Dave Pike

Listen/Download – Dave Pike – Sweet Tater Pie MP3

Greetings all.

The end of the week is nigh, and so then is the Funky16Corners Radio Show,which comes to you each and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. If you can’t be there at airtime, you can keep up with the show by subscribing to the podcast in iTunes, listening on your mobile device via the TuneIn app, or grabbing yourself an MP3 here at the blog.

This has been a rough week for music, with the passing of New Orleans drumming giant Smokey Johnson, singer Billy Joe Royal, and then yesterday the news came down that the mighty Dave Pike had slipped the surly bonds of earth.

If you don’t know (though you should) Pike was one of the pioneers of the groovy side of 60s and 70s soul jazz.

He got his start playing straight ahead jazz with Paul Bley in the late 50s, then moving on for an extended period of time playing in the bands of flautist Herbie Mann (who produced today’s selection), an artist that he was similar to in artistic temperament, if not long term commercial success.

Pike was, as a master of the vibes and the marimba, and explorer in musical styles (amplifying his vibes early on in his career), working (like Mann) all manner of world music sounds into his work as well as healthy doses of soul, funk and even pop.

His late 60s/early 70s) work with the Dave Pike Set alongside guitarist Volker Kriegel included groundbreaking soul jazz and rare groove, sought after by DJs and collectors the world over.

The selection I bring you today is a single, which originally appeared on Pike’s 1966 LP ‘Jazz for the Jet Set’, which featured him exclusively on marimba with a group that also included Herbie Hancock making a rare appearance on organ.

Written by Rodgers Grant (who also penned ‘Yeh Yeh’ for Mongo Santamaria, which went on to be a cornerstone of Georgie Fame’s repertoire), ‘Sweet Tater Pie’ (originally waxed by Mongo in ’63)  is a classic bit of hard-charging, dance-floor-ready soul jazz.

Pike manages to rein in the woodier sound of the marimba, and it’s very cool to hear Herbie working it out on the Hammond. Jimmy Lewis’s bass adds a throbbing undercurrent to the proceedings, helping Grady Tate to keep it in the pocket.

If you dig what you hear, I would highly suggest that you head out and find yourselves some of the Dave Pike Set, especially the ‘Infra-Red’ album, the deep track ‘Mathar’, and my personal fave (of which I wish I owned an OG), his 1969 ‘Got the Feelin’ set, which is a classic.

Pike was a master, and continued to play and record until 2010, when ill health forced his retirement.

I hope you dig the sounds, and that you take the opportunity to head out and dig deeper into the music of Dave Pike.

See you on Monday.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived! The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock. They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US). Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

 

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.