Category Archives: Jazz
CULT CLASSIC: ART TAYLOR-A.T.’S DELIGHT.
Cult Classic: Art Taylor-A.T.’s Delight. One of the most influential drummers in the history of jazz is Art Taylor, who was born in New York, on the ‘6th’ of April 1929, and as a teenager, played in a local Harlem-based band that featured pianist Kenny Drew and saxophonists Sonny Rollins and Jackie McLean. Each of these …
CULT CLASSIC: LOCOMOTIVE-WE ARE EVERYTHING YOU SEE.
Cult Classic: Locomotive-We Are Everything You See. By 1965, all over Britain, new groups were being founded every day. They had watched as The Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion groups took America by storm. The new groups watched enviously, hoping and dreaming that one day soon, they would be signed by a …
CULT CLASSIC: STANLEY TURRENTINE-COMIN’ YOUR WAY.
Cult Classic: Stanley Turrentine-Comin’ Your Way. When bandleader and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine entered Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, in New Jersey on January the ’20th’ 1961, he was twenty-six and about to record what would eventually become Comin’ Your Way. It was the third time he had made this journey since he had signed to Blue …
CULT CLASSIC: PHAROAH SANDERS-WELCOME TO LOVE.
Cult Classic: Pharoah Sanders-Welcome To Love. By the time Pharoah Sanders began recording Welcome To Love on the ‘17th’ of July 1990, at Studio Gimmick, Yerres, France, the American saxophonist and pioneer of free jazz was fifty, and was signed to the Dutch independent label, Timeless Records. Pharoah Sanders debut for his new label was …
CULT CLASSIC: TERRY CALLIER-TURN YOU TO LOVE.
Cult Classic: Terry Callier-Turn You To Love. Talent alone sadly, is no guarantee of success. If it was, the late, great, Terry Callier would’ve enjoyed a long and successful career. Sadly, for much of his career, he was one of music’s best kept secrets whose music was appreciated more in Britain than it was in …
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MUSICAL PIONEER EMILIO APARICIO.
The Life and Times Of Musical Pioneer Emilio Aparicio. Nowadays, the words pioneer and innovator tend to be overused, and musicians who create truly groundbreaking music seem to be sadly, few and far between. While there are some pioneering musicians whose music continues to push musical boundaries, there are no longer as many as there once …
CULT CLASSIC: DON ELLIS-SHOCK TREATMENT.
Cult Classic: Don Ellis-Shock Treatment. Bandleader, composer and trumpeter Don Ellis’ life was changed forevermore in 1974, when he was diagnosed with an abnormal heart condition, and a year later, in 1975, suffered his first heart attack which very nearly cost him his life. Fortunately, Don Ellis recovered and in 1977 signed to Atlantic Records. …
CULT CLASSIC: BEN JAGGA-HOLD ON PRETTY WOMAN.
Cult Classic: Ben Jagga-Hold On Pretty Woman. Nowadays, every third rate, regional bar band has delusions of becoming the next Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple or Black Sabbath and spend their days dreaming of fame and fortune. Alas, these poor deluded fools shouldn’t give up their day job and should stick to pumping gas and parking cars because they usually lack …
CULT CLASSIC: RALPH THOMAS-EASTERN STANDARD TIME.
Cult Classic: Ralph Thomas-Eastern Standard Time. Back in 1980, saxophonist and flautist Ralph Thomas released his debut album Eastern Standard Time on the obscure Zebra Jazz imprint. Sadly, when this future spiritual jazz cult classic failed to find the audience it deserved until much later. By then, copies of Eastern Standard Time were almost impossible to find, and …
CLASSIC ALBUM: OSCAR PETERSON-MOTIONS AND EMOTIONS.
Classic Album: Oscar Peterson-Motions and Emotions. By 1969, forty-four year old Oscar Peterson was signed to the MPS label and was well on his way to becoming one of the greatest pianists in jazz history. The man who Duke Ellington called the Maharaja of the keyboard eventually won eight Grammy awards and released over 200 …
FUNKADELIC-FUNKADELIC AND FREE YOUR MIND…AND YOUR ASS WILL FOLLOW.
Funkadelic-Funkadelic and Free Your Mind…and Your Ass Will Follow. Label: Westbound Records. Format: CD. Although George Clinton was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina, in 1941, he grew up in New Jersey, where he formed the doo wop group The Parliaments in the late fifties.At the time he co-owned a barber salon in Plainfield and spent …
CAFE EXIL-NEW ADVENTURES IN EUROPEAN MUSIC 1972-1980.
Cafe Exil-New Adventures In European Music 1972-1980. Label: Ace Records. Format: CD. At the end of David Bowie’s Station To Station tour in July 1976, he journeyed to Château d’Hérouville to start recording a new album.This wasn’t the followup to his critically acclaimed tenth album Station To Station. Instead, it was his friend Iggy Pop’s …
CULT CLASSIC: TIM MAIA 1970.
Cult Classic: Tim Maia 1970. For many musicians, choosing the title for an album can prove problematic. Especially, for a debut album. As a result, many of new artists and bands have released eponymous albums.This includes everyone from Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers Band to Art In America and Ash Ra Tempel. Then there’s Cluster, Dire …
TERJE RYPDAL-CONSPIRACY.
Terje Rypdal-Conspiracy. Label: ECM. Format: CD. Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal was twenty-one when he released his debut album Bleak House on Polydor in 1968. This was the start of a recording career that has spanned six decades and saw the him become one of Norway’s most successful musical exports. Three years later, in 1971, Terje …
ODED TZUR-HERE BE DRAGONS.
Oded Tzur-Here Be Dragons. Label: ECM. Format: CD. In 2015, thirty-one year old Israeli tenor saxophonist Oded Tzur released his much-anticipated debut solo album Like A Great River on Enja Records. It was released to plaudits and praise with critics heaping praise on a pioneering musician who had developed his own saxophone technique which he …
ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS-ROOTS AND HERBS.
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers-Roots and Herbs. Label: Blue Note Records (Tone Poet Series). Format: LP. Nowadays, many music historians believe that The Jazz Messengers made their live debut in 1954 and a year later recorded At the Cafe Bohemia, Volumes 1 and 2 on November the ‘23rd’ 1955. It featured the original lineup …
OCEAN MOON-CRYSTAL HARMONICS.
Ocean Moon-Crystal Harmonics. Label: Be With. Format: LP. 2020 has been a busy year for Jon Tye of Seahawks. Earlier this year, Seahawks released a new album Island Visions, which featured a collection of library music they had recorded for KPM. The music on the album focused on the deeper, more spatial side of music. …
HUNTSVILLE AND YUKA HONDA, NELS CLINE, DARIN GRAY, GLENN KOTCHE-BOW SHOULDER.
Huntsville and Yuka Honda, Nels Cline, Darin Gray, Glenn Kotche-Bow Shoulder. Label: Hubro Music. Format: CD. In the spring of 2006, Chicago alternative rock band Wilco and Huntsville were booked to play at the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in Quebec, Canada. Wilco played first and their guitarist Nels Cline decided to watch …
CULT CLASSIC: MICHAEL NAURA QUARTETT-CALL.
Cult Classic: Michael Naura Quartett-Call. Michael Naura was just six years old when he first travelled to Berlin with his mother, and began a new life in the city that became his home. It was where he studied journalism, philosophy and sociology. and played piano in a number of swing bands. However, by 1953 the …
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