Category Archives: Jazz
JANNE SCHAFFER-KATHARSIS, EARMEAL AND PRESENS.
Janne Schaffer-Katharsis, Earmeal and Presens. BGO Records. Most people will have heard Swedish guitarist Janne Schaffer play many times, but never have realised it. He is one of Sweden’s premier session musicians, and has played with the great and good of Swedish music. This includes Sweden’s most successful musical export, Abba. Janne Schaffer played on …
FUNCTION UNDERGROUND-THE BLACK AND AMERICAN ROCK SOUND 1969-1974.
Function Underground: The Black and Brown American Rock Sound 1969-1974. Now Again Records. Just over a month ago, Function Underground: The Black and Brown American Rock Sound 1969-1974 was released by Now Again Records on vinyl as part of Record Store Day as a limited edition of 2,000. As a result, many people who wanted …
THE CLARENCE DANIELS ORCHESTRA FEATURING OBIE JESSIE AND SANDY MILLER-HARD WORKIN’.
The Clarence Daniels Orchestra featuring Obie Jessie and Sandy Miller-Hard Workin’. Ace Records. By the sixties, big bands were no longer as popular as they had once been. That was no surprise as music had changed beyond recognition. Bands like The Beatles, and the British Invasion groups in 1964 were game-changers for the big band leaders. …
LIGHTHOUSE-LIGHTHOUSE, SUITE FEELING AND PEACING IT ALL TOGETHER.
Lighthouse-Lighthouse, Suite Feeling and Peacing It All Together. 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 …
MULATU ASTATKE-MULATU OF ETHIOPIA.
Mulatu Astatke-Mulatu Of Ethiopia. By 1972, Ethiopian multi-instrumentalist Mulatu Astatke was twenty-nine, and had already spent time studying music in London, Boston and New York. This included spells at two prestigious institutions, London’s Trinity College of Music, Boston’s Berklee College of Music. The time he spent there, influenced and shaped Mulatu Astatke as a musician. …
RUPTURE-ISRAEL SUITE/DOMINANTE EN BLEU.
Rupture-Israel Suite/Dominante En Bleu. Over the last fifty years, bands and artists have penned ambitious concept albums about all manner of subjects. No subject matter it seems is off-limits when it comes to the concept album. There’s been concept albums about bureaucracy and censorship, death and dreams, evolution and revolution, heaven and hell, hurt and …
AIRTO FOGO-AIRTO FOGO.
Airto Fogo-Airto Fogo. During the seventies, Paris born drummer and percussionist Sylvain Krief was one of France’s top musicians. He was also a talented composer, arranger and producer who founded and lead two bands. The first of these bands was Rupture, who released the spiritual jazz classic Israel Suite/Dominante En Blue in 1973. Three years …
BOB HOLMES’ NASHVILLE SOUL.
Bob Holmes’ Nashville Soul. For many people, Nashville has always been synonymous with country music. It is, after all, the country music capital of America. However, back in the sixties and seventies, it wasn’t just country music that was coming out of Nashville. So was soul, R&B and jazz. A reminder of that period can …
NINA MIRANDA-FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT.
Nina Miranda-Freedom Of Movement. Not many singers wait twenty-six years before releasing their debut album. Nina Miranda has. She made her debut in 1991 on Sweatmouth’s Read My Hips EP, and since then Nina Miranda has been a familiar face on the London music scene. Since 1997, Nina Miranda has been the lead singer of …
L.A. EXPRESS-L.A. EXPRESS AND SHADOW PLAY.
L.A. Express-L.A. Express and Shadow Play, Jazz saxophonist Tom Scott’s career began in 1965, when he was just seventeen, and the leader of the jazz ensemble Neoteric Trio. After that he became one of Los Angeles’ top session players, and a familiar face on the West Coast music scene. This would stand in him in …
ENSEMBLE NOVO-LOOK TO THE SKY AND WHO SAW YOU THEN, WHO SEES YOU NOW.
Ensemble Novo-Look To The Sky and Who Saw You Then, Who Sees You Now. Some cities are synonymous with music, and always have been. That was the case with Berlin, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles, Memphis and New York. It’s also the case with the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, which has to be one …
DAYME AROCENA-CUBAFONIA.
Daymé Arocena-Cubafonía. When it comes to music, nowadays, the world is a much smaller place that it used to. Especially when compared to the sixties, seventies or even the eighties. Back then, it was almost impossible to discover music from anywhere other than North America, parts of Europe or Britain. It was impossible to discover …
BACK ON THE STREET AGAIN (AUSTRALIAN FUNK, SOUL AND PSYCH (MOSTLY) FROM THE FESTIVAL VAULTS.
Back On The Street Again (Australian Funk, Soul And Psych (Mostly) From The Festival Vaults). All too often, many record buyers forget that there’s more to music than the classic rock that was produced on both sides of the Atlantic during the late-sixties and seventies. While this was a hugely important and influential period musically, …
DUENDE LIBRE-DUENDE LIBRE.
Duende Libre-Duende Libre. Having graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Jazz Studies in 2003, keyboardist Alex Chadsey, like many new graduates, found himself wondering what the future held for him? He was a talented and versatile musician who was fluent in jazz and classical music, and was one of the beneficiaries …
OREGON-OUT OF THE WOODS AND ROOTS IN THE SKY.
Oregon-Out Of The Woods and Roots In The Sky. After releasing seven albums for Vanguard between 1972 and 1978, Oregon had signed to Elektra. The four members of Oregon knew that this was the opportunity of a lifetime. Elektra were one of the biggest record labels in the world, and had the marketing expertise and …
ZEPHYR-BACK TO COLORADO AND SUNSET RIDE.
Zephyr-Back To Colorado and Sunset Ride. Like many bands who don’t reach the heights that their music deserves, the story of Zephyr is one of what might have been. They released a trio of albums between 1969 and 1972, which nowadays, have a cult following. This includes Zephyr’s sophomore album Back To Colorado and their …
GABRIELE POSO PRESENTS THE LANGUAGE OF TAMBORES (A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THROUGH THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF DRUMS).
Gabriele Poso Presents The Languages Of Tambores (A Spiritual Journey Through The Cultural Heritage Of Drums). Many children are bitten by the music bug early on in life. This is often the start of a lifelong love affair with music. Soon, they’re spending all their free time listening to music. Then when they receive their …
HEAT EXCHANGE-REMINISCENCE.
Heat Exchange-Reminiscence. Heat Exchange’s root’s can be traced to a Toronto high school, in the late-sixties. That was when four school friends decided to form a blues band, which they named Cloud. Just a couple of years later, and Cloud were one of the top bands in Toronto. Several record labels were chasing Cloud’s signature. …
THE BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2016-PART 1.
The Best Compilations Of 2016-Part 1. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been looking back at the music released during 2016. The final part of this annual series looks at the compilations released during 2016. Just like previous years, thousands of compilations were released during 2016. They cover literally every musical genre. Quite simply, there …
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