At Her Very Best

I Love the Man

The Music You Need

Night Time Is The Right Time

All There Is

In The Hands

Sensuous Smooth Jazz Guitar

Love Is All

Live from Trejval Dairy

Turn Back the Hands of Time

Searching (Magical Night Mix)

Andrea Benini (born March 14, 1977), also known as Mop Mop is a musician, music producer and composer from , Cesena, Italy. He has worked in jazz, funk and club music.

Benini began playing guitar at age 10 and he started playing drums at age 14. At the end of 1999, Benini moved to Bologna and he attended the “Discipline dell Arti, della Musica e dell Spettacolo” (DAMS), pursuing the study of African-American music and Contemporary music.

From 2000 to 2003 Benini worked as journalist for the Italian magazine “Percussioni” interviewing musicians like Joey Baron, John Riley, Terry Clarke just to name a few.

As of 2005, his current project is Mop Mop, a funk/afro/jazz mix including musicians Alex Trebo on piano, Pasquale Mirra on vibraphone, Guglielmo Pagnozzi on sax, Bruno Briscik on bass and Danilo Mineo on percussions. Mop Mop debut album “The 11th Pill” was released by Tam Tam Studio in 2005 and later re-released by P-Vine Records for the Japanese market. The first single ”Perfect Day Feat. Jackson Sloan” was released by Dejavu Records in 2006 with a remix of Schema Records artist Gerardo Frisina.

In 2007 “Perfect Day” was selected by Adrian Gibson for “Messin Around 5”, the London Jazz Cafe compilation featuring artists like Nostalgia 77, Mark Murphy, Sleepwalker, Soul Jazz Orchestra just to name a few.

In 2008 Benini has produced Mop Mop’s second album entitled “Kiss oF Kali”, released by the German label Infracom Records in 2009. The album features Down Beat Critics Poll winner Gianluca Petrella on trombone and Alan Farrington on vocals. Infracom Records released Mop Mop’s third album “Ritual Of The Savage” in 2010. The album includes the UK’s singer Baby Sol ( backing vocaling for the likes of Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone, Nate James ).

In 2012 Mop Mop achieve the international film business as part of Woody Allen‘s “To Rome With Love” soundtrack with the song ” Three Times Bossa “, composed by Andrea Benini/Alex Trebo and produced by Tam Tam Studio.

Mop Mop music is released by labels like Sony/BMG, Universal, Wagram, Infracom, Freestyle, P-Vine, Rambling and supported by DJs like Gilles Peterson, Toshio Matsuura, Michael Ruetten, Pete Isaac, Simon Harrison just to name a few.
During the last years he has performed in Italy, Germany, France, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Turky, United Kingdom, United States, Russian Federation, appearing in clubs, jazz clubs, theatres, festivals, national radio and television.

Benini has produced three albums and several singles for Mop Mop project and remixed artists like [re:jazz], Bajka, Jazzinvaders, Bahama Soul Club, Valique, Rime.

Benini is actually living and producing his new works in Berlin. His fourth studio album which includes funk legend Fred Wesley on trombone and British poet Anthony Joseph on vocals, is to be released in 2012.

Funky mama soul beats

Time Tracks You Down

Ikebe Shakedown, the self-titled album from the Brooklyn-based band, plays with elements of cinematic soul, Afro-funk, deep disco, and boogaloo in all the right ways.  After spending a few years together the group, named after a favorite Nigerian boogie record (and pronounced “ee-KAY-bay”), delivers a driving set of tunes featuring a mighty horn section anchored by tight, deep-pocketed grooves.

“Right now in cities across the globe, there are plenty of great Afrobeat revivalist bands aping the sound and groove of Fela Kuti’s legendary sound.  Yet, surprisingly few of the new groups have strayed from an orthodox interpretation of the genre or done much real innovation…Ikebe Shakedown is here to change that.  The band takes signature Afrobeat elements—big unison horns, slinky bass lines, tight little guitar licks—and blends them with tasty grooves culled from ’70s-style horn-driven funk”. – Marlon Bishop, WNYC

The Ikebe debut for Ubiquity Records sees the band push their globally-informed sound and eclectic approach to tune-writing into new territory. “Self-titling the album is a way to introduce the audience to the many facets of the band — to provide a more complete understanding of what we do,” bassist Vince Chiarito says.  “Our sound has grown to incorporate our influences without overtly representing any one in particular.  It just sounds like us,” he adds.

Most of the rhythm section met at Bard College, and the band rounded-out and officially formed when everyone settled in Brooklyn in 2008.  From there, Ikebe has emerged as a compelling voice on the progressive local scene.  After a run of dates around NYC, the band recorded their debut 7” single and the EP, Hard Steppin’, which was released on Colemine Records in 2009,receiving high praise from critics and fans alike.  The group was invited to record at Dunham Studios with producer Tom Brenneck and at Killion Sound in Los Angeles, home of engineer Sergio Rios of fellow Ubiquity act, Orgone.  “The studios share a lot of similarities — the tracks were all cut live to tape with minimal use of headphones and overdubs.  This basic approach allowed us to dig in and really focus on getting dynamic performances,” Chiarito explains.

The old school mentality to recording spills over in lush, laid-back, and soulful funk joints like “Kumasi Walk” and “No Name Bar,” where the multi-layered horn section plays off a cavernous backing track of slick drumming, spacey Hammond organ, and nimble guitar riffing.  The cinematic soul sound is warm and deep, with the 7-piece band sounding more like a larger ensemble as increasing layers leap from the tape.  At the other end of the BPM counter, on “Tunjunga,” the band build a gritty African disco jam boasting a floor-filling percussion section, adding seductive guitar licks and an irresistible bass-line to set the horns ablaze. “Tame The Beats” is pure fire — bold melodies and heavy rhythms propel the song, with Meters-esque breakdowns providing only brief respite from the action.

Pepper

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