Harvey Averne

Listen/Download Harvey Averne Band – Run Away Child Running Wild

Greetings all

The end of the week is nigh, so I will instruct you once again to twist the knobs on your Radiola until you dial into the Funky16Corners Radio Show, this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio.

If you are otherwise disposed, you can subscribe to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or grab an MP3 download out of the archive at the blog.

The cut I bring you today is an especially tasty bit of Latin funk, which I featured in an old Funky16Corners Radio mix back in the day.

If you have even a passing knowledge of the world of Latin soul and boogaloo, then the name Harvey Averne should be a familiar one.

Through the 60s and 70s, Averne was one of the major proponents of New York-based Latin soul and funk (and eventually salsa).

A vibraphonist and bandleader, Averne, like Latin music giant Larry Harlow, was not latino at all, but rather a Jew from the outer boroughs of New York.

The recordings he made in the 60s, for labels like Atlantic, Fania and Uptite are prime examples of the sound, and big favorites of mine as well.

The track I bring you today is a cover of the Temptations 1969 hit ‘Run Away Child (Running Wild)’.

You get lots of groovy piano, Latin percussion, and of course Avernes ringing vibes laying down a very cool version of the Whitfield/Strong classic.

Released in either 1969 or 1970 (I haven’t been able to nail down the date), ‘Runaway Child (Running Wild)’ is another great example of Averne taking source material from outside the Latin world and laying a little sabor in the grooves.

His treatment of the Temps classic is every bit as danceable as the OG, and then some.

Uptite was a very interesting label, releasing only 45s on between 1969 and 1971 by Averne, Joe Bataan, the 125th St Candy Store, Parrish and a few others.

Most of the 45s aren’t too hard to come by, with the marked exception of Averne’s ‘Never Learned To Dance’ which is exceptionally rare and expensive.

I hope you dig the sounds and I’ll see you in a few days.

Keep the faith

Larry

 

 

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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.

One Response to “Harvey Averne Band – Run Away Child Running Wild”

1. Brendan S. Joyce says:

   July 20, 2013 at 8:32 am

   I am also a sucker for vibes, and man is this band tight! The bass in Jameson-esque, and the horns are fat (and phat)!