Category Archives: Jazz
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 …
AMANDA WHITING-AFTER DARK.
Amanda Whiting-After Dark. Label: Jazzman Records. Format: CD. Nowadays, Alice Coltrane and Dorothy Ashby are regarded as two of the greatest jazz harpists. Their music was ambitious and innovative and has influenced and inspired several generations of musicians. This includes Welsh jazz harpist Amanda Whiting whose music has undoubtably been influenced by the two jazz …
CHESTER THOMPSON-POWERHOUSE.
Chester Thompson-Powerhouse. Label: Real Gone Music. Format: CD. During the late-sixties and early seventies, many small independent jazz labels were founded in towns and cities across America. Sadly, many were short-lived affairs with some releasing just one album and others closing their doors having released just a couple of albums. However, Black Jazz Records released …
CULT CLASSIC: ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS-ROOTS AND HERBS.
Cult Classic: Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers-Roots and Herbs. Nowadays, many music historians believe that The Jazz Messengers made their live debut in 1954 and a year later recorded At the Cafe Bohemia, Volumes 1 and 2 on November the ‘23rd’ 1955. It featured the original lineup of drummer Art Blakey, bassist Doug Watkins, …
CULT CLASSIC: ROLAND HAYNES-2ND WAVE.
Cult Classic: Roland Haynes-2nd Wave. Forty-five years ago in 1975, Roland Haynes released his debut album 2nd Wave on the Detroit-based Black Jazz Records. The label was founded by Gene Russell and Dick Schory and released twenty albums between 1971 and 1975. 2nd Wave was the label’s penultimate release and it folded later in 1975. …
KOHSUKE MINE-FIRST.
Kohsuke Mine-First. Label: BBE. Format: CD. Nowadays, the most important period in the development of J-Jazz is between late-sixties through to the early eighties. That’s regarded as a crucial period in the development of modern jazz in Japan. During that period, many Japanese composers and musicians and bands released ambitious and innovative music that astounded …
IAN CARR-BELLADONNA.
Ian Carr-Belladonna. Label: Mr Bongo. Format: CD. In 1969, thirty-six year old Ian Carr who was born Dumfries, in the South West Scotland, formed Nucleus who would become one of the top British fusion groups. By then, the Scottish trumpeter was a familiar face on the London jazz scene. He had been member of the …
CULT CLASSIC: DUKE PEARSON FEATURING BOBBY HUTCHERSON-THE PHANTOM.
Cult Classic: Duke Pearson Featuring Bobby Hutcherson-The Phantom. By June 1968, Atlanta-born pianist Duke Pearson was thirty-five, and was about to begin record the twelfth album of his career, The Phantom. It would be the seventh album he had recorded for Blue Note Records since he first signed for the label in 1959, and later …
CULT CLASSIC: ESTHER PHILLIPS-WHAT A DIFF’RENCE A DAY MAKES.
Cult Classic: Esther Phillips-What A Diff’rence A Day Makes. Despite releasing eighteen albums during a career that lasted thirty-five years most people haven’t heard of Esther Phillips. That’s a great shame because she was one of the most talented, versatile and underrated singers of her generation. She possessed a totally unique and unmistakable voice and her versatility allowed …
CULT CLASSIC: WALTER BISHOP JR-CORAL KEYS.
Cult Classic: Walter Bishop Jr-Coral Keys. In 1971, Gene Russell and Dick Schory founded Black Jazz Records and later that year, the nascent label released their first release. This was Doug Carn’s debut album Infant Eyes. It was the first of twenty albums that the label released between 1971 and 1975. Later in 1971, Black …
CULT CLASSIC: DR JOHN-IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD.
Cult Classic: Dr John-In A Sentimental Mood. There aren’t many musicians who enjoy the longevity that the late, great Dr John enjoyed. His career lasted the best part of sixty years and he released thirty studio albums and nine live albums. Dr John also won six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and …
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