Tag Archives: Philadelphia
by dunderbeck1980 | September 27, 2017 · 12:06 pm
Anatomy of THE Groove: "Kiss The World Goodbye" by Mtume
James Mtume almost seemed to be born into the royal family of funk. Everything seemed to come into place for it. He was born in Philly as the son of jazz sax icon Jimmy Heath. He went on to play with Miles Davis during the last few years before Miles' late 70's retirement period. That combination of being a Philadelphia native and having a strong back round is usually the key ingredients in a recipe for a funk icon. At first,Mtume had his mind on athletics. He achieved the title of the first black Middle Atlantic AAU champion in the backstroke, and in 1966 he entered Pasadena City College on a swimming scholarship.
After learning about music somewhat through the jazz musicians coming in and out of his adopted father,local Philly jazz pianist James "Hen Gates" Foreman,he had the abilities as a musician to begin his career as a session player on the West Coast by the early 70's. He recorded a couple of albums as a leader.. These were both in a more free jazz style. In 1978 he'd teamed up with percussionist/arranger/producer Reggie Lucus and formed the funk outfit Mtume. They would hit pay dirt with 1983's sexy "Juicy Fruit". Yet one of their most telling grooves is the title song of their 1978 debut album Kiss The World Goodbye.
The drum kicks off the slow,percussive crawl of the rhythm for starts. A grinding guitar plays a funky blues riff that swiftly dovetails into another guitar line-this one a amp'd up rock one. This is assisted by some incredibly phat popping bass playing a lower version of the first guitar riff. This is the main body of the song-one that relies heavily on the one. As the song progresses,these main rhythmic elements are accented by both horn charts and synthesizer squiggles on every other chord or so. And this is how the groove goes on until it all fades out.
Taken as itself,this song is not only a great way for Mtume to debut as a band concept. But it is also so far removed from the electro/boogie sound they'd be known for 6-7 years later that is really showcases their musical arc. Mtume actually had four year gap from 1980 to 1983 where they didn't record anything. But on this 1978 song,their focus was not only based more in the funk/rock aesthetics of Funkadelic,Ohio Players and Slave but the arrangement on this is especially thick. The instrumentation is so closely mixed,this song is among the most musically dense hard funk of the late 70's.
Filed under James Mtume, Mtume
Tagged as 1978, drums, Funk, funk bass, funk guitar, funk rock, horns, James Mtume, Kiss The World Goodbye, Mtume, Philadelphia, Reggie Lucas, rock guitar, synthesizers
by dunderbeck1980 | August 2, 2017 · 11:02 am
Anatomy of THE Groove: "Act Like You Know" by Fat Larry's Band
Fat Larry's Band are a name that goes back to the pre internet days of reading the few funk/soul review books (now torn to bits in my collection from many page turnings) in the late 90's and early aughts. The Philly natives got lost in the transition of my own crate digging to such a degree, there are presently no LP's or CD's of theirs in my collection. Thanks to the presence of YouTube and social media in general,was able to listen to some of the music made by the late singer/drummer "Fat" Larry James,who was born today in 1949 and passed on 30 years ago this December 5th.
In their decade as a recording entity, Fat Larry's Band recorded nine albums starting in 1976. Their first album to chart was 1982's Breakin' Out. As one of many late 70's funk bands to survive the disco backlash and continue on innovating the boogie/post disco sound, Fat Larry's Band not only had their only (mid way in the charts) R&B hit album in 82, but also one of their biggest charting hits. It was part of the soundtrack CD to the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The name of this particular song, and the one being discussed today, is "Act Like You Know".
The song opens with Larry's slow dragging,high key drum stomp with Larry La Bes's shuffling,complex bass line providing the intro. The song then kicks into heavy gear with a a bouncing,high pitched bent synth squiggle and a liquid rhythm guitar-all along with the percussive kick on the drum's rhythm. On the choruses, a melodic horn/string arrangement accent the choral vocals. On the bridge of the song, the drum/bass interaction of the intro is accompanied by a mildly Afro beat style horn chart. A talk sung outro to that goes into another refrain/chorus exchange that fades out the song.
"Act Like You Know" is one of those funk songs that has a very familiar opening. Certainly was to me-especially having never heard the song. As such, it has one of those hooks that a funk audience could respond very well and easily to. Its also very much out of the 70's style of funk too. The boogie synth is a decorative element with the horns,drum and bass line remain the instrumental starts of the show. Larry's smooth lead is also served well by the sweet harmonies that come along on the chorus. As a whole, the song showcased the live instrumental vitality of the post disco/boogie era.
Filed under Fat Larry's Band
Tagged as 1982, boogie funk, drums, Fat Larry James, Fat Larry's Band, funk bass, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, horns, Larry La Bes, Philadelphia, post disco, rhythm guitar, strings, synthesizer
Sister Sledge Album Review for Their First Decade: A Tribute To The Late Joni Sledge
Sister Sledge were a Philly family group who still have their firm fan base of course. And I consider myself among them. Still,most casual 70's music lovers know them primarily for "We Are Family","She's The Greatest Dancer" and "All American Girls". Those are three very noteworthy and important disco era songs to be known for. At the same time, the music of Debbie,Joni,Kim and Kathy Sledge had a huge impact both before and after their big crossover period in the late 70's and early 80's. The passing of Joni Sledge at the age of 60 a few days ago put me in the mind of doing this tribute to them in this way.
One of the most important things I ever learned about Sister Sledge,thanks to the Wounded Bird label's reissues-as well as through the kind help via Twitter from the sisters on my overview here of their 1998 song "African Eyes" on this blog,that Sister Sledge were far more of an album oriented soul/funk/disco group than many may realize. So today,to celebrate the living Sledge sisters and the departed Joni,wanted to celebrate Sister Sledge's first eight albums from 1975-1985 through my Amazon.com reviews of them which I've written over the last decade or so.
Circle Of Love/1975
In 1975 these teenage sisters cut this album. Kathy,Debbie,Kim and Joni sure have their sisterly harmonies down pat,and they know just what to do with their voices. The music on this album is definitely rooted in early-mid 70's Philly soul and Motown The title track is a superb example-upbeat and catchy as they come.The same goes for the fairly funky soul of "Protect Our Love",'Pain Reliever" and the clever closer "Fireman" with a really cool,eerie horn solo at the end.
One thing the Sledge sisters are intent on doing is is exercising their fine intervening harmonies on a set of finely crafted soul ballads very much in the Philly style too but also rooted in classic 60's Atlantic soul-these songs truly make excellent use of the over 30 musicians (including John Tropea's mildly psychedelic turns on guitar) who play on this album.
The lovely "Cross My Heart","Don't Miss Him Now","Love Don't Go Through No More Changes On Me" and "You're Much Better Off Loving Me" will certainly please any fan of the soul balladry that was coming out of Natalie Cole and Aretha at this time but the vocals that these sisters thrown onto them are purely icing on the cake.
For fans of Sister Sledge during their Nile Rodgers/Bernard Edwards produced We Are Family era will definitely want to check out 'Circle Of Love'.Not only does it show how Sister Sledge got started but showcased them in the days when disco was just starting to boil over and was still just under the ground;the Philly and (late day) Motown production used on this album are very much part of the disco-funk-pop sound that would soon make Sister Sledge famous.So this comes very highly recommended.
Together/1977
Well it's 1977,Saturday Night Fever is out and the disco era is in full swing. On their second time around the Sledge's have jumped ship to the Munich scene,but it's not Giorgio Moroder and Pete Ballotte;they've hooked up with producers Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay,who was also the keyboard and sax player on this album. So this album allowed them to not only stay contemporary and embrace eurodisco to a degree but also diversify their musical pallet. Unlike Circle of Love this album focuses on uptempo and dance tunes with a larger amount of variety.
The punchy "Blockbuster Boy",two Stevie Wonder covers in "I Was Made To Love Him" and "As" as well "Moondancer" and "My Favorite Song" certainly fit right into the then highly popular disco sound and,as always,the sisters inject more then enough of their own personalities and spunk to give these tunes a timeless feeling. But the sisters also get down with some heavy funk-namely on Kathie Sledge's self penned "Do The Funky Do"-with it's punching keyboards and seriously deep beats it actually qualifies as a funk classic along the same lines as The Bar-Kay's "Holy Ghost".
They add a little more disco stylings to the same general pallet on "Funky Family",which could actually be seen as a somewhat more rowdy and less tame prelude to "We're A Family".A cover of "Sneaking Sally Through The Alley" is with little doubt one of the funkiest things on this album,and his made even more of a surprise since the sisters didn't alter the lyrics to a mans point of view as they did on their Stevie Wonder cover. One of the finest overall tunes here is "Can't Mess Around With Love"-a Brazilian pop tune with a look and vocal very much out of the Sergio Mendes school.
The two ballads that are here "Hold On To This Feeling" and "Hands Full Of Nothing" even seem to have a more urban feel to them and a newfound sophistication. This would be their final album before the pair of Chic productions that would make the Sledge's superstars and it will be obvious even on the first listen that the future starts here and the changes are coming fast.
We Are Family/1979
Isn't it interesting that,after all these years of listening to and collecting albums by Chic and Sister Sledge alike,that this was the very last hole I had to fill in my collection of the latter. And it's the album which contains the songs I personally identify most strongly with them. Recently? That changed on a family trip to Portland. I'd seen this album,even cheaply.
And still avoided picking the CD up. Lately it seems as if Nile Rodgers and the Chic Organization have again become the focus of funky dance music. And as another reviewer here pointed out? With their ability to work well with female singers? This 1979 represent something very important not just to the artistic collaboration. But to the musical era itself.
The uptempo songs on this album are classic Chic disco/funk classics-with their chunk style bass/guitar interaction and heavy strings that even somehow got transformed into a rhythmic element. That goes for the electric piano decorated "He's The Greatest Dancer","Lost In Music","Thinking Of You"-with it's opening percussion along with the bass/guitar duel and the closer "One More Time".
Listening to the title anthem for an umpteenth time? This 8+ minute version stands out with an extended bridge showcasing Kathy's gravelly,soulful voice calling out to Bernard Edwards for "more bass"-right in tune with the music. "Easier To Love" is a percussive mid tempo message song-asking for peace for over war (A LOT more complex an idea than it actually sounds) while the two ballads have their character.
"Somebody Loves Me" is classy and elegantly orchestrated. While "You're A Friend To Me" takes that touch of class a notch higher with it's dynamic,jazzy blusiness. While the two remixes of "We Are Family" and the one of "Lost In Music" are interesting in a percussive disco/house sort of way? The manner in which Nile and Nard simply expand the original music and vocal line of the latter on the 1984 remix really says more for what the song itself had to say from the get go.
The courser,soulful voices of Sister Sledge were probably the closest that Chic ever came to finding a group of female vocalists who had similar sounds to the women who sang in Chic themselves. And the excellent performances from the sisters,plus some of Nile and Nard's finest material make this a disco era classic not to be missed out on.
Love Somebody Today/1980
This is Sister Sledge's follow up to their massively successful 1979 outing We Are Family. Again Bernard & Nile are producing the their band Chic is playing backup-also featured,notably on the title song is Meco Monardo on sax. And the music is set firmly in their standing tradition of classy disco-funk grooves and punchy melodies. This album is home to some truly incredible grooves such as the title song,"You Fooled Around" and (my favorite) "Reach Your Peak".
Another two great grooves are the funky "Easy Street" and the whimsical groove of "Let's Go On Vacation". On "Pretty Baby" the message of family solidarity is again re enforced and Kathie Sledge's great singing really shows up in fine style on "I'm A Good Girl".So musically this album is totally up to par. Non of the lyrics have quite the same punch as the first outings the Sister Sledge/Chic combo did and that might've played some part in the Sisters turning to Narada Michael Walden next time around,or maybe it didn't I don't know.
Either way this might be musically more artistic,with it occasional improvised sax solos from Meco then We Are Family was. But no matter how you cut it this was Sister Sledge's final collaberation with the Chic family for a little bit. They would meet up with Nile Rodgers again later but this more or less concluded that period of their musical career.
All American Girls/1981
Jettisoning the Chic production team for Narada Michael Walden proved a pretty wise choice,considering the similarity in sound. The main difference is Narada and Sister Sledge were not out to create a samey disco album with arty flourishes this time. They were out to create a funky dance-rock album with a lot of variety and to a large extent they succeeded. The title song is a classic-VERY much Narada and very drum oriented nonetheless and very much in keeping with the hits Sister Sledge had with Chic,especially Randy Jackson's wonderful bass "breakdown".
"He's Just A Runaway" is definitely the big surprise;more of a new wavish dance-rock number that really introduced Sister Sledge to the new decade with ease. This team of Sledge and Narada do not shy away from the mirrored disco ball here as "If You Really Want Me","Ooh,You Caught My Heart","Make A Move" and "Music Makes You Feel Good" certainly fit into that category. But the "bottom" on these songs is a bit phatter and therefore funkier. Disco is basically a form of lite funk anyway and this just really emphasizes that disco-funk hybrid a little more.
There is a peppy pop tune here in "Happy Feeling",one of those little surprises commonly found on the best albums out there."Next Time You'll Know" and "I Don't Want To Say Goodbye" are very nice ballads but really don't need to be here;this album is really strongest when the tempo goes up and it would've worked just as well if a couple different kinds of uptempo songs were added instead of the ballads. Other then that I have no complaints.This is a great album in a string of excellent releases from Sister Sledge and we should all be lucky that it's now out there again for us to enjoy.
The Sisters/1982
The year is 1982 and after being produced by Chic then Narada Michael Walden the Sledge's decide to give a stab at the production themselves. The result is this very soulful album that,for the date is very strong based in late 70's funk-pop and even makes a go of the gestating hip-hop movement with the super funky "Super Bad Sisters" featuring the sisters rapping very much in the Sugarhill style!"My Guy" is pleasant enough but doesn't add much that Mary Wells didn't to the original.
Much more unique are the original and somewhat experimental funk grooves of "Lighttfootin'","Get You In Our Love" and "Il Macquillage Lady",all of which showcase the Sisters desire to make a detour from their patented disco-pop sound that made them stars and show they too could give up the funk with the best of them. There are a few great ballads here too,one of which is the mid tempo "Grandma",very much in their tradition of celebrating family and how sometimes there is no school like the old school.
"Everybody's Friend" is very reflective and features the creamy voiced Debbie Sledge singing lead. The album closes with the peppy "Jackie's Theme:There's No Stopping Us",a great possible hit-that-never-was. This album will make you wonder why the Sledge's didn't produce themselves more often;they'd obviously absorbed everything they'd seen Nile Rodgers and Narada do in the past and found a style the they could work well with. This tends to be one of their more forgotten albums but it showed they did have a lot more talent then just their voices.
Bet Cha Say That To All The Girls/1983
On paper the collaboration of Sister Sledge and George Duke looked awfully good. Commercially this was a miserable failure despite the promise but that is not the case artistically. The guest list on this album is incredible:Michael Sembello,David "Hawk" Wolinski,Louis Johnson,Paulinho Da Costa,Jeffrey Osbourne,Al Jarreau and Ronnie Laws are featured.
But the focus is on the Sledge's personality and Duke's contemporary funk sound. "B.Y.O.B","Lifetime Lover","Shake Me Down",the title track,"Gotta Get Back To Love" and "Thank You For The Party" are great uptempo tunes and not much I can think of shout 'early 80's George Duke-style pop/funk' louder then these songs!
The ballads are also very trademark George Duke and everything even further removed Sister Sledge from their classic sound. Al Jarreau's rapping and the cute lyrics of the title track should've spelled a great new beginning for Sister Sledge but it was not to be. The George Duke collaboration fizzled quickly and after this release Sister Sledge opted to return closer to more comfortable home turf.
When The Boys Meet The Girls/1985
It was ten years since Sister Sledge debuted with Circle of Love and five years since Nile Rodgers had spun pure musical gold with them.And fresh off of work on Chic's unheralded Believer and Madonna's blockbuster Like a Virgin Nile officially brings Sister Sledge into the mid 80's with this album's strong new wave funk overtones. The title song,"Dancing On The Jagged Edge","The Boy Most Likely","Following The Leader" and "Peer Pressure" capture that spirit which finds the flourishes of DX7 and Synclavier synthesizers colliding with live drumming for a sound that's very MTV generation friendly.
"Frankie",a bouncy little pop ditty makes a brief detour from this sound with a slightly more organic feel to it. Same can be said for "Hold On Poppy" and all the songs here are packed with unbeatable hooks and vocals. Strangely enough this never got a follow up for more then a decade;by 1985 Sister Sledge's sound had been eclipsed by modern day female singers,some of whom were Prince proteges so the Sledge's were starting to be seen as a bit over the hill. So again I am glad Wounded Bird reissued this and allowed this album to be enjoyed by a new generation who've been separate from it long enough to appreciate it's charms.
Its amazing when running down Sister Sledge's first run of recording just how much breadth and scope their albums covered. It ran the gamut from Philly soul,funk and disco in the mid to late 70's to the ever evolving post disco,boogie and electro sounds of the early to mid 1980's. As with any artists,there were peaks and valleys throughout this time. All the same,felt Sister Sledge don't always get their due for their longevity and relative consistency in their first decade. For sure that period invited it. Still,it couldn't work without talented people. And wish to thank the Sledge's for the contributions to that era.
Filed under Sister Sledge
Tagged as 1970's, 1980's, boogie, Chic, Debbie Sledge, disco, Funk, Joni Sledge, Kathy Sledge, Kim Sledge, Nile Rodgers, Philadelphia, Philly Soul, Sister Sledge
by dunderbeck1980 | December 1, 2016 · 1:56 pm
Anatomy of THE Groove: "Am I Black Enough For You" by Billy Paul
Billy Paul is another of far,far too many music icons of the 20th century who passed away during 2016. The Philly native grew up listening to jazz based singers such as Nina Simone,Carmen McCrae and Billie Holiday. After a stint in the army,where he was was stationed in post WWII Germany in the late 50's along with Elvis Presley. Using this as an opportunity to further his love of music,he launched a jazz trio while in Germany. After getting out of the army,he became part of the burgeoning Philadelphia International Records,eventually releasing his debut album in 1970.
As with most people in America,my primary knowledge of this artist was via the ballad "Me & Mrs. Jones". My father purchased a compilation of Billy Paul's music. And after that,it became clear that this man did some amazingly cinematic uptempo tunes. Many of them with a very strong pro black sociopolitical bent lyrically. It was about a year ago when watching a documentary about Oakland's Black Panthers that I heard a very funkified song with a very familiar voice. Turns out that voice belonged to the late Billy Paul. And the song (from 1972) was called "Am I Black Enough For You".
A bluesy Clavinet riff dovetails into the percussive accented funky march of the drums. That Clavinet maintains itself throughout the song. At first,this is assisted by a bluesy rhythm guitar. The song has a rather elaborate,jazzy bass line holding the rhythm section together. The horns are both melodic and climactic-scaling upward on each of the songs choruses. Towards the end of the song,a fuzzed out guitar plays an eerie sustain in the back round as the percussion and a bluesy organ and guitar take over on the bridge. Then the songs main chorus takes over until it all fades out
"Am I Black Enough For You" is a psychedelic,bluesy funk number musically. One featuring a dense,thick instrumental sound. The melody is very overtly blues based too. Lyrically,the song speaks as much to the present day as it did for 1972. In both cases,an unpopular and widely disliked politician had become president. And anti black attitudes were a causal factor in both cases. This song lyrically suggests that strength in numbers will help black Americans to have power and dignity of person. And with Billy Paul no longer with us,that's as fine a musical concept for him to heave us with as any.
Filed under 1970's, Billy Paul, blues funk, civil rights, clavinet, drums, Funk Bass, fuzz guitar, horns, message songs, organ, percussion, Philadelphia, Philadelphia International Records, Philly Soul, pro black, psychedelic soul, rhythm guitar
Tagged as 1970's, Billy Paul, blues funk, Civil Rights, Clavinet, drums, funk bass, fuzz guitar, horns, message songs, organ, percussion, Philadelphia, Philadelphia International Records, Philly Soul, pro black, psychedelic soul, rhythm guitar
Anatomy of THE Groove: "All Night Long" by Dexter Wansel
Dexter Wansel first became known to me as one of the Philly PIR team who worked on the 1976 debut album by the Jacksons. Being more broadly aware of the Philly soul sound now,Wansel seems to have a very different approach to music than Gamble & Huff and Thom Bell did. With disco era classics such as the Jones Girls "Nights Over Egypt" and "Keep On Dancing",one of my favorite Jacksons' songs off that Epic label debut,Dexter Wansel's arrangements were based in his keyboard and guitar playing. Therefore his productions seem to have some of the funkiest bottoms of 70's Phily funk and soul.
One thing Wansel also did was maintain a solo presence on PIR concurrent to his productions. One of these albums,which I never managed to pick up on vinyl despite seeing it all the time,was 1978's Voyager. The album cover always stood out to me as a Trekker/sci fi admirer because of the prominent Star Trek model kit bash featured as some sort of robot riding through the desert. Through MP3 and YouTube,I've been fortunate enough to hear this album all the way through.And its an album that starts out with a funky bang with the jam "All Night Long".
An otherworldly space funk Moog bass starts the song off. Then the drums come in playing a disco era friendly dance/funk beat. This is accompanied by a mid toned rhythm guitar sustain,accenting horns and a SERIOUS slap bass thump. With the addition of an accompanying Fender Rhodes piano and Wansel's falsetto/tenor vocal leaps this represents the choruses and refrains of the song. On the last part of the song,a major horn chart segues into a percussive,jumping beat over which a sassy,rocking blues guitar riffs with the phat slap bass and keyboard lines before scratching hard as the song closes out.
Without any hesitation, this is one of the hardest straight up funk jams to come out of the PIR camp. The beat has a swaggering,percussive shuffle. The keyboard/synthesizer parts are layered in a manner that lays somewhere between early 70's "united funk" and mid/late 70's space funk. And Wansel's vocals (I'm pretty sure they're his) have some of the slyly sexy attitude of his particular musical camp. Honestly I tend to think of Philly soul as the breezy,string laden proto disco sound of the 70's. This helps showcase Dexter Wansel as a major player in the harder groove based element of the Philly sound.
Filed under 1970's, dance funk, Dexter Wansel, drums, Fender Rhodes, horns, Moog bass, Philadelphia, Philly funk, Philly Soul, rhythm guitar, rock guitar, slap bass, synthesizers
Tagged as 1970's, dance funk, Dexter Wansel, drums, Fender Rhodes, horns, Moog bass, Philadelphia, Philly funk, Philly Soul, rhythm guitar, rock guitar, slap bass, synthesizers
by dunderbeck1980 | July 1, 2016 · 12:00 pm
Anatomy of THE Groove: "Shakedown" by Evelyn Champagne King
Evelyn King's origin story as a profession singer is one that you seldom hear any more. She was discovered on a TV show and (obviously) through a a YouTube video. Another Philly native,King was discovered singing Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" while working as an office cleaner for her mother at Philledelphia International Records. Her future producer T (Theodore) Life overheard the teenager's husky and rangy voice and began coaching her. In 1977 he signed up as her producer on at MCA records where she recorded her debut album Smooth Talk and it's massive disco smash hit "Shame".
One thing about King's career arc is how much her strong,soulful voice was developed in terms of quality albums as well as singles. This is something usually done with instrumentalists,whereas singers are generally expected to churn out successful single records. In 1981 her music began moving in the boogie/post disco direction under the guidance of her new producer Kashif. In 1983,she moved onto Minneapolis Prince alumni Andre' Cymone along with Leon and Foster Sylvers. This 1983 albume Face To Face contains one of my favorite grooves from King during era in "Shakedown".
Phat orchestral synthesizers playing along with a snare sound heavy drum machine begins the song. After this,the drum machines goes naked with only live percussion providing some instrument undergarments-along with bursts of slap bass. Then the brittle synth brass comes in-eventually accentuating bluesy vocal lines on the refrains. This pattern continues throughout the song-with the choral bridge being sung over the more orchestral intro. On the bridge,Shalamar guitarist Miki Free provides scintillating layers of rocking lead guitar before the drum/bass/percussion based refrain fades out the song.
As a vocalist whose career generally celebrated quality album runs,Evelyn King also made funk as much a part of her sound as the disco-dance records she made. And her funk numbers have really served her well creatively and commercially as an uptempo based artist. This one has really grown with me because it's a great combination of boogie's live bass and percussion with a Minneapolis style synth brass/drum machine powered groove. This type of sound would evolve into what Jody Watley did on "Looking For A New Love"-also produced by Andre' Cymone. So on that level,this funk is a pretty big deal.
Filed under 1980's, Andre Cymone, Boogie Funk, drum machines, elecro funk, Evelyn Champagne King, Foster Sylvers, Funk Bass, Leon Sylvers, Micki Free, Minneapolis Sound, percussion, Philadelphia, rock guitar, synth brass, synthesizers
Tagged as 1980's, Andre Cymone, boogie funk, drum machines, electro funk, Evelyn Champagne King, Foster Sylvers, funk bass, Leon Sylvers, Micki Free, Minneapolis Sound, percussion, Philadelphia, rock guitar, synth brass, synthesizers
Anatomy Of THE Groove for 12/7/2015: "Lock It In The Pocket" by Grover Washington Jr.
Grover Washington Jr. holds a somewhat unique position for my appreciation of instrumental music. He was my introduction to jazz/funk sax with "Just The Two Of Us". That meant he was a key part of my musical core without me fully realizing it. Reading my close friend and musical blogging colleague Henrique Hopkins most recent overview of the nu funk band The Internet? It inspired me to realize something about my interest in funk. While that interest has evolved into one where I strongly appreciate studio coloring along with my favorite grooves? Learning about the music involved experiencing the strong,bright musical hues created by a straighter live instrumental aspect of the music.
During the summer of 1996? WMEB through the University Of Maine aired their first funk radio show. It was interesting as it always played the song before announcing who the artist was. One such case hit me with a song called "Lock It In The Pocket". I remember being in the car and dancing in place while on the passenger seat. When the song was over,the DJ announced it was Grover Washington Jr. Learned later this song,recorded in 1977 live at the Bijou in the man's native Philadelphia, was recorded with his band Locksmith. They made a record of their own around this time. And since I haven't yet over viewed any of Grover's music? This is the one I'm most moved to do.
The fun in the funk begins when when the high rhythm guitar keeps a steady groove going along with the enthusiastic hand claps of the audience. The percussion builds right into that-right before the song's funky drummer Millard Vinson chimes in. Grover himself takes a detour from this a refrain themed around an Afro-Cuban salsa style melody while easing onto the chorus with the band. Grover plays with ever growing improvisational fire along with the steady guitar and percussion that builds exactly as the sax solo does. The melody then goes into minor chords-with keyboardist James Simmons on piano and ARP string accompaniment before Grover's refrain closes it all out.
As my interest in 70's jazz/funk has led into it becoming one of my favorite types of music to listen to? This song continues to stick by me all the more. Each time I hear it? There's something new to learn. Since Grover was primarily known as a soloist? The biggest aspect of this jam is how much it emphasizes the importance of bands in the genre. As in any tributary of jazz,as Henrique has pointed out? A horn player can blow over almost anything. Here-with Grover's improvisational excitement? Locksmith really allow him to maintain that danceable and rhythmic thickness that would allow Grover (and likely his audience) to keep their bodies,minds and hearts moving to the groove!
Filed under 1970's, DJ's, Funk, funk guitar, Grover Washington Jr., Jazz-Funk, Live music, Locksmith, Philadelphia, Saxophone
Tagged as 1970's, classic funk, funk guitar, Grover Washington Jr., jazz funk, Live Music, Locksmith, Philadelphia, saxophone, WMEB radio