Thursday, February 23, 2012

The L.A. Carnival - Would Like to Pose a Question (1970)




Sweet jazzy funk -- from the cornbelt of Omaha! The LA Carnival are one of those rarer-than-rare funk groups who not only never got their due back in the day -- but also recorded a heck of a lot of great material that never even got issued! They have a totally great sound that bubbles in jazzy licks on trumpet, sax, and organ -- next to tighter, funkier vamping on the rhythms -- all of which makes for a killer approach to the groove that's surprisingly fresh, given the passage of three decades since the group's heyday. And leave it to the folks at Stones Throw -- who know how to dig beyond the crates, into the earth, and come up with a lost slice of funk history that has made the world a much better musical place. They've lovingly remastered these great recordings from the early 70s, and have packaged the whole thing with a well-done set of notes that really goes into detail about this unique group, their amazing sound, and their obscure Nebraska origins! An instant funk essential -- and one you'll be thanking yourself for buying for years to come. Titles include "Black Man's March", "Ron's Tune", "The Klan", "Color", "Flyin", "We Need Peace & Love", and "Blind Man".

01.Flyin'
02.We Need Peace and Love
03.(We'd Like To) Pose a Question
04.Seven Steps to Nowhere
05.Blind Man
06.Can You Hum a Tune
07.Color
08.The Klan
09.Black Man's March
10.Ron's Tune Alternate Take

BONUS LIVE TRACKS:

11.Scratchin'
12.Ron's Tune
13.Bad Luck
14.Blues For L.A.


Lester Abrams - drums, vocals, organ, acoustic piano, percussion
Arno Lucas - vocals, percussion
Leslie Smith - vocals
Rick Chudacoff - electric bass, backup vocals
Ron Cooley - electric and acoustic guitar
Geno DeVaughn - trumpet
Percy Marion - tenor saxophone, flute
Michael Patterson - alto saxophone

Sunday, February 12, 2012

The Roots of Chicha 2 - Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru (2010)


This second volume is not a sequel. It’s an attempt to rectify some of the biases and inaccuracies of the first volume. Volume two focuses more on the urban aspect of the music and less on the Amazonian side. It highlights some lesser-known bands, and it also broadens its scope to include some of the early Cuban-influenced groups who would play such a crucial role in the elaboration of the chicha sound, as well as some of the later bands who play in the more Andean style that came to be referred to as chicha. More roots. More chicha.

01 - Constelación - Los Destellos
02 - El Diablo - Compay Quinto
03 - Sibando - Los Ribereños
04 - Colegiala - Los Ilusionistas
05 - La Pastorcita - Los Destellos
06 - Lamento Del Yacuruna - Los Wembler's De Iquitos
07 - Como Un Ave - Grupo Celeste
08 - El Hueleguiso - Manzanita Y Su Conjunto
09 - A Trabajar - Chacalón Y La Nueva Crema
10 - Cumbia Del Desierto - Los Destellos
11 - Mala Mujer - Ranil Y Su Conjunto
12 - Agua - Manzanita Y Su Conjunto
13 - El Aguajal - Los Shapis
14 - Paga La Cuenta Sinvergüenza - Manzanita Y Su Conjunto
15 - Siboney - Los Walkers
16 - La Danza Del Petrolero - Los Wembler's De Iquitos

Saturday, February 11, 2012