Lafayette Afro-Rock Band -- Soul Makossa (Musidisc, 1973, USA-France)

Laffayette Afro-Rock Band was a French funk/Afrobeat group (Paris, 1972) formed by American expatriates who decided to try fortune in the Roquefort country after realizing the funk scene in USA was too saturated. In there they became impregnated by African rhythms and schemes and where savior to fuse them with their funky ensemble. They were called Bobby Boyd Congress and Ice before their definitive name.

The band didn’t hit the spot of international success as did Funkadelic or Fela Kuti -they were even considered an obscure group- but now, their reputation has increased significantly and are celebrated as a premier example of funk outfit in the ’70, becoming sampled by an endless list of hip hop artists.

This new entry covers their second and last LP, for most people their best –me included-, so be prepared for a wicked exhibition of outstanding tight grooves. This album is gorgeous and extremely exciting! A full-time instrumental one (ok, if you exclude the yellings of “Soul Makossa”), plenty of large soloing passages (hot and fierce horn section, demented fuzzy funky guitar, cool jazz-funk keyboards) boosted by a luxury rhythm section: tight heavy bass and a hats off drumming and percussion section, it’s so close and consistent!

Three tracks each face make a total of six cuts, all of them essential. Side one starts with a funky and heavy-African-percussion revision of Manu Dibango seminal classic “Soul Makossa”, passing though the laid-back beautifulness of “Azeta” and finishes with the wild “Oglenon”. Side two is my favorite, taking off with the gorgeous “Voodounon”, hitting the hot spot of grooviness pinnacle “Hihache” and closing with the hard bopper “Nicky”.

Hot stuff guaranteed. An incendiary funky paradise!

Tracks

A1. Soul Makossa (Manu Dibango)

A2. Azeta (Frank Abel)

A3. Oglenon (Michael Mc Ewan)

B1. Voodounon (Arthur Young)

B2. Hihache (Leroy Gomes)

B3. Nicky (Lafayette Hudson)

Personnel

Larry Jones: Guitar

Laffayette Hudson: Bass

Frank Abel: Keyboards

Ronnie James Buttacavoli: Horns

Arthur Young: Horns, percussion

Ernest “Donny” Donable: Drums

Keno Speller: Percussion

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B.T. Express - Non Stop (EMI-ODEON, USA, 1975)

B.T. Express, as an abbreviation of Brooklyn Trucker Express, was a NY based funk-disco group, mostly noted for the seminal hit single "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)" in the mid seventies. 

What we have today is his second LP. It was the very first funky record I bought and to this day, one of the best I own. I didn’t know anything about the band when I found this copy, but from the beginning I fall in love with the cover, and the extra-cool looks of the band members could not disappoint, so I decided to give it a try. When I got home and played it, I was blown away. I played it over and over (now, you know where the scratched sound comes!!) becoming a personal favorite. 

This record is an extremely well balanced sample of funky grooves mixed with top-notch disco vibes. It’s all about the rhythm and you will want to shake your booty like crazy as you revisit the seventies blaxploitation nightclub aroma! 

There’s a good dose of inspiring funky guitar licks, killer bass lines (Discotizer blows), some top-notch organ melodies, a good brass section and the always playful timbales and congas. The whole record has rhythmic funky-disco orientations except the moody and soulful cover of Bacharach-David “Close to you”. 

Every track is a winner so be careful and get away the track. This record will strike you as a heavy train.

Tracks  

A1. Peace Pipe (Sam Taylor-Mark Barkan)

A2. Give It What You Got (Solomon Roberts)

A3. Discotizer (Larry Alexander-Hirum Bullock)

A4. Still Good - Still Like It (Sam Taylor)

B1. Close to You (Burt Bacharach-Hal David)

B2. You Got It - I Want It (T. Martin-D. Thomas-B. Levine-B. Barnes)

B3. Devils Workshop (William Risbrook-Barbara Risbrook)

B4. Happiness (Carlos Ward)

B5. Watcha Think About What (Richard Thompson)

Personnel

Barbara Joyce: Vocals

Dennis Rowe: Congas, Timbales

Terrel Wood: Drums

Bill Risbrook: Sax, Flute

Richard Thompson: Guitar, Vocals

Carlos Ward: Sax, Flute, Soprano sax

Louis Risbrook: Vocals, bass, organ

*Strings arranged by Trade Martin, Randy Muller and Andrew Smith

*Strings: Irving Spice

*Mark Radice: moog and string ensemble

*Sam Taylor: rhythm guitar 


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