Bump 'N' Hustle Music

Tommy Stewart: Bump And Hustle Music and Riding High
From: Tommy Stewart (Abraxas, 1976)

Keeping the summer spirit alive with some D.I.S.C.O. today. Like many Hip Hop/Soul/Breaks nerds I've never been the biggest fan of the disco genre, normally of the opinion that it's good funk gone wrong. However, when it's done right it's as funky as anything out there and one album that manages this is Tommy Stewart's self-titled opus from 1976.

A relative flop on release, the album's classic Bump and Hustle Music was rediscovered by UK DJs in the 1980s and played to death on the dancefloors. As news of the album's quality spread and with demand well outweighing supply the album was finally rereleased by Ubiquity in 2003 and I'm pleased to confirm that it matches up to the high quality set by it's most famous track.

I couldn't really post about this album without putting up the track itself could I so here it is. Bump and Hustle Music is a dancefloor killer, designed to make you go and strut your stuff no matter how badly coordinated you are. Stewart has stated in interviews that this was in fact a last minute jam by the band and if there is truth behind the legend then hats off to them for pulling something like this out of the bag. Featuring Isaac Hayes backing singers Hot Buttered Soul on vocals this is much closer to the feel of funk than to disco with a slow groove and dirty edge.

The second track, Riding High, is more of an uplifting dance record. Ignoring the disco breakdowns this track could have been released happily in 1988 so close is it in style to early house music with it's soaring strings and strong female vocals. However, what appeals to me most about both of these and what sets it apart from the standard disco or house music you hear being rotated is the production aspect with the horns, drums etc all being played live rather than being added with synths at a later date giving the record a rawer, funkier sound.

Before dismissing this, give it a listen and see what disco can do in the right hands.