Richmond based DJ Pari is the host of the monthly Soulpower dance party at Balliceaux and co-host of Midnight Soulstice on WRIR 97.3 FM (every Friday from 11pm until 1am). Pari spins at clubs and festivals worldwide, and he has worked with Soul legends like James Brown, The Impressions, Marva Whitney, Bobby Byrd, Mandrill, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and many more. For this monthly column, he reviews five records from his collection – rare vinyl, common finds, new and old jams.
Richmond based DJ Pari is the host of the monthly Soulpower dance party at Balliceaux and co-host of Midnight Soulstice on WRIR 97.3 FM (every Friday from 11pm until 1am). Pari spins at clubs and festivals worldwide, and he has worked with Soul legends like James Brown, The Impressions, Marva Whitney, Bobby Byrd, Mandrill, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and many more. For this monthly column, he reviews five records from his collection – rare vinyl, common finds, new and old jams.
Gregory James Edition – Prophets of Soul (Dakar)
This is quite an oddball from 1972. Going by the cover artwork, one might mistake this for a sweet soul record, but it couldn’t be further from that. The Gregory James Edition was a trio with members Gregory Bibb on keys and organ, James Norris on guitar, and Anthony McAllister on drums. While predominantely a jazz outfit when they were formed in the late 1960s, this effort could be filed under obscure electronic music. The choice of many cover tunes of popular standards from that period – including “Theme from Shaft,” “Love and Happiness,” and “Ain’t No Sunshine” – doesn’t sound too exciting, but it’s the production that makes this record unique and outstanding. Bibb’s synthesized yet soulful keyboard sounds were way ahead of their time, and some of McAllister’s obscured and distorted drum breaks are perfect examples of early drum & bass – 20 years before drum & bass. This is a great record for beatmakers and lovers of obscurities.
Where to get it: Amazon carries the CD release, Dusty Groove the vinyl reissue. Find the original pressing on eBay or, if you’re lucky, at your local record store.
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbhhu1a7O8s
Bernard Calvin – Greedy (Tobacand)
With Virginia’s history in Soul music, it’s not surprising that one of the most sought after Deep Funk 45s these days is a regional record. But would you have guessed it to be from Hopewell? The history of Hopewell’s Tobacand Records is shortlived – the label, which was launched in the early 1970s from a now-demolished single family home on Riverview Avenue in City Point, only released two records. The better-known one is by a local singer named Bernard Calvin. A couple of years ago, I did some research in Hopewell and found out that the brain behind the label was local musician Avon Miles, who also wrote, produced, and played guitar on the few Tobacand releases. Miles is still around these days – he chaired the Hopewell School Board until recently. I bet few school officials have ever heard the nitty-gritty, psychedlic funk guitar that Miles laid down on “Greedy,” Bernard Calvin’s only release on Tobacand. While Miles was already surprised when I showed up to a school board meeting with this record in my hands, he was even more shocked when I told him where I found it – at a record store in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Where to get it: This one has never been re-issued. The original 45 is hard to find, even at yard sales in the Hopewell area. On eBay, it sometimes fetches more than $300.
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnZeYDf8xjg
American Gypsy – American Gypsy (Chess)
Rumor has it that this group was Dutch, but they were, in fact, Americans, who spent much time overseas–hence the name. My buddy DJ Romanowksi first hipped me to this record in the mid-1990s when we played a gig together in San Franciso. The first track on this album, titled “Inside Out,” moved me so much that I recorded it on tape before my visit was over. American Gypsy were a progressive jazz-funk outfit, which is why Chess Records, known for experiemental sounds shortly before the label’s death in the mid-1970s, put out the group’s only known release in that decade (they recorded a second album in the 1980s). Of course every soul fan will revel in the lush and heavily orchestrated six-minute “Inside Out,” but there are several other great tunes hidden behind the main track, making this an overall great record that should be in every soul fan’s collection.
Where to get it: Not sure if this ever saw a CD or vinyl reissue, but the original LP pops up on eBay every now and then.
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_ldcN084Yg
Labelle – Moon Shadow (Warner)
After the soul girl group The Bluebelles dismantled in the early 1970s, Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash, and Patti LaBelle formed Labelle to pursue a new direction in funk, with a tinge of rock. Far from the sound of their later million-seller “Lady Marmalade,” early Labelle opened for British rock groups like The Who and covered hits by the Rolling Stones. On their second album, titled Moon Shadow, the group continued to pay respect to the British movement by cutting a cover version of Pete Townshend’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Nona Hendryx handled most of the original songwriting for this album, but it’s the title track, written by Cat Stevens, that makes this release a must have. Labelle’s “Moon Shadow,” a nine-minute eargasm, kicks off as a gospel song but then slowly and consistenly morphs into a neverending funk vamp filled with scratchy wah-wah guitars, thick Hammond organ sounds, heavy drum breaks, and above all, Patti’s voice, full of passion, lust, and soul. Don’t be fooled by the shallow pop of the group’s later releases; if you only ever own one Labelle album, this should be the one.
Where to get it: The CD is available on Amazon. The original vinyl is surprisingly hard to find, despite the fact that it was released on a major label. Ebay is your best bet.
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F3ZN9zYc-k
Martha High & Speedometer – I’d Rather Go Blind (Freestyle)
Martha High has more than paid her dues. For more than three decades, she was James Brown’s most loyal and most recorded background singer. But unlike her fellow Funky Divas Lyn Collins, Marva Whitney and Vicki Anderson, Brown never gave her the chance to show her talents as a solo singer. Probably with good reason – because Martha surely would have become a star in her own right. In more recent years, Martha has toured the world with Maceo Parker and has done her own shows, mainly in Europe, where she holds a large fanbase. Her new album, Soul Overdue, which will be released next month on London’s Freestyle Records, is her first solo studio effort in more than 30 years. The first single, released this week, is a cover version of the Etta James classic “I’d Rather Go Blind,” which Martha has performed repeatedly in live settings over the years. Backed by England’s excelllent funk outfit Speedometer, Martha does the original song justice. Her voice is still powerful and moving, and this song will guarantee goosebumps unless you’ve gambled away your soul in a late-night poker game. The flipside, a cover of James Brown’s “No More Heartaches,” easily keeps the promise to pack the dancefloor of every funk party. Well done, Martha and Speedometer!
Where to get it: http://www.freestylerecords.co.uk
Listen here: http://soundcloud.com/freestyle-records/id-rather-go-blind-martha-high
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The next Soulpower party, featuring DJ Pari and Mr. Felty on the turntables, takes place on Saturday, September 15 at Balliceaux (203 N. Lombardy St.), from 10:30 PM until 2 AM. That’s tomorrow night, y’all–come on out! We’ll see you there!
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