",,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,'',,''

Sydney 2013
Just seems like yesterday I forgot to post this up. It is hard to post as much as you collect, or for them other fallas not to collect? Come now! That’s why this blogs getting more dust than the ‘Hooked on’ record series... [cricket chirps, person coughs, tumble weed passes by]

Got this digging in Sydney city map which was cool as. I will just conclude now that Real Groovy is better than all their record stores. And here are some of the records that made it home from Sydney:


Repressed Records

So the first store I made three $2 gambles. 1, Meh, 2,Meh, and 3, what a surprise!

Django Reinhardt - Djangologie 1936-1937
Everyone should have Django Reinhardt in their collection. DJ Ango. Fun and full of life. I was familiar with him playing some tunes like Tea For Two and had long ago made a mental note.
There’s a time and a place for listening to Django Reinhardt. This sweet song takes me to that time and place.
(The other two records were not worth a mention. I can’t find them either to mention them)


Revolve Records & Relics in Erskinenville (I think).

One of my favourite record stores during the trip. Dark and dingy with a funny and friendly shop  keeper. The records were a little unsorted and all over the place, which added to the dig. Some of the records had notes advising of what famous samples were on them. There was heaps of Jazz and sound library records.

Charles Mingus – Mingus Moves
This record is soo beautiful. Not a forced moment. An instant favourite in my collection. Highly recommended.

Roland Kirk – Here Comes the Whistleman
This one has some great banter between songs. I can play this twice both sides while cooking and then eating dinner and not once get tired of it or it. Puts me in a good mood like food.
Hurbert laws – Carrnegie Hall + Nina Simone – Baltimore.
Both live albums on CTI and both were cheap. Both have some pretty incredible moments on them. I know they deserve more writing, but I haven't heard either records in a while.

Chappell AV Series – Elements/Weather.
I wish I grabbed some more of these records. There are some tracks on here that evoke some pretty eerie feelings. It is all made digitally and the theme interpretations are not so literal. For example thunder storm was not made with some sheet metal cymbals and a rain stick.

Utopia Records maybe? I can’t remember.

Freddy Robinson – Black Fox
This one good for drinking a pilsner and cooking kingfish on the BBQ before six. You get some people around then ‘The Oogum Boogum Song’ comes on, then “heyy what’s happening brother!” All tried tested and certified. Orchestra arranged and conducted by Monk Higgins – remember that name. Joe Sample on piano.

Nina Simone – It Is Finished
I’ve never thought to watch a Nina Simone documentary, if there is one? I will look now. Oh here’s one. Wow the internet is quick. Not a bad doco, a bit dated though. Some great footage. I digested that doco that quicker than Johnny 5. Turns out the soon to be released biopic is pretty controversial (and Dr Dre is doing the soundtrack?) and there may be a more definitive documentary on the way.

I will eventually have all her records I’m sure. Because I can’t flick by one I don’t have and not buy it. Apparently the French have a few albums that only exist in French town. Funkier Than a Mosquito’s Tweeter is making chump of your game. She got disses (who want to battle?) and the percussion is nuts on this one.

People Choice Volume 1 – Various Artists
$5.00 all good. I don’t have as much reggae as I’d like. This one is from the 1980’s, when reggae went digital. That was a big turning point for the genre. Now days the roots styley has proven to persevere in popularity which is great. I was never big on the digital. But like all that goes round and comes round I now have a soft spot for the digital reggae, and the hits from that era are some of the hits from my childhood. This comp has both Sugar Minott and Horace Andy, two key selling points for me. Judging by the Word Enterprise record label this has all been done on the cheap.

Pigeon Ground Records

Don Pullen – Healing Force
Solo on the piano and amazing. This is some deep shit. Gets pretty emotional at times. I'm not smart enough to put it musical terms, but there are so many magical moments on this record that just....

Oscar Peterson – Return Engagement
You don’t often have to pay a lot for Oscar Peterson records because he was popular and prolific. This is a double album put out by Verve with some weird and interesting pattern and colour combos on the cover. Subtle Jazz with no saxophone for a J. Piano music. Woody Allen would put it on when he had company.

Lou Donaldson – Hot Dog
This album cover is quite distinctive and I have seen in pop up in waxpoetics articles a number of times.  I had never heard this album before and I purchased it on reputation and recognition alone. I hadn’t before associated blue note with this sound (I hadn’t heard tons of blue note though).  This is nearly all straight party jams, doesn’t take its self so seriously but is seriously tight and funky as hell. You will hear many famous samples on this, which is just an added bonus to the overall listening pleasure. The organ and drums alone… damn! I’m not big on the Sax but Lou keeps it in the pocket and holds back enough to make you want to hear him have his turn again. Gold.

Sheeba Baby
It was playing in another record store and I was like, “hey what is? can I buy it?” First time I’ve ever done that at a record store.  The answer was “sorry, this is my own copy, no you can’t buy it”. Then I found a reissue of it at Pigeon. Plays like hip hop. Just one break and gnarly loop after another. It’s got 30 second instrumental interludes between banging songs. You can picture this one in the movie, Pam Grier on some snooping around abandon warehouse or something.
Do you remember the name Monk Higgins? Well he arranged this as well.

≤≥≥≤≥≤≥≤≥≤≥≥≤≥≤≥≤≥≤≥≥≤≥≤≥≤≥≤≥≥≤≥≤≥≤≥≤≥≥≤≥≤≥≤≥

Wellington Pt2

 

This is the lot from both Slow Boat and RPM record stores.

My dad used to take me to Slow Boat Records when I was a kid. He would take aaagggees there. One day I too will bore the shit out of my son at that record store haha. Nah I don’t think I ever minded that much. Such a great record store. When I arrived it was like they were expecting me. Aside from the 45s previous posted about, I got the following there:

Etta James – Tuff Lover.
This record is “Taff Only” (in joke). To me, tuff is how tough should be spelt. Even though the record sleeve spells it both ways and can’t make up its mind. Etta James’ records got snatched up real quick right after she died. This particular record is probably not the most desirable, I don’t know, but it is not the usual Etta James you’d think. This sounds like straight outa tin pan allay, the brill factory or whatever shibb. Very early on, very rock’n’roll. It is good. But you know she got better.

Astrud Gilberto – The Shadow Of Your Smile.
“Nobody needs me” she sings in her cutesy voice. As if! Female singers like this almost have me believe them. And it drives me crazy. Firstly, she did not write these songs, and in most cases it was a male who wrote the song. She is merely a runway model for words. Is that too harsh? What does it matter…  she’s pretty sings pretty probably acts pretty and I find it hard to believe that nobody needed her. I need her!

Irma Thomas – Breakaway
This album was just waiting in the shelves for me. Singing songs of longing for me. And then I came along, and now the hurts all gone. I can’t believe my luck in finding this. It is a compilation with like 18 songs jammed on it but I will take any Irma Thomas I can get. She is amazing. You know she got married at 14!! (Is that even legal?) So she had a head start to heartbreak.

Female singers like this make me believe them. Like she is truly singing about me! Ever listen to that Alicia Keys song ‘You Don’t Know My Name’? Well Alicia knew my name. Irma can you please put a ‘Michael’ in one of your songs.

Favourite tracks: It’s Rainin’ and Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand). They are all really great songs. Ruler of My Heart is the best hands down, but sadly it’s not on this compilation.

Dinah Washington – Tears and Laughter
Yeah I got a thing for lady singers. Dinah is one of the best. And with Quincy Jones as the composer / producer, this album was everything I had hoped and expected. The cover art is pretty cool to. One side is sad songs and the other happy. It is raining heavy outside. It’s lonely. I can’t sleep, and this album is the perfect soundtrack.  I made a cool loop/song out of a track I can't find on the net to play you, but Soundcloud wasn't having it.

Nina Simone – Nuff Said!
Recorded live on the evening following the assassination of Martin Luther King. The song Why? (the king of love is dead) was written by bass player Gene Taylor that very day. Nina Simone is one of the greatest of all times. ‘Nuff Said!

Marcia Griffiths – Steppin’
I used to pretty snobby towards ‘80s Reggae. It was not ‘rootsy’ enough or something. I do kinda feel a little like that towards this 1985 release. Very over produced, not very gritty and raw. But, I love Marcia Griffiths and there are a number of songs on here where she shines over all that. The version of Hurtin’ Inside is perfectly sad.

CTI Summer Jazz - at the Hollywood Bowl, Volume Three.
Side A Track One opens with an aeroplane flying overhead then launches into a nice little break intro for the aptly named song Funkfathers. Most of the CTI ‘players’ (am I saying that right Chris ‘players’ haha) are on this album, unfortunately 5 of them are Saxophonists, and there is only one drummer and one percussionist. Still they do their thing. But in conclusion, too much sax and Esther Phillips who sings on 2 of the 5 songs is a female vocalist whom I am not a fan.  “Bring back the aeroplane!” I would have heckled.

Edwin Star – 25 Miles
25 Miles is his best song (then maybe ‘War’). This is not the best album. But 25 miles is enough. Beat Me To The Punch is also great. Annnnd it has this redeeming break which I looped up and played a lil melodica over it just for the sake of doing something with it:

RPM was cool. A reincarnation of Wellington’s Real Groovy. I’m running out of writing power… ummm there I got the other three records:

Q-Tip – Renaissance
Started at 16 now he all grown up. This is what adults sound like when rapping. The man.

Bumpy Knuckles
With a name like that you gotta say it twice “bumpy knuckles baby! bumpy knuckles baby!” LOVE this song. Abe you probably put me on to this back in the day. I’ve misplaced this record but from memory Pete Rock on the A and Alchemist on the B. Who would want to be on production for the B side of this? Not even Alchemist.

Digable Planets – 9^th Wonder
Why among all the resurgence of 90s rap styles can no one pull off the cool jazzy styles like these guys? I’m blaming the internet ;)