Is Google Hiring...?

Because if they are, that looks like a helluva way to spend a lunch hour! I guess this took place at Google's London office and included two of the UK's premier beatboxers (/fluteboxers) doing a little exhibition for the employees. It's 18 minutes long and the whole thing is worth watching if you enjoy the first part, but if you just want the highlights, I thought it starts around minute 14 when they start performing together. Pretty cool stuff. Pretty creative compared to a lot of the beatboxing videos on the net... Although I wonder how the "fluteboxer" got the idea to dive into this kind of stuff. I imagine it went something like, "I really want to be cool, but I also want to play the flute!" Hope you enjoy...

JC8: Maceo Parker

Here's a Maceo Parker video found on YouTube. Like I said in my past post, I'll be putting up a lot of past and new Jam Cruise artists and this is the first from that series. Not sure when this video was shot, but it appears to be a little older, but plenty funky. I'm interested to learn if he'll be on the boat with a band or as more of an artist-at-large. We're lacking a few of the horns we had last year, but the brass on the lineup so far is all top notch-- Maceo, Trombone Shorty & New Orleans Avenue, Karl Denson, Skerik, Cheme, Ben Ellman, JBB horns, etc. Hope to see all of them making the rounds and sitting in everywhere possible!

Here's some Maceo-- Shake Everything You've Got!

Jam Cruise 8!!

Ahhh... It can't come soon enough. The salty smell of the Atlantic, wind in my hair and sun on my face as we depart Ft. Lauderdale for 5 days of complete ridiculousness on a cruise ship with 2900 of my favorite people and 30+ bands to keep the boat rocking regardless of the waves. They announced the lineup yesterday for next years cruise... AMAZING! Without further ado... Jam Cruise 8!!

Jam Cruise 8 sets sail January 3-8, 2010 on the beautiful Italian ship: MSC Poesia. We will leave from Ft Lauderdale’s Port Everglades and head to Ocho Rios, Jamaica & George Town, Cayman Islands.

We are HONORED to present our line-up:

STS9
The Word feat John Medeski, North Mississippi Allstars, Robert Randolph
Zappa plays Zappa
Galactic
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe
Maceo Parker!!!!!!!!
Dark Star Orchestra
JJ Grey & Mofro
Railroad Earth
Steve Kimock's Crazy Engine
Lotus
Fantastic 4 feat. Robert Walter, Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno & Cheme Gastelum)
Toubab Krewe
Eric Krasno & Chapter 2
The Motet plays the Talking Heads
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Hot Buttered Rum
John Brown's Body
Kyle Hollingsworth & Friends
Mike Dillon's Go Go Jungle
The Mother Hips
Break Science feat. Adam Deitch
Dragon Smoke feat. Robert Mecurio, Ivan Neviile, Stanton Moore & Eric Lindell
Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes
George Porter Jr's Super Jam
DJ Logic
Pretty Lights (CO Represent!!)
Special Guests:
Col Bruce Hampton
Skerik
Will Bernard


SICK SICK SICK!!! Man oh man is this going to be another fun musical adventure. Last night at the Fox, people were talking... ran into a few cruzers that were ecstatic about the lineup. Talked to a couple guys from the motet that were playing, and they're stoked to be back on the boat this year! Haven't gotten my room finalized yet, but there's plenty of people looking to jump aboard, so all in due time I hope...

To get stoked about it, I decided to link you guys to my favorite set from last years cruise, filmed in HD with some killer angles in the glorious Covent Theater on the MSC Orchestra. Tracks 5 and 6 are a couple of my favorites, but this whole show RAGES! I honestly felt bad for all those who missed this set. Most who were there agreed this was the set of the week. For me, it was one of the best shows I have EVER witnessed. Man, Galactic with some killer horns and the classy Wolfman Washington never ceased to amaze me.

Enjoy the video, courtesy of iClips.

Galactic - iClips - Jan. 6, 2009 - Jam Cruise 7

Track 5 was my favorite 7:48 minutes on the boat (debatable, but believe me, this is pretty unreal playing). Watch Galactic bring the storm with two of the hottest brass players in New Orleans, Trombone Shorty and Big Sam. Their duel toward the end of the track had the theater rocking and the waves had us bumping into all our neighbors, but everyone was dancing so hard I don't think anyone noticed. We had a real nice spot in the middle left of the theater, dancing in the aisle which was uncrowded (another reason I love JC!)

At 3:40-5:23 in Track 6, you can really see Trombone Shorty's INSANE circular breathing skills where he doesn't let the note drop for nearly TWO MINUTES!! It was a blast having him on the ship. Super nice guy and amazing musician.

Check out track 16 too... Recognized it as a cover immediately, but none of us could place what it was. Ran into Shorty on the elevator later that night (or morning, or afternoon, who really knows?!?) and asked him... Herbie Hancock - Rocket.

Hope you like. Look forward to more Jam Cruise related posts for the next 7 months. Only 247 more days till we set sail!

The Black Seeds

After hearing Fat Freddy's Drop for the first time recently, I was curious what other treats NZ had to offer in terms of good music. It didn't take me long to find these guys, The Black Seeds. Vintage reggae under a fusion of dub, soul, funk and some afrobeat. So far, I've been really impressed with all I have heard. I'll throw an album or two up later, but I wanted to introduce this band through their song, Good People.

So here it is...

The Black Seeds- Good People

Spaced out bongo rhythms and Latin funk.

"Hipper, groovier and funkier than ever before! Imagine Booker T & The MGs, The Duke Of Burlington, and Alan Hawkshaw taking a trip to the stars together." Dusty Groove






The Champion


The Horn


The Bongo Mambo


The Bongolian - Outer Bongolia (Download Link!)

Pacha Massive

The duo--Dominican-born Nova (keys/guitar) and Colombian-born Maya (bass)-- create an interesting mix of cumbia, reggae, and dancehall. Not so much a funk selection this time around, but a great find and definitely worth a listen. A couple samples and the album are below.




Don't Let Go


Drive


ALBUM - PACHA MASSIVE : ALL GOOD THINGS (Download Link)

The Message

By request, I've got some more Cymande for you. This double-disc set, 'The Message', includes all songs from all three Cymande albums. A sample of 'Brothers on the Slide' was shared previously, so this time you get to hear the song 'Bra'.

Cymande- Bra


CYMANDE - THE MESSAGE (Download Link!)

This originally had no track titles associated with the files. I tried to change that, but I'm not sure if it worked or not. If it did not, I apologize.

Slacker Funk

I guess I'll try to make up for my lack of appearances during the week by offering some massive ear-treats all at once. I've got a few tasty morsels to share with all of you this week.

I got the chance to go hear The Pimps of Joytime Friday night at the Boulder Theater. They were opening up for Kyle Hollingsworth & Friends at the annual Microbrews for the Environment event. I had just gotten the Pimps new album after hearing Joytime Radio on a funk mix I had received. After hearing that track, I instantly sought out their CD, and was not disappointed with what I heard. After hearing that they would be opening up for Kyle and Friends, I was excited to hear them live and got to the theater early to make sure I caught most their set.


They sounded great right from the start, but the place was just starting to fill up and there were only a few of us up front. As the set wore on, the Boulder Theater got funkier and funkier, with a full dance floor getting down by the end of the set. It seemed like I might have been the only one who knew about them before the show, but I know they left with a lot of new fans.




















Looks like they are playing Southern Sun on Monday as well for all those in the front range.

Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Bass, Keys, Laptop... Keep your eyes and ears peeled for this outfit hailing from Brooklyn, NY. Bringing much more than just funk, you can hear elements of hip-hop, reggae, salsa, samba, country, rock, and blues. I'm looking forward to more from these guys!














Pimps of Joytime - Joytime Radio


Pimps of Joytime - Working All the Time


Pimps of Joytime - Bonita


PIMPS OF JOYTIME - HIGH STEPPIN' (Download Link)

Some rare vinyl funk

Dug up straight from the crate, here's some great old-school funk sounds taken straight from vinyl.

Various Artists - Mocambo Funk Forty Fives

DOWNLOAD LINK

Wandering Eye

I already uploaded this entire album, but Fat Freddy's Drop has really perked up the earhole this week and I wanted to make sure you all got a listen to this one. The track is called Wandering Eye, and it represents everything I love about music. A nearly 10 minute musical oddysey spanning jazz, soul, funk, electronic, and good ol' rock n' roll.

Turn it up and take it on...



DOWNLOAD TRACK

Getting better at this...

So I've figured out that I can embed mp3's onto this site, making it easier for YOU, the listener, to sample the goods without having to download it. I'll try and post both options for ya, but I can't promise to always do that.

Today, we've got my favorite track from an early funk group, Cymande. Pronounced sah-mahn-day, this group formed in London with musicians from Jamaica and Guyana, and brought a unique form of calypso-soul-jazz-rock-funk to the scene in the early 70's. Many years later, a number of tracks were sampled over and over again with the beginning of the hip hop and DJ scene by artists such as De La Soul and Grandmaster Flash. You may recognize this track, Brothers on the Slide. If not, you're sure to enjoy it.

Cymande - Brothers on the Slide (DOWNLOAD LINK)

Gotta Give it up...

To the King of Funk... The Godfather of Soul...

Mr. James Brown

Where would the world of funk be without him? If I'm gonna call this a funk blog, I better get back to the basics. Here's a video of JB in his prime as well as an album- Make It Funky-The Big Payback. It's only the second disc, but it's some prime-time live funk.

Disc 2 01. The Payback 02. Stoned To The Bone 03. Mind Power (Alternate) 04. World Of Soul 05. Papa Don't Take No Mess 06. Coldblooded (Undubbed Version) 07. I Can't Stand It '76'

08. My Thang 09. Funky President (People It's Bad) 10. I Feel Good 11. Problems 12. Turn On The Heat And Build Some Fire 13. Hot Pants Finale (Live)

DOWNLOAD LINK!!!

The Modern Day Digger

Crate digging is a slang term used by DJs to refer to the activity of checking record stores for old, rare or unusual music on the vinyl format, which can be used by DJs,turntablists, or be sampled. Late 1980s house music producers often used 1970s disco records in their songs. In the 1990s and 2000s, hip-hop composers and producers also incorporated elements from old recordings into their songs.

I'm not DJ, at least not a real one. I play music and make people listen to it, but I'm trying to stray away from that and hope that the music I play attracts the people, not vice versa. But some days, I sure feel like a Modern Day Digger. What's that? Well, I was never a crate digger. Never have owned a record player, and not sure if I ever will...

These days, there's more music within a few mouse clicks than Pete Tong could have dug thru in his lifetime. Modern digging consists of finding a comfortable seat, preferably with a good view and near a solid sound system. Spend the day using the web as a resource... a portal into worlds and genres you've never heard of. Search google for blogs relating to the type of music you like. See what they're listening to. Search Amazon and Myspace for the artists in question. Most likely one or both of those sites will have songs available to listen to. If you like what you hear, download or purchase the album through the outlet of your choice. If you like the album, see what other artists that label represents... give them a listen.

Some days you strike out. Some days you find pure gold. A lot of it falls in between. Yesterday was a great rainy day for digging. Here's some of what I uncovered...


FAT FREDDY'S DROP - Based on a True Story (click to Download)

Fat Freddy's Drop is a 7 piece band from New Zealand. This album was recorded in Wellington in 2005 and once released hit the top 40 chart in a week. It remained on top of that list for 107 weeks and went 7 times platinum. A far cry from what we would consider top 40 in the US, this funk, soul, dub, jazz, reggae band is a fresh sound from down under.

A few more NZ groups were uncovered with this discovery and will be uploaded shortly.

Keep the Faith...

Like I said... I'm new to this blogging thing. I'll try to keep up with it and make it as regular as possible. Unfortunately, I've been experiencing some computer difficulties at the moment which are preventing me from running more than one application at a time. Even opening up multiple tabs in firefox is killing the memory. That's not normal and I don't like it. If anyone wants to fix this for me, please let me know.

So, long story short, it's been taking me a long time to get this one up. My bad. Here it is... Some FUNKY EAR CANDY :)


MAGNUM - FULLY LOADED


A great representation of bay area funk in the early 70's. Like Sly & the Family Stone and Parliament Funkadelic, these guys were tearing up the early funk scene.

DOWNLOAD

Hook, Line & Sinker

Alright, now that you're here, I might as well throw some music your way. I've got a couple funky remixes to test your tastes. These will serve as a pretty good sample of things to come. You'll dig it, or you'll leave. Simple as that. If you enjoy it... Sit back and rest assured that I will continue to steer you in the right direction. If you like some of it... Stick around, this is only a sample. If you think it sucks...

Seek help.


Here's the CD's of the day...

#1 - FORT KNOX FIVE - FORT KNOX FUNK


These guys are good. At least they make some killer mixes and have the ability to rock a party. Saw them live once and it failed to live up to my hopes, but I must admit that bar was pretty high and I think it was about 4am when they finally came out. However, this recording is a great example of why they kick ass! Perfect for getting people moving.



Sid Barcelona, Jon Horvath, Rob Myers and Steve Raskin are the masterminds behind the FORT KNOX FIVE. They established Fort Knox Recordings in 2003 to release party-rocking music that crosses tempos and defies genres. Their world renowned Fort Knox Sound has overtaken dancefloors with its distinct interweaving of live instrumentation with funky electronic breakbeats.

FORT KNOX FIVE's talent for organic hooks has made them highly sought after producers and remixers. They have over 20 remixes to their credit, including monster mixes for A. Skillz and Krafty Kuts, Kraak & Smaak, Ursula 1000, Dynamo Productions, and Mo Horizons, as well as remixes for the legendary Tito Puente, Louis Armstrong, and Bob Marley.


DOWNLOAD


Funk 4 Peace by the Fort Knox Five from Fort Knox Recordings on Vimeo.


#2 - THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS - RE::MIXED

Ahhh... The New Mastersounds. One of my favorite new funk bands! These guys exemplify what's great about the UK funk scene. This is one band that does NOT disappoint live! Caught them in small clubs, outdoor festivals, on a ship in the atlantic ocean, and on more and more speakers as their sound catches on like wildfire.

I came across this gem of an album a few weeks back. Unlike their traditional funk albums, this one features a disc full of remixes froma variety of great DJ's and producers.

If this one is liked, there's more New Mastersounds where in my collection...

DOWNLOAD


Also, here's a pretty sweet clip of them...


SPSJ 102% from New Mastersounds on Vimeo.

First Blog

This is a new one for me. Blogging that is. Hadn't planned on trying it, but then I had this realization, epiphany, moment of greatness... Whatever you want to call it... And it told me to blog. I might not always have a lot to say, but I've got a lot of great music to listen to while I try to think of something. While this is no promise that I won't be using this site as my soapbox at times, you can rest assured that the tunes will be nearby.

So that's my plan. To share and discuss music on this blog, ramble on for short periods about who knows what, and hopefully expand some palettes of musical taste. The name? Well, I'm calling it Funky Good Feeling. While I enjoy funky music and you can count on a regular dose of the filthy funk, have faith that you'll hear much more than just that.

So without further ado...