Wake Up Soundtrack: People Under the Stairs “Suite for Beaver, Pt 1”

July 31, 2014 at 6:27 am

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Every day I wake up with a song in my head.  Sometimes it’s the same song for days and days.  Today’s Wake Up Soundtrack comes courtesy of People Under The Stairs, from one of my favorite hip hop albums of all time, “O.S.T.”  Great drums, great sample, fun content.

FREE DOWNLOAD: “Let’s Go Get ‘Em” New Orleans Brass & Funk Mix

June 11, 2014 at 10:20 am

letsgogetem-withurl

I am fortunate to have worked on this mix with my friend and colleague, Derrick Ah Sam.  In February 2013, Derrick reached out to me about executing a mix he had been thinking about for a while.  After countless hours, nights after work, and weekends of getting together for a few hours a day, we released the final product in April 2014, just in time for Jazz Fest in New Orleans.  The response has been amazing and this is only the beginning.

Download at: www.neworleansbrassmix.com

This is a sampling of some of the sounds of the city that has truly moved my spirit since my first visit to New Orleans for the 2005 Jazz Fest. Here, we’ve reinterpreted and presented this music in a way that is new and fresh (thanks to a very technically challenging and amazing mix by my good friend and DJ, Frank Foreal), yet still pays proper respect to the culture and the folks that create this music.

This is truly a project of passion for me. As a matter of fact, I have so much love for New Orleans, it can be challenging to find a way to accurately translate and explain my feelings for this place…

Thus, I found the best way to express my affection is through music and this project, “Let’s Go Get ‘Em”, is my personal love letter to the city of New Orleans.

Happy listening!

Sincerely,

Derrick Ah Sam

 

If you like what you hear, we kindly ask that you make a small donation to The Roots of Music foundation in New Orleans.

therootsofmusic.org/donate

OR

Text ROOTS to 88588 to donate any amount!

Co-Founded by Derrick Tabb, snare drummer for the Rebirth Brass Band, The Roots of Music fills a void in music education programs in New Orleans schools.

The Roots of Music empowers New Orleans youth aged 9-14 through music history and theory as well as instrumental instruction and ensemble performance preparation. They also provide educational & academic support, and mentorship while preserving and promoting the unique musical and cultural heritage of the city.

Marching bands were once an integral part of New Orleans middle schools, but many schools discontinued their music programs for this age group after Katrina. Today, The Roots of Music serves over 100 students, making up a full marching band that has successfully paraded the city since Mardi Gras 2009.

By donating to this organization, you can help empower the next generation of musicians who will continue to carry on the cultural legacy of the music we’ve presented here.

Credits

released 28 April 2014
Produced & Arranged by Derrick Ah Sam
Co-Produced by Frank Foreal
All Mixing, Cuts & Scratches by Frank Foreal
Engineered & Mastered by Garfield Adams at Stemulated Studios, Pasadena, CA
Cover Photo by C R Photography
Album Artwork by LeeJames

Derrick Ah Sam
www.facebook.com/derrickahsam
idea.podomatic.com
Instagram: idea24

Frank Foreal
www.cornerstoreradio.com

Garfield Adams
garfieldadams.bandcamp.com
info@garfieldadams.com

C R Photography
www.nawlinsimages.com

LeeJames
www.leejamesdezignthrusound.com

Joining a weekly radio show: Soundwaves Radio

February 2, 2014 at 3:20 pm

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Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you had a great holiday, filled with friends, family, and good music.  2014 is off to a great start.  Just before Christmas, I was sitting at Aloha Kitchen, one of my favorite breakfast spots in Little Tokyo DTLA, with my wife.  We had been going back and forth  the past week or so about what my plans are for radio, how I’m going to make my dreams happen, and why I’m not there yet.  During breakfast we were having a similar conversation, when I received a phone call from SeanO, whose radio show on KPFK I had recently dropped a guest DJ set on.  Normally I would never interrupt a meal with my wife, but something made me pick up that phone.  I’m glad I did, because Sean was calling to invite me to join the team for his weekly show, Soundwaves Radio.  You can now hear me on LA airwaves late every Friday night, from 2-4am, on 90.7FM KPFK.  Truly the law of attraction in full effect right there, y’all, and I can’t thank my wife enough for helping me put that energy out there, and to SeanO for making that phone call.  I’m grateful for this opportunity, and invite you to take this journey with me.  Head to Facebook and LIKE our page to stay in the know about upcoming guests and DJ’s, and past show archives.

Late Friday/Early Saturdays
Soundwaves Radio @ KPFK 90.7FM
-2am-4am
-Los Angeles airwaves on 90.7FM, worldwide on kpfk.org, and through smartphones via the Pacifica Radio app.
-Hip Hop, Funk, World Music, Soul, Jazz, and Electronic goodness, brought to you by SeanO, Frank Foreal, DJ Gro Weyez, DJ Panamami, and Val The Vandal plus guest dj sets and interviews from the world’s finest music curators.

 

FREE DOWNLOAD: E Reece & D-Felic “Pura Vida”

August 3, 2013 at 8:32 am

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The homie E Reece came out with a new free download yesterday.  Check it out!

Producer D-Felic (The Hague, Netherlands) has once again linked up with MC E Reece (Los Angeles, USA) to craft the smooth track “Pura Vida,” which features songstress Kaleena Zanders and saxophonist Reagan Branch(B Side Players) to give you a FREE gift for the Summertime!  The two previously teamed up on D-Felic’s 2012Flight 799 EP for its lead single entitled “LA.”  “Pura Vida” is a positive song, encouraging the listener to enjoy life and live it to the fullest!

Steady Groovin’ Grand Re-Opening 7/20/13 in DTLA’s Arts District

June 27, 2013 at 11:10 am

We finally found a home that will support live music, which was a huge aspect of our mission: to bring amazing bands to the stage.  We start at our new home, Nola’s in the Arts District, on Saturday, July 20, and every 3rd Saturday of the month.  For our grand re-opening, we will feature Los Angeles super group, Jungle Fire, who have an amazing afro-latin sound that your feet cannot deny!

You can download my promo mix for Steady Groovin here: http://www.mixcrate.com/frankforeal/steady-groovin-promo-253877

steadygroovin-130720-full

Waking Up: Lianne La Havas “Tease Me”

October 30, 2012 at 10:54 am

so fly....

I heard this track quite a bit over the last month, and then stopped hearing it, as DJ's moved on to other songs from her new album, "Is Your Love Big Enough?" But this one was in my head allllllllll morning.  Lianne La Havas is an amazing singer/songwriter from London, who really solidified her place in my heart with "Forget." This is one of very few artists whose lyrics actually stay with me.  I NEVER pay attention to lyrics. My brain doesn't process them, for some reason, but rather groups the melody of the voice as part of the overall musical piece.  So this is a big deal.

Another thing I can't stop praising is Lianne's guitar playing and great arrangements to accompany her insightful, somewhat melancholy take on love and ex-boyfriends (I watched her performance on this year's iTunes festival and she attributed a whole segment of the show to her ex). I absolutely love the guitar intro of this song (kind of reminds me of this), and would love to make a re-edit of this if I can make some time in the near future. Lianne La Havas is in town this November at The Roxy. I highly recommend you see her.  I'll definitely be there vibing out!

Enjoy.

Waking Up: Alphonso Johnson “Love’s The Way I Feel About Cha”

October 18, 2012 at 9:19 am

This one was in my head when my eyes opened this morning. I often don't get down with some of the more vocal jazz fusion of the mid to late 70's. it tends to get a little soft for my palette, with a couple of exceptions: anything by George Duke, Flora Purim, and Herbie Hancock. This Alphonso Johnson album features a pretty heavy lineup of musicians:

Alphonso Johnson : Bass & Vocal
Philip Bailey : Vocals
Diane Reeves : Vocals
Grover Washington Jr : Tenor Saxophone
Patrice Rushen : Electric Piano
Lee Ritenour : Guitar
Mike Clark : Drums
Sheila Escovedo : Congas
David Foster : Organ
Ian Underwood : synthesizers,

The vocals by the amazing Diane Reeves are really what drew me in to this record. I can't even remember where I bought this LP.  I'm almost positive it was a dollar bin purchase, maybe $3.  Did I get it at a thrift store? Amoeba? Endo? Either way, what's important is that I share it with you. Hope you like it.

Work is killing me…

July 16, 2012 at 11:21 pm

Been lagging on the blog posts, I know.  My 9 to 5 has been killing me, as audit season is coming around and I'm spending most of my work day going through paperwork and matching up dollar amounts and what not.  Not exciting at all.

 

Coming soon: Great new tracks for your listening pleasure, more events, new Forward Listening podcasts, and more.

Frank Gossner at Afro Funke

May 18, 2012 at 8:27 am

20120518-082250.jpgThursday nights are for Afro Funke!  For over 8 years, the team of Cary Sullivan, Rocky Dawuni, Jeremy Sole, and Glenn Red have provided Los Angeles with a quality event, dedicated to african rhythms, from reggae to afrobeat.  Definitely one of LA's shining stars in the music scene, this is a place to come hear music you've never heard before, and to dance to music you've never heard before.  And EVERYONE is dancing.  That's what makes this so special to me.  There's a lot of wallflowers in LA, but not at Afro Funke.  20120518-082523.jpgEveryone is vibing out.  Even if someone is not on the dancefloor, they are moving their feet. When I got the email about Frank Gossner guest DJ'ing at Afro Funke this week, all my other plans got cancelled.  This cat spent quite a bit of time travelling through Africa, sometimes not in the safest of places, in search of the rarest and funkiest of African records.  He documented this journey on his blog, Voodoo Funk.  Lots of photos and music for you to check out.  Frank played some SERIOUS heat, from afro-disco cuts to slow funk burners.   And if you're wondering what kind of records he was playing, they were all original pressings.  No compilations.  I couldn't help but remember what Jeremy Sole said when introducing Frank: "Think of it like this, one of these records can pay for your rent this month!"

Aloha!

April 28, 2012 at 4:37 pm

20120429-103858.jpg Aloha from Honolulu. I’m sitting here on the beach thinking about how crazy this last week has been. It all started on Thursday as we (Trina and I) headed out to the Coachella music festival in Indio. We saw an amazing lineup of artists. Too many, in fact, to see them all (sorry DJ Shadow). There were quite a few people there as well!

 

Outside of the festival, we hung out at the Ace Hotel as well as the Saguaro Hotel, where there was a KCRW pool party on Sunday afternoon. Once we came home from Coachella, we were off to Maui for a couple of days to celebrate my birthday, and then on to Honolulu to go digging and whatnot while Trina worked a conference. More to come…

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