Richmond based DJ Pari is the host of the monthly Soulpower dance party at Balliceaux and co-host of Midnight Soulstice on WRIR 97.3 fm (every Friday from 11pm until 1am.) Pari spins at clubs and festivals worldwide, and he has worked with Soul legends like James Brown, The Impressions, Marva Whitney, Bobby Byrd, Mandrill, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, and many more. For this monthly column, he reviews five records from his collection - rare vinyl, common finds, new and old jams.
The Edwards Generation - In San Francisco "The Street Thang" (Tight Records)
When Soul shouter Charles Edward Edwins, alias Chuck Edwards - known for 1960s classics "Bullfight" and "Sweet Sweet Love" - moved his family from Pittsburgh to San Francisco, they recorded this milestone Funk album, which was released on Tight Records in 1976. The sound of the album is much grittier and funkier than the year suggests; both sides of this vinyl rarity are filled with hard beats and thick Hammond layers. I somewhat forgot about this record after I got it about ten years ago, but I recently re-discovered it when Bay Area diggers Matthew Africa and DJ B.Cause featured "That's How Much I Love Her," my favorite track on this album, on their latest Soul Boulders mix. This is a truly great album with very little average filler material.
Where to get it: The original pressing is hard to find, try eBay. You can try to cop the reissue from Dusty Groove.
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38bjDSZRSbo
Jimmy Smith - Paid In Full (Mojo)
I will never forget when I first set foot into Hamburg's legendary Soul Kitchen back in 1992. The lights were dimmed, and through mists of reefer smoke I spotted German hipsters wearing corduroy pants and long goatees chilling in vintage furniture. They were bopping their heads to what I found a very strange sound, full of Hammond organ and a raspy voice shouting, mumbling, and groaning over a slow but in the pocket beat and wah-wah guitars. It was my first encounter with the music of organ legend Jimmy Smith. The track that I heard that night was "Can't Get Enough," from his ultra rare album Paid In Full. When Smith recorded this album in 1974, he was already past his commercial peak in the late 1950s and the 1960s, when he put out more releases on Blue Note and Verve than even his most dedicated fans could keep up with. Rumor has it that Paid In Full, which was released on Smith's own Mojo label, never made it into the distribution circuit. Instead, he sold it at his shows in the mid-1970s. When I finally scored a copy about 15 years ago, I was in Hammond Heaven. That's where I'll meet you if you manage to find this record one day.
Where to get it: Not his shows, Jimmy Smith isn't with us anymore. Your best bet is eBay. "Can't Get Enough" has been reissued on a Luv n' Haight compilation.
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bDRFxM9dYc
The Soul Toronadoes - Hot Pants Breakdown (Magic City)
The Soul Toronadoes are from Akron, Ohio, and should not be confused with Houston's T.S.U. Toronadoes, another fantastic Deep Funk group. Mainly an instrumental Funk band, they recorded for the small independent label Burt Records, owned by Ernest Burt. "Hot Pants Breakdown" was their first single, released in 1969 on Magic City Records in Detroit, which was also owned by Burt. I first heard this track in the early 1990s on the Bag of Goodies compilation by San Francisco's Luv n' Haight Records, and I was hooked immediately. The flip side is another instrumental titled "Boot's Groove," which is a bit slower. It took me years to find the original 45. Clearly James Brown inspired, "Hot Pants" is much grittier than the original song and it packs every dancefloor. This is why they say that Funk is dirty, dirty, dirty!
Where to get it: If you want the original 45, try eBay. Or shoot for the reissue on Luv n' Haight Records.
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0bHyRHJvi8
The Voices of East Harlem - Cashing In (Just Sunshine Records)
It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Curtis Mayfield's own Curtom Records. One of the label's most talented in-house songwriters, producers, and arrangers was Leroy Hutson, who not only released seven solo albums under his name on Curtom, but was the man behind many great songs by Linda Clifford, the Natural Four, and others. In 1973, he produced his first of two albums for the Voices of East Harlem, a 20-piece gospel ensemble whose ages ranged from 12 to 21. Curtom did not pick up this album; instead it was released on Just Sunshine Records, a label owned by Woodstock promoter Michael Lang. For the group, it was a dramatic departure from the sound of their earlier releases, which were much rawer and more gospel, to the smooth, slick and sophisticated Hutson sound. Highlights on this album are the often sampled title track, "Cashing In," and the bombastic "Little People," but I can honestly say that every single track is absolutely brilliant. This is a record that you'll keep on heavy rotation for a very long time.
Where to get it: The original album is often up on eEbay for between $20 and $50, depending on the record's condition. Japan's P-Vine Records have also released a vinyl re-issue and a CD.
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAuiyH1KJTw
Ishola Muhammad - Open Up Your Heart (Guess Records)
It's time for another Virginia Soul record, and what a record this is! Earlier this year, I found a mint copy of this at Som Records up in D.C. Little is known about the artist, Ishola Muhammad. Renardo Biggs, son of Norfolk Soul legend Ida Sands and owner of the Shiptown Records catalog, told me a little while ago that he remembers Ishola from going to church with him, and he said that he was a nice guy. The record is more than just nice; the A-side is a funky disco burner made for the dancefloor. The flipside, the mellow "Stay Together," is a song about family values. Only few people know about this record - price guide guru John Manship has not even listed it yet - but DJs and collectors over in the United Kingdom are beginning to pay attention to this 45. It was released on Guess Records, owned by Lenis Guess, in the mid-1970s. The only other copy that I know of sold on eBay a couple of years ago for a mere $160. The guy who sold it recently told me he deeply regrets parting with it. So why do I write about a record that you'll most likely never find? Because it's a killer song, and you've likely danced to it already if you did attend one of our Soulpower parties at Balliceaux this year.
Where to get it: That's a tough one.
Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeBs_zfsLLE
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