Jimmy Sabater

Listen/Download -Joe Cuba Sextet – El Pito (I’ll Never Go Back To Georgia)
Listen/Download -Joe Cuba Sextet – Que Son Uno
Listen/Download -Odell Brown and the Organizers – Que Son Uno

Greetings all.

Welcome to the end of another funky week here at the Corners Sixteen.

I hope you’ve all weathered the work week well, or at least well enough to get some enjoyment out of the weekend.

I should take a moment to remind you that the Funky16Corners Radio Show drops Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio, followed of course by the MP3 version thereof, posted right here at the blog over the weekend.

I had something else planned for today, but then I heard of the passing of the great Jimmy Sabater.

Sabater, one of the great Nuyorican movers of the boogaloo era (and beyond) was a timbalero, singer and composer who first met Joe Cuba (then Gilberto Calderon) during a stickball game on the streets of Spanish Harlem in the early 50s.

The Joe Cuba Sextet had their first crossover hit in 1966 with ‘El Pito (I’ll Never Go Back To Georgia)’ and then into the R&B Top 20 and the Pop Hot 100 later that same year with ‘Bang Bang, a million seller and one of the cornerstones of the boogaloo movement’.

Sabater was a key member of the Sextet, writing or co-writing (see Odub’s excellent post at Soul Sides for some info on Cuba taking undeserved writing credit on ‘Bang Bang’) some of their finest records (eight of the eleven tracks on the album above).

The two tracks I bring you today are the aforementioned ‘El Pito’ and ‘Que Son Uno’, both co-written by Sabater.

‘El Pito’ is one of the breat Latin soul party starters of all time. With its fast moving piano riff and percussion, as well as its stop-start pattern in which the band reaches a frenzied pace only to come crashing to a halt (and then rise again from the ashes) ‘El Pito’ is positively explosive. The production is remarkable, with the percussion coming alive (slap on the headphones for this one), the vibes moving at a breakneck pace, and the band’s foot stomping rattling everything in the studio.

The second cut, ‘Que Son Uno’ is probably my favorite cut by the Sextet. Diverging from the boogaloo feel of much of the ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ album, ‘Que Son Uno’ is a beautiful, sublimely powerful piece of Latin jazz.

I’m also including the groovy cover of the tune by none other than Odell Brown and the Organizers, which they recorded in 1967 on the ‘Mellow Yellow’ album. Considering the popularity of the ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ LP, I’m surprised that ‘Que Son Uno’ wasn’t covered more often.

Jimmy Sabater went on to record  a lot of solo material (including this funky gem), but also remained with the Joe Cuba Sextet into the late 70s.

I hope you dig the tunes, and I’ll be back 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.

 

Apologies to the soulies, heh heh…

Greetings all, and welcome to the 2011, Funky16Corners Soul Club/Grogan Casino Allnighter..

This is – as it has been since 2006 – time for yours truly to once again open up the yearly Funky16Corners Pledge Drive, in which we ask that if you dig what goes on hereabouts, with the blog(s), radio show, mixes etc, that you click on the donation link and drop a little something in the basket.

Click Here To Donate

Your donations help to pay for the server space where the blog, all of the graphics and well over 100 mixes (a number that is expanding all the time) reside, as well as upkeep on the equipment used to run the whole non-profit (is there a better phrase to describe an operation that runs at a perpetual loss?) shebang.

As always, I’m aware that times are tough, and getting tougher all the time, so if you can’t swing it, that’s cool too. However, every little bit helps, so even a couple of bucks will help things along.

The readers of Funky16Corners have always been very cool over the seven year history of the blog (as well as the years preceding that at the web zine), generous with their knowledge and vocal in their appreciation and once again I’d like to thank you all.

Funky16Corners has always been an ad-free space (and that includes needless plugs for crap that none of you (or me) is going to listen to) and will always remain that way.

Now, I can’t very well come to you with hand outstretched unless I have something to offer you for your trouble. With that in mind, I bring you the second annual Allnighter, in which I gather together some of my favorite DJs and ask them to contribute mixes.

This year we have a stellar line-up, including my man Tarik Thornton (Hot Pants Crew MPLS), Tony C, DJ Prime Mundo (Asbury Park 45 Sessions), DJ Bluewater (Master Groove, Asbury Park 45 Sessions), and my mighty brother in blogging Vincent the Soul Chef (Fufu Stew), as well as two new mixes by yours truly.

Each of these cats is very, very serious about digging and spinning vinyl heat and when you get the chance to sink your ears into the mixes they’ve contributed you will (as I was when I first heard them) be very happy.

There’s a very nice stylistic breadth to this year’s Allnighter, with deep soul, Northern Soul, rock steady, funk and disco with a connoisseur’s mix of rarities and classics.

This year I’m also posting something cool over at Iron Leg, with a few hours of garage and freakbeat recorded live a few weeks back (by me, natch)  at Spindletop @ Botanica in NYC, so if those are sounds you dig too, make sure to pull down those ones and zeros as well.

That said, click the Paypal link, and then scroll down the page slowly, soaking up all the mixes as you go.

Click Here To Donate

Peace

Larry

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Funky16Corners 2011 Allnighter!

Funky16Corners – I’m Satisfied
San Remo Golden Strings – I’m Satisfied (Ric Tic)
Jr Walker and the All Stars – Come see About Me (Soul)
Parliaments – Look at What I Almost Missed (Revilot)
O’Jays – I Dig Your Act (Bell)
Lee Williams and the Cymbals – Everything About You That I Love (Carnival)
Al Kent – You Got To Pay The Price (Ric Tic)
Major Lance – Gotta Get Away (Okeh)
Shorty Long – Sing What You Wanna (Soul)
Bunny Sigler – Sunny Sunday (Cameo/Parkway)
Jackie Lee – Bring It Home (Keyman)
Gene Chandler and Barbara Acklin – From the Teacher to the Preacher (Brunswick)
Chuck Jackson – Good Things Come to Those Who Wait (Wand)
Precisions – Why Girl (Drew)
John Willams and the Tick Tocks – Do Me Like You Do Me (Sansu)
Eddie Floyd – Big Bird (Stax)
Vibrations – Pick Me (Okeh)
Buena Vistas – Hot Shot (Swan)
Performers – I Can’t Stop You (Mirwood)
Dreams – They Call me Jesse James (DC Sound)
Len Barry – I Struck It Rich (Decca)
Ambassadors – I’m So Proud Of My Baby (Atlantic)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners – I’m Satisfied / 96MB Mixed MP3

 

NOTE: I’ve been digging a lot of mid-tempo Northern Soul lately, and this is a mix of my faves. – LG

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DJ Bluewater – That Steady Beat

Ken Parker – Change Is Gonna Come
Delroy Wilson – I’m The One Who Loves You
Rocky & The Heptones – Falling In Love
Carlton & His Shoes – Happy Land
Alton Ellis & The Flames – Cry Tough
Lloyd & Glen – Jezebel –
Phyllis Dillon – Don’t Stay Away
Cecille Campbell – Breaking Up
The Soul Vendors – Frozen Soul
The Soul Vendors – To Sir With Love
Prince Buster & The All Stars – The Punishment
The Maytals – Watermelon Man
Derrick Morgan – First Taste Of Love
The Untouchables – Tighten Up
The Jailbreakers – Chatty Chatty
Delano Stewart – That’s Life
Norma Fraser – The First Cut Is The Deepest
King Rocky – The King Is Back
The Ethiopians – He’s Not A Rebel
The Uniques – Watch This Sound

Listen/Download – DJ Bluewater – That Steady Beat / 120MB Mixed MP3

NOTE: DJ Bluewater has gotten deep into the rock steady sound in the last few years

and this mix is filled with goodness! – LG

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DJ Tarik Thornton – Louisiana Sun

Willie Tee – Dedication To You ( Atlantic)
The Festivals – You Got The Makings of A Lover (Smash)
The Impressions – Man Oh Man ( ABC- Paramount)
Dennis Lee & Notables – Sunday Afternoon ( Jenmark)
Bernard Drake – I’ve Been Untrue ( La Louisianne)
Ollie & The Nightingales- I Got A Sure Thing (Stax)
Jo Armstead – There’s Not Too many More (Giant)
The Passions – I Can See My Way Through (Tower)
The Moovers – One Little Dance (Brent)
The ElectroStats – Setting the Mood ( Three Oaks)
The Supreme – Stoned Love (Tamla)

Clifton White – Are You Ready (Anla)
Dell Mack – You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover ( Gold Band)
Eddie Giles – Soul Feeling Pt. 1- ( Murco )
Debanaires – Feel Alright – (WBS)
O.D Williams – Moving Out Of Your Life – (Bare- Bar)
New Birth – I Can Understand it (RCA)
Johnny Williams – Breaking Point – (Twinight)
Johnny Otis Show – Watts Breakaway (Epic)
Gus (The Groove) Lewis – Let The Groove Move You – (Tou- Sea)
Lee Dorsey – Funky Four Corners (Amy)
Big Daddy Rucker – Just Do Your Thing – (GME)
Reggie Sadler – Raggedy Bag – (Aquarius)
Bonus Track : Jackie Harris & The Exciters – Get Funky, Sweat A Little Bit (Black&Proud)

Listen/Download – DJ Tarik Thornton – Louisiana Sun / 85MB Mixed MP3

 

A Note from Tarik:

So when Larry asked me to do this mix indeed I was honored! Larry and the Soul Chef are the guys who are responsible for inspiring me to get back to digging after taking a 10 year hiatus. I’ve been on a life rollercoaster over the last few years and this has become one of my most profound ways of expressing myself. Honestly, It took me a while to figure out a concept for this one. Always trying to be diverse I created a nice blend of Sweet Soul and Funk this time around. Both are actually sets I did live at KFAI in Minneapolis last week. After listening to them I decided to take the time to tighten them up, then added a bit more soul . The outcome, a sweet selection of songs dedicated to all the people that have taken the time to check out my work over the last year, but also in particular a very special young lady. The “B “side a tight groove of some killer funk selections that will keep you moving. Enjoy ! You can find some of my other mixes at www.mixcloud.com/8KC

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DJ Prime Mundo – Kentucky Fried Prime

curtis mayfield – tripping out (rso)
one g plus three – summertime (paramount)
billy guy – if you want to get ahead, shake a leg (verve)
the soul patrol – saigon strut (shamley)
don downing – thread and needle (roadshow)
gary toms empire – drive my car (pickwick)
bo kirkland & ruth davis – we got the recipe (claridge)
stan ivory – check it out (tese)
le roy – easy livin’ (dream machine)
chick willis – stoop down baby (la val)
billy strange – jaws (gnp crescendo)
the masqueraders – brotherhood (bell)
hummingbird – trouble maker (a&m)
ernie andrews – something (phil l.a. of soul)

Listen/Download – DJ Prime Mundo – Kentucky Fried Prime / 61MB Mixed MP3

Note: One of the OG Asbury Park 45 Sessions DJs, Prime Mundo has extremely deep crates and extremely good taste. He’s one of my favorite DJs, and this mix should tell you why. – LG

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Vincent the Soul Chef – Back to the Corner

I Just Want To Celebrate-Rare Earth (Rare Earth)
Ride Sally Ride-Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band (Sussex)
Runaway People-Dyke & The Blazers (Original Sound)
You Met Your Match-Stevie Wonder (Tamla)
Your Love Is Indescribably Delicious-Willis Wooten (Virtue)
Mister Magic-Grover Washington Jr. (Kudu)
Heaven Is There To Guide Us-The Glass House (Invictus)
I Got You Babe-Etta James (Chess)
Vista Vista-Lee Dorsey (Amy)
Funky Boo Ga Loo-Jerry O (Shout)
Do Your Thing-Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band (Warner)
Good Times-Kool & The Gang (De Lite)
Take Me To the River-Fessor Funk (Roxbury)
Let Me Lay My Funk On You-Poison (Roulette)
Keep on Dancin’ (Vocal)-Alvin Cash (Toddlin’ Town)
The Whatchamacalit-The Burning Emotions (Bang)
Country John-Allen Toussaint (Reprise)
Paint Me-Ohio Players (Westbound)
I Turned You On-Isley Brothers (T Neck)
Soul Sister- Allen Toussaint (Reprise)
Baby I Love You-Aretha Franklin (Atlantic)
Nobody’s Fault But Mine-Otis Redding (Atco)
Cook Out-King Curtis & The Kingpins (Atco)
The Court Room-Clarence Carter (Atlantic)
Funky Drummer Pt. 2-James Brown (King)
Make It Funky Pt. 4-James Brown (Polydor)
Hey Ruby Shut Your Mouth-Ruby & The Party Gang (Law Ton)

Listen/Download – Vincent the Soul Chef – Back to the Corner / 104MB Mixed MP3

NOTE: Vincent the Soul Chef is not only a top-notch DJ, but he’s a serious digger with diverse tastes that are reflected in his mixes. After I heard this I headed out to look for a few of the cuts right away… – LG

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Tony C – Dance the Jerk!

Doc Bagby-Mr Hippy-Tifton
Merced Blue Notes-Rufus-Accent
Horace Bailey-Cool Monkey-Delene
Larry Williams-Strange-Sue
Barry’Barefoot’ Beefus-Barefoot Beefus-Loma
Tommy & The Charms-I know what you want-Hollywood
Nathaniel Kelly-Do the jerk-Jubilee
Jay Dee Bryant-Get it-Enjoy
The Pacers-You’ll never know-Razorback
The Magics-Lets Boogaloo-R.F.A
Lou Johnson-Rock me baby-Cotillion
Eddie Simpson-Stone Soul Sister-Back Beat
Vickie Anderson-I love you-Smash
Alder Ray Mathis-Take me baby-Jetstar
Jackie Thompson-Got to right the wrongs-Columbia
Lonette-Stop-M.S
Boogie Kings-Do em’ all-Pic
Charles Hodges-Charles Shingaling-Alto
Little Flint-Pain-Beast
Sammy Lee-It hurts me-Rampart
Jay Jordan-If it wasn’t for love-Verve
The Fantastic Four-Pinpoint it down-Soul
Lovemasters-Pushin and pull-Jacklyn
Timmie Williams-Competition-Bell
Big Maybelle-I can’t wait any longer-Rojac
Trudy Johnson-You’re no good-Capitol

Listen/Download – Tony C – Dance the Jerk! / 62MB Mixed MP3

NOTE: Tony C has done guest mixes for Funky16Corners in the past, and he is always turning me on to new stuff. Great taste and deep crates, once again a dynamic combination.  – LG

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Funky16Corners – Honey Trippin’
BT Express – Express (Scepter)
Louie Ramirez – Do It Any Way You Wanna (Cotique)
Cymande – Anthracite (Janus)
Virtue Orchestra – High Horse IV (Virtue)
Mystic Moods – Honey Trippin’ (Soundbird)
KC and the Sunshine Band – Let It Go (TK)
Instant Funk – Philly Jump (TSOP)
Jay Berliner – Getting the Message (Mainstream)
Love Child’s Afro Cuban Blues Band – Love and Death in G and A (Roulette)
Gene Faith – Lowdown Melody (Virtue)
Doc Severinson – Soul Makossa (RCA)
Soul Searchers – Boogie Up the Nation Pt2 (Polydor)
Philly Sound – Waitin’ For the Rain (Phil LA of Soul)
Mongo Santamaria – What You Don’t Know (Vaya)
Philadelphia Society – 100 South of Broad Street (American)
Larry Page Orchestra – Erotic Soul (London)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Virgo Red (Polydor)
Barrett Strong – Stand Up and Cheer For the Preacher (INST) (Epic)

Listen/Download – Funky16Corners – Honey Trippin’ / 110MB Mixed MP3

NOTE: This is one of those mixes that had its start in a single cut, and took form slowly as I stockpiled complementary cuts. I like it a lot, and I hope you dig it too. – LG

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Click Here To Donate

 

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.

Artists conception of El Pajarito

 

Listen/Download – Cecil Davis ‘El Pajarito’ con su Super Orquesta – Let’s Have a Ball

 

Greetings all.

The end of the week is here and I don’t know about you kids but I am currently being overtaken by the need to cut loose.
This has been an exceptionally long and tiring week and I – for one – have had just about enough.

I can’t say for sure, but I may very well open and consume a beer (or two) this weekend.

Look out world.

That said, part of the busy-ness has been preparations for this years Funky16Corners Pledge Drive.

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, once a year, right around the beginning of June, I make like Oliver Twist and come before you with hands outstretched so that your generous donations might help to pay for server space and related costs for the year.

This time out I’m planning on repeating last years ‘Allnighter’ concept, with a selection of hot mixes from yours truly and a variety of some of the finest selectors I know. I already have some of these cooling on the server, and others are on their way.

I can assure you that it will be a good time, so stay tuned. If things go as planned and all the required materials show up things will get rolling on June 5th.

In other news, this week’s edition of the Funky16Corners Radio Show is upon us and will be gracing the airwaves of the interwebs this (and every) Friday night at 9PM over at Viva Radio, with the MP3 version of the show being posted the following day.

It’s a hot one this week, so don’t miss it.

I should also mention that I am – thanks to a generous (and early) Father’s Day gift – now the owner of a PA system, rendering the Funky16Corners Sound System 100% mobile, so if you’re having a shindig (wedding, stein hoist, bacchanal, etc) and wish to hire someone for the expert spinning of the best in vintage funk and soul, drop me a line, because, to paraphrase Richard Berry, ‘Have Records, Will Travel’.

That said, now on to the aforementioned cutting loose.

It was a few years back that the mighty Soulmarcosa mentioned a record on a message board we both frequent that sounded quite interesting.

The tune in question ‘Let’s Have a Ball’ by Cecil Davis ‘El Pajarito’ con su Super Orquesta was available on eBay, in quantity at a very low price. Having complete faith in his taste, I grabbed myself a copy of the record (unheard).

When it fell through the mail slot my suspicions were confirmed, and it was indeed a serious gas.

Time and experience have proven that you cannot always take a record label at its word, with many things labeled ‘funky’ that are not, and so on through all genres.

‘Let’s Have a Ball’ – labeled a ‘boogaloo’ – is that rare record that meets, and exceeds all claims on the label.

It is a certified party starter, filled with latin soul goodness, made all the better by an exceedingly enthusiastic performance by Mr Davis, who comes across like someone threw Christopher Walken’s ‘The Continental’, Mr Mambo,  and Fred Armisen’s El Fericito (‘Ay Dios Mio!’) into a blender with a gallon of Puerto Rican rum and a box of firecrackers.

The band cooks on this one, but it’s ‘El Pajarito’ who really makes it, trading lines with a chorus of ladies, pumping out a series of sampleable lines like ‘Sock It To Me Baby!’,‘Shall we do the boogaloo?’ and ‘Tighten up baby! Shall we have the balllllll????’ but the best part is where the background singers break into a sideline cheer, including what sounds like a heavily accented ‘sis boom bah!’.

Crazy stuff.

Even crazier is how obscure a record this hot still is.

As far as I can tell, the Dial that this record was released on bears no relation whatsoever to the jazz and soul label of the same name, and Mr Davis has proven to be all but un-Googleable. There was apparently an R&B singer by that name in the Midwest, but the vocal on this one suggests to me that he is not the same cat, since ‘our’ Cecil has a very thick accent (though that could be a put-on).

Other than that, just about all that shows up on-line is listings for people selling the 45, and there aren’t even many of those (it’s price has gone up quite a bit).

I have inquired of those who are deeper in the boogaloo game than myself, and haven’t come up with anything there either.

All I can say for certain about Cecil Davis ‘El Pajarito’ and his Super Orquesta, is that they created one hell of a great record.

I hope you dig it as much as I do, and I’ll 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.