In The Pocket: 2013

04 November 2013

Playlist: Earshot In The Pocket | Sun 3 Nov

22 October 2013

LIVE: Expansions | Fri 8 Nov

It's All Good Presents
A Night Of Wide Vibes
EXPANSIONS
With
Jay Jeffrey
Bevan Keys
Nyntee
and AWDJ
From 8pm
Fri 8 Nov
GOLDEN DAWN
No Door - Bring Yr Smile

Facebook page here.

The scene is Anycity. The time is after dark. The day is the weekend, because any time after dark is, by default, the weekend. Work is over. The straight world has gone to bed, doors firmly bolted against the hustlers and the johns; the cops, the robbers and the mack daddies; the heads, the jazz cats and the beat freaks. This is the world into which we beckon you, brave listener.

Jay 'Fat Albert' Jeffrey, Bevan Keys, Richard 'AWDJ' Crafter and David 'Nyntee' Carroll delve deep to deliver the goodness. And the badness. Just the way you never knew you liked it. You'll hear tough jazz funk, syrupy sweet soul, Latin flavoured floor fillers, left-footed house, car chase music, cosmic lazer disco and plenty more besides.

This is how we get wide - with an open mind.

Playlist: Mixed Messages | Tue 15 Oct, 2013

Had a bunch of fun playing at 'Mixed Messages' alongside Nigel Love and Kirk James. It's a good set up: half hour on, hour off, with plenty good lovin' on the food and drink and warm surroundings tip down at the Britomart Country Club, even on a cold, wet Tuesday night.

Here's the order the records came out of the bag...

Lady | Money
Spanky Wilson And The Quantic Soul Orchestra | I'm Thankful
Leroy Hutson | Love The Feeling
Sweet Charles | Soul Man
Al Green | Love Ritual
Windjammer | Tossing And Turning
Loose Ends | Hangin' On A String (Contemplating)
Omar | I Love Being With You
-----
Stonephace | Wedgehead Gets Lucky
Cal Tjader | Soul Burst
Julian Y Su Combo | Enyere Kumbara
MopMop with Fred Wesley and Anthony Joseph | Run Around
Barkin' Soul | Punto de Partida
Rocket Juice And The Moon with Erykah Badu | Manuela
Radio City with Bajka | Everything
-----
Dizzy Gillespie | Alligator
IG Culture Presents Zen Badizm with Bilal | Girl U Need A Change Of Mind
The Blackbyrds | Do It, Fluid
Joy Denalane with Lupe Fiasco | Change
Kenn Starr, Asheru and Talib Kweli | If
Choklate | Waitin'
Moka Only | Lowdown Suite
-----
Panache | Sweet Jazz Music
Wes Coats | Land Of Music
Michael Henderson | Whip It
Kellee Patterson | Turn On The Lights
Rufus with Chaka Khan | Circles
Maxayn | Trying For Days
The Lewis Connection | Mr. G

Big thanks to the boys for the invite.
Keep Vinyl Alive!

08 September 2013

Playlist: In The Pocket | Sun 8 Sept

First show back on George FM for a few months. Just like riding a bike. Apparently.

'In The Pocket with 90'
12-2pm Sunday 8 Sept 2013
George 96.6FM
www.georgefm.co.nz

D'Angelo | Spanish Joint
Cole Medina | Ain't No Funq
Erykah Badu | Honey (Mark Rae edit)
The Bar-Kays | Too Hot To Stop (D.Veloped edit)
Jurassic 5 | What's Golden (DJ Maars reggae re-fix)
Pharrell | Frontin' (Frankie Goes Deep 'First Day Of Summer' edit)
Talk Talk | It's My Life (Phil Drummond remix)
40 Thieves | In Your Space
Groove Assassin | I Love You (RedSoul remix)
Al Velilla with Opolopo | Fearless
Harleighblu | Play Me
Dizzy Gillespie | Alligator
Johnny Harris | Odyssey (Part 1)
Greyship Daviz | Traffic (Cheek To Cheek, Bumper To Bumper) [Markus Enochsen Traffic Jam remix]
Tom Browne | Funkin' For Jamaica (N.Y.)
The Pockets | In The Pocket
Lady | Money
The SSO Orchestra | Faded Lady (Leftside Wobble edit)
Omar | I Love Being With You
Quantic Y Anita Tijoux with Iara Renno | Doo Wop (That Thing)
Gecko Turner | Monosabio Blues
A Tribe Called Quest with Baby Bam | If The Papes Come
Ed Sheeran | The A Team (Shy FX remix)
Sammy Bananas | Run 2 Me (Thicke remix)

02 August 2013

Playlist: In The Pocket | Fri 2 August

All 45s. All Day.

'In The Pocket with 90'
Fridays12-2pm (NZT)
Radio Ponsonby 107.7FM
www.radioponsonby.co.nz

Motherlode | Hard Life [Buddah]
Bronx River Parkway | La Valla [Truth And Soul]
Menahan Street Band | Make The Road By Walking [Dunham]
The Gap Band | Shake [Mercury]
The Soul Seven | Southside Funk Pt. 1 [Stones Throw]
Timothy McNealy | Sagittarius Black [Now Again]
Mickey Murray | Fat Girl [Federal]
Willie Bobo | Soul Foo Young [Now Again]
Billy Paul | Am I Black Enough For You? [Philadelphia International]
The Mighty Imperials | Thunder Chicken [Daptone]
Lee Fields with Sugarman And Co. | Shot Down [Daptone]
Joseph Henry And The Dap-Kings | Who's The King? (You Know That's Me) [Daptone]
Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings | How Do I Let A Good Man Down? [Daptone]
Breakout | Planet Rock Pts. 1 & 2 [Melting Pot Music]
James Duncan | I Got It Made (In The Shade) [Federal]
Charles Spurling | That's My Zone (He's Pickin' On) [King]
Lil' Lavair And The Fabulous Jades | Cold Heat [Now Again]
Rev. R.A. Yates And The Gospel Communicators | Tight Situation Pt. 1 [Soul-Full]
Marie "Queenie" Lyons | Your Key Don't Fit It Anymore [Deluxe]
Cookin' On 3 Burners | Mango Skin [Freestyle]
Queen Eve And The Kings | All Hail The Queen [Melting Pot Music]
Osaka Monaurail | Groovy, Groovy, Groovy Pt. 2 [Monaurail And Empowerment]
Clarence Foster And The Internal Revenue Service | Fry Chicken In Your Hot Pants [Freestyle]
Connie Price And The Keystones | The Badger [Now Again]
Jeb Stuart | Soul Jerk It, Baby [King]
Diplomats | She's The One [Soul-Line]
The Dynamics | Land Of 1000 Dances [Big Single]
Breakestra | Deuces Up, Double Down Pt. 1 [Stones Throw]
The Temptations | Masterpiece [Gordy]
Al Green | What Is This Feeling? [Hi]
Peter Brown | For Your Love [Drive]
Lowrell | Smooth And Wild [AVI]
The Delfonics | Didn't I [Bell]
Reparata And The Delrons | Saturday Night Didn't Happen [Stateside]

27 July 2013

Playlist: 'In The Pocket' | Friday 26 July 2013

'In The Pocket with 90'
Fridays 12-2pm (NZT)
Radio Ponsonby 107.7FM
www.radioponsonby.co.nz

The Pharoahs | Freedom Road
Frank Walton | Safari
Olli Ahvenlahti | Grandma's Rocking Chair
Seawind | Free
Jacques Pelzer | Naima
Mop Mop with Anthony Joseph | Let I Go
Barkin' Soul with Morgane | C'est La Faute A
Il Carbonaro | High Noon
Open Sky Unit | Sunshine Star
Calender | Comin' On Strong
Poetiquette | Soul Melody (Yam Who? remix)
Quantic And His Combo Barbaro | Un Canto A Mi Tierra (J-Boogie remix)
Barkin' Soul | Punto De Partida
Jayne Cortez And The Firespitters | See Chano Pozo
Kamal Abdul Alim | Brotherhood
The Lewis Connection | Mr G
The Lewis Connection | Got To Be Something Here
Emilio Santiago | Brother
Il Carbonaro | Amigo De La Muerte
Mop Mop | Loa Chant

*Lots of tracks taken from two outstanding BBE compilations in particular today (hey, don't judsge me! I've got a big night ahead and I was trying to pack light!):

Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection
Sadar Bahar Presents Soul In The Hole

Propers to both those gentlemen, and of course to the guvnor, Jay Jeffrey.

24 July 2013

NZ Soul All Dayer #2 - Sat 17 Aug 2013

20 May 2013

Playlist: In The Pocket on Radio Ponsonby - Fri 17 May 2013

13 April 2013

Playlist: Wax Wednesday on In The Pocket with 90 | 10 April 2013

31 March 2013

Coming soon! NZ Soul All Dayer

NZ Soul All Dayer
New Zealand's premier soul music event
An all day celebration of soul music
2pm-2am
Sat 11 May
Golden Dawn
For more info...
Or contact: nzsoulalldayer@gmail.com

20 March 2013

Playlist: Wax Wenerei "Stones Throw x Now Again x Radio Ponsonby"

Every Wednesday on Radio Ponsonby I play an all-vinyl selection, and this week it was dedicated to a bunch of tunes from the Stones Throw and Now Again labels. Heavy funk, sideways jazz and flipped instrumental hip hop abounds, as I wade through a hand-picked set of pieces taken from two of the finest "underground" labels around.

(OK, I admit there's also a piece in there from Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's Suite For Ma Dukes project - but I don't think Wolf or Egon would mind this particular detour...)

Timothy McNealy | Sagittarius Black {7"} [NA503072B]
Sound Directions | Skyscrapers {7"} [STH4005] *Fan Club 45
Koushik | Nothing's The Same {7"} [STH7030]
James Pants | Future Delight {7"} [STH4027] *Fan Club 45
Mr. Magic & Pookie Blow | Earth Break {12"} [STH2056]
Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf | Red Light Green Light {Big Shots LP} [STH2077]
J.Rocc | Play (This One) {12"} [STH2054]
Yesterday's New Quintet | Elle's Theme {12"} [STH2034]
Yesterday's New Quintet | Uno Esta {12"} [STH20401]
Yesterday's New Quintet | Golden Lady {Stevie LP} [STH2086]
Malik Flavors | Early Dawn {Ugly Beauty 12" EP} [STH2072]
Suite For Ma Dukes | Nag Champa {Suite For Ma Dukes EP} [MOLP006]
Mayer Hawthorne | A Strange Arrangement {A Strange Arrangement LP} [STH2219]
Mayer Hawthorne | Just Ain't Gonna Work Out {7"} [STH7028] *That Red Heart-Shaped Vinyl
L.A. Carnival | Flyin' {The L.A. Carnival Would Like To Pose A Question LP} [NA5009]
The Detroit Sex Machines | The Stretch (Egon's edit) {12"} [NA5016]
The Keystones with Malcolm Catto | The Shadows Of Leaves {Blood's Haul OST LP} [NA2004A]
Connie Price & The Keystones with Lester Abrams and Leslie Smith of The L.A. Carnival | Wildflowers {12"} [NA5013]
The Soul Seven | Mr. Chicken ---- {12"} [NA2005A]
Lil' Lavair & The Fabulous Jades | Cold Heat {Cold Heat: Heavy Funk Rarities 1968-1974 Vol. 1 LP} [NA50171]
Kashmere Stage Band | I Wish (Todd Terry remix) {12"} [NA5025B]
Ebony Rhythm Band | Drugs Ain't Cool {Soul Heart Transplant: The Lamp Sessions LP} [NA50111]
Leon Mitchison & The Eastex Freeway Band | Street Scene {12"} [NA5018]
Carleen & The Groovers | The Thing {12"} [NA5015]
Aloe Blacc | Take Me Back {12"} [STH2246]
Jaylib | The Red {12"} [STH2061]
Madvillain | America's Most Blunted {Madvillainy LP} [STH2065]
Dam-Funk | When 80mph Feels Like 20 {7"} [STH7033} *Stones Throw x Stussy Japan

14 March 2013

Interview: Hugh Masekela

Hugh Masekela is a lion of a man.

At 70-odd years of age, the man has seen more than most of us would even consider possible. Exiled from his homeland of South Africa aged just 21, Masekela spent the next thirty years playing, recording and/or touring with the likes of Harry Belafonte, Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, Paul Simon, Bob Marley, U2 and many, many, many more. He has recorded more than forty albums under his own name, topped the US charts, played the infamous Monterey Pop Festival of 1967, toured the globe countless times and (with longtime friend Stewart Levine) put together Zaire '74, the concert in Kinshasa held at the time of the 'Rumble In The Jungle' boxing fight between Muhammed Ali and George Foreman. He is a recipient of the coveted 'Keepers Of The Flame' award and a consistently strong voice for the rights of Africans and indigenous peoples.

And he spent fifteen minutes of his time speaking with me on Radio Ponsonby.

Have a listen here, or in the player below...

27 February 2013

Spotlight: Nia Andrews 'Colours'

Los Angeles-born singer/songwriter Nia Andrews has had one of those lives that are worth going into some detail about: the self-taught musician dropped out of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz due to an inability to actually read music. She then pursued a career as a writer, finding success particularly as a treatment writer, with her concepts directly resulting in multiple MTV awards. She then moved back toward music, taking a position as "creative assistant" to Common (though I'd like to know what that really means...) before quickly becoming his background singer, and going on to sing behind Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, Janelle Monae and many, many more. Andrews is currently collaborating with Golden Globe nominated songwriter Andrea Remanda and producer Deron Johnson (Miles Davis, Alanis Morrisette, Seal) on her debut solo album.

Colours is a 4-track EP of all original material which Andrews has written and recorded with Remanda and Johnson, which is being released in advance of the album. As a teaser, I guess.

Whatever. Even if Andrews wasn't Mark de Clive-Lowe's missus I'd still be drawing attention to this release.

She possesses a voice which bleeds emotion, and her lyricism is what one would expect of someone with her credentials. The music is woozy without being wobbly and dreamy without a sniff of Dilla's influence, while the presence of guitar and proper pop hooks put this release somewhere nearer the mainstream that I would've expected.

And in this case, that's not a bad thing at all. I hope folks do sit up and take notice. And you can too, in the player below, or right here.

26 February 2013

Live: High Noon Pool Party

#Jusayin Presents
HIGH NOON: POOL PARTY EDITION
3pm - 12am, Saturday 2nd March, Point Erin Pool

With: Suff Daddy // Funkommunity Sound System // Recloose // Bro90 // Kutcorners // Wise1 // @Misformatua // Ed G (Sandy Bay Social Club) // WhoDat // Nivin (The Crates) // Marcel Marceau

Family friendly fun at Pt Erin Pool from 3pm in the afternoon, and running til the witching hour - and all FREE. Yep, a FREE pool party, which is even licensed. Propers to #Jusayin and the Pt Erin Pool folks, not to mention Otautahi Tattoo, Base FM, Radio Ponsonby, Higher and Broken Shed.

Seeya there.

21 February 2013

Spotlight: Mara TK 'Taniwhunk'

Mara TK possesses one of "those" voices. You know what I mean: disarming, seductive, almost ethereal. It is no lion's roar, sure, but despite this he delivers his messages with as much intent and clarity.

Mara is the vocalist and frontman (such as they have just one) for one of our most forward thinking and exciting musical groups, Electric Wire Hustle, and son of legendary Kiwi guitarist Billy TK. He is also one of the most gentle, reticient and caring frontmen I've ever met.

The Taniwhunk EP was a double A-side release on a very limited run of 7" singles back in 2011, but this self-confessed 'Maori in Space' has just scored quite the coup: he is re-releasing both tracks (Run and Anyone Here?) through German label OnGravity Records - with remixes by Moodymann and Simbad. I know!

Check the Moodymann mix in the player below, or here; and the Simbad mix here.

Propers to the brother for getting the word out. And speaking of 'the word', check out this link for some serious prose (brose?) describing his sound and the driving force behind his music making. Mauri Ora!

20 February 2013

Reading: Holy Rollers At BB King's

Something a little different with this post: a link to a poem written by Cheryl Boyce-Taylor - the mother of Malik "Phife Dawg" Izaak of A Tribe Called Quest.

The poem is about her son - and her reaction to the way his performance moved a crowd at a gig she was attending.

Now, regular readers will know I'm no head when it comes to hip hop, so it's no life-long love of ATCQ that's prompting me to post this; as a performer I think it's more than worth sharing. Enjoy.

[Propers to Caits Meissner for the hook up. Take a look at (just!) one of her projects, The Well&Often Reader, here.]

18 February 2013

Spotlight: Some Other Planets

OMG, as the kids say. (Do they still say that?!) Some Other Planets is the name for a collaboration of some of my favourite leftfield NZ producers and musicians; namely Riki Gooch (Eru Dangerspiel, Trinity Roots), Julien Dyne (Opensouls), Parks (Ladi6) and (the "grumpy" one, tbh) Christoph El Truento (@Peace).

Seriously? Seriously.

While I've not yet uncovered any original material from this little corker of a collective, they have let slip a mix that you can listen to (below), and download (right here), should you so desire.

WARNING: for a group comprising beatmakers, drummers and percussionists, this mix is surprisingly beatless. Open your ears, wide...

Could be worth checking their live debut out at Golden Dawn, Thu 21st Feb too. More info on that here...

13 February 2013

Spotlight: Madeaux 'EP'

One of the perks of this "job" (how my parents laugh when I describe what I do as such) is being sent fresh, exciting, new music (or fresh, exciting, old music, for that matter) and being exposed to a whole bunch of stuff I would've otherwise probably never even knew existed.

Like Madeaux.

Released on LessThan3 Recordings, this four-track EP (which stretches out to 20min in length) showcases the young producer's hip 'sound-of-now'. He describes it as "chopped and screwed electronic soul" and "underwater pop music", and I'm happy enough with that to regurgitate it here without sarcasm; and would add I also feel the influence of the likes of Madeaux's peers Disclosure, Flying Lotus, and perhaps even J Dilla.

(Regular readers of this blog will be aware I can be scathing of folks I feel are leaning a little too heavily on the legacy of Dilla in finding their own sound. Thankfully, this is not the case with Madeaux.)

I'm probably feeling the treacle-deep groove of opening track Departing the most, though the twisting drum patterns of both Transatlantic Rhapsody and Midnight Sun (featuring guest vocalist Beca) recall the best bits of UK garage, two-step and broken beat, which I'm loving re-visiting right now. Closer Accidentals indulges in a little glitch and some heavy, heavy bass, and ensures this EP finishes with a stylish flourish.

Take a listen to the EP in the player below, or follow one of the many links in the piece above. When you're done, head on over to Beatport to nab your own copy...

Spotlight: @Peace

While not being a card-carrying fan of Homebrew by any stretch of the imagination, I am definitely enjoying what I'm hearing from Tom Scott's "other" project, @Peace. He's not the only fella involved, of course, despite being the most recognisable vocally. Also a part of the group are Lui Tuiasau, Christoph El Truento, Dandruff Dicky and Brandon Haru. So a pretty solid lineup of talent, then? Shit yes, and it's not going to waste, either.

Barstool Balancing Act 1 is the perfect example of why I prefer these guys to Scott's "main" outfit. Another good reason is the latest single Flowers. This is unexpectedly gripping stuff lyrically - and musically these guys are pushing the right buttons too, leaning far enough into the squelchy, wobbly stuff to be current but without being predictable. It's a fine line, so propers where they're due.

I do hope @Peace get half the attention Homebrew have managed to rustle up - but being there's no novelty single like Benefit rearing its head, I fear the band may not trouble the mainstream media much at all. That's a shame, because I'd kinda like everyone who bought the Homebrew album to be able to hear and compare it to this stuff. I think that'd help re-dress the balance, as it were.

Check out this mini-movie trailer for the Girls EP, which both of these tracks below are taken from.

Links: Barstool Balancing Act 1 // Flowers

11 February 2013

Spotlight: Opensouls 'Rise Up' (Lewis McCallum remix)

I've always had a lot of love for Lewis McCallum, and also for the Opensouls - and many of the projects the various members of that band have gone on to as well - so it gives me great pleasure to be able to extend further love (as it were) to both parties in one fell swoop.

Check out this link for a free download of Lewis' remix of the Opensouls track Rise Up, originally from their debut album Kaleidoscope. Indeed, Lewis was heavily involved in the recording of the album version. You can also listen to the remix in the player below... and while you're here, why not take a moment to listen to Fly Or Die, one of the most enduring tracks from Lewis' debut solo album Wake.

Slack

Slack.

There, I said it. Moreover, I shall attribute it: I have been slack. Very slack. It's been quite some time since I updated this blog, and there's a very clear reason for it: this summer has been the best on record here in New Zealand for many, many years; so I've been making the most of it and getting out into it as often as humanly possible.

It's been fantastic.

However, it's been too long, so I'm back.

Check back regularly for a grab bag of all sorts of procrastination aids, inlcuding links to new music, free downloads, new DJ mixes, reviews of music new and old, and all manner of musical mischief - just like it says on the tin.

Let's revisit this Cosmic Disco mixtape I put together, just to get the ball rolling...