Now-Again Records

Pazazz’s Deep Disco

Tony Castellanos (guitar and vocals) and Tim Boynton (bass and vocals) founded the Zanzibar band in Miami, Florida, in 1974 for gigs at the Bahia Cabana Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, with the addition of Rick Gritz (drums and vocals). Inspired by the likes of Bill Withers and Steely Dan, Zanzibar played a soulful series of club dates and private parties as well as a their requisite beach hotel gigs at Miami area staples like the Fontainebleau, the Eden Rock and the Marco Polo hotel.

In the late 70s, Castellanos changed the name of the band to Pazazz and, while the band was working for the Norwegian Cruise Line, he penned the band’s first single “So Hard To Find.” This and “The Right One,” written by interim drummer Al Varon, who played on the single, were recorded and readied for release on a silver Pazazz label, complete with picture sleeve. It wasn’t until Castellanos received five hundred copies of the single that he realized that the record was flawed. He demanded a second press run – this time issued on a red Pazazz label – but it too was, in Castellanos opinion, flawed. So the band decided against any sort of release, opting to gift copies of both versions to fans at their gigs.

The band split in 1981 and forgot about their single until Los Angeles record collector Mike Vegh found a random copy of the record and, impressed by the steady funk of Pazazz’s soulful disco, tracked down Castellanos and brokered the purchase of the last remaining copies of his records. Vegh connected us with the man and we’re happy to represent Pazazz’s small, but great, catalog.

Announcing: WITCH’s Jagari Chanda “Kwamununga”

WITCH’s bandleader Jagari Chanda’s first recordings in over thirty five years – digital 7″ available now at Now-Again Deluxe!

This is a special release: WITCH’s bandleader Jagari Chanda’s first recordings since Zamrock’s most beloved band after their release of the Including Janet album! They were recorded in L.A. when he traveled to the USA for the first time to play a private show that we threw in conjunction with Urban Outfitters in Hollywood.

How, you ask? Well, it went something like this: our pal, the producer Luther Russell (you’ll be hearing more about him later this year), is as big of a WITCH fan as is Patrick Bailey, the guitar and bass player who assembled the band to learn and play WITCH’s Zamrock classics in L.A. (and a part of the great Jungle Fire and Ethio Cali ensembles).

Jagari had an idea for a song he wanted to record – a Zamrock take on a Zambian standard about – you guessed it – witchcraft. He met up with Russell and Bailey, recorded his ideas straight to tape (with Russell on drums and Bailey on bass), and rounded out the session with some acoustic songs that had been banging around in his head.

And then he went back to Zambia. Never to be seen in America again. Well, not quite. Madlib invited him up to play at the San Francisco Sounds of Zamrock Madlib Medicine Show extravaganza and Russell, overjoyed to be able to present Jagari with a most special gift, went back to his studio with Bailey and some friends and overdubbed the parts Jagari had told him he wanted to hear in the final arrangements. We presented the songs to Jagari in S.F., and he was overjoyed. And, well, we were too. So we’re giving these songs away to our subscribers at Now-Again Deluxe.

Subscribe Now: https://drip.fm/nowagain

Egon’s Funk Archaeology at RBMA: Digging Down Under

Linked below: Egon’s newest Funk Archaeology post at Red Bull Music Academy’s website, this time documenting another digging adventure – records found across Australia’s great expanse – alongside Madlib. Well, sort of, as you’ll discover if you read more.

The exclusive download this time around: a trio of songs referenced in the piece, all from Spectrum’s highly-recommended Aussie-prog masterpiece Milesago. If your ADD is getting the better of you, just skip to the three minute, twenty second mark and vibe out on “The Crab.” Many thanks to Lenny at Egg Records for the score!

The New Series: Digging Down Under – Egon’s Funk Archaeology at Red Bull Music Academy.
The Old Series: Egon’s Funk Archaeology at NPR.
Download: Spectrum “The Question/The Answer/Do The Crab.”

Video – Egon On Fuse TV’s Crate Diggers

Egon profiled on Fuse TV’s Crate Diggers. Learn more about our the backstory to our forthcoming Heitkotter and Nigerian Fuzz Funk anthologies, the relation between the Detroit Sex Machines and J.Dilla and hear all about ex-spiritual jazz leaders currently imprisoned for visa scams executed during Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath. True stories from the field.

Madlib Medicine Show In San Francisco, June 7th: The Sound of Zamrock

Buy Tickets: Madlib Medicine Show: The Sound of Zamrock.

Madlib has championed Zamrock’s heroes for some years now: his Beat Konducta in Africa release leaned heavily on samples from the likes of WITCH and Paul Ngozi and the Ngozi Family; his DJ sets feature rarities from the scene; he and the rapper formerly known as Mos Def have been discussing a trip to Zambia to record a collaborative album. At this special Madlib Medicine Show, Madlib will not only put together a DJ set that weaves his trademark hip hop beats in and out of funky and fuzzy Zamrock classics, but he’s brought WITCH’s last remaining member, bandleader Emmanuel “Jagari” Chanda from Zambia to San Francisco to 1015 Folsom to perform Zamrock Live! on June 7th for the first time to a public audience in North America…. Ever.

Also on the bill is Egon, Madlib’s partner in Madlib Invazion, and, as any visitor to this site is almost certainly aware, the man behind the resurgence of interest in the Zamrock movement via anthologies of the giants of the scene: WITCH, Rikki Ililonga, Musi-O-Tunya, Paul Ngozi, Chrissy Zebby Tembo and, soon to come Salty Dog, Mike Nyoni, Born Free and The Peace.

As Now-Again ramps up its undertakings to document the lost gems from this isolated yet genius movement in 2013, they happily partnered up with Urban Outfitters to bring a Zamrock inspired collection into the chain this spring. With Urban Outfitters, Now-Again brought Chanda and his Zamrock Live! – which has been making the European festival rounds – to Hollywood this past month for a private show, but this is the first time that Zamrock Live! can be accessed by the ticket buying public.

At the show, Madlib will be selling a limited edition 7” EP containing selections from his forthcoming Rock Konducta album on Madlib Invazion. The 7”s – white labels, housed in a custom designed Jeff Jank sleeve – were only manufactured in a run of 300 copies.

More Info/Rock Konducta preview: Rappcats.com