Rock Torch

Drew Schultz recommends The Funk Brothers

by

Drew Schultz (l), Uriel Jones, Eddie Willis and Bob Babbitt of the Funk Brothers (r)

Drew Schultz’s artist recommendation: “If there’s one band that’s had the most influence on my life so far, it’s got to be The Funk Brothers. Although they’ve had some exposure because of the documentary film about them called Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, I believe that they’re still the largely-unsung heroes of R&B and Soul music. The Funk Brothers were the studio recording band that played the instruments on nearly every hit that Motown Records recorded during its Detroit era of 1959-1972. Regardless of the songwriters, singers, producers, or even sometimes record labels, The Funk Brothers are a common thread through countless hits by artists including the Four Tops, Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, The Contours, Mary Wells, Junior Walker & The All Stars, The Isley Brothers, The Spinners, Jackie Wilson, The Dramatics, John Lee Hooker, and countless others. I could fill up this entire piece just by listing artists who they recorded for. The actual song titles could probably fill a library.

Although the name originally referred to a core group of the Motown session players, today The Funk Brothers name has evolved to include the jaw-dropping roster of musicians that made up the regular rhythm section in the Hitsville studios in Detroit. They really packed that studio too. Once you start listening closely to many of these iconic hits, you can hear that they recorded with two drummers, two hand percussionists, three guitarists, two keyboard players, and bass guitar, all BEFORE adding horns, strings, and singers. They made each instrument fit in like a puzzle piece. For example, check out the guitar work on some of these hits and you’ll see that while Eddie Willis might be chanking up high on his axe, Robert White is strumming a rhythm line, and Joe Messina is playing a single-note line lower on the instrument that weaves in and out of the other patterns. Each player had a role, and they rarely deviated from that role. Because of this, The Funk Brothers had this interlocking percussive sound that is way more nuanced than most folks realize.”

Not familiar with The Funk Brothers? Drew suggests you start here: “If I could recommend one specific album to find that will get you into The Funk Brothers, I’d say you’ve got to find the deluxe edition of the Standing In the Shadows of Motown soundtrack. Hear some of the live performances from The Funk Brothers’ triumphant reunion. Check out Bob Babbit’s slick eighth note triplet bass walkdown in (Love Is Like A) Heatwave. Hear drummers Uriel Jones and Richard “Pistol” Allen meld together seamlessly as they both play kit on I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Listen to the mind blowingly intricate bass line that James Jamerson played on the Four Tops hit song Bernadette. Hear the crowd go wild as the announcer goes down the list of members from the “greatest hit machine in music history;” bassists James Jamerson and Bob Babbit, drummers Benny Benjamin, Uriel Jones, and Richard “Pistol” Allen, percussionists Eddie “Bongo” Brown and Jack Ashford, guitarists Robert White, Joe Messina, and Eddie Willis, keyboardists Joe Hunter, Earl Van Dyke, and Johnny Griffith. All of this is only on the first disc!

The second disc of this deluxe CD set might be solely responsible for teaching me how to write and arrange soul music. The bonus content consists of remixes of the original instrumental tracks that The Funk Brothers recorded for Motown. During the songs, instruments will fade in and out of the mix so you can hear how this immense cast of players made their parts fit together in the overall picture. You can hear how the three guitars didn’t get in the way, how the two drummers made things lock in, and how each ostinato rhythm section pattern becomes a hook all by itself. I’ve been trying to emulate that feel and that spirit ever since I started writing. Whenever I’ve felt down or needed music to pick up my spirits, I reach for Motown music. Having dug into Standing In The Shadows, I now know that I’m really reaching for The Funk Brothers.”

Drew SchultzAbout our guest author, Drew Schultz: The nickname “Kid Motown” couldn’t be more appropriate for percussionist Drew Schultz. Drew began playing the drums at the age of 13 and specifically keyed into the Motown sound for inspiration. He studied music at NYU and began performing in his teens with his idols, The Four Tops, and later with The Temptations, The Dramatics, Aretha Franklin and Martha Reeves. Earlier this year, Schultz released an album of 16 originals called Back to Class which features performances from The Four Tops, Dennis Coffey, James Jamerson Jr. and Melvin Davis. Now, Schulz is back with a new single that features Eddie Willis of the original Funk Brothers (see the great video for Take It Slow featuring Eddie below). Beyond the album and single being chock full of soul greatness, there’s another reason to check out these tunes: 50% of the profits will go to benefit the music programs at the Detroit Public Schools. Please support this fantastic cause and buy the music that will reward you with smiles for days to come.

Be sure to check:
* The Back To School YouTube Channel
* Buy the Back to Class CD
* More coverage of the Back to School Project on the Blue Bird Reviews website (thanks so much for introducing us to Drew, Bluebird!)

JC Brooks recommends Amy Winehouse (and a bunch of other artists!)

by

JC Brooks and Amy Winehouse

JC Brooks and Amy Winehouse

JC Brooks’ artist recommendation: “Amy Winehouse — tragic case and an incredible vocalist and an even better lyricist. Plus, I identify with her work because we both happen to be too willing to give our hearts to dudes who don’t deserve our time. I like Adele for the same reason, except she’s kinda the opposite of tragic. Where Amy’s pain ultimately destroyed her, Adele parlayed it into several Grammys and a tidy fortune.”

Album recommendations from JC Brooks:

Whokill by the Tune-Yards
Merril Garbus is an incredibly inventive musician and she has a very unique voice that you either love or you hate. I love it.

Severe Tire Damage by They Might Be Giants
It’s got all the hits. I find it impossible to not be amused by this album.

Tango Zero-Hour by Astor Piazola
It’s fun and (at times) creepy. It’s what the accordion was invented for.

Channel Orange by Frank Ocean
Because Channel Orange by Frank Ocean. I feel about this album the way Zooey Deschanel’s character in Almost Famous felt about The Who’s Tommy…

Rapture by Anita Baker
You either get it or you don’t. Amazing jazz/R&B from the peak era.

The Heart Of Saturday Night by Tom Waits
It features some achingly beautiful lyrics delivered in Waits’ unique style. It not only makes you want to fall in love, but it makes you kinda want the heartbreak that comes from a deep and abiding love.

The Royal Scam by Steely Dan
(It was tough to choose between this, Gaucho, Two Against Nature, and, though not a Dan release, Don Fagen’s The Nightfly). Jazz-Rock FOR.EV.ER! Brilliant writing, undeniable grooves, music your dad would be proud to catch you listening to.

Blue by Joni Mitchell
C’mon, this is poetry prose from one of the best lyrical storytellers of her day. I could go on and on…

Where Have I Known You Before by Return To Forever
Picking a single Chick Corea album was almost as hard as picking a Steely Dan album, but WHIKYB was my first and I have to honor that…

Under The Pink by Tori Amos
This one wasn’t my first tango with Tori (that was Boys For Pele), but it’s my favorite of her work, from Pretty Good Year all the way to Yes, Anastasia (which is a journey in and of itself) the album is solid, and weird, and emotional, and angsty, and endearing. BFP is a close second, though.

JC BrooksAbout our guest author, JC Brooks: Jackie Wilson was known as “Mr. Excitement,” but the same moniker could be applied to JC Brooks, the Chicago based trained actor turned soul man extraordinaire whose live show reaches the frenetic glory that Wilson, Otis Redding and James Brown once provided. Brooks and his band, the Uptown Sound, formed in 2007 and put out two solid long players, Beat of Our Own Drum and Want More. Their live performances have brought them through Bumbershoot, Lollapalooza and World Cafe Live, where they co-headlined a bill with Gary Clark Jr. Those performances helped form a strong following, but, for us at Rock Torch, the band’s highlight gig of the past few years has to be Wilco’s Solid Sound festival (check the band’s upbeat take on Wilco’s normally gloomy I Am Trying to Break Your Heart and wait to see Jeff Tweedy crash the performance half way through). JC and the band are back with their third album Howl, which is produced by heavy hitter producer Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, GodspeedYou! Black Emperor). Check the band’s tour page for electrifying performances coming your way.

Alexa Wilding recommends Nico

by

Alexa Wilding and Nico

Alexa Wilding and Nico

Alexa Wilding’s recommendation: “Like most art damaged New York kids, I was exposed to The Velvet Underground and everything Andy Warhol at an early age. I was pretty obsessed with my mom’s well-worn copy of George Plimpton’s Edie, and we would dance around our loft in black tights to Heroin before I even knew what the song was about. While I loved Lou Reed, I really carried a torch for the songs sung by the lady with the weird low voice. So when I was fourteen my mom took me to Film Forum to see the documentary, Nico: Icon and I got to learn everything about her. I was transfixed by the sparse, spooky songs she went on to write with John Cale. Nico, alone and cool at the harmonium, completely changed my idea about what a singer and a song could be. She just did whatever she wanted. The music was pure, chilly, timeless, and it scared the living daylights out of me!”

New to Nico? Alexa suggests you start here: “Nico’s records, Marble Index, Desertshore and End are definitely an acquired taste, but I think they are required listening. While the songs are sad, they are spacious and peaceful, like the sound of a big empty cathedral. Nico’s otherworldly voice soars over instrumentation that is at once futuristic and ancient. Who would have thought that such a stylish icon would go on to become a mystic and write songs that belonged to no place or time? Start with Marble Index and just let yourself go on the trip. I myself have yet to return.”

Alexa Wilding title=About our guest author, Alexa Wilding: Alexa is one of the few artists these days that can back her style with substance. Yes, her career got a huge bump by snagging Ivana Helsinki founder/designer Paola Suhonen to direct her Black Diamond Day video from her self titled debut album (clip below), but music heavy hitters have continued to line up to assist on her upcoming follow up album, Coral Dust. How’s this all-star lineup sound: Tim Foljahn (who worked with Cat Power and Thurston Moore) produces, Television’s Fred Smith mixes and Fred Kevorkian (Regina Spektor) masters. Enough cred for ya? Her style is completely unique, combining a splash of folk and tons of atmospheric wonder. The NY Times calls her “the neo-Stevie Nicks.” We hear that, but labels are sure to to slide off of Alexa. She’s truly unique and her sound will continue to shape-shift. Get hip to everything Alexa at her site http://alexawilding.com/.

Young Hines recommends Willie Nelson

by

Young Hines and Willie Nelson

Young Hines’ recommendation: As music trivia has turned into an exponentially challenging game, I think it’s fair to recognize annually that there are new developing young minds amongst us and we should somehow refrain from the obligatory condescending knee jerk reaction of “oh my god I can’t believe you haven’t heard (insert artist or band)” when someone doesn’t remember a title or artist that you consider the bedrock of all that is music. With so many know it alls, one would begin to think it’s futile to even attempt sharing one’s experiences anymore let alone musical suggestions to generations plugged into the mainframe at the hip with the personality mean mode and median equivalent to Wikipedia for better or worse. That being said if you happen to be sitting alone as to not challenge publicly your own credentials, I would like to reintroduce you to Willie Nelson. If I could sit and play my Epiphone Casino with any human on the planet in a 12 bar blues jam, it would be Willie Nelson…in E.

I’m gonna tell you what I remember being told about the making of the Red Headed Stranger album. Not what I looked up and fact checked, (though I hope they’re similar), just the story that left an impression on me years ago no matter the degree of truthfulness. Burned into my memory is a story of a songwriter not from, but in Nashville with scattered songs amongst the stars like Patsy Cline singing his song Crazy. I heard he yearned to be the artist on the screen but the people that decided such things did not find him suitable. About the same time he’s realizing his musical fate in Nashville, his fucking house burned down. This event juxtaposed with doubt, he packed up his truck and moved to Texas. Once he got there and after some scratchin’, he was offered a record deal with some money up front to fund recording. It’s my understanding that instead of going into preproduction and tracking, he headed north to Colorado with his wife to go snow skiing with the money.

After the vacation he had to head back to Texas because the record was supposed to be done soon and he hadn’t even begun. I can see angel Willie and devil Willie on his shoulders struggling with the decision of spending the last few hundred (or thousand) bucks on another sack or getting back to a studio to get this record tracked on a budget….or both!!! Though I could relate to the former, I’m glad he chose the latter(s). Somewhere in the mountains at night, just before reaching Denver on the drive home he was talking to his wife about the impending deadline and how he found himself a little short on ideas and material. His wife said something to him that would steer the course of Willie’s album . She said “why don’t you write a record about that western gunslinging’ bedtime story you always tell the kids, you know the Red Headed Stranger?” With that sounding like a fabulous idea to Willie, they began banging out the lyrics together as the bright lights of Denver that sparkled like diamonds got closer. By the time they got back to Texas the next morning the songs were written and ready to go. Willie called on his sister and some others that would work on a budget and tracked the whole album in two days. The record company initially rejected it but somehow the record found life and it is now one of the best records I have ever heard. My point here is I think it’s good to remember that admirable people also benefit from bending or flat out breaking the rules. Yes it’s wise not to impede on others liberties to satisfy yourself, but there is also no need to cooperatively emasculate oneself. Willie’s Robin Hood story is one that doesn’t bore me.

New to Willie Nelson? Young suggests you start here: Beyond my ramblings, why should you listen to Red Headed Stranger? Let’s start with the sound. It’s the best Willie Nelson’s voice ever sounded on a medium. I’m sure he sounds this good all the time, it’s just that they captured it here. Beyond the vocals, everything else sounds warm too. The piano, the classical guitar played by Willie throughout, and don’t forget the bass harmonica! I’ve never seen any photos from this session and I don’t think I want to. Best left to my imagination. Now let’s talk about content delivered. It’s a story woven together mostly through the use of originals and a few well placed songs Willie didn’t write. My favorite line of the record comes in the song Hands on the Wheel, “I looked to the stars, tried all of the bars and I’ve nearly gone up in smoke…”. The record as a whole is a story of betrayal and redemption. Go buy the vinyl. I suggest going on Craigslist and find yourself and old 50’s turntable with tubes like a Califone or something. Once you get your hands on it take it somewhere and have them bring it up on a Variac and test the tubes all the while delaying your first real listen to Red Headed Stranger. Once everything is in order, turn out the lights and roast one while you get baptized in audio in the year of ’01 where the stories are over and a lesson’s begun.”

Young HinesAbout our guest author, Young Hines: It shouldn’t surprise that Young savors Willie Nelson’s rags to riches story because Young himself has been part of a bit of a fair tale himself. His backstory is one where he was in a Beatles cover band (listen a few seconds of the clip from Rainy Day below and you can hear John Lennon singing through Hines from his cloud in the sky) when Brendan Benson (member of The Raconteurs with Jack White and a super-solid solo artist in his own right) heard his house painter playing Hines’ demo. In a flash. Brendan signed Young to his new record company, Readymade Records and the rest is history. Brendan released his debut with the label, Give Me My Change, a ’60s-pop-meets-’90s-Teenage Fanclub-era collection that will feel right at home in any mix targeted at those who relish great harmonies and catchy choruses. Hines is now on tour, so be sure to check his Facebook Page for tour dates and more info.

newsletter software