Category Archives: Blues

STANLEY TURRENTINE-THAT’S WHERE IT’S AT.

Stanley Turrentine-That’s Where It’s At. Label: Blue Note Records. In September 1962, twenty-eight year old saxophonist Stanley Turrentine released That’s Where It’s At which was his fifth album for Blue Note Records.  It was his much-anticipated followup to Dearly Beloved which at the time, many critics hailed as his finest album. That’s Where It’s At …

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CULT CLASSIC: CANNED HEAT-ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS.

Cult Classic: Canned Heat-One More River To Cross. When Canned Heat released heir ninth album, The New Age, on the ‘8th’ of March 1973, it marked the end of an era for the band. It was their swan-song for Liberty Records. After six years and nine studio albums Canned Heat were about leave Liberty Records. …

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DR JOHN-REMEDIES-RECORD STORE DAY 2020.

Dr John-Remedies-Record Store Day 2020. Label: Get On Down. Format: LP Although Dr John eventually won six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2011, commercial success and critical acclaim didn’t come overnight for the great showman who released thirty studio albums and nine live albums during a career that spanned six  decades where his …

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CULT CLASSIC: TERRY REID-THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER.

Cult Classic: Terry Reid-The Other Side Of The River. For many people, Terry Reid is music’s nearly man. He could’ve been the lead vocalist of two of the biggest rock bands in musical history. Sadly, that wasn’t to be, and instead,Terry Reid decided to concentrate on his solo career.   He went on to release six …

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DIRTY WORK GOING ON-KENT AND MODERN RECORDS BLUES INTO THE 60s VOL 1.

Dirty Work Going On-Kent and Modern Records Blues Into The 60s Vol 1. Label: Ace. Format: CD. As the fifties gave way to the sixties, musical tastes were changing and soul music’s popularity started to grow. By then, new labels were  being launched across America and labels like Stax, Atlantic and Motown were among the …

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BRAINCHILD-HEALING OF THE LUNATIC OWL.

Brainchild-Healing Of The Lunatic Owl. Label: Magic Box. Format: LP with CD. Progressive brass rock pioneers Brainchild were formed in Somerset in the late-sixties, and by the 1970 the septet had signed to A&M. This was perfect timing as the brass rock boom began in 1969 and continued until 1972. By then,  Chicago, Blood, Sweat …

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BOBBIE GENTRY-THE DELTA SWEETE.

Bobbie Gentry-The Delta Sweete. Label: UMC. Format: CD. Less than three weeks after Bobbie Gentry released Ode To Billie Joe as a single on the ‘10th’ of July 1967 the song topped the US Billboard 100 and US Country charts. The song was penned by Bobbie Gentry and was the twenty-five year old’s debut single …

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CULT CLASSIC: GUITAR SLIM GREEN’S “STONE DOWN BLUES” WITH JOHNNY AND SHUGGIE OTIS.

Cult Classic: Guitar Slim Green’s “Stone Down Blues” With Johnny and Shuggie Otis. Guitar Slim Green was never the most prolific of musicians despite his career lasting four decades. However, during that period, he only released a handful of recordings. This included his one and only album, Stone Down Blues, which was released in 1970 and …

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BARRENCE WHITFIELD AND THE SAVAGES-1977-1987: THE FIRST TEN YEARS AND THREE ALBUMS.

Barrence Whitfield and The Savages-1977-1987: The First Ten Years and Three Albums, Barry White, who later found fame as the frontman for Barrence Whitfield and The Savages was born on June the ‘13th’ 1955, in Jacksonville, Florida, but his family moved to East Orange, in New Jersey when he was a child. That was where the Barry …

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CULT CLASSIC: DAVID AXELROD-SONGS OF INNOCENCE.

Cult Classic: David Axelrod-Songs Of Innocence. By the time David Axelrod began work on his debut album Songs Of Innocence in 1968, the thirty-seven year arranger, composer, drummer and producer old had enjoyed a chequered career. He had started off as a boxer, before changing direction and finding work in film and television. However, in …

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SUN RA-CELESTIAL LOVE.

Sun Ra-Celestial Love. Label: Modern Harmonic. Format: LP. 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 …

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CULT CLASSIC: JOHNNY RIVERS-NO THROUGH STREET.

Cult Classic: Johnny Rivers-No Through Street. As 1983 dawned, Louisiana born singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Johnny Rivers had just turned forty, and had been a professional musicians since 1956. Back then, he was still known Johnny Ramistella when he formed his own band The Spades, who later that year, released their debut single. Less …

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CREAM-DISRAELI GEARS.

Cream-Disraeli Gears. Label: UMC/Polydor. Format: Vinyl. Release Date: 10th July 2020. 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 …

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CULT CLASSIC: JOE HOUSTON-KICKIN’ BACK.

Cult Classic: Joe Houston-Kickin’ Back. Joe Houston’s career began in 1941 when he was just fifteen, and a saxophonist in a touring band never turned up. This presented the bandleader with a problem. However, he needn’t have worried as Joe Houston was in the audience and this was the breakthrough the young saxophonist had dreamy about. From an …

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JOHN LEE HOOKER-DOCUMENTING THE SENSATION RECORDINGS 1948-52.

John Lee Hooker-Documenting The Sensation Recordings 1948-52. Label: Ace Records. In 1946, Detroit-based Bernard Besman joined forces with accountant John Kaplan and bought Pan American Record Distributing. Later that year, they also founded Sensation Records which they named after a local nightclub, the Sensation Lounge. The next step was to sign some of the best …

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JIMI HENDRIX-BAND OF GYPSYS 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION.

Jimi Hendrix-Band Of Gypsys 50th Anniversary Edition. Label: Sony. When the Jimi Hendrix Experience took to the stage at the Denver Pop Festival in June 1969, bassist Noel Redding knew it was his swansong with the group. He had been told by a journalist before the show that he was going to be replaced by Billy …

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CULT CLASSIC: LEON THOMAS-FULL CIRCLE.

Cult Classic: Leon Thomas-Full Circle. For Leon Thomas, Full Circle represented the end of an era. It was the last album Leon Thomas released on Flying Dutchman Productions, and marked the end of his “classic period.” It had started four years earlier in 1969, when Leon Thomas released his debut album Spirits Known and Unknown. …

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DR JOHN-DR JOHN’S GUMBO.

Dr John-Dr John’s Gumbo. Label: Music On Vinyl. Release Date: ‘29th’ May 2020. Success didn’t come overnight for the late, great Dr John. His first three albums failed to chart and his fourth album The Sun, Moon and Herbs stalled at 184 in the US Billboard 200 in August 1971. This was progress for one of music’s great survivors. He was on his way and returned in …

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CULT CLASSIC: DAVID KAUFFMAN AND ERIC CABOOR-GREETINGS FROM SUICIDE BRIDGE.

Cult Classic: David Kauffman and Eric Caboor-Greetings From Suicide Bridge. Often when recording an album, an artist thinks about an album cover only once they’ve finished recording. Not David Kauffman and Eric Caboor. They put the cart before the horse, in the spring of 1983, and came up with an album cover before they had …

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DR JOHN-IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD.

Dr John-In A Sentimental Mood. Label: Music On CD. 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 …

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