Monthly Archives: April, 2021
CULT CLASSIC: ESTHER PHILLIPS-WHAT A DIFF’RENCE A DAY MAKES.
Cult Classic: Esther Phillips-What A Diff’rence A Day Makes. Despite releasing eighteen albums during a career that lasted thirty-five years most people haven’t heard of Esther Phillips. That’s a great shame because she was one of the most talented, versatile and underrated singers of her generation. She possessed a totally unique and unmistakable voice and her versatility allowed …
CULT CLASSIC: THE BATHERS-SUNPOWDER.
Cult Classic: The Bathers-Sunpowder. With Chris Thompson at the helm, the The Bathers could’ve and should’ve, been one the biggest Scottish bands ever. Their music was articulate, beautiful, dramatic, ethereal, elegiac, emotive, languid, literate and melancholy. This is music for those that have loved, lost and survived to tell the tale. Sadly, The Bathers never …
JON SAVAGE’S 1972-1976: ALL OUR TIMES HAVE COME.
Jon Savage’s 1972-1976: All Our Times Have Come. Label: Ace Records. Format: 2CD. First there was rock ’n’ roll and then between 1972 and 1976 morphed and there was everything from art rock, experimental rock and glam rock to hard rock and Krautrock as well as power pop, pub rock and punk rock. The music being released …
EVERYBODY MAKES A MISTAKE: STAX SOUTHERN SOUL VOLUME 2.
Everybody Makes A Mistake: Stax Southern Soul Volume 2. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. Satellite Records was founded in 1957 by Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton and four years later in 1961 the label changed its name to Stax Records. The newly named label was joined by Volt Records which was its sister label. This …
CULT CLASSIC: WALTER BISHOP JR-CORAL KEYS.
Cult Classic: Walter Bishop Jr-Coral Keys. In 1971, Gene Russell and Dick Schory founded Black Jazz Records and later that year, the nascent label released their first release. This was Doug Carn’s debut album Infant Eyes. It was the first of twenty albums that the label released between 1971 and 1975. Later in 1971, Black …
CULT CLASSIC: QUICKSAND-HOME IS WHERE I BELONG.
Cult Classic: Quicksand-Home Is Where I Belong. Musical history is littered with examples of groups who only ever released one album during their what proves to be a short-lived career. Especially, during the late-sixties and early seventies when many record companies had unrealistic expectations. All too often, when a band’s debut album failed to find …
THE RADIATORS FROM SPACE-TV TUBE HEART 40TH ANNIVERSARY VERSION.
The Radiators From Space-TV Tube Heart-40th Anniversary Version. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. When The Ramones played at the Roundhouse in London on the ‘4th’ of July 1976, this was a catalyst for punk movement. Many of the future leading lights of the punk movement have since claimed to have been present that night. In …
CULT CLASSIC: DR JOHN-IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD.
Cult Classic: Dr John-In A Sentimental Mood. There aren’t many musicians who enjoy the longevity that the late, great Dr John enjoyed. His career lasted the best part of sixty years and he released thirty studio albums and nine live albums. Dr John also won six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and …
HANK MOBLEY-SOUL STATION
Hank Mobley-Soul Station. Label: Blue Note Records. Format: LP. It was Leonard Feather, the British-born jazz pianist, composer, producer and music writer who described Hank Mobley as the: “middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone.” This metaphor made sense to critics and connoisseurs of jazz. His tone was neither as aggressive as John Coltrane nor as …
NEIL YOUNG-YOUNG SHAKESPEARE.
Neil Young-Young Shakespeare. Label: Warner. Format: CD. On September the ‘30th’ 1970 Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young released his critically acclaimed third album After The Gold Rush. It was hailed as the finest album of his solo career and nowadays, is regarded as a classic. Live At Massey Hall 1971. After the release of After The …
CULT CLASSIC: BOBBY HUTCHERSON-OBLIQUE.
Cult Classic: Bobby Hutcherson-Oblique. On July the ‘21st’ 1967, Bobby Hutcherson journeyed to Van Gelder Studio, in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, to record Oblique which was his sixth solo album for Blue Note Records. It was just the second album he had recorded with a quartet. The first was Happenings, an album of modal hard bop …
CULT CLASSIC: JIMMY SMITH WITH STANLEY TURRENTINE-PRAYER MEETIN’.
Cult Classic: Jimmy Smith With Stanley Turrentine-Prayer Meetin’. When Jimmy Smith entered Van Gelder Studio on February the ‘8th’ 1963, he was about to record his fourth album in a week. This meant that he had fulfilled the terms of his contract with Blue Note and could sign with Verve. The album he was about …
FAREWELL RODION LADISLAU ROSCA.
Farewell Rodion Ladislau Rosca. Nowadays, the word innovator is used far too often, but the music that Rodion Ladislau Rosca the founder of Romanian experimental rock group Rodion G.A. recorded was innovative, influential and way ahead of its time. Sadly, living and making music behind the Iron Curtain meant music fans in the West never …
PIERRE MOERLEN’S GONG-DOWNWIND.
Pierre Moerlen’s Gong-Downwind. Label: Esoteric Recordings. Format: CD. In January 1973, Daevid Allen invited drummer and percussionist Pierre Moerlen to join Gong following the departure of Laurie Allan. He agreed and became the group’s new drummer. However, in June 1973 he was asked by Virgin Records’ founder Richard Branson to play percussion at the premier …
GEORGE OHTSUKA QUINTET-LOVING YOU GEORGE.
George Ohtsuka Quintet-Loving You George. Label: Wewantsounds. Format: CD. When the George Otsuka Quintet took to the stage at the Nemu Jazz Inn on the ‘19th’ of July 1975 the Japanese bandleader, composer and drummer was thirty-seven and about to record a live album. He was following in the footsteps of Norman Connors, Eddie Henderson …
GENE RUSSELL-NEW DIRECTION.
Gene Russell-New Direction. Label: Real Gone Music. Format: CD. In 1969, pianist Gene Russell and percussionist Dick Schory founded Black Jazz Records in Oakland, California. The nascent label’s raison d’être was “to promote the talents of young African American jazz musicians and singers.” This was only part of their vision for their new label. They …
ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS-MOANIN’.
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers-Moanin’. Label: Blue Note Records. Format: LP. 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 …
CULT CLASSIC: HORACE SILVER QUINTET-FURTHER EXPLORATIONS BY THE HORACE SILVER QUINTET.
Cult Classic: Horace Silver Quintet-Further Explorations By The Horace Silver Quintet. By 1950, composer and pianist Horace Silver was twenty-two and living in Hartford, Connecticut, where he had formed his own trio. They were already a familiar sight in the local clubs and are were quickly establishing a reputation as one of the up-and-coming jazz …
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