Jimmy Smith - Root Down

I can never get enough jazz, especially if it has an organ involved. When there's a deep funk influence that is really groovy, I have to move myself. A friend linked me to "Root Down" on youtube simply saying, "funkgasm" followed by the url. So, I have to post it, it's ridiculously awesome.

Make sure to listen to part 2, or you're missing out on some slick soloing supported with an amazing rhythm section. The album was recorded live way back in 1972 and the Verve remasterings have a really organic feel to them. Overall, it's really soulful and smooth, including a cover of Al Green's "Lets Get Together."

Man Man

With Man Man hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , it's difficult to know where to start, as with their music. It's literally insane, but so unique you have to hear something by them. Their style is described as somewhere between evil circus music and gypsy jazz. It's loud, it's got ridiculous percussion, and all of the members have fun pseudonyms.

Give it a listen:

Their style started off in Man In a Blue Turban With a Face being really out there, with lots of eastern European influence and quite experimental. They moved to Six Demon Bag, arguably their best with a very frantic pace that jumps all over the place. It's full of screaming and intense passages followed by very fluid verses. Finally, to a more accessible Rabbit Habits that is clearly more produced but none the less, great. It refines their style of gypsy madness with some smooth jazziness at the same time.

Start with The Ballad of Butter Beans on Rabbit Habits for a good example of their overall style. It's got a face pace with xylophones, their characteristic vocal style and solid percussion.

The Harlem Experiment

I had m4a's of this sitting around for a long time. This was a rediscovery of sorts, but it's been really fitting summer music again. Really jazzy and bluesy, a little folksy. 

tunes @ link.

Listen to this, and if you dig this, buy it. It's really cool sound from people that came from the same neighborhood but raised in many different styles of music. 

There's no doubt that this music will appeal to a lot of people, it's good on many different levels going from latin jazz styles to some blues and funk. Play it loud, open your windows, share it.