"I Hear Your Name" and "1975" by Incognito. The world's best funk/r&b band has been doing it for over 20 years, 30 if you include its lone 80s release, 1981's Jazz Funk. "I Hear Your Name" hails from the 1995 collection 100ยบ and Rising, and features great vocals by Joy Malcom and Pamela Anderson, propulsive percussion, tight horn work, and lush strings. Last year's Transatlantic R.P.M. included the instant singalong "1975,"which namedropped EWF, Santana, Roberta Flack, Herbie Hancock, and a host of other r&b/funk hitmakers from that decade, all wrapped in a delicious discofied track. It doesn't get any better than this.
"Matte Kudesai" by Kurt Elling. Elling wraps his rich voice around this standout track by the 80s quartet version of King Crimson. He's appearing at Interlochen this summer in what's sure to be one of the top performances of the summer. Don't miss it.
"Do-Re-Mi" by the Brooklyn Rundfunk Orchestra. This mashup of "Do-Re-Mi" and the Jackson 5's "ABC" is hilarious and spot-on. What great chutzpah. And it was approved by the estate for the von Trapp family. Amazing.
"Led Boots" by Jeff Beck. One of the standout tracks from the brilliant concert at Devos Hall in Grand Rapids April 19. Beck and his band, including the hard-hitting Narada Michael Walden on drums, were on fire from the first note. "Led Boots" was the only track from Wired to make the cut ( it would have been great to hear "Blue Wind") and was among the many highlights of the evening. Check for my upcoming piece on Beck in Progression magazine.
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"Voltar pro Rio," by Kleber Jorge. Insanely catchy vamp over the end, propelled by Mike Shapiro's drums. What's worse, it's sorta circular -- there's no obvious escape route. It's like endlessly circling a whirlpool with no handy tree branch to grab.
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