Author Archive: dereksmusicblog

BLACK MOON CIRCLE-PSYCHEDELIC SPACELORD.

Black Moon Circle-Psychedelic Spacelord. Label: Crispin Glover Records. New Album Of The Week. Six years ago, brothers Øyvin and Vemund Engan founded the psychedelic space rock band Black Moon Circle, and since then, this talented band from Trondheim, in Norway, have released five albums. Soon, five will become six when the newly expanded lineup of …

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THREE SIX NINE! THE BEST OF SHIRLEY ELLIS.

Three Six Nine! The Best Of Shirley Ellis. Label: Ace Records. The ‘16th’ of June 1954 was a proud day for twenty-five year old singer-songwriter Shirley Ellis, when she registered her first songwriting copyrights with Library Of Congress. This she hoped would be the start of a successful songwriting career that would transform her fortunes …

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IDRIS ACKAMOOR AND THE PYRAMIDS- AN ANGEL FELL.

Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids-An Angel Fell. Label: Strut. Bruce Baker in was born in 1951, and grew up in Chicago, before moving to Ohio, where he studied at Antioch College, which was where he first encountered jazz pianist Cecil Taylor and became part of his Black Music Ensemble. Cecil Taylor also mentored Idris Ackamoor, …

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MOUVEMENTS-MOUVEMENTS.

Mouvements-Mouvements. Label: Mental Experience. In the late-sixties, self-taught guitarist and jazz aficionado Christian Oestreicher, who was later described as: “a savage in the era of twist and free jazz,” met artist and painter Richard Reimann who was famous for his optical art, at the renowned Aurora art gallery in Geneva, Switzerland. This was the start …

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NICKODEMUS-A LONG ENGAGEMENT.

Nickodemus-A Long Engagement. Label: Wonderwheel Recordings. Brooklyn-based producer Brian J Nickodemus Nickodemus was only fourteen when he made his DJ-ing debut behind the wheels of steel, and just like many before him, he was hooked. Soon, he was playing out on a regular basis and throwing his parties where he played everything from hip hop …

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NIK BARTSCH’S RONIN-AWASE.

Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin-Awase. Label: ECM Records.  Pianist and composer Nik Bärtsch was born in Zurich on the ‘3rd’ of August 1971, and by the age of ten was already studying piano and clarinet and later, went the Zurich Musikhochschule. At the University Of Zurich Nik Bärtsch majored in musicology, linguistics and philosophy and also discovered …

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THE CONTEMPORARY JAZZ QUINTET-LOCATION.

The Contemporary Jazz Quintet-Location. Label: BBE Records.  Many record buyers have a wish-list of albums that are their holy grail, and which they spend a lifetime searching for, in the hope that they can add these elusive albums to their lovingly curated collection that they’ve built up over several decades. For many fans of jazz …

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PYRAMID-PYRAMID.

Pyramid-Pyramid. Label: Mental Experience. Although Winston Churchill’s said: “it is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma” in the context of Russia, what’s become one of his most famous quotations can just as easily be applied to Robin Page’s Pyramid Records which has been the source of heated debate for over twenty years. …

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ESPEN ERIKSEN TRIO WITH ANDY SHEPPARD-PERFECTLY UNHAPPY.

Espen Eriksen Trio With Andy Sheppard-Perfectly Unhappy. Label: Rune Grammofon. Since the Espen Eriksen Trio was formed in 2007, they’ve toured Europe and headed as far afield as the Far East where they’ve introduced audiences to the music on their first three critically acclaimed albums. Recently, though, three albums became four with the release Perfectly …

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THEMES ABOUT THE HOUSE-FROM THE DE WOLFE MUSIC LIBRARY-RECORD STORE DAY EDITION.

Themes About The House-From The De Wolfe Music Library-Record Store Day Edition.  Label: Chichester Hospital Broadcasting Association. Usually, Record Store Day is one of the highlights of the musical calendar, and for many record buyers it’s like Christmas Day all over again. Sadly, this year, not everyone got caught up in the excitement of Record …

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BELGIAN NUGGETS 90s-00S VOLUME 2.

Belgian Nuggets 90s-00s Volume 2. Label: Mayway Records. Release Date: “25th’ May 2018. Just six months after Mayway Records released Belgian Nuggets 90s-00s Volume 1 to widespread critical acclaim, Tony Vandenbogaerde’s label returns with the much-anticipated  followup Belgian Nuggets 90s-00s Volume 2 which will be released on the ‘25th’ of 2018. Belgian Nuggets 90s-00s Volume 2 …

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PLANET MOD-BRIT SOUL, R&B AND FREAKBEAT FROM THE SHEL TALMY VAULTS.

Planet Mod-Brit Soul, R&B and Freakbeat From The Shel Talmy Vaults. Label: Big Beat Records. The name Shel Talmy, means different things to different people, and many record buyers all automatically remember the Chicago-born producer’s work in Britain with legendary rock bands The Who and The Kinks. Others will remember Shel Talmy as the producer …

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ELINA DUNI-PARTIR.

Elina Duni-Partir. Label: ECM Records. Elina Duni was born into an artistic family in Tirana, the capital of Albania, in March 1981, and by the age of five, was already singing on national radio and television. Those that heard Elina Duni sing, realised that she was already prodigiously talented, and had a great future ahead …

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SEUN KUTI AND EGYPT 80-BLACK TIMES.

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80-Egypt Times. Label: Strut Records. Nowadays, one of the most overused word in the English language is legend, which is bandied about all too freely, with faux punks, third rate Britpop bands and Beatles impersonators being labelled legends by fawning music journalists who hang on their every word. These bands aren’t …

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NEW ORLEANS SOUL 1967-RECORD STORE DAY EDITION

New Orleans Soul 1967-Record Store Day Edition. Label: History Of Soul. By early 1967, New Orleans’ vibrant music industry was thriving, and one of the one the Crescent City’s smallest labels Parlo Records, was celebrating the success of Aaron Neville’s million selling soul ballad Tell It Like It Is. It was released on November the …

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TOM WAITS-THE HEART OF SATURDAY NIGHT.

Tom Waits-The Heart Of Saturday Night. Label: Anti. As 1973 drew to a close, Tom Waits had just turned twenty-four and was taking stock of what had been the most important year of his career so far. He had released his debut album Closing Time in March 1973, and then embarked upon a three-month tour …

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ALEX ATTIAS PRESENTS LILLYGOOD PARTY.

Alex Attias Presents LillyGood Party. Label: BBE Music. Release Date ‘11th’ May 2018.  It was thirty years ago in 1988, when Alex Attias decided to embark upon a career as a DJ in his home city of Lausanne, Switzerland, and began playing an eclectic selection of dancefloor friendly music.  Alex Attias friends weren’t surprised by …

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TEXAS SOUL 1967-RECORD STORE DAY EDITION.

Texas Soul 1967-Record Store Day Edition. Label: History Of Soul. Every Record Store Day, record companies big and small release a myriad of limited edition releases, often in coloured vinyl or picture discs which are welcomed by record buyers young and old. Usually, the older record buyer is wanting to add theses release to a …

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SOHO SCENE ’66-JAZZ GOES MOD.

Soho Scene ’66 Jazz Goes Mod. Label: Rhythm & Blues Records. By 1966, the mods with their carefully cultivated image were still a familiar sight and sound in towns and cities the length and breadth of Britain as they rode around on their Lambretta or Vespa scooters. They still sported tailor-made suits, button-down collar shirts, …

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BART AND THE BEDAZZLED-BLUE MOTEL.

Bart and The Bedazzled-Blue Motel. Label: Lovemonk Records. Four years after singer-songwriter released his sixth solo album Physical World in 2014, the talented Californian troubadour makes a welcome return with a new album Blue Motel, which was recorded by  Bart and The Bedazzled and has just been released on Madrid based Lovemonk Records. Blue Motel …

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