Category Archives: Jazz
GENE RUSSELL-TALK TO MY LADY.
Gene Russell-Talk To My Lady. Label: Real Gone Music. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘5th’ March 2021. As 1973 dawned, LA-based Black Jazz Records had already released nine albums since 1971. Its first release was Gene Russell’s critically acclaimed sophomore album New Direction. However, another two years passed before the LA-born pianist returned with the followup. …
HENRY FRANKLIN-THE SKIPPER.
Henry Franklin-The Skipper. Label: Real Gone Music. Format: CD. Release Date: ‘5th’ March 2021. When pianist Gene Russell and percussionist Dick Schory founded Black Jazz Records in Oakland, California, in 1969, the nascent label’s raison d’être was “to promote the talents of young African American jazz musicians and singers.” This was only part of their …
HERBIE HANCOCK-MY POINT OF VIEW.
Herbie Hancock-My Point Of View. Label: Blue Note Records. Format: LP. By the time Herbie Hancock signed to Blue Note Records, the Chicago-born pianist was just twenty-two, and had already worked with Donald Byrd and Coleman Hawkins. On May the ‘28th’ 1962, he recorded his debut solo album Takin’ Off which featured the jazz standard …
J JAZZ: DEEP MODERN JAZZ FROM JAZZ VOLUME 3.
J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan Volume 3. Label: BBE Music. Format: 2CD. Nowadays, the most important period in the development of J-Jazz is the 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 …
CLASSIC ALBUM: THE OHIO PLAYERS-PAIN.
Classic Album: The Ohio Players-Pain. It wasn’t until The Ohio Players signed with Westbound, and released their sophomore album Pain in 1972, that commercial success came the way of a group that was founded in 1959. Originally, they were known as The Ohio Untouchables, and had a chequered history. Initially, The Ohio Untouchables lineup featured …
CULT CLASSIC: BOILLAT THERACE QUINTET-BOILLAT THERACE QUINTET.
Cult Classic: Boillat Thérace Quintet-Boillat Thérace Quintet. By 1974, the Swiss jazz scene was thriving, and the Montreux Jazz Festival which had been launched in 1967, was in its eight year. The organisers had surpassed themselves with what was an all-star lineup Between the ‘2nd’ and ‘7th’ July 1974, the great and good of jazz arrived at …
CULT CLASSIC: SUN RA-CELESTIAL LOVE.
Cult Classic: Sun Ra-Celestial Love. Nowadays, maybe music journalists are guilty of using the words innovator and musical pioneer all too freely, but that is the perfect description of the inimitable Sun Ra. He’s quite rightly regarded as one of the true pioneers of free jazz and a truly innovative and influential musician who pushed musical boundaries …
CULT CLASSIC: ANDREW HILL-SMOKE STACK.
Cult Classic: Andrew Hill-Smoke Stack. By the time Chicago-born pianist Andrew Hill released his sophomore album Black Fire on Blue Note Records in 1964, he was already thirty-two, and was making up for lost time. He had only started to play the piano when he was thirteen but made rapid progress. Earl Hines spotted …
CULT CLASSIC: ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS-JUST COOLIN’.
Cult: Classic: Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers-Just Coolin’. Although Philly-born tenor saxophonist Benny Golson’s tenure with The Jazz Messengers was short-lived, he still played an important part in the development and history of the group. He joined in 1958, and during the summer, helped Art Blakey recruit three new Messengers. They were all from …
CALVIN KEYS-SHAWN-NEEQ.
Calvin Keys-Shawn-Neeq. Label: Real Gone Music. Format: CD. 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 recently reissued on CD by Real Gone Music. It was the fifth album that the new label released during …
SPIRITUAL JAZZ 13: NOW! PART TWO.
Spiritual Jazz 13: Now! Part Two. Label: Jazzman Records. Format: CD. Nowadays, there aren’t many compilation series’ that are still going strong after thirteen years and thirteen volumes. However, Jazzman Records’ critically acclaimed compilation and commercially successful Spiritual Jazz seems to be going from strength-to-strength. Recently, the label released Spiritual Jazz 13: Now! Part One and Two which are …
CULT CLASSIC: KENNY DORHAM-TROMPETA TOCCATO.
Cult Classic: Kenny Dorham-Trompeta Toccato. On December the ‘15th’ 1953, twenty-nine year old Texan trumpeter Kenny Dorham had already been a member of Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Eckstine and Lionel Hampton big bands and had joined Charlie Parker’s Quintet in December 1948. Less than five years later, and the sideman embarked upon a solo career when …
CULT CLASSIC: CATAPILLA-CHANGES.
Cult Classic: Catapilla- Changes. The story of Catapilla is another case of what might have been. They were formed in West London around Christmas 1970, and signed to Vertigo Records and released two ambitious and innovative albums where they combined progressive rock with experimental fusion. Sadly, neither their 1971 debut album Catapilla, nor the followup …
PATCHWORK-MEAN AND DIRTY.
Patchwork-Mean and Dirty. Label: De Wolfe Music Library. Format: LP. Nowadays, library music is highly collectable, especially the albums released by KPM, Amphonic, Conroy, Sonoton and De Wolfe between the late-sixties and early eighties. That is regarded by many collectors as a golden age for library music. This is ironic as the albums of library music were never …
SPIRITUAL JAZZ 13: NOW! PART ONE.
Spiritual Jazz 13: Now! Part One. Label: Jazzman Records. Format: CD. Little did anyone at Jazzman Records know when they released Spiritual Jazz (Esoteric, Modal and Deep Jazz From The Underground 1968-77) in 2008, that this was the first instalment in what would become their longest-running and most successful compilation series. Over the next thirteen …
CULT CLASSIC: EDDIE HARRIS-THE IN SOUND.
Classic Classic: Eddie Harris-The In Sound. When Eddie Harris released The In Sound on Atlantic Records in late 1965, the Chicago born jazz saxophonist was thirty-four, and had already established a reputation as a versatile, inventive and innovative musician. That was despite only releasing his debut album Exodus To Jazz on Vee-Jay Records in 1961. …
CULT CLASSIC: HANK MOBLEY-POPPIN’.
Cult Classic: Hank Mobley-Poppin’. Musically, Hank Mobley was a late starter, and first picked up a saxophone was when he was sixteen, and suffering from an illness that meant he had to stay at home for several months. By then, he was living in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and was finding that the days were long …
CULT CLASSIC: LEE MORGAN-THE RUMPROLLER.
Cult Classic: Lee Morgan-The Rumproller. In 1964, twenty-six year old hard bop trumpeter Lee Morgan’s career was transformed when he enjoyed a crossover hit with The Sidewinder. Instantly recognisable and incredibly catchy, it became a jazz standard and nowadays, is regarded as Lee Morgan’s best known composition. Buoyed by the success of the single, Blue Note …
CLASSIC ALBUM: JIMI HENDRIX-BAND OF GYPSYS.
Classic Album: Jimi Hendrix-Band Of Gypsys. When the Jimi Hendrix Experience took to the stage at the Denver Pop Festival in June 1969, bassist Noel Redding knew it was his swansong with the group. He had been told by a journalist before the show that he was going to be replaced by Billy Cox. It …
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