fick soul

flat pocket (twit one & lazy jones) - fick soul (mixtape)

aloe blacc on gilles peterson

californian soul man aloe blacc swung by the renound gilles peterson worldwide show recently to provide words and music. they chat about his favourite singers and how the artist became signed to stones throw records, with a few tracks from his latest album 'good things' also featured.

the different 'hey joe'

the track below is taken from the legendary 'time and place' by lee moses. lee moses is a kind of mystery figure in soul music relatively unknown to mainstream audiences. he was one of several artists (including the ohio players, hermon hitson, gloria barnes, bobby brown and freddie terrell) to work with johnny brantley (known as a mover and a shaker on the new york soul scene) during the late 60s and early 70s. 'time and place' is by no means just a soul record, however, with a strong presence of heavy funk/psych-guitar throughout the album. despite the bulk of lee moses' work being produced in new york or new jersey, he was originally from atlanta, explaining the roots of the gospel and bluesy aspect to his singing style. his voice has such a natural rawness, a wounded-like quality that pulls your heartstrings. 'hey joe' is certainly a gritty and passionate cover, somehow managing to successfully combine funk/psych/blues into this 6 minute jam.

lee moses - hey joe

ain't nothing gonna change me

currently loving this track from the all female soul quartet the sweet inspirations. members have included cissy houston (whitney houston's mother), dionne warwick, dee dee warwick, and doris troy, all of which have had successful solo careers despite the sweet inspirations being predominantly known as a backing group for 60s rhythm & blues artists. the original group was in high demand by producers, artists, and songwriters for their backing vocals, leading to contributions on records for wilson pickett, solomon burke, and aretha franklin to name but a few. much of their material was originally released on atlantic records with a strong gospel influence coming through their earlier work. their name originated when atlantic records producer jerry wexler turned to cissy and told her he had an inspiration, to which she replied, "oh, sweet!".


the sweet inspirations - ain't nothing gonna change me

good things

aloe blacc is a soul singer/rapper/musican and is fluent in spanish, it's beginning to seem like there's not much this guy can't do. his fanbase has been steadily growing since 1995 when he collaborated with hip-hop producer exile and became something of a 'stow away' on the lootpack tour of europe in the late 1990s. his public profile was significantly raised after HBO decided at the 11th hour to use the lead single from his sophomore album for the opening credits to their show 'how to make it in america". the track "i need a dollar" is reminiscent of a 70s soul number with its urgent piano and haunting vocals, originally derived at a time when blacc was listening to old field recordings of black convicts from the south working on chain gangs. the first rough recording of the track was made with his friends back in 2007 sitting in their front room stomping on the wooden floor and clapping their hands, much like a kind of spiritual you could find yourself singing in church.

there is an absence of rapping on the new record, with blacc concentrating on the delivery, and in particular the emotional aspect of his soulful voice. production comes from truth & soul at the soul fire studios in williamsburg, some might remember their remix of dinah washington's 'cry me a river'. the retrospective track 'good things' starts off quite relaxed with a funky guitar riff bubbling under the surface, the introduction of brass acts as a catalyst in bringing this song to life, and the backing vocals create a sweet soul harmony that seems to be so rare in modern music. 'you make me smile' is nothing short of a delight, 'politician' features a heavier presense of funky horn licks, 'if i' is a delicate number where blacc's vocal talent really shines, and tracks 'momma hold my hand' and 'green lights' pay homage to traditional rhythm & blues. 'hey brother' has a crazy psychedelic groove and 'miss fortune' highlights a broader musical influence of reggae.

this record addresses current social and political issues, commenting on unemployment, homelessness, the unsustainable use of natural resources, and the pitfalls of capatalism. thought-provoking and decisively mature lyrics contribute to a growing musical character in which blacc strives for positive social change. 'good things' places aloe blacc at the forefront of modern soul, head and shoulders above many of his contemporaries, emphasising social consciousness and inducing compassion.

i get a kick out of you

ella fitzgerald is undoubtedly one of the greatest female jazz singers of all time, and through her career she won an astonishing 13 grammy awards. this particular song i'm posting is ella doing a cover of 'i get a kick out of you', which has then been remixed by the cinematic orchestra (a british-based jazz and electronic outfit). the acoustic guitar fits perfectly with ella's purity of tone, and it really feels as if this track has been tastefully brought into the 21st century.



ella fitzgerald - i get a kick out of you (cinematic orchestra remix) [sharebee]

ella fitzgerald - i get a kick out of you (cinematic orchestra remix) [mediafire]

superfly

curtis mayfield's 'superfly' album is a classic of 1970s soul and funk. it would be wrong however to dismiss it as merely a funky sounding record with no substance or rooted meaning. in fact, we also saw deep political meaning in mayfield's first solo album entitled 'curtis'. songs like 'keep pushing on' and 'people get ready' were commenting on the civil rights movement and gave people's belief at the time another avenue of expression.

in 'superfly' he uses each song to focus on a different aspect of what he saw was going wrong on america's streets at the time; offering probing questions of his own community. he presents a critical perception on drugs, dealers, and leading a life of such nature. mayfield doesn't slip into the trap of becoming too moralistic, but simply observes what black life was often like in the early 1970s. in particular, 'pusherman' uses the metaphor of a drug dealer as a means of earning a living and running a business. talented lyricism is evident with the incisively written... "i'm your mamma, i'm your daddy, i'm that nigga in the alley; i'm your doctor when in need, want some coke, have some weed". the latin percussion used throughout the record also helps i think to convey this theme of the streets.

curtis mayfield - 'superfly' [mediafire]

curtis mayfield - 'superfly' [yousendit]