A Quote and a Marvellous Mix: Theo Parrish – Straight No Chaser!

Posted in Funky Beats, Jazz Music, Mixtapes, Soul Music with tags , , on November 9, 2009 by Marty AKA Marty McFly

theo parrish

Love of the music should be driving force of any producer, performer or dj. Everything else stems from that core, that love. With that love, sampling can become a tribute, an expansion on ideas long forgotten, reconstrutruction, collage. Using this same understanding openly & respectfully, can turn djing into spiritual partecipation. It can turn a few hours of selection into essential history. Neccessary listening through movement. Theo Parrish!

Enought said

Listen to Theo Parrish – Straight No Chaser @ Samurai FM

Check the tracklist below:

Read more »

The Original Soul Sister

Posted in Soul Music with tags , , on November 6, 2009 by joppa AKA Arthur Jopparelli

Every now and then I go back and watch the following video again, over and over, and I still can’t believe how much talent this woman has been blessed with.

sister_rosetta_tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the original badass soul sister, so ahead of her time. Her use of guitar was nothing short than groundbreaking.

“Her style was flamboyant, she liked her hair close-cropped, curly, and brightly colored. She had a big smile, a sense of humor and a whole lot of sass. Sister Rosetta saw her talent as God given, and so she didn’t follow the conservative ways of her fan base. She performed at the Cotton Club and Café Society with Cab Calloway and Benny Goodman. She got divorced when she was unhappy in her marriage. In fact, she was married three times — a rumored 10,000 fans attended her third wedding, held at a concert at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. in 1951. She strutted from the dugout to the second base, said her vows, then strapped on her Gibson and rocked out in her wedding dress.”

Now, here’s the video I was talking about. Check out the guitar solo in the middle. Check out the Pete Townshend windmill at 1:47. I don’t have nothing to add.

And now, check out a nice biography, an intersting audio documentary (don’t miss the guitar solo from 1938 inside), and go get her album HERE.

Is Dubstep The Next Hip Hop? (Pt.2: Enter The Dubstep)

Posted in Hip Hop with tags , , on November 3, 2009 by joppa AKA Arthur Jopparelli

Look what the Wu family have done.  Wu-Tang on Dubstep beats? Are you kiddin me? No, it’s true, and it’s coming out soon.

Honestly it’s the first time since we started this blog that I won’t even take into account the actual quality of the music. This is a milestone album: our idols from the 90’s are somehow experimenting on the same beats we’re into right now, and this is a deeply interesting combination, no matter what the result sounds like.

wutang-dubstep

It’s important for us having the proof that we were right: dubstep is proper future music and it’s changing the course of electronic music forever. After 2 years of reviewing more dubstep and less hip hop (thus probably disappointing some hip hop fans), we now know that maybe some of our choices were right.

With Scuba, Parson, Trillbass, Dakimh, DZ, Rogue Star, Stenchman, Datsik & many more producing not remixes, but complex re-interpollations that include a veritable goldmine of Wu-Tang verses from the vaults that feature Raekwon, Ghostface Killa, RZA, GZA, Method Man, U-God & Masta Killa, and many more Wu affiliates and Guests. This one of a kind compilation is at the forefront of an emerging cultural and musical blend that is taking place on the margins of the mainstream, but will be talked about for years to come”

I listened the preview, there’s some nice stuff in. I’m definitely feeling the Method Man track and the one produced by Stenchman. Sure Wu-Tang dont sound wrong at all over such a post-nuclear-war sound carpet. It would have been even more interesting hearing contributions from the original UK Dubstep masters. All the producers here are from the USA if I’m not wrong. Anyway, If RZA, Ghost, Rae and Method are feelin’it, why wouldn’t you?

Listen the preview on Amazon

Listen a couple of preview tracks (with promotional message inside):

Love Don’t Cost/Still Grimey Ft. Icewater, Method Man, U-God & Prodigal Sunn (Nebulla & Dore Remix)

Jay Da Flex and Yoof: Deep Space Ft. RZA & Lord Jamar

Yes, I know, this is only a preview and you want more  stuff to download. Aiight, on the same tip listen this

Hip Hop vs. dubstep mix by Plastician featuring the infamous Snoop Dogg Dubstep track “Snoop Millionaire”. Enjoy!

A Funny & Funky Lesson From Bernard “Pretty” Purdie!

Posted in Funky Beats with tags , , , , on November 2, 2009 by Marty AKA Marty McFly

I love his attitude!

I Put A Spell On You!

Posted in Breaks, Soul Music with tags , , , , , , on October 30, 2009 by joppa AKA Arthur Jopparelli

“Your reign on the top was short like leprechauns, as I crush so-called willies thugs and rapper dons…”

notoriousbig

One of the greatest lines ever, if you never happened to nod your head to this one, turn off your computer now. And throw it out of your window.

And what about the instrumental to this song? One of the best ever, easily.

The roots of this masterpiece are deep into Premo’s collection, to a dusty vinyl from 1958. He already revealed us the source where he took the sample, but i want to focus on the original track once again. This track is so exotic, unusual sounding and the performer is nothing short than weird. A very original enterpreneur, nowadays I see few stage talents like Mr. “Screamin” Jay Hawkins around. I mean, Reggae frontman Anthony B usually waves a wand when he performs, but a skull Wand is still one step further.  Let’s watch one of his crazy performances once again.

This song became a classic and saw so many interpretations, peep this one

Apparently, the inspiration Screamin’ Jay put into this song is far from exhausted. Check the version Stenchman just put out, droppin straight to your nearest dancefloor. What do you think of it? I love it. I find it very loyal to the spirit of the original one.

Anyway, the proper way to end this post is goin back, way back, back into time. This live album by Nina Simone, recorded in the last 60’s,  is simply awesome.

Listen! Nina Simone “I Put A Spell On You”

Guest Mix: Jeeezz by Fugu

Posted in Guest Bloggers, Jazz Music, Mixtapes with tags , , on October 27, 2009 by Marty AKA Marty McFly
Yet another guest mix!
Jazz Crusaders
I absolutely like to promote people from my country but you know, you have to be skilled. If you got skills and on the top of that you got a good taste, you are exactly what we are looking for. Said that, the mix I am about to introduce is a short but well selected Jazz podcast by Fugu.  He is a man of few words but he definitely speaks loud thru the music! Check it out!
nostalgia_77This one is the second podcast I have done for my blog: Passion Junkies! On my page you can find reviews, mixtapes, weekly playlists, videos, graphics and all the stuff I like. When I mix a podcast I start from a central idea and I try to develop a path. In this particular case I have selected an handful of Jazz tracks. Nine to be precise. 40 minutes of music selected between some classic as Thelonious Monk and some most recent stuff as Nostalgia 77 and Yesterday’s New Quintet. Anyway, here the tracklist and the mix. Enjoy!

01.Nicola Conte – Wanin’ Moon
02.The Matthew Herbert Big Band – Everything’ S Changed
03.Thelonious Monk – Straight, No Chaser
04.Art Tatum – Aunt Hogar’s Blue
05.The Five Corners Quintet – Trading Eights
06.The Jazz Crusaders – Young Rabbits
07.Nostalgia 77 – Dreamers Dance
08.Yesterday’ S New Quintet – Too High
09.Miles Davis – John Mc Laughlin

Check the podcast here!

Jopparelli’s Warm Bass Mix

Posted in Hip Hop, Jazz Music, Mixtapes, Our Mixes with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 21, 2009 by joppa AKA Arthur Jopparelli

Hey, it’s cold outside! You need some warm basslines to heat you up. Here’s a short  vinyl mix I did a while ago, focused on the similarities between Fusion Jazz and Hip Hop Instrumentals. You dig Hip Hop and Jazz as we do, don’t you?

45 king LakimShabazzMaceoParker_3

45 King (right) with Lakim Shabazz and MaceoParker

Similarly to my previous mix, I tried to put together a sequence of smooth tunes that sound good together (at least to me), and tried to create an atmosphere out of it. The Lowest Common Denominator is having a warm and deep bassline, somehow Lowend-Theory-sounding, you know what i mean, we all love that sound.

Passport

You got some Fusion Jazz originals represented by virtuosos like Stanley Clarke (who provides a really cool intro if you ask me), Miroslav Vitous and german band Passport, some 90’s Hip Hop classic instrumentals, a classic UBB tune by Bo Diddley (really nasty drums), an underrated track from Funkadalic followed by a great sampling of the same by none other than the 45 King.

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Then you got some Barry White, a couple of crazy jazzy beats from the Wild Style soundtrack, a Tribe Called Quest break I took from a bootleg vinyl I bought in Paris many years ago (that’s when I discovered breaks albums…crazy), and the solemn El Michaels Affair banger “Glaciers Of Ice” to close the mix. Hope you enjoy it as I did making it. Peace.

stanley clarke2

Tracklist:

Stanley Clarke – Life Suite Part 1 [Atlantic, 1974]

Nas – The World Is Yours (Tip mix) – Instr. [Columbia, 1994]

Omniscence – Amazin – Instr. [UGC 2001]

bodiddley

Bo Diddley – Hit Or Miss [Street Beat]

Passport – Homunculus [Atlantic, 1974]

Wild Style OST – Gangbusters [Beyongolia, 1998]

Funkadelic – A Joyful Process [Westbound, 1971]

45 King – We Got The Funk [Tuff City, 1988]

Funk Master – You Can…. [Promo]

black moon gotcha opin

Black Moon – I Got Cha Opin – Instr. [Wreck, 1994]

Lords Of The Underground – Funky Child – Instr. [Pendulum, 1992]

Black Moon – Reality (Killing Every…) – Instr. [Wreck, 1994]

Wild Style OST – Jungle Beat – Gangbusters [Beyongolia, 1998]

Miroslav Vitous – Infinite Search [Atlantic, 1974]

Beats From A Tribe [Bootleg]

El Michaels Affair – Glaciers Of Ice [Truth & Soul, 2006]

elmichels2

Listen on the player above or download on Zshare:

Warm bass mix!

Ragnampiza’s Podcast

Posted in Funky Beats with tags , , , , , , , on October 21, 2009 by joppa AKA Arthur Jopparelli

Just a quick post to let you know that our friends from Tuscany are doing a great job with their weekly radio show called RAGNAPIZA.

The beats are dope, they play awesome live sets, they have great tunes and you definitely cannot miss it, even if you don’t understand ITALIANO speech!

biga_web

Check out the playlists, this is class. And don’t forget to visit their site, it’s full of dope mixtapes from the whole crew.

Listen! RAGNAMPIZA COMIN AT YA!

Camon’ give me a break! (part 16)

Posted in Breaks, Hip Hop with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 18, 2009 by Marty AKA Marty McFly

war1 War – Slippin’ Into Darkness

Eazy E – Sippin on a 40

Mantronix – Join Me Please (Home Boys Make Some Noise)

Poor Righteous Teachers – Rock Dis Funky Joint

Poor Righteous Teachers – Self Styled Wisdom

bob james2 Bob James – Blue Lick

Digable Planets – Jettin

DJ Honda – Team Players

Carla Bley

3 Carla Bley – Song Sung Long

Mad Skillz – Extra Abstract Skillz

Muhli akarsu4 Muhlis Akarsu – Allah Allah Desem Gelsem

Nelly Furtando & Timbaland – Wait For You

warda5 Warda – Batwans Beek

Aaliyah – Don’t Know What To Tell Ya

Jared Boxx aka JBX from Big City Records

Posted in Funky Beats, Hip Hop, Mixtapes with tags , , on October 13, 2009 by Marty AKA Marty McFly

Jared Boxx

Today I want to point you out to 3 mixes. The man in control is Jared Boxx owner of Big City Records (NYC)! All his mixes are ace. I mean, what would you expect from such a record dealer?

willie rosario

The first one comes from the Jazzman record page and it’s certainly my favourite one. If you follow me during my Internet journeys you should already be familiar with this site. I was luky enough to see Jazzman Gerald live and from then on I always check his podcasts. The name of the mix is Taste of Honey (scroll down it’s the fourth from the top). Dope blend of tropical rhythms, Latin soul and jazz, Boogaloo etc… The summer is definitely not over in my living room.

Listen to: Taste of honey

The second one is all about hip hop remixes guys, you got to love it. You will recognize a lot of tracks. He knows his classic.

Listen to: The Fillmore Remixes

The third and last one is smooth! Absolutely obscure (at least for me) tunes from small and independent labels…ok I got to admit that, I don’t have a clue of almost any of this tracks but I am in good company. Everybody is waiting for the tracklist Jared!

Listen to: Thanks for waiting