Category Archives: Jazz

DAMON- SONG OF A GYPSY.

DAMON- SONG OF A GYPSY. For any collector of psychedelia, if they’re lucky enough to find a copy of Damon’s Song Of A Gypsy, it becomes one of their most prized possessions. Finding a copy is another thing. Copies are rarer than hen’s teeth and are changing hands for large sums of money. Recently, copies have …

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CHIC-NILES ROGERS PRESENTS THE CHIC ORGANIZATION-BOX SET 1/SAVOIR FAIRE.

CHIC-NILES ROGERS PRESENTS THE CHIC ORGANIZATION-BOX SET 1/SAVOIR FAIRE. Considering how influential Chic proved to be, and the commercial success and critical acclaim they enjoyed, it’s about time a lovingly compiled and lavish box set celebrating their career was released. After all, for their first three albums Chic could do no wrong. Their 1977 eponymous …

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KING CRIMSON-RED.

KING CRIMSON-RED. King Crimson burst onto the scene in October 1969, with their debut album In The Court Of The Crimson King. A prog rock classic, it reached number five in the UK and was certified gold in America, when it reached number twenty-eight. Following the success of In The Court Of Crimson in America, …

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PERU MARAVILLOSO: VINTAGE LATIN, TROPICAL AND CUMBIA.

PERU MARAVILLOSO: VINTAGE LATIN, TROPICAL AND CUMBIA. As the sixties unfolded, British and American music was on the cusp of a revolution. This began in 1962, when The Beatles released Love Me Do. Soon, the sixties were swinging. Over the Atlantic in America, the British Invasion proved a game-changer. For the first time, British music …

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AMERICANA 2.

AMERICANA 2. Two years after the release of their first compilation of blue-eyed soul, Americana, Zaf Chowdry and Mark Taylor return with the followup, Americana 2. It will be released by BBE Music on 11th November 2013. Americana 2, which features sixteen tracks from the seventies and eighties, is described on the album cover as …

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LONG-LOST HONKERS AND TWANGERS.

LONG-LOST HONKERS AND TWANGERS. For their latest compilation, Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers, Ace Records return to the golden age of the instrumental. Featuring twenty-six tracks, Long-Lost Honkers and Twangers is a return to an era when instrumentals were King. This “golden age” began around 1956 and exploded when Duane Eddy released his debut single Movin’ …

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BRAZILIAN BEATS 7.

BRAZILIAN BEATS 7. For lovers of Latin music, one of the most eagerly awaited compilation series is Mr. Bongo Records’ Brazilian Beats. The first installment of this critically acclaimed compilation series was released thirteen years ago, back in 2000, just as the new millennia dawned. Little did Mr. Bongo Records realize that they’d launched one of …

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PSYCHEMAGIC-DIABOLICAL SYNTHETIC FANTASIA.

PSYCHEMAGIC-DIABOLICAL SYNTHETIC FANTASIA. There are many artists who I’d describe as enigmatic. When it comes to producers and DJs, there aren’t as many. Falling into the category of enigmatic are Psychemagik. They’ve definitely ticked the no publicity box. This means many people won’t have heard of the legendary crate-digging, production and DJ-ing team. That’s means …

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LEON THOMAS-THE LEON THOMAS ALBUM.

LEON THOMAS-THE LEON THOMAS ALBUM. There aren’t many artists who record two debut albums. Leon Thomas did. Having signed to RCA in 1958, Leon recorded what should’ve been his debut album. It was never released. Instead, another eleven years passed before Leon Thomas released his debut album Spirits Known and Unknown for Bob Thiele’s Flying …

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ARVE HENRIKSEN-PLACES OF WORSHIP.

ARVE HENRIKSEN-PLACES OF WORSHIP. Ever since his career began, Norwegian jazz trumpeter Arve Henriksen has been on a mission to reinvent the jazz trumpet. Arve’s raison d’etre has been to push musical boundaries and challenge musical norms. He’s taken the jazz trumpet to destinations its previously never dared visit. That’s why twenty-two years after his …

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SILVETTI-SPRING RAIN.

SILVETTI-SPRING RAIN. Despite enjoying a career that lasted four decades, Bedu Silvetti is always remembered for his disco classic Spring Rain. It originally featured on Silvetti’s 1976 debut album World With Words. On its release as a single in January 1977, it reached number four in the US Disco Charts. Seven months later, Spring Rain …

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VERNON BURCH-WHEN I GET BACK HOME.

VERNON BURCH-WHEN I GET BACK HOME. There aren’t many artists who release their debut album when they’re just eighteen. Vernon Burch did. I’ll Be Your Sunshine was released on United Artists in 1975. That however, wasn’t the start of Vernon Burch’s career. No. By 1975, he was already a seasoned musician.  Before embarking on a …

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MONK MONTGOMERY-REALITY.

MONK MONTGOMERY-REALITY. Music was in Monk Montgomery’s blood, especially jazz music. His younger brothers were the legendary jazz guitarist Wes, while Buddy, played vibes and piano. Despite coming from a musical family, Monk’s professional career only started when he was thirty. He was a bassist, but unlike his predecessors, eschewed the double bass for the …

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AFROBEAT AIRWAYS 2-RETURN FLIGHT TO GHANA 1974-1983.

AFROBEAT AIRWAYS 2-RETURN FLIGHT TO GHANA 1974-1983. For anyone who loves African music, Analog Africa’s releases are essential listening. Their compilations are among the best compilations of African music available. The reason for this is simple, Analog Africa dig deeper than other reissue labels. They’ve been doing since 2005, when Samy Ben Rebjed founded Analog …

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CARL PERKINS-INTRODUCING.

CARL PERKINS-INTRODUCING. The story of jazz pianist Carl Perkins is one of what might have been. Despite being born with polio, Carl Perkins through sheer courage and determination, forged a career as a jazz pianist. Although best known for his work with the Curtist Counce Quintet, Carl played on recordings by Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, …

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NICOLA CONTE PRESENTS VIAGEM 5.

NICOLA CONTE PRESENTS VIAGEM 5. Over the last few years, there’s been a resurgence in interest in Brazilian music. Record companies have noticed this. They’ve released a whole raft of compilations of Brazilian music. For anyone who loves Brazilian music, this should be a bonus. Sadly, that’s not the case. Many of these compilations are …

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DEXTER GORDON-BLOWS HOT AND COOL.

DEXTER GORDON-BLOWS HOT AND COOL. Dexter Gordon it seems, was destined to be a jazz musician. Jazz music surrounded him. Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton were friends of his father, a Los Angeles doctor. Aged seven Dexter started playing the clarinet, but later, switched to the saxophone. After a dalliance with the alto saxophone, Dexter …

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THE BUDDY COLLETTE QUINTET-BUDDY’S BEAT.

THE BUDDY COLLETTE QUINTET-BUDDY’S BEAT. Describing Buddy Collette as a musician, is almost an understatement. Buddy was much more than that. Apart from being a multi-instrumentalist, he was an educator, civil rights activist and politician. He formed his first band when he was just twelve and made his professional debut aged just seventeen. After serving …

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THE CURTIS COUNCE QUINTET-EXPLORING THE FUTURE.

THE CURTIS COUNCE QUINTET-EXPLORING THE FUTURE. One of jazz’s best kept secrets is hard bop, double bassist Curtis Counce. He may not have enjoyed the longevity of many of his contemporaries, but was one of the leading lights of West Coast jazz. Curtis played alongside Teddy Charles, Shelly Manne, Lyle Murphy and Clifford Brown. Then …

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MARLENA SHAW-JUST A MATTER OF TIME.

MARLENA SHAW-JUST A MATTER OF TIME. For the first Lady of Blue Note, Marlena Shaw, 1975 saw her release the most successful album of her career, Who Is This Bitch Anyway? An innovative fusion of soul and jazz, Marlena explored feminist, sexual politics and social issues. This represented Marlena Shaw at the height of her …

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