Dr. Alimantado - Best Dressed Chicken In Town (1978)

"Best Dressed Chicken in Town" is the debut album by Jamaican deejay Dr. Alimantado. It was first released in 1978, and collects many of his self-produced singles from 1972 to 1977, and employs the sound engineering talents of Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, and Scientist. It was the first album released by Greensleeves Records, and gained a cult following within both the reggae and punk rock communities in the UK at the time. (Johnny Rotten of Sex Pistols fame announced it to be one of his favourite reggae albums....)

The album employed several major hits as the basis for the tracks, including Horace Andy's versions of "Ain't No Sunshine". The album was described by The Independent as "one of the finest albums from reggae's golden age". There have been a number of re issues of this album over the years, this is a rip of the original album from the vinyl, which lends a lot to the authentic feel when listening to it.

"One-of-a-kind Jamaican DJ Dr. Alimantado found unexpected fame with U.K. punks after Johnny Rotten bestowed his blessings. The hoopla was certainly warranted based on the high quality of his mid-'70s sides, several of which are included on Best Dressed Chicken in Town. Handling production chores himself, Alimantado enlisted top reggae engineers and producers like Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, and Scientist to add their own alchemy to the mix. The dub-inflected tracks and Alimantado's idiosyncratic musings prove a potent combination, especially on standouts like "Poison Flower" (a version of a Horace Andy vocal), the Rasta vengeance number "I Killed the Barber," and the comically over-the-top title cut. Other highlights include the bubbly "Unitone Skank," as well as the album's two instrumentals: a predictably bizarre and brilliant Scratch mix, "I Am the Greatest Says Muhammed Ali," and the Duke Reid homage "Tribute to Duke" (based on Slim Smith's incredible rendition of the Billy Stewart soul gem "Sitting in the Park"). Completing this very enjoyable disc are sampled vocals by Gregory Isaacs and Jackie Edwards, the musical contributions of great Kingston studio outfits like the Aggrovators, and, finally, the tableau-like cover photo of Alimantado walking the sunny streets of downtown Kingston. Along with other unique dub and DJ titles like Mikey Dread's African Anthem, Best Dressed Chicken in Town is a must for reggae enthusiasts"

---------------- Review by Stephen Cook 

Tracklist:

1. "Best Dressed Chicken in Town" engineer - Upsetter
2. "Just The Other Day" vocals - Droopy; engineer - King Tubby
3. "Poison Flour" vocals - Horace Andy; engineer - Philip Smart
4. "Gimmie Mi Gun" vocals - Gregory Isaacs; engineer - Lancelot "Maxie" McKenzie
5. "I Killed The Barber" vocals - Jackie Edwards; engineer - Philip Smart
6. "Unitone Skank" vocals - Gregory Isaacs; engineer - Pat Kelly
7. "Can't Conquer Natty Dreadlocks" engineer - Upsetter
8. "Ride On" vocals - Jah Woosh, Jimmy Radwell; engineer - Upsetter
9. "Plead I Cause" engineer - King Tubby
10. "I Shall Fear No Evil" engineer - Philip Smart

Download Link - Mediafire

Django Reinhhardt (with ‘le Quintette du Hot Club de France’) - "le Disque d’Or de Django Reinhardt" (1965)

Jean "Django" Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953) was a Belgium-born French guitarist and composer of Romani ethnicity.

Reinhardt is often regarded as one of the greatest guitar players of all time; he was the first important European jazz musician who made major contributions to the development of the guitar genre. After his third and fourth fingers were paralysed when he suffered burns in a fire, Reinhardt used only the index and middle fingers of his left hand on his solos. He created an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique (sometimes called 'hot' jazz guitar), which has since become a living musical tradition within French Gypsy culture. With violinist Stéphane Grappelli, Reinhardt co-founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France, described by critic Thom Jurek as "one of the most original bands in the history of recorded jazz". Reinhardt's most popular compositions have become jazz standards, including "Minor Swing", "Daphne", "Belleville", "Djangology", "Swing '42", and "Nuages".

If you’ve got nothing to do on your lazy Sunday afternoon, you could do a hell of a lot worse than to put on ‘Django Reinhardt’ and dream away your day from your window.


Tracklist:


1 Melodie au crepuscule
2 Place de Broukere
3 Nuages
4 Belleville
5 Viper’s dream
6 Les yeux noirs
7 Minor swing
8 Porto cabello
9 Swing de Paris
10 Sweet chorus
11 Dinette
12 Crepuscule


Download Link - Mediafire

Mississippi John Hurt - The 1928 Sessions (1928)

John Smith Hurt, better known as Mississippi John Hurt (July 3, 1893 or March 8, 1892— November 2, 1966) was an American country blues singer and guitarist.

Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine. Singing to a melodious finger-picked accompaniment, he began to play local dances and parties while working as a sharecropper. He first recorded for Okeh Records in 1928, but these recordings were commercial failures. Hurt then drifted out of the recording scene and continued to work as a farmer. Tom Hoskins, a blues enthusiast, located Hurt in 1963 and convinced him to relocate to Washington, D.C. where he was recorded by the Library of Congress in 1964. This helped further the American folk music revival, which had led to the rediscovery of many other bluesmen of Hurt's era. Hurt entered the university and coffeehouse concert circuit with other Delta blues musicians brought out of retirement. As well as playing concerts, he recorded several albums for Vanguard Records.

This album features the 13 original 1928 recordings of Hurt. Justifiably legendary, with gentle grace and power on these understated vocal and fingerpicking masterpieces. These are the ones to hear, although all Hurt is worth listening to.


Tracklist:


1 Ain't No Tellin' 2:55
2 Stack O' Lee Blues 2:57
3 Candy Man Blues 2:46
4 Spike Driver Blues 3:15
5 Avalon Blues 3:03
6 Louis Collins 2:59
7 Frankie 3:21
8 Big Leg Blues 2:51
9 Nobody's Dirty Business 2:53
10 Got The Blues Can't Be Satisfied 2:51
11 Blessed Be The Name 2:47
12 Blue Harvest Blues 2:53
13 Praying On The Old Camp Ground 2:36


Download Link - Mediafire

Clifford Brown & Max Roach - "Study In Brown" (1955) & "Max And Roach Incorporated" (1954)

A Study In Brown features the 1955 version of the Clifford Brown/Max Roach Quintet, a group also including tenor-saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Richie Powell and bassist George Morrow. One of the premiere early hard bop units, this band had unlimited potential. Highlights of this set are "Cherokee" (during which trumpeter Brownie is brilliant), "Swingin"' and "Sandu." All of the group's recordings are well worth acquiring.


---------- Review By Scott Yanow





Tracklist:

1. "Cherokee" (Ray Noble) - 5:44
2. "Jacqui" (Richie Powell) - 5:11
3. "Swingin'" (Clifford Brown) - 2:52
4. "Lands End" (Harold Land) - 4:56
5. "George's Dilemma" (Brown) - 5:36
6. "Sandu" (Brown) - 4:56
7. "Gerkin for Perkin" (Brown) - 2:56
8. "If I Love Again" (Jack Murray and Ben Oakland) - 3:24
9. "Take the 'A' Train" (Billy Strayhorn) - 4:18

Download Link - Mediafire

-------------------------------------

 

Brown is--justifiably--a jazz icon, and this album [Max And Roach Incorporated] showcases his celebrated rapid-fire riffs and remarkably rounded and mellow tone.

The rapid bebop of "Sweet Clifford" and the closer," I Get A Kick Out of You," may have you shaking your head in awe, with fast but fully articulated soloing by Brown, and simply amazing bop sax by the (underrated?) Harold Land. The notes and lines are just right! Max Roach's astonishing drumming adds to the intensity and wonder of the experience.

Brown's long, almost haunting trumpet on "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You" is one of the most beautiful and evocative trumpet solos I've ever heard. His voicing of the lyrics and tender/plaintive sound are superb.

Richie Powell is the force behind "I'll String Along With You," and recalls the tone of Tatum, the sentiment of Hoagie, and the chord emphasis of Nat Cole.
"Stompin' at the Savoy" grooves mellow, with light comping by Powell and bassist George Morrow, and warm burnished solos by Brown and Land. Max Roach slowly builds his solo teasingly, culminating in a bop tour de force.
Land is especially effective on "Darn That Dream" where his warm, lush, burnished playing recalls the John Coltrane/Johnny Hartman CD. Whether you're a longtime Clifford Brown fan, or are just making his acquaintance, I highly recommend this album!

----------- Review By M. Allen Greenbaum

 

 

 Tracklist:

 

1. "Sweet Clifford" (Clifford Brown) - 6:41
2. "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" (Bing Crosby, Ned Washington, Victor Young) - 7:19
3. "Stompin' at the Savoy" (Benny Goodman, Andy Razaf, Edgar Sampson Chick Webb) - 6:23
4. "I'll String Along with You" (Al Dubin, Harry Warren) - 4:09
5. "Mildama" (Max Roach) - 4:30
6. "Darn That Dream" (Eddie DeLange, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 4:02
7. "I Get a Kick out of You" (Cole Porter) - 7:36

Download Link - Mediafire 

Sorry about the delay........

Hello everyone I haven't updated this blog in a while unfortunately have just been very busy with real world shenanigans. There's a serious backlog of music that I've been meaning to get around to uploading/writing about but I just don't really have the time these days..... SO........ I've decided that it's the writing really long blurbs thats the most time consuming thing in this whole process so I'm going to take a little breather from that and go down the road of just uploading the album and the tracklists. I'll tag them all by genre as effectively as I can so you can make a decision as to whether you want to check it out. Chances are if I am going through the effort of putting it up it's worth a listen (or at least I would like to think so hehehe). When I get a bit more spare time I'll hopefully get to go back and finish the write ups.......

Also a very happy new year to you all!

:)

Colin Brown - Vampi Stroll (2014)

My mate stuck this mix together today over a few beers. Normally I like posting a link to download whatever I'm ranting on about, in this case however the mix is on Mixcloud, and I'm not going through the effort of dissecting the file into individual tracks.

Mix runs to being just under an hour and is a collection of songs from various Vampisoul compilations. There's great flow to it with a definite latin feel throughout and lot's of funk permeating throughout. Compay Quinto, Funkdacion & The Funk On Me really hammer this home, the version of Think he's included is really top class. (There's also an absolute gem of a tune by none other than Elvis Presley himself which sits really well in the context of the overall feel of it.)

Anyways that's enough ranting, check it out, it's really good, a hell of a lot of fun and is going to be taking up space in my CD player for probably the foreseeable future! :) I'd also recommend checking out the other mixes he has up on his mixcloud page. There's some mod reggae that's pretty damn cool, and a couple of rapid calypso mixes which have some absolutely hilarious calypsos that I was completely unfamiliar with before coming across them through said mixes. Enjoy!

Mixcloud Link: http://www.mixcloud.com/colin-brown4/

Vampi Stroll by Colin Brown on Mixcloud

Tracklist:

01. Searchin' - Sly & The Family Stone
02. Cha Cha Twist - Margarita Sierra
03. Guitar Big Band - Dennys Coffeey And The Detroit Guitar Band
04. Chick-A-Boom - Joe Bataan
05. Los Pepinillos - Tania Vela
06. Yeh Yeh - Los 3 Sudamericanos
07. El Diablo - Compay Quinto
08. Pasos en la Luna - Los Mutables
09. Think - The Sir Aligator's Company
10. Get Up And Dance - Funkdacion
11. No Good 4 Me Now - The Funk On Me
12. The Oracle - Sabu
13. Rigor Mortis - Willie Bobo
14. Bossa Nova Baby - Elvis Presley
15. Divagando - Sexteto Electrónico Moderno
16. Happy - Elkano Browning Cream
17. Batiendo Palmas - Alicia Granados

Chopstick Dubplate - Wanted: Murda We Charge For (2013)

Few releases scream ‘murderation!’ harder than Chopstick Dubplate’s Murda We Charge For album.

The brainchild of Aries and Jacky Murda, the vocalist jewel in this eight-track skank-packed crown is Mr Williamz, an instantly distinctive vocalist who flexes perfectly over a 170 jungle riddim.

You just can’t beat a bit of Ragga Jungle!

‘Wanted – Murder We Charge For’ is a brilliant 8 track release, filled with feel good vibes and infectious rhythms. In a day and age where precision engineering of tunes seems to take priority, it is nice to return to the roots of the music every once in a while, and this exemplifys that point.

Covering all manner of topics, with wit in abundance (“sometimes you have to fly pon ryanair” in particular strikes a satirically amusing chord!) and backed by archetypal ragga jungle chopped breaks and stomach churning subs, this really shows that reggae influenced drum & bass could quite easily have a renaissance should more artists choose to take up the baton. Obviously there are artists that delve into the sound, but it is particularly refreshing to see a whole LP dedicated to it.

With nods left right and centre to classic reggae cuts, (for instance Wanted’s take on the sleng teng riddim) Aries and Jacky Murda have really done the EP justice with their work on the production front. Mr. Williams heads up the vocals across all the tracks, whilst Top Cat, King Kong and Dennis Brown all feature in part. The combination pull out all the stops in order to put some of the fun back into Drum & Bass, something that at times seems to be lacking.

---- dnbblog.com

Mini mix from soundcloud for you to sample di wares here below. Worldwide Traveller has got to be one of the funniest tunes I've heard in ages, I think it's just fantastic that it actually is about Ryanair. Mediafire Link further below for the album @ 320kbps! Enjoy! :)




Tracklist:

01. Worldwide Traveller
02. Tell Mi Who
03. Girls Dem Dada
04. All Over Town
05. Have You Ever
06. Holla Fi We
07. Wanted
08. Rumble Jumble Life

Download Link - Mediafire