Patrick Forge's Podcast

I've always tried to keep my personal and professional life separate, but these days it seems the lines are increasingly blurred. It's no secret that much to my amazement and delight I've become a father again which accounts for my recent sabbatical from the radio.

So, whilst I was reconciled to the idea of parenthood returning to the agenda despite my (ahem) advancing years, I never anticipated..... twins!!!! A double blessing for sure, but that's easily said by those who've never actually experienced the reality of dealing with two wee ones simultaneously! It's relentless, they sleep deprivation is a form of torture but mainly I'm just delirious, doolally and drunk on the delights of nappy changing, cooing, comforting and generally easing the passage of my identical twin boys into this world.

Funnily enough when we eventually arrived home with the boys there was a record shaped package amongst the piles of bills and junk mail which turned out to be my copy of Malcolm Cecil's "Radiance". I've long been fascinated by Cecil's career, as an obsessive devourer of record sleeve credits I eventually pieced together Cecil puzzle from his work alongside Robert Magaloueff with Stevie Wonder, and their pioneering electronic ambient excursions as Tonto's Expanding Head Band, to his production with Gil Scott-Heron And The Isley Brothers, but his solo album from 1981 had so far eluded me. It's very much in the classic T.O.N.T.O style, The Original New Timbral Orchestra being the vast modular synthesiser on which the album is entirely played, (apart from a contribution from Paul Horn's flute on the second track we include in the show). So "Radiance" ended up being the soundtrack to our first days at home with Quincy and Sebastian.... and you know who the former is named after! Ambient music certainly seems the most appropriate for the frayed and dazed days of new parenthood, gentle and slightly surreal, time dissolved into a continuum of caring and getting through.

So maybe instead of my musings about cycling to South London my podcast will become a blog about twin parenthood? Actually I look forward to the day when I can get back to cycling and broadcasting live, and for that matter the days when I can return to my regular work-outs in the pool... of all the things I miss at the moment swimming would have to be top of the list as I tend to think it keeps me sane as much as trim!

Anyway it was fairly miraculous to me that I managed to record a show here at Forge Towers, and I wouldn't pretend it's the greatest radio show I've put together, but under the circumstances I'm pleased with the outcome. There's a healthy balance of ancient and modern, with new soulful sounds from Lucas Arruda, Eric Roberson, Dele Sosimi, Kamasi Washington nestling alongside classics from Doug and Jean Carn, Charles Earland, Deodato and others.

Of course Doug and Jean's rendering of Wayne Shorter's beautiful "Infant Eyes" was an obvious choice even if it was originally dedicated to a baby girl, it has all the tenderness and wonder of life inside the baby bubble. Of course for all the vagaries of sleepless nights and other sacrifices the joys of witnessing a new life are so much greater, unfathomable, therapeutic and profound.

As for the music, well it was definitely therapeutic to get back to my vinyl, and the one advantage of recording the show at home is that affords the opportunity for more spontanaeity. Certainly the last half hour was completely impromptu, other than kicking it off with Nick the Record's rework of a Lincoln Olivetti Brazil boogie nugget, the rest were just pulled out off the cuff. (Which is easy as my twelves are all in the racks behind my decks, whereas the jazz is mainly on the other side of the room!). If I'd been planning a show more meticulously I'd probably thought "better" of playing Level 42's "Starchild" and Deodato's "Whistle Bump", so there you go.

I also particularly enjoyed the start of the show with the Malcolm Cecil segué into an often overlooked version of "My Favourite Things" ( thank you Jean Claude Thompson). As I mentioned on the show I've been reassessing my Charles Earland collection as he is undoubtedly my favourite jazz organist, so expect more buried treasure from the king of the Hammond in weeks to come...Generally to my ears nothing screams "Acid Jazz" more than the sound of a funky organ groove, as that was the dominant sound at the birth of that "genre". So it was to my surprise that when I eventually dipped into the the third disc of the Kamasi Washington album to find that "Cherokee" was very much in that kind of rare groove style. However it must be said that the thing that stands out to me about the vocal tunes on The Epic is that they have something of a "show tune" quality, the melodies are almost archaic on "Cherokee" and "The Rhythm Changes", which is no bad thing.

Of all the new music I played this week, I have to say that having vinyl copies of the Dele Sosimi and Lucas Arruda albums has increased my appreciation of those works exponentially. Of course I'm a vinyl fan, but beyond any discussion about sound quality, what makes an enormous difference to me is that I'm less likely to listen to a file on my main sound system and even though I run my laptop through a nice pair of speakers (in the kitchen), the whole sonic perspective is very different when playing off vinyl on my "semi-audiophile" set-up with my decks. So the Dele Sosimi album which benefits from being recorded in one of London's best analogue studios sounded much mightier from vinyl. As for Lucas Arruda's "Solar", it's a delightful set which owes much to classic Brazilian crossover fusion and soul, and even though it bears his influence quite obviously even Ed Motta is a fan, as indeed am I; a maturing talent for sure.

More musings on fatherhood and music (definitely not) for dad dancing next week. I'm toying with the idea of some specials.... Like shows dedicated to my favourite drummers... Bernard Purdie, Harvey Mason et al, and I think a classic strictly acoustic jazz set is long overdue... Also I'm trying to think of a fitting tribute to my late great colleague Colin Faver who passed away last Saturday after I recorded the show. The man was one of the greatest DJs I've known, so much greater a talent than so many more celebrated names...no doubt he'll be rocking that party on the other side.

Until then as one of my favourite comedians, Dave Allen, used to say "may your God go with you" which i think leaves plenty of room for interpretation whether your religious, agnostic or atheist...your God might well be music.

1. Malcolm Cecil - Sun Song

2. Oliver Nelson - My Favourite Things

3. Lucas Arruda - Vento Sul

4. The Foreign Exchange - Milk And Honey

5. Dele Sosimi - E Go Better

6. Kamasi Washington - Cherokee

7. Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band - What Can You Bring Me?

8. Charles Earland - Charles 3rd

9. Guilherme Vergueiro - Em Cima Da Hora

10. George Cables - Quiet Fire

11.Malcolm Cecil - Gamelonian Dawn

12. Doug & Jean Carn - Infant Eyes

13. Lucas Arruda - Uma Onda

14. Omar - Get Away

15. Eric Roberson ft. King - Just Imagine

16. Famks - Labirinto (Nick The Record rework )

17. Carly Simon - Tranquilo (Melt My Heart)

18. Airto - The Road Is Hard ( But We're Going To Make It )

19. Level 42 -Starchild

20. Deodato - Whistle Bump

Cosmic Jam Dingwalls

1.Eddie Jefferson - Jeanine

2.Benny Bailey - Little B

3.Vince Andrews - The One Who Loves You

4.Alive - Afreaka

5.Rimona Francis - Colours Of Excitement

6.Pharoah Sanders - Africa pt.2

7. Boy Kantindig - What I Feel

8. Doug Richardson - Salsa Mama

9. Norman Connors - Just Imagine

10.Wayne Henderson - Lady Bug

11.Victor Burghardt & Mike Barone Orchestra - Hardcore Samba

12.Ramsey Lewis - Slick

13.Irene Kral - Wheelers And Dealers

14.The Janet Lawson Quintet - Sunday Afternoon

15.Rafaella Renzulli Ensemble - Asking Eyes

16.Dee Dee Bridgewater - Afro Blue

17.Doug Carn - Higher Ground

18.Miami University Jazz Vocal Ensemble - Freedom Jazz Dance

19.Chaka Khan - And The Melody Lingers On ( A Night In Tunisia)

20.Raw Soul Express - The Way We Live

21.Earth Wind & Fire - In The Stone

22.NYCC - Make Every Day Count

Weather report; Spring is nestling happily between cool and warm, the way it should be, maybe a bit too dry for the farmers, April showers few and far between, happy days for cycling DJs.

Unsurprisingly I start with a tune that references London in the first line, thank you Eska! Your Joni-esque warble at the opening of "To Be Remembered" eventually gives way to something far more full throated and (conventionally) soulful. However it's not just vocal stylings you've learnt from Ms. Mitchell there's something of the same conversational narrative lyric style in this song with it's prosaic mentions of text messages and planting trees. However that's more of a compliment than a gripe and the long awaited album doesn't disappoint, and there's so much that's just Eska.

A good way to begin an opening sequence of tunes that have something of a questioning or searching quality in common. Joyce Elaine Yuille's "Chaos" and Liz Elensky's "Distractions" are both "jazz" songs that deal with the more uncomfortable side of life, whereas Bill Laurance's "Red Sand" is testimony to this musician's, to quote Lee Morgan, "search for the new land".

A little Jazz-dance classicism never goes amiss as we anticipate another Sunday Afternoon At Dingwalls session, now barely a month away. From the lesser known Don Scalletta Trio to the very familiar sound and shape of Miles' "Milestones"... still so fresh, bold and essentially modern. Dingwalls vibes run thick through the massive "discovery" of those days , Dansers Inferno, "Sombre Guitar". As far as I recall this was a discovery of original Soul Jazz duo, Alex and Stuart when they traded records from a shop in the nearby yard, but doubtless the tune may have a deeper history for someone; this would have been around 1990. Anthemic, bold and as happy as the title might say otherwise. "Billy Ballet" is the heavyweight in the pack, killer rhythms from Babatunde!

Brazilian music takes over the back to back sequence in the second hour. My love of Jobim's music deepens with every listen, having read his sister's excellent biography of it's hard not to be endeared to this passionate genius. A word not to be bandied about lightly, but I wouldn't hesitate to also describe Egberto Gismonti thus as well, though his music is not as easily accessible as Jobim's more mellifluous approach, both these Carioca composers could be described as fine distillers of Brazilian traditions as they draw influence from far and wide in Brazil's rich and diverse musical culture.

Azymuth need no introduction but Pela Cidade is an early work that only appeared on a soundtrack.... I love it! Moody, funky and swinging, a great ode to the urban!

The three vocal tracks that follow are all connected and highlight three of Brazil's greatest female singers, finishing with the queen of them all , the late great Elis Regina. Her interpretation of Lo Borges' "O Trem Azul" takes the tune to giddying new heights, Elis truly delivers a stunning vocal which combined with an arrangement from her then husband, Cesar Mariano, stands in complete contrast to Lo and Milton Nascimento's mellower original. Beforehand the minimal funkiness of Gal Costa's "O Vento" is followed by the plangent tones of Nana Caymmi rendering "Club Da Esquina No2" an emotional delight.

Soul tunes..... Michael Henderson, romantic singer and bass player for Miles Davis, and a tune that was featured by the great Ed Motta on a rather wonderful little feature of him talking music in his vinyl room. (I'll be chatting with Ed Motta on ntslive.com this coming Monday from 2pm, after my own show at midday!)

https://youtu.be/cpNK5H7QmFQ

Whilst on the subject of vinyl rooms, my friend James Vyner made a little film of me talking tunes at Forge Towers....

https://vimeo.com/123658175

Rounding off, a great Leon Ware song, and I love Coke Escovedo's version. Then a tune that had me reaching for the Discogs tab when I was reminded of it... looking back I often think to myself that a wiser man wouldn't have been so ready to shed various bits of vinyl when under the influence of a particular zeitgeist. Good music has a way of getting back at me! Maybe Jeff Tyzik's "Sweet Nothings" just conjured a memory or maybe I was just finally appreciating the groove and grace of Steve Gadd's drums!

Had to slot in a favourite from Manhattan Rhythm and a slice of The Rebirth before finishing with at least a taste of Azymuth's of Alex Malheiros.

Enjoy... and as Roland Kirk once put it, "bright moments".

1.Eska - To Be Remembered

2. Alex Puddu - Cruising By Night

3. Joyce Elaine Yuille - Chaos

4. Ajoyo - Tashikere

5. Bill Laurance - Red Sand

6. Liz Elensky - Distractions

7. Don Scalletta Trio - York's Sauna

8. Nanette Natal - Love Signs

9. Miles Davis - Milestones

10. Danser's Inferno - Sombre Guitar

11. Bishop Norman Williams - Billy Ballet

12. Antonio Carlos Jobim - Tempo Do Mar

13. Egberto Gismonti - Cristiana

14. Azymuth - Pela Cidade

15. Gal Costa - O Vento

16. Nana Caymmi - Clube Da Esquinha

17. Elis Regina - O Trem Azul

18. Michael Henderson - Going Places

19. Coke Escovedo - If I Ever Lose This Heaven

20. Jeff Tyzik - Sweet Nothings

21. Manhattan Rhythm - Sweet Lady

22. The Rebirth - Show 'Em

23. Alex Malheiros - Four Aces And A Joker

This show ended up being broadcast twice as I had to reluctantly abandon last Sunday's show as something crucial and even closer to my heart needed my attention, so it went out again. I'd recorded this one at Forge Towers before I took a few days out on family business, so I thought It might sound pretty stale by the time I got round to listening back. But as I've edited now I've really enjoyed the experience.

Nothing exceptional here, just regular Cosmic Jam business, spiced with a couple of all time favourites along the way. A first half hour dominated by the new grooves of Bill Laurance and Hiatus Coyote. Then we revive some Ed Motta, stirring great memories of when he spent some time in London hanging out. There's a Tania Maria tune which is chock full of all her trademark samba fuelled funkiness, some Latin funk from Roland Vasquez and souuuul from Leroy Hutson, and (Xian) flavour from James Vincent, (awesome outro!) and that tune about L.A. that somehow just occupies it's own territory.

Second hour new jazzambience from Jessica Lauren and Richard Spaven, before that soulful feeling comes again, shaken and stirred through tunes by Linda Tillery, Gloria Jay, AWB and Gil... ( a happy one that always makes me smile!)

Dancing all the way home with boogie and disco to uplift even the most tired and troubled soul. And yes.... "Starlette" is really right up there for me in the echelon of "works of utter genius"!!

I'm back with a whole new scheme of things, or at least some different tunes, next week.

In the meantime.... hope you enjoy this selection.

Peace.

P.

1. Cy Gorman ft Will Poskitt - Cool Change

2. Hiatus Coyote - By Fire

3. Bill Laurance - The Rush

4. Marcina Arnold - Forefathers

5. Kyoto Jazz Sextet - Up A Step

6. Gomo - Out Of My Hands

7. Ed Motta - Um Dom Pra Salvador

8. Tania Maria - Bronx

9. Roland Vasquez - Only What Ya Feel

10. Leroy Hutson - I Think I'm Falling In Love

12. James Vincent - The Seventh Day

13. Oliver Sain - Nothing's Real In L.A.

14. Emanative ft. Jessica Lauren - Om Supreme

15. Richard Spaven- Vintage Year

16. Linda Tillery - Heaven Is In Your Mind

17. Average White Band - Digging Deeper

18. Gloria Jay - Know What You Want

19. Gil Scott-Heron & Brain Jackson - Back Home

20. Tom Scott & The L.A. Express - Spindrift

21. Aquarian Dream - Serious Business

22. Adrian Gurvitz - Untouchable And Free

23. Mr. Q - Love And Time

24. Tantra - Get Happy

25. B.B.&Q Band - Starlette

26. Justo Almario - Sho' You Right

Tried though I might to have been the harbinger of Spring last Sunday, fairly inevitably seven days later I'm braced by wintry raw as I'm scudding down the Old Kent Rd. As I write the seasonal change seems to be trying to assert itself again,as nature endeavours to claw its way free from that cold embrace. Even so, around this time of year we tend to start anticipating Summer, contemplating the seemingly impossible shedding of layers, days on the beach, and nights filled with sweet festival sounds..... If you're thinking of heading anywhere this Summer look no further than the tremendous Southern Soul Festival in lovely Montenegro, the line-up is hard to resist.... Whilst the new website is under construction you can check the Facebook, still a few early bird tickets left, grab 'em!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/299599816915683/

Whilst on such topics before we get in to the broadcast stuff, a couple more nights to check...

A Friday night which bodes of great things... less than a 100 tickets left , so please come and join us if you feel the urge!

https://www.facebook.com/events/809590672423254/

And next month there's a rare and maybe never to be repeated session featuring myself alongside my lovely Launette, back to back, in Manchester.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1091302944229261/

So, Cosmic Jam..... I enjoyed this one; maybe sleep deprivation is good for me, having had to rise after an hour and a half's kip following another top session at Guzzo in Barcelona; it was the only flight available, at 9am! So I got back to Forge Towers, sorted a little tunage then retired to my pit for some not quite satisfactory shut-eye. Personally, I always find sleeping during the day disorienting, discombobulating and definitely not to be indulged in unless absolutely essential. It's just that it seems to take longer to wake up again, I hate that fuzziness! Of course after my jaunt down South on the bike I felt very much wide awake, and managed to stay focussed through the show; sometimes I hit a wall of fatigue, and doubtless sometimes that's pretty obvious in my delivery.

First half hour freshness, female vocals, Nneka, Emily Saunders, Eska, Vanessa Freeman, Rhonda Thomas...actually the Eska track is from 2009, but easily as fresh as the rest. Good news is her album drops soon...at last, though I doubt it will have anything as obviously jazzy as this collaboration with Michael Olatuja.

Latin, and harmony? At least so I dubbed the next section of the show. I must say I've been enjoying the Mambo/Descarga/Latin Jazz thing of late, not that I've ever fallen out of love with those hypnotic bass lines and rolling percussion grooves that are best described as by one of my old time record dealers, "dangerous dance music". He had a habit of scrawling on the back of record sleeves, thus diminishing their value considerably, and sometimes the letters DDM would appear next to a track title, just as they do on my copy of "Mighty Mongo". Bless you Brian!

Suffice to say that the trio of tunes that closes this section, from Marvin Smitty Smith through Mongo Sanataria to Daniel Ponce are all deserving of the DDM tag.

It's funny, but over the years I've observed that so many fans of Soul and Jazz (Fusion) who are avid vinyl buyers often steer clear of the Latin and Brazilian sections despite the pervasive influence of those rhythms and musical cultures in so much of the music they cherish (and buy). Maybe I'm just on the Latin Jazz tip at the moment as it's blatantly not trendy, African compilations, obscure South American or Brazilian funk and boogie, anything like that has got legs for the vinyl punter, but good old Latin (Jazz) barely gets a look in!

Prior to that section of tunes the harmony, especially from Lambert Hendricks and Ross, Hendricks' Lyrics to Hi-Fly are hilarious especially when applied anachronistically to the modern hipster, though of course they were written for the original age of "jive cats". The O Quarteto track is sublime beyond words, it must be said the Brazilians have an incredible affinity with the art of harmony singing.

Second half of the show and the back to back section is dominated by Quincy's epic Gula Matari which I usually balk at playing on account of its length. On Sunday night I just wanted to hear it again, and relished every note. It seemed to segué nicely out of Paul Horn's "Guinevere" and into Letta Mbulu's "Down By The River". The "funky folk"? tune that closes the section is a recent turn on, thank you Paul Hillery!! (ph on Mixcloud)

Boogie to the top always seems to be my mantra for the final section of the show, for many reasons, staying awake, staying alive, keeping the groove, and generally banging the boogie. Hopefully this week's burst of dance-floor energy won't disappointment.

1. Nneka - Believe System

2. Emily Saunders - Summer Days

3. Michael Olatuja ft Eska. - Yi Yipada

4. Gomo ft Vanessa Freeman - Forever Love

5. Rhonda Thomas - I Love It

6. Arn Evans & Tradewinds - Sambatime

7. O Quarteto - Ceu E Mar

8. Lambert Hendricks & Ross - Hi-Fly

9. Marvin "Smitty" Smith - Salsa Blue

10. Mongo Santamaria - Sabor

11. Daniel Ponce - Oromi

12. Paul Horn - Guinevere

13. Quincy Jones - Gula Matari

14. Letta Mbulu - Down By The River

15. Bernie Leadon / Michael Georgiades Band - Callin' For Your Love

16. Tom Browne - Brighter Tomorrow

17. Bobby Humphrey - No Way

18. Samm Culley Band - Walk

19. The Sunburst Band - The Secret Life Of Us (The Reflex Revision)

20. Gwen Guthrie - Padlock

Pinch punch first of the month, tis the season of the mad March hare. Days getting brighter, staying lighter, then in a few weeks the clocks go back, and hey, we're living in a different world. All of which may seem like a strange rumination if you're living in Kuala Lumpa or even L.A., but life in a temperate zone like London pivots around such seasonal adjustments. It had been a raw day, windy, with the last throes of Winter wreaking havoc with anyone dressing according to how the day looked from behind glass. After nightfall everything usually calms down, though there had been an aberrational thunderstorm after the sun had gone down, a brief freak-out of nature. However by the time I was riding South the roads had by and large dried, with just the odd puddle to swerve reminding me of the earlier deluge. So onwards and upwards for The Cosmic Jam.

You know what? I'm so grateful to everyone that commented here or on my Facebook page after my mild crisis of confidence last week, all those positive affirmations are hugely appreciated. Faith restored, and once again eager to let the music take your mind, (and mine!). (Not forgetting heart, soul, toes and any other bits it might reach....)

So I'm listening back as I write, and I think it's fair to say that the opening string of soulful ditties that lead off this week's show act like a soft start, a gentle intro, all gloriously mid-tempo and full of uplifting warmth.

Soooo happy to already have something fresh from Jarrod Lawson, though that's hardly fair on the actual artist in question, trumpeter Farnell Newton, but Lawson's presence definitely steals the spotlight. "Peace and Love" has that Dilla-ish off kilter bounce, a righteous message, sublime harmonies, and glorious trumpet from Mr. Newton whose contribution should really not be eclipsed by the man of the moment. Miles Bonny, I remember being heavily into his "Closer Love" EP back in '07, but strangely I hadn't touched down on anything from his "Lumberjack Soul" album from a 2011...never too late to remedy a notable omission, and "Learning To Fly" is a worthy contender. Finally Rhonda Thomas', the album slightly underwhelmingly called "Vinyl Daze", has some tracks that I like well enough and others like "Reach" which I consider to be top drawer... and they keep getting better the more I listen, which is a good sign.

Then we twist...... who'd want to stay in that comfortable Soul groove for too long? Vanessa Freeman's new project Gomo, which I somewhat misleadingly dubbed Gomo Mondo on the show, when actually the album is called "Mondo Romance". Get it? At least I do now....and the music, which climbs to a nice altitude with tunes like "Breathless" combining jazz elements with a new school sensibility, and V's voice which blossoms and grows ever more wondrous....nuff said.

Native Dancer, cosmic, strong....

"Speaking Of Happiness" wrought from the best part of the weave, made of the most soulful material, a truly classic cut.

Stanley Cowell... a pianist whose compositions and evergreen approach to the music called Jazz should be no stranger to Cosmic Jam listeners. Though some vinyl jazz heads may have prized his contributions to the Strata East stable and maybe his awesome "New World" album for the Galaxy label, they may have missed or not even realised his ever expanding oeuvre of CD only releases, many for the Steeplechase label. The album "Mandara Blossoms" features vocalist Karen Francis throughout, and as it was kind of extended by both bass and drum solos I did a crude edit of "A Whole New World" for broadcast purposes, hope nobody's offended, kind of sacrilegious I know, but too many tunes to bless the session with! Like "Señor Zamora", Harold Vick's Latin fused thoroughbred for Strata East, Joe Bonner on Fender Rhodes, ouch!! Too tough. Keeping the Latin tinge, Fertile Ground's "Peace And Love" had been in my head all day, they've deservedly had a revival at Forge Towers of late; the band was mainly the project of James Collins who played keys and wrote most of the tunes however this one was penned by Navasha Deya who fronted the band and partnered James in love, life and music until they parted ways and Fertile Ground were no more.However their legacy deserves attention, in the wake of so much interest in "Spiritual Jazz" and the kind of community led projects the likes of Horace Tapscott et al were at the forefront of, we shouldn't ignore those who carried that torch into the modern era, themselves struggling with the realities of making spiritual music for a commercial music marketplace.

Poncho Sanchez, whenever I mention him in these notes I'm reminded of the day when he and his band stepped out of a tour bus to play at Dingwalls in Camden Lock, some serious L.A. latinos with beards to shame most hipsters. The Banda brothers on timbales and bass!! They were as good as it gets in Latin Jazz, tunes like "Ican" were the reason we went out of our way, and way over our budget, to book them for our Sunday afternoon jazz-dance session. They were happy, in fact so happy they celebrated the occasion with the tune "A Night In London" on their Chile Con Soul release.

The Ray Stephen Oche tune is an old favourite, however the African stream flows on with the two tunes that follow, the incredible Ndikho Xaba which starts off the second hour and a tune from the Ice album which had been languishing in my collection for many years without me exploring beyond the funky classic "Racubah", and in many ways I vastly prefer "Ozan Koukle". Bongos, Rhodes, solos...a la bit (Afro)acid-jazz, but lovely all the same, particularly the chanted refrain.

Out of Africa to ...... Stereolab, an odd insertion I agree, but it does kind of work, and it gets even odder by following on with Maze....I just had to do it. And then Hey Jude?? Yes, well, Edu Lobo's version is sublime.....

Finally we get some boogie groove, with Japanese jazz-funkers Casiopea making a long overdue appearance on the show, followed by my favourite "AOR disco" acquisition of late, the Sweet Vendetta album from Adrian Gurvitz, Adrian straight outta Stoke Newington, has a career with stints alongside powerhouse drummer Buddy Miles (Hendrix Band Of Gypsies) and then with Ginger Baker. So no surprise that this, his first solo album was made with some top notch U.S. session players, including drummers Jeff Pocaro and Ed Greene who features on this tune "Untouchable And Free" which I first heard somebody play at Danny Psychemagick's Magic Forest festival last summer, it was a tune that stuck in my head, though I didn't actually know what it was, didn't ask, and then lo and behold, I pick up the Gurvitz album for a paltry sum, get it on the turntable, and Side One Track One.... it's that tune!! Love it when that happens , oh blessed serendipity!

Nice re-edit of Pacific Jam follows, primed for the dance floor, that tune has always been big in my box! Rhyze needs a pitch down, but is even punchier with the bpm lowered and "Free And Easy" suddenly sounds spectacular... a nice way to finish.

Loved this one....

Until next time, peace love and pyjamas!

P.x

1. Farnell Newton ft. Jarrod Lawson&Tony Ozier - Peace And Love

2. Miles Bonny - Learning How To Fly

3. Rhonda Thomas - Reach

4. Gomo - Breathless

5. Native Dancer - Paris Drive

6. Gloria Lynne - Speaking Of Happiness

7. Stanley Cowell ft. Karen Francis - A Brand New World

8. Harold Vick - Senor Zamora

9. Fertile Ground - Peace And Love

10. Poncho Sanchez - Ican

11. Ray Stephen Oche - Odeiyolaoo

12. Ndikho Xaba and The Natives - Nomusa

13. Ice - Ozan Koukle

14. Stereolab - The Extension Trip

15. Maze - The Look In Your Eyes

16. Edu Lobo - Hey Jude

17. Casiopea - Eyes Of Mind

18. Adrian Gurvitz - Untouchable And Free

19. Pacific Jam - Antes De Mais Nada

20. Rhyze - Free

21. Rene And Angela - Free And Easy

It's probably just as well that when I received the audio file of this week's show the bit at the beginning about having a cup of medicinal mushrooms to drink (chaga), was missing. Of course this was a source of much hilarity to Ross Allen, and nuff jokes abounded in the studio about Cosmic Jam/mushrooms/magic/hippies, which begs the question, am I? A hippy, that is... well I do drink medicinal mushrooms, am more or less vegan, love a bit of yoga/chi gong/meditation, however I don't wear tie-dye, smoke weed, or say "cosmic" much except in the context of the show. Hippies, if such a concept or subcultural group makes any sense in this day and age doubtless do come in many guises, and who's to say what kind of music they should like? In my experience a lot of those who ostensibly advocate the modern version of the "hippy" credo have pretty awful taste in music...psi-trance? Dodgy ambience with clichéd beats? It may be "cosmic", but it also lacks the soul and expansiveness that I search for in life and music. So what do I mean by cosmic? I've always thought of it as referencing Clinton's "Cosmic Slop"and the whole sic-fi, space obsessed vein that runs through music from Sun Ra to Earth Wind And Fire etc, that and the idea that the radio/airwaves/ether is a much more metaphysical space than the dance-floor, a space where music should necessarily and logically be more expansive. However my tastes also have a more terrestrial bent, I don't just spiral off into galactic reveries, at least not all the time!

I very much doubt that I'm the best judge of my radio shows, after all they're not really for me. Having said that if I'm not pleasing myself the whole thing would be a fairly pointless exercise, after all the time that I've been in the game, I'd like to declare that I'm not really "in the game"; I'm just doing my thing, and I hope in doing so it reaches a few sympathetic ears and touches the odd soul. All I can say is that for whatever reasons, this particular Cosmic Jam pleased me more than most, maybe it's the balance of the tunes, the way I felt, the fact that I'd noticed the first stirrings of Spring that day, who knows?

What I do know is that it kicks off with a cosmic nugget from Joe Claussell and Stefan Prescott's Spiritual Life which was undoubtedly one of my favourite labels during a period when I took much more interest in house music than I dip these days. The "Kuniyuki" remix of Slam Mode's "Pacifica" is certainly something of latter day hippy anthem, suitably expansive and a nice way to set up the show. Staying with newness for the first sequence there's more from The Rebirth, Rhonda Thomas, Native Dancer, and Ben Cox Band, all providing reasons to be cheerful and optimistic about the state of new music. Which is not something I'm feeling when I try to get with the latest crop electronic artists, but it's not for me to shout "emperor's new clothes"....

The point I was trying to make about Mark Murphy's interpretation of Michel Colombier and Paul Williams "We Could Be Flying", (Williams also penned the words to We've Only Just Begun, so one might surmise he was something of an optimist!). The tune, which I've always loved, can certainly sound bombastic in the wrong hands, but Murphy brings such fluidity and looseness to proceedings he avoids those traps, and by underplaying the message he possibly nails the quintessential version. Another vocal gem follows, the album produced by (Jamaican born) Esmond Edwards, a man whose career is not often celebrated but whose credentials would rank him way up there amongst the greatest, is by Gloria Lynne, a vocalist who's career again had an enormous span and range, this version of "Out Of This World" is funky, fun, soulful and impeccably arranged. Following glorious Gloria, more lush female vocals from Flora Purim who at this time in the mid eighties was sounding beyond wonderful, her innate Brazilian swing and sweetness embellished by a seasoned huskiness. "Jogral" was written by the incredible José Neto, a Hendrix-like guitar genius who featured heavily in Airto and Flora's bands around this period. I saw Neto perform alongside Airto and Flora with the band Fourth World several times, and his playing never ceased to amaze and inspire. Grupo Afro Cuba Havana, a progressive Cuban outfit licenced to a European label, come with the fusion tinged but authentically lovely "Maria", Kahil El Zabaar I say plenty about on the show, and the Bill English tune "7th Ave Bill" is the kind of Jazz that needs little in the way of explanation, proper.

The second hour kicks off with the Detroit Escalator Company's "Twilight Finding", a collaboration between DEC's Neil Ollivierra and Ayro, which may have been DEC's last release (2006), which is sad because Neil Ollivierra made some sumptuously gorgeous music under the DEC moniker.

Matthew Halsall never fails to establish a great atmosphere on his recordings, they are conceptually almost flawless, and his treatment of Alice Coltrane's "Journey In Satchidananda" weighs in with the acoustic bass wringing every last drop of heaviness from that timeless line, and follows through with some beautiful flute work, and trumpet from the man himself. Independent and beautifully odd jazz follows in the shape of Jerry Granelli's "Aslan", bass-line heavy once again, as is Lani Hall's version of Lesley Duncan's "Love Song". Keeping the bass but getting supremely analogue synth (you don't get any better than T.O.N.T.O) Malcolm Cecil produced some of Gil Scott Heron's best work bringing his brand of sonic expertise into play, and the combination of that mellifluous synth bass and Gil's redoubtably upbeat "Better Days Ahead" is truly lovely.

Last half hour veers between Latin tinged soulfulness and plain funkiness, the rare, the overlooked, the new and old all forming a fitting finale to a show which floated my boat. I hope it doesn't sink yours!!

Peace, love, and medicinal mushrooms..

P.x

1. Slam Mode - Pacifica (Kuniyuki Takahashi remix)

2. Native Dancer - Until Frida Speaks

3. Rhonda Thomas - Oh Yay

4. Ben Cox Band - Either Or

5. The Rebirth - Halfway

6. Mark Murphy - We Could Be Flying

7. Gloria Lynne - Out Of this World

8. Flora Purim & Airto - Jogral

9. Grupo Afro Cubana Havana - Maria

10. Kahil El Zabaar Quartet - What It Is

11. Bill English - 7th Ave Bill

12. Detroit Escalator Company - Twilight Finding

13. Matthew Halsall's Gondwana Orchestra - Journey In Satchidanada

14. Jerry Granelli -Aslan

15. Lani Hall - Love Song

16. Gil Scott-Heron - Better Days Ahead

17. Mario Castro Neves - Subtle Chemistry

18. Ondrea Duverney - You What It's Like

19. Pacific Eardrum - Man Of Mystery

20. Boris Gardner - Ghetto Funk

21. Chocolate Milk - Spread A Little Love

22. Bobby Humphrey - Sunset Burgundy

23. The Rebirth - Caterpillar

24. Foreign Exchange - Take Off The Blues (live)

Arriving with barely a minute to spare from The Bussey Building where I'd witnessed a stunning show from Brian Jackson & The New Midnight Band, this was a Cosmic Jam that once again came together in a hurry but I don't think suffers in the slightest as a result. Sometime the most spontaneous....

Native Dancer have a great name ( I think) even if it's cribbed from Wayne Shorter (the album he made with Milton Nascimento no less), and the music is also worthy of that audacious theft. Though a name is all they've borrowed, all the other elements are sufficiently scrambled as to remain traceless, though I'd venture there's everything from broken beat to Joni Mitchell, Weather Report to pop woven in to their sound.

Most of the rest of the show isn't quite so contemporary, but next week I'll definitely be playing some/a lot /all of the new Rebirth album which had me seriously mesmerised this afternoon...... Big album alert.

However the Intuit collaboration with Andy Bey definitely deserves a reboot as it's something I probably only played a couple of times back when it came out in 2004 and for me has all the hallmarks of a classic. Metheny's "Have You Heard" is the first of two jazz tunes that have that upful buoyancy that I cherish and need to keep me smiling through the dark days of winter. Ditto the smile factor with Woody Shaw's "Rosewood", and Bobby Hutcherson's version is just as strong as the composer's more horn-heavy original.

More contemporary flavour jazz with Woodland Conclave, (another name I find rather leasing) and the epic "Celebration Of Live (Song For Simon)" Did they mean life? Who cares, they manage the transition between rolling waltz time to sprightly samba fusion very sweetly, and keep the groove hummin' all the way down the track.

Having played an epic, there wasn't quite room for all of Ryo Kawasaki's oddball jazz-funk "The Breeze And I " , I wanted to squeeze in a trio of MPBistas with soulful measures of Brazilian groove before the top of the hour and a dive into classic Cosmic Jam horizontalisms.

Second hour segue, a classic hippy space jam/ cinematic jazz workout, Spirit's "Ice" is a long time favourite. Put it this way, I played it long before I heard Common's "Resurrection" (which I also love) that sampled the hook deftly. Sparkling.... Toninho Horta's "Diana" has all the classic melodic/harmonic traits of the Minas Gerais sound I love so deeply and I don't think I'd ever really absorbed that tune before, loveliness. Marion Brown's version of Stevie's Visions is another Cosmic Jam perennial though following it with the evergreen "You Are My Starship" felt very right, even more so the Oliver Nelson beauty that follows....

Last half hour swings from classic 2-step, by way of a "free soul" nugget from the land down under, an Hawaiian reissue, and another from Athens Of the North to a righteous soulful conclusion from Arabi. Sounds outernational?Maybe it is, but mainly it's just soul.

Until next time

Love, peace and harmony

P.x

1.Native Dancer - Love

2. Intuit ft. Andy Bey - Planet Birth

3. Pat Metheny Group - Have You Heard

4. Bobby Hutcherson - Rosewood

5. Gil Scott-Heron&Brian Jackson - Alien (Hold On To Your Dreams)

6. Woodland Conclave - Celebration Of Live

7. Ryo Kawasaki - The Breeze And I

8. MPB 4 - Cravo E Canela

9. Claudia - Toca Chiquinho

10. Marina Lima - Coracoes A Mil

11. Spirit - Ice

12. Toninho Horta - Diana

13. Marion Brown - Visions

14. Norman Connors - You Are My Starship

15. Oliver Nelson - A'Zurte

16. The Futures - Ain't Got time For Nothing

17. Skylight - Get It Happening

18. Linda Evans - I Am Gold

19. Mike Lundy - Rhythm Of Life

20. Straightjacket - The Best Part Of Loving

21. Arabi - Three Times

Back in the groove for a new year, a mild enough Sunday night to make for an enjoyable ride South, and the unexpected pleasure of having X-Press 2 legends Rocky & Diesel live in the Mi-Soul studio standing for the wandering Ross Allen, (as hence he shall be known!).

I was excited to be kicking off with a "new discovery" that my girlfriend, the wondrous DJ Launette, had been more on the case tracking down than myself, though if truth be told we'd both heard Andrew Ashong play it at one of the Penge "Jazz In A House" parties. A vocal version of "Teen Town", which is an immediate winner, especially if like me you're a fan of both Weather Report and jazz harmony vocal groups. Anyway it was a nice way to kick off a new year, which hopefully will have plenty of thrills in store, musically and otherwise. However for the opening salvo of 2015 I loaded up some retro bullets, some not so old and others relatively ancient. Going off at a slight tangent from the norm, this edition of the "jam" has less soulful vocals, a touch of Disco, some odd-step spoken word, and a great Beatles cover version.

For no particular reason other than they seem to suggest themselves for selection I pulled out a broken beat classic, a slice of kinda "deep house" which was literally I believe an "under the radar" release from trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and the last vinyl releasee from The Rebirth whose album we hotly anticipate this year. All tunes that still sound fresh to me, and are at least vaguely contemporary. Though it's always shocking when you realise something like The New Sector Movements tune is now old enough to drive a car.... lol.

Then there's an unlikely Australian groove, the album has such a terrible cover it's hardly something anyone would look twice at, so I'm grateful that I heard it rather than saw it first!! From Australia to a guitarist from Trinidad a singer from the Netherlands and a pianist from Pittsburgh....picking up the rice in a church where a wedding has been!!

Second hour, a dreamy "Dreamflower", a Fender Rhodes odyssey from Mr. Barron, an old GP fave from Dingwalls back in the day, and a poetic homage to dancing feet, rounded off by a Herbie tune that more than any other from his early work was portentous of things to come.

Last half hour gets a little disco, jazz-funk, Latin to see us through.... until next week.

Hope you enjoy it as much....

Peace, love, and blessings for the new year.

P.x

1. University Of Miami Jazz Vocal Ensemble - Teen Town

2. New Sector Movements - Voonga Vonge

3. Roy Hargrove - Universe

4. The Rebirth - Love Issue

5. Stylus - Natural Feeling

6. Michael Boothman - Maya Mosquito

7. Henry Franklin - Blue Lights

8. Monika Linges - Running

9. Frank Cunimondo Trio - Eleanor Rigby

10. Tarika Blue - Dreamflower

11. Kenny Barron - Dawn

12. Conjure - Papa La Bas

13. Phavia Kujichagulia - Fancy Footwork

14. Herbie Hancock - Succotash

15. Flora Purim - Angels

16. Tommy Stewart - Fulton County Line

17. Hot Salsa - It's The Rhythm

18. CJ&Co - We Got Our Own Thing

19. Norman Connors - Mr. C

So it was a full moon on Saturday night, but to the naked eye that pale orb didn't look any less replete come Sunday, which prompted me into a fully vocal, soulfully stretched salvo of musical niceness for The Cosmic Jam. Though I never tire of jazz, sometimes it's good to have a few less notes.....lol.

Focussing on songs, singers, grooves and less abstract emotions the full moon soul session strays from the beaten path into territory of blue eyed brilliance and boogified danceability with a distinctly jazzy undertow, I love all kinds of Soul music, but I'm not one to dwell on the heartbreak and angst laden side of the tracks, this is (mainly) happy music to lift us beyond the cloying cold of these humdrum winter days. (Obviously not applicable if you're reading this on the other side of the world or in the tropical zones).

Keeping it just about 100% vinyl I strapped a selection of vintage goodies on my back and braved the bitter streets of London to deliver this edition of The Cosmic Jam. Maybe these wintry conditions makes me relish the radio even more, or maybe this show was just the tonic I needed... or as I commented during proceedings, maybe it 's just playing tunes that I truly love. Certainly there are some songs here that have lingered with me for many years, the kind of perennial faves that always have the power to come back and reignite that special flame. Extraordinary songs like "Ordinary Joe", which has some of the most killer lines in popular music... "Don't let time and space confuse you, don't let name and form abuse you, just let Big Joe Williams blues you".... always raises and smile and a little shudder of recognition of the utter brilliance of it. Everything But The Girl, Joni Mitchell and Ace may not be everyone's idea of Soul music, but these songs resonate with me in a soulful way.

The second hour gets deep with an epic Skip Scarborough tune from Creative Source that rolls and grooves it's way through seven minutes of bliss. Yes we're loved up and spinning some classics, Arnold Blair..... evergreen. Lihue and Stella , beach soul?

Then boogified in the final run, with gospel fire digging the sound of music. Ya get me tho? I've obviously run out of worthwhile things to say, so I'll just remind you of a little party we're having, celebrating the talents of three complete dons and having some seasonal fun in a venue that's been close to our hearts for many a moon, and is probably/definitely due to be sold.. sad!!

Anyway until next week when the noodle will no doubt be back, be good, be groovy.

Peace

P.x

1.Ultra High Frequency - We're On The Right Track

2. Don Brown - Don't Lose Your Love

3. Michael Orr & Carey Harris -Spread Love

4. The Dells - It's All Up To You

5. Rufus & Chaka Khan - Somebody's Watching You

6. Lonette McKee - Do To Me

7. Terry Callier - Ordinary Joe

8. Donnie - Do You Know?

9. Everything But The Girl - Each And Every One

10. Joni Mitchell - Help Me

11. Ace - How Long?

12. Jaki Whitren & John Cartwright - Go With The Flow

13. Creative Source - I Just Can't See Myself Without You

14. Dee Dee Bridgwater - Lonely Disco Dancer

15. Arnold Blair - Trying To Get Next To You

16. Nohelani Cypriano - Lihue

17. Bridge - Stella

18. Lou Bond - I'm For You

19. Angela Bofill - The Only Thing I Could Wish For

20. Free Life - Cornerstone

21. Zoom - Distant Destiny

22. Dayton - We Can't Miss

23. Starpoint - Don't Leave Me

24. GQ - Spirit

25. Morris Wilson - Bebopper's Delight