Musical Episode #037 : Screamin’ & Soul Clappin’

Funk Brother, pianist, band leader and musical genius Earl Van Dyke
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Welcome back everyone, got a nice little mix of instrumentals to put some pep in your step.

Today’s mix features three tracks from Woody Herman during his late 60’s iteration of his “Herds” or musical groupings, through which some heavy, heavy talent passed. Just the 60’s ‘herds’ saw the likes of Donny Hathaway, Phil Upchurch, Earl Hines, Mike Bloomfield and Ray Barretto to name a few. The sides featured in today’s mix are from 67/68/69 as Herman became more noticeably influenced by rock n’ roll and soul, incorporating them into the repertoire.

Ad from 1966 Connecticut newspaper when Woody was touring Tony Bennett, another artist who was facing a changing music landscape.

In addition to Herman, from the same label and time period there’s “58th Street” by The Bobby Bryant Sextet and Jack McDuff’s “Ain’t It” both stellar sides of soul jazz without any coddling of rock n’ roll chart busters. The Sunshine Band (yes, KC’s group!) is probably the oddest duck of the mix coming in at the end of the 70s. The song is a completely straight cover of the superb African Music Machine song from 1972. African Music Machine was, like The Sunshine Band, a New Orleans based house band for Jewel / Paula labels.

Ad for Candy and The Kisses

One of the earlier sides in today’s mix features a young Leon “Fingers” Huff on the instrumental side of “Soul City” going to town on the keys. Though he was not yet known as part of the Philly power duo Gamble & Huff, they would team up the next year on opposite sides of Candy & The Kisses “Do The 81” which Gamble co-wrote, and Huff co-wrote the flip, Two Happy People. The other is King Curtis’ “More Soul” the flip to his “Soul Serenade.” Can you tell “SOUL” was sweeping the nation in the early to mid 60s?

Tracklist:
Johnny Lyttle – Screamin’ Loud (Tuba, 1967)
The Chuck Jackson Orchestra – Just A Little Bit of Soul (Wand, 1965)
The Pablo Ponce Four – Hanky Panky (Guyden, 1967)
Herbie Hancock – Bringing Down The Birds (MGM, 1966/2008 re)
Ray Anthony – Seventh Son (Capitol, 1965)
Woody Herman – The Hut (Cadet, 1970)
Woody Herman – Hush (Cadet, 1968)
Jr. Walker & The All Stars – Soul Clappin’ (Tamla Motown, 1973)
Earl Van Dyke – 6 x 6 (Tamla Motown, 1970)
The Merced Blue Notes – Rufus Jr. (Galaxy, 1965)
Lou Toby and His Heavies – Heavy Steppin (Peach-Mint, 1974)
The Soul Crusaders – Pretty Lil Mama (More Soul, 1969)
The Sunshine Band – Black Water Gold (TK, 1978)
Hank Crawford – Help Me Make It Through The Night (Kudu, 1972)
Dumpy “Piano” Rice – Movin’ (Juke, 1970?)
Woody Herman – It’s Your Thing (Cadet, 1969)
Lord Sitar – Black is Black (Capitol, 1967)
Bobby Bryant Sextet – 58th Street (Cadet, 1968)
Soul City – Leon Huff (Jamie, 1963)
Jack McDuff – Ain’t It (Cadet, 1968)
King Curtis – More Soul (Capitol, 1964)
The New Happiness feat The Sound of Smooth Lundvall – Smoothie (Columbia, 1966)

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