Otis Redding - In Person At The Whisky A Gogo (1968)

There's a reason they call him Mr. Pitiful. Following in the tradition of James Brown's Live at the Apollo ('63), Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club ('63), and Ray Charles' Live in Concert ('64), Otis Redding recorded this performance live from the Sunset Strip LA at the Whiskey A Go Go club on March 30, 1966. Like the R&B giants who preceded him, Redding was looking to make the switch from the Rhythm & Blues Scene to the more popular 'crash pop scene' (think Sinatra and the Beatles), and this recording proves such. Redding belts out the classics: "Mr. Pitiful", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "Respect" and the Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" with a heart that's clearly been broken and mended many times over.


Redding died in a plane crash in 1967 and is most commonly known for his sedentary "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" - which was written and recorded less than a week before his untimely death and proved to be his post popular song. This album is of note because it shows Otis trying to appeal to the pop audience before his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival (organized by Jerry Wexler) in June 1967 - which is commonly acknowledged as signifying Redding's switch from R&B to Pop. That being said, the album was released a year after his performance at Monterey which shows it may have taken a while for the record execs to catch on to the fact that Redding appealed to all audiences.

Redding drops some of his R&B swagger but doesn't sacrifice intensity. Listen to the ferocity of his band. The album reached #7 on the US R&B charts and is soaked in soul, blues and pure emotion.

Vinyl ripped @ 320

On loan from J.M - many thanks!

Link in comments...

Earth Wind & Fire - All 'N All (1977)

All 'n All features some of the, "most intense and gutsy funk", of the 1970's. Recorded at Hollywood Sound and The Burbank Studios, California, the album is super tight to the point that the whole band seems to morph into one mighty Power Ranger with Marice White as it's head.

The speed of the interplay between the horns and the percussion rivals that of a well tuned engine block and will certainly blow the lid off your head. Featuring singles such as "Serpentine Fire", "Jupiter" and "Magic Mind", this is a funk classic you do not want to miss.

So strip down to your skivvies, crank up the bass and get ready to dance around your apartment (not that I do).

@320 kbps

Link in comments...

Deniece Williams - This is Niecy (1976)

This funky gem comes from Gary Indiana native Deniece Williams. This is Niecy came out at the same time that Williams was performing as a backup singer for Stevie Wonder and Minnie Riperton - which is amazing because it is full of original and unique material.  It's also interesting to note the album credits as they pretty much list off all the members of Earth Wind and Fire.

This is Niecy came out a year before EWF's All 'n All - a veritable funk classic - and it's no surprise that the White's (the main family of EWF) were testing out some of their ideas on it. The album features Al Mckay on guitars, Jerry Peters on piano and Freddie, Maurice and Verdine White on percussion, drums and bass respectively. The album starts strong and arguably has one of the best B sides of any funk album from 1976 closing out with the smooth "Free", driving "Watching Over", and soulful ballad "If You Don't Believe." Look out for the similarities in groove between the EWF track "Serpentine Fire" and Williams' "Watching Over." Produced by Maurice White and Charles Stepney, this is a must listen to for any fan of EWF. The album is great sample material and even better to just groove to.

Ripped @ 320

Link in comments...

Also be sure to check out:

• Earth Wind & Fire - All 'n All (1977)

Lee Moses – Time and Place (1971)

Booker T. High

Here is a true lost figure in the history of R&B. The story starts March 13, 1941 in Atlanta, GA – where Lee Moses was born.  Moses began playing the guitar while attending Booker T. Washington High School for the performing arts.  God only knows how funky that school must have been.

Moses began his professional career during the 50’s in Atlanta playing with a band called The Showstoppers. After gaining local notoriety, Moses met producer Johnny Brauntly in New York around 1965. Brauntly used him as a session guitarist (along with left-handed player named Hendrix) where he cut three singles for Musicor Records in 1967. Time and Place came shortly thereafter in 1971. Backed by his own band called the Desciples (sic) (including members of the Ohio Players) Moses managed to put out his only known full album.

After playing as second fiddle, it’s no surprise that Moses had a lot of pent-up talent. Similar to Bobby Womack’s debut album Fly Me to the Moon, Time and Place shows what happens when you let the funk out of the box. In it, Moses works through a handful of original compositions and covers with the sweat and swagger normally associated with Sam Cooke and James Brown. It’s not that Moses was out to prove himself, but instead the album shows an artist who seems to thoroughly enjoy what he’s doing. His haunting rendition of California Dreaming and truthfully soulful Hey Joe show how talented Moses was. His last known release was a version of the soul classic “The Dark End of the Street” – which can be found on this album. Moses died in Atlanta in 1997 to no fanfare, twitter updates or radio shout-outs. The album coming at you today was put out by Castle Music in 2007 as a compilation of Time and Place and a couple other 45’s Moses put out on the Musicor, Dynamo and Gates labels during the 60's and 70's. It’s a shame his work wasn’t better documented. Either way, his legacy lives on here.


Link in comments...


Also be sure to check out:

• Caesar Frazier - '75 (1975)

Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator (2011)

"She wakes up in the morning / To a kettle on the stove / Peeling wallpaper / House next to a dusty road"

How's that for imagery? It's Sunday which means it's time to cozy up with your headphones and settle in to some wholesome, soul stirring groves. And what better way to do that than with the King and Queen of Southern Rock, Derek Trucks and his wife Susan Tedeschi.

Revelator is their debut album together along with their awesome 11 piece band - the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Steeped in southern gospel and gritty soul with a groove more common to rock, and funk, Revelator will take you on an aural journey to Memphis, Alabama, Texas and New Orleans (look for the hidden track Ghost Light). The album's content seamlessly shifts from blues' about broken hearts to rocking funk jams about movin' on. Something to watch for is the interplay between Trucks' signature Gibson and Tedeschi's Fender - totally different tones. Good thing it's ripped @ 320.

Happy Sunday!

Link + password in comments...

*I received a request from the IFPI on part of the DMCA to remove this post. If you want a copy of the album, email me and I can point you in the direction of where to find it.*

V/A - Classic Funk Mastercuts Vol. 1

Here's a great compilation of some masterful funk breaks and beats. Featuring artists like The Fatback Band, Curtis Mayfield, The O'Jays, Mandrill, The Blackbyrds and Kool & The Gang, this is a sampler you do not want to pass up.

Link in comments:

Creative Source - Creative Source (1973)

Staying on the West Coast, this next album comes from a super-group of West Coast studio veterans. Managed by former Fifth Dimension member, Ron Townson, Creative Source blends all the smoothness of the West Coast with a drive more common to Motown. Not surprisingly, the album was recorded in Detroit and mastered in LA.

The Creative Source's technical competence allowed them to dabble in various genres. The band even takes a funky stab at Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride". If you're an Earth Wind and Fire fan, this is the album to check out. Especially for the classic, "You Can't Hide Love" - later covered by D'Angelo.

The album contains their even funkier rendition of the Bill Whithers "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)" - which gained the group the most commercial success peaking at #69 on the US Hot 100 charts in 1974. Following this album, Creative Source managed to put out another three albums before loosing their record contract due to lack of sales. Sales aside, the self-titled debut of the Creative Source is a fantastic album and is a nice snapshot of the offshoots of the 5th Dimension.

Can't hide love...