Yas, yas, yas, the reissues continue. There’s no great reason for the parade to stop. And seeing as most of the discs seeing the light of day are above boards, it’s difficult to figure out why it would all stop. What are the benefits of dealing in lost sounds? Who knows, but this is all pretty funky. So, here are two stray shots of Nigerian funk.

SJOB Movement
A Move In The Right Direction
(Academy LP, 2010)

There’s a political tinge to the proceedings here – and there should be. Recorded in 1974, SJOB movement was a break away ensemble that had previously performed with one of the bigger names in afro-beat: Sonny Okosuns. Perhaps because of these players working under the constraints of another band leader, they sought stretching out. The disc’s opener, “Country Love” might as well have been issued by some New Orleans band. If it was, you can be assured that it would have been sampled endlessly by this point in time. As it is, Academy LP, an imprint out of New York, had to dig the disc up from God knows where to bring it back to the masses. SJOB Movement might not represent the vanguard of music – then or now – but it’s unquestionably good for dancing as well as various other activities that make use of rhythm. You know…

Pax Nicholas & the Netty Family
Na Teef Know de Road of Teef
(Daptone Records, 2009)

In contrast to SJOB Movement’s album, Pax Nicholas and company sound concertedly African over the duration of its one full length, Na Teef Know de Road of Teef. That’s not a detraction or positive view of the music. But it does serve to explain the timbre of the instrumentation here. Over the duration of the African funk thing that was so prevalent during the ‘70s, what really separated bands was being rooted in place as opposed to being indebted to American funk and soul. Part of what makes Nicholas’ sound more of an afro-centric effort is the fact that he did a bit of time in one of Fela Kuti’s bands. Working alongside the man who is generally considered to be the progenitor and main proponent of afro-beat informed Nicholas’ recording. Setting this single shot of funk to tape, it’s worth noting that Ginger Baker had his hand in the proceedings as he sat behind the boards. Of course, the fact that the former Cream drummer had worked a bit with Fela Kuti in the passed didn’t hurt matters too much. And for the most part, there aren’t any slip ups that could potentially render the disc a flop under any kind of scrutiny. Lost for innumerable years, Na Teef Know de Road of Teef was apparently dug up in some record store in Philly. And thanks to the efforts of Euro deejay Frank Gossner (bka DJ Soulpusher), the man who owns the only known original copy of the album, the disc wound up in the hands of the Daptone people. And we all know about Daptone…