Gregory Porter - an amazing singer

 I don't do a good job of keeping track of new artists and many may laugh that I recently came across music by Gregory Porter.  I initially heard Gregory on the radio and was fairly impressed with what little bit of his music they played.  Several weeks later, I was in a local music store digging through the crates as they say and came across what I suspect may be Porter's first CD.  I immediately purchased the CD and inserted into the player in my car - yes my car still has a CD player - and was amazed by the music created by Gregory and his band.  If you are not familiar with Gregory's music, I ask that you invest 11 minutes or so of your time to listen to the tracks below.  I'm not a music critic so my description of Gregory's music may be somewhat lacking. That being said, his voice is both rich and powerful. There is clarity in his voice and he has a pace that varies from slow and low to upbeat.  The musical backing on the two tracks below are phenomenal and truly make these songs (and the CD as a whole) very special.  When I listen to his voice and music to an extent, it reminds me very much of  Dianne Reeves (another special artist).  I hope you take the time to listen to the tracks below.

Enjoy the tunes!

Gregory Porter

Real Good Hands

On My Way to Harlem

Dianne Reeves - I can't quite explain why Porter's music reminds me or Dianne, but it does. Take a listen and see what you think.

Better Days

Rindge Leaphart

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rindgeleaphart/ 

 As of late I have been fortune to come across recordings from a variety of jazz musicians. Below are links to some of these artists.  Many of these artists might be well known to others, but they are definitely new to me.  I'm glad to have come across their music. I hope you enjoy this random sampling of artists.

Sonny Criss: The Beat Goes On 

Stanley Turrentine: Pieces of Dreams

Chris Potter: Live

Stanley Getz: https://www.Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto - Corcovadoyoutube.com/watch?v=W-YnyZG8fNU

Hugh Masekela: Grazing in the Grass

Vincent Herring: Straight Street

Clark Terry St Louis Blues I heard this tune the other day and found it quite playful and fun to listen to Enjoy!

Those are just a few of the artists.  As I come across others, I will amend the list.  I hope to be able to find CD's of their music.

All the best,

Rindge Leaphart

DJ Dobie - Learned Something New Today

Just came across this article on DJ Dobie out of the UK and his contribution to Hip Hop and Soul (think Soul II Soul) in the UK and one might argue globally.  Good article and good music.  Worth a read and a listen.

https://daily.bandcamp.com/2018/08/03/dobie-sound-of-one-hand-clapping-20th-anniversary/

Rindge Leaphart

NPO Radio Soul and Jazz - Radio 2

I'm in the mood for sharing so hear I go 😊  I recently came across NPO Raido Soul and Jazz out of the Netherlands.  I don't know much about the station or the DJ's except to say they play an amazing collection of Soul & Jazz music.  As you might expect they play some standards.  However, their playlist is deep and wide.  You don't have to worry about hearing the same song twice on regular basis as you do on typical commercial stations.  I have come across many a musical gem that they have played.  Great mix of music that simultaneously brings me down memory lane while improving my musical IQ.  I hope others find it enjoyable: http://www.nposoulenjazz.nl/ 

Rindge Leaphart

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LL Cool J in a Honda

When I first saw the headline I decided I had to read the article.  Not the most in depth article, but a decent amount of photos from a photographer who has been in the music scene for quite some time. In the article, he shares several good stories including the one of LL pulling up in a Honda.  LL's rational for the Honda shows his insight and maturity at that age (1991).  I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did:Don't Call This a Comeback

Rindge Leaphart

Sneaker Fans - Rindge Leaphart

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/12/sneakers-have-always-been-political-shoes/511628/

Sharing an article that sneaker-heads might enjoy.  Also, if you have not seen the film: “Just for Kicks”, I'd suggest tracking it down for a view or two.

Rindge Leaphart

From Harlem to the Bourbon Palace

For all of you hip hop heads and graffiti fans, this is a very good article about a pioneer in the world of graffiti. Several tidbits shared in the story resonated very with me and bought back more than a few memories.  I hope everyone enjoys reading the article as much as I did.

From Harlem to the Bourbon Palace

 Rindge Leaphart

http://www.linkedin.com/in/rindgeleaphart
http://rindgeleaphart.wordpress.com/

Quite Colourful Indeed by Rindge Leaphart

I recently came across Colourful Radio out of the UK, a true gem.  In my search for great international music, I discovered Colourful Radio.  The station plays what seems to be a heavy dose of US artists, but also music by artists out of the UK, the Caribbean, as well as other parts of Europe.  What I find quite interesting, is that a decent portion of the music by US artists are cuts that I am not familiar with.  It's as if they have found a treasure trove of B-side cuts that may have been overlooked by others.  Or it could just be, that I am not as up-to-date on Neo-Soul artists and cuts as I think I am. Either way, the music is great.  I have caught several interviews of artists that were thorough and well done.  Not cookie cutter interviews by any means.  The station is now a regular on my playlist and I'm actually listening as type this post.  Make sure to check out the links below to add some Colour to your listening experience.


http://www.colourfulradio.com/

Guest Interviews on Colourful

Rindge Leaphart

Mr. Big Stuff Brazilian Style - by Rindge Leaphart

Just came across this tune and was impressed enough to share.  Que Tempo Bom was clearly influenced by Jean Knight's classic.  The music from Jean's original is timeless and of course still funky.  The Brazilian duo that sampled the song overlaid some of their own music with nice vocals from both the female singer and male rapper.  I hope folks enjoy the tune as much as I do.





Rindge Leaphart

http://www.linkedin.com/in/rindgeleaphart
http://rindgeleaphart.wordpress.com/

Hip Hop from Turkey

Quick update on Ceza;

I happened to be in Boston this past summer (2021) and had the opportunity to be in an Uber with a driver from Turkey.  He was playing rap music and we started talking about different artists from Turkey.  Turns out he is a big fan Ceza as well. The conversation and listening to his sample of Turkish rappers including Ceza made for an enjoyable ride.

Regards,

Rindge Leaphart  

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I recently picked up a couple of CD's of Turkish rap.  The first CD is by Sogopa Kajmer & Kolera and titled Bendeki Sen.  The second CD is by Ceza and titled Suspus.  Let me start off by saying I don't understand the Turkish language at all.  So why by purchase CD's of Turkish rappers?  Because I enjoy learning / listening about how Hip Hop and Rap music manifests itself overseas.  Plus, you never know, you might just pick up a CD with great music even if you don't understand the lyrics.

Both of the CD's were enjoyable.  I think Sagopa and Kolera did a god job with their duets if you will.  I like how they incorporated riffs / samples of American rap on their CD (sampling was once the lifeblood of rap and may still be).  The last  cut on the CD Scratch Diploma is one of my favorite cuts as it is roughly 4+ minutes of a DJ scratching.  The entire CD can be accessed via the following link: Bendeki Sen

Ceza's CD has a number of cuts I found enjoyable.  Ceza has a number of cuts with not only rapid fire lyrics but also very sonic-ally please music and of course the DJ scratching brings a smile to my face.  Several cuts that you might want to check out are: Suspus , Ne De Zor , Ders Al - rapid fire lyrics and one of my favorites is Milyon Farkli Hikaye not sure what he is rapping about on this cut but he sounds very passionate and the beats are somewhat melancholy lending support to that whatever the subject is it is quite important to him.


I hope you enjoy this dispatch!

Rindge Leaphart

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Soul Jazz from Up North

Another find from Wax Poetics - Souljazz Orchestra.  Click on the link to check out one of the singles.  Easy listening on a Sunday morning.

http://www.waxpoetics.com/music/videos/the-souljazz-orchestra/

Rindge Leaphart

Mixtape of funky Arabic tunes from the ’60s and ’70s collected by Jannis of Jakarta Records

I found the link below on Wax Poetics - "funky" is a very good description. Music is catchy and has a very upbeat pace.  In some instance you can tell the music is dated, but good music is good music and it transcends time.  Hopefully you will enjoy as much as I did.

http://www.waxpoetics.com/music/mixtape/mixtape-funky-arabic-tunes-60s-70s-collected-jannis-jakarta-records/ 


Rindge Leaphart

http://www.linkedin.com/in/rindgeleaphart
http://rindgeleaphart.wordpress.com/ 

Poets of Rythm, A German Funk Band - Rindge Leaphart comments

While listening to random tunes on Pandora, I came across a band by the name of Poets of Rythm. The tune  in question was Fondle Rock.  These gents came together in the 90's and focused on reproducing the Funky sounds of the 60-70's.  I've listened to a few of their other cuts and they sound pretty good.  It also seems as if their music has been released by Daptone Records, which is also a throwback to the Funky sounds of the 60's and 70's.  I've included a couple of links below that provide and overview of the band and samples of the their music.

Enjoy!

http://www.npr.org/2013/10/18/236947046/the-poets-of-rhythm-a-troop-of-german-james-browns

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/poets-of-rhythm-mn0000894522 - you can hear samples of their various tracks

Rindge Leaphart

http://rindgeleaphart.wordpress.com/

Cortex - French Jazz from the 70's

I recently picked up a CD produced by a French group by the name of Cortex.  Specifically, I picked up Volume 2 - what a creative name.  Let me first say I like this CD.  I did not know what to expect with this CD.  I like Jazz, but am not a connoisseur by any means.  But I thought what the heck and decided to experiment.  The CD was produced in the 70's and thus has a very 70'ish sound to it.  Somewhat reminiscent of 70's lounge music you might find in a 70's film.  As I type that, I am comfortable saying this CD would have been a great soundtrack to many a film produced in the 70's.  Anyway, the pace is fairly upbeat, not in a dance type of way.  But nonetheless upbeat.  I have not listened to any other music from Cortex, but I may pick up other CD's from them as I come across them.  No standout performances by any means on this disc, but solid good music from folks on the other side of the Atlantic.  If you like jazz and have an affinity for the 70's sound, give them a shot.  Many people refer to them as Jazz with Funk.  Not much funk to be found Volume 2. 



http://www.groovecollector.com/artist/cortex/1038/

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Cortex+%286%29 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-FZ5jzlwIc

Rindge

http://www.linkedin.com/in/rindgeleaphart

http://rindgeleaphart.wordpress.com/

Rindge Leaphart comments on DJ Gruff: Italian Hip Hop

Just a quick post on an artist that I came across back in 2009.  The artist goes by the name of DJ Gruff.  I happened to be in a record / cd store in Italy and asked a couple of the locals to recommend a good hip hop cd.  They looked at me and to my surprise asked if I wanted gangsta hip hop or real hip hop.  Given my old school roots I asked for the real thing.  They didn't miss a beat - pun intended - and pointed me in the direction of DJ Gruff.  I am very grateful to those two gents as the cd I picked up - UNO - is extremely good and DJ Gruff is extremely talented.  I don't speak Italian but you can hear several shout outs on the cd to old school artists like crazy legs (whom I once met by the way).

The beats on this cd are very mellow to say the least and the scratching by DJ Gruff is very impressive and tailored very well to match the instrumentals of the sampled records.  I miss the days of DJ's doing their thing on stage and actually scratching (records vs CD's).  I can't speak to Gruff's other releases, but this cd is very impressive - great music to kick back and relax to.

I am including several links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPKoS2GwuEw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3y2acCQf7A

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Gruff

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Rindge Leaphart thoughts on Les Nubians

French language Neo Soul is how the two sisters from France describe their music.  I would also add in a dash of Spoken word.  I read an article about the dynamic duo in the WSJ years ago and decided to pick up their CD.  I must say I was pleasantly surprised.   The CD is titled Les Nubians presents Echos.  It is a compilation of spoken word with really nice beats (similar to my previous post http://rindgeleaphart.blogspot.com/2012/04/rindge-leaphart-comments-on-abd-al.html). The spoken word was a mix of English and French.  The spoken word on this CD  has some very clever lyrics.  When you match the lyrics with the beats, this CD is a winner.  There are multiple artists who are presented on this CD and they all shine.  The track titled NYC is one of my favorites.  This is a really nice CD to sit back and listen to with your loved one.


Rindge Leaphart

http://rindgeleaphart1.wordpress.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rindgeleaphart/

http://www.lesnubians.com/

http://www.lesnubians.com/bio
http://www.myspace.com/echosnubianvoyager

Rindge Leaphart and Global Music: Rindge Leaphart Comments on Xavier Naidoo

Rindge Leaphart and Global Music: Rindge Leaphart Comments on Xavier Naidoo: I picked up  Xavier Naidoo's CD titled Zwischenspiel/Alles für Den Herrn ( http://www.amazon.de/Zwischenspiel-Alles-f%C3%BCr-Den-Herrn/dp/...

Rindge Leaphart Comments on Xavier Naidoo

I picked up  Xavier Naidoo's CD titled Zwischenspiel/Alles für Den Herrn (http://www.amazon.de/Zwischenspiel-Alles-f%C3%BCr-Den-Herrn/dp/B00005YXHB) while in Germany and it is one of my most cherished CD's.  Xavier has a very soulful voice.  I've always been disappointed that his music did not make it across the Atlantic.  It could be that most of his music is in German, but even then it is still great music and his voice is very powerful.  The CD above is a 2 CD set and every track has great music combined with a soulful voice.  I haven't listened to other music from Xavier besides these CD's so I can't attest to his other recordings.  Some of the recording are English.  If you listen to these CD's with an open mind and you have an appreciation for soul music, I think you will be very impressed.  There are at least 1-2 tracks where he has a rapper perform with him that is also sonically pleasing.  He gets credit for having a phenomenal voice, but credit should also be given to whomever arranged the music.  Top notch production!

Does anyone else have any comments they can share about Xavier?

http://www.xavier.de/microsite/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Naidoo

http://rindgeleaphart.wordpress.com/

Rindge Leaphart

Rindge Leaphart Review of Shad

I came across Shad's The Old Prince CD while in Canada.  It was somewhat difficult finding a CD.  I asked one of the workers at the store to recommend popular Canadian rappers and he kept referring me to US artists.  After a little persistence, I finally found a Canadian rapper (I think this was before Drake hit it big) - Shad.

I don't know how Shad is viewed in Canada.  I found his style and lyrics to be somewhat whimsical and not too serious, which at times is refreshing.   His music on the CD was not "hardcore" by any means, I would call them light and easy on the ears, if not overly appealing to my sonic tastes.  I can't say Shad is one my favorite finds from international rappers, but I enjoyed his CD, even if it is not on my "must listen to regularly list"

I have included a link to one my favorite songs off of his CD below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shad_%28rapper%29

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExOCc_bHj6U&feature=related

http://rindgeleaphart.wordpress.com/

Rindge Leaphart

Rindge Leaphart comments on Seth Gueko

Seth Gueko's Drive by en Caravane is another CD I picked up in Paris.  He seems to be listed as a hardcore rapper.  Given that I don't speak French, I can't comment on his lyrics or message.  His lyrical delivery seemed to come across as hardcore.  French is I believe a romance language and I have to tell you hardcore rap delivered in a romance language just doesn't seem to flow.  I have a Japanese CD and his hardcore delivery seemed to flow very well with the Japanese language.  By no means am I a linguist, but it just doesn't seem that the French language is suited for delivering hardcore rap.  Anybody have any thoughts on that less than insightful observation?  I have some old music by Mc Solaar - probably one of the first if not most recognized French rappers back in the day and his lyrical delivery and flow just seemed so much more natural and suited for the French language.  Anyway, just one man's observation.  Overall this cd by Seth didn't move me.  The music was not to my liking and the hardcore delivery just didn't resonate with me. As I finish this note, I remember that years ago I picked up another French rapper's cd and the same thing - he was trying to deliver hardcore lyrics in a language that does not seem to be suited to a romance language. 

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Gueko

http://www.sethgueko.net/

http://rindgeleaphart.wordpress.com/

Rindge Leaphart