Eddie Bo (1930-2009) came from a family of bricklayers, but his mom was a self-taught pianist who was friends with Professor Longhair. He chose the ivories over bricks. The only artist from New Orleans to release more singles than Eddie was Fats Domino.
Eddie Bo was responsible for serial occurrences such as The Thang, The Hook and Sling, and the checking of one’s bucket.
This one, “We’re Doing It (The Thang) (Part 1)” has been sampled by DJ Shadow and numerous other deejays, probably because it is cut from the purest naturally grown funk.
Enjoy.
Song: We’re Doing It (The Thang) (Part 1) Artist: Eddie Bo Album: The Hook And Sling Label: Funky Delicacies Buy from: Amazon | iTunes
Baby goats. Not fainting goats. Not men who stare at goats.
The name of an instrumental song can make all the difference in the world. In this case, I am not feeling a connection between the cloven-hoofed beasts and this jazzy number by Will Bernard and a helluva backup band (John Medeski, Stanton Moore, Andy Hess).
Perhaps the song is a pre-emptive strike against industrial goat-farming before it spreads. In which case, you should enjoy, but only with an aching sense of guilt.
Song: Baby Goats Artist: Will Bernard Album: Blue Plate Special Label: Palmetto Buy from: Amazon | iTunes
I admit I had to look it up. “Patois” is the way Jar Jar Binks and the rapper Shaggy talk.
And the way Das Racist rap in this absurd construction.
There’s even a reference to Shaun Bridgmohan, the first Jamaican jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby.
None of Das Racist’s solo music is for sale that I can find, and it’s only available for download through the Internet. Right now, they’re on tour, and I bet they put on a good show.
Enjoy these two tracks to see some of their range.
Songs: Fake Patois, Speaking in Tongues Artist: Das Racist
Chali 2na spits baritone ghetto diplomatics. Cut Chemist is the deejay, with horns and a full band. This assemblage is called Ozomatli, an LA-based outfit that’s as eclectic as their home city.
UNRELATED THOUGHT EXPERIMENT:
HOW VAIN ARE YOU?
Would you rather:
A) Shave your head bald? or
B) Stab yourself in the neck 4 inches deep with a corkscrew?
Remember to hold on to what’s important in life.
Enjoy the music.
Song: Cut Chemist Suite Artist: Ozomatli Album: Cut Chemist Suite Buy from: Amazon
I sure enjoy me a good dose of jamband now and then. It can get old quick, though, just as wearing the same awesome shirt for a few days in a row can hamper the shirt’s awesomeness.
But this song is not your quintessential jamband song, and it’s not your quintessential jamband either. Umphrey’s McGee is the band that would happen if Elvis Costello and Phish did the nasty… reproductively. That’s a weak description but it’s got strong potential imagery. I’ll extrapolate: Elvis Costello and Phish would do the nasty on stage in a very loud and grody fashion, with several heavily lubricated instruments, and there’d be a wicked light show going on all around them, culminating in a blinding light focusing on the instantly gestated and emerging baby (Umphrey’s McGee) who would come out of Elvis Costello’s “mouth” and bounce across the audience (yeah, there’s an audience!) in a giant, clear, slime-coated beach ball (with breathing holes). And then everyone would eat kind veggie burritos in the parking lot.
Anyway… this here is a chill jam, recorded live in 2008 at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, called “End of the Road.” It’s for all you tweekers out there who need to calm your selves down. Enjoy.
Song: End of the Road Artist: Umphrey’s McGee Album: Safety in Numbers Label: SCI Fidelity Recordings Buy from: Amazon | iTunes
There is a lot of music in this non-song recommendation. In the documentary, Béla Fleck: Throw Down Your Heart, Béla Fleck takes his banjo back to Africa to explore the instrument’s roots and just to try to make some good music along the way.
It’s a fun ride, and this excerpt captures one of the magical moments when music transcends everything else we think is so important when we’re not singing or playing or dancing.
So pull out your thumb piano, your banjo, sing, or just hambone. And enjoy.
Art Tatum (1909-1956), mostly blind, was perhaps one of the fastest and most agile piano players ever. He was definitely one of the most ground-breaking, shaking up stride piano in ways that fertilized music forevermore. Tatum has been criticized as being overly ornate, but when you watch footage of him playing complicated sections of music, it seems impossible that his fingers are moving enough to make the sounds you’re hearing. It’s like he’s not even trying! And if you can DO that, I’d say you’re almost obliged to sound ornate.
This track, “Aunt Hagar’s Blues” shows more of his personality than his speed, and his affinity for playing with harmonies.
I threw another video below, too, so you could see his hands in action.
Enjoy.
Song: Aunt Hagar’s Blues Artist: Art Tatum Album: The Complete Capitol Recordings of Art Tatum Label: Blue Note Buy from: Amazon | iTunes
One of the greatest videos I’ve seen in a while. This song is a departure for the site. I doubt I would listen to this music without watching the video. It is funny, but it requires a certain type of energy, a certain frequency at which I rarely vibrate. And no, this is not funk music. It’s funky like a rotting banana, but in a good way(?).
It’s another Subpop artist, Pissed Jeans. They’re punk, but they have a Wikipedia entry, so they’re not THAT punk. By the way, Subpop doesn’t pay me, despite this being the third post of a Subpop artist lately. Everything on this site is a labor of love, at least until someone offers to pay me, then I might just whore the site out. But for now it’s totally pure. Pure as the driven snow.
So put on your most blasé face and enjoy.
Song: False Jesii Part 2 Artist: Pissed Jeans Album: King of Jeans Label: Subpop Buy from: Subpop
The Last Poets are the forebears to rap and hip-hop. The group name comes from a poem by a South African poet who believed he was in the last era of poetry before guns would take over.
I personally think guns will never eliminate poetry. Guns just add more punctuation marks. And the poets get more cagey.
The track “Black People, What Y’all Gonna Do?” is heavy stuff. There’s too much to race and life to summarize any significant piece of it with plain old words.
It takes spoken word, rhythm, and soul. This track is from the album This Is Madness (1971).
Absorb. Process. Enjoy.
Song: Black People, What Y’all Gonna Do? Artist: The Last Poets Album: This Is Madness Label: Celluloid Buy from: Amazon | iTunes
RT @primawesome: Let's have a race. You try to get an appointment with a licensed mental health professional and I'll try to get a gun. Rea… 5 years ago
Here’s Bill Evans, the pianist who played with Miles on Kind of Blue, and co-wrote “Blue in Green.” He did a lot early on in life.
Uncle Funk's Catalogue 