Aktion: "Celebration"

Hot hot Afro-Psych heat on Ben Okonkwo’s Clover Sound label.  Aktion started out as The Action 13, recording some highly sought-after 45’s in Nigeria in the early ‘70’s.  They later shortened their name, and dropped two absolutely monstrous LP’s—“Groove The Funk” and “Celebration”, which actually reprises the title track from the previous album in a slower, stonier fashion.  Full of fuzz guitar, trippy organ and raw synth, this is a nonstop jam, and even when it slows down, the heady atmosphere remains.  I’m especially partial to the title track, the hazy funk bounce of “Let’s Be Free”, the fusion-gone-JB’s “Centepede”, and the heavy psych vibes of “Love”.  Massive stuff.

Michael Chapman: "Window"

I’ve never been able to figure out why Michael Chapman didn’t get the shine and adulation enjoyed by some of his peers in the British folk-rock scene.  His albums up through the mid ‘70’s are easily the equal to anything being done by Richard Thompson or John Martyn or Nick Drake at the time, and in some ways, their obscurity and unfamiliarity makes them stand out from the crowd that much more.  Supposedly Chapman has disavowed “Window” as a hurried, unfinished project put out by his label without his approval, but it doesn’t really sound that way.  Perhaps a bit airier and jammier than his all-time masterpiece “Fully Qualified Survivor”, also from 1970, but not necessarily lesser.  The fact is, I could listen endlessly to Chapman’s laconic voice, virtuoso guitar playing, and eccentric songwriting regardless of thematic setting or lack thereof, and the unfussy, casual tone of “Window” simply adds to its overall charms.  Lots of fantastic playing from his band here, too, which includes Ritchie Dharma on drums and a pre-Steeleye Span Rick Kemp on bass, their rhythms fattened with production from a pre-Elton John Gus Dudgeon.  Those collaborators only go towards furthering the argument that Michael Chapman was ahead of his time, and severely overlooked in the narrative of the legendary folk-rock boom in the U.K.  Dig deeper.

Eko: "Kilimandjaro My Home"

I don’t know much about Cameroonian keyboardist Eko Roosevelt Louis, but every record he made in the ‘70’s bumps like crazy.  This is my favorite of them all, with the title track in particular demonstrating an elevated funk consciousness that sounds like Geraldo Pino fronting the Headhunters, with Charles Stepney on string arrangements.  How’s that for a comparison?  The other tracks range from slow-burn soul ballads to West African ‘70’s pop to full-on funk fusion, and the production throughout is on point.  Cop this if you ever see it. 

Directions: “Directions”

One of those strange, one-off soul LP’s that Brunswick kept dropping as the near-bankrupt, once-legendary label was on the verge of collapse.  This isn’t quite on the same level as some of their best releases from that period, like those by Exit 9, Odyssey 5 or Step By Step.  There’s some insanely dope heavy funk tracks, though, and the group’s affinity for sweet soul harmonies on the rest of the album is endearing, even if they’re not always quite up to the task in the vocal department.  The raw, proto-DIY production adds yet another layer of grease and swirl to the music, and you’re left with something quite unique in the end.  Plus, just try to sit still through “Copy Cat” and “Soup Line”.  No way you’ll be able to.

Jules Kamga: "Africa Gounyok"

This one’s worth the price for the cover alone, with Jules looking every bit the rocker, wearing an AC/DC shirt with Fender in hand, flashing the peace sign.  The music, then, will come as a bit of a surprise if you’re expecting anything resembling rock.  This record is instead full of pop bounce, traditional sounds, and lots of funk.  Kamga earns the guitar hero pose from the sleeve, pulling off knotty fusion riffs and beautiful solos, all over some deeply bouncing grooves, especially on the songs “Fa-Mo”, “Simo” and the title track.  There’s a really nice mix of dance-oriented material and smooth, melodic soul numbers, all underscored by the roots influences of Cameroon.  Spin the uptempo jams from this LP at a club, and watch the crowd lose their shit.

The Eight Minutes: "An American Family"

Fantastic family band soul on the always-excellent Perception label.  Unlike a lot of other artists on the Perception/Today roster who were based in NYC, The Eight Minutes hail from Chicago, which must have been the absolute epicenter of kid-driven family soul acts in the early ‘70’s.  The Five Stairsteps, Brighter Side Of Darkness, The Imaginations, The Next Movement, etc…the list goes on.  The group shines on this LP, and in terms of funkiness and groove, this is a lot closer to The Sylvers than the lighter novelty sound of some of their contemporaries.  The great Patrick Adams wrote a few of the songs, although he didn’t produce the record.  From the heartbroken opener of “Next Time He’ll Be Good” through to the hypnotic, percussive workout “Take My Love Don’t Set Me Free” that ends the LP, every song hums with Windy City soul, pocket, and melody.

Kashmere Stage Band: "Zero Point"

No words.  Sound and fury.  All descriptions fall short.  This rarer-than rare LP defies categorization, and to know that it was made by a bunch of high school students is simply absurd.  How does one ever go about making music like this, and when they’re a teenager no less?  Yes, it’s funk, and jazz, and soul.  There are of course blueprints being followed here, considering that many of the tunes are covers.  Yet where said blueprints might amount to a faded carbon copy in lesser hands, here they transcend their origins to become something else completely.  This version of “Scorpio” holds the rare distinction of possibly besting Dennis Coffey’s original, and the break on it is untouchable.  Then there’s “All Praises,” a band original and maybe the best song I’ve ever heard, complete with another killer break.  So yeah.  This is heat you’ll burn your hands on.