September 21, 2014

FUNKIFY YOUR LIFE - SHOW #7 - PLAYLIST

Air dates: Thursday, September 18, 2014, 1:00 PM, and Friday, September 19, 2014, 9:00 PM, on KRVS 88.7 FM Lafayette/Lake Charles, and online at krvs.org. You can hear a podcast of this show and previous shows on the website under “Programs” anytime.

As I noted on the show, I had planned to feature all recent releases and reissues - within the past couple of years - this week; but I learned that Lil’ Band o’ Gold would be honoring a fellow band member, local songwriter, keyboardist, and singer, David Egan, with a tribute to his music at this week’s Downtown Alive concert series here in Lafayette. David, who has written and co-written songs recorded by such artists a Irma Thomas, Etta James, Johnny Adams and Solomon Burke, is recovering from serious illness and surgery and deserves all of our best wishes and positive vibes.

There was a big turnout for the Friday night celebration, which lasted about three hours and had a large cast of guest musicians and vocalists joining LBoG. It was full of memorable moments, with Jon Cleary coming over from New Orleans to sit in for David on piano almost the entire time.

I added five of David’s songs to the mix this week, as my own tribute to his talents.

“Funkify Your Life” [Intro] (A. Neville-C, Neville-L. Nocentelli-G. Porter, Jr- J. Modeliste) - The Meters- from the Sudazed CD reissue of New Directions, 2002.

“Call Your Children Home” (David Egan) - David Egan - from his eponymous Rhonda Sue Records CD, 2013.
Taken from David’s latest album, this one definitely has some funk to the groove, courtesy of Mike Sipos on drums and Ron Eoff on bass. Mike’s from New Orleans, where broken-beat drumming is part of the DNA. I remember Ron from his days with the Cate Brothers, when they would grace Memphis a couple of times a year with their Arkansas soul and funk. The guitar players on this track are a mini-Louisiana hall of fame with Bruce MacDonald and Buddy Flett playing rhythm, and Paul ‘Lil’ Buck’ Senegal taking the lead.

“Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (Allen Toussaint) - Jon Cleary - from his FHQ CD, Occapella!, 2012.
It seems from the YouTube video about this album of Allen Toussaint songs and the Allmusic credits linked above that Jon played all the instruments on this track and most of the album. I think I said on the show that his band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, played on this one; but that was wrong. Only one song, “Let’s Get Low Down”, has other players, James Singleton on bass and Terrence Higgins on drums, from Jon’s trio, the Philthy Phew, whose membership varies.

“Here It Is” (C. Neville-C, Wooten-M. Zito-Y. Scott) - The Royal Southern Brotherhood - from their Ruf CD, Heatsoulblood, 2014.
The RSB membership - Mike Zito and Devon Allman on guitars and vocals, Charlie Wooton on bass, Cyril Neville on vocals and percussion, and Yonrico Scott on drums - are all established artists who came together to take their collective music exploits to a new place, and have succeeded. Read backstories at their website. While their debut CD was mostly on the blues- rock side; they have brought some funk into the mix on this new one, as evidence by “Here It Is”, among others.. To me they are becoming a Southern rock band in the best sense of that label,, incorporating their musical influences into an effective hybrid that blurs the lines between rock, blues, R&B, soul, and funk. More power to ‘em.

“Ooh Yeah” (?) - Flow Tribe - from their CD EP, Alligator White, 2014.
I heard Flow Tribe in New Orleans a few years back, and found them to be a spunky young funk band. Recently, I was contacted through the blog by their promo people, alerting me to this new EP and their gig here in Lafayette. Since I am now doing the show, they sent along the CD; and I got stuck on “Ooh Yeah”, which is not funk like the other tracks, but a poly-rhythmic
Carribean/Afro-Cuban change of pace that they pull off very convincingly. I’ll get into some of the other tunes at a later date.

“Sassy” (Herbert Hardesty) - Herb Hardesty - from the Ace CD, The Domino Effect, 2012.
This well-done CD compilation from the UK, covers all of New Orleans saxophone master Herb Hardesty’s solo recordings. Half of them were released by the Federal label around 1962, and recorded in New York City and Cincinnati with fellow members of Fats Domino’s band backing him, for the most part. The other numbers were recorded at the late great Cosimo’s Studio in New Orleans in 1958 for an album project to be released on Wing, as division of Mercury Records; but it was never issued, until being rediscovered several years ago, “Sassy” is one of those nearly lost Wing tracks. As on the Federal sides, Domino band members backed Herb up.

I reviewed the CD here when it came out and have featured a Federal recording or two of his, also. Should you wish to know more.

“Did She Mention My Name” (Mac Rebennack) - from the Ace CD compilation, Cracking the Cosimo Code, 2014.
This CD focuses on a some fine examples of the recording legacy of the late Cosimo Matassa, who operated a succession of studios in New Orleans from the late 1940s until around 1970, With its revealing notes and selection of songs Cos helped birth, the CD is a great place to start learning about Cos’ vital role in bringing New Orleans popular music to the public. If you are at all into collecting New Orleans music in any format and knowing about its origins, the Cosimo Code website, which inspired the CD, is the place to go for the arcane details of Cos’ extensive record-making and record-keeping, researched by a team of dedicated and obsessed audio archeologists.

If you just want to hear the simple genius of Cos’ recording technique, feast your ears on “Did She Mention My Name”. It delivers Ronnie Barron’s amazing vocal and Mac Rebennack’s brilliant arrangement from 1964 with pristine clarity and fidelity. Awesome.

“Lover And A Friend” (Edwin Bocage) - Eddie Bo & Inez Cheatham - from a Jazzman reissue 45, part of the 3 record set, The Essential Seven B Collection, 2012.
Both the 1968 original 45 on the Seven B label (#7017) and the Capitol Records version, which was released nationally soon thereafter, are fairly hard to find in the wild, and expensive when you do. I’ve lost count of the auctions for a copy of this record I’ve been outbid on. So, I’ve made do with the various compilation appearances of “Lover And A Friend” over the years, now including this reissue from Jazzman. A very reasonable facsimile.

Eddie Bo had been doing A&R (producing, songwriting, artist development) and his own releases for Joe Banashak’s Seven B label for a couple of years when he did this tune with Ms Cheatham, a member of the singing group, the Triple Souls. They did background singing on most of the R&B sessions at Cosimo’s, for productions by Bo, Wardell ‘Big Q’ Quezergue, and Allen Toussaint. As far as I know, she never did any solo recording, despite being a quite capable soul singer. Bobby Williams, who called his style of funk drumming “bounce” decades before local hip-hop artists appropriated the term, and his group were the rhythm section. They recorded the cult classic Mardi Gras Indian inspired rave-up, “Boogaloo Mardi Gras”, probably on the same session, appearing under the group’s name on Seven B and Capitol, also.

"Slingshots And Boomerangs” (David Egan-C. C. Adcock) - David Egan - from his Louisiana Red Hot/Rhonda Sue CD, Twenty Years of Trouble, 2003.
Guitar slinger, songwriter, and artist in his own right C. C. Adcock co-wrote this tune and co-produced the album with David. Clever lyrics, great groove.

“Fess On Up” (David Egan) - A-Train - from their Sooto 45 (#4503), ca 1985.
This tune also appeared on their final LP, River of People, from 1985. Miki Honeycutt took the lead vocal with David backing her on this South Louisiana swamp pop shuffle.

“I Wish You Would” (N. Glaspie-A. Hall-N. Daniels III-I. Neville-I. Neville) - Dumpstaphunk - from their Louisiana Red Hot CD, Dirty Word, 2013
A heavy funk outfit who usually don’t have a horn section or player with them, Dumpstaphunk have versatile saxman Sherik and hometown hero Trombone Shorty joining in here to fine effect.

“Be My Lady” (A. Neville-C. Neville-L. Nocentelli-G. Porter, Jr- J. Modeliste) - Trombone Shorty - from his Verve CD, Say That To Say This, 2013.
Speaking of Trombone Shorty, Troy Andrews, here he is doing an impressive cover of a song originally on the Meters’ final LP, New Directions, and sung by Cyril Neville. It’s notable that he got all of the original Meters to play and sing back-up on the session, which is quite a feat in itself.

“Hallelujah, I’m A Dreamer” (David Egan) - Papa Mali - from his Fog City CD, Do Your Thing, 2007.
Malcolm ‘Papa Mali’ Welbourne’s decision to take on David Egan’s superbly written tune with just guitar and vocal was the perfect call, allowing the lyrics to shine. As I said on the show, this song is a standout example of why David should be considered one of the great American songwriters.

“Sing It” (David Egan) - Marcia Ball, Tracy Nelson, Irma Thomas - from their Rounder CD, Sing It!, 1998.
David had three songs on this well-received collaboration by these soul/blues divas, which significantly raised his profile. “Sing It” originally appeared on A-Train’s 1983 album, Live At Humpfree’s; but this version is definitive.


Get well soon, Mr. Dave.

September 14, 2014

FUNKIFY YOUR LIFE - SHOW #6 - PLAYLIST

Air dates: Thursday, September 11, 2014, 1:00 PM, and Friday, September 12, 2014, 9:00 PM, on KRVS 88.7 FM Lafayette/Lake Charles, and online at krvs.org. You can hear a podcast of this show and previous shows on the website under “Programs” anytime.

First off, R.I.P. Cosimo Matassa, who died Thursday, at 88. Since I recorded the show two days earlier, I could not mention it in on-air. I won’t be doing a specific special on Cos for the show or blog, since he was involved in at least 98% of the New Orleans music recorded between the late 1940s and early 1970s.

When considering the real impact Cosimo and his three successive studios had on the city’s musical legacy, you realize that the world-changing popular music of New Orleans, be it R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, soul, funk or jazz might not have have flourished if he had not been there to document it and assist in making available to home turntables, neighborhood jukeboxes, and radio stations far and wide. It literally changed the world, and for the better. He always humbly credited the musicians he recorded for that; but, as the recording engineer (self-taught!!!), Cos was the man who captured the performances on magnetic tape as accurately as he could. In the 1960s, he began mastering and pressing many of those records, too, with the same care and professionalism. The sound he got, under primitive conditions by industry standards, was exceptional. So, every show and post featuring some of those records always has been and always will be a Cosimo special.

Read Keith Spera’s fine obituary on Cos at nola.com and see the video there of author/historian Rick Coleman interviewing the man himself. There has long been a link (Secrets of Cosimo’s Studio) in my sidebar under Resources to another revealing interview with Cos, covering the mainly technical aspects of his recording process. Even if you are not familiar with studio gear, it’s a fascinating glimpse into how he operated.

Sadly, I also note the recent passing of Tim Green, one of New Orleans’ best sax players. He never sought the spotlight, but was highly valued on the scene. I always enjoyed hearing him live and as a contributor to various studio projects over the years.

This week’s show was almost completely sourced from vinyl, with only the lead-off Dr. John cut coming from a CD re-issue, because I cannot locate the LP around here - in the wrong place at the wrong time!

“Funkify Your Life” [Intro] (Neville-Neville-Nocentelli-Porter, Jr-Modeliste) - The Meters - from the Sundazed reissue of their Warner Bros album, New Directions, 2000

"Peace Brother Peace” (Mac Rebennack) - Dr. John - from a MFSL remastered reissue CD containing the original ATCO 1973 LP, In The Right Place, 1995.
Still seeking my original LP copy. It’s around here somewhere. The album had the Meters as rhythm section, with Allen Toussaint producing, and contained the now well-known radio hits, “Right Place, Wrong Time” and “Such A Night”. Not a clinker on it. This tune started my “Peace” set this week, meant to help counteract (“doctorate your soul”, as the song says) the dire memories of this date,thirteen years ago. It also served as the theme song for my WEVL show back in Memphis, where my handle was ‘The Spin Doctor’.

“Smoke My Peace Pipe” (Willie Tee) - The Wild Magnolias - from their Polydor single #14242, 1974.
Written by funkmaster keyboardist, Wilson ‘Wille Tee’ Turbinton, who also arranged the music for the original album, The Wild Magnolias, this trippy track appeared in its full-length form there. The LP came out on Barclay in Europe and Polydor in the US that same year. Tee also put together the backing band, generically dubbed the New Orleans Project by the producer, with members of his own band, The Gaturs, plus his brother, Earl Turbinton on soprano sax, Snooks Eaglin on guitar, and various of the WM on percussion.

The album was the first of two Philippe Rault produced for Barclay, the result of an historic jam session several years earlier between the Gaturs and WM at a music festival on the Tulane University campus. Quint Davis put on that event, and then produced two obscure singles featuring the Wild Magnolias backed by Tee and various other funk musicians, before Rault came to town. Lead vocals were by Theodore Emile ‘ Bo’ Dollis, Big Chief of the Mild Magnolias, who were (and still are) a part of the rich and once mysterious Mardi Gras Indian tradition in New Orleans.

“Peace Begins Within” (LeFevre, et al) - Bobby Powell - from his original Whit single #6908, 1971.
This is Bobby Powell’s cover version of the song originally recorded by Christian rocker Mylon LeFevre in 1970 on his Mylon album that was produced by Allen Toussaint. On this version, the great, ear-catching arrangement was by label-owner Lionel Whitfield. It was probably recorded in Baton Rouge, home of Powell and the label.

“That’s All A Part Of Lovin’ Him” (Jerry Strickland-Bobby Patterson) - Tommie Young - from her original Soul Power single #114, 1972.
As I said on the show, Bobby Patterson, soul singer, producer, arranger and writer, discovered the gifted singer, Tommie Young, in Dallas, where she was predominantly doing gospel, and brought her to Shreveport to record for the new Soul Power label he had started with producer/writer Jerry Strickland, who ran Sound City studio. Over the next two years, she sang material, much of it written by Patterson and Strickland, that was released on six singles and one album. Several of the songs charted, but didn’t really sell especially well or get much airplay outside the South. They probably could have done better had she toured to help promote them. With no breakout national hit, Young went back to Dallas and gospel after her run with Soul Power, but did get wider attention in 1978, when she sang on the soundtrack to Cicely Tyson’s movie, A Woman Called Moses.

For more details, see what the intrepid crew at Soul Detective had to say about her.

“Walking On A Tightrope” (Percy Mayfield) - Percy Mayfield - from his original Brunswick LP, Walking On A Tightrope, 1969.
Often called “The Poet Of The Blues”, Mayfield started life in Minden, LA, located east of Shreveport, in the northwest part of the state. After high school, he began writing songs and pursued a singing career in Texas, then relocated to Los Angeles by the late 1940s, where he soon made a name for himself and had numerous hits as a featured artist. For more details on this incredibly prolific and talented man, check out his bio.

This particular album of all original material for Brunswick was probably recorded in Chicago, where the label was based. Being 1969, there was a lot of funkiness going in the playing and arrangements.

“Gotta Be Funky” (Bobby Rush-Calvin Carter) - Bobby Rush - from his original On Top single #2000, 1972.
Bobby Rush, grew up in Homer, LA, right up the road from Minden, not far from the Arkansas line. When he was a teenager, his family relocated to Arkansas, where he began his performing career; and, by the 1960s, he was active on the Chicago blues scene and started recording, having some success with upbeat boogaloo R&B. By the start of the next decade, his music had moved to the distinctly funky side, and his lyrics and stage act got raunchy. He recorded sporadically and stayed on the road, playing the southern “Chitlin; Circuit” for decades. But it wasn’t until the turn of the century that things took off, as he has recorded a series of well-received CDs, still highly funkified, and won numerous awards from the Blues Foundation. For some more info, see my posts from 2006 and 2007 on two of his singles released by the Jewel label.

“Cha Dooky Doo” (M. Vince) - Art Neville - from his original Special single #637, 1958.
Art Neville, oldest of the Neville brothers, one of New Orleans’ most well-known musical families, was a bandleader and solo recording artist long before he formed the Meters in the late 1960s, and brought his siblings together as a supergroup a decade later. At 17, he joined the Hawketts as pianist and singer, and the popular local band recorded the classic “Mardi Gras Mambo”, which came out on Chess Records. They remained active on the local scene; and in 1956, Harold Battiste, who was handling A&R for Specialty Records, offered Art a contract as a solo artist. Meanwhile, he and the Hawketts became the road band for another Specialty artist, Larry Williams. “Cha Dooky Doo” was released in 1958, and sold well, giving Art more exposure; but he was soon drafted and went into the Navy. Although Specialty released another single on him, his inability to tour to promote his records caused the label to cool on him. On his return, he moved on to work with Allen Toussaint at Instant Records in the early 1960s.

Frequently noted on this track is the distorted guitar sound, that was very influential, but not done on purpose. I forget which, but the amp either had a cracked speaker or a loose tube. But that fuzz tone would become increasingly popular in rock music over the years. For more on two of Art’s solo sides from later in the 1960s, see my 2007 post.

“High Cotton” (Lloyd Lambert) - Lloyd Lambert and His Band - from their Specialty single #553, 1955. Lambert was a bassist and bandleader from New Orleans, who was the first in town to use the electric version of the instrument. When Guitar Slim signed with Specialty and started recording, he was backed by Lambert’s band in the studio and on the road. This mid-50s instrumental by the band featured the quirky piano work of Lawrence Cotton and some great growling sax work by Joe Tillman.

“No Buts, No Maybes” (Roy Byrd) - Professor Longhair - from a 1980s reissue single of his original 1957 ebb 45 #101.
The groove-wear on my ebb copy was just too noisy for good radio listening. So, I used the clean reissue instead - which is also why I kind of misspoke on-air about this set being all Specialty sides. You can hear the original version on my post from earlier this year on cool piano tracks by Fess, Ray Johnson, and James Booker.

“Baby Don’t You Do It” (Holland-Dozier-Holland) - Alvin Robinson - from his original ATCO single #6581, 1968.
Known in musical circles as ‘Shine’, the late singer/guitarist Alvin Robinson remains a severely under-recognized New Orleans artist in the Ray Charles mold, who made some great records few have heard. For more details on this single and his activities in the late 1960s and early 1970s, check my 2010 post. Marvin Gaye did the original version of this tune in 1964.

“Chained” (F. Wilson) - The Sister and Brothers - from their Calla single #175, 1970.
This 45, as did the Baton Rouge group’s first on Uni (I played a cut on show #3), featured Geri Richard on lead vocal. Here, she did a song originally recorded by Marvin Gaye for Tamla in 1968. For more details on Richard and this Calla single, see my 2008 post.

“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (N. Whitfield-B. Strong) - Ray Johnson - from his original In-Arts single #107, 1968,
Another Marvin Gaye-related track, this time recorded by keyboard professor Ray Johnson, who I also featured on show #3. For more backstory on his incendiary instrumental version of the tune, see my 2012 post on several of his singles.

“Jump Into Your Love” (Ernie K-Doe) - Mr. Ernie K-Doe and the Olympia Music Co. - from his Syla single (no number), ca late 1980s.
Speaking of incendiary. This track knocks you back as soon as the horns blast after the short drum countdown, grabs your backside, and shakes you around like a ragdoll. As I noted in my 2008 post on this 45, it was his last vinyl release, as far as I can tell; and the fact of the medium employed meant that not all that many people could hear it, except maybe on some old club jukeboxes somewhere, and the turntables of WWOZ and WTUL, where surely it got some non-commercial airplay. Anyway, I can’t improve on what I said about the single there, so read it, if you dare.

“Who’s Gettin; Your Love” (Willie Hutch) - Etta James - from her original T-Electric LP, Changes, 1980.
The making of this album, produced/arranged by Allen Toussaint and recorded at Sea-Saint, was a saga that lasted several years on and off, as two different record labels were involved, then uninvolved in the process, before MCA stepped in to complete the sessions and release the LP on T-Electric. I discussed that backstory in a 2011 post on the late great drummer, Herman Ernest.

“Love Grows On Ya” (Ed Volker) - The Radiators - from their Epic LP, Zig-Zaggin’ Through Ghostland, 1989.
About a decade after the Radiators got their start, they were signed to a major label, Epic, who released three albums on them in the late 1980s. Zig-Zaggin’ was the second. Despite having some impressive material, it has been long overlooked and underheard. Their first for the label, Law Of The Fish, had their radio “hits”; but Epic pretty much stopped promoting them as soon as the initial buzz cooled off. Though definitely a rock band, the Rads were always too eccentric and eclectic in their influences and creative process to fit into any mainstream record company niche. They had a long and successful career doing their own thing on independent labels, their own and others, and, of course tearing it up on stage. They were meant to be experienced live. Hope you were around for some of that before they retired. If not, catch a reunion show - they still do ‘em occasionally.

“The Point” (Mac Rebennack) - Mac Rebennack - from his original AFO single #309, 1962.
Mac (a/k/a Dr John, later in the decade and beyond) had not been playing organ long when the recorded this 45 for AFO, with another great tune, “One Naughty Flat”, on the flip. Quick learner ain’t the half of it. I covered this record in my 2012 post on organ instrumentals.

“Red Dress” (see notes) - Chosen Few Brass Band - from their original Syla LP, The Chosen Few Brass Band, 1985.
During their brief run, the Chosen Few were led by tuba master Anthony ‘Tuba Fats’ Lacen, who had earlier helped the Dirty Dozen Brass Band get off the ground. This tune is actually an uncredited instrumental version of Tommy Tucker’s 1964 R&B classic, “High Heel Sneakers”, a worthy addition to the brass band repertoire. Since this was a ULL football weekend, it seemed a red dress was appropriate attire for the second line out.


On yeah, and….WHO DAT!!!

September 07, 2014

FUNKIFY YOUR LIFE - SHOW #5 - PLAYLIST

Air dates: Thursday, September 4, 2014, 1:00 PM, and Friday, September 5, 2014, 9:00 PM, on KRVS 88.7 FM Lafayette/Lake Charles, and online at krvs.org. You can hear a podcast of this show and previous shows on the website under “Programs” anytime.


Still dealing with repercussions to my back from getting dumped by my chair last week. But, the shows must go on. . . .


This week’s episode was a mixed bag of vintage and recent releases with ten of the tracks sourced from vinyl.


“Funkify Your Life” (Intro) - The Meters - from the New Directions re-issue CD on Sundazed, 2000..


“Here Comes The Meterman” (Nocentelli-Neville-Porter-Modeliste) - The Meters - from their original Josie single #1005, 1969.
This is the B-side of their second Josie 45. It’s a fine example of the band’s early minimalist funk, lean and mean. Art Neville has said that they were going for the sound of a funky Booker T. & the MGs. Check. Their key to making this happen was the combination of George Porter, Jr. on bass and Zig Modeliste on drums, two one of a kind groove-makers. Take for example Zig’s break-down of broken beats on the fade out, restructured on the fly. The more accessible top side, “Cissy Strut”, wasn’t too shabby either, and got up to #4 on the national R&B chart.


“It Was September” (C. Green-J. Simon-M. Guillory) - Superior Elevation - from their Black Satin single, #001, 1981.
I know very little about the group, but haven’t really done much digging to this point. Since ‘Rockin’ Sidney’ Simien produced this single, probably their first, as well as their rare 1982 Black Satin LP, Get It, Don’t Stop, I’m guessing they hailed from the Lake Charles area where Simien was based. In 2006, Tuff City reissued their album with a few song substitutions. The instrumentation is pretty synth-heavy, not really to my taste; but typical of the time. I’ll try to find something else to play from them one of these days.


“2 Weeks, 2 Days, Too Long” (Camille Bob) - Camille Bob - from his Soul Unlimited single  #102, 1972.
Better known as Lil’ (or Little) Bob, singer, drummer, and bandleader Camille Bob recorded over 15 singles with his band, the Lollipops, mainly during the 1960s, with most released on the La Louisianne label, based in Bob’s hometown, Lafayette, LA. Their biggest hit, “I Got Loaded”, was on the initial 45 for the label, only scored regionally. Lil’ Bob & the Lollipops were in high demand on the regional club and dance circuit throughout the decade, but things had cooled off by the early 1970s when Bob cut two singles under his own name, one for Baton Rouge’s Whit label in 1971, and this Soul Unlimited 45 with “Brother Brown” as the A-side.


The backing band on this one was Buckwheat & the Hitchickers, headed by Stanley ‘Buckwheat’ Dural, Jr.  For more on Camille Bob, my 2010 post covering this single and two others has info and links.


“The Kangaroo” (Charles Sheffield) - Charles Sheffield - from his Excello single #2205, 1961.
According to R&B historian John Broven, Charles Sheffield was from China, Texas, just West of Beaumont, the city he name checks in this song. Sometimes referred to as ‘Mad Dog’, Sheffield recorded sides for two singles at producer Jay Miller’s studio in Crowley, LA in 1961; and they were leased to Nashville’s Excello label for national distribution, as were many of the great recordings Miller oversaw during the decade. As I noted in my brief post on this track back in 2006 [where you can see a label shot], the syncopated, latin-esque drumming was by Clarence ‘Jockey’ Etienne, with Lazy Lester adding the scraper. Katy Webster was on piano; and Lionel Prevost played sax. Get down and get hump-backed.


“Hold Me” (Jay Miller) - Carol Fran - from her Excello single #2175, 1960.
Carol, who, as previously mentioned on the show and here, hails from Lafayette, LA, cut this Excello single with Jay Miller, as well. “Hold Me’, an uptempo, latin-inspired dancer was the B-side, with the more down-tempo “One More Chance” on top. In 1957, she had a moderate national hit with “Emmit Lee”, from her first Excello 45 (#2118); but none of her other worthy work with Miller had that much success.


“Crazy Mambo” (Classie Ballou) - Classie Ballou - from a reissue of his Nasco single #6000, original released in 1957.
From Elton, LA, guitarist and bandleader Ballou recorded this B-side tune for Miller as a knock-off of Guitar Gable’s Afro-Cuban feeling “Congo Mambo”, a regional hit from the previous year on Excello, and also a product of Miller’s studio. “Confusion” was the flip. This record was the first issue for Nasco, an offshoot of Excello. For more info on Classie, check out this post from the HoundBlog.


“Inspiration” (John Magnie) - L’ill Queenie & the Percolators - from the Deeva CD, Home, 2007.
Definitely one of the hottest bands in New Orleans from the late 1970s to the early 1980s, fronted by vocalist/songwriter Leigh Harris, a/k/a L’il Queenie, with keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter John Magnie leading the band, which had a changing cast over the years. They had only one record released during their run, a single with the classic “My Darlin’ New Orleans” b/w Magnie’s “Wild Natives”, first issued in 1981 on the Ignant label, then about 1988 on Great Southern.(#119). The Deeva CD, Home, released by Leigh Harris in 2007, compiles those tracks along with ten previously unreleased songs from the band’s repertoire.


There are no recording dates for the songs and no personnel shown by song, just a general list of who played in the band over the years. Notables include drummers Ricky Sebastian and Kenny Blevins, guitarists Tommy Malone and the late Emily Remler, plus hornmen Earl Turbinton, Fred Kemp, Charles Joseph, Eric Traub, and Reggie Houston. Magnie and Malone went on to form the Continental Drifters and then the subdudes. Harris continued with a solo career. For more tidbits on LQ&TP, see their page on the ‘dudes’ website.


“Rough Spots” (Earl King) - George Porter, Jr. - from his Rounder :LP, Runnin’ Partner, 1990.
Bass player for the original Meters and all the later permutations and combinations that have used the band’s name. George also has had a long and active career as a session musician and bandleader. This album was his first solo effort; and he surrounded himself with great players, of course. On this particular cut, one of Earl King’s quirky offerings, Bruce MacDonald played guitar. They had formed the short-lived band, Joy Ride, together in the early 1980s. As a matter of fact, the other members of the rhythm section on “Rough Spots”, Kenny Blevins on drums and keyboardist Craig Wroten,. were also vets of Joy Ride. Ward Smith did the tenor sax solo here.


“Say Wontcha” (Smith-Castenell-Richards-Richard-Williams-Tio-Dabon-Toval) - Chocolate Milk - from their RCA LP, Milky Way, 1979.
Between 1975 and 1979, New Orleans soul-funk outfit Chocolate Milk put out five albums on RCA, produced by Allen Toussaint. All were tracked at Sea-Saint Studio in New Orleans except Milky Way, which was cut in Los Angeles. Of those, four had respectable showings on the R&B charts. After Milky Way, they split with Toussaint, but continued recording for RCA, making three more LPs through 1982, before disbanding. I have featured several CM tunes over the years here; but for a detailed overview of their output, see T-Mad’s Chocolate Milk site.


“I’m Aware Of What You Want” (M. West-L. Laudenbach-High Society Brothers) - Willie West -
from his upcoming Timmion LP/CD, Lost Soul, 2014.
As noted on my show #2 playlist, I did an extensive overview of Willie’s long career here in 2008. He continues to perform and release new material. For the past several years he has been collaborating with a band in Norway, the High Society Brothers, writing and recording songs that have been released as vinyl singles on the Timmion label in that country and Europe. I did the sleeve notes for the first of those. In November, the label will issue their first album of that material and kindly sent me an advance CD with permission to play tracks on the air.


While the songs are all definitely on the deep soul side, they may at first sound a bit unusual to American ears. The High Society Brothers use standard, old school R&B instrumentation; but their musical changes, song structures, and feels are their own unique interpretation of the soul idiom and can go to some unexpected places. But that just gives Willie a chance to let his still supple voice follow their lead into new territory while still doing some heavy emoting.  Interesting Arctic soul. Unsettling, in a good way.


“Save Love” (T. DeClouet-M. Ward-D. Johnson) - Theryl ‘Houseman’ DeClouet - from his self-released CD, The Truth Iz Out, 2007.
I’ve heard Theryl perform live at JazzFest several times and with Galactic, and have his earlier
Bullseye CD, The Houseman Cometh, from 2001. So far, I’ve traced his recording career back into the early 1980s, when he sang with HollyGrove, a vocal group that recorded an album in Philadelphia [just found a copy recently]. He also did at least a 12” and 7” single for a label out of Miami later that decade. But, so far, I think this latest CD is his best effort, and funkiest. I’m a fan, so more to come.


“Swamp Funk” (Mac Rebennack) - Cyril Neville - from his Ruf CD, Magic Honey, 2013.
Since Katrina and the retirement of the Neville Brothers band, Cyril has come on strong as a solo artist, marketing himself towards the blues side, and also formed a new group, The Royal Southern Brotherhood, with Mike Zito, Devon Allman, Charlie Wooten, and Yonrico Scott, who play what used to be called Southern rock, melding blues soul, funk, and rock.


Magic Honey has a great new Orleans area rhythm section, with ‘Mean’ Willie Green on drums,
Carl Dufrene on bass, keyboardist Norman Ceasar, and guitarist Cranston Clements. Mac ‘Dr John’ Rebennack contributed this song, a clever musical history lesson, and sat in on a very subdued organ. Allen Toussaint played piano.


:No Substitute” (Eldridge Holmes) - Eldridge Holmes - from his Deesu single #303, 1970.
Belying the title, I was running out of time on the show, so I substituted the shorter of two versions of this fine down-tempo soul-funk tune. It first appeared as the full-length (2:55) B-side of Holmes’ Deesu single #300, released earlier the same year, with “The Book” on top. Then, on his next 45 for the label, which featured a cover of Tim Hardin’s hit, “If I Were A Carpenter”, the song was again the B-side, and shortened by 37 seconds for reasons unknown.


Allen Toussaint produced virtually everything Holmes cut during his all too brief recording career. In his day, he was one of New Orleans’ best singers, but never managed to get anything close to a hit, despite some good material. I’ll be playing more from him, including the longer take on this.


“Hard To Face the Music” (V. Simpson-N. Ashford) - Idris Muhammad - from his Kudu LP, House of The Rising Sun, 1976
Another track from the late Idris Muhammad’s legacy, a workout on this Ashford and Simpson tune with a bunch a great New York session cats (see album link above). I featured a different cut from the LP at Mardi Gras time back in 2012.