Zony Mash

A lover of the Hammond b-3, Wurlitzer, I was instantly hooked when I first heard the middle of 'Meet the Zony Mash'. I was already a Wayne Horvitz fan from his playing in Naked City, and hearing him play this completely different (and often funky) music was a thrill. Just like all of his other projects, Zony Mash was a super versatile band, and could cover lots of ground--all of it with a ton of soul and edge. You can find that in any projects that Wayne Horvitz has lead.

A few burners up front, with some softer tunes at back, with an acoustic tune to end.

Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-6

I just got this compilation, and it's definitely worth checking out. Rough and rugged Nigerian funk, and heavy blends of influence from all over. Here are 4 out of the 20something songs that I especially like.
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Nigeria, 1970. Highlife, Afro-beat, Rock, Jazz & Native Blues rub shoulders and are turned out at an unprecedented level. New styles meet old styles. Newfound national confidence follows the near break-up of the nation following the Biafran war. New fashions meet old fashions, creating new fusions. 5 years in the making, Soundway present 26 original and previously un-reissued tracks from the time. Obscure A-sides, B-sides & album cuts that have resisted a second look until now.

Soundway records label boss and compiler Miles Cleret spent five years working on this compilation (and the upcoming planned spin-off compilations)– travelling to Nigeria, interviewing musicians, label owners and distributors - tracking down the forgotten sounds of ‘70s Nigeria in dusty warehouses, studios and markets.

Tied and Tickled Trio

directed by: Dominik Binegger, www.welikenicethings.com

Club D'Elf @ AS220 Providence

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Club d’Elf is a band that plays regularly at the Lizard Lounge, in Cambridge. While they fly under the radar of most heads, they are pretty well known within circles of improvising musicians. Many well known artists have sat down to play with them over the years: John Medeski, Marc Ribot, Dave Tronzo, DJ Logic, David Fuiczynski, Mark Sandman, Danny Blume, Steven Bernstein, Kenwood Dennard, Oren Bloedow, and Mister Rourke, to name a few.

While Cambridge is their stomping grounds, they are gradually taking over the universe with their funk, heavy rhythms, and psychedelic improvisations. One of their recent conquests was a show at an art space in Providence, AS220 .