This Is Mainstream!

Description

Wewantsounds continues its collaboration with Mia and Judd Apatow to present a selection of 13 tracks from Mainstream Records produced by their grandfather, Bob Shad. Recorded between 1970 and 1973, these tracks showcase the superb funk, soul, and jazz sound of the label. All tracks have been remastered from the original tapes, most reissued for the first time since their original release, including some particularly sought-after ones. The Mainstream sound is recognizable: a warm, rich, and funky sound, the hallmark of producer Bob Shad. After working with geniuses such as Charlie Parker, The Platters, Billie Holiday, and Janis Joplin, Shad decided to return to his first love, jazz, in the early 70s with his label Mainstream Records. He released a remarkable series of albums, the 300 series, between 1971 and 1974, which form the main source of this selection. Coincidentally, This Is Mainstream! opens with one of the two or three tracks not produced by Shad himself. "Miss Fatback" by Saundra Phillips is also one of the first productions by cult disco producer Greg Carmichael from 1975. The other track not produced by Shad is the stunning single "These Memories" by Almeta Lattimore, which has become a sought-after classic on the international soul scene. Bob Shad made it a point to recruit the best musicians from the jazz scene for the Mainstream sessions: among them were Bernard Purdie, Billy Hart, Stanley Clarke, Dom Um Romao, Joe Sample, Freddie Robinson, Gordon Edwards, Larry Willis, and Wilbur Bascomb. Between the Fender Rhodes chords and funky bass lines, they define the Mainstream sound, with one foot in jazz and bop tradition and the other in the more unrestrained sonic explorations of the early 70s. Oscillating between soul covers like "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" by Jay Berliner or "Kissing My Love" by the group Afrique and more introspective originals like "This Moment" by Hal Galper or "TB's Delight" by Dave Hubbard, these tracks strike the perfect balance between groove and innovation. "Bird and The Ouija Board" by Pete Yellin is a perfect example: 12 minutes that start with abstract improvisation before taking off with the funk beat of drummer Billy Hart and bassist Stanley Clarke. Shad worked extensively with the great jazz divas. We find Maxine Weldon with a sublime version of the classic "Make It With You" by David Gates and especially the stunning "Just a LiTle Lovin'" by Sarah Vaughan, which closes the tracklist on a jazzy note in tribute to the producer's multiple talents. This selection reminds us that the history of jazz has been written by shadowy figures like Bob Shad, who gave talented musicians the freedom to express themselves without constraint. Notes from English journalist Paul Bowler.