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Shuffled! is a column appearing most Thursdays here on BPRLive. Each column, we welcome someone from the API* community to share some thoughts about the music they listen to. Check out the Shuffled! archive for past articles.

Today’s Shuffler: Maanav Thakore

Maanav Thakore’s life work is devoted to building alternative systems side-by-side with young people—as well as deepening the boogie. He has worked as a youth organizer in jails, schools, community organizations, and on the street. He has lived in all corners of the country and it is his sincere belief that social change must begin within. Maanav is a deejay, producer and multi-instrumentalist as well as a badass chef. His next big projects are producing singer/songwriter GaBrilla Ballard’s next album, developing a co-op record label and opening a cafe.

Now, let’s shuffle…

Gap Mangione – Boys With Toys

When I was a kid I loved going through my father’s record collection. He had a very nice old Technics turntable with an automatic arm and I’d spend hours trying to perfect dropping the needle right at the start of the record. My three favorite records were Thriller, Sesame Street Disco and Chuck Mangione’s Feel So Good. Years later when I started taking digging seriously, I came across this record by Chuck’s older brother. His stuff has been sampled by tons of artists. This track in particular was most notably put to use by People Under The Stairs on their track “Youth Explosion” and Talib Kweli on “Body Shock.” If you can get your hands on the Diana in the Autumn Wind record, it’s worth every penny. Man, I really love this tune!

Nuyorican Soul – I am the Black Gold of the Sun (4hero Remix)

Such a beautiful song. Production supergroup Masters At Work (“Little” Louie Vega and Kenny Dope) collaborated with Tito Puente, George Benson, and Jocelyn Brown on the Nuyorican Soul project. This song in particular was prolly the first nu-jazz song I ever heard. Then 4hero (Marc Mac and Dego) just came with it on the remix. If you aren’t familiar with their work, get familar!

Soil & “Pimp” Sessions – The World is Filled By…

I first came across this Japanese “punk jazz” band via Gilles Peterson’s Radio One show — he gave these cats HEAVY play a few years back. I liked what I heard. It was different, energetic and danceable with some serious chops (the cat on keys is a MONSTER). I bought this record and go back and forth on it. Some of it’s really good and some of it is a bit too cheeky/chaotic for me. I hear their other albums are better. This track isn’t my favorite on the record, but it’ll do for this shuffle.

Lee Buhaina — Demo Track 3

My dear friend’s Yawu & Cindy gave me a copy of Wu’s “cousin” Lee’s demo. It was recorded last year in a cabin in Vermont with Lee playing all instruments and vocals with drums laid down by the one and only Toni Blackman. It’s outstanding. Lee is Art Blakey’s grandson and by all accounts a laid back cat that makes his music for himself with no plans of wider distribution. I can respect that but this music is too good! Cindy wants to put the two of us in touch and I’d love to get Lee to come to Boston and do some sessions with the Beat Collective ensemble That’s a great idea. Thank you shuffle for letting me think out loud.

Onra – Clap Clap

A friend sent me a copy of French Vietnamese producer Onra’s Chinoiseries — an unbelievable collection of beats made from found records in Saigon — and I was amazed at how authentically Onra channels the G.O.A.T. — J Dilla. He manages to do so without sounding like an imitator — not easy to do. Since then, I’ve collected everything he’s done. His “Tribute” collaboration with Quetzal is stellar as is his most recent work.

I had so much fun shuffling, I kept at it. Here’s the next five tracks that came up:
Tawiah – Every Step, Isley Brothers – Voyage to Atlantis, Karim Ziad – Sandiya, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan – O Re Piya, Public Enemy – Can’t Truss It

Last 5 posts by shuffled

• Shuffled! North Star of the BROWNSTAR Revolution - December 10th, 2009
• Shuffled! Pen Khek Chear - November 25th, 2009
• Shuffled! Jerry Ma - August 13th, 2009
• Shuffled! Tanzila Ahmed - August 6th, 2009
• Shuffled! Slanty - July 30th, 2009

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