Various | Smudge All Stars

VIOLENT40

05/04/24

Black vinyl

Smudge All Stars is Richie Stevens' audio intelligence collective. Richie is the son of the late John Stevens, a pioneer of British free jazz, and a gifted drummer, percussionist and producer in his own right. His talents have found him in constant demand, working with everyone from Horace Andy and Joss Stone to Boy George and Damon Albarn. Now, with Smudge All Stars, Richie leads a funk/soul ensemble that draws on his friendships with many leading black British, Jamaican and US musicians.

Smudge All Stars is Richie’s musical vision writ large. This is a party album in the old school P-funk tradition, all instrumentation is recorded live with Stevens calling on the original Horny Horns Fred Wesley and Peewee Ellis to help build a fat brass groove for the authentic P-Funk vibe and George Clinton vocals for the ultimate seal of funk approval.

The 8-track musical extravaganza commences with ‘Brutal Funk’; a rousing psychedelic funk workout that encompasses a delicious groove cooked up by the famed Jamiroquai member DJ D-Zire and the powerful vocals of British soul singer Mary Pearce. ‘Up is Just a Place Feat. George Clinton’ continues the party vibes by bringing none other than the P-Funk master himself together with Mary Pearce, MWS, Derek 'Dr Mouthquake' Green and the decorated British soul singer-songwriter Omar for a full flavoured aural delight. Cue tight rapping, funky beats and scratching alongside slap bass and a slice of synth for good measure.

Other highlights include, ‘Freaky Toe’ which opts for a smoother groove than its predecessors with seductive vocals courtesy of Soul II Soul’s Charlotte Kelly. ‘B Side’ sees Mary Pearce join Derek 'Dr Mouthquake' Green for another upbeat affair, accompanied by the legendary American trombonist Fred Wesley (James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic) who adds a distinctive touch to the track.

Elsewhere, the album’s ballad ‘Headache Feat. George Clinton’ sees the funk pioneer in a relaxed mood and joined by the versatile British-born singer-songwriter Niara Scarlett (Roots Manuva, M. J. Cole, Basement Jaxx, Xenomania) to provide the perfect vocal blend. ‘2 Cold 2 Hold’ follows with its gospel-tinged groove and adds a welcomed blues vibe to the album courtesy oF Harmonica player to the stars Mitt Gamon (Godley and Creme, Boy George, The Ruts, Sam Brown, Murray Head, the Gang of Four).

TRACKLIST:

A1 Smudge All Stars Brutal Funk - Featuring Mary Pearce X Dj D-Zire

A2 Smudge All Stars Up Is Just A Place - Featuring George Clinton X Fred Wesley X Pee Wee Ellis X Omar X Dennis Bovell X Mws

A3 Smudge All Stars Freaky Toe - Featuring Charlotte Kelly

A4 Smudge All Stars B Side - Featuring Fred Wesley X Mary Pearce X Derek Green X Mws

A5 Smudge All Stars Starkiller - Featuring Victoria Hamilton

B1 Smudge All Stars Headache - Featuring George Clinton X Niara Scarlett

B2 Smudge All Stars 2 Cold 2 Hold - Featuring Mws X Charlotte Kelly X Mitt Gamon

B3 Smudge All Stars Our Lives - Featuring Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry X Dennis Bovell X Earl 16

B4 Smudge All Stars Still Here - Featuring Mws X James Gardiner-Bateman