It's safe to say that I've never been one for "mash-ups", however Gerardo Frisina has produced a superb mash-up titled "African Seeds" that consists of an unreleased Sabu Martinez track that is blended together with the baritone sax groove from Sahib Shihab's 1968 track "Seeds". This funky track is featured on the twelve-inch single Gerardo Frisina Blends Sabu Martinez & Sahib Shihab, which was released back in 2005 off the label Schema. The song has a heavy Afro-Latin groove while maintaining it's uptempo feel all the way through the track's last conga hit. Overall, the track represents a great example of how to bring together two funky Afro-Latin cuts and produce a brilliant new production. Enjoy!
Recently, I've really been enjoying Melvyn Price's funky Latin album Rhythm and Blues. This hard-to-find record was originally released in 1974, however thanks to the good people over at Wax Poetics, the album has become more easily available due to a recent reissue. Generally I'm not a big fan of reissues, however given the almost impossible-to-find nature of the release, this is certainly one reissue in my mind worth checking out. The record has an overall funky Afro-Cuban feel, with a heavy dose of solid conga based percussion rhythms from Price leading the way. Some of the highlight's include "Voodoo Love Dance", "Behind Kungsträdgarden", and "Toward Brazil" among others. Simply put, Rhythm and Blues is nothing less than an absolute Latin percussion masterpiece. Enjoy!
I've been enjoying another beautiful day in the bay while trying to recover from last night's very hot and sweaty Grow Up party. Thanks to Team Everything for coming out and dropping a fantastic set of funky tunes. The next Grow Up will be on October 3rd, so stay tuned for more info on that upcoming party.
It's great that it's finally Friday, as I'm sure all of you will agree. Time to relax and catch up on some much needed rest. Anyways, I thought I would end the week with a funky Afro-Cuban jazz cut from Art Blakey titled "No Hay Problema". This Latin-flavoured track was originally released on the 1960 French soundtrack Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers were responsible for the film's entire soundtrack and features a few versions of the "No Hay Problema" song. The most notable version of the song, featured below, was also included on the first volume of the incredible compilation series Mojo Club Presents Dancefloor Jazz. Overall, it's a great track that goes nicely with all those refreshing Happy Hour cocktails. Enjoy!
My wife and I have been spending the last few nights going through drink recipes that feature rum in this new cocktail book that we bought. I find there is nothing better than an evening enjoying some tropical rum drinks with some funky Latin music, which brings me to today's featured track by Gnonnas Pedro, titled "Yiri Yiri Boum". This laid-back tropical gem was released back in 1981 off his album El Cochechivo. Pedro was a Benin born multi-instrumentalist who was known in that region for his Cuban influenced music. He played in the Benin based group Los Panchos before starting his own band which was called Les Dadjés. If anything can be certain when it comes to the tropical music that Gnonnas Pedro produced throughout his career, is that the songs should be complimented with a solid dose of Cuban rum. Enjoy!
After my recent post on Dizzy Gillespie's Afro-Cuban classic "Manteca" (see Funky Manteca), many readers where asking me about similiar artists, songs, and records that fall in line with that Afro-Cuban sound that "Manteca" captures so brilliantly. The first album that comes to mind that falls along the same line musically as the Gillespie classic is Kenny Dorham's 1955 album Afro-Cuban. The album, which features Dorham on trump as well as jazz giants like Art Blakey on drums, Horace Silver on piano, Hank Mobley and Cecil Payne on saxophone, and some excellent work on the congas by Carlos "Potato" Valdes, consists of some solid Afro-Cuban gems like "Minor's Holiday", "Basheer's Dream", and the funky classic "Afrodisia". This album showcased a different side musically for the trumpeter, who went on to release many more "smooth sounding" jazz records. Overall, when it comes to Afro-Cuban jazz, Dorham's Afro-Cuban album is an absolute masterpiece and a record that I highly reccommend. Enjoy!
I'm going to post something a little different today in sharing one of my all-time favorite Afro-Cuban jazz songs in Dizzy Gillespie's thirteen minute extended version of "Manteca". One of the reasons I'm posting this track is because I can almost single handily credit this funky jazz gem for opening up me to the world of jazz. From the song's Fela Kuti-like horn intro to the funky Latin percussion breaks, I fell in love with this track from the first time I heard it. Some might consider this track as Dizzy's greatest work and a turning point in his prolific career as he branched out from bebop to Afro-Cuban jazz. As with many jazz songs, their have been many different versions of "Manteca" that have appeared on various albums and with array of different lineups, however this is the version that appears on the 1973 album titled The Source. Since being turned on to this funky jazz classic, I've seeked out more Afro-Cuban music and have come across many other great artists from that genre that I had once not heard about including Machito, Manteca, The Har-You Percussion Group, Kenny Dorham and many more. Even though this track is not the sort of song that typically get's featured on this site, it has been one that has helped re-shape my music tastes in quite an impacting way. For those who have yet heard this song, hopefully it will a similiar impact as it did on me. Enjoy!
Over this past weekend, I was excited to pick up the first volume of the Waxing Deep Records' released Si, Para Usted compilation. The well-compiled collection of tracks that makes up the release, features rare and funky cuts from revolutionary-era Cuba. The double-vinyl record includes funky jazz and Latin flavoured cuts from groups and artists like Irakere, Los Reyes '73, Grupo Monumental, Jorge Reyes and Orquesta Riverside among many others. My favorite track on the compilation is probably the record's opener in "Son A Propulsion" by Juan Pablo Torres Y Algo Nuevo, who is featured three times on the release. Overall, the first volume in the two part series of Si, Para Usted is a solid compilation that gives great insight into the music and artists during a very controversial period in Cuba. Enjoy
Here is a heavy-weight Afro-Latin funk gem, titled "Ritual", by Nico Gomez And His Afro Percussion Inc.. This was the title track off the group's solid and hard-to-find 1971 album. The track, which can also be found on a number of compilations, is a producer and deejay's dream, as the song is overloaded with many funky drum and instrumental breaks. This is just one of the many great tracks from the Ritual album, which also includes other Afro and Latin flavoured funk cuts like "Caballo Negro", "Lupita", and "Baila Chibiquiban". Nico Gomez has released a number of great records throughout his life, however this early seventies masterpiece might just be his best work. Enjoy your weekend!
Here is a funky Latin percussion masterpeice titled "Afro Funky" from Cuban percussionist Lazaro Pla, aka Manteca. This track is featured on Manteca's only full-length album Ritmo Y Sabor, released in the early seventies. Even though this is Manteca's only known full-length release, this master "bongosero" as many call him, was one of Cuba's finest and most influential musicians dating all the way back from the 1940's, as he is featured on many releases from that region. Standout tracks on Ritmo Y Sabor include "Cosas De Manteca", "Abacua", "Son Montuno", and my personal favorite "Afro Funky". These are the breaks...So Enjoy!
A few months back, I snatched up a copy of Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers' funky classic album Yaina. Until actually purchasing the Cubop records re-issue, I hadn't heard much about the group. That being said, after one listen of the record, I was pretty much hooked. The hard-to-find album was originally released in 1971 and has an overall funky Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz vibe throughout with a focus around heavy hitting percussion grooves. Some of my favorite cuts include "Chitterlings Con Carne", "Hard Hats", "Yaina", and "Inside The Corn". Since buying this record, I've gone on to pick-up other great releases from Pucho, including "Super Freak" and "Jungle Fire!" with much satisfaction. If you enjoy that heavy conga influenced Afro-Cuban sound, than I highly recommend checking out Yaina and all of the Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers' records. Enjoy your weekend!
Well, I surely knew that when I decided to do a 2009 Best of post, I was bound to unintentionally leave out some worthy releases from the following year. One of those releases, which was right up there with the best albums of 2009, was Cesar's Salad's funky Latin jazz masterpiece Latin Beat. Cesar's Salad is a small combo that nicely blends together congas, Latin percussion, bass, and piano to create some of the funkiest Latin cuts of the past few years. Amazing tracks like "Batucada Surgiu", "Afrodisia", "Bolivia", and "Nana" take the listener on a journey back to the Latin dancefloors of Spanish Harlem during the 1960's. For fans of Sabu Martinez, Har-You Percussion Group, Mongo Santamaria, Latin Beat is an album definitely worth owning. The only downside I've found when it comes to this group, is that Latin Beat is a CD/Digital release only, leaving us vinyl lovers a little bit out in the dark. The only compromise has been the fact the group has release a seven-inch single of arguably the album's best track in "Batucada Surgiu". Hopefully in time we will see more vinyl releases from this upcoming group. Until then, I'll be putting the iPod on repeat and enjoying every second of the Latin Beat.
In a nice transition from yesterday's post, here is Jazz Techniques' "Afro Beat". I came across this funky heavy-weight, when I picked up a used copy of the Counterpoint Records released compilation Jazz Bizniz! which features rare and hard-to-find jazz-funk, cosmic soul, and boogie cuts. My favorite track on the record, "Afro Beat", was actually originally released on dance instructional record by dance teacher Lynda Gache. I haven't been able to find out when this actual dance instruction record was released or the artists' that actually contributed to the song. Regardless it's an amazing song that has an overall Afro-funk groove that will definitely get the dancefloor moving. Enjoy!
Lately, I have been really enjoying music by Latin jazz percussionist Sabu Martinez. One of my favorite "Sabu" releases is his 1973 funky LP "Afro Temple". On top of having one of my all-time favorite LP covers (artwork), the record consists of a steady diet of funky Afro-Cuban gems including "My Son Johnny & Me", "All Camels Hump", and "My Cristina" among many others. The record features a heavy dose of funky Latin conga grooves that will have you movin' from start to finish. As I continue to explore the many recordings and collaborations Sabu was involved with, the more I'm convinced that he is definitely one of the greatest Latin percussionists and artists of all-time. In the next few weeks, if not already, Mellotronen records out of Sweden will be releasing some hard-to-find material from this amazing artist. From the tracks I've already heard, I highly recommend snatching up these records when you get a chance. Until then, here is one of my personal Sabu favorites in "Hotel Alyssa - Soussie, Tunisia". Enjoy!
