Verve Remixed

"Manteca" (Funky Lowlives Remix) // Dizzy Gillespie
Born from his love of the Afro-Cuban music of which he was an early champion, "Manteca" is one the most enduring originals composed by Dizzy Gillespie, the bebop trumpet great with the elastic cheeks. For their remix, London downtempo duo Funky Lowlives (Jon K. Whitehouse and Gary Danks) use Dizzy's celebrated 1961 live recording from Carnegie Hall for their source material, emphasizing its driving percussion and electrifying trumpet runs, while imparting hints of dub into the mélange. As a production and remix team, Funky Lowlives have been making waves since 1998, putting their laidback stamp on tracks by artists as diverse as Masters At Work, Tosca, and Afro-beat drum great Tony Allen; their warm, funk-flavored full-length Cartouche was released by Stereo Deluxe in 2003.

"Sinnerman" (Felix Da Housecat Heavenly House Mix) // Nina Simone
The High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone was renowned for her daring arrangements, and her take on "Sinnerman," as featured on 1965's Pastel Blues, was no exception, stretching the bluesy traditional into a ten-plus-minute odyssey. For his Heavenly House Mix, Chicago legend Felix Da Housecat (Felix Stallings, Jr.) isolates a repeated piano figure and Simone's accusatory, "Where you gonna run to?," and pairs them with synthesized strings, an octave bass line, and hard-hitting kick drum, for a bona fide floor-filler. One of the most in-demand DJ-producers in the world, Felix began his ascent to fame in 1987 with the release of his acid house classic "Phantasy Girl." After years as an underground favorite, in 2002 he blew up as an international phenomenon with the release of his 80s-tinged album Kittenz and Thee Glitz, setting the template for like-minded electro acts, and spawning a host of "Best DJ" accolades in Spin, Rolling Stone, and URB, culminating in his first Grammy nomination for Best Remixed Recording for his overhaul of "Lost Love" by Rinôçérôse.

"Whatever Lola Wants" (Gotan Project Remix) // Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan was arguably the most versatile female vocalist of jazz's Golden Age, an early pioneer of bebop and adept scat singer, yet one who was also comfortable with pop material, as evidenced by her nuanced reading of this ditty plucked from the Broadway show Damn Yankees. Here, Gotan Project accentuate the song's seductive tango pull with generous applications of bandoneon (a type of accordion) and flamenco-style guitar licks. A collective of French and Argentinean musicians who mix live instruments in the classic tango tradition (think Astor Piazzollo) with downtempo, dub-infused dance beats, Gotan Project was formed in 1999 by Philippe Cohen Solal, Eduardo Makaroff, and Christoph H. Muller. Their 2002 debut CD, La Revancha del Tango, has become an underground hit, selling over 500,000 copies in Europe alone, and winning accolades from the U.S. press upon its domestic release this spring.

"Brother Where Are You" (Matthew Herbert Remix) // Oscar Brown, Jr.
Radio soap opera actor, TV host, professional songwriter, jazz singer. Windy City native Oscar Brown, Jr. was a versatile talent, as evidenced by this soothing and soulful gem from his 1965 LP Mr. Oscar Brown Goes To Washington, recorded live at the Cellar Door in Washington, DC and featuring Phil Upchurch on guitar. A perfect choice, then, for a brush-up by Herbert (Matthew Herbert), a London-based DJ-producer who knows a little about multi-tasking: He records under a variety of aliases, including Radioboy and Dr. Rockit, runs two record labels, and freely mixes elements of house, techno, ambient and electro in his various musical projects. A master of subtle experimentation, the formally trained Herbert refuses to sample other artists' music, and instead fashions his intricate tracks from samples of everything else, from kitchen utensils to his own body (check out 2001's critically lauded Bodily Functions). He's recorded eight albums (his latest, Goodbye Swingtime, by the Matthew Herbert Big Band, harkens back to his early days in a jazz big band), has composed for film, theater and TV, and remixed artists as diverse as R.E.M., Zero 7, Björk, Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction) and the late Serge Gainsbourg.

"Slap That Bass" (Miguel Migs Petalpusher Remix) // Ella Fitzgerald
Noted for her infectious good humor, dexterous scatting, and fine elocution, the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, boasts one of the most impressive catalogs in the Verve vaults, thanks to her Song Book series of albums dedicated to great composers. "Slap That Bass," written for the 1937 RKO Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers vehicle Shall We Dance, comes from the 1959 collection Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George & Ira Gershwin Song Book, and San Francisco house stalwart Miguel Migs keeps the milk and honey flowing on this playful, summery update. One of the key players in the esteemed Naked Music stable, Migs' blend of smooth, mellow house and Latin beats with R&B vocals has yielded a host of uplifting underground hits ("Breaking It Down" by Petalpusher), while his Midas touch has enlivened remixes for mainstream stars including Britney Spears and Macy Gray.

"Angel Eyes" (Layo and Bushwacka Remix) // Ella Fitzgerald
Contrary to popular belief, Frank Sinatra didn't hold exclusive rights to this haunting ballad, and Ella Fitzgerald recorded it several times for Verve, most notably on 1958's outstanding live set Ella In Rome: The Birthday Concert. Now say arrivederci Roma, hello outer space, as genre-bending U.K. twosome Layo and Bushwacka! take the tune into the stratosphere, via a sparkling, spacey reinterpretation laced with synthesized strings and cascading keyboard lines. Co-owner and resident DJ, respectively, of the celebrated London nightclub The End, breaks pioneers Layo and Bushwacka! broke new ground with their 2002 sophomore set Night Works, an electrifying yet tuneful mash-up of techno, rave, hardcore, big beat, and drum & bass, featuring the global smash "Love Song."

"Do What You Wanna" (Mr. Scruff Remix) // Ramsey Lewis
Keyboard whiz Ramsey Lewis is best remembered for his 1965 Top 5 hit "The 'In' Crowd," but his 1969 instrumental "Do What You Wanna" has long been a favorite amongst Northern Soul fans and rare groove devotees. Like Lewis, who was just as comfortable playing bop-oriented jazz as straight-up pop, Manchester DJ-producer-cartoonist Mr. Scruff (Andy Carthy) has no reservations about mixing and matching styles in pursuit of the perfect groove, as evidenced by this funky, tambourine-rattling redux of Ramsey's hip-shaking original 45. Scruff's third full-length, 2002's Trouser Jazz (on Ninja Tune), featuring the irresistible "Shrimp," is a gleeful concoction of jazz, funk, hip-hop and a smidgeon of disco, reflecting this rabid record collector's eclectic tastes both in the studio and behind the decks. Since his 1995 debut, the Hocus Pocus EPs, Scruff has recorded for over 30 labels – including Warp, Blood& Fire, and Cup of Tea – and his lengthy list of remix credits include Badly Drawn Boy, Lamb, Moloko, reggae great Bim Sherman, and Nightmares on Wax.

"Soul Sauce" (Fila Brazillia Remix) // Cal Tjader
Caliente! The bottle of Tabasco sauce on the cover wasn't the only thing spicy on the 1964 LP Soul Sauce by vibraphone virtuoso Cal Tjader; the title tune, a reworking of Dizzy Gillespie's "Guachi Guaro (Soul Sauce)," turned out to be the most popular cut by the man considered by many the greatest non-Latin Latin bandleader. Tapping into Tjader's unique marriage of mambo and lounge music, Hull-based downtempo duo Fila Brazillia punch up the original's rhythms in a giddy new version that would make Esquivel grin from ear to ear. Since forming Fila Brazillia in 1991, members Dave McSherry and Steve Cobby have recorded eight albums of lighthearted, headphone-friendly grooves, including last year's Jump Leads, and supplied remixes to the likes of Radiohead, The Orb, U.N.K.L.E., Simple Minds, and Black Uhuru, all of which appear on their 2000 2-CD collection Brazilification.

"Fried Neckbones and Some Homefries" (Dan the Automator Remix) // Willie Bobo
Listening to the sultry strut of this number from Latin percussion master Willie Bobo, originally found on his 1966 full-length Uno, Dos, Tres, it's not hard to hear where a young Carlos Santana probably picked up a few rhythmic ideas. Speaking of folks to who like to collaborate, here this Latin soul classic is beefed up with added swagger and a dash of stardust by underground hip-hop mainstay Dan the Automator (Dan Nakamura). This San Francisco-based leader in alternative hip-hop first found fame in 1995, when he joined forces with notorious emcee Kool Keith for the audacious Dr. Octagon project, laying down everything from lush strings to heavy metal guitars behind Keith's pottymouth rhymes. Never one to rest on his laurels, Dan has also laid down the beats for Damon Albarn's cartoon ensemble Gorillaz, hooked up with Prince Paul for hip-hop hilarity of Handsome Boy Modeling School, penned twisted love songs for Faith No More's Mike Patton as part of Lovage, and, most recently, dropped the mind-altering mix CD Wanna Buy A Monkey?

"Naima's Love Song" (DJ Spinna Remix) // Betty Carter
It takes a brave soul to even consider reinterpreting the work of vocalist Betty Carter, who over five decades established her considerable reputation by taking songs to wholly unexpected realms, radically altering their original melodies and rhythms. Enter DJ Spinna, a Brooklyn underground DJ-producer who is plenty familiar with breaking rules, having earned kudos for his relaxed house tracks on labels like Guidance and King Street, as well has his hip-hop productions for artists including J-Live, Guru, and his own ensemble, The Jigmastas. Having cut his teeth as a broadminded college radio DJ, in 2003 Spinna incorporated all his diverse stylistic inclinations – R&B, hip-hop, nu jazz, house – on to a single disc with the BBE full length Here To There. For Verve Remixed 2, he renders this original by Carter and pianist John Hicks, cherry-picked from her 1992 release It's Not About The Melody, as a broken beat excursion, full of burbling analog bass and shimmering keyboards strategically arranged to complement Betty's lively vocals.

"Mama" (Metro Area's Birthday Dub) // Hugh Masekela
South African trumpet player Hugh Masekela cultivated the concept of "world music" by co-mingling sounds from his homeland with jazz, rock and pop, culminating in his 1968 #1 U.S. pop hit "Grazing in the Grass." "Mama" comes from his 1975 LP The Boy's Doin' It, a captivating marriage of Afrobeat, funk, and early disco, recorded in Lagos, Nigeria. Likeminded crosspollination experts Metro Area (Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani) turn in this mesmerizing Birthday Dub, bursting with sweet, juicy horns, loping drum rhythms, and a cowbell that just won't quit. Metro Area has been making waves in the underground since 1999, when the New York duo released the first of four sought-after EPs (on Geist's Environ imprint, also home to revered house iconoclast Daniel Wang) that beguilingly reconciled the warmth and ebullience of classic disco with more mechanical-sounding timbres associated with Chicago house and Detroit techno; their eponymous 2002 full-length resurrected six of those selections, including the dark, rippling club fave "Miura," augmented by four new tunes.

"Here's That Rainy Day" (Koop Remix) // Astrud Gilberto
Brazilian bossa nova chanteuse Astrud Gilberto never set out to be a professional singer – she just happened to be the only qualified candidate when her husband, guitarist João Gilberto, was cutting a song called "The Girl From Ipanema" with saxophonist Stan Getz in 1963, and they needed someone to sing a verse in English. The song became a hit, and Astrud's lilting, low-key delivery quickly made her a popular favorite. Culled from her 1966 album with organist Walter Wanderly, A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness, "Here's That Rainy Day Again" gets a decidedly light and lively makeover courtesy of Swedish twosome Koop (Mangus Zingmark and Oscar Simonsson). Based in Stockholm, this duo freely mixes elements of traditional jazz and Latin music with cutting-edge electronics, winning praise from the likes of tastemaker Gilles Peterson, and securing them a place in the roster of artists in Jazzanova's Compost Records collective. Their second full-length, Waltz For Koop (released Stateside in 2002), features vocal turns by folk-jazz legend Terry Callier and dance music funnyman Earl Zinger.

"Black Is The Color…" (Jaffa Remix) // Nina Simone
A traditional Scottish folk tune which eventually crossed the Atlantic and became a staple of Appalachian lore, "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair" was just as much fair game as any other song for the classically-trained Nina Simone to reinvent. Using Simone's simple voice-and-piano arrangement of it, which was a staple of her repertoire for many years (check out the version on 1966's Wild Is The Wind), as his jumping off point, rising star Jaffa (David Kakon) – a classically-trained pianist and master of the Hammond organ – augments the number with funky drum breaks, washes of strings, and his signature keyboard riffs, creating a wholly different, livelier mood without obscuring Simone's poignant vocal. Released in 2001, Jaffa's debut album Elevator garnered comparisons to Marvin Gaye for its soulful textures, mesmerizing keyboards, and slo-mo funk grooves; it also featured Jaffa's first foray into remixing a jazz legend: "Sneakin'," a unique interpretation of Billie Holiday's immortal "God Bless The Child."

"Blues For Brother George Jackson" (Mondo Grosso Next Wave Remix) // Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp and Mondo Grosso (Shinichi Osawa) have both broken plenty of ground in their day, the former as a political revolutionary, playwright, academic, and tenor sax innovator, the latter as one of Japan's best-known DJs, promoters, producers, and radio show hosts. Mondo Grosso takes "Blues For Brother George Jackson," from Shepp's enduing 1972 set Attica Blues, and fashions the blaxploitation era jam into a swirling disco-house number with a slippery downbeat and lots of playful stops and starts. Starting with an eponymous 1993 debut full-length on Japan's For Life label, Mondo Grosso helped set the template for modern Japanese dance music, drawing on international influences including samba, disco, R&B and acid jazz, and spawning a global club hit with "Souffles H." Since then, over the course of half a dozen increasingly sophisticated studio albums (the latest domestic offering is MG4R, featuring remixes by Smith & Mighty, Blaze, and Ananda Project), Mondo Grosso has worked with a variety of vocalists and instrumentalists, including Jhelisa, N'Dea Davenport, Tania Maria, and Salsoul Orchestra leader Vince Montana Jr..