Mark R's Modern Soul/house/jazz/dance Rundown 2011

[Mark R]

Hi all,

I'm not sure whether I normally put this up here, but each year end I compile a list of my favourite tunes from that year. It's on my Facebook profile (the artists can respond which is great of course!) and I always put it up at EMS. It also appears in a condensed form in Howard's Soul Up North mag around March/April. I've been inspired to post up at SS as a result of boba's commments on phillyDaveG's thread in Video/Audio Source, suggesting that it is probably worthwhile!! (link to other thread at end of post).

To answer boba's question in the other thread about quantity of new releases bought, I reckon I whittled each of these lists down from around 2-3 times the amount in each case......there is some great music about still!!

So here goes, two list of 100, firstly 100 soul CD/MP3 cuts and then 100 house/dance MP3/12"/CD cuts.

You can hear Dave's selections from the Soul/Audio Source thread here.......of course there is some crossover.......

Cheers,

Mark R

Edited January 12, 2012 by Mark R

[boba]

from your playlist it looks like you're buying CDs (versus buying individual mp3s). Is that right?

I'm still interested in finding out how the scene works and how a recording becomes publicized and distributed on your scene. I've actually heard some really good music but people don't know what to do with it.

[Jerry Hipkiss]

If I missed them in there I'm sorry but have to mention Michelle Weeks/Dawn Tallman - Joyful noise and the 2011 remix of Nicole Mitchell/Al Olive - Music is life...

[Mark R]

from your playlist it looks like you're buying CDs (versus buying individual mp3s). Is that right?

I'm still interested in finding out how the scene works and how a recording becomes publicized and distributed on your scene. I've actually heard some really good music but people don't know what to do with it.

Hi Bob,

Yes mate, physical product is still a preference for me, if available on a title. If it's a one tracker (album) I might just grab the download, unless it's a real killer/of significance, in which case I grab a CD. I also get caught out by "download only" stuff that I've bagged ending up getting a physical release.........again if I feel it's significant to me I buy the physical too, meaning on a few occasions I buy it twice. Seems crazy I know, but of all the folks that might understand this, I think this is the place to find them (collectors). Knowing Dave G, I would hazard a guess that a fair proportion of his selections are physical purchases too, but he's not as anal as me in documenting them! LOL Only he can confirm that though.

How does the music get out there..........hmm......where to start. EMS/Facebook/radio shows/diggers/Youtube.....gigs obviously etc, etc............not an easy question to answer in these days of the cyber-highway!! A bit of everything really.

I'm not sure I understand your last point about "good music, but don't know what to do with it"...............am I being dense? Do you mean you don't know where to promote/push that good music?

Cheers,

Mark R

[Mark R]

If I missed them in there I'm sorry but have to mention Michelle Weeks/Dawn Tallman - Joyful noise and the 2011 remix of Nicole Mitchell/Al Olive - Music is life...

Hi Jerry,

Was "Joyful Noise" 2011? Unlike me to miss Michelle/Dawn! Can't say I recognise it from 2011.

As for Nicole/Al "Music Is Life", there's a sort of a reason for that omission. I tend to stay away from tunes that are re-works of/sample old tunes, in an attempt to keep it reasonably original. Now before anyone picks me up on this by pointing out such tracks that ARE on my lists, it's not a hard and fast rule, but I do try to avoid them unless they've totally blown me away........it's not an exact science though, and I'm not the worlds expert on samples etc, so some pass my by. For that reason though, Nicole/Al "Music Is Life", which is based around BeBe & CeCe Winans "Heaven" from their 1988 LP of the same name on Capitol, misses out..............Nicole does get the nod though with another track from her album ;-)

Cheers,

Mark R

[boba]

I'm not sure I understand your last point about "good music, but don't know what to do with it"...............am I being dense? Do you mean you don't know where to promote/push that good music?

yes, sorry if I wasn't clear. The new music people I interview make tends to be in three categories: 1) gospel (most common) 2) modern soul / jazz CD that contains at least a few nice cuts or 3) terrible. I was talking about how to get people i the modern soul scene to hear the good music. thanks.