George Duke was born in San Rafael, California and raised in a historically black neighborhood Marin City. Influenced at an early age by artists such as Duke Ellington, Les McCann, Cal Tjader, he also takes influence from his local Baptist church, which has given him a unique style not often duplicated in jazz or funk. Studying the trombone, contrabass, and the piano, Duke has played and/or produced music with Miles Davis, Al Jareau, Frank Zappa, Stanley Clarke, and Jean-Luc Ponty. Duke is still paying today and to date has recorded over 30 solo LPs.

“Dukey Stick” is taken from George Dukes 1978 LP Don’t Let Go, released on the Epic. The track features Duke himself on keys, Josie James (vocals), Napoleon Murphy Brock (sax, vocals), Charles Icarus Johnson (guitar), Byron Miller (bass), Leon “Ndugu” Chancler (drums), and a young Sheila E. (vocals, percussion).

I recall first hearing a sample from “Dukey Stick” by one of the Bay Area’s first rap groups, 415 and later by Oakland’s Richie Rich. What I love about this song and the LP is the camaraderie and play on the record. Oftentimes I enjoy the live performance of a song more than the polished studio version because the live is always so much more loose and free. You can tell the musicians are playing together, vibing off of each other and the music benefits greatly from this experience. As Duke says at the beginning of the video below, “I chose these particular musicians because they are as strong me, on their instrument. But you’ve got to get them to a point of where they feel very loose.”  The mean bass loop is like the perfect road for the piano, drums, and guitar to stroll perfectly over. Then the lyrics and playfulness of the vocals provide so many directions you can take this track in. Check out this video of the band recording the song and the album version.

“Dukey Stick” by George Duke

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Max Roach started drumming at an early age, playing in church like so many musicians, then later on studying music. Born in North Carolina, but was raised in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and became a huge influence in Jazz from the era of Bop to Avant Garde Jazz and fusion. It is said that his style of drumming was both innovative and pioneering because he played with layers of rhythm that brought not only his music, but Jazz as a whole to new levels. Roach recorded over 50 studio and live LP’s as a band leader, including the politically charged We Insist! LP. He collaborated on over 80 LP’s and recorded up until 2002. His list of collaborators is too vast to name, but he played with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Dinah Washington, Donald Byrd, Abbey Lincoln, and Archie Shepp to name a few. Although he was never a recipient of a Grammy, he was awarded a Mac Arthur Genius grant for music and received several honorary degrees awarded by universities from here to Italy.

This is one of those Max Roach tunes that pulls at the very core of my emotion. I feel angry, sad, revived, and enthralled to hear the way the piano and bass converse with each other. The feeling around this tune is as though someone has had a heated argument about music, and ends with, “I’m not only going to play it how I want, but $%^& you, and this is how I feel right now!” The piano man is at times banging away by himself as everyone else in the band lays out and just lets him go for broke. The sheer mischievousness and presence of the bass when the tune first walks, is incredible. It sets the stage, lays out the silverware for the piano to take lead. “Ceciliana” was recorded live, but not a soul in the audience makes a sound until it is done.

“Ceciliana” was recorded live in Paris with a stellar band that included Julian Priester on piano, Stanley Turrentine on trumpet, and Bob Boswell on bass.

“Ceciliana” by Max Roach

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Eddie Kendricks has one of the coolest, high pitch voices you’ll ever hear on a soul track. I still remember painting a mural in the middle of the night when my homie Miguel threw this song on. I had to ask him to rewind it y’all! The first time I heard a loop from this was on Common’s “A Penny For Your Thoughts” in the early 90’s. The song has been sampled by countless artists including Tweet and Alicia Keys but most recently Erykah Badu flipped it on “Fall In Love (Your Funeral).”

Kendricks, is one of the great voices from legendary soul group, The Temptations. Born in Alabama, his career spans more than three decades of recording, performing, and touring. “Intimate friends” comes from the 1977 album Slick, which was released on Tamla Motown. Kendricks recorded 13 solo LPs from 1971 to 1983. Slick features great talent such as Robert White and Eddie Willis (guitar), George Roundtree (keys), Uriel Jones (drums), Jack Brokensha (percussion), Roderick Chandler (bass), Jerry Paul (congas), Cheryl Lynn, Barbara D and many others on background vocals.

Beginning with slow and sexy keys, the first few bars are what draws you in. Once the voice of a young woman moans the first note, the evening is sealed and the soft congas joined by Kendricks’s voice, the band, and the constant whispering of the background vocalists beckon you. If there was ever a song that came close to lovemaking, this has got to be one of the best. Drifting back and forth, with subtle and sudden increases in intensity, it’s a love ballad for new or ancient lovers. Tell your bff you’ve got a song for her or him to hear tonight. Whew! Is the heat on? Ain’t no kissin’ in church!! Enjoy.

Eddie Kendricks – “Intimate Friends”

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The first time I heard the bass line from this song was on a loop called “Savage Intelligence,” by Bay Area MC’s named Konceptual Dominance (Koncepts and Kirby) where they incorporated it into their song beautifully. Imagine my amazement when I found the tape at my mom’s house and pressed play. That bass is part of a musical landscape arranged by Lonnie Liston Smith and its called “A Chance for Peace,” the first cut off the 1975 “Visions of a New World.” It features Cecil McBee (bass), George Barron (sax), Joe Beck (guitar), David Lee Jr. (drums), James Mtume and Sonny Morgan (percussion), Badal Roy (table), Geeta Vashi (tamboura), and Liston Smith (Piano/Keys).

Born in 1940, this Richmond Virginia native was brought up in a musical family. He studied music in high school and at Morgan State University. Starting his career in Baltimore and later moved to New York City where so many musicians make the pilgrimage to in order to gig, collaborate, learn, and elevate their skill. After studying with family, school, the clubs, and many greats, he grew into an extremely accomplished musician and band leader, who has played with Art Blakey, Betty Carter, Gato Barbieri, Miles Davis, Guru from Gangstarr, and Pharoah Sanders. As a band leader of The Cosmic Echoes,” the Visions of a New World was the second LP he released with famed producer Bob Thiele.

The bass is deceiving, first screaming full of funk, then providing a trance-inducing floor for the guitar, trumpets, vocals, synthesizers, and violins to walk on. One of the reasons I gravitated to Liston Smith, despite the fact that he’s been so widely sampled in hip hop, is his incredible ability to fuse sounds and genres together. Jazz, traditional, funky, electronic, psychedelic, or even rock elements. This song and this LP have so much to offer the ear. Check it out below.

“A Chance for Peace” by Lonnie Liston Smith

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I remember hearing this song on one of my dad’s mixtapes. I searched for this song many times at Amoeba Records before the days of internet digging. The group Colourbox is an electronic group from London that formed in 1982. Coming out on one of London’s older indi labels 4AD, which now houses artists such as Atlas Sound, Stereolab, and Thievery Corporation. The group was initially formed by brothers Martyn Young on synthesizer and Steve Young who  played several instruments. In the beginning the group also included Ian Robbins and Debbie Smith; but later became a trio with vocalist Lorita Grahame. Colourbox released one EP, one full album, and several singles including this one which was released in 1987 as a remake of the classic “Baby I Love You So” by Augustus Pablo and the legendary Dennis Brown. The group disbanded after 1987 and have only since been active separately as writers or guests on other bands records. A best of album was produced and released by the group in 2001.

Every time I hear this version of the song, it reminds me of what it felt like riding the bus playing this in my headphones, wanting to sing out loud but too shy to belt out the tune. Since I found this song through my parents, I wondered what they looked like jamming to it. The bass is a profound interpretation of Pablo’s original. The random clashes, sound effects, and movie snippets must have been groundbreaking at the time. Up until this day when I heard the entire original song, I thought all the voices on the track were the DJ’s addition to the mix. The piano and electric guitar are haunting. Lorita’s voice is a dream induced hallucination. It’s strong and soulful, yet sparse and fleeting. The drums are like a ship’s captain guiding us through the river of the dream. Check it out below.

“Baby I Love You So” by Colourbox

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Coming from the UK via the West Indies (Jamaica and Guyana), Cymande started making funky jams that have become mainstays for party rockers in the US and internationally. I bought Second time Around — their sophomore LP on Janus Records — at a flea market over a decade ago and was immediately drawn to the record because of its artwork and the fact that these guys were not from the US. What did Black folks from the UK sound like? I’d heard cats sample them; why not pick it up? I’m sure glad I did.

Cymande is Joey Dee and Ray King on vocals and percussion, Pablo Gonsales on congas, Sam Kelley on drums, Steve Scipio on bass, Patrick Patterson on guitar, Derek Gibbs on alto/soprano saxophone, Peter Serreo on tenor sax, and Mike Rose on alto, flute, and bongos. All members were from other groups and were discovered by producer John Schroder. They call their sound Nyah Rock, which is a blend of funk, jazz, soul, calypso, and reggae. Their songs have a noticeably positive vibe to them that speaks of culture, heritage, social issues, and love. They recorded three LP’s together then disbanded, later reuniting to play a show in the mid 2000’s. Much of their early work has been reissued and is now a treasure to new ears.

The song “Bird” reminds me of how I feel when I just want to be alone or get away. It has a solemn mood yet is full of strength and pride. The lyrics paint a picture of soaring, flying, and then suddenly you are brought back down to reality. Maybe someone’s bad vibes or criticism, but the song changes effortlessly like a topic of conversation. The song makes some of the most beautiful use of guitar, bass, and congas to ground it in what first feels like a stroll. When they play the other side of that coin, it gets faster with background vocals that feel frustrated and rushed. A very interesting composition in the moments of deep vocals and instrumental riffs — definitely a song to ride the train or the freeway to.

“Bird” by Cymande

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Thee Midniters are one of those unmistakeable California Chicano rock bands. I didn’t know their name at first, but remembered their sound every time I heard “Casual Dreamer” or “That’s All”. Thee Midniters are a band of Chicano musicians from East Los Angeles who are famous for their love ballads and vicious rock and roll jams; made for partying and cruising. Forming in the 60’s, Willie G (Vocals), George Dominguez (Guitar), George Salazar (Drums), Romeo Prado (Trombonist), Paul C (Guitar), Jimmy Espinoza (Bass), and Larry Rendon (Saxophone) were all high school musicians. They came up during the era of high school dance bands, drive ins, milk shakes, the United Farm Workers, and the civil rights movement. This marked the time of one of my most favorite Cali cultures being developed—the art of Low Riding. The track “Whittier Blvd” exemplifies the feeling of cruising for a lot of folks who appreciate the brown sound. It’s unclear which label released their first LPs or which was their first LP. There are several greatest hits LPs such as the one released by THUMP Records. But, basically the group started in the early 60’s, broke up in the late 60’s, and then continued to play sporadically until the early 2000’s.

One of the most striking things about this song is that it is Raza. It is a mixture or hybrid of many cultures that make one amazing sound. At the beginning of the track you have a voice beckoning you to hit the streets in English and Spanish. And then there’s this massive surge of bass, drums, then horns that makes me feel like I could be on my way to a drag race or a wedding. Some of you die hard Cholos or Cholas will recognize this song as it was remade in the film Mi Vida Loca. What I like most about this song is the bad-ass attitude it has. Although Wille G’s voice is beautiful, this is a strictly instrumental track, played with lightning fast precision. The drums and the guitar sound like they’re shouting across the street to a responsive  trumpet, trombone, and  saxophone.  At first I wonder where the hell I’m going, then I just nod my head and enjoy the ride amidst howls and screams of human voices and electric guitar strings. Arriba, arrrrriba!!!!!

“Whittier Blvd” by Thee Midniters

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“When Love Has Grown” is one of my all time favorite duets; it makes me wonder what happened to the idea of beautiful duets in today’s R&B. At the time of the recording, in 1971, Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway were both signed to the same label, Atlantic Records where the two went on to collaborate together, in addition to this self-titled LP.

Classically trained pianist, Roberta Flack was born in 1937 in North Carolina, and raised in Virginia. She was one of the youngest to ever attend Howard University where she was awarded a music scholarship. While playing and teaching to make a living she was discovered by jazz musician Les McCann, who later introduced her to famed record producer Joel Dorn, whom she went on to record her first LP with. In addition to recording with Donny, she went on to make 14 studio LP’s and two live albums. She is still recording today and currently is working on a The Beatles interpretation LP. She is known for many songs, but largely in the hip hop community when The Fugees did a cover of Flack’s “Killing me Softly”.

Donny’s story is one of extreme talent taken away too soon. He lived a short life but captivated so many with his voice and spirit. Born and raised in Chicago Illinois around 1945 Donny grew up in a musical home where his Grandmother was a Gospel singer. He too, was a Howard University alum, where he studied music. In his musical career, Donny would work with Curtis Mayfield, The Staple Singers, and Carla Thomas. His songs were also performed by artists such as Aretha Franklin. He and Roberta had an undeniable chemistry together and Atlantic Records took notice of this by encouraging the production of an the album. Donny went on to record six LP’s and three live albums.

“When Love Has Grown” starts off simply with a gentle piano that accompanies their voices with hints and splashes throughout the composition. The song is sweet and sad; you hear both happiness and pain as the violins come in. The most striking feature of the song are the incredible voices of Roberta and Donny, who have such a deep and strong vocal range. While many vocalists have trouble deciding whose voice goes where, they show with the fluidity of their harmony what a “duet” can be. The line about “the sun has surely made its final dawning” is incredible! It is something you could listen to in making up or breaking up, but the point is the union.

Take a listen and share your thoughts.

“When Love Has Grown” by Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway

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This piece was created with legendary Jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd, who lead The Blackbyrds.  The group members included Kevin Toney – keyboards; Keith Killgo – vocals and drums; Joe Hall – bass guitar; Allan Barnes – saxophone, clarinet; Barney Perry – guitar; Orville Saunders – guitar; and Jay Jones – flute and saxophone. In this song and the entire LP, what you hear is harmony, melody, unison, and cadence in their arrangements. All elements sounded great together. Harmony and cohesiveness with just the right combination of individual solo’s. The LP makes you want to rewind it because there is so much funk inside the structure to hear! Not an easy feat to achieve in any musical discipline.

What was dope about this group, was that it not only was formed by Donald Byrd but also comprised of his best students from Howard University in Washington DC, a historic Black College from 1973 to 1989. Some of the band’s original members had vibrant solo careers as well, such as Kevin Toney who started recording solo records in 1982 and is still recording and performing today.

The first Hip Hop dudes I heard incorporate “Mysterious Vibes” into their sound, were San Francisco based MC Paris, on his track “The Days of Old” from the 1992 LP Sleeping with the Enemy, and then New York rapper, New York based MC Kurious on “I’m Kurious” off the 1994 LP A Constipated Monkey. There have been others who have sampled this record in particular, but these are two of my favorite joints. “Rock Creek Park” is another funky joint from The Blackbyrds worth listening to. Again, admired by Hip Hop heads from Long Island to Compton. Tune in for the next slapper (song) from inside the trunk.

“Mysterious Vibes” by on Action by The Blackbyrds

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