Category Archives: Jazz

OLIVER NELSON-SWISS SUITE.

OLIVER NELSON-SWISS SUITE. It was at 1971s Montreux Jazz Festival that Oliver Nelson showcased Swiss Suite. Oliver had composed the four-part Swiss Suite especially for Montreux Jazz Festival, which was in its fourth year. Founded in 1967, the Montreux Jazz Festival took place in one of the most the picturesque parts of Switzerland. Montreux was …

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MOSKUS-MESTERTYVEN.

MOSKUS-MESTERTYVEN. It was back in 2012 that pioneering jazz trio, Moskus, released their critically acclaimed debut album, Salmesykkel. A lot has happened since then. In 2013, Moskus were nominated for two Spellemannspris. They’re the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy. Moskus were nominated for the highly prized best jazz album and best new act. For the …

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LEON THOMAS-BLUES AND SOULFUL TRUTH.

LEON THOMAS-BLUES AND SOULFUL TRUTH. Some labels are a perfect fit for an artist. This was the case with Leon Thomas and Bob Thiele’s Flying Dutchman Productions. They proved to be the musical equivalent of ying and yang. By the late sixties, Leon Thomas had embraced free jazz fully. He turned his back on the …

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LONNIE LISTON SMITH AND THE COSMIC ECHOES-COSMIC FUNK.

LONNIE LISTON SMITH AND THE COSMIC ECHOES-COSMIC FUNK. Innovative, influential and way ahead of the musical curve, describes Lonnie Liston Smith. That is the perfect description of Lonnie Liston Smith and The Cosmic Echoes 1973 debut album Astral Travelling. The music on Astral Travelling was groundbreaking.  So much so, that it’s hard to believe Astral …

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1982-A/B

1982-A/B A/B the fourth album from enigmatic Norwegian improvisational trio 1982, sees them draw inspiration from the past. The result is another groundbreaking album A/B,, which will be released on Hubro Music, on 12th May 2014. It’s the followup to 2012s 1982 + B.J. Cole. This was the third album 1982 had released since they …

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SHAWN LEE PRESENTS GOLDEN AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.

SHAWN LEE PRESENTS GOLDEN AGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Shawn Lee’s new album, Shawn Lee Presents Golden Age Against The Machine, which was released on 5th May 2014, has been a labor of love. It’s Shawn paying homage to the golden age of hip hop, which influenced and inspired him. So much so, that Shawn decided …

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ENNIO MORRICONE-MORRICONE HIGH-THE TRIPPIER SIDE OF MORRICONE.

ENNIO MORRICONE-MORRICONE HIGH-THE TRIPPIER SIDE OF MORRICONE. Although Ennio Morricone’s name is synonymous with film soundtracks, there’s much more to his career than that. This includes over 100 classical pieces that Ennio wrote between 1946 and the late-fifties. After that, Ennio worked at RCA as an arranger. He arranged over 500 songs, and worked with …

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STIAN WESTERHUS AND PALE HORSES-MAELSTROM.

STIAN WESTERHUS AND PALE HORSES-MAELSTROM. Having established a reputation as one of the finest abstract guitarists in Europe, Stian Westerhus decided to change direction. After three critically acclaimed solo albums and several collaborations, Stian decided that now was the time to go from solo artist to frontman. Not long after this, Pales Horses, an electronic rock …

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COME SPY WITH US-THE SECRET AGENT SONGBOOK.

COME SPY WITH US-THE SECRET AGENT SONGBOOK. For many people, the fifties and sixties were the golden age of both the spy novel and film. That’s no surprise. This was the post war era. The Iron Curtain separated Eastern and Western Europe. Suspicion and paranoia were common place. Especially after the defection of Philby, Burgess …

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PAUL MURPHY PRESENTS THE RETURN OF JAZZ CLUB.

PAUL MURPHY PRESENTS THE RETURN OF JAZZ CLUB. It was back in 1978 that Paul Murphy first DJ-ed. He hadn’t planned to DJ that night. Far from it. He was the promoter of a club night in Ilord Essex. This was no ordinary venue. Situated above  a above a funeral parlour, it was notorious as …

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KILINDU-O QUE O FUTURO.

KILINDU-O QUE O FUTURO. Any band that’s working with a two-time Grammy Award winning producer has something going for them. That’s definitely the case with Kilindu. They’re currently working on an album with none other than, Grammy winning producer, Bob Cutarella. He’s previously worked with musical royalty. This includes everyone from Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, …

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ROCK IT…DON’T STOP IT-COMPILED BY SEAN P

ROCK IT…DON’T STOP IT-COMPILED BY SEAN P. 1979 was year zero for hip hop. It was in 1979, that some of the earliest, and most influential, hip hop singles were released. This includes Paulette and Tanya Winley’s Rhymin’ and Rappin.’ It’s become one of the most influential of the early hip hop singles. The same …

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BOMBAY DISCO-DISCO HITS FROM HINDI FILMS 1979-1985.

BOMBAY DISCO-DISCO HITS FROM HINDI FILMS 1979-1985. Disco. Never has a musical genre divided opinion like disco. For some people, disco was  the musical equivalent of a four letter word. In their eyes, disco sucked. That was the case back in 1979. Thirty-five years later, disco still divides opinion.  During the thirty-five year period, disco …

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MOVEMENTS 6.

MOVEMENTS 6. One of the longest running compilation series is Movements, compiled by Tobias Kirkmayer. The first instalment in the series, Movements was released back in 2005 on Perfect Toy Records. In an ever crowded compilation market, Movements was well received. A year later, in 2006, came Movements. Then nothing. Four long years passed without …

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MERRY CLAYTON-GIMME SHELTER.

MERRY CLAYTON-GIMME SHELTER. When the Rolling Stones released Gimme Shelter in 1969, many people were left wondering who duetted with Mick Jagger on the single? That was Merry Clayton. Her vocal powerhouse helped make the song a classic. However, Merry Clayton wasn’t meant to even sing on Gimme Shelter. No. She replaced Bonnie Bramlett, who …

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PETER WALKER-“SECOND POEM TO KARMELA” OR GYPSIES ARE IMPORTANT.

PETER WALKER-“SECOND POEM TO KARMELA” OR GYPSIES ARE IMPORTANT. Back in 1967, Peter Walker released his seminal album Rainy Day Raga, which was released on Vanguard Records. Since then, it’s become a cult classic. Many people though, thought Rainy Day Raga was Peter’s only album. It wasn’t. The following year, 1968, Peter released his sophomore …

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SLAKAH THE BEATCHILD-SOUL MOVEMENT VOLUME 2.

SLAKAH THE BEATCHILD-SOUL MOVEMENT VOLUME 2. “It’s been a long time coming sang Sam Cooke.” The same can be said of Slakah The Beatchild’s forthcoming album Soul Movement Voiume 2. It’s the sequel to Soul Movement Volume 1, which was released to critical acclaim back in September 2008.  After a gap of six long years, …

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DR JOHN THE NIGHT TRIPPER-GRIS GRIS.

DR JOHN THE NIGHT TRIPPER-GRIS GRIS. The scenario that I’m going to describe, really happened, and demonstrates that even the most experienced people in the music industry get things wrong. It was in January 1968, and Dr. John completed his debut album Gris Gris. A copy of Gris Gris was sent to Ahmet Erteghun at Atlantic …

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INNER CITY BEAT-DETECTIVE THEMES, SPY MUSIC AND IMAGINARY THRILLERS 1967-1975.

INNER CITY BEAT-DETECTIVE THEMES, SPY MUSIC AND IMAGINARY THRILLERS 1967-1975. KPM Music, De Wolfe Music, Amphonic Music and Conroy. These names may not mean much to many people. However, for sample-hungry hip hop producers and crate-digging DJs alike, this means musical gold. One of music’s best kept secrets is library music. This has been the …

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GIL SCOTT-HERON-PIECES OF A MAN.

GIL SCOTT-HERON-PIECES OF A MAN. Just a year after the release of his 1970 debut album Small Talk At 125 and Lenox, Gil Scott-Heron returned with his landmark album Pieces Of A Man which was recently rereleased by BGP Records, a subsidiary of Ace Records. Pieces Of A Man was Gil’s second collaboration with musician …

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