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Wax Poetics
V/A Wheedle's Groove: Seattle's Finest in Funk & Soul, 1965-75
Light In The Attic
Seattle has given the world more than Starbucks and Hendrix, as Light In The Attic's compilation of vintage Northwest Funk and Soul proves. Beatdigger extraordinaire Daniel "Mr. Supreme" Clavesilla, a resident of the rainy city, has opened his reservoir and let eighteen nuggets of crunchy funk and sweet soul trickle out.
For those familiar with Supreme's work with the Sharpshooters and other hip-hop-inflected productions, the fact that this comp is chock-full of nasty drum breaks will come as no surprise. The opening selection sets the tone as barely ten seconds pass before a punchy ride cymbal-adorned break jumps out to pummel ears with the good groove. Cold, Bold & Together also tantalize samplists with a wicked, naked drum intro (and a nice solo from a pre-Ubiquity Philip Woo) on their unjustly unheralded "(Stop) Losing Your Chances."
Of course, as much as some would deny it, there is more to life than drum breaks. Fortunately the sweet tones of Patrinell Staten and the Soul Swinger's Earnestine Wilkins are present to soothe ears and excite passions (if not deplete bank accounts; Staten's one single on Sepia fetches several thousand dollars on the collector's circuit). Wheedle's Groove, the name a reference to the NBA Seattle Supersonics' mascot as well as Annakonda's wicked funk-rock instrumental included here, also included several beatdigger standards in the form of the Johnny Lewis Trio's Clavinet/organ tour-de-force version of "Cissy Strut" and the Overton Berry Trio's well-known live take of "Hey Jude." Supreme takes a risk by including three contemporary homages to the 1970-centered sound of the collection. These recently recorded selection from Misterholmes, the Clarence Mack Express, and Supreme's own Sharpshooters don't distract from the overall package, however, with Mack's "Runaway Train" being a standout.
With a couple curveballs thrown for good measure (the Topics' ridiculously raucous take on the Northwest anthem "Louie Louie" and Black on White Affair's previously unreleased and bewilderingly funky "Auld Lang Syne"), this collection has enough juice to satisfy the thirstiest soul seeker. Available on CD and double-vinyl, the package is thoroughly put together with detailed liner notes and full band and recording information, making it a welcome reference tool as well as a great listen. -Andrew Mason
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