News & Updates — soul/funk

Sam Maghett aka Magic Sam! Not just the best barbecue on Chicago's West Side, but also one of my very favorite blues guitar players and singers! From his first record "All Your Love" (as Good Rockin' Sam, for the Cobra label) in 1957 until his early death in 1969 (just 32!), his rockin' sound and pleading voice was a staple on the blues circuit. Born in the Mississippi Delta into a family of sharecroppers, he built his own cigar-box guitars as a kid and when the family moved to Chicago in 1950 he had his eyes on the prize and...

One of the Miami greats, Clarence Reid was a top songwriter and producer for many artists ("Rockin' Chair" and "90% Of Me" by Gwen McCrae, "A Woman Will Do Wrong" by Helene Smith, "Clean-Up Woman" by Betty Wright, "Sound Your Funky Horn" by KC & the Sunshine Band, "Freak In, Freak Out" by Timmy Thomas) as well as his own great cuts ("Nobody But You", "Masterpiece"). Really, there are just too many to mention here. Later he became the party-record superhero Blowfly, a persona he toured with until his death in 2016. Here's perhaps my personal favorite tunes he recorded...

Peace & Rhythm's Studebaker Hawk is back to make you move at Northampton's newest spot to get down, Sevenstrong! This Saturday, Feb 18, 10pm-2am. Disco, funk, boogie, and killer jams from around the world! FREE admission, records start spinning at 10PM! Sevenstrong 7 Strong Ave Northampton MA 01060

Here's a birthday shout-out to the singing mailman, King Floyd. "Groove Me" was the big hit for this New Orleans soul singer, produced by Wardell Quezerque (and recorded at the same session that yielded "Mr Big Stuff" by Jean Knight!). After writing and singing "Groove Me" (originally a b-side) and a few others for the Atlantic stable, he made some records for T.K., but was largely quiet. Still, the tune remains a much-loved classic soul hit. Born King Floyd III, he was childhood pals with Willie Tee and Earl King and started playing professionally in '61 with local blues shouter...

The "left reverend" Eugene "Gene" McDaniels is largely known for three contributions to the popular consciousness. The first is his 1961 song "100 Pounds of Clay" heard on oldies stations to this day (released as Gene McDaniels). The second is his notoriety as a chart-topping song-writer ("Feel Like Makin' Love", by Roberta Flack and "Compared to What", popularized by Les McCann & Eddie Harris). And the third is his rare grove LP Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse, controversial at the time for songs that deeply examine the elite power structure (and the attempted banning of the album by the White...