Category Archives: Jazz
CULT CLASSIC: KOLLECTIV-KOLLECTIV.
Cult Classic: Kollectiv-Kollectiv. Musical history is littered with bands who only ever released one album during their career. All too often, that album fails to find the audience it deserves. This can come as a bitter blow, and sometimes, can lead to the band breaking up. By then, the rock star dream is over and the only …
CULT CLASSIC: SANDY DENNY-LIKE AN OLD FASHIONED WALTZ.
Cult Classic: Sandy Denny-Like An Old Fashioned Waltz. Sandy Denny left Fairport Convention in December 1969, and in early 1970, decided to form a new band. The new band became Fotheringay, who released their eponymous debut album in June 1970. Critics hailed Fotheringay a masterful debut, and the album sold well upon its release. This …
CULT CLASSIC: NEU!-NEU!
Cult Classic: Neu!-Neu! There aren’t many artists who after leaving one of the most pioneering groups in musical history, end up founding another groundbreaking group. That’s what happened to Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother who had both been members of Kraftwerk, but left in 1971. After leaving Kraftwerk, the pair founded Neu! another Kratrock band. …
CULT CLASSIC: GORDON JACKSON-THINKING BACK.
Cult Classic: Gordon Jackson-Thinking Back. Nowadays, Gordon Jackson’s 1969 lost classic Thinking Back, which has just been reissued by Sunbeam Records, is often referred to as a: “lost Traffic album.” However, that isn’t strictly true, despite Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, and Steve Winwood all play on Thinking Back. As is often the case, there’s more …
CULT CLASSIC: MELVIN SPARKS-TEXAS TWISTER.
Cult Classic: Melvin Sparks-Texas Twister. Although American jazz and blues guitarist Melvin Sparks enjoyed a career that spanned five decades, the most fruitful period of his career was the seventies, when he released five albums between 1970 and 1975. Melvin Sparks’ career began at Prestige Records, where he released a triumvirate of albums between 1970 …
CULT CLASSIC: JOHN MARTYN-LIVE AT LEEDS.
Cult Classic: John Martyn-Live At Leeds. In January 1975, John Martyn released his eighth studio album, Sunday’s Child. John had been away from the studio for fifteen months. His previous album, Inside Out, was released in October 1973. Since then, John had been concentrating on touring. However, in August 1974, John headed to Island Studios, …
LUMAN DRONES-UMBRA.
Lumen Drones-Umbra. Label: Hubro Music. Four years after Lumen Drones released their critically acclaimed eponymous debut album on ECM Records in late-2015, Nils Økland, Per Steinar Lie and Ørjan Haaland recently return with their much-anticipated followup Umbra, which was released on Hubro Music. Umbra is an epic album that doesn’t disappoint and marks the welcome …
CULT CLASSIC: JAMES LUTHER DICKINSON-DIXIE FRIED.
Cult Classic: Luther Dickinson-Dixie Fried. All too often, artists spend days, weeks and sometimes even months recording their debut album. Eventually, the album is complete, and it’s delivered to the record company. Nervously and expectantly the artist awaits as the record company plan a marketing campaign. If the artist is signed to a major label, it …
CULT CLASSIC: SARAH VAUGHAN-A TIME IN MY LIFE.
Cult Classic: Sarah Vaughan-A Time In My Life. By 1971, when Sarah Vaughan released A Time In My Life on Mainstream Records, she had established a reputation as one of jazz’s premier vocalists. She had come a long way since winning the Amateur Night at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, in 1942. Back then, Sarah was just …
CULT CLASSIC: HAROLD LAND-CHOMA (BURN).
Cult Classic: Harold Land-Choma (Burn). Musically, Harold Land was a late developer. Growing up in Houston he never showed any interest in learning to play an instrument. Then in 1944, when he was sixteen, Harold heard Coleman Hawkins recording of Body and Soul. This was a life-changing experience. After this, Harold decided to learn how to …
CULT CLASSIC ROY HAYNES-HIP ENSEMBLE.
Cult Classic: Roy Haynes-Hip Ensemble. In the history of jazz music, Roy Haynes’ name looms large. He is one of the most recorded drummers in jazz history, and during a career that spanned sixty years, Roy Haynes worked with the great and good of jazz music. This included Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Wardell Grey, Stan …
CULT CLASSIC: HADLEY CALIMAN-HADLEY CALIMAN.
Cult Classic: Hadley Caliman- Hadley Caliman. Although Hadley Caliman had worked as a sideman for Dexter Gordon and Art Farmer, he didn’t release his eponymous debut album until he was thirty-nine. This wasn’t down to a lack of talent. Far from it. Hadley Caliman was one of the most talented tenor saxophonists and flautists of his …
CULT CLASSIC: BLUE MITCHELL-BLUE MITCHELL.
Cult Classic: Blue Mitchell-Blue Mitchell. Despite a recording career that spanned twenty-nine years, and over twenty albums, Florida born trumpeter, Blue Mitchell, never enjoyed the same critical acclaim that many of his contemporaries enjoyed. Blue wasn’t perceived as a groundbreaking musician. However, he enjoyed a successful career, touring widely and releasing a string of successful …
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