk and soul formed out of the arrival of disco in the mid-70s. This compilation snaps up a distinct, unforgettable moment in the pivot from disco into soul, with essential tracks from Betty Wright, to Timmy Thomas, to Raw Soul Express, to T Connection all in tow.
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