Available on vinyl, CD and digital formats: https://orcd.co/carlsmithburnin

Originally released in 1980 on short-lived Oregon label ‘Match Box Recordings’, ‘Burnin’’ is the only album recorded by Portland jazz/funk band Carl Smith And The Natural Gas Company.

At the time of the release of this album, Carl Smith’s band had already been performing for almost two decades, starting out as the ‘Carl Smith Orchestra’ in 1959, fusing 40s and 50s big band styles with rock’n’roll, before gradually morphing into the more compact jazz / funk influenced outfit you can hear on Burnin’.

“Carl had this bright red delivery van he bought from the natural gas company. He got a hold of that thing and that’s how we went on the road. When we’d roll up to the gig they’d see this big van full of musicians and on the outside it said “Natural Gas Co.” Then out comes Carl Smith and it’s all over.” – Lee Bradford (trumpet, flugelhorn)

The orchestra that Carl Smith founded was a Portland institution for about 50 years all-told, becoming an essential training ground for young musicians on the come-up; even the later Grammy-award winning trumpeter Chris Botti passed through at the age of 17 and Jefferson Airplane’s Signe Anderson was a long-time collaborator. It was “hard to find many jazz players around here who haven’t played with the band” said Smith in a 1980 interview with The Oregonian. They performed at festivals, universities, nightclubs, dance studios and even military bases from Portland to Seattle and everywhere in between, opening for Dave Brubeck, Buddy Miles and Johnny Ray among many others.

The story of this album’s recording has gone down in infamy among the remaining band members and Carl Smith’s daughter Carlee (who performed lead vocals on ‘Love Won’t Let Me Go’), all of whom recall a fraught, rushed recording process, led by a producer who had no musical experience and was nothing more than a puppet for the somewhat shady label owners. This led to the album being cut too fast and accidentally pitched up a key, so if you want to hear it as the band intended, pull the pitch control down a little on your turntable.

“Turns out the whole thing was backed by a bunch of farmers from central Oregon who were looking to take a loss… So here we were playing out and selling records. As soon as we were about to hit one thousand copies sold, their plan was to stop promotion so it would die…but we didn’t know that.” – Peter Piazza (trombone, electric violin, euphonium)

Upon its release, the album received airplay on several radio stations across Oregon and Washington, the band were invited to play live on local TV channel KGW, and copies sold out quickly within the local area. Despite the bitter-sweet circumstances around the record, Burnin’ remains a fantastic document of this well-drilled and talented group of players, showcasing original funk, jazz and soul compositions mostly arranged by Larry Dunlap, who went on to become musical director for the Pointer Sisters and write for Cleo Laine during a long and fruitful career in music.

The original label’s intentional sabotage of Burnin’ has made it a rare and sought-after album for vinyl collectors the World over, so we are delighted to reissue it for the first time ever, complete with its original artwork, accompanied by liner notes providing a detailed oral history of the band, as told by several of its original members.

Carl Smith And The Natural Gas Company - Burnin' (Album Sampler)

Francisco Mora Catlett - Afra Jum
Hidori Shikari - Groovy Samba
Jab - Currents
Yoni Maryaz - Snow
Kaidi Tatham - Intergalactic Relations
Chris Dave - The Stand (feat. Jermaine Holmes & Marcus Strickland)
Lonnie Smith - Sunshine Superman feat. Iggy Pop
Snowpoet - Roots
Patti Austin - That's Enough For Me
Deborah Bond - Time 
JSWISS - Energy (w/ Sly5thAve)
Cleo Sol - One Love / Why Don't You
Francisco Mora Catlett - Amazona
A Celebration Of Erykah
Erykah Badu - Rimshot
Erykah Badu - Window Seat
Erykah Badu - Back In The Day
Erykah Badu - Bump It (Parts 1 + 2)
Erykah Badu - Sometimes
Erykah Badu - Didn't Cha Know
Erykah Badu - On & On (Live)
Erykah Badu - Other Side Of The Game
Erykah Badu - Honey
Erykah Badu - No Love
Erykah Badu - AD 2000

Folded Space on Jazz FM w/ Tony Minvielle Erykah Badu Special

Late last year Toby Glider a.k.a Liquid Pegasus released his phenomenal album; Novelty on CityBaby Records . This was listed as one of Aswad's favourites of 2020 and was one of the most notable releases across the board. On the show Aswad and Toby Glider get together and discuss about the makings of the album, influences, Japanese 80's culture and even the notorious artwork created by Chris Hopkins + more! The show also features new music from a talented roster including Frankfurt Funk, Madd3e, Big Jacks, Kutcorners, Angela Apigo and Soul Supreme.

S3 EP5 - Toby Glider

Meant to have this together sooner, but you know how it goes. Second Summer Session mix is all beats with a laid back flavor, for the headphones or the ride. Tried to play a few things old and a couple new. Enjoy!

Summer Sessions 2021

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Summer Session #2

Last show of the year, and as tradition dictates it’s another episode to look back over the year but this time doing something a little bit different. Aswad sits down with Walla P (Voyage Funktastique/Prime Source), as they host an end of year review. Together they talk and share their favourite records covering LPs, 12", 7" and reissues. As you can expect there was a lot talk about, so expect plenty of music covered from the rich sounds of modern funk through to the classic signature grooves of British Jazz Funk.

S3 EP10 - Year In Review: 2021

I might start daily dropping beats on some ish

160bpm(PROD.Mare!)

Buy/Stream the EP here: https://orcd.co/intothelight

Valvin “V” Roane offers up a soulful taste of upcoming album ‘Image A Nation’ with lead single ‘Into The Light’ featuring Yameen Allworld.

‘Into The Light’ is a smooth, warm and life-affirming Neo-Soul gem, served with that special sauce that, it seems, only Philly artists can perfect. Yameen’s relaxed rhyme flow perfectly compliments V’s flawless vocal performance over a classic beat, an instrumental version of which is included in the package.

V’s long friendship and collaborative relationship with Yameen pre-dates his debut album, 2005’s ‘The Revelation Is Now Televised’, which was the first time the pair appeared together on record. Both subsequently contributed to Jill Scott’s 2011 album ‘The Light Of The Sun’, which incidentally also featured fellow BBE artist Larry Gold as composer and arranger. Alongside Jontae Slade and Andre Capers, Yameen was one of the main writers behind V’s new album ‘Image A Nation’, but it’s only on this cut that he makes an on-mic appearance.

V is widely known throughout the US soul and R&B community as a ‘go-to’ vocalist, having worked with Justin Timberlake, Musiq Soulchild and Will Smith to name but a few. Yameen Allworld is a mainstay of the Philadelphia music scene, previously working with Kindred The Family Soul and occasionally acting as hype-man for Questlove’s legendary DJ sets.

Album ‘Image A Nation’ is slated for release in early September 2020

Into The Light

V - Into The Light (Feat. Yameen Allworld)

Mixed by OVEOUS

Chasm in the Ocean

Please check out the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust and make a donation if you can. If not, all is good and just enjoy the music.
This music is of black origin. Which we owe so much. 
Donate here - www.stephenlawrence.org.uk/support-us/donate/
As well as campaigning for racial justice and fairness, the charitable foundation does amazing work helping young people to transform their lives by overcoming disadvantage and discrimination, supporting them through sustainable careers.

Music new and old form around the globe that has been in my home August 2020.

Tracklist

liv.e - what’s the real
nas - king’s disease
surprise chef - new farrari
anderson paak - lockdown ft. did, nonane, jay rock
outkast - spottieottiedopalisci
_by.alexander - trumpets
ambiance - the black narcissist
finn foxell - ericsson
samino - baguette ft. jid & kenny beats
denialle ponder & karate boogaloo - look around
bas & eargthgang - jollof rice
john beltran - as the sun
blossom & merkin - tag team triangle
les sins - grind
oisima feat jimetta rose blue shade yoruba soul remix
gean tea peng - hu man
dinner party - love you bad
nayana iz - walking
nubya garcia - the message continues
common - resurrection (small professor remix

BBE Music's Album

August Sounds

Buy / Stream here: https://orcd.co/happysongremixes

Following the release of ‘Happy Song’, the first single from forthcoming album ‘Break The Wall’, MF Robots reveal the full extended version of the song alongside remixes from Kenny Dope, Kaidi Tatham and Daz-I-Kue.

It’s only right that Kenny Dope should be the first producer to remix Jan Kincaid and Dawn Joseph’s new MF Robots project, considering the trio’s shared musical history. Kenny Dope began reworking Jan’s ‘Brand New Heavies’ material back in the early 90’s as one half of Masters At Work, helping the band reach club-land over and over again with a series of iconic remixes, recorded during the golden era of MAW’s output.

It’s no surprise then that there’s more than a hint of that special, Latin sunshine-infused mid-90’s House sound in Kenny’s rework of Happy Song, which showcases Dawn’s impeccable vocals over an infectious rhythm track and ultra-funky horn stabs. An instrumental version of Kenny’s mix is also included for the House purists, as well as the full, extended original version of Happy Song, packed with tight musicianship and more than its fair share of great grooves.

Pioneers of the UK Broken Beat movement and contributors to its most emblematic group, Bugz In The Attic, it seems almost inconceivable that Kaidi Tatham & Daz-I-Kue have never actually worked on a remix together before. As strange as it may sound, it’s true, and their powerhouse rework of ‘Happy Song’ is most definitely worth the wait.

About MF Robots:

Meeting in 2013 while recording and performing with one of the UK’s most commercially successful Acid Jazz bands, legendary UK drummer Jan Kincaid and vocalist Dawn Joseph discovered immediate musical chemistry and began writing songs together right away. They soon left the band to concentrate on their own work, starting MF Robots (Music For Robots) and releasing an eponymous debut in 2018. The album was so well received that the duo soon morphed into a band as they found themselves in-demand at venues and festivals all over Europe.

Forthcoming long player ‘Break The Wall’ represents a new benchmark for Jan and Dawn, reflecting the MF Robots project coalescing and maturing while fine-tuning their material, both on the road and in the studio.

Happy Song Remixes

MF Robots - Happy Song (Kenny Dope Remix)

Last episode of the year, so here's my annual Modern Funk Recap, featuring music from XL Middleton, Moniquea, Mofak,Lynda Dawn, Kazzey, Saucy Lady, Dogg Master, Buscrates, and many more.

VOYAGE FUNKTASTIQUE #203 / 2020 MODERN FUNK RECAP — Hosted by Walla P

DJ, Broadcaster, Musical Journeyman - currently to be found on Jazz FM (jazzfm.com) and onejazz.net