Review: The Blassics is a multi-member collective known for the excellent blend of jazz, funk, afro and soul across a series of standout records over the last decade. They take care of the a-side of this red hot release from Funk Night with 'Flowman Break', a bubbling, loose limbed funk bumper that is full flavour and full of playful funk. Tatasomba's 'Kaleidoscope' is a little more paired back and coy, with a conversational bassline and jangling cow bells that keep you on the move.
Review: A lovely new 45 from Detroit funk/hip-hop label Funk Night Records .Rickey Calloway started his music career at the tender age of 13, clowning around in rest periods doing James Brown imitations. It's with the spirit of Brown's backing band The JB's that the Daptone label's house band, The Dap Kings, turn Rickey's vocal track original into a groove led funk set of instrumentals. This version is heavy on the guitar licks with smatterings of bongo percussion, smouldering Hammond organ and punchy brass stabs without the confines of vocals. Highly recommended.
Review: This latest seven from Frank Raines Funk Night label is so hot there is steam rising off the wax! It sees funk troupe The Soul Surfers team up with vocalist Coko and we hope it's the first of several collaborations as there is a real studio chemistry on display here. There's a raw energy to Coko's vocal delivery that is reminiscent of Betty Davis and her vocals and the backing accompaniment sit perfectly on a killer groove arrangement from The Soul Surfers. The partnership shows a different side on the flip with "Wicked" a pensive Blues number that is fairly dominated by Coko's raspy singing.
The Institute For Experimental Music & Sound Research - "Groove With No Bass"
Review: Yet another raw instrumental funk dinked 45 from Detroit label Funk Night! First up is The Ho Kats - apparently a Russian teenage funk outfit - who give us "Gee Theme", a revolving twangy guitar and drum ensemble with lashings of organ. On the flip, the curiously named Institute For Experimental Music And Sound Research deliver mid-tempo chugging funk ditty "Groove With No Bass", which does what it says on the tin (no bass!) but it has a deep and meaningful keyed refrain overlaid with a more joyful piano melody and a shuffling drum kit.
Review: Joe Baer Magnant and The Ready bring that sweet sweet soul sound to Funk Night for a tasty 7" packed with good time grooves and a lil dose of the blues. Magnant is an accomplished guitarist who's been striking out on his own more recently, and his chops are in full effect on the heavy-grooving "Honey Stung". There are serious amounts of funk in those drums, and some punch in the brass section, but really this one belongs to Magnant's expressive playing. He's equally compelling on the B-side, which houses more downbeat cut "Orozco's Guarantee".
Review: The Tito Lopez Combo brings together some of London's finest musicians and here is led by the renowned drummer Harbans Srih, who gained fame for his performance on the iconic Starsky & Hutch theme with the James Taylor Quartet. On this one, 'Bostin ' Norton' gets going with some steamy and seductive sax notes which rise out of a bubbly funk brew. 'Play It Again Sam' los it don t more pensive and prying melodies which unfurl at their own pace of icy cymbals and deep drums.
Sunsay & The Soul Surfers - "Be Thankful For What You Got" (3:52)
The Soul Surfers - "Be Thankful For What You Got" (instrumental) (3:56)
Review: 'Be Thankful For What You Got' is a stone-cold soul classic that will most likely be best known to you as a tune that Massive Attack did a fine job of reworking on one of their fantastic early albums. This version by Sunday and The Soul Surfers is a gloriously sunny one with lush strings, gently rolling drums and lovely acoustic guitars all finished off by the breezy vocal up top. There is also an instrumental on the flip for those who like it more paired back.
Be Thankful For What You Got (instrumental) (3:58)
Review: A boxy and reverby soul emulation, 'Be Thankful For What You Got' is an optimist's dream. This soul bit recorded by Sunsay and The Soul Surfers charts a collaboration between two contemporary bands, achieving an impressively convincing retro-throwback to the 1970s with all its lo-fi studio tricks. Singing of equanimity and gratefulness, we are assured we can "still stand tall" as long as we appreciate the positive facets of life.
Review: Funk Night returns with this magnificent new album Vibrant Kaleisdosonic Rhythms from Zanzibar. It is well infuse by a wide range of worldly sounds, rhythms and moods and kicks off with a melange of incidental jazz keys and raw horn sounds that are super exotic. 'Night In Casablanca' is as steamy as you would expect with a low slung groove, 'Badmington Baobab' is another flute lead sound with mystery and intrigue and 'Hologram Water' is more reflective and inward in its lush keys and delicate organic percussive layers. A nice escapist instrument funk album for laid back times.
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