Ancient Live

Cut Chemist and DJ Numark Live - 1997


Just rediscovered this classic jam. I entreat you to play it in your headphones for 40 minutes while you're at work, if your workplace allows such liberties. Starts off slowly, and there's a lot of standards here... (e.g. the periodic table of elements) but seriously, Main Source's Snake Eyes, De La Soul, Jeru's verse on "I'm the man", Rock Creek Park, I Know You Got Soul, Slick Rick, J5, the Knight Rider theme, Tribe... there's just too many quality references here to count. Picture 1997 and enjoy.

Protip: Heats up at the 12 minute mark.

I body slam a shamma

Everyman - Deda/Pete Rock - 1994/2003
What You Waiting For - Pete Rock - 2001

Originally shelved sometime in the mid 90s only to be rescued in 2003, Pete Rock again delivers a slippery and simple production with one of the many rappers who aren't worthy of his production. That shouldn't necessarily be a knock against the mysterious 'Deda' who provides a straight-forward enough flow before sinking back into obscurity. The album is average by Pete Rock standards, but a few of the tracks give me the unmistakable feeling that one of my favorite albums grew a secret bonus track while I wasn't looking. This time it could be The Main Ingredient or Petestrumentals.

Speaking of the latter, you can call me a sucker for mid-tempo beats with jazz samples, but sometimes you just don't need much anything else. The best tracks on Petestrumentals are case in point.

From the crates

La Voglia La Paia - Ornella Vanoni, Vinicius & Toquinho - 1976
Anema E Core - Ornella Vanoni, Vinicius & Toquinho - 1976

As promised, I'm going to start posting more of my vinyl to mp3 transfers. The latest comes from a rare collaboration with Italian diva Ornella Vanoni and the songwriter-guitarist duo Vinicius de Moraes & Toquinho.

When they recorded this one-off bossa nova album in 1976, Vanoni was already a big pop star in Italy. She had acted in a few Bertolt Brecht plays, appeared on TV variety shows, and was a hit performing romantic slow burners like this. Vinicus meanwhile was well-known in Brazil for his poetry and for writing the lyrics to bossa anthems like "Chega de Saudade" and "Girl from Ipanema." Later on in his career, he collaborated with Toquinho, a classically trained guitarist who worked with him on 16 albums total, usually in a supporting role where the two of them backed up a female singer, as they did in this Roma session with Vanoni.

For her part, Vanoni plays the breezy Astrud Gilberto role quite well. The arrangements are also great, especially the opening bars of "La Voglia La Paia" where they introduce with trumpet and flute, and Toquinho's driving guitar. If this is something you dig, I recommend checking out the Ennio Morricone-Chico Buarque record "Per un Pugno di Samba." Maybe you already know it.