Mr Bongo comes through once again with not only an incredible slice of musical history but an essential release and addition to the Don Blackman legacy of music that will surely be played for a lifetime. When we say digging deeper, that term really fits how this upcoming project came about and is something that one could only imagine but to have it actually come to fruition is a once in a lifetime happening.
After Chicago digger / DJ / producer Marc Davis (Black Pegasus) caught wind of a vault of unreleased Don Blackman material he immediately reached out to Don Blackman’s children, Irene and Kyle, in 2019, building a relationship with Kyle with whom he shared a musical affinity. To Marc’s delight, Kyle confirmed that there was a treasure trove of Don’s music that had never seen the light of day. As Kyle described it, “In 2013, shortly after my dad’s passing, my sister and I collected all of his possessions and put them in a storage unit. After 2 years I finally got back into the groove of things and went through the unit. I came across forty years’ worth of music history. Hundreds of cassettes, CDs, Disks, reel-to-reels, paperwork, photos and VHS tapes. It took about ten years to organise and digitise everything. All of this magic was almost thrown away in the trash, never to be seen, never to be heard forever.”
What unfolds is an amazing double-sider 7″ featuring previously unreleased tracks edited by the homie Tone B. Nimble and Marc Davis which showcase the level of genius Blackman exhibited in the realms of raw-soul and jazz-funk. ‘Your Love Makes Me Crazy’ is as funky as it gets, with infectiously catchy vocal hooks, and a serious jam, whereas ‘Say You’ll Be Mine’ is a classy, soulful boogie, instrumental number, that shows off Don’s masterful piano playing. Both tracks warrant full attention and capture a genius at work. He was also a one-man show when it came to production. He played all of the instruments and emulated the sounds of different instruments through patches on his keyboard. He recorded these tunes in his home studio in South Jamaica, Queens, New York City.
Available now for pre-order with a ship date of July 14, 2023 https://mrbongo.bandcamp.com