Monthly Archives: February, 2021
CLASSIC ALBUM: THE OHIO PLAYERS-PAIN.
Classic Album: The Ohio Players-Pain. It wasn’t until The Ohio Players signed with Westbound, and released their sophomore album Pain in 1972, that commercial success came the way of a group that was founded in 1959. Originally, they were known as The Ohio Untouchables, and had a chequered history. Initially, The Ohio Untouchables lineup featured …
CULT CLASSIC: BOILLAT THERACE QUINTET-BOILLAT THERACE QUINTET.
Cult Classic: Boillat Thérace Quintet-Boillat Thérace Quintet. By 1974, the Swiss jazz scene was thriving, and the Montreux Jazz Festival which had been launched in 1967, was in its eight year. The organisers had surpassed themselves with what was an all-star lineup Between the ‘2nd’ and ‘7th’ July 1974, the great and good of jazz arrived at …
CULT CLASSIC: SUN RA-CELESTIAL LOVE.
Cult Classic: Sun Ra-Celestial Love. Nowadays, maybe music journalists are guilty of using the words innovator and musical pioneer all too freely, but that is the perfect description of the inimitable Sun Ra. He’s quite rightly regarded as one of the true pioneers of free jazz and a truly innovative and influential musician who pushed musical boundaries …
HELLO HEARTBREAKER-UPTOWN SOUL FROM SCEPTER, MUSICOR AND WAND.
Hello Heartbreaker-Uptown Soul From Scepter, Musicor and Wand. Label: Playback Records. Format: CD. During the sixties, Scepter, Musicor and Wand played an important part in New York’s vibrant soul scene. These three record labels were among the finest purveyors of uptown soul and their releases were favourites of the Big Apple’s DJs and dancers. They …
WORDS…A BEE GEES SONGBOOK.
Words…A Bee Gees Songbook. Label: Playback Records. Format: CD. During a career that began in 1958 and lasted until 2009 the Bee Gees sold over 120 million records and are one of the biggest selling groups in the history of modern music. “Britain’s first family of harmony” won five Grammy Awards for the Saturday Night …
STEVE MOORE-ANALOG ACTIVITY.
Steve Moore-Analog Activity. Label: Be With Records. Format: LP. Prolific is the perfect word to describe New York-based multi-instrumentalist, producer, remixer and film composer Steve Moore. He’s best known as one half of Zombi the duo that he formed with Anthony Paterra. However, that is just part of the Steve Moore story. He’s also part …
CULT CLASSIC: ANDREW HILL-SMOKE STACK.
Cult Classic: Andrew Hill-Smoke Stack. By the time Chicago-born pianist Andrew Hill released his sophomore album Black Fire on Blue Note Records in 1964, he was already thirty-two, and was making up for lost time. He had only started to play the piano when he was thirteen but made rapid progress. Earl Hines spotted …
CLASSIC ALBUM: CREAM-DISRAELI GEARS.
Classic Album: Cream-Disraeli Gears. Nowadays, the British rock group Cream are regarded as the world’s first ever supergroup. They were founded in the summer of 1966, and split-up in November 1968, having released four albums that sold over fifteen million copies worldwide. This included their critically acclaimed sophomore album Disraeli Gears, which was released in November 1967 and hailed a classic by critics. By then, Cream had come a …
CULT CLASSIC: ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS-JUST COOLIN’.
Cult: Classic: Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers-Just Coolin’. Although Philly-born tenor saxophonist Benny Golson’s tenure with The Jazz Messengers was short-lived, he still played an important part in the development and history of the group. He joined in 1958, and during the summer, helped Art Blakey recruit three new Messengers. They were all from …
CALVIN KEYS-SHAWN-NEEQ.
Calvin Keys-Shawn-Neeq. Label: Real Gone Music. Format: CD. Having founded Black Jazz Records in 1969, Gene Russell and Dick Schory’s new label released six albums during 1971. This included Calvin Keys’ debut album Shawn-Neeq which was recently reissued on CD by Real Gone Music. It was the fifth album that the new label released during …
CLASSIC ALBUM: KING CRIMSON-LARK’S TONGUES IN ASPIC.
Classic Album: King Crimson-Lark’s Tongues In Aspic. In October 1969, King Crimson announced their arrival when they released their critically acclaimed debut album, In The Court Of The Crimson King. This future progressive rock classic reached number five in the UK, and was certified gold in America, when it reached number twenty-eight. Following the success of In The Court Of The Crimson King …
SPIRITUAL JAZZ 13: NOW! PART TWO.
Spiritual Jazz 13: Now! Part Two. Label: Jazzman Records. Format: CD. Nowadays, there aren’t many compilation series’ that are still going strong after thirteen years and thirteen volumes. However, Jazzman Records’ critically acclaimed compilation and commercially successful Spiritual Jazz seems to be going from strength-to-strength. Recently, the label released Spiritual Jazz 13: Now! Part One and Two which are …
CULT CLASSIC: KENNY DORHAM-TROMPETA TOCCATO.
Cult Classic: Kenny Dorham-Trompeta Toccato. On December the ‘15th’ 1953, twenty-nine year old Texan trumpeter Kenny Dorham had already been a member of Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Eckstine and Lionel Hampton big bands and had joined Charlie Parker’s Quintet in December 1948. Less than five years later, and the sideman embarked upon a solo career when …
CULT CLASSIC: CATAPILLA-CHANGES.
Cult Classic: Catapilla- Changes. The story of Catapilla is another case of what might have been. They were formed in West London around Christmas 1970, and signed to Vertigo Records and released two ambitious and innovative albums where they combined progressive rock with experimental fusion. Sadly, neither their 1971 debut album Catapilla, nor the followup …
PATCHWORK-MEAN AND DIRTY.
Patchwork-Mean and Dirty. Label: De Wolfe Music Library. Format: LP. Nowadays, library music is highly collectable, especially the albums released by KPM, Amphonic, Conroy, Sonoton and De Wolfe between the late-sixties and early eighties. That is regarded by many collectors as a golden age for library music. This is ironic as the albums of library music were never …
SPIRITUAL JAZZ 13: NOW! PART ONE.
Spiritual Jazz 13: Now! Part One. Label: Jazzman Records. Format: CD. Little did anyone at Jazzman Records know when they released Spiritual Jazz (Esoteric, Modal and Deep Jazz From The Underground 1968-77) in 2008, that this was the first instalment in what would become their longest-running and most successful compilation series. Over the next thirteen …
SNIFF ’N’ THE TEARS-LOVE/ACTION.
Sniff ’n’ The Tears-Love/Action. Label: Chiswick Records. By 1981, Sniff ’n’ The Tears were about to record their third alum Love/Action with Mike Howlett taking charge of production. However, the last few years had been eventful. So much so, that the only original member of the band was lead singer and songwriter-in-chief Paul Roberts. He …
SMOKEY HOGG-THE TEXAS BLUES OF SMOKEY HOGG.
Smokey Hogg-The Texas Blues Of Smokey Hogg. Label: Ace Records. One of the most prolific bluesmen early twentieth Century was Andrew Hogg, who was born on a farm in Glenfawn, Rusk County, Texas on the ’27th’ of January 1914. Growing up, his father taught him to play guitar. Little did his father know that his …
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