Ellen McIlwaine dropped this Funky and eccentric jam “Jimmy Jean” in 1973 on her album We the People:
“Jimmy Jean” is a Bboy joint of a different nature, drawing the high energy out of this instrumentally simple folkish composition, and drawing the “get down” out of Ellen McIlwaine’s always-unique execution.
You may have heard this track on the ancient Radio Breaks Worldwide podcast from a few years back, or on DJ mixes from some serious crate diggers.
From Ellen McIlwaine’s official website:
Ellen McIlwaine was born in Tennessee and moved with adoptive missionary parents to Japan when she was only two. Exposed to everything from Japanese Folk and Classical Music, American Rhythm & Blues greats like Ray Charles, Fats Domino and Professor Longhair onJapanese radio, as well as the Grand Ole Opry and European Classical Music on American Armed Forces Radio, while growing up in an International Community of families from India, Pakistan, the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe and Asia, she was playing “World Music” before it was called World Music!
Peep this “Funky Afro House” version from Sydney, Australia’s Double Dotch:
And Ellen McIlwaine is still making dope sounds, such as this track with Tabla drummer Cassius Khan, “Mystic Bridge”:
