Wednesday, May 14, 2014

NEW RELEASES: THE JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH - IT'S JUST BEGUN / PHASE TWO; DJ ANDY SMITH'S JAM UPTWIST U.S.A.; RONNIE MATTHEWS WITH FREDDIE HUBBARD - DOIN' THE THANG!

THE JIMMY CASTOR BUNCH - IT'S JUST BEGUN /  PHASE TWO

A pair of classics from the Jimmy Castor Bunch – back to back on a single CD! It's Just Begun is wickedly fuzzy funk! Jimmy Castor recorded in a lot of different styles during the 70s – but the one he used on this album is still his best! The record's a non-stop guitar-heavy batch of classic funk tracks – and it features the storming break track "It's Just Begun", the funky goofy "Troglodyte", and plenty other nice moments like "Bad", "LTD", "I Promise To Remember", and "Psychee". Fuzzy guitar meets heavy drums meets some of the most insane lyrics ever on a mainstream funk album! One of our most requested records – and for good reason! Phase Two is probably Jimmy's second best album of the 70s – one with many of the same elements as his legendary It's Just Begun record! The band is grooving hard – with plenty of heavy conga, fuzzed out guitar, and trippy grooves that serve as a perfect foil for Jimmy's super-dope sense of humor. The record features a remake of Jimmy's earlier "Hey Leroy", still done with a Latiny groove, but also with many elements of "It's Just Begun" thrown into the funky mix. The album also features Jimmy's guitar-heavy "Tribute To Jim [Hendrix]", and "Luther The Anthropoid", which was a follow-up to "Troglodyte", with similar stoner caveman lyrics! Another tasty cut is "Party Life", a 7 minute Latin funk number with a very War-like groove! ~ Dusty Groove

DJ ANDY SMITH'S JAM UPTWIST U.S.A. FEATURING DEANO SOUNDS: R&B ROCKERS, ROCKABILLY, NORTHERN SOUL AND SLEAZY SHAKERS

A great US take on the Jam Up Twist sound of DJ Andy Smith – the groove he explored on a previous compilation in the UK – now served up here in a different lineup for the states! The music is a mad mix of R&B, jump blues, rockabilly, and other raw sounds from the tail end of the 50s – very much like the sort of territory that Keb Darge has explored on his excellent sets with Little Edith – and the kind of sounds that go way way beyond well-known hits from the period! Smith digs very deep in the crates, and gets some help with selections from Deano Sounds as well – on this smoking set that includes "Honey Child" by Johnny Williams, "What's My Chances" by Chuck Flamingo, "Thanks Mr Postman" by Bobby King, "Lonesome Shack" by Ernie Washington, "Doing All Right" by Eddie Cash, "Swingin & Surfin" by Les Brown Jr, "Ever Again" by Gene Woodbury, "High School Caesar" by Reggie Perkins, "Monkey's Uncle" by Ray Sharpe, and "Pack Shack & Stack" by Billy Nelson. ~ Dusty Groove


RONNIE MATTHEWS WITH FREDDIE HUBBARD - DOIN' THE THANG!

One of the only early albums as a leader from pianist Ronnie Mathews – a player who recorded more often in later years, but who really sounds incredible in this rare session for Prestige! Although a lyrical player at heart, Mathews also has a very hard edge here – more of a soul jazz groove than you'd hear on his later records, and a great example of the sound he was picking up from some of his key 60s work as a sideman. The group is great overall – with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Charles Davis on baritone sax – both players who bring a Blue Note-like sense of imagination to their solos here. The rest of the group features Eddie Kahn on bass and Albert Heath on drums – and titles include the killers "The Thang", "Ichi Ban", and "The Orient" – plus "Let's Get Down", "1239A", and "Prelude To A Kiss". ~ Dusty Groove 


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