I enjoyed my first trip to the new Wembley on saturday - the score was a shame though, but then again watching from
the Gods behind the score board you could tell the dominant physique of Essien/lampard/Ballack was always
gonna swallow up the tricky trio of Fabregas/Denilson/Diaby - for the first time I questioned Arsene's decision to leave
Song out - and I never thought I'd ever say that - having been one of Alexander's biggest critics since he joined 3 years ago.
in fact following the 3 - 3 draw with Spurs last October I thought his grinning whilst coming on at 3 -1 would be the last I'd see of him but
since then the boy's turned a corner and been our most improved player by miles - so it was quite odd that his biggest
advocate chose to leave him out for the FA Cup semi...thats why I'm not a football manager - and thats why my logo says 'Arsene knows'....but I did get a thank you from Cesc for the pre kick off cd they play before the games so my big match influence is in there somewhere!!! by the way on the subject of Chelsea I really hope Gus Hiddink goes back to Russia cos he could take them properly forward which would be horrible...
I did enjoy the build up and come down of an afternoon out with the lads though.
It took me back to the last 20 or so years when football was quite possibly a little too prominent in my life - put it this way Atsuko,
my partner, was invited (forced) to go to Leeds United away (premiership draw) and then Sheffield United away (FA cup replay on
a Tuesday night that we lost) as her induction to my lifestyle! so handing in my season ticket last year was a pretty life changing event for me -
and amazingly it hasn't troubled me as much as I thought it would - its been almost cathartic- (I might even give it up again next season!!) - but the pleasure of a pre match guinness
with the chaps was certainly overdue and the excitement levels pre Champions league v ManUtd are rising by the minute...I can't wait for that
one - I'll be here for the first leg at the Emirates and Serkan, who's arranging the Sunsplash festival in Antalya has promised me big screens on the
night the second leg takes place at Old Trafford - its gonna be BIG!
other than all that I've just got back from a week in Normandy which was fantastic although I ate too much Pate and bread! its great going by
Ferry too - Portsmouth - Caen - 6 hours - they've even got a cinema! big up Brittany Ferries!
gotta get myself back in the groove now - loads to do - tons of music to check out - thanks to Lefto for the link to the Sunshine Love Steel Orchestra album
that I'm listening to right now - lush!
I've been asked to curate 4 nights at Ronnie Scotts in September to celebrate 50 years of the legendary club - any ideas? I'd love Erykah with a trio
or Amy Winehouse in a jazz setting or getting Peven Everett in there with his live band - classics too like Chico Hamilton or Mark Murphy - the
great thing is you can only get 200 odd people in there so it'll be really personal - imagine Radiohead doing an improvised show!
give me your thoughts on that one if you can....otherwise I'll be back at Life this Wednesday - thanks to Jesse from Elmore Judd for stepping in last week
by the way. Easy!

don't remember the last time I was here in Dubai - must be a couple of years ago at least. used to come here quite a lot
and play at a great spot called IBO by the airport - I think they've since shut it down - sadly the crew who used to bring me out
here slowed down on the promotions - Shehab and Mike - a great bunch who I hope will be down at Trilogy later. In fact I
didn't think I'd return here after all that Grooverider business last year, but at the end of the day if I avoided all places where
friends and colleagues have been troubled then there wouldn't be too many options left for me! I just made sure I walked through
customs 'Box Fresh' - all new Peterson - brand new CD case/pants and sneekers - not that I'm paranoid!!
Anyway, now that I'm comfortably chilling in the hotel I can start pulling out some bits for tonight - its been a few weeks since I did an out of London set - I took most of March off and now feel ready and refreshed and up
for a pretty hectic few months of spinning.
its also quite nice to have a few hours off to also catch up on some reading and check out the latest music I've been sent etc - currently
listening to the brilliant new Caetano Veloso, 'ziie zie' - right up my street - in fact I've always wanted to play more by this Brazilian
don/poet/politician and this could be the one - great guitar led tight group keeping it funky but dark - need to get the words
translated - they're the best bits I'm told!...keeping it Brazilian I've just finished mixing a new one for the 15th anniversary of Joe Davis'
Far Out label - its a single CD and features a bunch of my faves from his catalogue plus a few cheeky bits like Pedro Santos, Sidney
Miller and some forthcoming songs by Clara Moreno and Bertrami - should be out end of June. not sure on the title of the comp but
the best thing is Andy Votel's doing the artwork!!!! I've also just finished compiling a
Best Of Horo with Paulo Scotti from Deja Vu - its a corker - full of really great obscure Italian Jazz and killer recordings made in Roma by the likes of Lester Bowie,
SunRa and Steve Grossman -if you liked those 'Impressed' albums you'll sure love this - not sure when it'll be out - prob summer sometime....meanwhile I'm just putting the finishing touches to
a 4th volume of Brownswood Bubblers - love these! and the big one takes place in June when I go back to Cuba to record a load
of new stuff for a release in September/October called Havana Cultura on Brownswood - thats gonna be cracking - in fact I brought a Learn Spanish Quick kit the other
day - lets see if I get on better with that than the Japanese one I brought about 10 years ago!
I've also got a new Tony Allen cd to check as well as Steve Reid's newie which he wants me to write sleevenotes for (always a pleasure sir!)
Jazzy Sport just sent me the new DJ Mitsu which looks good - guests include Maspyke, Black Spade and Jose James who returns to
London this Saturday at the Jazz Cafe - I'm spinning too - he's got extra horns section - yeh!
what else is going on? well check my latest Worldwide on BBC Radio 1 - Brownswood Basement this week featuring a load of Brit Funk tracks
that I listed on my blog a few weeks ago - sounding crisp.
next week is Winners Volume 1 btw and the Dobie podcast is up on my gillespetersonworldwide page - gig wise apart from Wednesdays at Life which
is going great I've got a big one at The Arches, London Bridge (new venue set up by the End guys) on May 15 with Peter Kruder (can't wait
to see you again bro) and Stereotyp (playing all his heavy new Kubo stuff - large) in the main room plus the Freerange posse in the Lazer room featuring
Jimster and hopefully Manuel Tur (brilliant debut album sir) and Milton Jackson (also brilliant album sir!!) - Freerange def doing it for me
right now...its also gonna act as our UK launch to the Worlwide festival in Sete this July - line up coming...
and don't forget about the second WW10 event of the year - May 20 Mulatu and the Helliocentrics plus Elmore Judd at Kokos.
just got a phone call from Ollie, my 11 year old boy who's with his gran in Paris - and he's just realized wearing a Marseilles football shirt might
not have been such a great idea this morning...cover up son!

so another week has begun, as has the fair weather we've been getting here in London. I often think about living in
another place - specially when the greyness hangs a little too long, but in the end I can never find a place that ticks
enough boxes - so London remains my number 1 choice - traveling as much as I do gives me the chance to visit some amazing cities,
this year I really discovered Melbourne for the first time - I never thought I'd say this but it may even pip Sydney....
if I was 15 years younger I could def do some time
in New York but maybe now California would be my choice if US bound - in Europe I discovered Amsterdam 'not stoned' for the first time
recently and loved it!!! Japan is amazing but I need to learn the language - really - talking to Patrick Forge about his move to Okinawa had me dreaming of riding my bike and meditating till dawn...!!!
Belgium is underated and Barcelona ain't half bad - specially the food and general atmosphere - the South of Spain
is fantastic but a little too backwards in terms of 'multiculturism' - Italy's always lovely but I'd rather be in Sicily than Milan which
leaves me with France or Switzerland - both of which share passport status for me - now thats a hard one because Lausanne (where most
of my family lives) is a wonderful spot - central Europe - Paris in 2 hours, Milan in 3, Marseilles not a lot more - and an easy access airport too
but the problem is they don't really like my music there anymore - it used to be really good but just dropped off when Couleur 3 went indie
and Montreux decided I was too Jazz! shame cos its a beautiful part of Europe - so France could be the place
for me - I speak the lingo, they like my steeds and its sunny in the south - maybe I should speak to Laurent G who broke off from Paris
and took a place in the country when he moved to near Aix en Provence 2 years ago - but I'd miss the British way - I'd miss the humor
and the people I think - in fact I'm just about to move out of my spot in North London - I'm selling the Brownswood flat if you're interested -
but after looking around North London I keep finding myself back around the Stoke Newington region - so I probably won't be moving far!
talking of travelers Will Quantic isn't afraid to ship out and get stuck in some unfamiliar cultural day to day - he moved to Columbia a couple
of years ago and we're about to hear the results in the shape of his new album with the Comba Barbaro - its called 'tradition in transition' and
is definitely the best thing he's done - and as you know he's done a fair chunk of work already - its a brilliant and unique album that'll have
all you Mulatu/Hot 8/Cumbia freaks screaming for more - its a killer with added strings scored in Brazil by none other than Arthur Verocai! yeh baby and
there's a mini video to go with the release by B+ largeness all round
Dj Moni from New York's been telling me about the current music scene in Columbia for a while now and it seems that its gonna take a bloke
from Brighton to spread it out to the larger global market - good for you William! in fact Quantic's gonna be spinning with me this Wednesday at Life - you can hear
some of his new cd there - gonna be strong..
okay thats enough for today - now back to Entourage... (I've done 4 series in 10 days - what the fuck is that about....)

fuck me that was awesome!
brit funk with a couple of cheekies on the side
great people right in it with me
took me back to my school days
here's the list
in no particular order (should've taped it!!!)

cache - jazzin and cruisin (groove recs)
incognito - summer's ended (ensign)
atmosfear - invasion (elite)
heatwave - boogie nights (gto)
david joseph - you can't hide your love from me (island)
the real thing - can you feel the force (pye)
stop - I can feel it (elite)
proton plus - pay up (champagne)
potion - catch the feelin (showstopper) (slapps and sticks)
freeez - keep in touch (pink rhythm)
atmosfear - dancing in outer space (elite)
hi tension - british hustle (island)
hi tension - hi tension (island)
light of the world - time (ensign)
touchdown - ease your mind (white)
uk players - everybody get up (white)
linx - you're lying (chrysalis)
inversions - loco moto (groove)
freeez - mariposa butterfly (beggars banqet)
surface noise - the scratch (wea)
loose ends - hangin on a thread (virgin)
level 42 - starchild (polydor)
sun palace - rude movements (passion)
tw funk masters - love money (champagne)
spandau ballet - chant number 1 (white)
the clash - magnificent dance (cbs)
ian dury and the blockheads - wake up and make love to me (stiff)
cymande - brothers on the slide (white)
freeez - a e i o u (white)
powerline - double journey (elite)
level 42 - love meeting love (polydor)
I level - give me (virgin)
the antilles - I've got to have you (creole)
bunny wailer - back to school (smt)
freeez - southern freeez (beggars banquet)
chaz jenkel - glad to know you (white)
hudson people - trip to your mind (disco 45 hithouse)
fbi - talkin about love (good earth)
light of the world - london town (ensign)
light of the world - I'm so happy (ensign)salsoul

plus I played a few naughty non brit jazz funk....

hiroshi fukumura - hunt up wind (champagne)
banda black rio - miss cheryl (rca)
aurra - are you single (salsoul)
david bendeth - feel the real (chrysalis)
charles earland - coming to you live (cbs)

sorry for not plying any

central line, second image, firefly, rah or breakfast bands....

watch out for part 2 coming soon!!

gilles peterson available for pure brit funk parties this summer

I've been wanting to do this for years.....and NOW the time has arrived. it shall be tonight at the place called 'Life' at 2 - 4 Old street London. I shall start the night off quietly upstairs in the restaurant - there, I shall perhaps drink one Kirin - (they don't do Asahi there sadly) - alongside a few Edaname perhaps and adding a little strength maybe some Natto beans - we'll see whats on the menu - the point being that at approximately 10 pm I shall descend into the basement, give Sophie a peck on the cheek whilst sliding my 'vinyls' onto the small table alongside the BPM and Dom Servini (we need to get a light - the candles are hard under pressure!) Now to the point of this blog - all rules aside as the 'Brit Funk' storms the decks - yes tonight is Brit Funk night part 1 at Life - I say part 1 with confidence as I'm only too confident that my Hi Tension, Cache, Hypnosis, Touchdown and Powerline jams will rock the place with the kind of out of key horn rides and loose funk that will no doubt have you coming back again and again- bring your Farrahs and wedges you casual brothers and sisters - its time to play the 'Love Games' tonight. By the way I've recorded my radio show already so I'll be there for the full stretch!! How deep can I go - is this the time for Shakatak....
actually please send in your suggestions for essential drops for later....

just done a whole heap of podcasts in the sunshine. somehow a tree disappeared at the back of Brownswood and more rays
have been coming through strong. the Elan Mehler 'After Suite' cd drops this week so I chat to him and special guest Adam McBride Smith and play
stuff off the new cd and review his show the previous night at the Vortex - it really was a sweet night and a reminder of why I still
love putting out records and stuff - sold out too - seems like his little tete a tete with Robert Elms brought a few new heads through the door.
surprise of the night for me was hearing Becka Stevens (from Bjorkestra) on the vox - like a Karin Krog type feel - perfect - until I realized half way
through the set that we weren't recording - almost as depressing as seeing the tape on pause the other night with Glasper! its turning into
a bad habit - but the pod cast is good and will be followed by a great chat I had with Dobie - forgot how much involvement he's had
in the UK underground for the last 20 years - from Soul to Soul to Howie B, Bjork and the UK hip hop scene and peeps like Roots Maunva and Rodney P.
some great stuff including 'the new madness' which finally comes out next week on the label - phat vinyl too!
in the can ready to go Majer hawthorne and Mulatu too (gillespetersonworldwide.com) - watch out...talking of our man from Addis, Elmore Judd is supporting him at the next WW 10 event
at Koko's on May 20 - already looking forward to that one - in the PC Mulatu also talks about the show he recorded in LA with B plus on the filming -
check youtube for footage of this plus Arthur Verocai, Airto and the Ma Dukes stuff - Mulatu had Azar Lawrence and Bennie Maupin playing with
him - sounds classic - he also told me about another collab he's about to do in Oslo with a group called The Core - really fascinating Coltranesque action
which will surely sound amazing with M on vibes - he also spoke about an Ethiopia - Mali fusion - can't believe that hasn't happened before...
London was packed this morning - went to Oxford Street and searched for some movie scores at HMV - nothing there though - tried the Cinema Store
but they were pretty bare too - looking for the score to Gran Torino and a few others that I've been recommended recently - this movie segment
I'm now doing on the show is going down really well so I'm searching for all the latest releases - do I have to do it on line then?
pretty pleased with the draw to the champions league I suppose - at least we didn't get Liverpool or Chelsea - I thought it was fascinating reading
the spending comparisons of the big 4 after Benitez had a pop at Man U over their monetary habits - since 04 Chelsea's net spend is 154.8
million (not surprising) Man U is 85.5 m Liverpool are at 82.5 and Arsenal are at 3.4!!!!
you have to crown Arsene the undisputed champion here don't you - I mean thats like being at school and Ferguson getting the first 10 picks for a playground
match and then making your team out of the rest - no wonder we're 4th - but actually if you compare Arsenal's spending with the rest of the
league we're around 15th - incredible by Wenger - and thats all I wanna say really - discussion closed - thank you and hopefully see Man U in the semis...
I love Arsene and loved Cesc being all bolshy the other night - all teams need a bit of edge and we've missed him - can't wait till he returns with the
armband well and truly wrapped around his bicep....come on the Arsenal...