Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
MOTORPSYCHO-THE TOWER.
Motorpsycho-The Tower. Label: Rune Grammofon and Stickman Records. Over the last few years, the vibrant Norwegian music scene has been thriving, and some of the best music in Europe has been released by Norwegian bands. This includes Motorpsycho, who are, without doubt, one of Norway’s finest musical exports. The Motorpsycho story began in Trondheim, Norway, …
SKY MUSIC: A TRIBUTE TO TERJE RYPDAL AND SKY MUSIC: A TRIBUTE TO TERJE RYPDAL VOL. 2
Sky Music: A Tribute To Terje Rypdal and Sky Music: A Tribute To Terje Rypdal Vol. 2. Label: Rune Grammofon. On August the ‘23rd’ 2017, Norwegian composer, bandleader, guitarist and sonic pioneer Terje Rypdal celebrated his seventieth birthday. That day, there was much to celebrate as Terje Rypdal looked back on a long and illustrious …
SUN RA-SEVEN OF THE BEST REISSUES OF 2017.
Sun Ra-Seven of The Best Reissues Of 2017. Labels: Grey Scale, Cosmic Myth Records, Strut and ORG Music. One of the most prolific artist of the twentieth century was the inimitable Sun Ra, who released around 125 albums during a career that spanned six decades. Over the last few years, dozens of these albums have been …
BIOSPHERE-SHENZHOU.
Biosphere-Shenzhou, Label: Biophon Norway. Until relatively recently, December was a month when many smaller, independent labels didn’t release any new albums or reissues. Instead, they waited until January before releasing their next batch of new releases. This was a pragmatic approach, and made sense economically. Previously, December tended to be a month when the major …
JAMES CARR-THE GREATEST SOUTHERN SOUL SINGER
James Carr-The Greatest Southern Soul Singer. By 1964, Memphis was a musical hotbed, and home to many up-and-coming soul singers and songwriters looking to make a breakthrough. Roosevelt Jamieson was a friend of many of these songwriters and soul singers, including OV Wright and James Carr, who were both looking for a label. It was a frustrating …
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ANE BRUN.
The Life and Times of Ane Brun. In her native Norway, forty-one year old Ane Brun is one of the most successful singer-songwriters of her generation. Her career began in May 2003, when she released her debut album Spending Time With Morgan. This was the start of a glittering career for Ane Brun, who recently …
PHIL SEYMOUR-THE PRINCE OF POWER POP.
Phil Seymour-The Prince Of Power Pop. Sadly, not every artist goes on to enjoy a long and successful musical career, and their star shines only briefly. That was the case with Nick Drake and Gram Parsons, whose tragic and untimely deaths cut short what could’ve and should’ve been a long and successful career. Neither of …
SHA NA NA-FROM THE STREETS OF NEW YORK, HOT SOX AND SHA NA NOW.
Sha Na Na-From The Streets Of New York, Hot Sox and Sha Na Now. Label: BGO Records. By 1973, Sha Na Na had been together fourteen years, released four albums and played at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair on Sunday, August the ‘17th’ 1969. That night, Sha Na Na played a barnstorming thirty-minute set in front …
MAYNARD FERGUSON-M.F HORN 4 AND 5: LIVE AT JIMMY’S.
Maynard Ferguson-M.F. Horn 4 and 5:Live At Jimmy’s. BGO Records. The first time many jazz fans heard Canadian jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, was when he joined the when the twenty-four year old joined Stan Kenton’s new Innovations Orchestra in 1949. This was home for Maynard Ferguson for the next four years and was where he …
HAVENAIRE-RABOT.
Havenaire-Rabot. Label: Glacial Movements. For many artists, recording their debut album is a labour of love, that can take not just months, but years of their lives. This time is spent in a recording studio, and sometimes, in their home, where they continue to work on their debut album in their spare time. Initially, artists …
CARBON BASED LIFEFORMS-DERELICTS.
Carbon Based Lifeforms-Derelicts. Label: Blood Music. During the sixties and seventies, most artists and bands released an album annually, with some even releasing two, and very occasionally three albums each year. Many artists thought nothing of this, as this was how the music industry operated. Artists and bands were contractually obliged to release one or …
SUSANA ESTRADA-SPAIN’S FIRST LADY OF MUSIC.
Susana Estrada-Spain’s First Lady Of Music. Ever since 1939, the brutal Francoist regime had ruled Spain with an iron fist. This came to an end with the death of dictator Francisco Franco on ’20th’ November 1975. After Franco’s death, control of Spain passed to King Juan Carlos. By then, Spain was in a state of …
THE ORIGINAL SOUND OF BURKINA FASO.
The Original Sound Of Burkina Faso. Label: Mr. Bongo Records. After the success of Mr. Bongo’s The Original Sound Of Mali compilation, the Brighton-based label recently released a new compilation, The Original Sound Of Burkina Faso which was compiled by David ‘Mr Bongo’ Buttle and Florent Mazzoleni. The Original Sound Of Burkina Faso transports the …
HABIBI FUNK: AN ECLECTIC SELECTION OF MUSIC FROM THE ARAB WORLD.
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World. Label: Habibi Funk Germany. Nowadays, hundreds of compilations are released by record companies all around the world, and with one click of a button music fans have access to an eclectic selection of music that forty years ago, wasn’t available to record buyers. Back …
ASARAN EARTH TRIO-WHY SHOULD YOUR HEART NOT DANCE.
Asaran Earth Trio-Why Should Your Heart Not Dance. Nowadays, 8.2 million people call New York City home, including many musicians and vocalists who have arrived in the Big Apple from the seven continents of the world. They know that New York is still one of the musical capitals of the world, and home to some …
BOZ SCAGGS-MIDDLE MAN AND OTHER ROADS.
Boz Scaggs-Middle Man and Other Roads. Label: BGO Records. As the seventies gave to the eighties, American singer, songwriter and guitarist Boz Scaggs had released eight solo albums, and was enjoying the most successful period of his career. His last three albums had sold in excess of 6.5 million copies, transforming Boz Scaggs’ career. Until …
HIROSHIMA-THIRD GENERATION, ANOTHER PLACE AND GO.
Hiroshima-Third Generation, Another Place and Go. Label: BGO Records. Dan Kuramoto’s interest in music began when he became the inaugural chairman of the Asian-American studies program at California State University in Long Beach in the sixties. This was an honour for Dan Kuramoto who had just graduated from California State University with a degree in …
MOGOLLAR-A CAREER OF TWO PARTS
Moğollar-A Career Of Two Parts. By 1976, Anatolian rockers Moğollar had been together for the best part of a decade, and were now one of Turkey’s most successful bands. Everything seemed to have been going well for Moğollar until they lost their latest vocalist. This was nothing new, and was a problem that had haunted the group over the years. Vocalists had been Moğollar’s …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 