Category Archives: Folk

ANDREAS ROYSUM ENSEMBLE-ANDREAS ROYSUM ENSEMBLE.

Andreas Røysum Ensemble-Andreas Røysum Ensemble. Label: Motvind Records. Over the last decade, the Norwegian jazz scene  has been thriving, and today is one of the most vibrant in Europe as a new generation of up-and-coming musicians follow their dreams to make a living playing jazz. They hope to follow in the footsteps of Jan Garbarek, …

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CULT CLASSIC: AUDIENCE-FRIEND’S, FRIEND’S, FRIEND.

Cult Classic: Audience- Friend’s, Friend’s, Friend. In October 1969, Audience were offered the opportunity to support Led Zeppelin at the Lyceum in London. For Audience, this was the opportunity of a lifetime as Led Zeppelin had just released their eponymous debut album on 12th of January 1969. It was well on its way to selling …

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CULT CLASSIC: THE SEEDS-FUTURE.

Cult Classic: The Seeds-Future. For any band with what might be described as a “generous” recording budget, the temptation to experiment and push musical boundaries must be tantalizing. Especially back in 1967, at the dawn of the psychedelic era. For The Seeds, resisting temptation was impossible. The Seeds can’t be criticised for this. They had …

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NKEM NJOKU AND OZZOBIA BROTHERS-OZABIA SPECIAL. 

Nkem Njoku and Ozzobia Brothers–Ozobia Special. Label: BBE Africa. Tabansi Records was founded in Nigeria in 1952, and filled a void when major labels like Decca and later, Philips closed the doors on their Nigerian operations. Chief Tabansi, who lent his name to what would become Nigeria’s most important label, recorded artists and then pressed …

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ISLANDMAN-KAYBOLA. 

Islandman-Kaybola. Label: Music For Dreams. Three years ago in 2017, Islandman released their debut album Rest In Space to widespread critical acclaim. Since then, the Turkish trio have been busy, and have crisscrossed the globe playing gigs in clubs and at festivals. They’ve also spent the best part of two years recording their much-anticipated sophomore …

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JETHRO TULL- STORM WATCH.

Jethro Tull-Storm Watch. Label: Chrysalis. By September 1979, Jethro Tull was still one of the most successful British bands of their generation, and were about to release the twelfth album of their career, Stormwatch, It was the final album in a trilogy of folk rock albums and Jethro Tull hoped that Stormwatch would build on the success of which had …

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CULT CLASSIC: BOB FRANK-BOB FRANK.

Cult Classic: Bob Frank-Bob Frank. In 2007, Jim Dickinson described Bob Frank as: “the best songwriter you never heard.” By then, he had known Bob Frank for forty-five years. Jim Dickinson first met Bob Frank way back in the summer of 1963. Back then, he was part of a group of singers and songwriters hanging out …

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DANIEL HAAKSMAN-BLACK ATLANTICA EDITS.

Daniel Haaksman-Black Atlantica Edits. Label: BBE Music. Release Date: ’24th’ of April 2020. Over the last few years, Berlin-based DJ, producer and record label owner Daniel Haaksman has been reworking tracks by everyone from CK Mann + Carousel 7 and Soul Brothers to Francis Bebey, Bonde Do Rôlé and Kaba Blon and these edits have become favourites …

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ELVIND AAARSET I JAN BANG-SNOW CATCHES ON HER EYELASHES.

Eivind Aarset I Jan Bang-Snow Catches On Her Eyelashes. Label: Jazzland Recordings. Although Eivind Aarset and Jan Bang have been collaborating since the early nineties, the pair have never recorded an album as a duo. That was until they recorded Snow Catches On Her Eyelashes, which was recently released by Jazzland Recordings. It features ten …

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JOHN MARTYN-THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A MUSICAL MAVERICK.

John Martyn-The Life and Times Of A Musical Maverick. It’s no exaggeration to say that the late, great John Martyn’s life revolved around music. His career began in 1967, when he was just seventeen. Back then, John Martyn was a folk singer. However, over the next forty-two years, John Martyn continually reinvented his music  flitting between folk and folk rock to …

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CULT CLASSIC: THE INCREDIBLE STRNG BAND-CHANGING HORSES.

Cult Classic: The Incredible String Band-Changing Horses. When The Incredible String Band released their fifth album, Changing Horses in November 1969, much had changed within the group that had formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, six years earlier in 1963. The Incredible String Band was one of the biggest, and most successful folk bands in the world, …

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TEA AND SYMPHONY-AN ASYLUM FOR THE MUSICALLY INSANE.

Tea and Symphony-An Asylum For The Musically Insane. Label: Magic Box. When the original lineup of Tea and Symphony was founded in Birmingham, England, in the late-sixties, they were an acoustic group who have since been compared to Marc Bolan’s Tyrannosaurus Rex. The group was founded by Jeff Daw, James Langston and Nigel Phillips, but …

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MIKE TINGLEY-THE ABSTRACT PRINCE.

Mike Tingley-The Abstract Prince. Label: Music On Vinyl. Mike Tingley was born and brought up in Southern California, and in the early sixties started playing the guitar and like a lot of aspiring musicians was influenced by The Beatles, the Beach Boys and folk music.  However, it was only when the twenty year old singer, …

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CULT CLASSIC: EL POLEN-FUERA DE LA CIUDAD.

Cult Classic: El Polen-Fuera De La Ciudad. Sadly, not every influential and innovative band enjoys a long and illustrious career, and instead, their career is short-lived. That was the case with the groundbreaking Peruvian rock band El Polen who released just two albums between 1972 and 1973. This includes their debut album Cholo (Música Original …

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UZELLI ELEKTRO SAZ 1976-1984.

Uzelli Elektro Saz 1976-1984. Label: Uzelli. By the early seventies, many Turkish people decided to move to other parts of Europe in search of a better life. Some headed to England and France, settling in large cities like London and Paris. Others headed to Germany, and in particular, Frankfurt.  Soon, Frankfurt like many other European …

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BREAD, LOVE AND DREAMS-AMARYLLIS-VINYL.

Bread, Love and Dreams-Amaryllis-Vinyl. Label: Magic Box. When Scottish acid folk trio Bread, Love and Dreams appeared at the 1968  Edinburgh Festival, David McNiven, Angie Rew and Carolyn Davis had no idea that the concert was going to transform their lives. In the audience that night, was Ray Horricks, a Decca Records staffer, who nowadays, …

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VICTOR CAVINI-JAPAN.

Victor Cavini-Japan. Label: Be With Records. In the the history of German library music, Selected Sound is regarded as an institution by collectors and connoisseurs and one of its finest releases was Japan, which was released by Victor Cavini in 1983.  Thirty-seven years, this rarity is a cult classic that’s on the wants list of …

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NANCY PRIDDY-YOU’VE COME THIS WAY BEFORE-VINYL. 

Nancy Priddy-You’ve Come This Way Before-Vinyl. Label: Sundazed.  Nowadays, many people remember Nancy Priddy as an actress who appeared in Bewitched, The Waltons and Matlock and later, alongside her daughter Christina Applegate in the television series Married…With Children and the film The Sweetest Thing. However, other people remember Nancy Priddy as a singer-songwriter who in 1968, …

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ERLEND APNESETH-FRAGMENTARIUM.

Erlend Apneseth-Fragmentarium. Label: Hubro Music. When the Erlend Apneseth Trio recorded their third album Salika, Molika they were joined by top Norwegian accordionist Frode Haltli as they fused folk and experimental improv and electronic music. The result was an ambitious and  groundbreaking album that was hailed as a  gamechanger when it was released to critical …

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TABANSI STUDIO BAND-WAKAR ALHAZI KANO AND MUS’EN SOFOA.

Tabansi Studio Band–Wakar Alhazai Kano and Mus’en Sofoa. Label: BBE Africa. Philadelphia International Records’ house band was MFSB, while Motown the Funk Brothers and Fame Records had the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section between 1961 and 1969. These three house bands played an important part in each label’s sound and success. That was also the case with  …

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