sabato 21 dicembre 2013

Italian Funk 45s pt.2



Trying to cash in on the international success of Manu Dibango's single "Soul Makossa" and the bad distribution of the original version in Italy, Durium records' producer Felice Piccarreda (Wess, The Motowns, I Nuovi Angeli) in early 1973 assembled a studio band to cover the track. The result is one of the best versions of this afro-funk classic, faster than the original and hard on the drums, backed with an "original" called "Pitch Black" that keeps the groove going with a similar bass riff and more fake African gibberish.

sabato 14 dicembre 2013

Italian Funk 45s pt.1



FLIP FLOP GROUP - Music/Funky (Bang Bang)

Milan based Bang Bang label was founded in the early 60s by composer and producer Giorgio Oddoini and has a large catalog of mostly orchestral easy listening and Italian popular dance music (liscio, tango, mazurka etc) records. This (mid to late) 70s stupidly rare single is the exception to the rule, consisting in two sides of slamming funk with an Italian aftertaste (just check the scat vocals on "Music").

mercoledì 11 dicembre 2013

Camorrexploitation!




Composer and arranger Eduardo Alfieri is mostly known for his work in the "Canzone Napoletana" field, but in the late 70s and early 80s scored a bunch of camorra-exploitation movies starring king Mario Merola at his best. The movies were a cross between Italian Poliziottesco movies and the Neapolitan tradition of the "Sceneggiata" and the soundtracks followed the same pattern, mixing orchestral jazz-funk with Parthenopean folklore. Complete scores were never released and only a few tracks emerged on different compilations. This 1981 album's a mixed bag with some Merola's songs and 6 instrumentals taken from the movies. I edited Merola's songs out (all largely available on cd and digital download) and left only Alfieri's instrumentals.



sabato 7 dicembre 2013

Italiese pioneer



Incredible Joe Tex cover by Anonima J.M., a studio band based in Milan that released a few albums in the early 70s covering the hits of the day. Featuring cult weirdo rock 'n' roller Riz Samaritano on lead vocals, this is an hilarious version of the funk classic sung in a particularly broken english. 

mercoledì 4 dicembre 2013

Franco Goldani




Accordionist, vibraphonist, arranger and composer Franco Goldani is one of the many unsung heroes in the italian jazz and pop music scene of the sixties and seventies. This is one of the few library records he made in his career, released in 1970 but most likely recorded a few years earlier, it's a great big-band jazz album recorded with a killer band featuring Enzo Restuccia on drums, Daniele Patucchi on bass, Angelo Baroncini on guitar and Sal Genovese on tenor saxophone.