Various Artists

Stay On The Groove 4 (Freestyle 2008)

Well, here we are now with Volume 4 of the hugely successful Stay on the Groove series. The idea of this was to showcase some of the excellent Funk 45’s that were being released around the world but annoyingly were not turning up anywhere on CD for the non-DJ / Vinly Junkie listener to check out. Kicking off Volume 4 we have one of the best Funk 45’s to be released in the past decade. The Tornadoes featuring Tyra Hammond's “You got me Thinkin’ “ is Sister Funk of the highest order . Next up we have “Hope” from Glen Anthony Henry. Originally from Los Angeles, Glen has collaborated with Dr. Dre, Erykah Badu and many more. “Hope” is taken from Glen’s debut album “Relax and Love”. The Sound Stylistics started out life as a studio project in 2002 for the Library label Bruton. “The Players Theme” was released as a limited edition of 500 copies last year which all sold out in less than 2 hours. The Quantic Soul Orchestra hardly need any introduction . “Panama City” is from his excellent “Tropidelico” album. “Got to lose your Way” by the Haggis Horns could easily pass itself off as a classic Tower of Power track, while Amsterdam based The Soul Snatchers “I Can’t stand it” was recently hailed by Keb Darge as the best new funk recording of the past 12 months and features the vocals of 70’s Dutch Funk legend Jimi BellMartin. DJ Bobesch brings his Deep Funk project to life. All of their records are not available in any record shop and have sold out through word of mouth on vinyl only. We present the killer “Billy’s Popcorn” on CD for the first time here.

Cookin’ on 3 Burners tribute to Keb Darge’s “Bucket” ( as essential part of his rider when he toured Australia apparently ) is a monster groove which is amazing considering there is only three people making this big loud sound. From Japan we have Mr. Comicstore with his uptempo Funk killer ( on CD for the first time again here! ) featuring the vocals of Nicole Willis. “Wait a minute” was Lack of Afro's first single which used a looped break from Simon Allen ( the drummer with the New Mastersounds ). Which brings us to the next track, a lovely Kenny Dope remix of the New Mastersounds “Nervous”, Speedometer’s “Take a chance” is another killer Leigh Gracie original. It is taken from their latest album “Four flights up” which is one of the best Funk albums of the past few years. Charles Bradley and the Dynamites “Killin it’ is featured on a limited edition ( 500 only pressed ) 45 to promote this compilation. On the other side of the 45 we “Turn it up” by Open Souls who are basically the same group as the Tornadoes who started the album off and once again feature the amazing vocals of Tyra Hammond.

Tracklist:

01.) You Got Me Thinkin - The Tornadoes

02.) Hope - Glen Anthony Henry

03.) The Players Thems - The Sound Stylistics

04.) Panama City - Quantic Soul Orchestra

05.) Got To Lose Your Way - The Haggis Horns

06.) I Can't Stand It - The Soul Snatchers

07.) Keb's Bucket - Cookin On 3 Burners

08.) Nervous (Kenny Dope Remix) - NMS

09.) Take A Chance - Speedometer

10.) Are You Ready To Party? - Mr Comicstore

11.) Droppin - Funkshone

12.) Killin It - The Dynamites

13.) Emu Brown - Mike L

14.) Rampage - The Whitefield Brothers

15.) Billy's Popcorn - Brand New Rhythm

16.) Wait A Minute - Lack Of Afro

17.) Turn It Up - Opensouls

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Daptone Records presents

Como Now - The Voices of Panola Co., Mississippi (Daptone 2008)

Deep in the heart of Panola County, Mississippi lies Como, a small rural town where children and grown folks alike have been living and breathing gospel for as long as they can remember. In the summer of 2006, Daptone Records placed a small ad in local papers and on the radio inviting singers to come down to Mt. Mariah Church to record their songs. The result is COMO NOW, a stirring collection of traditional and original a cappella gospel from the voices of Panola County’s own families.

It may seem like a leap for Daptone Records to be releasing an album of a cappella gospel music. Daptone has earned a reputation for creating and proliferating the purest of today’s soul and funk music. Why gospel? And why without any instrumentation? If you put aside the analytical categories of the music critic for a moment, and just listen to the record, the answer becomes simple and clear: this is soulful music.

“When Michael Reilly came to me with his first recordings of the Como Mamas, I remember hearing it and being blown away. Though I’ve been into soul music for a very long time, it has only been in the past few years that I really got deeper into gospel music…and the line from soul to gospel eventually became much clearer to me. Less of an academic lineage than a visceral feeling that I started to get from listening to old records by the Soul Stirrers and the Highway Q.C.’s. Dorothy Love Coates, the Mighty Pilgrim Travelers, The Blind Boys, The Violinaires. They were the same sounds, the same feeling, as I got listening to James Brown, Tina Turner, Lee Fields when they were really wailing. Otis Redding when he was really pleading. Al Green when he was really moaning. Sounds that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The recordings Michael played me gave me the same feeling.”


Tracklist:

1.) When the Gates Swing Open

2.) It's Alright

3.) I Can See So Much

4.) Jesus Builds a Fence Around Me

5.) Trouble in My Way

6.) If It Had Not Been for Jesus

7.) If It Wasn't for the Lord

8.) New Burying Ground

9.) God's Unchanging Hand

10.) I Can't Afford to Let My Saviour Down

11.) Talk with Jesus

12.) Lil' Old Church House

13.) Send Me I'll Go

14.) Help Me to Carry On

15.) Move Upstairs

16.) Somebody Here Needs You Lord

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