Category Archives: Jazz

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SANDY DENNY.

The Life and Times Of Sandy Denny. In December 1969, an announcement was made that Sandy Denny had left Britain’s leading folk band, Fairport Convention. This came as a shock to many as Fairport Convention, who were Britain’s first electric folk band, popularity been rising over the past two years. Playing her part in the rise and rise of Fairport Convention was Sandy Denny who had previously been …

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THE RISE AND FALL OF THE YOUNGBLOODS.

The Rise and Fall Of The Youngbloods By 1965, bassist and vocalist Jesse Colin Young was twenty-four and had already enjoyed a degree of success as a folk singer. He had already released two albums The Soul Of A City Boy in 1964, and Young Blood in 1965. However, Jesse Colin Young’s solo career was …

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THE JUNIE STORY: FROM OHIO PLAYER TO SOLO ARTIST, FUNKADELIC AND BEYOND.

The Junie Story: From Ohio Player To Solo Artist, Funkadelic and Beyond. In 1970, most sixteen years in Drayton, Ohio, were still at high school and were making plans for college or the world of work. Some were worrying about being drafted, and heading for Vietnam to fight in a war that America was struggling to win. …

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LIGHTHOUSE-THE RISE OF LIGHTHOUSE-1969-1974

Lighthouse-The Rise Of Lighthouse 1969 1974. In 1968, Skip Prokop the former drummer and vocalist with the Canadian psychedelic rock band The Paupers, met Brooklyn born keyboardist Paul Hoffert in a New York nightclub. The men bonded over their mutual love of music. However, when they parted company at the end of the evening, they …

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ATOMIC-PET VARIATIONS.

Atomic-Pet Variations. Label: Odin Records. Release Date: ‘22nd’ March 2019. Eighteen years ago, Scandinavian supergroup Atomic was founded by Swedish trumpeter Magnus Broo and his fellow countryman and reed player Fredrik Ljungkvist who joined forces with Norwegian pianist Håvard Wiik, bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. By then, each musician was a familiar face in their own country, but …

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LONNIE LISTON SMITH AND THE COSMIC ECHOES-THEIR FINEST HOUR: THE FLYING DUTCHMAN YEARS.

Lonnie Liston Smith and The Cosmic Echoes-Their Finest Hour: The Flying Dutchman Years. Innovative, influential and way ahead of the musical curve, describes the music of Lonnie Liston Smith, and specially the music he recorded with The Cosmic Echoes at Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Productions. It was home to some of the most innovative jazz musicians …

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THE ENIGMATIC WILLIAM ONYEAEBOR

The Enigmatic William Onyeabor. Enigmatic. That was the perfect word to describe synth funk pioneer, William Onyeabor who died on January 16th 2017 aged just seventy. Nigerian music lost a musical pioneer. However, William Onyeabor was, without doubt, one of the most mysterious and elusive musicians in musical history. There’s a good reason for this, Much of William Onyeabor’s …

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THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF SEA LEVEL.

The Life and Music Of Sea Level. By August 1975, all wasn’t well within The Allman Brothers. It hadn’t been for the last couple of years. That was despite The Allman Brothers being at the peak of their popularity. Their last three albums had sold over a million copies and were certified platinum. Meanwhile, The Allman …

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HEDVIG MOLLESTAD TRIO-SMELLS FUNNY.

Hedvig Mollestad Trio-Smells Funny. Label: Rune Grammofon. Ever since the Hedvig Mollestad Trio was founded in 2009, this inimitable group has been pushing musical boundaries and creating inventive and innovative genre-melting music. That is the case on their latest album Smells Funny, which was released by Rune Grammofon. It’s the sixth album since the Hedvig …

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF RADKA TONEFF.

The Life and Times Of Radka Toneff,  One of the most overused word in tRadka Tonefhe English language is classic, with critics often hailing the latest book, play or album a “classic.” More often than not, this is hyperbole, and it’s only much later, that the same critics realise that they were rather fulsome in their praise …

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LIGHTHOUSE-THE RISE OF LIGHTHOUSE 1969-1974.

Lighthouse-The Rise Of Lighthouse-1969 1974. In 1968, Skip Prokop the former drummer and vocalist with the Canadian psychedelic rock band The Paupers, met Brooklyn born keyboardist Paul Hoffert in a New York nightclub. The men bonded over their mutual love of music. However, when they parted company at the end of the evening, they never …

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDY HENSKE.

The Life and Times Of Judy Henske. It was in 1962, when Judy Henske was living in Los Angeles, that the Queen of the Beatniks first came to the attention of Elektra Records’ founder Jac Holzman. He had just setup A&R and marketing operation in LA and was on looking for new artists to add …

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THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MUSICAL MAVERICK HOLGER CZUKAY.

The Life and Times Of Musical Maverick Holger Czukay. Although the word innovator is one of the most overused words in the English language nowadays, it perfectly describes  Holger Czukay who cofounded Can in 1968. This was the start of a near fifty year career where Holger Czukay continued to make groundbreaking music, and push musical boundaries to their limits, and sometimes way …

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ERIC GALE-9 IN 10, THE SOLO YEARS 1973-1983.

Eric Gale-9 In 10, The Solo Years 1973-1983 Jazz guitarist Eric Gale was born in Brooklyn, New York on September the ‘20th’ 1938, and by the time he was eleven, had already discovered music. Fittingly, it was guitarist Les Paul that piqued Eric Gale’s interest in music. When he heard Les Paul and his wife Mary Ford …

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L.A. EXPRESS: TOM SCOTT’S SHORT-LIVED JAZZ SUPERGROUP.

L.A. Express: Tom Scott’s Short-Lived Supergroup. Musical history is littered with artists and groups that never enjoyed the commercial success that their music deserved. That was the case with L.A. Express an oft-0verlooked fusion supergroup who released a quartet of albums between 1973 and 1976. Sadly, these albums never found the audience they deserved and it was only later, that L.A. Express’ music started to be appreciated by jazz …

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THE LIFE AND CAREER OF CHI COLTRANE.

The Life and Career Of Chi Coltrane. The word prodigy is an overused word, but that is the only way to describe Chi Coltrane who could play eight different instruments by the time she was twelve. What makes this all the more remarkable is that Chi Coltrane had absolutely no formal musical training. Instead, her …

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THE STORY OF THOS. RAPP AND PEARLS BEFORE SWINE.

The Story Of Thos. Rapp and Pearls Before Swine. When Pearls Before Swine  released their fifth album City Of Gold in April 1969. it was the first  album credited to Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine. This seemed only fair, as Tom Rapp was the only original member of Pearls Before Swine left. The rest of the …

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SUE BARKER-AUSTRALIA’S BEST KEPT MUSIAL SECRET-A CASE OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

Sue Barker-Australia’s Best Kept Musical Secret-A Case Of What Might Have Been. Forty-two years ago, in 1977, Adelaide-based singer Sue Barker released what’s without doubt, one of the greatest soul-jazz albums in the history of Australian music. That album was Sue Barker, which was released on Marcus Herman’s label Crest International. The release of Sue …

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GIL SCOTT-HERON-AMERICA’S SOCIAL CONSCIENCE: 1970-1980.

Gil Scott-Heron-America’s Social Conscience: 1970-1980. After releasing a trio of studio albums on Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Productions between 1970 and 1972, Gil Scott-Heron signed to Charles Tolliver and Stanley Cowell’s Strata-East Records. By then, Gil Scott-Heron was well on his way to becoming America’s social conscience. Gil Scott-Heron was a poet, musician, and author …

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MELVIN SPARKS-FIVE FRUITFUL YEARS 1970-1975.

Melvin Sparks-Five Fruitful Years 1970-1975. 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 …

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