King Kooba was formed in London over a pint of beer.
Main Entry: Indian summer
1 : a period of warm or mild weather in late autumn or early winter
2 : a happy or flourishing period occurring toward the end of something
Everybody has that one special album, that one that you reach for when the time is just right, when the sun is shining down and the wine is pouring into your glass. The mood is set and you are at peace in perfect harmony with the music and are taken away to a place that only exists in that moment. These albums come along fewer these days than ever before. They should be cherished and held close to the heart. King Kooba´s "Indian Summer" is one of those albums.
Remember that feeling you had when you were dancing all night and the music just stayed on till past sunrise and the vibe never stopped, or the year when the barbecue grill got fired up in October, and peeps were wearing shorts and sipping cool and refreshing beverages? That´s the Indian Summer to us, and that´s what this album has waiting for you. Like tasting a fine wine, upon listening to this album you can savor the smoke–filled jazz clubs and feel the sultry warmth of the vocalists speaking directly to you. Welcome to the Indian summer of King Kooba. Kick back, pour yourself your favorite one, and get ready to enjoy the moment!
King Kooba´s deep roots in jazz and soul come from the background of two UK dusty vinyl addicts and good life aficionados, Charlie Tate and Matt "DJ Shuff" Harris. Producing together since 1995, appropriately enough, King Kooba was formed in London over a pint of beer in Charlie´s Mom´s pub. Playing bass with 10 piece funk outfit The Big Cheese Allstars and soul diva Neneh Cherry, Charlie´s musical background includes touring in support of such acts as Gil Scott Heron, Fred Wesley, Roy Ayers and "The Godfather" James Brown. DJ Shuff held residency throughout the UK including "Testify" at Zap in Brighten playing funk and a hip–hop from 90–93 and "Miles Ahead" in Brixton from 94–99, where he played a mix of drum and bass reflected in his monthly Shuff Files column in Miles Ahead Magazine. Their first album "The Imperial Solution" released on Second Skin Records in 1997 earned them praise from the International press community where they were hailed as "The Parliament Funkadelic of drum and bass" by MINISTRY MAGAZINE. Releasing their second full length album "Enter the Throne Room" in 1999, a homage to Curtis Mayfield "Superfly" and Marvin Gaye´s "Troubled Man," taste–makers such as Gilles Peterson and Ed Rush showed their support, and DJ MAGAZINE called them a "Killer Combination".
Gaining a serious buzz from International DJ´s and press alike, they soon caught the attention of San Francisco´s Om Records, home to King Britt and People Under the Stairs, who licensed their third album "NuFoundFunk" for US distribution. Playing a select few US dates, and a festival and club tour throughout Europe, King Kooba firmly established themselves as leaders in the nu–jazz and dance floor funk movement which earned them guest DJ spots on Annie Nightingale´s show on Radio One as well as mix duties for Galaxy Radio. In 2002, King Kooba signed exclusively with Om, and the next chapter of their legacy was born.
The day is finally here for the fourth album, Indian Summer and the heat continues to burn on. Enlisting the vocal talents of Vula Malinger (Beverly Knight´s vocal arranger), UK hip–hop superstar Roots Manuva (Nominated for the Mercury Music Award), Cleo Bartlett, Soulstice´s Gina Rene and NuFoundFunk´s Melissa Heathcote, Indian Summer is finally in your stereo and everything is beginning to get a lot warmer. Kick back, get out the finest vintage in the cabinet, cut a rug, lose your inhibitions, and let it all out. It´s that kind of album, once you´ve had a chance to listen to it and let go, you´ll see why you´ll never want the feeling to end.
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