Top 10 Modern Dance Jazz Songs

I dig jazz as much as they next guy with great musical tastes! My favorite styles of jazz, as you can probably guess, are the different schools that evolved throughout the mid-20th century. Lots of jazz styles from cool jazz, soul jazz, hard bop, modal jazz, latin jazz, and heck, even free jazz.

But I'm not here today to get into those sounds because you can get better info on sites like this and this. Instead, I want to get into more current music. A short while ago, I delved into more contemporary jazz bands to help broaden the ol' DJ range and I found some great stuff going on. There were bands taking the sounds of the '50s and '60s, and either adding in a mix of '90s acid jazz or throwing in new dance beats and instrumentation. Many times, I heard the term 'nu-jazz' tossed here and there. Call it what you like, so long as you can dance to it!

So, here today, let me present to you my Top 10 Modern Dance Jazz Songs of the 21st century (in no particular order)... and keep in mind, my use of the term 'jazz' might be much more loose than yours:

1. The Five Corners Quintet - Shake It - Some straight-ahead, quick-paced dance jazz without any sampling or funky drum breaks. The Five Corners Quintet, based in Finland, take a modern jazz sound and amp it up to hip-shakin' levels, like this song shows. Features tenor sax from Timo Lassy, who's listed again further down.
   
2. The Filthy Six - Knockout - Tight soul jazz from these guys throwing out the best in horn work and burnin' Hammond organ. If you get a chance, look into getting their entire LP... highly worth it for new hammond jazz dance tunes.
   
3. Timo Lassy featuring Jose James - The More I Look At You - A Timo Lassy track, but the highlight here is the smooth, crooning voice of Jose James, probably one of the top jazz vocalists around right now. He's played with various performers including Chico Hamilton, Nicola Conte, Jazzanova, and, here, Timo Lassy. Missed him last time he played in San Francisco, but I'm hoping not to repeat that mistake!
   
   
   
4. Ken Morimura - Descarga Pa'ti - Okay, I don't know much about this guy at all, mainly because I can't read any of the Japanese on his website! But I don't need to read Japanese to hear Morimura blast out a heavy latin jazz groove. What I was able to find is that Morimura is the pianist and composer of the following track. Absolutely hip-shakin' beats are bein' tossed down right here!
   
5. Hidden Jazz Quartet - Hi Footlocker - Some German 'nu-jazz' for you from the Hidden Jazz Quartet, again, mixing some soul dance beats with nice jazz instrumentation. Lots of nice touches here, including the guitar and organ solos.
   
6. Dusty - Keep It Raw - Nice, funkier jazz number here with a few samples, including very familiar one courtesy of The Meters. Don't know much about Dusty, but I do know this track blends all kinds of good sounds from the mentioned sample, funky drum beats, heavy horns, and groovy piano work.
   
7. Frootful - Colours - Frootful is a project headed up by an amazing graphic artist, Nick Radford. Not only can this guy bust out beautiful murals and LP art, he can also hit you with wild '60s-styled soul jazz! Combining great vibes, guitars, horns, and well-paced drumming, this whole LP hits you in all the right spots.
   
8. Nicola Conte - Bossa Per Due - By this point, Nicola Conte doesn't really need a whole lot of introduction. Sharp-stylin' Italian producer and composer who brings out some of the best bossa nova vibes in his music.
   
9. Koop - Come To Me - Okay, these guys interest the heck outta me! Unfortunately, I don't have any of their work on vinyl so I've never DJed them. But, they are one of my favorite bands to relax to at home when we're just taking it easy. Now, from what I'm aware of, all of their music is just a well-done mix of previous samples, clips, overlays. Whatever it is they do, great music like this is the result. It's just hard to think that this is all just a crazy blend of samples!
   
10. Nick Rossi Set - Sweet 'Tater Pie - Aw man, I'm not gonna say too much about this guy. Still performing great music in the fields of jazz and Western swing throughout the Bay Area on top of keeping up one of my top blogs. This song harkens back to those fun times in the early 2000s when the Set was playing around often, starting out as a 4-piece combo and ending as a full-on horn-infused group. I had to wait until my wife first moved in with me before I was able to get my hands on this 45... still one of my fave tunes!
    

That's it for today! Yes, like I said, I'm loose with my use of the term 'jazz', but hey... in the end, it's all good stuff. If you have any more info on any of these musicians or songs, or have any similar recommendations, then pass them on!

Top 10 'NEW' Soul/Funk Songs

I love old soul 45s, I really do. And I'm sure I collect them as much... well, almost as much, as the next Mod soul DJ. But we live in an awesome time of new music right now and, yes, even new soul 45s. I find it pretty exciting to hear new soul songs being released on them little 7-inch discs.

Sometimes, it's easy (and very understandable) to get lost in the greatness of soul/funk 45s from the '60s and '70s because there's still so much out there to unearth. At the same time, however, we have new opportunities to keep up with a great contemporary soul/funk scene and get in on tomorrow's rare vintage soul 45s today. So, take a break from work and switch into dance mode as I present to you my personal current Top 10 NEW Soul/Funk 45s!*

*(And by 'new' I mean within the last several years.)

1. Paul Weller and Andy Lewis - Are You Trying to Be Lonely - I really don't know why Paul Weller never stuck with incorporating more soul into his music. I get that he's always trying to move forward, and hit or miss, you gotta respect that. But when this guy gets into a soul groove, he blows it away. Take this song, in which he collaborates with one of my favorite current producers, Andy Lewis. Now this is some 'Heavy Soul'!

2. Frank Popp Ensemble - Love Is On Our Side - For the last several years now, Frank Popp's been blowing away the DJ/remix scene by incorporating a ton of 1960s influences. I first heard of him off a cover of Dave Pike's 'Mathar,' and I was blown away by the layered instrumentation on that cover down to the use of trombone! You gotta hand it to him... he knows how to get a dance floor going.

3. Ben From Cordoroy - With A Little Help From My Friends - Okay, I'm totally cheating with this one. I don't have this on 45... it's off an LP (gasp!). But I had to include it because A) it's Ben Addison from one of my favorite '90s Acid Jazz acts, Corduroy (if the name of the band didn't give it away), B) it features vocalist Mayka Edyole from The Sweet Vandals, and C) it's one of the best Beatles covers I've heard in a while.

4. Lord Large featuring Clem Curtis - Stuck In a Wind-Up - I don't know much about Lord Large, other than that he sports some slick, quirky style and that he's put out a couple of great 45s, including a collaboration with soul legend, Dean Parrish, covering an early, unreleased Paul Weller song and infusing some soul into it. This song, though, is the one that gets my feet all twitchy... a collaboration with Clem Curtis, lead vocalist of The Foundations.

5. Myron & E with The Soul Investigators - Cold Game - Aw man, California soul in the house! Yup, I'll admit it... I live in a pretty great state. We got a lot of great musicians out here, including Myron & E, who lay down some pretty gritty but smooth soul for feet shufflin'.  Of course, you can't ignore that amazing backing band, Finland's The Soul Investigators, probably most known for backing up Nicole Willis several years back.

6. The Stance Brothers - Pick'n'Roll - One of my current favorite labels of the last few years has been Ricky-Tick, which boasts a pretty great stable of jazz/soul/funk artists, including these guys, The Stance Brothers. Now, I'll be honest... I'm a little nervous posting songs like this out to you guys. I'd rather you all be fighting over rare soul 45s from the 1960s, so I can have stuff like this all to myself. But, my mama raised me right and taught me how to share. So, go ahead... click 'play' on this video and prepare to re-think your $400 Ebay bid on that rare, scratchy 45. 

7. Kendra Lou and The Miracles - Everyday - I'm a fan of tight drum beats. In fact, all my favorite dancefloor 45s have some kind of funky drum break to them. This song below, by Kendra Lou and The Miracles, fits that bill for me. Now, what they may lack in creative band names (The Miracles... really?) they more than make up for in hip-shakin' goodness. Like the Sleestak says, I like it!

8. John Nemeth - Name the Day - Some more American soul brought to you by blues guy, John Nemeth. This song caught me off-guard when I first heard it. Straight-up, Memphis-cooked soul that was happening right now! One of my pet peeves is when people harp on about how much 'music sucks today.' People who rant and rave about that just aren't looking in the right places. John Nemeth proves that all you gotta do sometimes is search out the good stuff... and sometimes, it's right there in your own backyard.

9. The Third Degree - Mercy - Man, when Duffy busted out with this video for 'Mercy', I was sold! The song had a great beat that made a great pop hit. And the footwork displayed in the video helped punctuate that. But then, The Third Degree came along and blew her version away! Oh sure, they didn't light up any fires with their dance moves, but their version of 'Mercy' is blistering with Mod soul power!

10. Andy Lewis (with Lynda Laurence) - See You There - Alright, we started this list off with Paul Weller and Andy Lewis, so now I end it with another Andy Lewis collaboration, this time with ex-Supreme, Lynda Laurence. Without a doubt, this is my current favorite soul 45 to DJ at the moment. It's got that driving beat, piano and organ work, horn arrangements, and those amazing vocals. If this 45 doesn't convince you to start paying more attention to today's soul scene, I don't know what else to tell you. And that's okay... I have no problem buying this stuff up without competition!

There ya go, my current Top 10 NEW Soul/Funk 45s. There's a lot more out there, but maybe I'll save that for another day. Hopefully these songs prove that there's music being produced NOW, that's worth searching out.

On that note, if you all up in a dancing mood now and live in the Bay Area, I've got a suggestion for you. Drop on by the Make-Out Room after work tonight and spend happy hour with us! I'll be playing some 45s (old and new) along with my pal, DJ Major Sean, while you kick back and enjoy some drinks. Then, stay for one of the best rocksteady nights around right after, Festival '68. It'll be a fun time! And look... a target!

Top 10 Mellow Grooves

Me, I love a good soul record. Heck, I love a good night of soul records! Nothing beats being out on a dance floor, groovin' and gettin' down to some sweet funky soul music... and that's what Mods do best, right? You bet!

But, if you're in my age group, chances are that spending mellow evenings at home seems more and more desirable. As much as I love me some soul-steppin', I'm also huge into mellow-diggin'. Mellow-diggin' on my couch, with a nice glass of wine, good book, and some soothing folkish, country, bluesy tunes fillin' my ears.

If you find yourself appreciating this speed more and more, then hopefully you'll enjoy my current Top 10 mellow grooves... the type of music I think perfect for wild-woodin' the day away. So, find a porch, a reclining chair, some wine, maybe a dog to sit at your feet, and enjoy:

1.  Ronnie Lane - Tell Everyone - Originally recorded by The Faces, here's Ronnie Lane's version from a few years later. These days, Ronnie has taken up the spot of my favorite Small Face and here he is owning his song. As much as I like Rod's vocal,  he just doesn't hold a candle to Ronnie's voice here. Plus, haunting sax solo... can't beat it.

2. Karen Dalton - Something On Your Mind - Taken from her 1971 In My Own Time record. This one's just a heart-breaking song, highlighted by Dalton's smokey voice and that beautiful violin. I found this Bob Dylan quote from Wikipedia, in which he describes hearing her for the first time in 1961: "My favorite singer in the place was Karen Dalton. Karen had a voice like Billie Holiday and played guitar like Jimmy Reed..."

3. Van Morrison - Sweet Thing - Off of Astral Weeks, one of my most favorite albums. The whole LP zones me out a good way, but this song in particular, with its steady build-up, hits my sweet spot.

4. Belle & Sebastian - Mornington Crescent - After over 10 years of hearing about how great these guys were, I finally became a B&S fan, thanks to my wife. One day, while I was washing dishes, she was playing one of their CDs in the living room. The music caught my mood at that moment and when I asked her who she was listening to, I was sold. This is one of my current favorites (out of many)... something about it that just has a nice, rolling, West Coast sound to me.

5. The Small Faces - Autumn Stone - Um... yeah, a no-brainer here.

6. Pete Molinari - Sweet Louise - A newer guy on the scene, Molinari's been putting out some great country-blues style music over the last few years. He's got a great, piercing voice and the band backing him is just top-notch.

7. The Gosdin Brothers - There Must Be Someone - Some Bakersfield country for you, featuring Rex and Vern Gosdin. These guys are probably best known for the album they recorded with Gene Clark and their connection to various Byrds. This song, in fact, was covered by the Byrds on their Ballad of Easy Rider LP and features a haunting vocal from Gene Parsons.

8. The Byrds - It's All Over Now Baby Blue - One of my all-time favorite Dylan songs and I've yet to hear a cover version I don't like! The Byrds recorded an earlier version back in 1965, but this version from a few years later, is the one I always come back to. Slow and brooding, it totally captures the sadness of the lyrics.

9. Bob Dylan (with Johnny Cash) - Girl From The North Country - I love both versions of this song: the original, released in 1963, and especially this one, a bit more countrified with Johnny Cash dueting. Come on, it's from Nashville Skyline... what else is there to say?

10. Susan Christie - Yesterday, Where's My Mind - Okay, last one for today, but you gotta bear with it for a bit... it's got a long, eerie, pysch-esque beginning. But hang in there and wait for it... wait for it... trust me, it'll pay off. Pretty powerful tune off of Susan Christie's Paint A Lady record, a song generally appreciated for its folk/funk blend.

Well, I hope these types of sounds are up your alley too. Even the best of us need a little down time in between the dancing.

Relaxing out in the sunshine, around 7 years ago.

Saturday DJ Faves!

So, I was sitting around on the computer right now, waiting for my wife to get ready for the evening, when I read a great post on the Parka Avenue blog's Top 10 Northern Soul and R&B faves. This inspired me to go through some of my own records and lay down my current Top 10 favorite soul/r&b/funky records to DJ. This past Thursday, I DJed for the first time in months, and it got me excited again!

Now, I don't want to make this blog too music oriented as I'd rather concentrate on Mod male style, but heck... I got time to kill. So, here they are, in no particular order, my Top 10 soul/r&b/funky DJ selections (apologies to any friends who may have been to one of my DJ nights and have gotten sick of hearing these!):

1. The Spinners - I'll Always Love You - Motown

2. Willie & The Mighty Magnificents - Funky 8 Corners - All Platinum

3. Major Lance - Follow The Leader - Dakar

4. Vernon Garrett - If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time - Modern

5. Bobby Marchan - Shake Your Tambourine - Cameo

6. Tyrone Davis - Is It Something You Got? - Dakar

7. Georgie Fame - El Bandido - Imperial

8. Eddy Giles - Losin' Boy - Murco

9. Alfreda Brockington - Your Love Has Got Me Chained and Bound - Phil L.A. of Soul

10. Roger Collins - Foxy Girls In Oakland - Galaxy (This record is pretty much mandatory for any Oakland DJ by this point in time... but it's still a local fave. And for good reason!)

There it is! Have a great weekend guys!