Daily Archives: March 25, 2009

Midweek Secret Spot Dig

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I got a call from my fellow diggin’ partner Prime Mundo. He said he had a secret spot for me to check out. How could I resist? He had already been there once, and when he sent me a photo via my mobile phone, I almost shit a brick. So I took off of my day job today and spent about 4 1/2 hours there. We only got 45′s today. I got a great variety of Funk, Soul, Jazz and Reggae. There were a few things I had been looking for, and a whole lot of stuff I wasn’t, but scooped up. We’re going back for the Lps soon. After I got done digging I stopped to see my neice and nephews, who were fascinated. Question of the day: What is a record?? They’re too young to remember cassettes, let along know what vinyl is and how it works. They’re eager to learn, and that’s what I like.

Here’s a few photos I snapped along the way:


Records..

and more records…

I am in Heaven.

Prime Mundo digs…

45 Scores:

The Producers – Lady Lady Lady/ Huff Puff
Ernie K-Doe – A Certain Girl/ Minit Records
The Spinners – Message From A Blackman/VIP
Society of Seven – Howzit Brah/ Uni
Stevie Wonder – Uptight/ Tamla
James Brown – Out of Sight/ Smash
Hoctor Records Band – Cissy Strut/ Hoctor
Lou Rawls – Coppin’ A Plea/ Cool Train/ Capitol
Shirley Brown – I Ain’t Gonna Tell/ Abet
Lee Charles – I Just Want To Be Loved/ Hot Wax
Clarence Reid – Funky Party/ Alston
Joe Zawinul – The Soul of a Village/ Vortex
Vernon Garret – Little Black Woman/ Kapp
Jane Birkin w/ Serge Gainsbourg – Je T’aime
Barret Strong – Money/ Anna
J.J. Jackson – Fat, Black, and Together/ Congress
Johnny Griffith Inc. – Let’s Get It On/ RCA
Eddy Jacobs – Turn Me Loose/ Chess
Sir Lattimore Brown – Please, Please, Please/ Sound Stage 7
Milt Matthews – All the Changes/ Bryan Records
Mongo Santamaria – Sofrito/ VayaLou Johnson – Rock Me Baby/ Cotillion
John Ellison – Funky Funky Way of Makin’ Love/ Phil-L.A. of Soul
Don Gardner – You Babe/ Verve
Marcia Griffiths – Peaceful Woman/ High Note
Gladys Knight & the Pips – Maybe Maybe Baby/ Maxx
Spencer Wiggins – Soul City U.S.A./ Goldwax
Monk Higgins – Who-Dun-It?/ St. Lawrence
Solomon Burke – Proud Mary/ Bell
White label Joe Gibbs Production 45 (name scratched out)
Ron Holden – I Need Ya/ Now
Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign – How’s Your Wife (And My Child)/ Innervision II
Black Ivory – Surrender/ Today
Marvin L. Sims/ Talkin’ Bout Soul/ Revue
Foxy/ Trouble/ Double Shot Records
Robert Upchurch – The Devil Made Me Do It/ Golden Fleece
Roscoe Robinson – What You’re Doin’ To Me/ Wand
The Dixiebells – Rock Rock Rock/ Sound Stage 7 (red label)
Frankie Paul – Old Nigger/ High Music
The Techniques – I Still Love You/ Techniques
Val Bennet – Blow Mr. Horn’s Man Blow/ Roots (hand stamped)
Yabby You – Happy Go Lucky/ Prophet
Dennic Coffey & the Detroit Guitar Band – Taurus/ Sussex
Dick Hymen – Respect/ Command
The Dynamics – The Love That I Need/ Cotillion
Grant Green – I Wanna Hold Your Hand/ Blue Note
Sonny Richards & the Panics – Stubborn Kind of Fellow
Thriller U – Ragamuffin Mi Soup/ Vena
Liberation – Little Green Piece of Paper/ GSF
The Soul Runners – Charley/ Mo Soul
The Magics – Let’s Boogaloo/ R.F.A.
Pachecho – Spanish Popcorn/ Fania
Spanky Wilson – Little Things Mean A Lot/ Mother’s Records
Sisters Love – Ring Once/ A&M
King Tubby & the Aggrovators – Straight to Andy’s Head/ Jackpot
Robert French – Give Me Your Love/ Mister Tipsy
Houston Person – For Your Love/ Prestige
Ed Robinson – Hey Blackman Parts 1 & 2/ Cotillion
Maurice & Mac – You Left the Water Running/ Checker

Keep Diggin’!

Elan Mehler – The After Suite

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If you read this blog on the regular, you know my steez. I’m all about the old, but you know, sometimes you need to give props to the new. This record came through to me via Brownswood Recordings. The name may or may not mean much to you, but to me, Brownswood means two things: Gilles Peterson. The globe trotting London based tastemaker and DJ of all that is Soulful has always got his hand into something. His independent label cuts no corners when putting out records. They’re Soulful no matter what genre, and are quite unique in today’s sea of rubbish you have to wade in before you can catch a wave of good stuff.

Brooklyn piano player and composer Elan Mehler has released a gem of a follow up to his acclaimed Scheme of Thought Lp from 2007 in The After Suite on Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings. Discovered by Peterson in a small Swiss village playing piano, Mehler released a demo, then Scheme, now this. All About Jazz calls it “A masterpiece with a capital M.” They aren’t too far off with that summation. I had to listen to it two times in a row, because when it came in the Post, it was raining. I figured what the hell, this moody, atmospheric LP went right along with what was swirling outside, and I needed to rest my weary body before a DJ gig. I could have listened to it a third time easily. Mehler has expanded on his line up a bit from his last effort by adding a drummer (Max Goldman). His band on Suite includes Jeremy Viner (tenor sax), Scott Spivak (Fender Rhodes), Tod Hendrick (Bass) Mehler (on piano), and Becca Stevens and Adam McBride-Smith taking vocal turns on roughly eight of the eleven tracks. This record is as large as the 6 foot 8 inch Mehler is in real life, as he sculps his songs sort of like a guy heading his way down court. I know that 6’8″ is not always point guard material, but Mehler handles that role really well. Like I said, on a whole, it’s a great record, and whether Stevens and McBride Smith are chipping in on vocals or it’s just Elan and the band putting together magic, as Modern Jazz goes, I feel it’s as good as it gets. If I had dug this record up and it was recorded in 1975, I’d have the same feelings. The songs collectively have Soul, and dance away like the rain danced on my loft windows the first time I put it on. I’m partial, if I may say, to Tracks 5 (The After Suite Part 2), Track 8 (Notom Road), and Track 9 (I Dream a Highway, a song written by Alt-Country singer Gillian Welch and David Rawlings). Many of you may not know of Elan Mehler. In the past he’s had much more success in Europe than here in the States (isn’t that always the case?), but you will know him now. Lots of different music has Soul. Elan Mehler has Soul, give him a try. Keep Diggin’!

Download or Listen to Elan Mehler – The New Breed (featuring Adam McBride-Smith on vocals) from the Brownswood Records release The After Suite