JAMES COTTON
Cut You Loose! (Universe; LP)
     Blues harp veteran James Cotton performed with Muddy Waters throughout the mid-'50s, but it wasn't until 1967 that he began to record under his own name. Cut You Loose is his second album, and although most of it consists of standard pure-blues, title track 'Cut You Loose' is a funky gem tailor made for a mod dancefloor and 'Slippin' & Slidin'' comes in at a close second. Final track, the lengthy 'Negative Ten-Four' changes pace and moves into jazz mode. Well crafted, laid back and cool.
www.cometrecords.com
Jon 'Mojo' Mills

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Looking Good: Mod Club Classics (BGP; CD)
     'She's Looking Good', Rodger Collins' 1967 disc is a mod anthem. In London it's always filled floors, ever since its UK debut on the Vocalion label in the '60s right through to it's regular airing at Paul Hallam's '80s mod night Sneakers. The rest of this set features classic after classic that for many mods will have been a soundtrack to mod-do's past. The Young Holt Trio's eccentric jazz instrumental 'Whack Whack' was a always fave of our crowd, as was Mose Allison's bluesy croon on'Parchman Farm', and slower grooves Chuck Jackson's 'I Keep Forgetting' and Betty Swann's 'Make Me Yours'. Sue was our label of choice, and the Isaac Hayes composition 'Keep My Woman Home' sung by Danny White, sounds as good as ever and Ike & Tina's 'I Can't Believe what You Say' still sends a volt of electricity down the spine. Stateside discs (another label of cool) included Mary Love's 'Lay This Burden Down' and George Stone's 1965 outing, which was written by the MG crowd, and is still a cool as fuck soul-jazz snaking groove, made to dance to. Blues was mod music through and through (as well as being the most popular pill): BB King's big band swing 'I've Got Papers On You', Billy Hawk's jazz-soul take on Ray Charles' 'I Got A Woman', the funky blues of Lowel Fulson's 'Tramp' and Junior Wells' 'Checking On My Baby' and the latin-tinged 'Mama Julie' by Terry & Jerry all show different sides to the R&B that most appealed to the mod dancefloor. Mod may have been relocated to certain working class territories by 1970, but Little Sonny's harp-led take on (the mod anthem) 'Wade In The Water' is yet another slice of funky-blues so suited to the mod aesthetic.
     Dean Rudland has done it again. An impeccable collection that in 20-tracks shapes a soundtrack to the mod way of life. This is music that was made to look good to.
www.acerecords.com
Jon 'Mojo' Mills