R.I.P. Willie Mitchell

Willie Mitchell, who shaped the elegant yet gritty sound of Al Green, Ann Peebles and other stars of soul music as the house producer at Hi Records in the 1960s and ’70s, died Tuesday in Memphis, where he lived. He was 81. The Willie Mitchell sound — prominent horns, delicately strummed guitars, some sweet organ and a steady, straightforward beat — is instantly recognizable on records by singers like Mr. Green, Ms. Peebles, Syl Johnson and O. V. Wright, and on the instrumentals Mr. Mitchell recorded as a bandleader. Both raw and sensuous, it became Hi’s signature sound as the label rose to prominence with Mr. Green in the 1970s. Although its legacy has been less celebrated than those of Stax or Sun, two other pioneering record labels that got started in Memphis in the 1950s, Hi was an integral part of the development of the Memphis soul sound, and Mr. Mitchell is widely credited as one of its architects.

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Here is the Is that was

All tunes from albums of 2009. Thanks for all the support this year, those years and the ones ahead.

Love Stands Time- Cashman
Drinkin’ or Drivin’- pat mAcdonald
Never Going Back to Memphis- Shemekia Copeland
Anna Ann- Davis Coen
Light in your Eyes- Clarence Bucaro
Blew my Top Off- Geoff Achison
Sweet inspiration- the Derek Trucks Band
—————–
Truckin’ Queen- Dale Watson
Woody’s- Skeebo Knight
—————
A Change is Gonna Come-Playing for Change (live)
Not so Simple- Groundation
Year of the Pig- the Black Seeds
Tootie- Larry McDonald
Sun is Shining- Bebel Gilberto
—————-
But now I’m Back- Pink Martini
And then Your Gone- Pink Martini
Galang(Trio Riot Version)- Vijay Iyer Trio
Loft Funk- Mike Clark
An Ba Mango La- Jacques Schwarz-Bart
Congratulation(Happy Birthday)- King Sunny Ade
Sahara- Justin Adams/Juldeh Camara
Ladon- Bassekou Kouyote & Ngoni Ba
—————-
Under the Bridge-Stanley Clark Trio w/Hiromi/Lenny White
No Quarter Dub-DJ Spooky w/the Golden Hornet Project
Milk and honey- JTQ
the Kick- Cadillac Jones
North Eat to Nippon- Breakestra
Che Che Cole Makossa-Antibalas feat. Mayra Vega
Soul Kiss- Ivan FUNKBOY Bodley
—————–
Nobody Ever wins the Giant Panda 4-A new Brain for Arnie
Macumba-Melvin Gibbs Elevated Entity w/Totonho/Cortejo Afro
Set the Children Free-Larry McDonald w/Toots Hibbert
Pa Kite Tan Pase- Boukman Eksperyans
Nora- Neoton
—————–
Abstrata- Zeep
Dancing Girls- Tribecasten
Bhangra Paanch- Fort Knox Five
Sundown- International Velvet
—————
Best Western- Eric Biondo
Pan Ga To- Jacques Schwarz Bart
Mende Chiraj- Jacques Schwarz Bart
the Return of the Jitney Man-Branford Marsalis Quartet
Chan Chan- Kora Jazz trio
—————-
Black Earth Boys- Les Triaboliques
Riddem- Daby Toure & Skip McDonald
**On air Conversation w/Jacques Schwarz-Bart**
Rishte- Najma Akhtar & Gary Lucas
Compassion- Soname
Diaraby Magni- Vieux Farka Toure
Lulla- Tinariwen
Sunrise-Mark Weinstein/Omar Sosa
Invocation- Mark Weinstein/Omar Sosa
——————–
Ninth Ward Calling- Marchforth Marching Band
Getting up From Down Under- M. Nahadr
Feelin’ Yucky-Sen Barth & induce are the Saxual Revolution
——————-
Pachima- Balkan Beat Box (UBK Remix)
Atlas- STS9
No Time- the Juan Maclean
Little by Little- Missy Andersen
Insignificant- Lovespirals
Dry your Eyes- Wax Tailor feat Sara Genn
——————
La Senda Del Abuelo- Granada Doaba
O Careca- Os Mutantes
Pasapeanas- Biella Nuei
Camin Y Ven Pa’ La Loma- Marta Topferova
——————
Vino- Girl in a Coma
Qu’est ce Que C’est Funky- the Veldt
Sweet Chilli- Led Bib
the Griots-Jason Adasiewicz’s Rolldown
the Liberator- Nels Cline

Tops of 2009

When you play so many types of sounds on a show, it makes compiling a list like this such a challenge…I believe this is a high quality example of my own and the show’s beliefs in what the tops of 2009 look like. I apologize if I left something out, didn’t receive or just don’t agree with what you see as tops…here’s this year’s list:
* indicates a hard fought tie.

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97. These are the Days- Albert Castiglia
96. The Move- Eric Biondo
95. Live in Louisville- Carrie Rodriguez
94. Vol. 2-Truckin’ Sessions- Dale Watson
93. Este Mundo- Rupa & the April Fishes
92. Throw Down Your Heart,Tales from the Acoustic Planet,3:Africa Sessions-Béla Fleck
91. Missy Anderson-Missy Anderson
90. Me not Me- Marco Benevento
89. Solid Ground- Sara Wasserman
88. Coward- Nils Cline
87. Never Going Back- Shemekia Copeland
86. Choices- Terence Blanchard
85. Live- Jake Shimabukuro
84. Quartet Live-Gary Burton,Pat Metheny,Steve Swallow & Antonio Sanchez
83. My World- Lee Fields & the Expressions
82. Pulse- Jim Weider’s Project Percolator
81. Haih Or Amortecedor- Os Mutantes
80. One Day in Brooklyn- JFJO
79. The Lost Southlake Sessions- The Radiators
78. In the Mood for Life- Wax Tailor
77. En’ A-Free-Ka- Shafiq Husayn
76. Awake- Julian Marley
75. Historicity- Vijay Iyer Trio
74. Rishte- Najma Akhtar and Gary Lucas
73. Burn it Down- the Dynamites
72. Trova- Marta Topferova
*71. Piety Street-John Scofield/Bright Mississippi-Allen Toussaint
70. Blueprints Of Jazz Vol. 1- Mike Clark
69. Spiritual Dimensions- Wadada Leo Smith
68. Us- Brother Ali
67. Tell No Lies-Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara
66. Eagle- Mamer
65. Turned Up Turned On-Michael Bellar As-Is Ensemble
64. For this I Rise- J. Russell
63. To Obscurity & Beyond- Afroskull
62. Abyss- Jacques Schwarz Bart
61. Pot of Gold Remixes I/II- Alice Russell
60. Musically Massive- David Last vs Zulu
59. The Blow Sven Theory-Sven Barth & Induce are Casual Sax & The Saxual Revolution
58. Across the Divide: A Tale of Rhythm/Ancestry-Omar Sosa
57. Light a Candle- Forro in the Dark
56. Call My Name- Daby Touré & Skip McDonald
55. Daptone Gold- Daptone Records
54. Dr. Boondigga & the Big BW-Fat Freddy’s Drop
53. Radiolarians II/III- MMW
52. Strange Cousin- Tribescastan
51. Solid Ground- the Black Seeds
50. Secret Song- DJ Spooky
49. Keep it Hid- Dan Auerbach
48. Well Hung- Various Artists
47. Playing for Change
46. Plateau- Soname
45. Magnolia Land- Davis Coen
44. Here I Am- Groundation
43. Future will Come- the Juan Mclean
42. Pigs Feet & Potted Meat-Ivan FUNKBOY Bodley
41. Making Love to the Dark Ages-Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber
40. Barracuda- Kinky
39. Small World- Tony Bunn
38. A Modest Proposal- Gutbucket
37. Metamorphosen- Branford Marsalis Quartet
36. La Revolte Des Zombies- Boukman Eksperyans
35. Trio B.C.- Girl in a Coma
34. Tangled tales-Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks
33. Future Past- Lovespirals
32. Purgatory Hill- pat mAcdonald
31. New World- JTQ
*30. Power Patriot-Garage a Trois/Melvin’s Rockplie-Out to Lunch
29. Rise Up- Dr. Lonnie Smith
28. Jazz Around the World- Putumayo
27. Songs for the Queen of Bohemia-Eldad Tarmu Chamber Jazz Ensemble
26. Diaspora Remixed- Watcha Clan
25. Fondo- Vieux Farka Toure
24. Rivermudtwilight- Les Triaboliques
*23. Hard Times EP-Bonerama/This That & The Other Thing-Skeebo Knight
22. Making a Statement- the JMC Project
21. Ancients Speak- Melvin Gibbs’ Elevated Entity
20. One Ticket One Ride- Geoff Achison
19. Espana- Putumayo
18. Eclecticism- M. Nahadr
17. Eddy Loves Frank- Ed Palermo Big Bang
16. Tales from the Earth- Mark Weinstein/Omar Sosa
*15. Rhythm Method-Cadillac Jones/Aguilas & Cobras-Brownout
14.Re: Generations- Nat King Cole
13. Prester John Sessions- Tommy T
12. After the Air Raid- Zevious
11. Plug ‘N Play- the New Mastersounds
10. The Great American Soulbook- Tower of Power
9. Exotic on the Speaker- Soulico
8. Imidiwan: Companions- Tinariwen
7. Waxed Oop- Fast ‘N Bulbous
6. Taketron- Slavic Soul Party
5. The New Gold Standard II- Fort Knox Five
4. Chaal Baby- Red Baraat
3. Dusk Til Dawn- Breakestra
2. Already Free- the Derek Trucks Band
1. Drumquestra- Larry McDonald

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