Come Fly

Taking the first plane outta here tomorrow morning, southbound on our annual sun, sea, and piracy trip. See ya sometime in August, my amigos da musica. In the meantime, do check out these luverly ditties, puhleeze.

Red Krayola - Hurricane Fighter Plane
John Hartford - Stream Powered Aereo Plane
Guided By Voices - We've Got Airplanes

Do You Remember

The days of slavery? And how they worked us so hard... Presenting yet another rootsy six pack from the island.

Burning Spear - Slavery Days
Joe Higgs - More Slavery
Skulls - Black Slavery Days
Culture - Too Long In Slavery
Jack Ruby & The Black Disciples - Slavery Days Dub
Skin Flesh & Bones - Slavery Dub

Flayed Your Flesh

Could postpunk white boys play da funk? Of course they could. Exhibit A: this fine Martin Hannett production from the golden year of 1979.

A Certain Ratio - Do The Du

Like A Ghost

"And ole Flint's boat is fine and she's called the Miss Inclined, and there's no home port painted on her stern..." Lovely, lazy little tune from the greatest guy in Texas.

Guy Clark - The Ballad Of Laverne And Captain Flint

All Over Now

Just got the sad news that soul singer supreme Bobby Womack died yesterday. He was 70. Amongst many other feats, he wrote and - as a member of the Valentinos - recorded the immortal It's All Over Now, which would be the first British #1 hit for the Stones back in '64. Miss him.

The Valentinos - It's All Over Now
Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street

Never Tired

"You name them hustlers, killers, fiends, ex-cons, I call them cousins, aunts, pops, moms..." Truly fresh voices are a rarity in hiphop these days alas, but Ka's one of the exceptions to that sorry state. Relaxed yet vaguely menacing, his new mini album 1200 B.C. - for sale at his own site only at the mo - is the real deal.

Ka - To Hull And Back

Get Her

Girls in the garage time. It's 1966, and the Boots try to top the Shangri-La's, conjuring up all the melodrama they can possibly find. "No boy is worth the trouble that I'm in..."

The Whyte Boots - Nightmare

Forevermore

The Quartet plays homage to George Gershwin, weaving together Soon, For You, For Me, Forevermore, Love Walked In, and Our Love Is Here To Stay respectively. Great vibes from Milt Jackson and co. Cool's the word.

Modern Jazz Quartet - Gershwin Medley

Island In The Sun

Shame Jamaica didn't qualify for the footy world cup this time around. To make up for that a wee bit, here's a rootsy six pack from the island, about the island. "C'mon and smile..."

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Smile Jamaica/Version
Culture - Down In Jamaica
Joe Gibbs & The Professionals - Down Jamaica Way
Jimmy Cliff - Miss Jamaica
The Gaylads - My Jamaican Girl
The Meditations - Running From Jamaica

Blues Away

Just got the sad news that Horace Silver passed away yesterday. A wonderful pianist and a true hard bop pioneer, Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva was 85. Miss him.

Horace Silver - Peace

Swinging Lost Paradise

Didn't know the oeuvre of Rip Rig & Panic had finally been released on cd until I stumbled upon a copy of their I Am Cold album in a second-hand store yesterday. Snapped it up in a sec of course. Still the finest postpunk freejazz avant garde prankster hybrid around.

Rip Rig & Panic - You're My Kinda Climate

And by the way, here's where they found their moniker. Gets me hot everytime.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Rip, Rig, And Panic