Category Archives: Jazz
CULT CLASSIC: NKEM NJOKU AND OZZOBIA BROTHERS-OZABIA SPECIAL.
Cult Classic: Nkem Njoku and Ozzobia Brothers–Ozobia Special. Tabansi Records was founded in Nigeria in 1952, and filled a void when major labels like Decca and later, Philips closed the doors on their Nigerian operations. Chief Tabansi, who lent his name to what would become Nigeria’s most important label, recorded artists and then pressed the records at …
CULT CLASSIC: ALAIN BELLAICHE-SEA FLUORESCENT.
Cult Classic: Alain Bellaïche-Sea Fluorescent. Alain Bellaïche was born in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, but spent his childhood in Cannes, on the French Riviera which was where he discovered music and played his first concerts. Initially, he played in friends’ houses where he was guaranteed a captive and appreciative audience. Soon, he had graduated …
CULT CLASSIC: STEVE POTTS-MUSIQUE POUR LE FILM D’UN AMI.
Cult Classic: Steve Potts-Musique Pour Le Film D’Un Ami. Sadly, musical history is littered with artists whose music never received the recognition that it deserved. Often, it’s only much later that their albums start to find the audience that they so richly deserve. That was the case with Alice Clark, Gram Parsons, Laraaji, John Martyn, …
CULT CLASSIC: THE AWAKENING-HEAR, SENSE AND FEEL.
Cult Classic: The Awakening-Hear, Sense and Feel. Of the twenty albums that Black Jazz Records released between 1971 and 1975, The Awakening’s Hear, Sense and Feel is a much prized rarity amongst collectors. Copies of the album change hands for hundreds of dollars. That is no surprise given the quality of music The Awakening recorded. It …
ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS-THE WITCH DOCTOR.
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers-The Witch Doctor. Label: Blue Note Records. Format: LP. When The Jazz Messengers were formed in 1954, the collective was led by Horace Silver and Art Blakey when they played live. However, it wasn’t until November the ‘23rd’ 1955 when they recorded At the Cafe Bohemia, Volumes 1 and 2. …
CULT CLASSIC: DONALD BYRD-BYRD IN FLIGHT.
Cult Classic: Donald Byrd-Byrd In Flight. When Donald Byrd signed to Blue Note Records in 1958, he was twenty-five and had already recorded five solo albums and had collaborated on albums with Art Farmer, Phil Woods and Gigi Gryce. The Detroit-born trumpeter was also in demand as a sideman and had already worked with some …
CULT CLASSIC: SHINTARO QUINTET-EVOLUTION.
Cult Classic: Shintaro Quintet-Evolution. Ever since the mid-fifties, many American jazz musicians journeyed to Japan where they toured and recorded albums. They were respected and treated as series musicians, and when they recorded an album the budget was much more generous and the working conditions far better than they were used to. It was no …
DOUG CARN-INFANT EYES
Doug Carn-Infant Eyes. Label: Real Gone Music. Format: CD. Although Gene Russell and Dick Schory founded Black Jazz Records in 1969, two years passed before the nascent label released its first album. This was Gene Russell’s sophomore album New Direction which was released in 1971. It was the first of twenty albums by a label …
THE CLARK SISTERS-THE SOUND OF GOSPEL RECORDS’ YEARS 1976-1981.
The Clark Sisters-The Sound Of Gospel Records’ Years 1976-1981. By the late-sixties, both jazz and blues were no longer as popular as they once had been. That was when it dawned on some mucicians that unless the music they loved evolved, is risked becoming irrelevant. Both jazz and blues evolved and over fifty years later, …
CULT CLASIC: CALVIN KEYS-SHAWN-NEEQ.
Cult Classic: Calvin Keys-Shawn-Neeq. Having founded Black Jazz Records in 1969, Gene Russell and Dick Schory’s new label released six albums during 1971. This included Calvin Keys’ debut album Shawn-Neeq which was the fifth album that the new label released during 1971. This was the most productive year of the label’s five year existence. In 1971, …
CLASSIC ALBUM: DR JOHN-DR JOHN’S GUMBO.
Classic Album: Dr John-Dr John’s Gumbo. Success didn’t come overnight for the late, great Dr John. His first three albums failed to chart and his fourth album The Sun, Moon and Herbs stalled at 184 in the US Billboard 200 in August 1971. This was progress for one of music’s great survivors. He was on his way and returned in April 1972 with his breakthrough album Dr John’s …
CULT CLASSICS: VICTOR CHUKWU-AKALAKA-/UNCLE VICTOR CHUKS AND THE BLACK IROKOS-THE POWER.
Cult Classics: Victor Chukwu–Akalaka /Uncle Victor Chuks and The Black Irokos–The Power. By 1977, Victor Chukwu was regarded as one of masters of Igbo highlife and over the next two years recorded two of his most important and rarest albums. The first was a solo album Akalaka, and the second was The Power which was credited to …
DEXTER GORDON-ONE FLIGHT UP
Dexter Gordon-One Flight Up. Label: Blue Note Records. Format: LP. Not long after Dexter Gordon recorded A Swinging Affair on August the ’29th’ 1962, the thirty-nine year old jazz saxophonist decided to leave New York where he had been living, and moved to Europe. He settled first in the Danish capital Copenhagen, but by May …
CULT CLASSIC: FUNKADELIC-FREE YOUR MIND…AND YOUR ASS WILL FOLLOW.
Cult Classic: Funkadelic-Free Your Mind…and Your Ass Will Follow. 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 much of his day …
MODERNITY.
Modernity. Label: Kent Dance. Format: CD. Ever since the birth of rock ’n’ roll, youth cults have come and gone. Some have proven to be nothing more than passing fads that nowadays, are mere footnotes in cultural history. Some youth cults have endured, and played an important part in British culture. However, none of the …
KJETIL MULELID-PIANO.
Kjetil Mulelid-Piano. Label: Rune Grammofon. Format: CD. Prodigiously talented describes thirty year old Norwegian composer, bandleader and pianist Kjetil Mulelid who recently released his debut album Piano on the Rune Grammofon label. It’s the latest chapter in the story of one of the rising stars of Norwegian jazz. Kjetil Mulelid was born in Hurdal, a …
KASAI ALLSTARS-BLACK ANTS ALWAYS FLY TOGETHER, ONE BANGLE MAKES NO SOUND.
Kasai Allstars-Black Ants Always Fly Together, One Bangle Makes No Sound. Label: Crammed Discs. Format: CD. In December 2008, the Kasai Allstars released their critically acclaimed debut album In The 7th Moon, The Chief Turned Into A Swimming Fish and Ate The Head Of His Enemy By Magic. Critics were won over by music which …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 