Disko Ed Ease

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Sinds het beluisteren van ‘Disco Jazz’ ben ik helemaal om. Vroeger vond ik grote orkesten die probeerden hip te zijn helemaal niets. Vaak stond er een ongeïnteresseerde oudere dirigent voor die zich leek af te vragen waar het orkest mee bezig was. Een showorkest stond symbool voor oudere heren die op de automatische piloot speelden. Maar bij nader inzien blijken sommige nummers toch razend knap in elkaar te zitten. De arrangementen zijn bij een aantal orkesten bijzonder inventief en de melodieën zijn niet zomaar na te neuriën. Bovendien swingen veel van die stukken de pan uit! Muziek op de grens van disco en easy listening en met de juiste knipoog gemaakt.

De namen van de orkesten blijken helaas niet zo origineel, want die gaan niet veel verder dan de naam van de leider (Kai Warner, Peter Thomas en natuurlijk de onvermijdelijke James Last), maar een goede uitzondering daarop is de Erotic Drum Band. Daar stel ik me heel wat anders bij voor dan de drumband die vroeger bij ons door de straat marcheerde… :-) Een goede tweede is Señor Coconut & his Orchestra.

Overigens lijkt funky easy listening op de een of andere manier typisch Duits, want veel van genoemde orkesten komen uit Duitsland, zelfs Señor Coconut! Zijn echte naam is Uwe Schmidt en hij verhuisde, zoals zoveel Duitsers (vooral na WO II), naar Zuid-Amerika. In Chili maakte hij op bijzonder knappe en humoristische wijze Latin covers van Kraftwerk klassiekers. Een kunststukje dat hij later nog een paar keer herhaalde, onder meer met ‘Beat it’ en andere jaren tachtig hits.

Foto van julie marie craig

Tracklist:

Quincy Jones – A Taste Of Honey (1962)
Serge Gainsbourg – Couleur Café (1964)
Señor Coconut & His Orchestra – Beat It! (2004)
MFSB – Plenty Good Lovin’ (1976)
Dee Dee Sharp Gamble – See You Later (1980)
Erotic Drum Band – Action 78 (1978)
Anvil Band – I’ll Be True (1977)
Kimiko Kasai – Killing Me Softly With His Song (1984)
Billy Jackson & The Citizens' Band – Tenderly (1976)
Patrick Williams - Come On And Shine (1978)
Eddie Drennon – Disco Jam (1978)
Jan Delay – Disko (2009)
Jackson 5 – It's Great To Be Here [Kenny Dope Remix] (2003)
Ju-Par Universal Orchestra – Beauty And The Beast (1976)
Love Unlimited Orchestra – After Five (1983)
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band – Sunshower [Disco Edit] (1976)
Kai Warner & His Orchestra – On The Road To Philadelphia (1976)

Disko Ed Ease by Professor Eddy on Mixcloud


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