VARIOUS ARTISTS : GILLES PETERSON DIGS AMERICA VOL. 2 (LH056)
Also See / VARIOUS ARTISTS : GILLES PETERSON DIGS AMERICA VOL. 1 (LH047)
Check out other Luv N' Haight Artists | Compilations
"Top 10 /// September 2007"
- Spine Magazine
"Killer Comp!"
- Michael Rütten (Soulsearching, Compost)
This is the
second in the Digs series of compilations and, like Volume I, this
album was curated by DJ Gilles Peterson. We’d initially
thought Digs would be a series involving different collectors but by
popular demand (and because he has more than his fair share of wax)
volume two is another collection from the world renowned tastemaker,
DJ, and BBC radio host.
Digs America II was compiled with tracks from the famous
Brownswood Basement (a version of his radio show dedicated to
rare and old tunes, and also the name of the house where his
collection is kept) and also includes music bought on a recent visit
to the USA and Canada. Between DJ dates Peterson squeezed in
trips to local record stores and while he found plenty of goodies he
was also reminded of the demise of the record store. The best
specialty vinyl shops, typically run by a knowledgeable owner,
promising a selection of rare, curious, and classic tunes, are sadly
vanishing fast. Village Music, the Mill Valley,
California-based record store that provided the backdrop for front
and back of this album, will be closed by the time this album is
released. Fingers have been pointed at all kind of reasons for
store closures including a lack of new vinyl to keep stores ticking
over, Ebay, iTunes, sharing of files, poorly run stores, raised rent
etc. Whatever the reason, the casual trip to your favorite
vinyl emporium is quickly becoming much more difficult as stores
disappear like endangered species. So here is Gilles Peterson
digging and sharing (legally!) to keep quality rarities alive, but
searching perhaps at the end of an era…
Included on this compilation are tracks like the ultra rare Mary
Lou Williams 45'' “You Know Baby” (and her previously unreleased
“Pussy’s In The Well”) alongside other well known artists
like a version of “My Favorite Things” from Al Jarreau’s
first ever album, a spiritual Jazz piece from piano-great James
Tatum and a moody Soul Jazz ballad from Lorez Alexandria.
Soul favorites RAMP are on-board with an unreleased gem that
rivals any of the tracks on their much loved “Come Into Knowledge”
album, Detroit’s Dee Edwards and little-known Bay Area singer
Carrie Cleveland mix a little Northern Soul with a touch of
Funk while The Diddys get cosmic and Ray Camacho drops
a Latin version of a Brass Construction classic. |
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