Getting Down Is Free, is a funkified memo to scale back consumerism and still pump up the party. rad. is joined by Patrice Rushen, Fred Wesley, Eric Leeds, Greg Boyer, Karl Perazzo, Kai Eckhardt & Billy Johnson to devliver the message everything we need we already had. This bit of savoir vivre could be the subtitle to this album. And so an off beat, intro- and extroverted rad. explores the possibilities of the unusual, the classic and the unconventional....   (more info...)

Listen to samples by clicking on the links below:

1. Intro	6. Ain't No Fool
2. Getting Down Is Free	7. No One
3. Honeybees	8. Packed My Bags
4. UFA	9. Dukey Road
5. If It's Love That You're Giving	10. Under The Radar
11. A Day In Wayzata

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A natural entertainer as much as a fierce instrumentalist, rad. commands the stage from the very first minute of her show. And so the intro of "Make Every Second Count" instantly grabs our attention and leaves no doubt that we'll be in on something special. rad. has shared stages with some of the biggest names in music (incl. Prince, Sheila E. & Maceo Parker) and toured as a solo artist for over 15 years. She boasts a stage presence to prove it.   (more info...)

Listen to samples by clicking on the links below:

1. Make Every Second Count	6. Ten
2. Back Here Again	7. Layin' Low
3. East Babe	8. Trippin'
4. I Got You	9. Wishy
5. Homegirl's Cha Cha Network	10. In Time Win Love

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Growing up in the East Bay city of Oakland's notorious Fruitvale District in the 1970's, both area and era shaped rad.'s musical taste and esthetic. rad. remains true to the art of the ALBUM, identifying roots of today's dance music and weaving them into her own trunk of funk. In this context rad. digs deeper, goes for essence - minimalist at times, orchestral when needed. Knowing that it's the currents that move the vast, she navigates safely through the treacherous waters of the sea of music out there. No loops, no samples. WYSIWYG   (more info...)

Listen to samples by clicking on the links below:

1. East Babe	5. As Of Today
2. That Ain't No Way	6. Next To You
3. Before We Say Goodbye	7. Be Free
4. Baby Girl	8. In Time Win Love

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Music insiders have known for a long time that rad. live is a special treat. Her unique funked up blend of Jazz, Soul and Latin styles, tricky rhythms and time signatures performed with ease by her seasoned band are a thrill to witness in a club. Live at the New Morning, Paris showcases the creature in it's natural habitat. The audience at the New Morning enjoyed an array of original classics and new songs. rad.'s hair raising piano solos, burning sax work from Charles McNeal, the signature drum style of David Garibaldi, a well of tasteful licks from Ray Obiedo and the pumping grooves of Dewayne Pate moved the Paris crowd to sing in harmonies and make this recording a true gem. After hearing this CD PRINCE asked rad. to join his band!   (more info...)

Listen to samples by clicking on the links below:

1. Trippin'	6. Mean & Lean
2. Homegirls Cha Cha Network	7. You've Got A Friend
3. Be Free	8. Before We Say Goodbye
4. Butterfly	9. A Little Love Will Help
5. Wishy

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rad.'s music is always a sophisticated blend of styles with that rad. specific sound. No different on this album, the petite dynamo keyboardist-vocalist, unveils eleven tracks to be stoked about. Co-produced with long time collaborator Michael Kirsch, this CD is reminiscent of her energetically funkified earlier albums.   (more info...)

Listen to samples by clicking on the links below:

1. Old Worn Shoes	7. Cocoon
2. Make Every Second Count	8. Soucis En Greve
3. Long Journey Home	9. Simply Forgot
4. Mean & Lean	10. How Many Times
5. Fela	11. San Pablo Avenue
6. On And On

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Recorded at the legendary Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA, Higher Plane is rad.'s most personal recording to date. A thoughtful mixture of soul, latin and funk, rad. manages to mesh gut-wrenching groove and intellect with her own musical signature (no need for samples here). Higher Plane will ease you from a loud Saturday night into a sunny Sunday morning, and still allow you to be painfully hip.   more info...)

Listen to samples by clicking on the links below:

1. Never Stop	6. Guarabe Love
2. Be With You	7. E.L.B.O.Y.
3. Layin' Low	8. Days Gone By
4. Natural	9. Higher Plane
5. Emily's Garden	10. Veils

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The title for this new compilation of old grooves from 7 Bridges Recordings couldn't be more fitting for our times. Though recorded almost 30 years ago, the title track "Newsroom" is still sadly up to date in today's world. Apart from the socially conscious and deeply urban message of many of the tracks, Welcome to the Newsroom is a fine collection of unreleased true funk gems from the early 1970's. The line up on these recordings includes early contributions of Sheila E., drummer and songwriter Paul Tillman Smith, Cal Tjader's keyboard player extra-ordinaire Lonnie Hewitt and Guitarist Ray Obiedo, who in the mid 70's went on to record with Herbie Hancock. From rough James Brown-like garage funk to relaxed Latin Jazz grooves, this compilation is a reflection of the musical wealth of the San Francisco Bay Area's busy funk and soul scene of the 1970s. Filled with tasty break beats, this record will easily become a classic for DJ's and funk fans alike.   (more info...)

Listen to samples by clicking on the links below:

1. We Had A Love - Electric Church	8. Back Here Again - Paul T. Smith
2. We've Got To Find A Way - Electric Church	9. Ready To Live - Paul T. Smith
3. Newsroom - Paul T. Smith	10. Ready To Live Raw Funk - Paul T. Smith
4. Country Flower - Paul T. Smith	11. A Good Dream - Paul T. Smith
5. Soul Duck - Plight	12. Before You Know - Paul T. Smith
6. I Can't Dance - Electric Church	13. Ready To Live Raw Funk - Paul T. Smith
7. Down The Line - Electric Church

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Miracles do happen. And the discovery of these recordings certainly is one. Although the band name may be unfamiliar to most, the musicians names behind East Bay Rhythm certainly aren't. All of those who are fans of The Headhunters will recognize them as core members of that group. Tucked away on a dusty shelf for over 20 years lay the master tapes of the formation of East Bay Rhythm. Thanks to a fortunate chain of events, we can now enjoy for the first time a brand new CD of these historic funk music documents.   (more info...)

Listen to samples by clicking on the links below:

1. Boogie Children	7. Raw Boogie Clav & Guitar
2. A Little Love Will Help (Instrumental)	8. A Little Love Will Help
3. Accept Me	9. Accept Me (Instrumental)
4. Party Down (Instrumental)	10. Party Down
5. Mud Rat	11. Boogie Children (Instrumental)
6. Chuda

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These previously unreleased recordings from the time of Skindo-le-le consist of a Studio session from 1983. Meant to be the follow up release to the self titled debut album "Viva Brasil", the album was never completed, but the spirit of the band's heyday is very apparent on these recordings. The CD also includes a live concert from the same year.   (more info...)

Listen to samples by clicking on the links below:

1. Bad Dream	6. Skindo-le-le (live)
2. Full Moon in Bahia	7. Meu Pais (live)
3. Voce	8. Casa De Marimbondo (live)
4. Feeling Free	9. Batucada (live)
5. Maybe Tomorrow

  

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Click here for an extensive interview with bandleader Claudio Amaral

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It's that excitement when you hear the first strains of a gig and you just know that something special is about to go down, when the goose bumps emerge and somewhere in the depths of your soul a smile breaks. Mark Levine, along with his crew The Latin Tinge, deliver a superbly groovy and tasteful Latin Jazz set, filled with meaty montunos, muscular solos and the kind of inspiration usually reserved for nights in front of a sold out audience. As the band kicks in after Mark's piano intro of "Airegin," the energy immediately rises, and you know something special is unfolding.     (more info...)

Listen to samples by clicking on the links below:

1. Airegin	6. Second Thoughts
2. Hey, It's Me You're Talkin' To	7. Small Portion
3. Lil's Paradise	8. Voce Nao Gosta De Mim
4. Without A Song	9. Green Dolphin St.
5. My One And Only Love

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From Africa to Camaguey reflects the deep African influences in the music and the culture of Camaguey. Don Pancho Y Los Terry are a family comprised of musicians who stem from the Camaguey province of Cuba. Long an innovator in Cuban music, Don Pancho, together with his sons Yoel, Yosvany and Yunior, combines the dynamic energy of the new Cuban jazz movement along with the musical traditions that have survived and evolved over centuries in their native land. Their unique blend of musical styles includes elements of folklore, classic charanga and modern jazz, creating a bridge across generations.    

In the past few years, a buzz has been going around about the new Bay Area Afro-Cuban Jazz scene. The arrival of Cuban musicians like pianist Omar Sosa, percussionist Jesus Diaz, and legendary New York timbalero Orestes Vilato just to name a few, has pumped new life blood into the scene. Though many Orquestas and formations have come and gone, recent collaborations of Bay Area matadors like John Santos, John Calloway and Rebeca Mauleon with artists like Patato and Changuito are expanding boundaries once again. They are using ideas from the source--traditional chants and rhythms, variations of modern son, shuffled between funky bouts and seething jazz instincts.    

Gotta Be includes the material of studio sessions in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Hamburg. Joining rad. on the California sessions were players Ray Obiedo on guitar, David Garibaldi on drums, Michael Spiro on congas and Bobby Vega on bass, as well as the Tower of Power Horn Section and Roger Troutman. The Hamburg session was recorded with musicians from Hamburg and London. The key personnel for this recording consisted of Mike McEvoy (Guitar), Ernie McKone (Bass), Crispin Taylor (Drums), Corinna Ludzuweit (Percussion), Rene Robrahn (Drums), Martin Drees & Soeren Boehme (Bass) Sven 'Wah' Waje & Hinrich Dagefoer (Guitar), and a horn section including Joe Gallardo (Trombone) and Howard Johnson (Saxophone).     (more info...)

rad.'s 1992 debut album. This album was recorded in three sessions: two in Hamburg at the White Noise Studio, and one in London at Boogie Back. Beside rad. on vocals & keys, the Hamburg sessions mainly feature Sven 'Wah' Waje on guitar, Corinna Ludzuweit - percussion, Birte Jessel on saxophone, Matthias Trippner on drums and Soeren Boehme on bass. The London session features Jacko Peake (Paul Weller) on flute & saxophone, Mark Vandergucht on guitar, Ernie McKone (Galliano, Push) on bass and Crispin Taylor (JBs, Galliano, Carleen Anderson, Dana Bryant) on drums.     (more info...)

Lost heavy funk from the Bay Area scene of the 70s! East Bay Rhythm were part of the heavy Oakland scene of the time -- and this track, although unreleased for years, is one of their funkiest numbers! Boogie Children has a monster bassline and a really heavy ensemble funk groove -- keyboards riffing away in the background, and some very catchy vocals from the group! Three versions: vocal, instrumental, and the "raw boogie clav" mix (even cooler -- just spare percussion and guitar, with a really nice funky feel!)