The Rare Groove Show

Leon Ware passed away on February 23rd 2017.

My first introduction to his music was when my Dad put Marvin Gaye's album, 'I Want You' on cassette for me. That C90 meant a lot. It was impossible for an 11 year old to understand that Leon Ware was the undisputed master of sensual soul, I just liked the music and Marvin's voice. Leon wrote and produced most of that album and although not a success on the level of Gaye's 'What's Going On' its reputation grew and Ware's legendary status was secure. Soul fans revere the man.

Now, my record collection extends to many Leon Ware LPs and his sonically smooth productions. His work on Minnie Ripperton's 'Adventures in Paradise' is memorable and still sounds very fresh. He worked right up until his death- most recently on the Omar LP, 'Love in Beats' but in recent times also co-wrote with Maxwell; together they produced the hit song 'Sumthin' Sumthin'.

Many folks introduction to Leon Ware is the classic 'Why I came to California, featured here.

6th October 2016

Rod Temperton: Where can I begin? His own biography on Twitter states 'From Cleethorpes, destroyed the World'. This is a great statement because the songwriting genius of Temperton literally took the world by storm. From early career hits in the band he led- Heatwave- to Thriller, Rod Temperton left an indelible mark on black popular music. He wrote not just songs but genuine mega hits for George Benson, Michael Jackson, The Brothers Johnson, Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones, among many more. His sound is unique, immediately recognisable and dripping in pure groove.

Rod Temperton is a complete hero to me- a modest man with talent to spare- just how it should be. Quincy Jones recognised the value of a songwriter of such scale and worked with him continually. At 66 his death is so unfair but his legacy is guaranteed. When we're all gone people will be doubtless dancing to Rod Temperton's songs. I imagine his music is everywhere from the moon to the Antarctic- such was his genius. The greatest man you never heard of.

Daniel Bouquet
The Rare Groove Show
www.shoreditchradio.co.uk

Not initially designed as a mix, this is a showcase, for a friend, of new and not so new music from Chicago & Detroit. My friend was lamenting the lack of quality music in the vein of Underground Resistance and the Detroit/Chicago originators. I just had to prove him wrong. The first hour is mostly by 'new school' producers from these two influential cities. Features Aybee and his label Deep Blak, Patrice Scott and his Sistrum Records, Kai Alce (NDATL Music) , Byron The Aquarius (Sound Signature), Glenn Underground (Strictly Jaz Unit) among many others. I got carried away and mixed in some much loved classics at the end.

Everything is played from vinyl using a Pioneer DJM 750 though Wharfedale speakers. I'd love your feedback here and on Podomatic/Soundcloud/ Enjoy!

This is the Rare Groove Show tribute to one of my biggest influences, Maurice White: outstanding vocalist, arranger, producer, drummer, kalimba player, friend of Charles Stepney and Skip Scarborough, businessman, he changed my life and the life of countless others. Dance music as it is would not exist without Maurice White. Earth Wind and Fire were the first soul band I really appreciated and I was awed by their number, image, and what I heard about their live shows. Maybe they were the tightest band instrumentally that ever existed in black music. Listen to find out why Maurice White was a towering figure and to hear the legacy this great man leaves behind.

Mo' Wax + 4 is a mix for a friend who's moving away. I dug out a load of my Mo'Wax vinyl and played it- no preparation and perhaps in a couple of places that can be heard. Many of these records, which I collected between 1993 and 1998 haven't been played in those intervening years. It was nice to get back to them and the culmination of an idea gestating since the Mo'Wax exhibition and James Lavelle's 2014 Meltdown Festival. 'Trip Hop' could, of course, be a little slow so I sped every tune up to a minimum pitch of +4. There are many more songs I could have thrown in but 77 minutes felt ample. The idea is that this will stand the test of time and be an enjoyable listen as well as esoteric enough for anyone remotely interested in the culture created by James Lavelle and Mo'Wax. Enjoy!

Equipment: Technics 1200 x 2, Pioneer DJM 750 Mixer, Sony CD recorder, Bang & Olufsen Headphones, Maxell CDRW, Vinyl.

I'm not a house DJ but now and then I like to round up a selection of records I've acquired - mostly for my own listening pleasure. This is a group of records I've been playing this year- most of them would be classed as house, although they go beyond 4/4 beats into jazz and soul territory. Most tracks here are 2015 releases with a few classics thrown in. Labels featured are Prescription, Yoruba, Strictly Jaz Unit and Soul People. Feedback very welcome!

Equipment used: Technics 1200 turntables, Pioneer mixer, Shure styli, Sony CD recorder, vinyl records.

More music less chat. This 80 minute selection features some of what I'm listening to at the moment, featuring soul and jazz rarities and new music from Kaidi Tatham and Dego (4hero)

Since 1995 when 'Jerusalem EPs' was released on Peacefrog Records I've followed the progress of Glenn Underground and collected his vinyl. Not that I know a lot about him, other than what he creates. That is a superior form of house music, tinged with jazz and soulful elements. Complex live sounding drum patterns which feature lately an African influence are also guaranteed to get the dancefloor moving. Glenn, however, remains a true underground stylist, despite being a go to artist for DJs.

Anything on the GU/Boo Williams label Strictly Jaz Unit is worth seeking out and check out GU's Re-Edits of classic disco and boogie- a series which contains something like 8 releases to date (May 2015).

Glenn Underground is undoubtedly in that class of house artist led by musicianship that soul and jazz fans can relate to:- a group which includes Moodymann, Theo Parrish, Masters At Work, Kerri Chandler and Larry Heard. He is one of the leading innovators in his field and in 2015 seems at the height of his musical powers.

I initially made this short mix for a friend who knew Gil Scott Heron only as a spoken word artist. This version is tweaked a little. I'm a big fan of Gil's work with Brian Jackson and of both as vocalists. Gil's honeyed world weary tones never sound better than with Brian as his foil. Their work with the Midnight Band is some of the most cherished in my record collection- starting with WINTER IN AMERICA on Strata East Records and giving us a succession of mighty albums from the Mid Seventies to early eighties- FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO SOUTH CAROLINA, MIDNIGHT BAND, IT'S YOUR WORLD, BRIDGES, SECRETS and 1980. Jackson's Fender Rhodes playing and arrangements across these releases mean that their work together treads the apex of the jazz/soul crossover. To quote Brian Jackson: 'We loved jazz. But we also loved soul music, funk and R&B. There was always an Isley Brothers or a Stevie Wonder or an Earth Wind and Fire or an Al Green album about to make an appearance on one of our turntables'.

There are days when I'd rather listen to no-one if it's not Gil and Brian and I hope you too enjoy their inspirational music.

February 2015 took me back to New York and to a whole other group of record stores. I'd missed out the fantastic Turntable Lab the last time we visited and this time also got to check out the exciting, if daunting, Brooklyn Flea Market. Although flea market digging takes work it can often be rewarding. This mix includes two fantastic $5 finds- Freddie Hubbard's Red Clay from 'The Baddest Hubbard' a mint CTI LP from 1975 and Donald Byrd's 'The Baby' from The Blackbyrd's 'Flying Start' As with the previous New York mix the songs are based more on a vibe than strictly created in New York- that's obvious when you hear Dr. Dre's West Coast classic 'L'il Ghetto Boy with it's wonderful Donny Hathaway sample. I bring it back to NYC, however, with the Jungle Brothers 'Doin' Our Own Dang' & Gza's 'Liquid Swords' Enjoy this, the third in my New York series and write for further tracklistings.

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