Instagram story viewer> @chonseym> Posts

Chonsey Merrells

@chonseym

248

followers

380

following

Family Faith & Music

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

Album of the Day: Raul de Souza – Don’t ask My Neighbors (1977)

Don’t ask My Neighbors finds Brazilian trombonist Raul de Souza bringing his distinctive sound to a funky, sophisticated jazz setting. Produced by Creed Taylor for CTI, the album has that polished CTI production, but Raul’s playing gives it a vibe all its own.

The standout is his electric approach to the trombone — warm, punchy, and remarkably smooth— riding over tight grooves and lush arrangements. There’s a great balance between Brazilian rhythmic influence, jazz improvisation, and the kind of deep funk that makes this record work just as well as a groove album as it does a jazz record.

A gem from Raul’s late-’70s period and a great example of how versatile the CTI sound could be. It shows how ahead of its time this music was.

Favorite songs: Don’t Ask My Neigbors, La La Song, At The Concert, Jump Street

#vinyloftheday #vinylgram #vinylcollection #jazzfunk #jazzvinylcollection by @chonseym

2

0

16 hours ago

ALBUM OF THE DAY Roy Ayers – A Tear to a Smile (1971)

This is Roy Ayers in a early-’70s groove — warm vibraphone, mellow horns, subtle electric piano, deep bass, and Bernard Purdie’s unmistakable drumming all working together.

Ayers is joined by Hubert Laws on flute, Sonny Fortune on saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and Bernard Purdie on drums, giving the record a rich blend of soul-jazz, jazz-funk, and R&B.

There’s a relaxed sophistication to this album. Ayers’ vibes float over the rhythm section while the horns add color without overpowering the groove. Smooth, soulful, and beautifully arranged.

One of those records that sounds just as good late at night as it does to jump start your day. It’s impossible to not nod your head.

Favorite songs: 2000 Black, Magic Lady, Ebony Blaze, A tear to smile.

#vinyloftheday #vinylgram #vinylcollection #jazzvinyl #vinylcollector by @chonseym

14

3

3 days ago

ALBUM OF THE DAY !!!

Mongo Santamaria – Soul Bag (1970)

Mongo is an Afro Cuban percussionist who’s use of drums and Congas are the star of the show. You hear Cuban rhythms underneath even when he’s playing something that sounds more like soul or jazz-funk. I gravitate to horns and the ones on this album, played by Sonny Fortune and Hubert Laws, sit over his percussion in a way that gives the music a funky, punchy feel. This one is just straight groove. Mongo brings that Latin flavor, funky percussion, horns, and a rhythm that stays moving from start to finish.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Mongo lately, and Soul Bag is definitely one that stands out. Lots of rhythm, great musicianship, and that head-nod factor I’m always looking for.

If you like your jazz with some funk, soul, and Latin flavor mixed in, this is one to listen to.

Favorite songs: In the midnight Hour, Sitting on the dock of the bay, Groovin.

#vinyloftheday #vinylgram #vinylcollection #afrojazz #souljazz by @chonseym

2

3

7 days ago

Album of the day!!! Street Lady — Donald Byrd (1973).

Donald Byrd quickly became one of my favorite trumpet players of all time. Byrd was really able to take jazz and blend it with funk, soul, and R&B in a way that still sounds fresh today. Street Lady is a perfect example of that. It has that smooth, laid-back groove throughout, but there’s still enough rhythm and energy to keep you locked in.

What I really enjoy about this record is how funky it is without losing the musicianship. The grooves are deep, the horns sound incredible, and Larry Mizell’s production gives the whole album this slick, sophisticated feel. It almost feels like a soundtrack to a night drive through the city.

Byrd was definitely ahead of his time with this sound, and you can hear the influence it had on funk, soul, and eventually hip-hop. Also a great starting point for someone looking to get into jazz.

Favorite tracks: Lansana’s Priestess, Miss Kane, Street Lady, Woman of the world

#albumoftheday #vinylgram #jazzvinyl #vinylcollection #vinyloftheday by @chonseym

7

0

10 days ago

Album of the day!!! Young Gunz – Tough Luv (2003)

Tough Luv is one of my favorite albums to come out of the Roc a Fella camp. The Young Gunz were a rap group that put on for Philly differently. Young Chris, and Neef Buck were the up and coming duo who were up next after Freeway. Chris and Neef gained a following from the State Property album, which they had the breakout hit, Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, which was EVERYWHERE.

Tough Luv is a very good snap shot of 2000 hip hop and rap. Big jerseys, baggy jeans, and Roc a wear Air Force ones. The bars are there too. To me it was clear Chris was the better rapper. But the two together have great chemistry, especially the joints where they go back and forth interweaving grim and Gritty Philly tales.

Featuring mostly in-house Roc Talent, the album has a distinct early 2000s feel. Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Cam’ron, Juelz, Santana and Freeway make appearances giving the two others to help carry the project. The stand out track for most would be No better love which reached number 3 on the USA Billboard 200. But for me it’s Tough Luv, where the two battle back and forth and settle disputes over an eerie Just Blaze beat.

Young Gunz came through with that Roc-A-Fella / State Property sound — hard drums, street production, and that early-2000s East Coast energy.

One of those albums that takes you straight back to the golden era of Philly hip-hop and Roc-A-Fella.

Favorite songs: Roc U, $$$ Girlz, Never Take Me Alive, Tough Luv

#vinylgram #hiphopvinyl #vinyloftheday #vinylcollector #hiphoprecords by @chonseym

9

0

15 days ago

Album of the day!!! Piñata — Freddie Gibbs & Madlib (2014)

Freddie Gibbs Friday!!! There are great rap albums, there are great producer/rapper collaborations, and then there are albums where two artists come together and create something that neither one could have made on their own. Piñata is one of those albums.

Freddie Gibbs had already established himself as one of the hardest rappers in the game, but pairing him with Madlib was a completely different combination. Gibbs brings the raw, unfiltered street storytelling while Madlib provides some of the most soulful, dusty and unpredictable production in hip-hop. And somehow it works perfectly.

Madlib’s beats feel like they were pulled straight from a crate of forgotten records. Soul samples, jazz, funk, strange vocal snippets and gritty drums are all over this album. Nothing sounds overly polished, and that’s exactly what makes it work.

Then there’s Gibbs, his delivery is aggressive but controlled, and the level of detail in his storytelling is ridiculous. He can go from talking about the realities of street life to dropping an incredible punchline without ever sounding like he’s forcing it. He makes everything sound effortless. With impeccable breath control.

You get features from artists like Raekwon, Scarface, Danny Brown, Earl Sweatshirt, Mac Miller and Domo Genesis that add even more flavor without taking away from the album’s identity.

What I love most about Piñata is the chemistry. Madlib gives Gibbs these strange, soulful, grimy canvases and Gibbs completely destroys them. It’s dark, it’s funny, it’s soulful, it’s violent, and at times it’s surprisingly vulnerable.
Just Freddie Gibbs and Madlib doing what they do best.

Favorite songs: Scarface, Thuggin’, Harold’s, Deeper, Uno

What’s your favorite track from Piñata?

#vinylgram #vinyloftheday #rapvinyl #vinylcollection #hiphopvinyl by @chonseym

11

4

20 days ago

Album of the day!!! Bo Jackson — Boldy James & The Alchemist (2021)

Boldy James has always had a way of painting pictures with his words. He doesn’t need to yell, he doesn’t need to overdo it, and he definitely doesn’t need to tell you he’s the best rapper in the room. His delivery is calm, cold and almost effortless, while the details in his lyrics do all the talking.

Then you add The Alchemist.

Alchemist has become one of the most recognizable producers in underground hip-hop, and Bo Jackson is a perfect example of what happens when a rapper and producer completely understand each other. The production is grimy, soulful, dusty and cinematic. Every beat feels like it came from a crate of records that Alchemist found somewhere nobody else was looking. And Boldy just floats over it.

What makes this album so good is how consistent it is. There aren’t a bunch of attempts to chase a radio hit or switch up the sound just to keep your attention. It’s focused, gritty and incredibly cohesive from beginning to end. Cold beats, vivid street stories and that laid-back Boldy delivery that makes you want to run the record back because you know you missed a line the first time. The features show up and stand out. Roc Marciano, Benny the Butcher. Curren$y, Stove god and Freddie Gibbs almost steal the show.

Personally, this is one of my favorite Boldy James records. It’s the kind of album that doesn’t need to scream for attention. Just play it and let Alchemist’s production roll, and let Boldy take you wherever he’s going.

Sometimes the best albums are the ones that don’t try too hard to convince you they’re great.

Favorite songs: Brickmile to Montana, Speed Trap, Diamond Dallas, Fake Flowers

What’s your favorite track from Bo Jackson?

#vinylgram #vinyl #vinylcollection #rapvinyl #vinyloftheday by @chonseym

6

4

21 days ago

Album of the Day!!! Head Hunters — Herbie Hancock (1973)

There are great jazz albums, there are albums that cross over into something completely different, and then there are albums that change music forever. Head Hunters is one of those albums.

By 1973, Herbie Hancock had already established himself as one of the greatest pianists and composers in jazz. He had played with Miles Davis and helped shape some of the most important music of the era. But instead of staying comfortable, Herbie went in a completely different direction.

Head Hunters took jazz, funk, soul, electronic music and a whole lot of attitude and put them together into something that sounded completely fresh. This wasn’t jazz trying to sound like funk. This was Herbie Hancock creating his own world.

And then there is “Chameleon.”

That opening bassline might be one of the most recognizable grooves in jazz history. It’s hypnotic, funky and almost impossible to sit still through. At over 15 minutes, Herbie lets the groove breathe while the band builds the song into an absolute monster.

But Head Hunters isn’t just “Chameleon.” “Watermelon Man” gets completely reinvented from the original version, “Sly” pays tribute to the influence of Sly Stone, giving an atmospheric sound that shows just how much range this record has.

The lineup is ridiculous too. Herbie on keyboards, Bennie Maupin on reeds, Paul Jackson on bass and Harvey Mason on drums. The bass and drums are a huge reason this album still sounds so powerful today.

Commercially, Head Hunters became one of the best-selling jazz albums ever and introduced Herbie to an audience far beyond traditional jazz. Its influence can still be heard in jazz-funk, sampled all over hip-hop, and modern instrumental funk today.

Favorite songs: Chameleon, Watermelon Man, Sly,

What’s your favorite track from Head Hunters?

#vinylgram #vinylcollectionpost #jazzvinyl #vinyloftheday #jazzfunkvinyl by @chonseym

7

0

22 days ago

Album of the Day!!! Late Registration — Kanye West (2005)

Coming off the massive success of The College Dropout, Kanye had already proven that he could make incredible music, but on Late Registration, he took everything that worked on his debut and leveled it up. Bigger production, richer instrumentation, more ambitious songwriting, and a sound that felt completely different from anything else happening in hip-hop at the time.

Produced primarily by Kanye, this album is where he really started showing just how much of a musical mind he was. The use of strings, orchestration, live instrumentation, soul samples and layered arrangements gave the album a cinematic quality that most rap albums simply weren’t touching.

The features? Absolutely stacked. Jay-Z, Nas, Jamie Foxx, Common, Brandy, Cam’ron, Paul Wall, Consequence, The Game and Adam Levine all make appearances, but somehow the album never feels like a collection of features. It still feels completely like Kanye’s world.

Then there are the songs.

“Gold Digger” became a massive worldwide hit. “Touch the Sky” became an anthem. “Heard ’Em Say” showed a much more vulnerable side of Kanye. “Gone” is one of the most underrated tracks on the entire album. And “Drive Slow” is still one of my favorite examples of Kanye taking a jazz sample (Hank Crawford Wildflower) and turning it into something completely his own.

Personally, Late Registration is my favorite Kanye album. The College Dropout might have introduced the world to Kanye, but Late Registration showed what Kanye could become. It was ambitious, soulful, weird, beautiful, emotional and unapologetically different.

Favorite songs: Touch the Sky, Drive Slow, Crack Music, We Major, Diamonds from Sierra Leone, Gone

What’s your favorite song from Late Registration?

#vinylgram #vinylcollectionpost #hiphopvinyl #vinyloftheday #rapvinyl by @chonseym

7

0

23 days ago

Album of the day!!! Thriller Michael Jackson (1983)

Mike Jack Monday! There are great albums that are always in rotation, there are no skip albums, then there are world events like Thriller.

Coming from the world’s greatest entertainer Thriller is widely thought of as Michael’s best album. There are 9 songs on this album, 7 of them landed on the billboard top 10! Produced by Quincy Jones this album had such a fresh and unique sound that proved to be way ahead of its time. When I go to record shops I still see people from all walks of life pick up this record today. That’s the testament of great music. The staying power is unmatched, and its impact is long-reaching. Countless artists today still cite Micheal Jackson’s thriller as their influence.

Thriller was also a major commercial success as well. It won a record eight Grammys, eight AMA’s, and is in The Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest selling album.

Then there is the music video. One of, if not the most legendary music videos ever. From the makeup, to the wardrobe, and the amazing choreography, the video was and is the best music video ever made. Thriller also became the first music video selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, which described it as the most famous music video of all time. It reached one billion views on YouTube in 2024. Not bad for a video that was made 40 years prior.

Personally this is my favorite Michael album. You get to experience the genius of Micheal on every song. No filler, only one feature (Paul McCartney) and the greatest music video of all time. Not to mention the BEST guitar solo on any song provided by Eddie Van Halen on “ Beat It. It’s easy to see why this album has stood the test of time.

Favorite songs: Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, Human Nature

What’s your favorite song from Thriller?

#vinylgram #vinyl #vinylcollectionpost #mikejackson #vinyloftheday by @chonseym

6

3

24 days ago

ALBUM OF THE DAY!!! MM..FOOD — MF DOOM (2004)

Every once in a while you come across an album that reminds you just how creative somebody could be with music. MM..FOOD is definitely one of those records.

MF DOOM was unlike pretty much anybody else in hip-hop. Born Daniel Dumile, he first came up as Zev Love X in the group KMD. After the tragic death of his brother, Dumile stepped away from music for a while. When he came back, he wasn’t trying to be the same person anymore. He became MF DOOM — complete with the iconic metal mask and his whole comic-book supervillain persona.And man… what a character he created.

MM..FOOD is basically DOOM taking the concept of food and turning it into an entire language for hip-hop. Even the title is an anagram of MF DOOM.

But underneath all the food references, jokes and crazy samples is some seriously intelligent writing.

That’s probably my favorite thing about DOOM.His lyrics reward you for paying attention.

He wasn’t just trying to make a rhyme sound good. He’d pack his verses with internal rhymes, double meanings, wordplay, pop-culture references and punchlines, sometimes making you laugh while you’re still trying to figure out what he actually just said.

You might hear a line one day and think, “That’s clever.”

Then you hear it again six months later and realize there’s another meaning hiding in it. That’s DOOM.

The production is another huge part of the album. It’s dusty, strange, funky, chopped-up and full of samples that give the whole record this almost comic-book / late-night-cartoon atmosphere. Nothing feels overly polished or overly produced. That’s what makes it work.
MM..FOOD doesn’t sound like it’s trying to impress you.

That’s something I really appreciate about this album. There’s a lot of personality here. You can hear the humor, the creativity and the complete lack of interest in following everybody else’s formula.

MF DOOM passed away in 2020, but records like this are exactly why his influence continues to be felt.

Favorite songs: Gumbo, Hoes Cakes, One Beer
#vinylgram #vinylcollection #hiphopvinyl #vinyloftheday by @chonseym

10

2

a month ago

Album of the day!!! — Grover Washington Jr. — A House Full of Love: Music from The Cosby Show (1986)

This is a really interesting chapter in Grover Washington Jr.’s catalog because A House Full of Love isn’t simply another Grover studio album. The music grew out of The Cosby Show, with composer and musical director Stu Gardner developing the music for the show and Grover Washington Jr. serving as co-producer and one of the featured musicians.

The lineup is absolutely loaded. You’ve got Grover on sax alongside brothers Michael Brecker, and Randy Brecker. Others including, Steve Gadd on drums, and Wah Wah Watson on guitar.

Knowing that this music came from The Cosby Show makes listening to it even more fun. You’re essentially hearing music that helped create the sound and atmosphere of one of the biggest television shows of the ’80s, expanded into an album.

For me, this is another example of why Grover Washington Jr. is such a perfect fit for what I like: jazz, soul and funk without needing a bunch of vocals to carry the record.

A pretty cool piece of ’80s television history — and a damn good Grover record.

#vinylgram #vinylcollectionpost #jazzvinyl #vinyllove #vinyljunkie by @chonseym

3

0

a month ago