Soulful Struttin\’ (Something Else! for Wtnr Radio.com 11/04/2010)

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The \”Something Else! Intro\” leads us right into the soulful cut by organist Caeser Frazier, the self-referential \”Hail Caesar!\” As you probably know, we like our jazz with a mixer of funk…
Patrice Rushen\’s \”Hang It Up\” is the inverse–a funk tune with large dollops of jazz! We try to be egalitarian (or at least fair) with our seeking out soul music and reggae is definitely no stranger to soulful sounds. The Black Seeds from New Zealand have a remix album out, Specials and \”Make A Move (Downtown Brown Remix feat. MC\’s Mighty Asterix & Switch)\” is one of my favorite cuts I\’ve heard off it. It leads well into Easy Star All-Stars\’ \”Step It Pon The Rastaman Scene (Border Crossing Remix)\” from their remix album as well Dubber Side of the Moon. The next cut is a remake of an Evelyn \”Champagne\” King track. The artist is Jennifer Lara on \”I\’m In Love (Jugoe\’s Re-Work)\” — a Dj-friendly, lovely reggae version of an 80s soul classic. Moving on to the 90s, DJ Krush\’s \”Big City Lover (Remix)\” a big acid-jazz favorite brings us to Janet Jackson\’s \”Got It Till It\’s Gone (Mellow Mix)\” feat Q-Tip. Oddly, I didn\’t know about this version until quite recently. The next tune sounds very much like something The Roots would do, but instead we have NYC\’s Jungle Brothers on their track \”Brain.\” Taking a small trip \”across the pond\” we head to the UK for Aim\’s \”Ain\’t Got Time To Waste (Instrumental w/Vibes).\” Simon Shaheen makes the proceedings a bit more \”exotic\” with his take on \”Al Hinna\” a piece by Egyptian composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Sunburst Band follow up with \”Journey To The Sun (Reprise,)\” a slightly more upbeat track setting us up for our closers. Boogie fans will know Dayton\’s \”The Sound of Music\” and \”Glide\” by Pleasure. Dayton was part of the Ohio funk dynasty that includes The Ohio Players, Zapp & Roger Troutman (all from Dayton) and Bootsy\’s Rubber Band (Bootsy is from Cincinatti.) Pleasure, in contrast was a west-coast band from Portland, Oregon who\’s first albums were produced by Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders and later albums featured keyboardist Jeff Lorber. Marlon \”The Magician\” McClain (guitar) and Nathaniel Phillips (bass) now have a group with Lorber called Shades Of Soul.