Calvin Owens' Show "The Cat" Klondike 2226

Birthday gift #1: a fantastic slice of big-band funk courtesy of Calvin Owens' Show. Ever hear a big band go for broke? Well, we have it right here. A straight-ahead theme featuring stutter-step drumming (with a healthy break) and horns-a-plenty. The bass is nice and loud, the guitar player has a simple scratch rhythm going that fits in perfectly with the percussion. Right when it all first comes together there's this "whaoh" that someone shouts far away from a microphone. That's the only voice you hear, and it's the right amount. Big and brassy!

Another great big-band funk 45 is The Soul Crusaders Orchestra's "Pretty "Lil" Mama", a 45 usually purchased for the heavy funk of the flipside, "Funky Jive". "Pretty "Lil" Mama" is a more uptempo number comprised of a hard drum beat accentuated with congas, and again, horns all over the place. I find the overall sound of this track a bit sinister...what that says about, or the perception of, a pretty "lil" mama, I'm not quite sure. A great cheapie here.