Original Raw Soul III

You can always count on Now-Again Records to bring together a quality album.  This is a seventeen-track compilation of mostly previously released music from different groups that were led by Jay and Max Whitefield, who today usually record under the name The Whitefield Brothers.

From Now-Again's site:

Original Raw Soul III looks back at recordings dating back over twenty years but never once sounds dated or dull. There’s the garage funk of the early Poets incarnation the Bus People Express; the deep jazz of vocalist Bajka gigging with a Max Whitefield ensemble; the pan-African psych-jazz of the Whitefield Brothers. And that’s just three of the ensembles contained within. Original Raw Soul III’s sixteen tracks that span the gamut of forty years of musical innovation, recorded over the past twenty years, and presented anew today.

I find this album very enjoyable, especially any of the tracks that feature Bajka's deep, lovely voice.  If you are a fan of funk, soul, or afro-rhythms, I recommend this disc fully. I mean, who can hate on an album featuring a band called Mercy Sluts?

Crate Digging: Chrome Children 2

by Various Stones Throw artists

This sequel to the original Chrome Children compilation is a little like the bastard younger brother.  It's not as impressive, even though it tries hard.  The fact that this was only released digitally should be a slight indicator of quality, but at the same time, it does have some nice things going for it.

On the positive side, the project opens with a Madlib Beat Konducta track, and there is another one half-way through.  These are always welcome.  There's a nice Koushik-produced remix of a Percee P song, although I wonder just how many different versions of that same verse exist - it's the same as the one on the new Whitefield Brothers album.  Surprisingly the only Baron Zen track I've ever liked is on here.

The best stuff on here comes from the Now-Again side of the business, as we get Egon's edit of Clifford Nynen's 'Keep Running Away', a piece that has been sampled somewhere recently, although I can't remember where.  I also like the Chocolate Star track, and the Gary Wilson one.  Neither of these are artists I'm familiar with, and I feel like I should rectify that.  Towards the end of the project is a Jazzistics track, 'Marcus, Martin and Malcolm', supposedly produced by Yesterday's New Quintet, which we all know means Madlib.  I'm liking his jazz stuff now much more than I did when this came out three years ago.

On the more negative side, I found that this project contains a number of decent rappers who come off sounding a little dull here.  MED and Oh No both come off wrong, as does Roc C, except he gets saved by a wonderful Oh No beat.  I feel the same way about the track that pairs Guilty Simpson with Four Tet.  I think the beat would have stood up better if left alone.  There is nothing wrong with the Aloe Blacc track, except it's not the type of thing I expect from him.  There's a decent enough J. Rocc piece as well, but he's not an artist I ever find myself getting excited about.

Finally, the less said about James Pants and Arabian Prince, the better.

Earthology

by The Whitefield Brothers

My first exposure to the Whitefield Brothers was through their album 'In the Raw', and while I liked it as background music, this album is miles above it in terms of quality and vision.

Earthology opens with a call for "joyous joyful exaltation" before sliding into a seventies-style funk piece.  From there, the album remains quite mercurial, shifting tones, moods, and styles a couple of times before finishing.

The Brothers have invited a few rappers to appear on the album. 'Reverse', with Percee P and MED, is a funk remix off of the Percee's last album, and I think the track works better than the original Madlib version did.  'The Gift', featuring Edan and Mr. Lif would fit nicely on Beauty and the Beat, but also works great here.

The rest of the album is strictly instrumental, and that's where the Brothers and their accompanists really shine.  Tracks like 'Safari Strut', 'Alin', and 'Breakin' Through' update older African melodies.  'Sem Yelesh' is a thoughtful piece grounded by a terrific saxophone.

Right in the middle of the album, they have place 'Ntu', a cool percussion-only piece, which serves to cleanse the listener's rhythmic pallet before diving into 'Pamukkale', my favourite track on this album.  This piece could have been the opening theme to an African spy show, like a Mission: Impossible type of thing, set in Lagos or Nairobi.

The album closes out with a pair of lovely pieces, 'Lullaby for Lagos' and 'Chich'.  This whole album is a very cool project, and one that I've had on pretty steady play for the last couple of months.