One of the most influential and underground Hammond organists of the 1960's was "Big" John Patton as he was then known. If it was the groove that you wanted Patton was your Man and he made several albums for the legendary Blue Note label, many of which went on to sell for eye watering prices. As his style went out of favor, some of the recordings never saw the light of day until almost 20 years later and at the same time Patton slipped into the background. He resurfaced in the 1980s and went into the studio. Among his albums Soul Connection, originally released in 1983 on Nilva Records has now been re-released on what many consider to be the Re-Issue Label of these times; Jazz Room Records.


Patton had a strong band with him on this record. Avant Garde trombonist Grachan Moncur III fits in just nicely with some funky lines and solo's. Acid jazz Guitar Hero Melvin Sparks rides in the all important funk grooves but the revelation has to be saxophonist Grant Reed, who you may know from the Jazz Room Release of "Shamek Farrah & Folks" and who was a mainstay of the Mongo Santamaria set up. Jazz Exile Alvin Queen has been part of the sound set ups of Junior Mance, Stanley Turrentine and Charles Tolliver, among others.
The whole album sounds as if it was laid down in a Rudy Van Gelder session in the mid 60's and then languished in a vault somewhere, waiting until the fan base had returned. That time is now, this is a Funky Organ Groove with a Spiritual Soul Swing!

JOHN PATTON - SOUL CONNECTION

Finn Rees, one of the key members of Melbourne’s bubbling music scene, announces his debut solo album, Dawn Is A Melody on Mr Bongo with the first single, ‘Looking Up’. As part of 30/70 and Close Counters his previous work has found form in its groove, Dawn Is A Melody instead places the piano and arrangements centre stage, embracing a timeless warmth infused with bittersweet melodies and saturated textures.
 
The lead single ‘Looking Up’ is a divine dose of uplifting, soul-rousing optimism that kicks off the album. A blank canvas for Finn and a whole host of Melbourne’s finest talent to fill with colour. Sitting between spiritual and cinematic, the track instantly envelops you in a swell of vintage hues, Lucky Pereira feathering the drums as Blakely McLean Davies riffs on the double bass. Finn’s fingers flow across the ‘70s Yamaha grand piano, delicately dancing around Siwei Wong’s stunning harp playing as the track builds and breaks. A sublime string section made up of Chloe Danger, Eunise Cheng, Nils Hobiger and McLean Davies, alongside shimmering vocal harmonies by 30/70 bandmate Allysha Joy, lift the track to limitless heights.
 
Finn’s layered synthwork on the Moog and Prophet provides a contemporary touch to proceedings, but one of the beauties of ‘Looking Up’ and the rest of the Dawn Is A Melody is its inability to be placed by age or era. A blend of inspirations from Arthur Verocai to Alice Coltrane, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson to Kamasi Washington, tied together with recording and mix engineer Henry Jenkin’s vintage recording setup warmth.
 
Just as the swell washed in at the start, the tide draws ‘Looking Up’ to a close, fading back out across the horizon as the sun sets another story.

Finn Rees - Looking Up

10. Yıl Nutku Mustafa Kemal Atatürk & Türk Senfoni Orkestrası Epic Music Soundtrack AL Nr (06) Composer & Music by Ali OKUR

10. Yıl Nutku Mustafa Kemal Atatürk & Türk Senfoni Orkestrası Epic Music Soundtrack BS Nr (05)

René Costy And His Orchestra - Scrabble

Rye Lane Shuffle

Kelenkye Band - Jungle Music

Mother Braintree Let Me Stay Beside You unissued 1973 soul kinsman

Available from https://www.mrbongo.com/products/african-dances-vinyl-lp-cd

First official reissue of the extremely rare full-length album by Lagos-based bandleader Shina Williams. Clean copies of the original currently sell for up to £500.

The record was born in 1979 when Shina put Biddy Wright, Fred Fisher, Saliu Alabi, Prince Bola, Tutu Shoronmu, Tunde willimas and several other decorated Nigerian musicians – who played with the likes of Fela Kuti, SJOB Movement, Sonny Okoson, King Bucknor amongst others – together to record. The result is ‘African Dances’, a timeless fusion of afrobeat, electronics, boogie and disco.

Includes his most well-known song, ‘Agboju Logun’ that Williams knew was ground breaking – “I want to show the whole wide world that Africa is alive with modern musicians to reckon with anywhere,”. This album version is a different mix to the two-track 12” that came out under on Earthworks, Rough Trade in 1984.

Official Mr Bongo reissue. Replica original artwork. Licensed direct from Shina Williams.

Cunny Jam Wayo

Available from Mr Bongo on vinyl LP and CD https://www.mrbongo.com/products/togetherness-is-always-a-good-venture-tambourine-party-vol-2-vinyl-lp-cd

Official Mr Bongo reissue of the ultra-rare album by ‘Super Elcados’. A fusion of heavyweight Nigerian funk, soul & disco, originally released by EMI Nigeria in 1976.

The ‘Super Elcados’ (and ’Elcados’ on other recordings) recorded three albums in the mid and late-70’s, this is their first. It was followed by ‘This World Is Full Of Injustice’ and ‘What Ever You Need’.

Licensed from Geoffrey Johnson (Elcados), courtesy of PMG, with special thanks to Dave Hill for his help.

Togetherness Is Always A Good Venture - Tambourine Party Vol. 2

Afro Funk

Wax Poetics is proud to stream the Decoders' cover of the Rotary Connection joint, "I Am the Black Gold of the Sun," which was produced by the great Charles Stepney. The track features our homies Loren Oden and Brooke De Rosa.

Purchase the track on <a href="http://thedecoders.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-the-black-gold-of-the-sun">Bandcamp.</a>


* * *

Riding on the heels of their first single off of <i>Vol. 2 (Walk On By)</i> with its orchestral soul arrangements, the second single from <i>Vol. 2</i>, Rotary Connection's "I Am the Black Gold of the Sun," is an ode to the beautifully epic orchestral arrangements of producer Charles Stepney.

But this time, the Decoders have decided to venture into the Brazilian repertoire, incorporating Samba and Jazz elements into the group's psychedelic soul arrangement.

This version features <a href="http://soundcloud.com/wax-poetics/sets/venice-dawn-something-about/">Adrian Younge's Venice Dawn</a> vocalists Loren Oden and Brooke De Rosa on vocals, as well as Jungle Fire's Steve Haney on percussion and Brazilian musician Quetzal Guerrero on percussion and berimbau.

The artwork for the single is an original painting by Los Angeles–based artist Michelle Robinson. Michelle's work has been praised by Cee-Lo Green, among others. For more info, check out her <a href="http://www.michellizm.com/">website</a>.

CREDITS:

Produced by the Decoders

Loren Oden 
Lead Vocals, Background Vocals

Brooke De Rosa 
Background Vocals

Itai Shapira 
Bass, Guitars, Synth, Vocal Arrangements

Todd M. Simon 
Trumpet, Horn Arrangements

Adam Berg 
Piano

Tracy Wannomae 
Saxophone

Thomas Lea 
Violin, Viola

Steve Haney 
Percussion

Quetzal Guerrero 
Berimbau

Blake Colie 
Drums

Engineered by Itai Shapira and Adam Berg at Manifest Music 
Additional engineering by David Burris at Manifest Music 
Mixed by Itai Shapira and Adam Berg at Manifest Music 
Mastered by Adam Berg at Manifest Music

Originally written and recorded by Rotary Connection (1971)

Michelle Robinson: Original Artwork • Anthony Valadez: Cover Art Design


The Decoders "I Am the Black Gold of the Sun"

Stimulator Jones breaks new ground on his sophomore LP, La Mano. The Stones Throw affiliate heads over to Mutual Intentions for a novel instrumental record that expands a musical dialect built on his singular fusion of sounds. The artist explores the musical possibilities contained in his hands as he moves between keys, guitars, drums and wind instruments in arrangements that break down the intellectual barriers of genre for the corporeal intimacy off the soul.

www.mutualintentions.com 

@stimulator-jones

Stimulator Jones - Drama Time

Record label. Record shop. Film label. Since 1989.