Quickly becoming one of our favorite labels to feature here at Nostalgia King as well as playing in our sets globally, Dippin’ Records has scored once again with another amazing slice to add onto their newly launched and growing label catalog. This time around we’ve got something special hitting the decks and an absolute amazing cover version to one of our favorite cuts by the legendary Herbie Hancock. Featured here is on 7″ is a newly recorded rendition of “Watermelon Man” featuring the original Headhunters percussionist Bill Summers playing live percussion over an all live instrumentation played and produced by monolog aka Yuki Kanesaka.
Yuki Kanesaka, the multi-instrumentalist/Producer who’s been the Mastermind behind his monolog project recordings is back with the delicious uptempo cover of “Watermelon Man”. All live instrumentation, no sampling! He indulges us with star-studded features of Bill Summers, the percussionist of the Head Hunters and Curtis “Fitz” Williams, the musical director and keyboardist/saxophonist of Kool & the Gang.
The backstory is, Yuki traveled all the way to Bill Summer’s home studio on Valence Street, New Orleans to record Bill playing a variety of alluring percussive instruments. That includes playing Hindewhu, the style of singing/whistle-playing of Central Africa mixed with a Peruvian Pan flute Zampoña much like the infectious Head Hunters version.
Other notable instrumentations include congas, and shekere and Bill’s hand scratching used as a human shaker. Curtis Williams plays the lead soprano sax melody we all know and love, with some added clavinet that adds extra sugar to the watermelon funk.
Flip side features a special drum break version called “Bill’s Valence Street Jam”, so you can really savor the mouthwatering groove of the Watermelon Man.