The reggae gardening connection

It was nice to be out and about this afternoon after the last couple of years of isolation. Today’s treat was a bus trip to Deptford for the Lewisham Soundsystem Trail. Rather than roam about the various events going on, most of the afternoon was spent in The Albany’s back garden with Dennis Bovell and friends (including the great Gladdy Wax, Dub Vendor All Stars, Pappa Face and Gaffa Blue). Some great tunes, good vibes and sunshine with a community garden as a background. There were some great ideas on show including carrots in plastic dustbins, ingenious stuff.

Things are on fire so to speak  in our garden too, the risk we took with the early planting of the seed potatoes has paid off. There’s flowers a go-go and it’s not even June yet. Now we’ll be waiting for the foliage to die down for some fresher than fresh new potatoes.

And as for those foxgloves, they’re on a triffid-like tip and we’re not going to complain.

And we’re not complaining about this tune either, it’s a nice chilled Sunday evening affair  from Arutani called Wasting Time. Tune in and really drop out to a tune with a Laut & Luise connection.

Thursday night style

It’s been a funny old week weather-wise here in London, sunny one day, rain the next, culminating in hail the other day. So to celebrate the lovely bit of sunshine we had this evening, here’s two oldies but goodies for your listening pleasure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2SkqmLEzfk

Bob Andy – You don’t Know – Harry J Blank 

The first is a cracker of a tune from the great Bob Andy, which I first heard on the Rt Hon David Rodigan‘s show a while back and revisited on a youtube clip played by Gladdy Wax only the other day. The above is the vocal on the original Jamaican release from 1970. A tune!

Karen Young – Hot Shot – West End

And the second is something I first heard this week on an excellent vintage mix from Grandmaster Flowers recorded at a Brooklyn Park Jam from 1979. It’s a tune by Karen Young called Hot Shot on the excellent West End Records ran by Mel Cheren. Have a listen to the Grandmaster Flowers mixtape recorded in 1979 which is a great piece of musical history and available here. It’s got beat mixing and some great collaging of sounds from a DJ innovator now sadly passed away.