Comments (5)

By Larry, November 4, 2012 3:30 pm

Funky16Corners Radio v.89 – Things Got To Get Better (Get Together)

Playlist

>>As first hinted at, then promised, and finally warned about (for those of you who are diametrically opposed politically), Funky16Corners Radio v.89 – Things Got To Get Better (Get Together), aka the ‘election mix’ has finally arrived, been posted at the top of the blog, where it will remain until the election is over.

I know I normally run Halloween themed posts this time of year, but we have real things to be scared about.
There is a Halloween set in this week’s Funky16Corners Radio Show on Viva Radio (Friday night at 9PM) so you can get your fix there.

As far as I can recall, I haven’t approached the readers of the Funky16Corners blog with anything sociopolitical since the ‘Two From the Stonewall Jukebox’ post back in July of 2009, and before that the posts about the Presidential election of 2008.

Though I think most of you have some idea of my political orientation, it’s not a frequent subject here, because ultimately Funky16Corners is about music.

However (big however coming here)…

We are currently in the midst of a very dark time, not just in the US, but worldwide.

The rise of the ultra-right and the ensuing anti-immigrant, anti-gay and ultimately anti-intellectual wave that is poised to wash away decades of important social gains in this country is the single most important issue at hand.

Having grown up in the 1970s, I find the idea that this great country would ever descend again into a maelstrom of religious lunacy, open hatred of immigrants and homosexuals, demonization of organized labor (especially teachers) and hateful, empty Rand-ian ‘libertarianism’ is beyond insane.

The economy is in terrible shape, and is unlikely to get better any time soon, and those that have been able to return to work often find that the salaries are lower and the benefits non-existent.

How have some of our countrymen reacted to these challenges?

Not well.

An increasingly angry minority, funded by the mega-rich have become a political force, eager to build fences (literal and figurative) to keep those they consider ‘undesirable’ from participating fully in our democracy.

The rise of these deeply ignorant ‘patriots’ (they love to wrap themselves in the flag, unable to embrace its true meaning), marching alongside religious ideologues and plutocrats has woven together a rancid fabric, its warp and weft rife with xenophobia, racism, class warfare, homophobia and various and sundry fringe hatreds.

You may step back and see these negative forces as smaller, separate issues, but the truth is that they are all part of the same, ugly reaction.

When the going got tough, the right got nasty.

Those institutions tasked with keeping us informed have collapsed under the collective weight of corruption by and collusion with those that have the most to gain by a population ignorant of the truth.

I still have a basic faith in the goodness of the human race, but it is being sorely tested.

I want my children to grow up in a world where they are indifferent to the color of a person’s skin, the language they speak or their sexual preference, but we are surrounded by those that would deny them that future.

This includes people of supposed deep religious faith who forget that their own freedom to worship and express the tenets of their faith includes the freedom of others to find their own path. These are the people who continually fight to deny gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans their civil rights.

These are the people who want to rewrite the textbooks in our schools to cleanse them of science and fill them with creationism and revisionist (racial and political) history.

This also includes a lot of people, many of them radicalized after the attacks of 9/11, who have turned against American citizens of Muslim faith, and stoked fears (alongside similarly radicalized anti-Muslim forces in Europe and Scandinavia) of all Muslims, as well as immigrants in general.

These are the people who allowed 30 years of Republican propaganda to turn them against organized labor, while simultaneously building an obscene faith in big business that allowed massive deregulation and tax cuts, as well a cheering our way into two insane wars.

This is the same big business that – thanks to a bizarre Supreme Court decision – is now allowed to flood the political system with piles of cash (anonymously) to attack those that would put a stop to our slow (but seemingly inevitable) march to plutarchy.

Please don’t mistake this as an endorsement of President Obama specifically, or the Democrats in general.
Despite promises to the contrary, the President has continued to fight the right of gays to serve in the military, and has stated that he opposes the idea of gay marriage.

Many of those that serve with the (D) next to their name have also thrown their lot in with the ‘whatever big business wants’ crowd as well.

There may be something “trickling down” onto the middle class and the poor, but it’s not money.

However (another big one here), the alternative is people like Joe Miller in Alaska, Sharon Angle in Nevada, the execrable Rand Paul in Kentucky, deeply ignorant Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, Ken Buck in Colorado, Marco Rubio in Florida and countless others who have embraced the insane ideas of the radical right.
These people are only the larger public face of this movement.

While they run for national office, their foot soldiers are poised to fill seats in state legislatures, county and local office, and worst of all, school boards.

There are those that would have you believe that the system is utterly broken, and that an appropriate response is not to vote at all.

This is insane.

Is there any among you that really think that the way to right a staggering democracy is to withdraw from it?
Not only should every one of you exercise your right to vote, but you should do what you can to convince your family and friends that they should as well, because one thing the forces of the radical right do, religious or otherwise, is vote.

These are the people that are counting on apathy to help them get their hooks into the government where they can start to punch holes in the Constitution they ironically wave like a battle flag.

So what does this have to do with Funky16Corners?

Like the mighty James Brown says:

People, people we got to get over before we go under!

Tell’em Godfather!

The majority of the soul and funk music we celebrate here was created during a time when the forces of the right were attempting to tighten the screws of the status quo, while the forces of peace, racial equality and sexual liberation were battling in the streets (and the ballot box) to upend it and seize their rights.

Soul and funk are the sounds of struggle and liberation. Not every number here has an explicit political/social message, but the music of black America, created in the 60s and 70s in its core rarely says anything else.
Funky16Corners Radio v.89 is an attempt to string some of the more powerful musical statements of the time together, along with spoken intervals by important thinkers.

Things get off to a depressing, yet wholly realistic start, but work their way up through anger, defiance and ultimately (hopefully) triumph.

Not every number here carries an explicit message, but taken together they make an important statement.
The voices heard between the songs include some very well known (civil rights figures like Dr Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Jesse Jackson), and some lesser known (Dorothy Day*), and in a few cases dreadfully misunderstood and demonized (Saul Alinsky**, Noam Chomsky), but their words all have in common is their relevance to the world we live in today.

I’m not saying that things are going to be fixed if the opponents of democracy are defeated in this election (since many of them clearly won’t be), but rather (to borrow an old saw) the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, and stepping into the voting booth and making yourself heard is that step.

Far too many Americans take a pass on that important responsibility, and if they continue to do so, they’ll have no one to thank but themselves when the world around them gets worse.

So, once again in the words of James Brown:

Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved.

Educate yourself.

Educate others.

Don’t allow hatred and disinformation to go unchallenged.

Don’t be afraid.

Peace

Larry<<

*Dorothy Day is an especially important figure in the history of social justice and charity. If her name is unfamiliar, dig a little deeper and read about this great woman.

**Saul Alinsky has been demonized by the right to the point where his name has become a kind of shorthand (with just the tiniest bit of anti-semitism attached to it) for leftist subversion. I doubt most of the people that throw his name around as an epithet have read anything about him. His voice – like most of those in this mix – was an important one in the struggle to transfer power from the haves to the have nots (which goes a long way to explaining why those that shill for the mega-rich hate him so). If all you’ve ever heard about him are bad things, do yourself a favor and read up on his life (outside of right wing web sites).

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Comments (1)

By Larry, July 3, 2012 1:11 pm

These Are the JBs!

Listen/Download The JBs – Hot Pants Road

Greetings all.

I don’t know about you all, but I would like to hit the middle of the week on the funky tip.

What better way to do that than a visit with out old friends, the mighty JBs.

“The JBs? Again?!” you exclaim.

Sure, sure, sure… the JBs have appeared in this space many times over the years, and I can assure you that thanks in large part to the incredible depth and quality of their discography they will do so, again and again until I have no more JBs to share with you.

They were – as a group and individually – right, tight and out of sight, with extra credit given due to the fact that they were led (much of the time) by the tromboniest of all the funky trombonists, the mighty Fred Wesley, and worked in service of the Minister of the Super Heavy Funk, James Brown, (mentioned on the label of this 45 no less than four times) backing him on all of his records and following his lead on their own.

‘Hot Pants Road’ from 1972 is worth hearing for its own powerful goodness but because it ties in with one of the more interesting footnotes in all of James Brown-dom.

Some years back (five years ago, in fact) I wrote up a very interesting 45 in this space by the AABB (Above Average Black Band), who were in fact a pseudonymous JBs recording at the behest of Soul Brother Number One who had his hot pants in a twist because he felt that the funky Scots in the AWB (Average White Band) (I see what you did there James…) were stealing his game with their hit ‘Pick Up the Pieces’.

He had the JBs go back into the studio and hit back with a tune they called ‘Pick Up the Pieces One By One’ which was for all intents and purposes a very slightly reworked version of the song you see before you today.

‘Hot Pants Road’ is by far the superior version of the tune, at least as far as the funk quotient is concerned with some extra-tight rhythm guitar and a nice organ solo right down the middle (The AABB reworking is a little lighter and disco-fied, which is cool, but not AS cool, if you know what I mean).

This isn’t to say that you oughtn’t pack a copy of each in case of a funky emergency.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll see you all on Friday.

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).

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (8)

By Larry, December 18, 2011 2:41 pm

Ho Ho Hyeaahhh!

Listen/Download – James Brown – Santa Claus Go Straight To the Ghetto

Greetings all.

The time has come, as it does once a year for yours truly to let loose with the Ho Ho Hos and the jingle bells and what not on account of the fact that Christmas is approaching rapidly.

As has been mentioned here before, this is a multi-religious household, with myself representing the (extremely) lapsed-Catholic and my wife repping the Jewish and the Little Corners an interfaith bouillabaisse, their eyes and hearts filled to bursting with the childhood wonder of the season.

Which is really what it’s all about, at least from my vantage point, where what I want is no more or less than their happiness, and my wife’s good health.

You know that I’ve mentioned here (every single Christmas since this blog has been extant) that I have never been a prodigious collector of holiday music. Whether this has to do with my acceptance (almost at the DNA level) of the cheesy/classic seasonal sounds of my childhood, to the point where I can sit back and take some comfort in the sound of the voices of Andy Williams or Jim Nabors (and surprisingly enough, I can), or that seeing limited appeal/value in holiday music, I’d rather spend my money on reg’lar old soul and funk is in the end meaningless, since there always seems to be something cool dropping in from the margins to satisfy the Funky Kringle in us all.

I bring you today’s selection in particular because it is a favorite of bot myself and my wife, and naturally because it is a very groovy, upbeat and cheerful Christmas offering from Mr Please Please Please (HO HO HO?) himself, James Brown.

When I listen to ‘Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto’, I realize that what we get with this record is both funky and danceable, but also poignant, especially in these days where there’s a tent city of homeless families not 10 miles from my warm, toasty house, and Mr Brown was thinking of how this, the most precious of holidays for children especially, could be rough for the poorest among us, and we should remember that while we listen to this song.

We should also remember that James Brown, who gave us such a great Christmas song, left us on that very day five years ago.

So dig the tune (there’ll be many old faves dropping as the week progresses) and remember that not everyone has the wherewithal to have a groovy holiday.

So try to remember that even if you are (like me) not a religious person, that the Christmas season can just be about brotherhood in the general ‘Family of Man’ sense, which is cool too, especially when times are tough (which they are for so many).

See you on tomorrow.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (4)

By Larry, October 2, 2011 1:58 pm

An early incarnation of the mighty JBs

Listen/Download – The JBs – Damn Right I Am Somebody Pt1
Listen/Download – The JBs – Damn Right I Am Somebody Pt2

Greetings all.

Having just returned from a little end-of-summer/beginning-of-fall sojourn to our nation’s capital, I am exhaust-o-mified.

I remember back in the day where I wouldn’t think twice about packing 10 hours travel time into a long weekend. What better time to jam on some mix tapes and chill behind the wheel?

In two decades I’ve gone from that to becoming a mirror image of my (and anyone else’s) father, fielding inquiries from the back seat, struggling to keep my eyes on the road, my hands on the wheel and my brain in one piece. It’s a whole different proposition when you assume leadership of the family caravan.

That said, a good time was had by all, with the sightseeing, and the museums and the wealth of groovy ethnic cuisine available in and around DC.

The tune I bring you today is a prime bit of mid-period (1974) J.B.s.

I don’t know about you guys, but I have a tendency to pick up J.B.s 45s wherever I find them, which explains why I have doubles of several of them.

I mean, why on earth, when given the opportunity to take home a solid serving of funky grooves by one of the tightest bands that ever was, would you refrain from doing so?

This is not to say that I prefer the work of the J.B.s minus the vocalizations of the mighty man for whom they were named, but rather that sometimes an instrumental will hit the spot where a vocal might just get in the way (aside from the fact that Mr Brown is all over these records anyhoo).

Today’s selection, ‘Damn Right I Am Somebody Pts 1&2’ was the title track on the album of the same name, billed as Fred Wesley and the J.B.s, since every once in a while you have to give props to the man burning up the trombone.

Not only is ‘Damn Right…’ one of the tightest grooves ever laid down by this storied ensemble, but it carries in it just a taste of jazz, as well as one of the finest horn charts to grace a JBs record, as well as a tasty percussion breakdown in part 2.

We’ve discussed the clockwork wonders of the James Brown style in this space before, but it bears mentioning yet again. Take yourself a minute and slap on the headphones and listen to the way the warp and weft of the JBs intersect without ever colliding. The lead guitar shoots around the bass, which itself winds around the horns and the rhythm guitar and the drums, providing a deceptively simple base for the soloists (mainly Fred and Maceo) to do their thing.

It is indeed a wonder to behold.

God bless the JBs and all who sailed with them.

See you on Wednesday.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (6)

By Larry, June 26, 2011 4:01 pm

In black and white, like the keys, dig?

Dee Felice Trio – There Was a Time (King)
Don Randi – Taxman (Reprise)
New London Rhythm and Blues Band – Soul Man (Vocalion)
Ramsey Lewis – African Boogaloo Twist (Cadet)
Roy Meriwether Trio – What’s the Buzz (Notes of Gold)
Overton Berry Trio – Guacamolean Shuffle (Jaro)
Gene Harris – Green River (Blue Note)
Johnny Watson – Hold On I’m Coming (Okeh)
Mr Jim and the Rhythm Machine – Mrs Robinson (Date)
Junior Mance – Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin (Atlantic)
Cha Cha Hogan – Grit Gitter (Soulville)
The Stokes – Crystal Ball (Alon)
Allen Toussaint – HandsChristianAnderson (Bell)
The Music Company – The Word (Mirwood)
Mary Lou Williams – The Credo (Mary)
Backyard Heavies – Expo 83 (Scepter)
Ray Bryant – Up Above the Rock (Cadet)

Listen/Download – F16C Radio v.94 – The Living Piano – 86MB/256K Mixed MP3

Listen/Download – F16C Radio v.94 – The Living Piano – 63MB ZIP File

Head on over to the Funky16Corners Radio Podcast Archive to Check This One Out

Greetings all.

As mentioned previously, this is a Funky16Corners vacation week, but I love you mugs so much that I couldn’t very well decamp without leaving something to keep your ears busy while I was away.

The mix I bring you this week is something that had been percolating in my fevered brain for a long time, and was finally spurred on to fruition by the recent passing of Mr. Ray Bryant.

Though we have covered the piano before (see Funky16Corners Radio v.81) it was recordings of the electric variety thereof.

Having been brought up in a house with a master of the acoustic piano (that would be my Pop), I have always wanted to assemble my fave funky and soulful acoustic piano tracks, and so you have it (the mix, that is…).

Most of the numbers in this mix will be familiar to longtime followers of the Funky16Corners blog, whether via appearances in previous mixes, or having appeared by themselves at some point.

There are a number of previously unheard/unposted numbers as well, so dig those too.

Though the electric piano is the version of the instrument generally associated with funk and soul (mainly due to the electrification of music in general during the era in question) there were a number of recording artists – many of them rooted in jazz – who took the old-style acoustic piano, a massive conglomeration of wood, wires and ivory, and managed to wring a little funk out of it.

Though I love electric piano, there’s something special about the way a real piano resonates, especially when it’s played by someone that really knows the instrument.

Some of the recordings in question go back to the earliest days of my crate digging and blogging, including the Mary Lou Williams and Cha Cha Hogan 45s, where others are fairly recent acquisitions.

There are a couple of unusual tracks in the mix, in particular Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson’s one-off piano instrumental 45 for the Okeh label.

You also get a couple of tracks featuring Allen Toussaint, first with his early group the Stokes (dig ‘Soda Pop’s not so subtle variation on ‘Fortune Teller’) and a rare solo 45 (Hands Christian Anderson).

Mr Jim of ‘Mr Jim and the Rhythm Machine’ (with the swinging version of ‘Mrs Robinson’) is Philly area composer/arranger/keyboardist Jimmy Wisner who recorded a couple of 45s under this name for the Date and Wizdom label.

There are also a couple of anonymous pianists working it out here, including whoever tickled the ivories for the New London Rhythm and Blues Band (likely a UK studio musician) and the pianist for the Music Company, an LA studio group that recorded an album of Beatle covers for the Mirwood label in 1966.

Of the known jazz heavies in the mix, you get to choose from the likes of Mary Lou Williams, Don Randi, Gene Harris, Ramsey Lewis, Roy Meriwether, and Overton Berry, and the man we eulogized just this past week, Ray Bryant.

Having given it a number of spins, I can attest to the fact that it’s a lot of fun to listen to and I hope you dig it.

See you next week.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo), in regard to the April 2nd walk.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg for some very tasty UK Folk Rock.

Comments (3)

By Larry, June 23, 2011 11:31 am

Too much popcorn…

Listen/Download – The Rivingtons – Pop Your Corn Pt1

Listen/Download – The Rivingtons – Pop Your Corn Pt2

Greetings all.

I’m going to try to make this short and sweet (like I always say, and almost never do…)

I’m trying to get this week finished up and next week’s stuff all prepped and swinging, since the Funky16Corners fam is going to try to slip some vacay into the shed-jool and my days of dragging my laptop with me on the road resulted in a lot of web surfing when I should oughtta be having real fun, so I won’t be doing that.

I am planning on a mix to keep your ears happy while I’m off the grid, so stay tuned for that.

The Funky16Corners Radio Show will be dropping this (and next, and the one after that, and so on) Friday night at 9PM at Viva Radio. It’ll be quite groovy, so strap yourselves in with a cold beverage and the snack food of your choice and let your ears fill up with the best in funk, soul, jazz and rare groove. It will of course be archived and ready for download over the weekend, right-cheer at the old blog.

The tune I bring you today is another one of those cool, late career revivifications wherein an artist best known for their work in an earlier era gets back on the horse and drops something of a more contemporary (at least at the time) nature that allows those of us who follow such things to reconsider their place in the musical landscape.

The group in question is the Rivingtons, and the tune is ‘Pop Your Corn Pts 1&2’.

The Rivingtons, who’s members had been recording in other groups since the very early 50s, released their first and best remembered record, ‘Papa Oom Mow Mow’ in 1962. It was a minor hit, and followed the next year by another one called ‘The Bird Is the Word’, which, when stolen and stitched together by a group of Minnesotans called the Trashmen the year after that, became a much bigger hit by the name of ‘Surfin’ Bird’, after which the members of the Rivingtons hired a lawyer and took the Trashmen to court, where they successfully sued for redress of griveances.

That said, though the Rivingtons recorded fairly steadily through the 60s for labels like Liberty, Reprise, Vee Jay and Columbia, they weren’t meeting with much success.

The record I bring you today was the last thing they recorded in the 1960s, and sees them glomming onto the Popcorn wave on 1969.

There are countless dance crazes through the 60s that inspired a lot of records (i.e. the Popeye, the Twist etc) but few of them took off like the Popcorn. Not only were there a grip of Popcorn 45s in 1969, but for a while James Brown turned the dance into something of a cottage industry (see Funky16Corners Radio v.14 Butter Your Popcorn).

The Rivingtons of ‘Papa Oom Mow Mow’ are not entirely absent on ‘Pop Your Corn’ (dig the bass vocals) but the buttery flavor is much funkier than they were known for, with some tight, snappy, break-y drums, a guitar riff lifted directly from the JB ‘Popcorn’ and some wailing soul vocals.

Make sure you listen to both parts of this one, since the drums get a little bit heavier in Pt2.

It’s cool one and I hope you dig it.

See you on Monday.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recreational events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (4)

By Larry, June 16, 2011 10:19 am

Mr Don Covay

Listen/Download – Don Covay – Money (That’s What I Want)

Greetings all.

I was going to do a post about the late Ray Bryant today, but I’m postponing it until next week (It’ll be worth the wait).

I know that it’s all just a part of the vast randomness of the universe, but it always seems to me that these soul, funk and jazz cats fall in rapid succession, as if they were all sitting waiting for the bus to the great beyond and got on at the same time.

The really sad thing is that what we are ultimately dealing with is the natural movement of the classic generation of soul and funk performers (precious few of the earlier generation of jazz and R&B performers are still with us) into their later years.

That said, we’ll just keep on keeping on, paying tribute to the known and the unknown so that the sounds they made are not forgotten.

I should also remind you that the Funky16Corners Radio Show returns to the airwaves of the interwebs this Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio. It’s the perfect soundtrack for your summer, with all kinds of groovy funk, soul, jazz and rare groove with which to enjoy the icy cocktail of your choosing.

The tune I bring you today is some solid, ass-kicking funk from an artist whose songs are (sadly) better known than he is.

I first heard Don Covay’s version of ‘Money’ a few years back while spinning alongside M-Fasis and DJ Bluewater at the late, lamented Master Groove in NYC. As soon as the needle hit the record my ears perked up and started vibrating and I was all ‘What the hell is that?” followed immediately with “Where Can I Get Me One?”

It was a long time before I finally found a copy, and as is often the case, because I was patient the gods of vinyl brought me my very own copy for the cost of one crumpled, green dollar.

Now if the only thing Don Covay ever did in his life and career was to write and record ‘Sookie Sookie’ – one of the ur documents of funk and soul, a record so mighty as to be imprinted in the DNA of any human to ever dirty their fingers pawing through vinyl or stomp upon a soulful dance floor – he’d deserve eternal fame, but he’s also the dude that laid down ‘Mercy Mercy’, ‘See Saw’ and ‘Chain of Fools’ sang with the Soul Clan and much much more.

This record, the one right here, this is the shit.

The opening alone, in which Don appears to have a snootful of rocket sauce and manages to momentarily out-James Brown the Godfather, is a mindbender, but then he and his band set themselves on fire and it’s almost a full minute before you realize that this funky tornado is in fact a cover of the old Barrett Strong chestnut.

Like the young George Foreman, this record is heavy, yet also fast and dangerous and ought to have a place in the traveling record box of anyone who brings the funk to the people.

Dig it you must.

See you on Monday.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recr events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (6)

By Larry, May 1, 2011 5:35 pm

DJ Andujar and Funky16Corners @ Sweet Exorcist @ The Peoples Pint 4/22

Studebaker Hawk (above), D.J. Andujar (below)

Listen/Download – Studebaker Hawk @ Sweet Exorcist 4/22/11

Studebaker Hawk Set List
Dave Valentin – Sidra’s Dream (GRP)
Phantom Slasher – Furry Whiplash (Noid)
Pia Zadora – The Clapping Song (Elektra)
Marsha Hunt – (Oh, No! Not) The Beast Day (n/a)
Gypsy Lane – Show Me How To Groove (Drive)
The Love Machine – Sex-O-Sonic (London Records)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners @ Sweet Exorcist Set 2 4/22/11

Funky16Corners @ Sweet Exorcist Set 2

Nanette Workman – Lady Marmalade (Pasha)
Lynda Lyndell – What a Man (Volt)
Rufus Thomas – Funky Penguin Pt1 (Stax)
Lou Courtney – Hey Joyce (Popside)
James Brown – Get On the Good Foot (Polydor)
Chuck Carbo – Can I Be Your Squeeze (Canyon)
Gene Chandler – In My Body’s House (Chess)
Marva Whitney – It’s My Thing (King)
Eddie Bo & Inez Cheatham – Lover and a Friend (Capitol)
Willie Tell and the Overtures – Kick Back (Chess)
King Curtis – Pop Corn Willy (Atco)

Listen/Download – DJ Andujar & Studebaker Hawk @ Sweet Exorcist 4/22/11

DJ Andujar @ Sweet Exorcist Set 1

James Brown…I Got Tha Feelin (45)
Dyke & the Blazers…Let a Woman… (45)
Ivo Meirelles & Funk N Lata…Baile Funky (make it funky) (LP)
Lou Toby & his Heavies…Heavy Steppin (45)
Lyn Collins…Think (45)
Toots & Maytalls…Funky Kingston (LP)

Studebaker Hawk Set List

Williams Brothers – I Feel Good (New Birth Records)
Kabbala – Ashewo Aro (Red Flame)
Panama – Long Train Runnin’ (Pathé Marconi EMI)
Dorothy Morrison – All God’s Children Got Soul (Elektra)

Listen/Download – DJ Andujar Set 2 @ Sweet Exorcist 4/22/11

Greyboy with Sharon Jones & Quantic…Got To Be A Love (Paul Nice rmx) (12″)
Gizelle Smith…June (LP)
Clarence Reid…Masterpiece (45)
Charles Wright & Watts 103rd…What Can You Bring Me (45)
Orchestra Baobab…Kelen Ati Leen (45)
Ripple…Funky Song (45)
Bob Marley…Could You Be Loved (12″)
Gwen McCrae…Rockin Chair (45)

Greetings all.

I hope the new week finds you well.

Things are finally starting to settle down here in the Funky16Corners Blogcasting Nerve Center and Record Vault after the busiest month of DJ activity I’ve seen in a long, long time.

We already covered my appearance at the Subway Soul Club, and today’s post will tell the tale of my journey to the great state of Massachusetts for a pair of very groovy nights.

I’d like to get started though by telling you how I spent my weekend, which dovetails nicely with everything else and kind of puts a cap on things.

As has been related in this space before, for a couple of vary important reasons (those being our sons) our family is involved with POAC (Parents of Autistic Children, you can follow the link at the bottom of this or any other recent post).
POAC organized a dodgeball tournament, and they asked me to come out and spin some records during the festivities, which is how I spent my Saturday (with Miles acting as my roadie).

I packed up the decks and mixer in my new road case (I think I’m going to stop referring to it as a coffin, which is slightly morbid nomenclature and has to be explained every single time I use it in conversation), packed up a case of funk and disco 45s, filled the record bag with albums and 12”s, and headed over to the local rec center.

Despite years of DJing, this is the first time I took the old Funky16Corners Sound System on the road, and it was a resounding success (even if I forgot to bring a surge protector and an extension cord, but the audio gods look out for the foolish and forgetful, and I was covered).

It was a gas (including a bunch of high school kids singing along with ‘Pass the Hatchet’ which I’m 100% certain they’d never heard before), and despite a couple of close calls, wherein the dodge balls inadvertently came in contact with the sound system (but never the turntables, thankfully), things went swimmingly.

The trip to Massachusetts was similarly excellent.

A few months back my man DJ Andujar got in touch as asked if I might be interested in coming up his way to do his (and Studebaker Hawk’s) night in Greenfield, MA (Sweet Exorcist), followed by a Saturday in Northampton, MA with Snack Attack and DJ Cashman (Wooly Bully).

I checked the calendar and discovered that the dates in question intersected with the Funky16Corners family spring break, so arrangements were made to wrap the two nights into our vacation.

We’d been up to Northampton last year (for vinyl and yarn digging) and found the area to our liking, so the wife and I were both psyched about a return trip.

The Monday before the gigs I phoned in to DJ Andujar’s Radio Clandestino Show on WMUA-FM, and did an interview, which he was kind enough to record, and which I’ll post here for your listening pleasure.

Download/Listen: DJ Andujar Interviews Larry Grogan/Funky16Corners on WMUA-FM, UMASS Amherst, 4/18/11

Sweet Exorcist is held at a very groovy joint called the People’s Pint in Greenfield, MA, and I have to tell you, if you’re in the area, and crave some excellent food and drink, this is the place for you. I’m a ginger beer fanatic, and the People’s Pint makes their own, as well as house made cola, root beer, and a few varieties of regular beer (I tried the oatmeal stout and was very pleased).

The records started spinning around 10PM, and the night was a gas. Both DJ Andujar and Studebaker Hawk brought the heat (as you’ll hear when you pull down the ones and zeros) and I did my level best not to disappoint.

The peeps were dancing, the vinyl was spinning and a good time was had by all. Many thanks to the DJs (and the staff at the People’s Pint) for a great night.

The following night I was on my own (my wife was with the little Corners) and I packed up the record box and headed over to Northampton for Wooly Bully at the Basement.

Yours truly staring intently at the PA system @ the Basement, somehow sensing impending failure…

Run by Snack Attack and DJ Cashman, Wooly Bully runs a little more in the 60s soul direction, and I’d packed a grip of Northern and 60s dance floor soul for the occasion. The Basement is a small room in the back of a building, but by the time the music got started it was packed to the rafters with party people who never stopped dancing until the lights came on and the door guy ushered them out into the night at closing time.

Hazy cellphone pics of the Basment

(Top) Billy Butler on the decks

(Bottom) Imagine these people plus about 100 more revelers, packed like soulful sardines

The place was a madhouse, and much good music was spun and danced to.

Unfortunately – and this was the only sour note of the whole trip – my recordings from the Basement were unusable. The levels were set too high and the recordings were distorted. There were other technical issues (the PA system overheated at one point) but they were all surmountable.  Hopefully, if I make a return visit during the summer, I can remedy the situation and bring back a couple of sets by Snack Attack and DJ Cashman, who both rocked the house.

Today I’ll be trying something new, which is basically posting sets by everyone who spun at Sweet Exorcist. I won’t be posting my first set, since there was a problem with a ground wire and there’s an annoying buzz that cuts into the music at a number of points.

It’s interesting to hear the different sensibilities of three DJs, all funky, but coming at the sound from different angles.
My assessment of a quality night is one where I walk away from the evening with new records added to my want list, and Sweet Exorcist definitely fit the bill.

I hope you dig the sounds, and I’ll be back later in the week with something cool.

Peace

Larry

Also, make sure that you check out the POAC link below (click on the logo). It’s a fantastic organization that provides services to our local autism community, with education and recr events, and any contribution you could make would be greatly appreciated.

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.

Comments (9)

By Larry, January 30, 2011 2:33 pm

Funky16Corners Radio v.92 – Regular Funk

Playlist

Listen/Download 115MB/256kb Mixed MP3

Download 93MB Zip File

I hope you’re all ready to step into a week.

I should let you know that this coming Friday (2/4) I’ll be guesting at the After the Laughter Soul Club at Lulu’s, 113 Franklin St., Greenpoint, NY. I’ll be joining DJ Hambone and Ben Carey for a night of funk, soul and R&B, all on 45. Things get going at 10PM and go into the wee hours of the morning, so make sure you fall by for some beer, pizza and hot wax.

That said, who wants to pull down the ones and zeros for some of what we record collectors refer to as ‘the funk’?

This is not to say that Funky16Corners Radio v.92 – Regular Funk is all one kind of thing, since it was assembled and mixed under a somewhat larger umbrella than some of you might be accustomed to.

You get some funky soul, some in the regular funk 45 stylee, and some jazz funk as well. I think it all fits together nicely, and hopefully once you stuff it into your ears, you will too.

Things get started with a little taste of Memphis groove, with the Bar-Kays and ‘Don’t Do That’. The flipside of 1967’s ‘Give Everybody Some’, ‘Don’t Do That’ is positively dripping with that Stax/Volt sound, including some very twangy gitbox, which comes to the fore when the horns aren’t blazing.

Buddy Miles is one of those groovy artists who kind of dwell in a gray area between soul and rock, working ably on both sides of the line, and mixing the two together whenever he got the opportunity. ‘Easy Greasy’ is an instrumental from his 1970 ‘We Got to Live Together’ album, and it carries with it much of the horn heavy vibe of the time, with the BST’s and the Chicago’s and naturally the Electric Flag’s, and Buddy manages to whip it all into a nice swaggering groove, that when you least expect it drops in a little bit of a quote (today’s kids might think of it as a sample) from Led Zeppelin’s ‘Bring It On Home’. Things even manage to get a tiny bit psychedelic – which was the style of the time – so settle in and dig it.

The mighty Syl Johnson appeared in this very spot but a few short weeks ago. He was – as has been stated previously – 100% badass – and his take on the Temptation’s ‘Get Ready’ has a lot of grit in its groove.

Despite a bit of searching, I haven’t been able to nail down Nate Turner, but Venetta Fields (big time backup singer of the day) and the Mirettes were familiar. The tune ‘Rap, Run It On Down’ is a cut from the soundtrack to the 1969 Sidney Poitier vehicle ‘The Lost Man’. I dig the vibe on this one (co-written by Quincy Jones, Dick Cooper and Ernie Shelby*), and the flip side (on which Venetta sits out), ‘Sweet Soul Sister’ is also cool, in a more downtempo way.

I always assumed that the Toddlin’ Town Sounds were an anonymous amalgamation of Chitown sessioners, or perhaps an instro track that someone leased to the label. Either way, their funky stomper ‘The Dud’ (flip of their better known cover of the Isleys ‘It’s Your Thing’) is a killer (dig that chopping rhythm guitar).

‘Funky Tambourine’ by C and the Shells has always been a fave of mine, simply because it defies narrow categorization. It is funky, but it also has an odd, fast moving time signature, as well as some stinging fuzz guitar. There might even be a little bit of gospel flavor weaving in and out of this one as well.

The Crusaders, once a tight soul jazz outfit (as the Jazz Crusaders) evolved into the funky R&B band that hit the charts in the 70s. Led by keyboardist Joe Sample (lots of tasty electric piano here), drummer Stix Hooper and saxophonist Wilton Felder (all three of whom did a lot of work on other people’s records in the 60s and 70s) lay down a very tasty groove indeed on 1973s ‘Gotta Get It On’.

‘Sams Funck’ is blues legend Magic Sam’s entry into the blues guys get funky sweepstakes. Based loosely on the ‘It’s Your Thing’ template, recorded in the lowest of fi’s (as it were) you still get to hear some of the guitar action that made the man a legend. If you find yourself a copy of this one, flip it over, since the vocal version ‘I’ll Pay You Back’ is quite nice indeed.

The Backyard Heavies got their start as a North Carolina show band called the Tempests. ‘Expo 83’, one of the funkiest piano driven 45s in my crates was sampled by Pete Rock for ‘The Basement Intro’.

Does Bobby Byrd need and introduction to the likes of you? Since you’re one of the fine folks that falls by Funky16Corners I’d say no. Mr. Byrd was for years James Brown’s on-stage wing man, but also stepped out to make some hot as hell 45s under his own name. ‘Back From the Dead’ is from a period when Byrd had separated from the Brown organization and found his way to Henry Stone’s Florida-based TK label subsidiary International Brothers. Bobby is in fine form, and lays down a solid bit of dance floor funk.

Eddie Harris has appeared in this space many times. He was one of the true giants of soul jazz, and as 1974’s ‘Get On Down’ illustrates, he could also be quite funky. The cool thing is that you get to hear Eddie double on keys and sax (which he also did on earlier albums like ‘Mean Greens’).

The Fame Gang was the house band at the storied Alabama studio of the same name. Their cover of the Isley Brothers ‘It’s Your Thing’ is another groovy cover of that funky classic. Much like Archie Bell and the Drells ‘Tighten Up’, ‘It’s Your Thing’ is one of those records that was not only had scores of straightforward covers, but was also (see Magic Sam above) ripped off, reprocessed and renamed countless times.

From the funk 45 column comes Pt2 of the Showmen Inc.’s ’Tramp (from Funky Broadway)’, working one of my favorite vibes, that being an intertwining of two separate dance crazes in the same record. The famed break is on the other side, but I’ll make sure to get that one up onto the blog sometime soon.

Jr. Walker and the All Stars are one of those Motown groups that had a huge, omnipresent radio hit in the 60s (Shotgun) that is so much a standard on oldies radio that it tends to make you take them for granted. Well, get yourself out and grab some of their records, because they’re filled with solid, hard hitting gems like ‘Baby You Ain’t Right’.

Now Andre Williams is a dude that has yet to get his props. Williams, acting as performer, writer and producer had his hand in some incredibly good records out of Chicago and Detroit in the 60s. He was an OG badass, with that gangsta lean, lots of greasy soul and attitude for weeks. ‘It’s Gonna Be Fine in ‘69’ is another one of his masterpieces for the Chess/Checker/Cadet family of labels. It features some wild guitar, snapping drums, and of course Mr Williams on the vocal.

Wilbur Bascomb and the Zodiact recorded under their own name, as well as backing other artists. ‘Just a Groove in G’ features a classic drum break, some wailing organ, and some imspired if spasmodic guitar action.

Billy Cobham is one of the great drummers of the jazz fusion era. His 1974 ‘Crosswind’ (also covered, very nicely by Woody Herman!) is a funky killer, with tight drumming by Billy, grooving electric piano and tasty horns. Sampled by Gang Starr among others.

Another jazz hero with funky tendencies was the mighty Grant Green. A seriously talented hard bopper who contributed to countless classic Blue Note sessions as a sideman, also had quite the discography under his own name. As the 60s rolled to a close, he got progressively more funky, so much so that his albums from that period are crate digger faves and his 1971 set ‘Shades of Green’ is no exception. His ‘James Brown Medley’ is a laid back, funky, extended take on the Godfather.

This edition of Funky16Corners Radio closes out with a cool bit of Motor City funk, ‘Tick Tock Baby (It’s a Quarter To Love)’ by the Quickest Way Out. Groovy because it shares a backing track with Reggie Milner’s raging ‘Soul Machine’. The Quickest Way Out take on the tune is a little more laid back, and the break is open, so what’s not to like.

I hope you dig the mix, and I’ll be back later in the week with something cool.

Peace

Larry

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

Make sure to drop by Iron Leg for some heavy psychedelia

PS Make sure to hit up Funky16Corners on Facebook

Comments (8)

By Larry, December 21, 2010 12:19 pm

Merry Christmas, Godfather!

Listen/Download – James Brown – It’s Christmas Time Pt1

Greetings all.

I hope everyone that is in the Christmas groove, is ready for the holiday.

It behooves me to mention that if you find yourself snuggled up in front of a roaring internet this Friday night at 9PM, you might tune in to Viva Radio and dig the Funky16Corners Radio Christmas Special, featuring an hour of the finest funk and soul in the holiday spirit.

The tune I bring you today is fitting for a couple of reasons.

I remember the Christmas day for years ago when I heard that the mighty James Brown had that very morning slipped the surly bonds of earth and passed on into the great, funky beyond.

James Brown was a towering figure in the history of soul music, and especially important (so much so as to have been indispensable) in the development of funk.

Funky16Corners marked his passing then, and we do so again this year with one of the more mellow, sentimental numbers from his catalog.

‘It’s Christmas Time Pt1’ was released in 1969, and is notable for its subdued, almost hymn-like vibe.
Recorded at the peak of his funky powers, the song sees the Godfather of Soul working in a ballad style, backed only by guitar, bass, organ and the sparest of drums.

So much holiday funk and soul is in an upbeat, often humorous style, it’s nice to hear one of the giants take it at a mellow pace.

I hope you dig it, raise a glass of egg-nog in memory of Soul Brother Number One, and that you all have a great Christmas weekend.

I’m taking the rest of the week off to be festive, but I’ll be back next week with a year-end wrap up mix.

Peace

Larry

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg

Comments (2)

By Larry, November 30, 2010 4:02 pm

James Brown – tickling the ivorys (or whatever organ keys were made out of)

Listen/Download – The Poets – Devil’s Den Pt1
Listen/Download – The Poets – Devil’s Den Pt2

Greetings all.

How – as they say on the streets – is it hanging?

I am, once again, nursing a bad back, which is a fucking hoot.

It’s not really all that tragic. I’ve known people who have real, serious problems with their back (like my Pop) who make my problems look insignificant, but it is uncomfortable, and inconvenient, so to paraphrase the man we come to discuss today, ‘Let a man come in and do the “Oh shit my back hurts”.

Before we get rolling, I should note that the all new, all fabulous Funky16Corners stickers have arrived. If you wish to obtain one, and you live in the US, send me a self addressed stamped envelope (to Funky16Corners c/o Grogan, 80 New Brunswick Ave, Brick, NJ 08724 USA) and I’ll shoot one your way. If you live elsewhere in the universe, send me a self addressed envelope (I’ll cover the postage since I don’t want to get into any crazy stuff with postal coupons or foreign currency) and you’ll get one too. You folks have all been so groovy with your continued support of the Funky16Corners organization, it’s the least I can do.

The 45 I bring you today is another one of those records I knew of for many years before it and I came together at a record show.

I mean, how can you not be intrigued by a record by the Poets, named ‘Devil’s Den’?

I was, and when I pulled it out of a big box of cheap 45s, and saw the James Brown-y markings on the label, my interest was further piqued and I took it home.

At first listen, I was a tiny bit confused, since for some reason I recalled hearing that ‘Devil’s Den’ was a funk 45 (perhaps someone making a JB conflation), which it is not, but since it is an old school organ burner, I dug it all the more.

Some years back I did a longer piece about James Brown’s dalliance with the Hammond organ (you can read it here), but at the time I had no idea that the Poets 45 was part of the legacy.

I use the word ‘dalliance’, because the Hammond was clearly a sideline for JB, and just as clearly, while his playing had a certain loose charm, he was no virtuoso.

That said, given the right material, the mighty Mr. Brown was able to make the gigantic box of wood and wires sing, and ‘Devil’s Den’ is an example of such a piece.

Recorded in 1963 (a few years prior to his organ sojourn at the Smash label), ‘Devil’s Den’, had its labels not carried the writing and producing credits to James Brown, might not indicate that the Godfather of Soul had any involvement, were it not for a telltale scream at the 1:08 mark in part one, and a few interjections after that point.

The tune is a slow swinging blues with a beefy horn chart that has a serious late night, smoky bar feel to it. The backing band is the Famous Flames, and on some reissues the song is credited to the JB pseudonym ‘Ted Wright’.

I hope you dig it, and I’ll be back on Friday.

Peace

Larry

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press

PS Head over to Iron Leg