Sunday 14 December 2014

Show 212: "Two Whole Hours Of Ten Whole Years" - 14.12.14

Listen again below!



Hour 1: 80s Soul


Janet Jackson
"You Can Be Mine"
Control
A&M


Savanna
"I Can't Turn Away"
Hits From The Classic Era Vol. 4
Excalibur


Your 80s Jam: Graham Hukins
Madness
"Wings Of A Dove"
Total Madness
Union Square


Pasadenas
"Riding On A Train"
To Whom It May Concern
Sony


Rosana
"Tempo De Sorrir" (Time To Smile)
Rosana
RCA

Newcleus
"Jam On Revenge (The Wikki Wikki Song)"
Jam On Revenge
Jam-On


Your 80s Jam: Jarrod Lawson
Michael Jackson
"P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)"

Thriller
Epic


Rick James
"Glow"
Glow
Motown


Tony Sherman
"ELLOVEE-EE"
12"
Polydor


Phyllis Hyman
"Screaming At The Moon"
Living All Alone
Philadelphia International

Your 80s Jam: Rose Kallenberg-Pierce

Prince
"Little Red Corvette"
1999
NPG


Mr. Fingers
"What About This Love"
12"
Alleviated

Chaka Khan
"Be Bop Medley"
Chaka Khan
Warner Brothers


Grace Jones
"Private Life"
Island Life

Island

Hour 2: 80s Jazz

The Rippingtons
"Tourist In Paradise"
Tourist In Paradise
GRP


Matt Bianco
"Big Rosie"
Get Out Of Your Lazy Bed 12"
WEA


Francis Bebey
"Super Jingle"
African Electronic Music 1975-1982
Born Bad


James Taylor Quartet
"Blow Up"
Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club Volume 2
Freestyle


Carmen Lundy
"The Lamp Is Low"

Good Morning Kiss
Justin Time


Warriors

"Je Ne Sais Quois"
Behind The Mask
Expansion
 


Frank Ricotti All Stars
"Jennie's Tune"
The Beiderbecke Collection
Dormouse

Nina Simone
"My Baby Just Cares For Me"
Little Girl Blue
Bethlehem


Casiopea
"Paradox March"
Halle
Alfa

Spyro Gyra

"Lovin' You"
Catching The Sun
Amherst


Your 80s Jam: Bluey

Mezzoforte
"Funkin' Marvellous
"
The Very Best Of Mezzorforte
Imagine


Orbital
"Christmas Chime"
Online Download
ACP

Monday 8 December 2014

Best Of 2014: Getting Deeper!

An in-depth insight into how the winners of Blam Jam's award winners
of 2014 came to be on this Sunday's show.

Not listened yet? Then do so.

Also includes Audiobooms of each artist's first appearance on Blam Jam!

Click on the headers to hear them!

Best New Act: Tristan
















A debut album full of instant winners, and these don't come often.

This Dutch outfit arrived in the Spring of '14 gaining fans
outside their homeland with their blend of amazing beats
and melodic brilliance with a nod to 90s jazzy sounding soul,
imagine Incognito forming a supergroup with Raw Stylus
and Corduroy.

Accompanying the top notch players is lead vocalist Evelyn Kallansee
who lends her voice to upbeat gems such as "Moon Tune" and "Full Power"

as well as the more mellow offerings such as the amazing "New Beginning".

With a follow-up album already in the making, let's hope this lot choose to board a train across the channel and maybe perform a few live shows
on British shores.


Go on, pretty please?


Best Jazz Album: Melanie De Biasio - "No Deal"


















Jazz is a misunderstood, but ever evolving style of music
and this Belgian performer continues the evolution with her
debut album first brought to my attention at the tail end
of 2013.

I love the dark feel that flows throughout the record itself,
and the poetic words from De Biasio that helps to ensure a
nice flow.

It's also one worth recommending to those who have never previously
got into jazz, especially as it has a length of just 35 minutes.

Enough to have to you wanting more.

Best Duo: Soulperfreesia




















A fantastic collaboration between producer Soulpersona
and singer Princess Freesia who in the Spring of '14 released
a debut album full of winners.

Standouts include "Keep It Working" based on a sample of
one of my favourite Brenda Russell songs "Hello People",
and "Underwater Love" which became a radio favourite on
the many online soul stations throughout the summer.

The album's just been released physically with a remix from
to producer and "quality controller" Joey Negro, with new
material set to emerge in '15.

Best Male Solo: Jarrod Lawson



















Really, there was no contest this year.

It's the quiet ones you've gotta look out for and this fella
from Oregon, suddenly emerged with a debut solo album
filled with nods to classic 70s soul performers, refined for
the present day, leading to sell-out performances in
the UK.

There's so many different styles covered from the Latin
inspired "Sleepwalkers", to the Donald Fagen-esque
"Together We'll Stand", and if you get the chance to see
him live, the melodic quality from the LP is ever-present,
which is something that can rarely be said for many performers.

In short, just go and see him when he's next on our shores.

Best Female Solo: Fatima




















Like Jarrod Lawson, a talent that's been a long time coming.

Fresh from Stockholm the debut is an eclectic but exciting
set of future beats overseen by producers such as
Floating Points, Shafiq Husayn and Oh No, and full on arrangements.

My only bugbear with the album itself is that the opening track
"Do Better" isn't representative of the broken beats making up

the rest of the album, as it's such a great opener.

Maybe it should have been pushed later on in the LP,
but that's not to say the album itself is sub-standard.

Again like the Melanie Di Biasio album, give this one a listen
if you don't think you're a jazz fan.

Album Of The Year: Sonzeira
- "Brazil Bam Bam Bam"



















Brazil and Gilles Peterson.

A combination that even before listening to the album,
I knew it would create something amazing.

And it turned out to surpass intitial expectations, as this
album released in time for the 2014 World Cup explored
the rich musical heritage of Rio and the surrounding areas
whilst sounding fresh and forward looking.

Along with top Brazilian musicians such as Seu Jorge,
Elza Soarez and Marcos Valle to name just a few, "Brasil Bam Bam"
is filled with experimental arrangements of not just Brazilian
tunes but one or two homegrown tunes, namely an amazing
re-arrangement of Brit-funk favourite "Southern Freeez".

But it's not just the album itself that earns it's place as Blam Jam's

favourite of '14 as accompanying it was a superb feature-length
documentary showing the making of the album, and Gilles'
witty and informative insight into Brazil, with a help from
a few friends such as Brazilian music aficianado Ed Motta.

One of very few people who owns the album that inspired this,
the elusive "Tam Tam Tam" by Jose Prates, containing

the tune that inspired the samba standard, "Mas Que Nada".

Best Song: Incognito - "Stop Running Away"



















On hearing snippets from Bluey and co's latest album
"Amplified Soul" I'll admit I was non-plussed as most of the
tracks were mid to down-tempo, and I much prefer the upbeat
Cog sound.

But as a crazed fan of the Cog I bought it anyway and as I
was going through a rather rough time at that point, it really helped
with the album closer sung by Bluey himself in falsetto being
the most meaningful.

In the audio below Bluey himself tells the story behind the song...

Biggest Belter Of 2014: Afro Elements - "Lift Your Life" (Both versions!)


















After what I personally thought was a rather mediocre couple of
months for jazzy soul tunes at the beginning of the year, UK/Taiwanese funkers the Afro Elements emerged all of a sudden with an album filled with
the essence of what Blam Jam is about, titled "Out Of The Centre".

Funky grooves with amazing jazzy melodic harmony.

The standout track was the "original version" of the tune
"Lift Your Life" that had previously been released as a more
upbeat jazzy house version on their 2007 LP "It Remains To Be Seen"

re-released again in 2014, which I loved even more so both versions
earn the title of Blam Jam's Biggest Belter!

More please soon guys!

Sunday 7 December 2014

Show 211 - The Finest From '14 07.12.14

Listen Again below!



Hour 1


Brother Johnson
"Blam!"

The Very Best Of Brothers Johnson
Spectrum


2014 Best New Act

Tristan
"Full Power"
Full Power
Isolde


Ibibio Sound Machine
"The Talking Fish"
Ibibio Sound Machine
Soundway


Lack Of Afro
"Making It Right" (Featuring Juliette Ashby)
Music For Adverts
Freestyle


Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings
"Stranger To My Happiness"
Giving The People What They Want
Daptone


Best Jazz Album
Melanie De Biasio
"With Love"
No Deal
Play It Again Sam


Oliver $ and Jimi Jules
"Pushing On"

12"
Defected


Best Duo
Soulperfreesia
"Keep It Working"

Amalgamation
EmuBands


Soulperfreesia
"Underwater Love"

Amalgamation
EmuBands


The Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra
"Don't You Know He's Alright"
The Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra
Far Out


Francesca Sortino
"Inside Art" (Gerardo Frisina Mix)
Online Promo
Artful and Ridney featuring Terri Walker
"Missing You" (Eric Krupper's 'Director's Cut Tribute To FK' Mix)

12"
Extra Dry


Andreya Triana
"Everything You Never Had" (Part II)
Soundcloud
 


Hour 2


Blam Jam's Rotten Raspberry Of 2014



Soulutions
"Philly Line" (CW Philly Remix)
Online Download
Disco Soul Gold


Koka Mass Jazz
"Smile"
Bust Free 16
Cold Busted


Myles Sanko
"To My Surprise"
Forever Dreaming
Legere



2014 Best Male Solo

Jarrod Lawson
"Everything I Need"
Jarrod Lawson
Dome


2014 Best Female Solo
Fatima
"Do Better"
Yellow Memories

Eglo


Robin McKelle and the Flytones
"Control Yourself" (Opolopo Remix)
Online Download
Doxie

 

2014 Album Of The Year
Sonzeira
"Southern Freeez"
Brazil Bam Bam Bam
Brownswood



Sonzeira featuring Elza Soarez
"Aquarela Do Brazil"
Brazil Bam Ba Bam
Brownswood



2014 Best Song
Incognito
"Stop Running Away"
Amplified Soul

earMUSIC

2014 Biggest Belter! 
Afro Elements
"Lift Your Life" (Original Version)
Out Of The Centre
Splash


Afro Elements featuring Tyaire
"Lift Your Life"
Remains To Be Seen
Splash
Mr. President
"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"
Hip Shaking
Favourite Recordings