Whitsun Wonders

Blam Jam takes another break from the airwaves this week,
as it prepares for show 150 next Sunday, which will include
an hour of the best Blam Jam Belters over the last three and
a half years since the show's arrival.

But the influx of amazing tunes in Blam Jam's absence has shown
no signs of slowing down and here's a rundown of tunes that are
impossible to stop listening to.

Mala - "Changes" (James Blake Remix)



This may not be for everyone.

But after one listen, this one has me smiling the second it starts
every time since, and has been a long time coming.

Existing only as a dubplate for the last couple of years, this has
been a massive mover in the clubs and fresh from the success
of James Blake's "Overgrown" LP, there seems to be no signs of
stopping for the artist.

What could be described as "contemporary classical music"?

Nah, I'm being dreadfully pretentious.

Just a mint tune as a whole.

Thundercat - "Oh Sheit, It's X"



Now this one's addictive.

One of many winners from the forthcoming album from Brainfeeder's
Thundercat, who joins forces with Flying Lotus to create what could
be one of the sounds of 2013's warmer months.

Despite a near explicit title, it hasn't stopped me from giving this
a spin on Canterbury's airwaves with a little bit of subtle editing,
and shows a lot of promise for the "Apocalypse" LP due for release in
June, which also contains a tribute to the late Austin Peralta, a pianist
and contributor to Brainfeeder who passed away last November at
just 22 years old.

I'd love to see Thundercat take on Level 42's Mark King in a bass
duel, as this track has shades of the brit-funk band's earlier material
and Mike Lindup's fashionable falsetto.

What may be my second favourite tune with "Oh Sh*t" in the title
after the Buzzcocks...

Jamie Cullum and Laura Mvula - "Sad Sad World"



It's no secret that the jazz pixie's latest album "Momentum"
is one that I'm finding hard to stop spinning at present.

But this duet, wow.

I'd definitely say that this is better than the solo rendition on the
album itself, which in it's own respect isn't a bad tune, but
the addition of Laura Mvula and the overall intimacy and deep piano
chords turn this into something really special, making the lyrical
content of the song even more meaningful.

It could be the best thing recorded in Abbey Road since Incognito's
"100 Degrees and Rising" album, and that's a bold statement.

Simplicity at it's finest.

Elliott Macauley featuring Cleveland Jones - "Mama's Baby Boy"



One on the more soulful side of things, from a young performer
from Manchester, and an adorable ode to parentage with musical
accompaniment to match.

This one has the potential  to be turned into soulful house remix as
it's got all the right piano sevenths, reminiscent of an early 90s soul
anthem a la Don E or Vivienne McKone.

Even the addition of Ian Levine-esque synth brass isn't enough
to put one off this gem.

Andreya Triana - "Song For A Friend"



I'm really hoping 2013 will be the year Miss Triana finally reaches
wider recognition and this offering from her forthcoming album
has been one of the biggest surprises of recent.

Once again it's the simplicity that makes this song a gem, with
deep, thoughtful lyrics blended together with a strong piano backing,
making it an ideal listen for anyone who is feeling uncertain,
and needs reassurance that they're not on their own.

I will be trying very hard not to break down when hearing this song
performed live this coming Friday at the Union Chapel.


So those are the tunes that are providing excitement, and I look
forward to sharing even more next Sunday at 6, for Blam Jam
show 150, where the first hour will be made up of Blam Jam Belters,
the instant winners that I have taken to on first listen,

I've got some good ones!



and hour 2 will involve very little words, and noises emitted from
the mouth with a selection of tunes that are "Almost Instrumental".



Make sure you're listening next Sunday 2nd of June from 6pm, at csrfm.com.

Live Gig Review: Cullum To The Core - 21.05.13

A free gig?

In one of my favourite locations in London?

I'm right there.

And entertaining the commuters of St Pancras railway station on
an overcast Tuesday morning was the jazz pixie himself, Jamie Cullum.

This was a 30 minute set, made up predominantly of tunes

from his latest album "Momentum" as released on Monday,
starting off in style with "The Same Things" followed by the
single "Everything You Didn't Do".

Other tunes performed were the sublime cover of
"Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,

and the "I-Told-You-So" tale, "When I Get Famous" putting
to great use, the players of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Although it was one of St Pancras's public piano's
Cullum was playing on, it didn't mean that he wouldn't be
standing up on said instrument,  

And in case you're wondering, yes that is an apple core on towards
the right of the piano lid, not in any way a homage to Phil Collins'paint pot,
but Jamie's japery on the piano stool resulted in the core being knocked over, and he was kind enough to pass it onto your's truly, who had to hold on to it
for the rest of the set.

Sorry to any fans, but this won't be going on eBay.

It now resides on one of South Eastern's Railway's High Speed bins.

If anything, I'd see it as revenge for including Jamie in my poor attempt
of poetic verse, "We Rep Essex", which also namechecks Jamie's radio
producer Karen P.



Anyway, it was worth it, as the finale was a fantastic rendition of an
old favourite, "Get Your Way" which really put the NYJO to
great use.

I was even singing along to the brass riff, that has opened Jamie's
BBC Radio 2 show many times, which I don't do often.
That activity's normally reserved for an Incognito gig.

As a whole I loved it.

There was a great buzz about the place, and the National Youth

Jazz Orchestra made it that extra special, allowing me to travel back
to Canterbury "Smilin' Through".

Show 149: "We Rep Essex" - 19.05.13

Hour 1

Stevie Wonder
"Fun Day"
Jungle Fever
Motown

Doggett Brothers
"Reminds Me Of You"
DayLight
Doggett Brothers

Eric Lau Featuring Tawiah
"Where To Go Now"
One Of Many
Killowatt

Blue Boy
"Remember Me"
CD Single
Altra Moda

Thundercat
"It's X"
Apocalypse
Brainfeeder

Swingrowers
"Via Con Me"
Do Not Cover Part 1
Freshly Squeezed

Tricity Vogue
"Milkshake"
The Blue Lady Sings
Tricity Vogue

LL Cool J feat. Charlie Wilson and Earth, Wind And Fire
"Something About You (Love the World)"
Authentic
429

Sticky Jam
Made In London
"Dirty Water"
CD Single
RCA

The Cutler
"P-A-Y-R"
The Best Things In Life Aren't Things
Steel Tiger

Call And Response

Call
Van Morrison
"Bright Side Of The Road"
Still On Top - The Greatest Hits
Polydor

Response
Percy Sledge
"The Dark End Of The Street"
The Percy Sledge Way
Atlantic

Lucas Arruda
"Who's That Lady"
Sambadi
Favourite

Scott Bradlee
"Hello My Ragtime 80s"
Bandcamp
Poor Gentleman's Records

Hour 2: Mellow Masterpieces

Erykah Badu
"Window Seat"
New Amerykah Part 2
Universal Motown

Flying Lotus
"Putty Boy Strut"
Until The Quiet Comes
Warp

Richard Earnshaw Featuring Ursula Rucker and Roy Ayers
"Rise"
In Time
Groovefinder

Lovely Laura
"Baker Street"
Off The Ground
Lovely Laura

The Hics
"Lines"
Brownswood Bubblers Volume 9
Brownswood

Ahmed Sirour Featuring Michelle Thompson
"We Rep Brooklyn"
Online Download
Bandcamp

Blamirez
"We Rep Essex"
Soundcloud

Webster Wraight Ensemble
"Ruins Of Britain"
No Lucky Days
Miso

Flying Lotus Featuring Thundercat
"DMT Song"
Until The Quiet Comes
Warp

Obenewa
"Make It Better"
Once Upon A Time
Obenewa

Jose James
"Come To My Door"
No Beginning No End
Blue Note

Rodriguez
"Cause"
Searching For Sugar Man OST
Light In The Attic

Blam Jam Belter!
Rhythm Slaves
"I Have Found"
12"
Soussol

Live Gig Review: Eric Lau and Friends at The Old Queen's Head, 16.05.13

My favourite gigs tend to be those of bands who opt to play in
smaller, more intimate venues.

Though when such venues are full to the brim with a larger
number of attendees than expected, that's something different altogether.

















Luckily the packed out first floor of the Old Queens Head in
Islington, didn't discourage Eric Lau and Friends from giving off
an amazing set this Thursday, made up of a live preview of Lau's
forthcoming album, "One Of Many".


















If anything, it probably gave them that extra buzz.

And what a line-up it was, three top vocalists them  being (from right) Blam Jam favourite Tawiah, Rahel, and Vula,



Alex Bonfanti giving it some bass,


Some stunning percussion from the PSM,


And not forgetting Kaidi Tatham on flute and keyboards, who was
far too modest to big up his own LP just released, the rather
superb "Shokazulu".

Highlights included Tawiah doing an amazing performance on my
personal favourite "Where To Go Now", of which you can hear
the single version on Sunday's Blam Jam,


and an amazing adlib from Vula who was celebrating her birthday
as shared with Janet Jackson.

They even gave her a cake and champagne!

The crowds (and a massive one at that) were very appreciative
and I'm pretty certain that Lau will have no problems at all turning
out copies and downloads of his new album when finally released.

As I'm not normally very good at coping in tightly crowded places
I managed really well, and just lost myself in the amazing
musicianship from everyone performing on stage.

Taking into account it was Lau's first performance with a live band
for five years, here's hoping the next one won't be too long a wait,
and maybe in a bigger venue?

Preview - Show 149

A visual tease of a special musical offering I've put together myself
for Sunday's show.

All will be revealed in due course.

Show 148: Celebrating Stevie, Without Stevie - 12.05.12

Hour 1

Jamiroquai
"Too Young To Die" (Skeil's Acid Nu Jazz Electromix)
Soundcloud

Bluey
"Got To Let My Feelings Show"
Leap Of Faith
Dome

Earth, Wind and Fire
"Let Your Feelings Show"
I Am
Sony

Omar
"There's Nothing Like This"
The Man
Freestyle

Jamie Cullum Featuring Roots Manuva
"Love For $ale"
Momentum
Decca

Lack Of Afro
"Carnival"
Soundcloud

Daft Punk
"Get Lucky" (Drop Out Orchestra Edit)
Soundcloud

Sticky Jam
CJ Lewis
"Everything Is Alright (Uptight)"
Dollars
MCA

Blam Jam Belter!
Thundercat
"It's X"
Apocalypse
Brainfeeder

Mike Oldfield
"Thrash"/"Jazz"/"Bells"
Tubular Bells 2003
Warner

Brian Eno
"Another Green World"
Another Green World
Virgin

Karen P, Si Begg and Fatima
"Broadcasting Across The Valley"
Karen P... Broad Casting
Sonar Collective

Shokazulu
"Part 4"
Shokazulu
2000black

Gregory Porter
"On My Way To Harlem"
Be Good
Motema

Harleighblu
"Enough Now"
Single Release
Tru Thoughts

Frank Sinatra
"For Once In My Life"
My Way: The Frank Sinatra Collection
Frank Sinatra Enterprises

Hour 2: Stevie Special
Macy Gray
"Superstition"
Talking Book
SLG

Eric Clapton
"Higher Ground"
Conception: An Interpretation Of Stevie Wonder's Songs
Motown

Harry J Allstars
"My Cherie Amour"
Liquidator
Trojan

DJ Luck and MC Neat
"Masterblaster 2000"
CD Single
Red Rose Recordings

Chaka Khan
"I Was Made To Love Him"
Chaka
Warner Brothers

McKoy featuring General Levy
"Living For The City"
Cut From The Same Cloth
Real McKoy Music

Pacific Mambo Orchestra Featuring Kenny Washington And Karl Perazzo
"Overjoyed"
Pacific Mambo Orchestra
Stefrecrods

Gene Harris Quartet
"Another Star"
Black And Blue
Concord

Tanya Stephens
"Part Time Lover"
Ruff Rider
VP Music Group

Tracy Hamlin
"Until You Come Back To Me"
Better Days
DMH

Khari Cabral featuring India Arie
"Never In Your Sun"
Clementine Sun
Dome

Manuel Granada
"I Just Called To Say I Love You"
Guitarra Volume 2
Meta Network

Monday Michiru
"As"
Don't Disturb This Groove
Grand Gallery

Live Gig Review: Gregory Porter at the Oval Space - 09.05.13

It's been a night I have waited for far too long now.

A man who has only been in the public eye for a couple of years,
yet guaranteed to sell out at top speed whenever he announces
a UK date.

Thankfully, this time I got in there early and this Thursday just
passed I had the pleasure of seeing Gregory Porter and his

quartet perform live to the crowds of the Oval Space in my birthplace

of East London.



As it was a packed venue, most of the tunes were relatively
upbeat though some of the slower offerings such as "Be Good"
and "On My Way To Harlem" were performed at just a slightly
faster tempo. 

Crowd participation was encouraged with plenty of handclap
rhythms and not forgetting the call-and-response refrain
of Porter's signature song "1960 What".

Porter's backing band were on fine form as well, I was particuarly
surprised that piano player Chip Crawford was playing on an upright,
due to the stage space, but it still sounded amazing and matched
the intimate quality that oozes through the albums themselves.

Due to where I was standing, I couldn't really get a great photo
of the band (though that may also be due to me owning an inferior
brand of smartphone) but hopefully this shot gives a sense of 
perspective.



And on that note Porter treated us to some new material from
his forthcoming album "Liquid Spirit" including the title track
and one that struck a chord on a personal level "Hey Laura, It's Me"
about an unrequited love.

The band returned for an encore, which as requested by the
hyped-up crowd, was the Grammy nominated "Real Good Hands"
a delightful ballad about asking for the blessing from a fiance's parents.

Overall it was a superb gig, and given the wide space of the venue,
I thought the acoustics were brilliant.

I'd still love to see Porter perform in a more intimate venue mind.

Rummaging For Remixes

As Blam Jam takes a bank holiday breather this Sunday,
it's as good a time as ever to look back at some of the 
stand-out remixes of well-known tunes, that have made
a mark on the show.

Any song it seems, is now open to interpretation and it's
an artform that's become a lot more than just sticking extra beats
behind a track.

Here's one or two that have gone down particularly well;

Jamiroquai - "Too Young To Die" (Skeil's Acid Nu-Jazz Electromix)



In the last couple of months Jamiroquai have been challenging the
public to remix their breakthrough hit "Too Young To Die" to celebrate
the song's 20th anniversary.

Most of the entries have been pretty sub-standard, but this offering
from French producer Skeil is something else.

I love how he's managed to retain the melodic feel of the song,
yet he's changed the tune into something completely different, with
the verses reminiscent of Jamiroquai's later release "Alright", and
the chorus is a cacophony of voice samples similar to Flying Lotus.

It's a very uplifting arrangement and an overall polished effort.

Mario Biondi - "This Is What You Are" (Opolopo Kick Bass Rerub)


When a tune becomes very popular there's a guarantee that there
will be a barrage of remixes to follow.

And recently the modern-day soul anthem from the Italian
charmer has been given a new lease of life from Swedish producer
Opolopo, although the reception hasn't been overall positive
and even Mario himself isn't impressed.

One fan who I quote from claims that it "ruined my favourite
song of all time", though for me it was already ruined when 
it was blended together with Miles Davis' "Milestones", and
the SOS Band's "Finest", the latter being a very popular floorfiller,
but if I hear it, it's a cue to go and get myself another drink.

It's in the wrong key, and it's rather flat as a whole.

Opolopo's effort on the other hand gives the song a march darker
feel and I just love the pianos and vibe solos on there.

I'd more than happily dance to this, and dare I say it's livened
the tune up a bit.

Matt Bianco - "Half A Minute" (Joey Negro Sunburnt Mix)



Unlike the last one I had been quite a big fan of the original
version, and was one that appeared to define the future
direction of Matt Bianco after the departure of Basia and Danny White.

25 years after the original was released, Joey Negro returns
to give the song, quite frankly an incredible makeover
transforming the latin rhythms into the perfect sunset song.

Regular Blam Jam listeners will be only too aware how much
I adore this remix, to the point it has become one of the most
played tracks over the last 3 and a half years of the show,
and still sounds superb.

And as a bonus, another remix from the band giving their 
late 80s dance hit "Wap Bam Boogie" a 00s makeover.

Aaliyah - "One In A Million" (Ahmed Sirour Remix)



A poignant offering from New York producer Ahmed Sirour
made around the 10th anniversary of her untimely passing.

Just the sheer simplicity of this makes it work, setting Aaliyah's
vocals to a superb piano and string backing.

If there's one recurring trait of Ahmed Sirour, it's his modesty,
even referring to this as a "rough draft".

An understatement if ever.

Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday weekend, and I'll return
to the airwaves next Sunday, 12th of May on CSR from 6pm!