KEV BEADLE PRESENTS PRIVATE COLLECTION.

dereksmusicblog ♦ February 2, 2013 ♦ Leave a comment

KEV BEADLE PRESENTS PRIVATE COLLECTION.

BBE Music’s first compilation of 2013 is Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection, which will be released on 18th March 2013. This is a very special compilation. Why I hear you ask? Well, Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection is Kev’s first compilation for sixteen long years. That’s far too long for someone with such an enviable record collection as Kev Beadle. Indeed, it’s twenty years since Kev was last asked to delve into his record collection, and compile a collection of rarities from yesteryear. For Kev, the twelve tracks on Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection are very personal for him. They represent a journey back in time, to when his career as a record collector and DJ began. I’m sure that in the twenty years since Kev last delved into his record collection, like all collectors, it’ll have grown to include a multitude of musical delights, including rarities and obscure tracks aplenty. So without further ado, I’ll tell you about the twelve tasty jazzy treats Kev has chosen for Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection. Before that, I’ll tell you about Kev Beadle, DJ and record collector extraordinaire.

Ever since the eighties, Kev Beadle’s life has revolved around music, especially jazz and soul. Since then, Kev has worked in many roles within the music industry. Kev’s worked in A&R, promotion, managed labels and run his own, sadly missed label Clean Up. Like many DJs, Kev has added production to his ever expanding CD, under the pseudonym Messengers. Then there’s compilations.

During Kev’s career, he’s compiled compilations for Blue Note, Cadet and of course BBE Music. For Cadet, Kev compiled The Best of Terry Callier On Cadet, plus five of Cadet Grooves. Kev was also the man behind three volumes of Blue Note’s Capitol Rare. Then there was Nu Jazz Generation II, released on BBE Music, who will soon release Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection. DJ-ing, however, has been a mainstay of Kev’s career.

Whether it’s DJ-ing on radio, or in clubs, Kev’s just as comfortable. Kev’s one of the longest serving DJs on Solar Radio, having spent thirteen years on the station. It’s club DJ-ing that many people will know the name Kev Beadle. SInce the eighties, Kev has been spinning soul and jazz. However, never afraid to investigate other musical genres, Kev will spin music from past, present and sometimes, the future side-by-side. Mind you, Kev’s musical influences prepared him for an appreciation of an eclectic selection of music.

For Kev Beadle, some of his earliest musical memories are heading to London clubs like The Horseshoe, on Tottenham Court Road, where Paul Murphy DJ-ed. After that, Kev would head on a voyage of discovery, tracking down hard-to-find tracks. Soon, Kev was on the other side of the decks, spinning the wheels of steel.

Soon, Kev was spinning at London’s legendary Wag Club. There he met Giles Peterson, Bob Jones, Chris Bangs. For Kev, this was the next step in his musical education. They enjoyed a good-natured rivalry, seeing who could break tracks. Then the next night Kev would be involved in, would make musical history.

Giles Peterson, Bob Jones and Kev started the Talkin’ Loud sessions at Dingwalls, on Sunday afternoons. The Talkin’ Loud sessions were the place to go to hear soul and jazz rarities. New tracks were discovered and soon, the Acid Jazz scene exploded. Out of this came the Acid Jazz label, which in 2012, celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary. These Sunday afternoons at Dingwalls would become legendary. Open-minded, music hungry music fans, heard and enjoyed, old soul and jazz tracks being unearthed almost on a weekly basis. Out of these afternoons, a whole scene was born, with Kev Beadle at its heart. Since then, Kev Beadle has remained at the heart of London’s music scene, enjoying DJ-ing residencies at the Beat Bar and at the Southport Weekender and at the SunceBeat Festival in Croatia. Thankfully, Kev has found time to compile the twelve-track Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection.

Now the twelve tracks on Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection aren’t just any jazz tracks. Quite the opposite. These are twelve privately pressed, independent jazz. It’s not possible to wander into your local record shop and find these tracks. Not unless you’re very lucky and the owner doesn’t know how rare they are. Instead, these twelve tracks are real rarities, which should you want to try to collect them, then you’d need to take out a second mortgage on your house. Even if you had the budget to buy these twelve tracks, finding them is another matter. Persistence, patience and the determination to dig deeper, way deeper than you’ve ever dug before would be needed. To save you the time, money and frustration, Kev Beadle has done all the hard work for you. These twelve tracks, can be found on the lovingly compiled Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection, which I’ll now tell you about.

Opening Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection is Peter Giger’s Family of Percussion and Archie Shepp’s Here Comes The Family. Now most people will know  jazz saxophonist, Archie Shepp, from critically acclaimed albums like Attica Blues and Cry of My People, on Impulse. Equally important was Archie’s work with John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor. Here Comes The Family came two years after Further Fire Music, his final album for Impulse. This was the title-track from Peter Giger’s Family of Percussion and Archie Shepp’s 1980 album. It was released on the German label Nagara. Written and sung by Archie, Doug Hammond and Peter Giger, Family of Percussion fused jazz, folk and World Music. With a wistful, melancholy arrangement and a vocal that’s both impassioned and fiery, it’s a glorious reminder of just how talented Archie Shepp is.

Kamal Abdul Amil released his album Dance in 1988, on the 52 Rue Est label. On Dance was the track Brotherhood. It features legendary jazz drummer Idris Muhammed, pianist Rahn Burton and James Spaulding. Together they fuse a delicious combination of jazz, Afro-Beat and funk. The result is eight of the best minutes of music you’ll hear in a long time. I’m sure after you’ve heard this track, you’ll be searching out a copy of Dance, which is one of Kev Beadle’s musical memories.

Many of the tracks on Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection are personal to Kev, as they are part of his musical journey. Kev remembers hearing Paul Murphy spin Johnny Walker’s Dupping at The Horseshoe in London, then rushing out to find a copy. Dipping is the opening track from Johnny’s 1982 jazz-funk album Advent. Released on the Walk On label, Advent was an album that contained everything from hard bop right through to funk. Johnny wrote, produced and played trumpet on Advent. Kim Davis is responsible for that uber funky bass line. It only takes one listen to Dipping to realize just why before releasing Advent, Johnny had been a member of Lionel Hampton’s band.

By 1979, Irakere were one of Cuba’s most innovative bands, when they released their sixth album Chekere Son on JVC. Irakere contained some of Cuba’s best musicians. This was akin to an all-star band of Cuba’s finest musicians. Throughout their career, Irakere’s music had been a melting pot of genres and influences. Afro-Cuban music was mixed with jazz, rock, funk and European music. They’d also incorporate electronic music within this fusion of styles. On the title-track Chekere Son, Irakere, over nearly ten minutes, delve deeply into their musical palette. In doing so, they create an infectiously catchy, percussive heavy, jazz-infused fusion of musical genres.

What amazed me about The Pharaohs’ Freedom Road, was that it was only the B-side to their single Love and Happiness, a cover of Al Green’s classic. Released on Zimbabwe’s Scarab Records, The Pharaohs fuse elements of jazz, funk, soul and Afrobeat. Riffing, blazing horns, percussion and chanted backing vocals demand Freedom, as they accompany a tender, heartfelt vocal. Soon, you realize one of the best tracks on Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection is unfolding. You can’t resist the temptation to press play again and head down Freedom Road, with The Pharaohs for company.

Southern Energy Ensemble released their only album Southern Energy in 1993. It was released on the American label Black Fire. Produced by Jimmy Grey and Marvin Daniels, the track that opened Southern Energy, was Open Your Mind. Here, elements of jazz, soul and gospel unite. Against a backdrop of percussion and piano, the vocals and harmonies veer between soul and gospel. Soulful and spiritual describes them perfectly. When they drop out, the piano blazing horns and percussion take charge, proving a perfect jazzy foil.

Roy Porter was something of a musical prodigy. He grew up in the Rocky Mountains  of Colorado and by the time he was nineteen, was playing alongside T-Bone Walker and in Milton Larkin’s Orchestra. Soon, he was playing with Dexter Gordon, Benny Carter, Louis Jordan and even Charlie Parker. In 1984, he released his self-produced, jazz album In A Groove, on Vistone Records. On In The Groove, was the instrumental Jessica, written and arranged by Roy. The track shuffles along, jazz intermingling with a Latin influence, thanks to Oscar Dye’s congas. Given Roy has such an experienced and accomplished musician, it’s no surprise that Jessica, is one of the highlights of Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection.

Byron Morris and Unity released two albums on E.P.I. Records. Their debut was 1974s Blow Thru Your Mind, with their followup and final album Vibrations, Themes and Serenades following in 1978. Sun Shower is a bright, breezy nine minute epic, where jazz, sixties lounge music and Latin unite. The addition of a beautiful, heartfelt vocal is just the finishing touch, to this gorgeous track, that floats elegantly and wistfully along.

Seeds of Fulfillment were one of many groups who jazz-funk groups from Canton, Ohio during the seventies. Their signature sound was jazz-funk, but were just as comfortable playing traditional jazz. Sometimes there was a rocky twist to Seeds of Fulfillment’s music. Namaste demonstrates Seeds of Fulfillment at their finest, doing what they do best, playing jazz-funk.

Reverie released two albums during the eighties. Their debut album was Revere, released in 1980 on Encounter Records. Three years later, Watch The Skies was released. In Every Was opened their debut album and veers between jazz and jazz-funk. Even from this five-minute track, you get a sense that Reverie were a tight, talented band, who could’ve, and indeed should’ve, enjoyed wider commercial success.

Another of Kev Beadle’s musical memories is the Grandma’s Rocking Chair, a track from Finnish pianist, composer and producer Olli Ahvenlahti. This is a track I hadn’t heard in years, and is from Olli’s 1976 album The Poet, released on Finland’s Love Records. Olli was something of a musical innovator, his music ranging from free jazz, jazz-funk and Latin jazz. Here, he combines elements of jazz-funk and Latin jazz seamlessly and peerlessly, like only a true musical pioneer can.

Closing Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection is James Williams’ Flying Colors. This is the title-track from James 1978 album, which featured trombonist Slide Hampton, while James plays keyboards, piano and electric piano. The seven tracks that comprise Flying Colors, were recorded in just one day, on July 6th 1977. Gradually, the track bursts into life. Soon, it’s veering between jazz and jazz-funk. James’ keyboards, Bill Easley’s flute and later, Slide Hampton’s trombone are at the heart of the action, ensuring closes on a memorable high.

After an absence of sixteen years from compiling compilations, Kev Beadle certainly hasn’t lost his Midas touch. Quite the opposite. The jazz-tinged walk down memory lane that is Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection, is one that’s filled with memorable moments aplenty. Every track is a winner, chosen carefully and lovingly, from Kev’s ever expanding record collection. It’s as if compiling Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection was a labor of love. He seems determined to delve deep into his collection, dusting off rarities and hidden gems, to share his music with a much wider audience. Just like DJ-ing at The Wag Club was part of Kev’s musical eduction, for anyone who loves jazz music, or indeed good music, Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection is part of your musical education. Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection is a compilation they’ll enjoy and cherish. Not only that, but Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection is the first step on a musical journey of exploration, into the world of jazzy, rarities and hidden gems. As BBE Music’s slogan says, Kev Beadle Presents Private Collection is “ real music, for real people,” which will be released by BBE Music on 18th March 2013. Standout Tracks: Kamal Abdul Amil Brotherhood, The Pharaohs Freedom Road, Byron Morris and Unity Sun Shower and James Williams Flying Colors. 

KEV BEADLE PRESENTS PRIVATE COLLECTION.