mixtape maestro (2.0)

It’s kind of sad that not even the catalog of a legend like Nat King Cole is impervious to modern day re-tinkerings, but a single listen to this cut from the recently released Re: Generations (which dishes out Cole tunes as tweaked by the likes of The Roots, will.i.am, TV On The Radio, Damian Marley, Cut Chemist and Just Blaze amongst others) suddenly had us excited about what other creative nuggets the project had to offer.

Here, Nat’s popular recording of the 1930’s Billy Strayhorn composition “Lush Life” gets a zesty makeover thanks to the behind-the-boards masterwork of Cee-Lo Green. The singing Gnarls Barkley halve surrounds Cole’s pristine croon in a kinetic, ’60’s-tinged mix of groovy bass, starry-eyed ambiance, chopped string samples and itchy drum-funk, creating this beguiling, past-meets-nearer past-meets-present atmosphere that both parents and their hipster offspring could equally appreciate.

DL: “Lush Life (Cee-Lo Remix)” (alt)

Uncategorized 60's, cee-lo, jazz, nat king cole, remix, retro

Of the sort who believe that R&B is dead? Well, that’s only because you’re not getting your soul fix from the right sources…real-deal sources like the Platinum Pied Pipers, the non-R. Kelly-affiliated (you can breathe a sigh of relief, now) teaming of Detroit musician/ production duo Waajeed and Saadiq.

After raising eyebrows and catching eardrums with one-off creations like their fuzzy, slow-funk recreation of Burt Bacharach’s classic “The Look of Love”, PPP unleashed something the soul junkie crowd were desperately in search of with the 2005 full-length Triple P, a core-soothing collection of wondrously crafted aural chocolate that drew heavy praise from various corners of the globe.

Preceding their recently released (and even more acclaimed) sophomore album, Abundance, PPP gave fans a belated Christmas gift with the outtakes and remixes-adorned Abundance Mixtape (which you can download for FREE HERE), highlighted by a revised treatment of their cover of Paul Simon’s oft-re-referenced ‘76 No. 1 “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover”.

Current R&B fave Raheem DeVaughn fronts this stellar new version, his eased croon applying the perfect delicate touch to the Pipers’ cool Latin-jazz soundbed. Those not moved into a snapping frenzy by this tune’s breezy hi-hat sizzle and jammy synthesizer doodling need to check their pulse immediately.

DL: “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon Cover)” (alt)

Uncategorized cover song, detroit, grown folks R&B, jazz, Latin, paul simon, platinum pied pipers, raheem devaughn