I began the Pullin from the Stacks podcast just over 10 years ago, publishing my first episode on October 19, 2014. The name is from the classic Digable Planets cut "Pacifics," a song which has a lot of meaning to me. I think I actually messed up and called it "Pullin from the Crates" for that first episode. The first record I played was a cover of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" by the Jazz Piano Quartet. 

The first record I play on this episode is a different "Maiden Voyage" cover, this time by the Dalton Jazz Ensemble, a school band record I found at Recollect Records in Denver years ago. One of my favorite songs, I still search out any version I can. The next record is the first record I ever put on my Discogs "want list," Michael Sardaby's "Gail," after hearing a soundclip on Youtube one day. Even back then it was going for more money than I'd ever spent on a piece of wax. A few years later, I sold my old copy of Eminem's first 12" for a couple hundred, and immediately went to see if there were any copies of "Gail" available at the same price - and there were! I feel so lucky to have snagged one. The next record is from one of my favorite jazz compilations, this one out of Hungary in the early 70s. I highly recommend it, the whole record is gorgeous, it's called "Modern Jazz Anthology X" and folks are sleeping on it! Staying in the same part of the world, I was introduced to Romanian jazz legend Johnny Cretu Raducanu after hearing a few Electrecord releases he had played on. The cover of this 10" and his own cover of Charles Mingus's "Haitian Fight Song" drove me to track down a copy online. The whole record is stunning. Speaking of stunning it is hard to find words to describe the beauty of this masterpiece by Winston Mankunku Ngozi, often referred to as South Africa's John Coltrane. It is a desert island record. The following tune, from the Roy Haynes Trio, is one I heard on Karriem Riggins masterful mix, "Music Kaleidoscope," and had to track down. I found it one weekend in a super random record store deep in Long Island. The Chucho Valdes represents my love of Cuban jazz; while I didn't find this record during my time in Havana, I did get hip to Mr. Valdes and months afterword dug this out of a crate on the floor under a table at the WMFU record fair. The Milton Banana cut I play here is from the first record of his I bought, I think at Human Head back in the day. He's killing it on the drums!! I don't remember when I first heard this RF 45 - maybe Junior played it? - but it's a gem, had to track one down. And Green Caterpillar man...I first heard this when Rev Shines played it YEARS ago on KBOO during Jumbo's "Beat Jeopardy" show. I remember being like "wtf is this?!?!?" - took many years to find a copy. I bought this off a dude in Colorado on Amazon.com in like 2015 for about $80. Clean. No regrets on that. The Soul Surfers cut here is just crazy to me, I think someone posted it on IG and I took notice. And finally, this beautiful cover of Kendrick Lamar by my guy Sly 5th Ave released by my people DJ Center and Footlong Development is a stone cold classic. I can't count all the DJ gigs I end with this 45 or all the people coming up to the turntables to see what it is.  

This is not the end of the podcast. There will be more episodes, though probably less often, as has been the case for much of 2024. Hoping to get back on a schedule of 1-2 episodes a month, possibly with some special guests. Speaking of guests, I want to thank everyone who's contributed a guest set these past ten years! Alex Stange, DO77, Duiji Mshinda, John Morrison, DJ Center, J. Rawls, Bruce Phillips, Evolve-One, LateBloomer and dflush, Daniel Littlewood, the DadBodRapPod, and Waffles Hidalgo. Much respect! And the biggest thank you goes out to everyone who's tuned in once or a hundred times, downloaded, subscribed, told their friends, or talked shit. It's all appreciated.

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Pullin from the Stacks - 10 Years of PFTS!

I write music across all genres and I also perform my jazz songs across Sydney and beyond. You can hear more music via YouTube, Spotify and the other links below.

When I'm not at the dayjob, I'm probably at a record store. Pullin from the Stacks podcast most Wednesdays, available here, Apple Pods (please subscribe!) and elsewhere.

Alana McFarlane, born in Vancouver, Canada, is a visual and sound artist, performer and writer.

Pullin from the Stacks - 10 Years of PFTS!

DJ Ian Head