Awake In Accra

Some groovy Ghanaian sounds for you tonight. Both tracks from a compilation titled "Ghana Awake Volume 1", which came out in 2011.

I haven't been able to establish whether any further volumes were ever issued - maybe it wasn't necessary if this one succeeded in getting them all up and about in Accra and out of bed in Bolgatanga.

"Konka" - Rex Omar

"Ti Dimang Be Yoli" - Ibrahim Ramatu

Also from Ghana, the delightful Daddy Lumba...

Missing Merle

It is a little over a year ago that Merle Haggard left us. And it is little over 24 hours ago I acquired one of his little remembered mid-1980s albums in a record shop (possibly the only record shop) on Jersey - 1986's "A Friend in California".

It is not absolute vintage Merle by any means, but anything with that magnificent voice on it is always going to be worth a listen. So this post is a slightly belated "one year on" dedication to the great man. And the second track is also dedicated to everyone who is being missed an awful lot at the moment - like my friend Tracy's Mum and Charity Chic's Grandpa Jim - and to everyone doing the missing.

"The Okie From Muskogee's Comin' Home" - Merle Haggard

"This Time I Really Do" - Merle Haggard

Big In Benin

Big in Benin, and Particularly Prominent in Parakou. Some vintage African funky jumpy stuff to get you into gear on a Sunday morning, courtesy of Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou.

"Bori Yo Se Mon Baani" - Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou

"Gandigui" - Orchestre Super Borgou de Parakou

Here's another orchestra that was quite popular in the 1970s.

Drive Carefully

Some excellent advice here from Little Village, sadly being ignored by the boys of NRBQ.

"Don't Think About Her When You're Trying To Drive" - Little Village

"Ridin' In My Car" - NRBQ

Here is another reminder of the importance of remaining focused while driving. It is really rather creepy.

Easing Into Easter

Apologies for being a bit irregular of late, but I've been travelling for work quite a lot. Now, for a break from all that travelling, I'm about to go on holiday. As usual, we'll fill the gap with a bumper selection of tunes first featured here back in 2009, when it was just me and the tumbleweeds.

"Boom Boom Mancini" - Warren Zevon

"Walking And Talking" - R. Black & The Rockin' V's

"Psychedelphia" - Mary Jane Hooper

"Capitalism Gone Mad" - Mighty Sparrow

"Finder Finder" - Loaf Boy

"Give Me All Your Clothes" - Microdisney

"El Baul De Los Recuerdos" - Karina

"This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)" - Shawn Colvin

Normally when we do these pre-holiday posts I finish off with a clip of DJ Sven and MC Miker G. But they cropped up a couple of weeks ago after I heard that a "famous Dutch DJ" had discovered Tsonga Disco. So instead here is something that is arguably even better. Have fun, see you in a couple of weeks.

A Garland For Garland

I went to my gig of the year to date last night. After stopping for a pint in a sports bar that our resident punk historian (Mister F) told me used to be the Nashville Rooms, we ventured a few hundred yards further into the badlands of West Kensington. There we found an unobtrusive doorway next to the Sainsbury Extra, and in we went.

Upstairs was a great little venue called Nell's Jazz and Blues, and on stage - once they had made him some temporary stairs - was a great little performer, the utterly magnificent Garland Jeffreys.

Mr Jeffreys and his excellent band are over here promoting his new album, "14 Steps to Harlem", which comes out at the end of April. The man himself reckons it is his best album since "Ghost Writer" way back in 1977. Judging by the tracks from it that he played last night, he may well be right.

I suggest you rush out and buy it as soon as it becomes available. To keep you are going until then here are a couple of old favourites and - because I'm in a good mood - a bonus, unrelated Garland.

"Wild In The Streets" - Garland Jeffreys

"New York Skyline" - Garland Jeffreys

"It Rained Forty Days And Nights" - Garland Green