Various Artists - Patrick Forge Presents The Brazilian Funk Experience (2006)

From playing alongside Gilles Peterson at the now legendary Sunday sessions, 'Talkin Loud and Saying Something', through almost twenty years of his Kiss FM radio show 'The Cosmic Jam', Patrick has enjoyed an illustrious career as a DJ and also as a co-producer of Da Lata working with the talented musician Chris Franck. For the last eight years he has hosted the monthly 'Brazilian Love Affair' sessions at Notting Hill Arts Club as well as his regular Friday night at the same venue, 'Inspirational Information.'

The Brazilian Funk Experience hooks into Patrick's personal love affair with the funky 70s Brazilian sound, digging deeper than deep into the respected EMI-Odeon label. Here he presents 20 solid gold Brazilian nuggets, many as rare as hen's teeth and on CD for the first time...(Liner Notes)


1. Meirelles - No Baixo Do Sepateiro
2. Os Devaneios - Embalo Diferente
3. Som Tres - Homenagem A Mongo
4. Elza Soares - Chove Chuva
5. Marcos Valle - Garra
6. Doris Monteiro - Maita
7. Claudia - Baoba
8. Djavan feat. Mariazinha - Nereci
9. Claudio Jorge - Trem Da Central
10. Joao Donato - Cala Boca Menino
11. Simone - Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser
12. Alaide Costa - Catavento
13. 14 Bis - Bola De Meia, Bola De Gude
14. Djavan - Aquele Um
15. Elis Regina - Sai Dessa
16. Doris Monteiro - Se E Questao De Adeus Alte Logo
17. Joyce - Banana
18. Marcelo - Algo No Ar
19. Toninho Horta - Aquelas Coisas Todas (Sanguessuga)
20. Evinha - Que Bandeira

Brazilian Funk Experience: Rare Grooves from EMI Odeon Vaults (1968-1980)

Various Artists - Finders Keepers (2009)

Finders Keepers is one of those comps that you know was languished over by the compiler - Andy Votel. You can sense the excitement Andy must have felt unearthing lps & '7's' from a crate or cardboard box hidden away in the basement of a second hand record shop. Followed by the discovery of finding one gem from ten albums of utter schlock. For anyone who gratefully stumbled across the 'Cherrystone' series and can't get enough Finders Keepers is for you. For anyone who wants to venture beyond the usual musical boundaries but doesn't know where or how to go this'll take you there. If it gets to weird, trust me you won't be locked into a 15 minute prog, kraut epic. For the seasoned traveller artists who might ring the recognition bell include Dorothy Ashby who as far as I know was the first jazz harpist, the trio Serge Gainsbourg, Brigitte Bardot & Sacha Distel who sung 'Hippies' on one of BB's TV Special that is available on DVD, Eddie Warner, a name synominous with French Library - a selection of his work is available on 'Le Jazz Beat Vol 2' & Nino Ferrer another French Pop hero who turned his back on Pop for darker realms. (amazon.co.uk)

1. Getting High - Eddie Warner
2. Dance Of The Vampires - The Vampires Of Dartmoor
3. Love, Love, Love, Love - Wool
4. Love - Rita
5. Turnround - Jack Hendrix' Tchick-Bams
6. Crying Bag - The Sounds Of Joy
7. Freak - Nino Ferrer
8. Fall-Out - The Advancement
9. Skit One - Andy Votel
10. Joyfull Grass & Grape - Dorothy Ashby
11. Karkadon - The Devils Anvil
12. Hippies - Brigitte Bardot, Sascha Distell & Serge Gainsbourg
13. Yesterday Folks - US69
14. Skit Two - Andy Votel
15. April Fool - Isis
16. English Sparrow - Paul Parrish

Andy Votel Presents Finders Keepers

Various Artists - Dirty French Psychedelics (2009)

Another excellent release from Dirty Sound Sysytem, gathering ultra-hard-to-find psychedelic tracks in french & english.

1. Christophe - Ferber Endormi
2. Bernard Lavilliers - Les Aventures Extraordinaires D'un Billet De Banque
3. Brigitte Fontaine - Il Pleut
4. Dashiell Hedayat - Long Song For Zelda
5. Cortex - Cortex A
6. Nino Ferrer - Looking For You
7. Jeanne Marie Sens - Tape Tape Tape
8. Jean Jacques Dexter - Be Quiet
9. Alain Kane - Speed My Speed
10. Francois De Roubaix - La Frite Équatoriale
11. Cheval Fou - La Fin De La Vie, Le Début De La Survivance
12. Christophe - Sunny Road To Salina
13. Ilous & Decuyper - Berceuse
14. Karl Heinz Schäfer & Arabian - Utopia

Dirty French Psychedelic

Peter Michael Hamel - Voice Of Silence (1973)

Peter-Michael Hamel (piano, organ, electronics) was born in Munich in 1947. From 1965-1970 he studied composition under Fritz Buchtger and Gunther Bialas in his home city. During this period he played free jazz, South American folk music and experimental electronics. In 1970 he founded Between with the Argentinean Roberto Detree and the American Robert Eliscu. In 1972 he guested on Agitation Free's first album, adding his peculiar hammond organ style. His interest in Eastern music and meditation resulted in several travels to Asia. His first four albums are also very influenced by such elements. Hamel (1972) was a double album, setting standards for all the albums to come: long, meditative and floating tracks in a minimalist tradition. Some tracks were performed live without overdubs. It had fantastic, colourful, sleeve artwork. Both this and Voice Of Silence were released on the legendary swirl Vertigo label. Hamel performed vocals in a special Indian vocal technique (named khyal) on Voice Of Silence and Buddhist Meditation East-West (1975) (Cosmic Dreams At Play)

Erik - Look Where I Am (1968)

Reissue of the hippy folksinger's sole album, originally issued on the renowned folk label Vanguard Records in 1968.

1. Look Where I Am (Well It's Right Over Here)
2. Painted On The Wall
3. Dead Afternoon Song
4. Be Off Man
5. Why Come Anotherday
6. You Said But I've Got My Way
7. Lights Across The Field, Bright Lights Across The Field Too
8. Sweet Eyes Of
9. Georgeann
10. Untitled Number 2
11. Trymphant Breaking Bottle

Look Where I Am

Oregon - Our First Record (1970)

Although it wasn't released until 1980, "Our First Record" presents, as the title suggests, the first ever recordings by the original Oregon line-up. Recorded in 1970, this album offers a fascinating view how the unique Oregon sound came to be. Sensationally the group, at that stage nameless and hardly a band at all in the proper sense of the word, has its trademark natural global chamber jazz style firmly in place. This is just as great as any other vintage Oregon album (or any Oregon album, for that matter, for they are all winners). "Music of another present era", as the musicians themselves described their musical style. This is an electrifying album, even though it's fully acoustic. (Amazon.com)

Listen to 'Full Circle':



Our First Record

Barbara & Ernie - Prelude To... (1971)

This lost gem from 1972 is quite an oddity. The unlikely pairing of guitarist Ernie Calabria and soul singer Barbara Massey came together to record this album of outlandish, genre-defying hybrids. Both artists were seasoned session players, Calabria performing alongside the likes of Harry Belafonte (on the same recording that saw Bob Dylan's studio debut, 1961's Midnight Special), Nina Simone and Anita Carter (of The Carter Family) while Massey's credits as a backing vocalist include Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Cat Stevens among others. The fruits of their collaboration are best described as a cross-pollination of folk, R&B and psychedelic acid soul. Consequently, this music met with baffled ears upon its initial release and quickly disappeared into obscurity. Listening from our current position in history it all seems relatively coherent, and you just assume this is the sort of thing that went on in the '70s. adding extra gravitas to the recording are jazz heroes Keith Jarrett and Joe Beck - Jarrett in particular leaves his indelible mark on the album, with his breathtaking technique rampaging across album close 'Satisfied'. A very welcome re-discovery this, certainly one for fans of the Finders Keepers reissues. (boomkat.com)

Listen to 'Play With Fire':

Prelude To...