Dinner Music 86: The weekly lineup
heavy disco, new york city grooves, latin funk
This week the sound is exploring New York City sounds. Think: disco, late nights, jazz clubs, hot outfits, high energy. I’ve been gone from the city nearly as long as I lived there (six years!) and this trip felt like a return home in so many ways. When the energy is right, it’s just right.
We begin with italo disco icon Ryan Paris, whose track Dolce Vita spent weeks climbing the charts in the early eighties across Europe. This self-titled album is a italo delight — upbeat melodies, heavy synth, rollicking percussion and sing-speaking lyrics about the pleasures of life. We move to George Duke, another icon, though in the jazz-funk sphere. Brazilian Love Affair is regularly on my top listened to tracks and the album is… *chefs kiss* It’s a romp through a smokey labyrinth of bliss, floating through easy listening and slow builds to transcendent riffs. It’s not just one thing, either. It’s jazz, it’s funk, it’s bossa nova. It’ll leave you floating until we get to the next album from Miroslav Vitous, whose funk-rock will bring you back to earth. The fat, funky beats over plucking guitar verve toward the sound of the Golden Age of Pornography, which we explored in February. Like the title suggests, Vitous is a ‘Magical Shepard’ that will lead you on a cosmic-ladden dance through experimental jazz-rock that’s not afraid to go there. And by going there, we could be going to Studio 54 to hear Go West by the Village People. The Village People need no introduction, but if you’ve never explored them beyond the YMCA, consider this your lucky day. This is some of the finest, weirdest, campiest disco of the era that continues to give. If you’re in New York, make sure to throw on Manhattan Woman as you exit the subway onto the street. We end with Munich Machine, a disco crew led by Giorgio Moroder. The album begins with the fifteen minute track Get on the Funk Train. When you’re ready, hop aboard.
The playlist is extra long this week, nearly two hours. I couldn’t help myself.
Enjoy.
The playlist
Monday
Ryan Paris - Ryan Paris (1984)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Tuesday
A Brazilian Love Affair - George Duke (1979)
Spotify / Apple Music / Other streaming services
Wednesday
Magical Shepard - Miroslav Vitous (1976)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Thursday
Go West - Village People (1979)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Other streaming services
Friday
Munich Machine - Munich Machine (1977)
Spotify / Apple Music / Other streaming services
Pair with
Frankies Sputino cavatelli with sausage and brown butter sage. This is always the best pasta I have in Brooklyn. It’s… perfect.
Pink gold pet-nat. It’s pink gold season!!! One of my favorite pet-nats every single year. If you see it, you have to get it. It’s usually only out in the US for a few months before its gone.
Rubirosa olive oil. Rubirosa is one of my favorite little spots in Nolita. It’s always a pizza must and has a great little italian wine list.
These unbelievably cute ceramic tumblers. This little spot in brooklyn is unbelievable. So cute, so unique.
Thank you, thank you. Have a great week.