A little late with this, but here are my favourite five albums from 2010 recorded (partially or fully) by London-based artists:
1) The Filthy Six - The Filthy Six (Acid Jazz)A near-perfect album in every way: from the excellent cover artwork to the all-important music within. The Filthy Six's blend of Hammond jazz, soul and funk has taken London's club scene by storm, and this album proves that their sound translates equally well onto disc. The match with Acid Jazz records was made in Heaven and kudos must also be given to the label for signing them up.
The long-player is entirely instrumental and the majority of the tracks are self-penned. Their cover version of the "Get Carter" theme, however, was also chosen as the debut 45rpm single from the album. The only track that didn't entirely work for me was their cover of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab", though the solos are good and it proves popular on dancefloors. To be honest, it's hard to pick a favourite track as the whole record is so strong, but I should give a mention to "Knockout". This original number was also released as the B-side of the aforementioned 45rpm. It's a real groove of a track and will definitely be featuring in my DJ sets.
If you like 1960s soul-jazz, Blue Note, the Hammond sound or are merely curious to hear one of the best young bands of the last 10 years, then you quite simply must own this album!
Available on vinyl, CD and download2) Fire Walker - The Root Source (Freestyle)A beautiful instrumental album from Andy Fairclough's Root Source - a seven-piece jazz outfit with something of a 1970s sound and a groove aimed firmly at the dancefloor. This is their second album and their best yet. Whilst most of the tracks on the album are originals, the highlight has to be Fairclough's inspired arrangement of the "Oompa Loompa Song" and "Pure Imagination" from the 1971 film version of "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory". So lovely and unexpected did I find the band's atmospheric treatment, that I had to keep playing these numbers over and over again!
The rest of the album is not quite as infectious as the "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory Suite", but the last two tracks, "Echoes Of Your Past" and "Streams", certainly keep the quality just as high. The only complaint I can really make about the album as a whole is that there maybe isn't enough variation. However, it is a very strong release and The Root Source prove themselves to be another young group to keep your eyes (and ears) on!
Available on CD and download3) Super Size - Prince Fatty (Mr Bongo)This delightful reggae album from Brighton-based producer Prince Fatty features fantastic guest vocals from Jamaican legends Winston Francis and Little Roy (now based in London) as well as Horseman, Natty, Alcapone and Hollie Cook. Much of the material consists of cover versions - from the straightforward, such as Winston Francis's soulful take on Bruce Ruffin's "Dry Up Your Tears" which kicks off the album - to the more unusual, namely the dancehall reggae versions of hip-hop classics "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" and "Insane In The Brain". These two are definitely love-em or hate-em tracks, but Prince Fatty certainly deserves full marks for originality and to my ears these are vast improvements on the originals.
The aforementioned Winston Francis track and Little Roy's "Need Some Lovin" are definitely the best tracks here. Much of the rest of the album consists of dub, which doesn't work quite as well for me as the straight reggae tracks. Prince Fatty is without a doubt an excellent producer and has hired some phenomenal musicians and vocalists for this album, but King Tubby he is not.
The sound of the album is very clean and up-to-date, which at times is all that differentiates it from the music of the 1970s that it draws inspiration from. This is not a bad thing, though it may be something that divides opinion amongst reggae connoisseurs. Overall, however, "Super Size" is a sterling effort and proof that authentic soulful reggae can still be produced in the 21st Century.
NOTE: The album is available on vinyl as well as CD, but with fewer tracks. These "missing" tracks were released as 45rpms.
Available on vinyl, CD and download4) Skalsa #1 - Skatroniks Jamaica (Skajam)Whilst "Skalsa #1" was finished in 2009, it wasn't until 2010 that it got its official release - with the band performing the whole album live at the launch party at Camden's Jazz Cafe.
Skatroniks Jamaica were formed in 2003 and I had been waiting eagerly for this, their first album, since hearing them live on a number of occasions. At their early gigs they came across as a reincarnation of The Skatalites. Since then, some changes have occurred to their line-up, most notably with Bigga Morrison taking on the role of vocalist, producer, song writer and keyboard player. Whilst Bigga is not the strongest vocalist, he does prove himself to be a great songwriter and arranger. The 8-piece band is full of other talented musicians however, with mentions going to Jay Phelps on trumpet, Alan Weekes on guitar and Brian Edwards on Sax.
Although the album didn't quite live up to my expectations, it does still contain some amazing ska tunes in a Skatalites vein that make it well worth the money. "Forward Ever", "Flight To Ethiopia" and "Original Nubia" are destined to become floor-fillers and I plan to feature them heavily in my DJ sets. I also like the title track, though it has more of a straight Cuban rhythm than the ska-salsa hybrid that the name and lyrics imply. The sweet "Diurnal & Nocturnal" vocal ska track should also get a mention as a catchy and heartfelt love song.
The album is slightly let down by its production, use of sound effects and unnecessary vocal echo, but that shouldn't put you off. I can only hope that the band continues to play live and that we don't have to wait so long for their next release.
NOTE: It is already near-impossible to find this album on CD (which is a shame as the booklet contains some nice artwork and brief notes by Ernest Ranglin), but it can still be downloaded in MP3 format from Amazon.
Available on CD and download5) Mambo Ska - Ska Cubano (Casinosounds)Ska Cubano must surely be one of the most exciting live acts around at the moment. Their performances are full of energy and talent and seem to get better and better. Mambo Ska is the third studio album from the band and is good fun, though not as consistently strong as their previous two albums in my opinion. The production is very clean, but somehow seems to lose a little something. However, it is well worth picking up for "Pachito E Che", "Cumbia Del Monte" and "Mambo Ska" - the title track. That's not to say that the rest is just filler, but these are the stand out tracks for me.
"Pachito E Che" is a ska version of the Cuban song made famous by Beny More with Perez Prado. The vocals are provided by the talented Beny Billy (who no longer performs live with the band) and the group skillfully swing both the Jamaican and Cuban elements of the rhythm. This track was recorded as a straight ska instrumental in the 1960s by The Skatalites as "Latin Goes Ska", but here Ska Cubano give them a run for their money!
"Cumbia Del Monte" again features Beny Billy on vocals and is a pretty straight cover version of the classic cumbia track recorded in the 60s by a number of bands, including Carmen Rivero y su Conjunto. Ska Cubano proved on earlier albums that they can swing their cumbia numbers as well as, if not better than, their ska ones and this one ticks all the boxes.
"Mambo Ska" is an original by group leader Natty Bo, who also provides the vocals (probably his best on the album). It is a joyful sing-a-long number which beautifully sums up the concept behind Ska Cubano and their Jamaican-Cuban fusion (which, though not unique, arguably has no better exponents).
Available on CD and download
As usual there are lots of vintage NYE parties coming up, but this one looks particularly good. Tommy Rock A Shacka from Japan is currently over in the UK and will be spinning alongside top London reggae selectors Tiny T and Asher G. Expect some great rocksteady, roots and ska.
Well, it doesn't look like there's much going on on Halloween itself this year, it being a Monday and all, but fear not, there's lots to choose from over the weekend preceding it. Here's my round-up of this year's choicest, Halloween-themed, vintage club nights. Dressing up is generally not obligatory, but in most cases it is highly appreciated, and at some of the events may even get you a discount on admission.
The Bloomsbury Festival comes to town this weekend, from Friday to Sunday, featuring a plethora of free events, covering music, dance, poetry and art.
I popped into T.M. Lewin today and to my great delight found they are currently stocking the holy grail of men's neckwear: slim knitted ties made of 100% pure silk. And what's more, they are currently part of one of Lewin's famous half-price sales. Known colloquially as Slim Jims, these are quite simply the ultimate, classic, 1960s mod style ties. They should be a staple in any well-dressed man's wardrobe, but are sadly as rare as hen's teeth these days. To be perfectly honest, I haven't seen such nice ties in London since Soho tailor John Pearce made up a batch a few years ago.
Although their line-up has changed over the years, The Three Degrees have existed continuously for almost four decades, and now lay claim to being the longest running female vocal group in history. Today, the trio consists of Valerie Holiday (who first joined in 1967), Helen Scott (who first joined in 1963) and Freddie Pool, who replaced Cynthia Garrison at the end of 2010.
It's tea time! Nestled in the heart of Shoreditch, the Time For Tea vintage tearoom is the setting for a one-off afternoon tea with a difference. Your host for the day is the effervescent Kate Pieroudis (aka Lil' Koko) who promises a fine selection of cakes (including Lavender Cake, Oh-My Chocolate Cake, and scones) while her Italian friend Chiara serves up Crostata and Tiramisù (my favourite Italian dessert).
I've just discovered that the S&M (Sausage & Mash) Cafe on Essex Road in Islington has closed down. Despite its inconsistent service and menu over the years, I rather liked the place as it kept the English Heritage listed cafe (originally Alfredo's, opened in the 1920s) in use as an old-fashioned style eatery (albeit a rather expensive one).
Running at just over an hour and a half, the film is primarily a compilation of long-lost footage which was found buried in a Swedish Television archive - unseen by the public for 30 years. On top of this are added contemporary audio interviews from leading African-American artists, activists, musicians and scholars.
The E17 Art Trail is currently taking place in Walthamstow in North East London. It runs until 11th September. The E17 Art Trail is a free annual festival showcasing artists from Waltham Forest. This year there are more than 1000 contributors exhibiting in over 100 venues around the borough. The Trail also includes film, poetry and music events.
Despite the riots that took part in London a few weeks back, this year's Notting Hill Carnival is still going ahead as planned. Starting at 9am each day, Europe's largest street festival returns this August bank holiday weekend (Sunday 28th and Monday 29th August).
It's been a frightening and painful time for London and the UK recently, but it looks like things are starting to get back to normal again now. I say it's time to start getting out again!
After the success of our encounter in 2010, I've been invited back to Shoreditch's premier vintage black music night, Bande À Part, to play another Right On! style set.
Headline acts include Jamaican legends Ken Boothe, Marcia Griffiths and, reuniting for the first time since the 1970s, Dave & Ansel Collins, who will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of their UK Number One single, 'Double Barrel'.
Courtesy of Mr Bongo Records, I have promotional copies of the "Super Size" CD to give away to five lucky readers of the London Dossier blog. All you have to do is email the answer to the following question, along with your full name and postal address, to info@londondossier.com
I've just got hold of a promo copy of the new EP from London-based jazz pianist, Greg Foat. Taken from his forthcoming album on Jazzman Records, Dark is the Sun (The Greg Foat Group - JMANCD/LP.041), the EP comes on limited edition 10" vinyl with a beautiful, psychedelic, hand-printed sleeve (unfortunately not featuring a track listing).
I am planning to relaunch my respected and much-missed vintage black music club night, Right On!, this year and am currently working on the website and online presence. To that end, I have just created a page for the club on popular social networking site, Facebook. If you would like to be kept informed of the club's relaunch via Facebook or would just like to show your support or network online with fellow fans, please join the page by following the link below and then clicking the "Like" button (you will need to be logged into Facebook).
The second in the series is entitled May We Help You? and lives up to its promise of being a guide to "The best specialist suppliers in London". Though it covers such unusual services as bulletproofing, Japanese knife sharpening and taxidermy, this guide is more than a mere curiosity, offering as it does details of far more essential suppliers - from the sartorial (tailoring alterations, invisible mending, buttons, cobbler) to the practical (locksmith, umbrellas, stationery).
The third map in the trilogy, and the largest to date (at twice the size of the others), is an historic guide to London's lost gems of the 1960s. Billed as "a retrospective guide to London's shops, clubs, boutiques and sundry diversions, 1960-66", Wish you were there is a fascinating and extremely well researched insight into the era of Swinging London, when the city was perceived to lead the world in fashion and nightlife.