Philippe Cohen Solal
Mind Food

10 years that The Rongetz Foundation is hanging around the five boroughs. 10 years of wonderful jazz tainted recordings (with: Gary Bartz, Gregory Porter, Corey Fonville, Ronnie Cuber to name a few) “stained” with the grit of soul and funk music that Rongetz (aka Stephane Ronget) likes to bring to the table.This album, Alphabet City Music Club is a marvelous example of that stylish balance established in between, raw and sophisticated feel. The place of the recording first, Alphabet City, a genuine inner town in Manhattan that was for long time defined like this: “Avenue A, you're Alright. Avenue B, you're Brave. Avenue C, you're Crazy. Avenue D, you're Dead”.Then the two sessions that are part of the album: One very much jazz-funk oriented with Corey Fonville (Drums), Corcoran Holt (Acc. Bass), Mathis Picard (all Keys), Morgan Guerin (Tenor sax. / EWI), Erena Terakubo (Alto sax. / Flute). The other one spreading soul music all around with: Homer Steinweiss (Drums), Jeremy Kay (Bass), Kyle Koehler (Organ), Morgan Guerin (tenor sax).The two sessions, ultimately coming together with the help of talented young vocalists: Alina Engibaryan (Snarky Puppy), Vuyo Sotashe, Vanisha Gould, Lewis Parker, or Mr Day.Mix all those elements in a rusty blender and you will enjoy the bootleg Bourbon, hard shake that is Alphabet City Music Club.

Word of advice to funk lovers; there is not a minute to lose. Get on board of the Big Hustle’s spaceship. Before we take off, let's do a little history. The band was founded in 2014 by bass player and composer Sébastien Levanneur and its aim is to bring together 70's old school funk with the hippest actual sound laced with influences spanning from Steely Dan and Headhunters, to Snarky Puppy and Soulive. With mighty horn players, a rock and funky rhythm section, the Big Hustle's music has a very large variety of soundscapes.The first destination takes us to the Washington, D.C. area with “Turn Up”. The groove is clearly go-go music flavored with the trademark sound of cowbells and of course it reminds us of Zapp by the use of the talk box on lead vocals, performed here by Saad El Garrab. And don't miss out Shaun Martin (Snarky Puppy, Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin amongst others) as a very special guest performing the talk box solo! Second stop is “A Curse, A Blessing”. It’s an instrumental very much in the Freddie Hubbard vein during his CTI years. The last leg of the A side ends with an instrumental interlude titled “Flying Donut”. Double tribute to Jay Dee and Flying Lotus, the music is a simple hip hop loop based on samples. The B side takes us back into the past with two brilliant covers, involving Rod Temperton the late great British songwriter who scored some of Michael Jackson's biggest hits. Now the idea for this B side is to do the opposite approach from the A side. Taking 70's and 80's original music and make them travel into time to 2018. We first land with a Heatwave song named “The Star Of A Story” from their 1976 Central Heating album. Track 2 is a Herbie Hancock song named “Gettin' To The Good Part” from his 1982 Lite Me Up LP. This Time Traveler EP journey ends with an interlude. Called “Gimme Dat”, the song deals with the need of new music, new sound.Again, this blend of deep rooted funk laced with a contemporary edge is to be consumed without moderation. And do not forget that E.P. also stands for extended pleasure.

DOWDELIN explores as a tireless ever moving trailblazer a path where Creole jazz, electronic dancefloor sounds and Caribbean percussions come together to create a unique Future Kréol feeling. Dowdelin’s a Lyon-based trio exploring Afro-futurism in its Creolized form, plunging the traditions of the French West Indies into a great fountain of electronic youth glazed in jazz, in a way that few have so far. It all began, or not quite actually, when the singer Olivya contacted David Kiledjian (Fowatile). It is not yet the moment and Dawatile then doubts the relevance of a group with soul influences in English, with a non English-speaking singer... But they stay in touch, and a year later, an idea sprung: what if Olivya sang in Creole, her mother tongue. This is Dowdelin’s genesis: two individuals, constantly exchanging, in a quest for a Creole feeling chiseled by electronics.Dowdelin illustrates this art of blending: the search for the recognizable ancestral flavor in the moment, pairing it with an unusual influence, shaking everything to create the texture that will make the difference. Being embroidered in the bubbling afro-futuristic scene and confirming the return of Caribbean influences in French pop, Dowdelin becomes a trio when David thinks of an old fellow musician whom he has not met in ages: Raphael Philibert, Guadeloupian poly-instrumentalist omnipresent on the jazz scene, saxophonist for Sonny Troupé, but also a goldsmith in Afro-Cuban percussions and a tried Gwoka player. He is added to the sketched repertoire: it’s a match! Dowdelin transcends the exercise of style and complicity with two multi-instrumentalists, who by their experience, versatility and vision, open the field of possibilities to a singer speaking in her native language. The group brings to the forefront the notions of expression and freedom in music while steering clear of the fixed roles and the clichés.

** Available exclusively at The Pusher **Favorite Recordings and Charles Maurice proudly present a brand new compilation series: Fusion Global Sounds. 9 rare and hidden tracks produced between 1970 and 1983 in various parts of the world. As a fine collector of Jazz-Funk and Fusion for many years, Charles Maurice selected some of his favorite forgotten productions, as he previously did for the AOR Global Sounds, French and Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds compilations series.This time, recordings come from Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, New Zealand, Uruguay, Spain and France, from artists and bands mostly known in their local scenes. You'll hear here the best elements of the Fusion and Jazz-Funk genre: breezy vocal arrangements reminding Flora Purim in Return To Forever or George Duke's albums, sweet and virtuosic Fender Rhodes (kind of common thread of the comp), melodic spiral-shaped fuzzy synthesizers leads, or irresistible basslines, altogether bringing a unique groove to life."Buster" is taken from the first and only album of the Swedish band, Sundance. The band from Gothenburg was formed around US trumpet player Stephen Frankevich (notably playing with Mahavishnu Orchestra) after he moved to Sweden. Cosmic, with razor-sharp rhythms, it naturally brings you to the second title, "Hello Mr. Ancuvis" by Renato Anselmi. One of the key players of the Swiss Jazz scene during the sixties and the seventies, Renato also had the chance to play with Harvey Mason or Alphonso Johnson. Funky, jazzy but still a bit breezy, here again sweet vocals nicely blend with uptempo Rhodes part. Also included is another title from Renato Anselmi, "Quiet Fire", a mellow Rhodes-driven ballad with funky accents, wide strings and guitar arrangements."Tropical Island" by Zane Cronje, a South-African composer and arranger, was initially a track from a music library catalogue: dreamy, soaked in thorough synthesizers, we're only attached to the earth by the Guiro groove. You'll also hear this cosmic vibe in "Astral Dance" by French-American drummer and Jazz musician/composer Daniel Bechet, taken from Songs To My Father LP, dedicated to his father the famous Sax/Clarinet player Sydney Bechet. In this 4 minutes dope jam, keys, guitar and percussion will elevate your mind to another level of consciousness: deep!The 1860 Band was hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, playing mostly in bars, cafes and pubs - their name is taken from a tavern where they had an extended afternoon residency keeping the clients entertained. Their sole LP, now rare and sought-after, was a nice mix of Jazz-Funk and Disco grooves. Their amazing and groovy cover of "Keep That Same Old Feeling" by The Crusaders, brings the best of their playing.Otroshakers was formed around Hugo and Osvaldo Fattoruso, as a tribute project to their former band Los Shakers, some sort of copycat band of The Beatles with great success in Latin America. Listening to "Siempre Tu", you can almost hear The Beatles' psychedelic vocal of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Later joining Ringo Thielmann in the US, they formed the band OPA together, after having recorded for Airto's seminal album Fingers. Blending Jazz, South-American musical elements and Funk, their fusion quickly gained the respect of the NY musical scene. "Despertar" by Spanish drummer, singer and actor Pedro Ruy-Blas, is taken from Luna Llena, his great first Jazz-Funk album. The track is a funky piece with wah-wah expressive Rhodes, ending with a beautiful flute solo. "Prologue" by Dutch-French pianist Majoie Hajary (sometimes called the "Hindu pianist"), can be found on La Passion Selon Judas, a very unique religious album blending her own style with Psych, Funk and Jazz elements.Surely we could continue detailing stories of all these gems, but we guess that the best way to learn more about them, is to listen to Fusion Global Sounds, fully remastered from originals and whether your preference is for vinyl or CD formats.

Favorite Recordings presents this new official album reissue of The Parker Brothers: Maybe one of the best Blue-Eyed-Soul/Modern-Soul private-press albums you can imagine, surprisingly highly unknown and underrated.Produced in 1981 by George P Grexa and released in a private-press version on his label Crown Vetch Enterprises, this album is filled with memorable material from the first note to the last, mixing Modern-Soul, Boogie, cross-over Jazz and Rock elements, for a result reminiscent of the WestCoast music’ golden years, however being recorded in Pittsburgh.As one of the longtime favorite collectable piece for Charles Maurice, it’s a real honor and proud for Favorite Recordings, to finally officially reissue it from the original master tapes and for the first time on vinyl.