V.A. / ECCENTRIC SOUL: SMART'S PALACE 1963年〜1975年カンサス・シティー・ソウル音源集！SMART兄弟の関連作品を堂々全19曲！
V.A. / ECCENTRIC SOUL: SMART'S PALACE (NUMERO)
いやぁ〜深いっ！米NUMEROの深さたるや、一体どこまで掘り尽くすのでありましょうか!? NUMERO作品の中でもソウル・ファンなら見逃せないシリーズ「ECCENTRIC SOUL」シリーズ最新作となる今作はついにカンサス・シティーを掘り下げております。LEROY、そしてDICKが中心となっていたローカル・バンド、SMART BROTHERSが関わった作品を全19曲。音源は1963年〜1975年の楽曲群のようですが、何よりまず聞いたこともないようなアーティスト名が股、ズラリ...さて、それではゆっくり紐解いてゆきましょう。
まずBABY NEALの(1)はガヤ騒ぎの中、ディープなヨレ声で歌いはじめるあたりが股、ローカル臭漂って堪らんスロウ・ナムバー。シングルはどこのリリースなのか調べましたが、まったくネットに引っ掛からん！続いてはMIDWEST FUNKとして有名な激レア皿、THERON AND DARRELLNO！そして(3)はご存知、JAZZMANの「MIDWEST FUNK」収録のFRED WILLIAMSのロウ・ファンク・ナムバー。いや、この曲好きです。このエコーのかかり過ぎなギターのカッティングに、FREDさんのディープ・ヴォイスが痺れる！
さてついに主役のSMART BROTHERSが登場の(4)。クラブ・バンドらしい掛け声入りのミッド・ファンク。いや〜イナタい。続く(5)も前述の「MIDWEST FUNK」収録内曲。お？もしかして結構収録曲カブる？と、思いきやこの2曲だけのよう。(6)は股もヨレおやじBABY NEAL。これはかなり初期の音源でR&Bナムバー。(6)はガラッと雰囲気変わって70'sっぽいファンク。ホーンもしっかりとついてマス。
う〜ん、こりゃキリがないです。ざっとこの辺りまで調べたところSOLOというレーベルの音源が主のようです。(16)のTIM JACOBはノーザン人気皿のようですし、おぉ！このCHOCOLATE SNOWってのは何者だ!? ごっついイナタいメロウ・ソウルじゃぁないですか!? うわッ！未発表かぁ〜これはイイ！というワケでして、この謎多き1枚、深く調べれば調べるほどに味わい深くなりそうであります。これがNUMERO作品の凄いところ。聴くたびに新たな発見の連続で、1年は楽しめちゃうんですよね。近作も感服であります！
収録内容
1. I'm Not Ashamed - Baby Neal
2. I Was Made To Love Her Theron & Darrell
3. Tell Her - Fred Williams
4. Barefoot Philly - Smart Brothers
5. A Day In The Life - Chocolate Snow
6. Lorraine - Baby Neal
7. Everybody Needs Someone - LT & The Soulful Dynamics
8. It's Your Love - Theron & Darrell
9. If You Really Love Me - Hard Road
10. Inflation - Chocolate Snow
11. Don't Hate Let's Communicate - Kenneth Carr
12. Herbie's Bag - John Smart's Band
13. The Dance Got Old - Fred Williams
14. I've Got A Funny Feeling - Smart Brothers
15. Crazy About You Baby - LT & The Soulful Dynamics
16. Mercy Baby - Tim Jacob
17. Dedicated To You - Hard Road
18. Let Me Be Your Chrismas Time - Chocolate Snow
19. It's Like Heaven - Chocolate Snow
・NUMERO HP
NUMERO節度 ☆☆☆☆☆ | 地域ごとに掘り下げることの巧さとその魅力度 ☆☆☆☆☆ | 幅広い音楽性のヴァリエーション度 ☆☆☆☆☆ | 解明するには2年は必要そうです度 ☆☆☆☆☆
Smart's Palace was anything but royal. Beyond the bloodlines of the Smart Brothers and their jester brother Leroy, the only kings and queens to be discovered there were JB and Aretha playing on the Wurlitzer. However, between 1963-1975 the club held court for the entire Wichita, Kansas soul scene. At its heart was Dick Smart, bassist, club owner, DJ, record store owner, promoter, and sole proprietor of the Solo label. Collected here for the first time is the story and songs that came out of this thriving, if not totally unknown scene. Housed in Numero's signature slipcase, the 19 track disc features Theron & Darrell, Baby Neal, Chocolate Snow, L.T. & the Soulful Dynamics, Fred Williams & the Jewels Band, and The Hard Road, on labels like Solo, Kanwic, Vantage, and Lee-Mac, all fully annotated with a ransom of pictures, posters, and ephemera fit for a king.
This photo on the cover of 027 Eccentric Soul: Smart's Palace almost didn't get scooped up into our scanning blitz. Dick Smart had it in a frame off to the side and it was only spotted by Judd out of the corner of his eye. What you're seeing is the Smart Brothers Band with Leroy Smart doing his thing. From the liners:
The Smart Brothers Band stage show may've been the most over-the-top act ever seen in Wichita outside of three rings. Their major assets were the antics of John and Leroy Smart, who constantly pushed the envelope of performance. John kept his stunts within the realm of acrobatics: back-flipping at the climactic end of a song, balancing the saxophone on his neck while flipping his torso horizontally, playing multiple horns at once, playing with his hands behind his back, playing with the horn under his leg or upside down, and jumping from table to table to the back of the club while soloing. Sometimes he'd imitate the drum sound by popping the reed of his sax, dueling drummer Charles Rucker in concocting complex polyrhythms. Leroy “Iron Jaw” Smart's moves were even more unbelievable. He'd warm up with some handstands and back-flips, then jump off the stage into the splits, pick up a table or chair by his teeth and toss it aside. He'd bring an audience member up on stage with his teeth at the belt buckle, spinning the helpless guy around before setting him gently down. The rest of the band had its moments, taking turns at soloing, dancing, and doing their own junior acrobatics, but the main attractions were John and Iron Jaw.