Tag Archives: soul

Real Radio #3: Spring Fortunes

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The sun is back and spreading its marvelous energy a bit more each day. Spring is so sexy, or is it just me. Pop this mix onto your listening device of choice and ride with it day or night. Just a collection of great songs, recent and not so recent. Music that allows you to be you, fully and without second thought.

Real Radio #3: Spring Fortunes

Flying Over The City – Rithma
Life Is But A Dream – Frankie Feliciano
Nothing Goes Away feat. Sue-C & Johanna Livanainen – Luomo
Love You Inside Out – Bee Gees
Dog Days Are Over – Florence & The Machine
Unstoppable – Santogold, Drake & Lil’ Wayne
Lockdown feat. Zumbi – K.Flay
Party Started – Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Belly Full feat. Kardinal Offishall, Steele & Bajah – J.Period & K’naan
É Necessário – Tim Maia
Natural Mystic – Bob Marley & The Wailers
I’m Yours feat. Jah Cure & Lil’ Wayne – Jason Mraz
No Other Love – John Legend featuring Estelle
Mr. Bobby – B.o.B
Teenager In Love – Grant Phabao & Carlton Livingston
Tightrope feat. Big Boi – Janelle Monáe
Stand Up – Lee Fields & The Sugarman 3
Southern Girl – Afrodisiac Sound System & Erykah Badu
On The Bridge – K.Flay
Neckbone – Flevans
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) – Marvin Gaye
The Blast – Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli & Vinia Mojica
By Your Side – Sade

Real Radio #2

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“I can’t live without my radio!”

Today LL Cool J’s line might seem dated. We know longer think of the radio as a large boom box we can walk around with pumping the latest cassettes and hot mix shows. Today’s technology has changed that for good. Radio ain’t dead though. It’s expanded, multiplied and become wildly diverse and more personal. It’s become homogenized and highly programmed. Sounds like differing descriptions, no ? Well, yes. The latter might closely resemble the old idea of the radio. A radio station transmitting its content to your boom box, home stereo or portable radio head set (classic!). You, the listener, decide on which call letters you wish to listen to. The listener’s only choice.

Choice is what has changed it. The internet changed it. Lala, Pandora, podcasting, Last.FM, SoundCloud and the many more streaming, on demand, internet based listening portals have given the listener an infinite amount of choice. Not total choice, mind you, because radio’s most important role has always been in introducing and breaking news and music to the listener. Now, instead of just the narrow and limited selections on the AM/FM bands, the listener has all the choice to fit their mood, whim, need and curiosity.

Real Radio #2: Sunday Moves

Autumn Leaves Pt. 2

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It’s been a long couple of weeks grinding at my job. Long days, long nights. It always is this time of year. Tired back, aching shoulders at times, and my focus solely on what’s right in front of me. Usually I’d have more of my attention diverted towards music and thinking about what I’d like to play. How can I use this song and make it fit right in the mix ? Can I work in this progressive, minimal, dub, experimental techno joint without going all stomp, stomp, stomp ? Maybe people will enjoy this post-disco casio bleep music if I just throw a Lady WretchWretch accapella over it ?

I can safely say last night, these questions were not nagging me. I was exhausted after the day/night and diverted my mind from itself with a KenKen puzzle, a Warrior’s loss and the cat’s claws on my toes. A couple B vitamins, some Chinese Herbs, and a rare Red Bull a bit later, I felt alright, just wanting to listen to some beautiful music in a laid back groove. This set is what came of it. Lotsa soul, sprinkles of jazz, electronic, world, funk and hiphop. No bells and whistles, this is how I chill in ’09 til . . .


Autumn Leaves Pt. 2

Flyin’ High InThe Brooklyn Sky – Digable Planets With Lester Bowie And Wah Wah Watson
Bump It – Erykah Badu
Move Me No Mountain – Love Unlimited
You’re My Everything – Anita Baker
Tripping Out – Curtis Mayfield
Coolie High – Camp Lo
So Far From Home feat. Phonte – Jazzanova
Damn (Marcel Remix) – Nightmares On Wax
Melt! – Flying Lotus
We Hear You – Luke Vibert
Ringa Ringa – A.R. Rahman
Give the Drummer Sum – Black Milk
Crazy Alien – Ras G
Rollin’ – Dam Funk
What Did He Say – Nite Jewel
Odyssey Man Feat Ayah – Robert Strauss
Zumba Mama – Chico Mann
Can We Call It Love – Ahu
Spirits Up Above (Simbad’s Cosmic Boogie Remix) – Jose James

Autumn Leaves pt. 1

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It being a beautiful and brisk fall day, a not too often occurrence for the Bay Area, I cannot help but to think of New York and the greater New England area, where I lived for 9 years. It’s sweater weather. Wool, scarfs, gloves, mittens and knit caps. The falling leaves being rushed about the city by unseen winds. The beginning of the season of reflection and new dreams drifting into our subconscious. Change. No music better fits these ideas in my opinion than America’s greatest heritage, jazz. Listening to Monk or Coltrane, Davis or Dolphy, Baker or Blakey, their tones, timbres and swinging improvisations, I am reminded of the daring and everyday challenges music and life can present, when I take the time to listen, search and continually reinvent change in life. Jazz represents this idea more than any other American music, as it was created as a result of these principles in action. It’s structure is so deeply rooted, it will never whither, though it’s offspring musical legacies may forget hence from where they draw their nourishment.

Jazzintime

Feel Like Makin’ Love – Bob James
I’m Still Standing – Omar
Don’t Know Why – Norah Jones
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – Irene Kral
The Dreaming Mind Part 2 – Quantic And His Combo Barbaro
Soul Vibrations – Dorothy Ashby
I Got The – Labi Siffre
Got My Mojo Working – Jimmy Smith
Ballicki Bone – Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Tea Leaf Dancers – Flying Lotus featuring Andreya Triana
Welcome To The Club – Marc Moulin
Hip Street – Nu Tropic
Nautilus – Bob James
Gone – Stefon Harris & Blackout
The Basis – Lack Of Afro
Fresh Delivery – Captain Planet
Posed To Be feat Chali2na, Mixmaster Wolf, DJ Dusk – Breakestra
If You Want Me To Stay – Baker Brothers
Layer ft. Mara TK – Julien Dyne
The Rink – Theo Parrish

Soul for Days

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Lake Merritt

Fall equinox always reminds me of John Coltrane’s birthday (September 23). One of the great musicians of the last century, I’m sure most are aware of some of his work. I think what is most striking to me is the soul he put into the music and outside the music into his life. A spiritual searcher and gentle, contemplative man, his album “A Love Supreme” is an apex in jazz, art and music. It’s an album to listen to in tough times, calm times, quiet times and really any time. One always worth another listen.

I’m not fond of tributes, but this last Friday, I wanted to play a Coltrane song or two and wound up playing Dwight Trible’s wonderful vocal version of “A Love Supreme”. I hear the song as a tribute to Coltrane’s music and life with great performances from all the musicians and a tight arrangement. The rest of this set has nothing to do with Coltrane outside of being soulful and sweet.

Rocksteady Coltrane Soul

My Conversation – Slim Smith
President a Mash Up the Resident – Shorty the President
Tribute to Slim Smith – Tyrone Downie
Eternal Drums – Bongo Herman & L.E.S.
Always Together – Bob Andy & Marcia Griffiths
Danger In Your Eyes – Don Evans and the Paragons
One in the World Style – Niney The Observer/King Tubby
Gedowa – Abyssinia
A Love Supreme – Dwight Trible
La Ritournelle – Sebastien Tellier
Yardbird Suite (Saint Etienne remix) – Rebop/Herbie Mann
Aganju (Latin Project remix) – Bebel Gilberto
Skyy High (Yam Who? mix) – Raphael Saadiq
I’ve Been Waiting – Incognito
Spacefruit – SA-RA Creative Partners

it’s a spiritual thing

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It’s not always gospel. It’s not necessarily expression. It’s not the truth, but it is spiritual. Music, that is. Manipulations of sound both conscious and extremely subconscious. Open to all. I like to believe music be it your favorite song, an inviting instrumental passage or a bunch of “noise” comes from a place of spirit to which it dissipates once it passes into the air. Good or bad judgements play no part in the creation process. I find myself often fascinated by particular combinations of sound, melody and rhythm. I like to think we all do. I search for music that fascinates over the duration of its playing. I think that’s the primary criteria in shaping from which songs/pieces/tracks I derive enjoyment or inspiration.

Following mix is hopefully reflective of this. There are a couple of beautiful moments, I think you’ll feel. Tracklist below (58 mins).

First Friday dinner suite

Unexpected Delight – Flying Lotus & Laura Darlington
Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson
My Heart Is Beating – Preeti Sagar
Pretty Little Ditty – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rituel – Jean-Félix Lalanne & Yan Vagh
moog jam – Soundspecies
Artsy Remix (feat. the Grouch) – edIT
Get Familiar – Bullion / Paul White
The Fucking Formula – Dorian Concept
Swiss Glide – Michna
Sankofa – Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Yadda Yadda – Will.i.am
We Milk Life But Skank Smooth (Grant Phabao Remix) – Jon Kennedy
Zulu – Africans With Mainframes
I See Who You Are – Bjork
Spacebass – Boxcutter
Time Wars – Paul White
Hear the Sun – Linkwood
We Will Rock You (Taut French Joel Mix) – Queen
Solid Air – John Martyn