Keb Darge: The Best of Legendary Deep Funk Vinyl 2LP

The title says it all. Famed funk DJ/collector Keb Darge digs into his notoriously deep crates to bring together the ultimate batch of nuggets for BBE. Here the funky Scotsman pulls the cream of the crop from 3 volumes of Legendary Deep Funk compilations for the very best funk jams that are sure to turn it loose. From BBE: "Keb’s search for rare ‘45s took him across the globe, obsessively searching dollar bins, private collections and in some cases, artists homes to discover hidden gems recorded by local bands on regional record labels and pressed in tiny quantities. The rarity of the music combined with Keb’s exquisite ear and DJ ability meant that these records quickly became highly collectible (not to mention expensive) and even made ‘deep funk’ a recognized genre all its own. Keb’s passion paved the way for the modern funk revival, spearheaded by bands like The New Mastersounds & Quantic, even hitting the pop charts with the likes of Mark Ronson. In 1997 BBE released the first of three compilation albums of ‘Legendary Deep Funk ’, among the first LPs issued by the label. Equally loved by fans and loathed by vinyl price-gougers, the music contained on these albums took the world by storm, offering a refreshing change from the same old well-loved funk tunes endlessly re-issued on cut-price comps. The music felt fresh, exciting, full of energy and more authentic than anything all but the most dedicated collectors had heard before. Fittingly enough, to celebrate BBE’s 20th year, we’ve asked Keb to select his greatest hits from the ‘Deep Funk’ series, presented on heavyweight vinyl. The compilation contains edits by Keb’s deep funk contemporaries Ian Wright & Kenny Dope, as well as standout tracks from over 20 years of Legendary Deep Funk." Naturally, the songs contained here would cost a small fortune and a lifetime of digging to obtain, so do the right thing and cop this comp! Recommended. 21 tracks in all, housed in gatefold sleeve with detailed liner notes from Keb himself! Recommended.

• gatefold sleeve w/ detailed liner notes
• music label: BBE 2016

reviewed by Al Pastor 11/2016