Tag Archive Browsing Tag: funk

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James Booker

Bayou Maharajah: James Booker Story

I’ve been anticipating seeing this for quite some time now and today was the day. The DVD packaging is superb and of course features a “who’s who” of the NOLA music scene. Two of my favorite clips include the 1973 Don Kirshner Rock Concert with Mac, the Harry Connick Sr. (and 12 y.o. Jr.) segments, and the Scott Billington segment featuring…

music

Guardians of the Groove

The best little community radio station around for top-notch music (gig listings, recipes and more) and of course these days you don’t have to be in New Orleans to listen or indeed to watch their regular live video streams — a conduit to the deepest and widest musical tradition, constantly being infused with new talent. Please…

music, steely dan

Steely Dan: The Making of Aja

This documentary gets taken down/blocked from time to time (at least to me) so it’s worth checking out this Japanese subtitled version. Fascinating seeing these meticulous and obsessive musicians work with equally obsessive session musicians (and other amazing performers such as Wayne Shorter), without it ever becoming bloodless — infused with gospel, blues and some superb…

John Deacon

John Deacon

Happy birthday to John the shyest funkmeister (with a penchant for soul) that ever made it into the big time. We walked passed each other (me on dog walking duty) a few times since we lived very close to each other. Of course Queen was greater than its parts but the primary creative axis was…

Deltaphonic

To get to the light you need to cross the shadow

If there’s one truth all outlaws know To get to the light you need to cross the shadow This phrase from Deltaphonic’s “Buckhorn Saloon” pretty much sums up the spirit animating this astonishing debut album entitled Texas, Texas. Without doubt it’s the Exile on Main Street for our time: dirty, earthy, gritty, soulful, sweaty, troubled, tongue-in-cheek…

Charles Bradley, music

Charles Bradley: Soul of America

Most will know of Charles Bradley (a thorough mensch) through the documentary Soul of America. I’ve been listening closely to his excellent three albums No Time For Dreaming, Victim of Love, and Changes but have come to the view that his best is yet to come. The latest features a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” and even has Charles doing an…

music, Prince

Dirty Mind

Neither For You nor Prince was adequate preparation for the full-blown masterpiece of Prince’s third album, Dirty Mind. Recorded in his home studio, with Prince playing nearly every instrument, Dirty Mind is a stunning, audacious amalgam of funk, new wave, R&B, and pop, fueled by grinningly salacious sex and the desire to shock. Where other…

Baby Huey, bobby womack

California Dreamin’

Here are two very different superb interpretations — the first by Baby Huey; the second by Bobby Womack. These guys so easily and classily rework a classic song squeezing out new nuances. Isaac Hayes and Rod Stewart also had this ability, something that most covers these days fail to do. Both BW and IH reinterpret Bacharach &…