Tag Archives: Ace Records

SAM DEES-IT’S OVER-70s SONGWRITER DEMOS AND MASTERS.

SAM DEES-IT’S OVER-70s SONGWRITER DEMOS AND MASTERS. Sometimes, for whatever, reason, an artist doesn’t enjoy the commercial success and critical acclaim they deserve. Instead, their music is only enjoyed a discerning circle of music lovers. That’s the case with Sam Dees. He is, without doubt, one of soul music’s best kept secrets. Sam Dees could’ve, …

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THE FIFTY BEST REISSUES OF 2014-PART 2.

THE FIFTY BEST REISSUES OF 2014-PART 2 CRYSTAL WINGS-FIRST FLIGHT. The story behind Crystal Wings began in 1981. That’s when Crystal Wings released their debut single, Signs Of Winter’s Time. This was a Paul Coleman and Joyce Alicia Lagrone composition. It was recorded at Chicago’s Streeterville Recording Studio. Producing Signs Of Winter’s Time was Paul …

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THE FIFTY BEST REISSUES OF 2014-PART 4.

THE FIFTY BEST REISSUES OF 2014-PART 4. TERRY REID-RIVER. By 1973, Terry Reid’s contract with Mickie Most was over. Now Terry’s career could resume. He signed to Atlantic Records and began work on his third solo album, River, which was rereleased by BGO Records during 2014. Produced by Yes’ Eddy Offord and Tom Dowd, River …

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THE FIFTY BEST REISSUES OF 2014-PART 5.

THE FIFTY BEST REISSUES OF 2014-PART 5. GEORGE RUSSELL PRESENTS THE ESOTERIC CIRCLE. With Norwegian music going through something of a renaissance, it’s fitting that George Russell Presents The Esoteric Circle has reissued by BGP Records, a subsidiary of Ace Records. George Russell Presents The Esoteric Circle was one of the most important albums in …

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THE FIFTY BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2014-PART 1.

THE FIFTY BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2014-PART 1. As 2014 draws to a close, it’s time to compile my fifty best compilations of 2014. So, here goes. A BLUES TRIBUTE TO CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. A Blues Tribute To Creedence Clearwater Revival was the third instalment in Cleopatra Records’ Tribute To series.  Twelve tracks from Creedence Clearwater …

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THE FIFTY BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2014-PART 2.

THE FIFTY BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2014-PART 2. DISCO: A FINE SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT DISCO, MODERN SOUL AND BOOGIE 1978-82. After the death of disco in 1979, boogie and Modern Soul provided the soundtrack to dance-floors. This includes the music on Soul Jazz Records’ compilation Disco: A Fine Selection of Independent Disco, Modern Soul and Boogie …

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THE FIFTY BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2014-PART 3.

THE FIFTY BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2014-PART 3. KENT’S CELLAR OF SOUL VOLUME 3. Eight years after the release of Kent’s Cellar Of Soul Volume 2, Kent Soul have belatedly released the followup, Kent’s Cellar Of Soul Volume 3. It’s been well worth the wait. The Kent’s Cellar Of Soul seems to mature like a fine …

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THE FIFTY BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2014-PART 5.

THE FIFTY BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2014-PART 5. STRANGE BREAKS AND MR. THING III. One of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed compilation series made a welcome return in May 2014. That’s Strange Breaks and Mr. Thing III. It’s been a long time coming. Five years in fact. So, after a five year back, Mr. …

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SPEAK EASY THE RPM RECORDS STORY VOLUME 2 1954-1957.

SPEAK EASY THE RPM RECORDS STORY VOLUME 2 1954-1957. RPM Records was founded by Hollywood based, musical entrepreneur, Jules Bihari, in 1949. This was the second subsidiary of Modern Records, which Jules had founded with his brothers Saul, Joe and Lester in 1944. A year later, Modern Records enjoyed its first hit single. This came …

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POWDER-KA POW! AN EXPLOSIVE COLLECTION 1967-1968.

POWDER-KA POW! AN EXPLOSIVE COLLECTION 1967-1968. Usually, American music influences the rest of the world. That’s definitely been the case with British music. Where American music headed, British music tended to follow. In 1964, however, American music was influenced by British music. The British Invasion of 1964, had a huge affect on American music. By …

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BONNIE DOBSON SINGS SHE’S LIKE A SWALLOW AND OTHER FOLK SONGS.

BONNIE DOBSON SINGS SHE’S LIKE A SWALLOW AND OTHER FOLK SONGS. Bonnie Dobson’s career began during the early sixties folk boom. She had one of the most distinctive voices of the folk era. Clear and powerful, Bonnie’s distinctive voice breathed life, meaning and emotion into folk songs old and new. This included songs penned by …

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HOUSTON PERSON-HOUSTON PERSON 75 AND GET OUT’A MY WAY.

HOUSTON PERSON-HOUSTON PERSON 75 AND GET OUT’A MY WAY. Growing up, Houston Person played the piano. Later, Houston switched to tenor saxophone. However, Houston Person never dreamt of being a musician. That wasn’t how he saw his future. Instead, Houston joined the US Army. During his tour of duty, Houston was stationed in West Germany. …

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BO KIRKLAND AND RUTH DAVIS-YOU’RE GONNA GET NEXT TO ME-THE COMPLETE CLARIDGE RECORDINGS.

BO KIRKLAND AND RUTH DAVIS-YOU’RE GONNA GET NEXT TO ME-THE COMPLETE CLARIDGE RECORDINGS. By 1976, disco was providing the soundtrack to dance-floors worldwide. Originally, however, disco was an American phenomenon. Gradually, though, the rest of the world succumbed to the disco sound. Around the world, dancers danced to the pulsating disco beat. However, disco’s popularity …

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SARAH VAUGHAN-A TIME IN MY LIFE.

SARAH VAUGHAN-A TIME IN MY LIFE. By 1971, when Sarah Vaughan released A Time In My Life on Mainstream Records, she had established a reputation as one of jazz’s premier vocalists. She had come a long way since winning the Amateur Night at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, in 1942. Back then, Sarah was just eighteen. The …

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PRESTON LOVE’S OHAMA-BAR B-Q.

PRESTON LOVE’S OHAMA-BAR B-Q. Preston Love was already forty-eight by the time he decided to climb onboard the funk bandwagon. He’d  had a long and varied career. This began back in the swing era, when Preston was an assured balladeer and alto saxophonist. He played in Nat Towles, Lloyd Hunter, Snub Mosley, Lucky Millinder and …

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BLUE MITCHELL-BLUE MITCHELL.

BLUE MITCHELL-BLUE MITCHELL. Despite  a recording career that spanned twenty-nine years, and over twenty albums,  Florida born trumpeter, Blue Mitchell, never enjoyed the same critical acclaim that many of his contemporaries enjoyed. Blue wasn’t perceived as a groundbreaking musician. However, he enjoyed a successful career, touring widely and releasing a string of successful albums.  His …

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HADLEY CALIMAN-HADLEY CALIMAN.

HADLEY CALIMAN-HADLEY CALIMAN. Although Hadley Caliman had worked as a sideman for Dexter Gordon and Art Farmer, he didn’t release his eponymous debut album until he was thirty-nine. This wasn’t down to a lack of talent. Far from it. Hadley Caliman was one of the most talented tenor saxophonists and flautists of his generation. Instead, it …

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FOLLOW ME DOWN-VANGUARD’S LOST PSYCHEDELIC ERA 1966-70.

FOLLOW ME DOWN-VANGUARD’S LOST PSYCHEDELIC ERA 1966-70. Mention Vanguard Records, and most people will think of their blues and folk releases. Very few people will think of Vanguard Records as a psychedelic label. However, between 1966 and 1970, A&R men Sam Charters and Maynard Solomon  Sam Charters decided that Vanguard Records should climb onboard the psychedelic …

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NIPPON GIRLS 2-JAPANESE POP, BEAT AND ROCK ’N’ ROLL 1965-1970.

NIPPON GIRLS 2-JAPANESE POP, BEAT AND ROCK ’N’ ROLL 1965-1970. It was five years ago, that Big Beat International, a subsidiary of Ace Records, released Nippon Girls- Japanese Pop, Beat and Bossa Nova 1966-1970 to critical acclaim. For many people, this was their introduction to the  groovy, eclectic sounds of sixties Japanese pop. What an …

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