Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
CHARLIE PARKER-THE SAVOY 10-INCH LP COLLECTION.
Charlie Parker-The Savoy 10-Inch LP Collection. Label: Craft. Format: CD. In the early days of bebop, saxophonist Charlie Parker was regarded as a pioneer, and just like Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach and Miles Davis was at the forefront of this new, exciting, innovative and radical musical movement. The first bebop albums were belatedly …
NIMBUS SEXTET-DREAMS FULFILLED .
Nimbus Sextet-Dreams Fulfilled. Label: Acid Jazz Records. Format: CD. The roots of the Glaswegian-based contemporary jazz combo can be traced to Scotland’s capital Edinburgh, where pianist, keyboardist and bandleader Joe Nichols was studying at Edinburgh University. That was where he met his long-time collaborators drummer Alex Palmer and bassist Mischa Stevens. They’ve been performing together …
CLASSIC ALBUM: BAD COMPANY-STRAIGHT SHOOTER.
Classic Album Bad Company-Straight Shooter. Just a year after supergroup Bad Company was formed, they were already one of the biggest bands in Britain, and their eponymous debut album was well on its way to selling five million copies in America alone. Bad Company reached number one in the US Billboard 200 and was certified platinum five …
CULT CLASSIC: DEUTSCH AMERIKANISCHE FREUNDSCHAFT-FUR IMMER.
Cult Classic: Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft-Für Immer. History treats groups very differently and that was the case with Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft a.k.a. DAF, who released five albums between 1978 and 1982. They’ve been described variously as the “godfathers of techno,” the pioneers of EBM and the forefathers of electropunk. DAF were an influential and innovative group and …
ALAIN BELLAICHE-SEA FLUORESCENT/KIRLIAN EFFECT.
Alain Bellaïche-Sea Fluorescent/Kirlian Effect. Label: Souffle Continu. Format: CD. Alain Bellaïche was born in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, but spent his childhood in Cannes, on the French Riviera which was where he discovered music and played his first concerts. Initially, he played in friends’ houses where he was guaranteed a captive and appreciative audience. …
ESTHER PHILLIPS-WHAT A DIFF’RENCE A DAY MAKES.
Esther Phillips-What A Diff’rence A Day Makes. Label: Music On CD. Format CD. 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 …
DUKE PEARSON FEATURING BOBBY HUTCHERSON-THE PHANTOM.
Duke Pearson Featuring Bobby Hutcherson-The Phantom. Label: Blue Note Records Tone Poet Series. Format: LP. By June 1968, Atlanta-born pianist Duke Pearson was thirty-five, and was about to begin record the twelfth album of his career, The Phantom. It would be the seventh album he had recorded for Blue Note Records since he first signed …
ROLAND HAYNES-2ND WAVE.
Roland Haynes-2nd Wave. Label: Real Gone Music. Format: CD. Forty-five years ago in 1975, Roland Haynes released his debut album 2nd Wave on the Detroit-based Black Jazz Records. The label was founded by Gene Russell and Dick Schory and released twenty albums between 1971 and 1975. 2nd Wave was the label’s penultimate release and it …
CLASSIC ALBUM: DEEP PURPLE-DEEP PURPLE IN ROCK.
Classic Album: Deep Purple-Deep Purple In Rock. Nowadays, the seventies are regarded as the golden era for rock music. It was when rock music came of age. It’s certainly when commercial success and critical acclaim came the way of Deep Purple. Between 1970 and 1975 they enjoyed were on of the most successful British rock …
CLASSIC ALBUM: EMERSON. LAKE AND PALMER-TRILOGY.
Classic Album: Emerson, Lake and Palmer-Trilogy. By the time Emerson, Lake and Palmer set about recording their third studio album Trilogy, it seemed everything they touched turned gold. Their first two studio albums had been certified gold in America and so had their live albums Pictures At An Exhibition and Welcome Back My Friends to …
THE BATHERS-KELVINGROVE BABY.
The Bathers-Kelvingrove Baby. Label: Marina Records. Format: CD. The Bathers were formed in Glasgow, in 1985, by singer, songwriter and troubled troubadour Chris Thomson and released six albums between 1987 and 1999. Their fifth album was Kelvingrove Baby, which which was recently reissued by Marina Records is a a minor classic that’s one of the finest Scottish …
NIMBUS SEXTET-DREAMS FULFILLED .
Nimbus Sextet-Dreams Fulfilled. Label: Acid Jazz Records. Format: LP. The roots of the Glaswegian-based contemporary jazz combo can be traced to Scotland’s capital Edinburgh, where pianist, keyboardist and bandleader Joe Nichols was studying at Edinburgh University. That was where he met his long-time collaborators drummer Alex Palmer and bassist Mischa Stevens. They’ve been performing together …
LOFTS AND GARAGES-SPRING RECORDS AND THE BIRTH OF DANCE MUSIC.
Lofts and Garages-Spring Records and The Birth Of Dance Music. Label: BGP. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘30th’ October 2020. As 1979 dawned, the tide was turning against disco, which had been one of the musical success stories of the late-seventies, and had provided the soundtrack to dance floors across the world. That was about to …
HAPPY TIMES-THE SONGS OF DAN PENN AND SPOONER OLDHAM VOL 2.
Happy Times-The Songs Of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham Vol. 2. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘30th’ October 2020. One of the greatest songwriting partnerships of the past sixty years is without doubt Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. The pair met at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals in the mid-sixties and went on …
CULT CLASSIC-GALACTIC EXPLORERS-EPITAPH FOR VENUS.
Cult Classic: Galactic Explorers-Epitaph For Venus. A great deal of mystery, speculation, and even cynicism surrounds the recording and belated release of Galactic Explorers’ debut album Epitaph For Venus. Nobody seems to know what year the album was recorded and it’s thought that the album was released between 1972 and 1976 which was when Robin …
CLASSIC ALBUM: JOHN COLTRANE-A LOVE SUPREME.
Classic Album: John Coltrane-A Love Supreme. On December 9th 1964, four musicians made their war to the Van Gelder Studio, on 445 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. They were scheduled to record an album with engineer Rudy Van Gelder who was already veteran of countless recordings, and had worked with some of the biggest names in jazz. …
LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY-LOLEATTA AND CRY TO ME.
Loleatta Holloway-Loleatta and Cry To Me. Label: Kent Soul. Format: CD. Release Date: ’30th’ October 2020. Before being transformed into a disco diva by guitarist, songwriter, arranger and producer Norman “The Machine” Harris at Salsoul imprint Gold Mind Records, Loleatta Holloway released two albums of Southern Soul for Michael Thevis’ Aware Records. The first was …
TIM BOWNESS-LATE NIGHT LAMENTS.
Tim Bowness-Late Night Laments. Label: Inside Out Music. Format: LP with CD. When English singer, songwriter and producer Tim Bowness released his debut album My Hotel Year in 2004, he was already forty and was best known for his work the art pop duo No-Man which he had cofounded with Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson. The …
QUICKSAND-HOME IS WHERE I BELONG.
Quicksand-Home Is Where I Belong. Label: Magic Box. Format: LP. 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 …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 