The traditional X-mas comp/mixtape, full of goodies for your winter parties, car trips, messy breakfasts... Perhaps the common denominator in this selection is every track contains an element of madness, in one way or another.
It starts with my favourite track from 2024 : Misha Panfilov's ''Mesosphere'', recorded with his septet in one weekend somewhere in the woods (the story says), a truly beautiful and inspiring tune.
Side A then goes more Caribbean and party-friendly with genius Rapsonian Lancelot Layne, Ranking Ann (what a vibe!), The Tufftones (what a sound!), Jeannette Azzouz and Harry Panday (both taken from our friend Chris ''DJ Sofa''s highly recommended ''Elsewhere CC'' compilation), the Paragons' beautiful version of War's hit ''The World Is A Ghetto''... and a great version of Ecuadorian organman Polibio Mayorga's hit ''La Minga''.
Side B takes us back to the good old US soul-jazz sounds : jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby, bass&drums killers Young & Holt, New Orleans drummer June Gardner, latin-jazz king Cal Tjader...
Easy then to bounce back to the old continent with crooner Voldemar Kuslap (Estonian like Misha Panfilov), and to end with an epic funk-inematic fresque by Lebanese legend Ziad Rahbani... Play and rewind !
A
01 Misha Panfilov Septet – Mesosphere
02 Lancelot Layne – Blow 'Way
03 Lancelot Layne – Bassman
04 Olmedo Torres y Los Gatos – La Minga
05 The Paragons feat. Rosalyn Sweat - The World Is A Ghetto
06 Jeannette Azzouz & Belles Combo – So Close To Me
07 Ranking Ann – Indian Dub Song
08 Harry Panday – Love Your Mother And Father
09 The Tufftones – Sensi For Sale
B
10 Dorothy Ashby – Soul Vibrations
11 Young Holt Unlimited – Dig Her Walk
12 Young Holt Unlimited – Give It Up
13 June Gardner – Mustard Greens
14 Cal Tjader – Souled Out
15 Voldemar Kuslap – Motlen Sinule
16 Ziad Rahbani – Abu Ali
Thanks : Flavien, Diz-Diz, Helen Wells, Chris Sofa, Axel Z
Stream below, DL available soon !
