Hello, kiddies.

’tis another beautiful day… a better mood setter can’t be found, no matter how you slice it. Before I begin, I must wish the Godfather a happy birthday… For the occasion, let me repost one of my all time favourites. This is a mashup of lots of JB standards from a 1988 compilation called “Rhythm Method”.

Now, on to the post.

Today I must give a proper welcome to Jason Stone. The Stepfather of Soul has been a member of the family since the beginning, but back then it was just about making sure that I gave my respect for all the heavy hitting blogs that I’ve been visiting for the past couple of years. I’m sure most of you are quite familiar with what he’s serving up but for those of you who are not hip, you’ve just gotta drop by his place and grab a plate full of goodness. I must also send an ear splitting shoutout to Todd Grundy (I had no clue what the “t” stood for until now). I am not a carnivore, but in this case I will make an exception because the RIBS he’s serving over at Rhythms In Black Satin are looking pretty tasty. This kind of meaty soul is something I won’t feel guilty about eating. In addition, I want to also welcome the newest members of the Fufu family because I’m feeling especially happy today. All of the support has just been astronomical, not to mention the wealth of jams that go along with it… Let ‘em just try and stop us.

First we have DJ Steinbild and compny over at Soulkombinat… I am currently gettin’ greasy lips chewin’ on this right’cheah! And if you really want to smell the funk, you should grab a plate before it’s gone! And be sure to check out their tribute to the Soul Sister… There is a link to translate into English on the main page…

David Beasley, the Heavy Soul Brother… Lotsa love going around over there. “…anything you wanna do.”

The other Soul Brother, Barry Fowden. Not to say that one is better than the other, they just both happen to call themselves Soul Brothers. Suffice it to say, he comes to us by way of the Stepfather, bearing lots of soulful gifts. Mixes galore can be found at his place, the Soul Cellar.

Please visit and support these fine sites because it really is all about searching for Soul after all…

And last, but certainly not least, my friend Alan, the GURU! I got to go to Fell’s Point Tuesday morning as a stroke of sheer luck. I am really lucky that he was willing to come and risk getting his car towed just to sell me some 45s. You see, his store is open Wednesday-Sunday. For that, he will recieve the second Fufu Stew medal of honour. Some of you may have seen my botched attempt at a website. Well, in that page (which is still up but has not been updated in quite some time as I am now devoting all of my attention to filling all of your hungry souls with Fufu Stew), I pay homage to DJ Bluewater, one of the legendary Asbury Park Gang. If you haven’t already stopped by his place, do yourself the favour and pay him a visit. The menu is really scrumptious, I must admit. From time to time I would like to give props to some of fine people who are doing their part to help keep the soul a rollin’. Please allow me that seeing as though in the short time that I’ve been traipsing around in blogland, I’ve been blessed with some of the most beautiful music that I have EVER heard. And considering the state of Pop music these days, it’s REALLY a blessing to me.

Anyway, on with the post because it has the makings to be something special.

Today’s recipe is dedicated to the anticipated return of the hot summer night. When the grill’s just hot enough for that last sandwich, the wine bottle’s only got a few drops left and everyone’s just sitting around waiting for the radio to play one more classic. I can clearly see the scene of a cookout going well into the midnight hour in the middle of a tight knit neighbourhood. No time to catch last call at the local bar for a quick six pack of not so good beer, so the next best thing is to raid the liquor cabinet for the last few shots from the Christmas party booze the year before. Can you see it? Well that’s when the last guest arrives, loaded to the gills (don’t worry, there’s a designated driver…) bearing the most delicious dessert they can muster and you can fill in the blanks as you see fit. Uh oh, hope nobody calls a cop…

Ahhh, Cheesecake!

01 The Stepper-The Soulful Strings (Cadet)
02 Monkey Dog-O.V. Wright (Back Beat)

03 I Got My Mojo Working Pt. 1-Jimmy Smith (Verve)
04 Flunky Flunky-The Soul Set (BB). This track was included in an episode of Galactic Fractures from 2002, with a guest appearance from the mighty Miss Shingaling. The complete show is now available for your downloading pleasure, so feel free to check it out. It’s one of his best

05 The Rabbit Got The Gun-The JBs (People)
06 Ain’t No Sun Since You Been Gone-Gladys Knight & The Pips (Soul). Another deep album cut, inspired by Larry of course. Thankfully owning this CD is no longer an expensive task…
07 Unknown track and artist. I have no clue what this track is, or who performed it. I hope someone can fill in the blanks for me. Thanks to the djs over at the Nazty Soundz Tribe for blowing my mind with this one. I really hope the site gets updated someday. Luckily the listening room is still open. It was here that I first discovered the wonderful world of the Funk blog. Things haven’t been the same since, but that’s such a good thing.
08 Whip It On Me-Alvin Cash (Toddlin’ Town). One should never be strapped for “Cash”…

09 Funky L.A.-Paul Humphrey and his Cool Aid Chemists (Lizard)

10 We Got Our Bag-Peggy Scott & Jojo Benson (SSS). I featured this album some time ago in a post called “Records Are Like Chocolate Part One”. Since the original text was deleted, I thought it fitting to include my favourite track from the LP in this mix.
11 Shake A Leg-Jackie Wilson (Brunswick). Thanks to the mighty Monkeyfunk for making this REALLY funky track available back in 2005. I’m still looking for a hard copy for my very own, but for now this one will work just fine…

12 We Do It All Up In Here-The Fantastic Epics (Soul Patrol import). My sentiments exactly. I just love that walking bass.
13 Black Grass-Bad Bascomb (Paramount). Who says a Funk band can’t play Bluegrass? I purposely raised the pitch because that’s the way I first heard this little ditty on Funk 45 Radio last summer. The breakbeat should be familiar.

14 Ack A Fool-The Sister and Brothers Featuring Sister Geri (Calla). This one I picked up on the strength of the label alone, home to fine artists such as The Fuzz who I plan to feature in a future AntiDivas post coming soon.
15 Big Chief pts. 1&2-Professor Longhair (Mardi Gras CD track). Thanks once again to DJ Bluewater for the tip. I’ve been playing this great NOLA jam religiously for the past several months.
16 A Gritty Nitty-The Pazant Brothers (Vanguard). Here’s another one that Cypress Hill liked to play back in the day. Thanks again to the Nazty Sounds Tribe for the tip…
17 Shotgun Slim-Dyke & The Blazers (Original Sound)
18 It’s The Real Thing Pt.2-The Electric Express (Lingo). Thanks again, Rob!

19 Summertime-Clea Bradford (Cadet). The flip side of “My Love’s A Monster”, another one of Larry’s favourite tunes. Be sure to check out Flea Market Funk for some more “Summretime” goodness.

20 Dujii-Kool & The Gang (De-Lite). Here’s another tune for those hot summer nights, and another example of what KATG should sound like all the time…

21 Bossa Nova-Donny Hathaway (Atco). It’s all about decadence, and these tracks certainly fit the bill. I hope you think so too…

I’ll make sure to get another batch done quickly… It’s a little easier in the month of May because things are kinda slow in preperation for the sheer craziness of the summer. There’s lots of stuff on tap, including some interesting twists. As I have always said, no genre is safe with me. Thank you for dropping by. Until next time,

Peace and blessings.

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