Funky Blue Note Grooves From The Crates

Kandace Springs

Enjoy the funky Blue Note (and affiliated) Grooves From The Crates! The legendary jazz label was founded by German immigrants Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff in 1939. It derives its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. On one of the tracks José James joins voices with Lalah Hathaway, Donny's daughter. Their fresh new duet is a version of Bill Withers’ classic Lovely Day. James’ forthcoming album is a tribute to the man who celebrated his 80th birthday on the Fourth of July. Lean On Me is out next week.

In 1972 Larry and Fonce Mizell started their production company ‘Sky high’ and began to work for artists like Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey and Johnny Hammond. The Mizell Brothers created a unique multi-layered sound that shimmers somewhere between funk, jazz, soul and disco. After having huge commercial success with A Taste of Honey, they stopped producing and playing on records. Larry only shortly appeared on Play With The Changes from 4Hero in 2006.

Actor David McCallum is well-known for his part of medical examiner Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard on NCIS, but he was also a musician in the 1960s. McCallum recorded four albums for Capitol Records with producer David Axelrod. His most famous piece today is ‘The Edge’, which was sampled by Dr. Dre as the intro and riff to the track The Next Episode. A remarkable story about McCallum is that his wife, actress Jill Ireland, left him for Charles Bronson, after McCallum had introduced him to her during the shoot of the movie The Great Escape... McCallum became famous for his roles as Illya Kuryakin, a Russian-born secret agent, in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and as interdimensional operative Steel in Sapphire & Steel. I first saw him when he played Alan Breck Stewart in the TV Series Kidnapped (1978). He was also Alexi Kaslov in an episode of the Six Million Dollar Man (1973). I selected House Of Mirrors from McCallum's album It's Happening Now.

Tracklist:

Gene Dunlap – It’s Just The Way I Feel (1981)
Loose Ends – Feel The Vibe (1990)
Madlib – Andrew Hill Break (2003)
Waters – Trying Hard To Look Inside (1975)
Rena Sinakin – Make Music (1973)
Eumir Deodato – Bebe (1972)
Wayne Shorter – Oriental Folk Song [La Funk Mob Remix] (2004)
José James Feat. Lalah Hathaway – Lovely Day (2018)
US3 – Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) (1992)
Bobbi Humphrey – Uno Esta (1975)
A Taste Of Honey – World Spin (1978)
Marlena Shaw – Last Tango In Paris (1973)
Jack Costanzo – Harlem Nocturne (1959)
Peggy Lee – Everyday People (1969)
Julie London ‎– Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (1969)
Reggie Garner – Hot Line (1971)
David McCallum – House Of Mirrors (1967)
Gene Harris And His Three Sounds – African Sweets (1967)
Lou Rawls – Season Of The Witch (1969)
Sabrina Starke – Do For Love (2009)
Kandace Springs – The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face (2018)