Funky jazz and a touch of soul – all pulled from the short-lived but
legendary Mainstream Records – home to a whole host of hip artists in
the early half of the 70s! Mainstream picked things up from Impulse,
Prestige, and other soulful labels of the 60s – allowing jazz musicians
to stretch out with a new sense of expression, but often in ways that
hit a mighty nice groove – kind of a 70s update of the soul jazz modes
of the generation before, but with a few spiritual jazz touches too!
You'll know a few names here from older Blue Note recordings, and
they've got an updated 70s vibe, and are matched with some hip younger
talents too – all in a great array of grooves that's superbly selected
throughout.
On this killer album, cut in 1967 for the independent west coast label
Revue, the Harold Johnson Sextet has actually eight musicians. But the
core band is formed by Harold Johnson on piano, Jimmy Nash on bass,
Ronald Rutledge on drums and Billy Jackson on congas. The four reedsmen
show up occasionally, but place accents where needed. Especially
flautist David Crawford. This discovery is a real treat!
Incredibly consistent soul jazz LP that just grooves all the way
through. Had me scrambling to find their first LP as well which is as
good as this. Elements of the Blue Note label’s sound of the period can
be heard on this as well….the ones that had the hip hop folks scrambling
for samples. But the title track especially, along with 3-4 others will
stick in your head and beg repeated listenings.
Taste :
Harold Johnson Sextet – House On Elm Street (full album)
A Japanese take on the sound of late 60s Woodstock – one that kind of
takes all the best songs from the famous festival, then distills them
into a batch of short, tight, funky jazz instrumentals! The approach is
very cool – more funky than hippie, especially since the album begins
with a massive drum break – although the instrumentation does have some
nice fuzzy touches around the edges, particularly on some of the guitars
and maybe a bit of the keyboards.
Taste :
Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media – Woodstock Generation (full album)
Incredible work from the amazing Dorothy Ashby – a brilliant set of
funky and spiritual tunes, set to full backings from Chicago soul
arranger Richard Evans! This album is easily one of Ashby's greatest,
and it's dedicated to the writings of Omar Khayyam – one of the forces
guiding Dorothy's more spiritual sound at the end of the 60s, clearly
opened up in a way that's not unlike the direction of Alice Coltrane's
work, but a lot more focused and a lot more funky! Ashby not only plays
her usual jazz harp, but also koto as well, and even sings a bit too –
and the larger group directed by Evans features work by Stu Katz on
vibes and kalimba, Lenny Druss on flutes, and Cash McCall on guitar –
all in a groove that's really a precursor to the Earth Wind & Fire
generation of the Chicago scene!"
Taste :
Dorothy Ashby – The Rubaiyat Of Dorothy Ashby (full album)
Moore really extended his compositional range with this late 60s LP. He
improvises over more exotic song structures with an ease and melody
that bring home strongly what jazz missed when he started composing and
recording less regularly. A subtle, bustling rhythm section frames his
stylish keys beautifully.
Taste :
The Dudley Moore Trio - 120 Plus Optional Magic Exploding Cadence
The Real Ax Band was formed by Marlon Klein and Toffi Mache
in 1976. Between then and early 1977 people came and went while the
group played dozens of small concerts in Germany, Switzerland and
Austria. Early in 1977 the line-up that made their first and only album
coalesced when Ghana-born Maria Archer, Heinz-Otto Gwiasda and Dieter
Miekautsch entered the frame. Maria Archer and Dieter Miekautsch were
newly returned from Africa and were looking for a new band with whom
they could perform. Both had already worked with Embryo.
Band
mixed and matched rock, jazz, soul and Latino elements. In Maria Archer
the group had a vocalist who sounded real when singing English, not like
KrautRock's standard painful Anglo-American imitation. Their first
album was recorded in Sunrise Studio in Switzerland studio and released
on Schneeball (self-financed) in 2000 copies only. Each month they play
some ten to fifteen gigs.
Then things became a bit problematic :
three musicians had to go to hospital, and somebody stole their
uninsured sound systems and instruments . They stayed with 25 000 DM
debt for stolen devices and album release. After all pros and cons of
the situation were counted, the band decided to be disbanded.
Far out Scandinavian jazz session ! The music was supposed to be used
for a ballet on TV, can you imagine that ? It’s so groovy, so
psychedelic… Well, and there are some abstract funk breaks here too, and
a superb cover.
From the so-so material, production, and arrangements on this album, you
wouldn't guess that this was the same singer/songwriter responsible for
"Morning Dew." Recorded in Nashville, it's a forgettable period piece,
falling somewhere between singer/songwriter folk-rock and MOR
country-pop. Dobson has a nice high voice, but it's not outstanding, and
certainly can't compensate for lukewarm songs, whether written by
herself or others. And that brings up another issue with this LP: only
three of the twelve songs were penned by Dobson, and although some of
her choices of outside composers to cover were astute (Ralph McTell, Jackson Frank),
she didn't have enough personality to carry the tunes as an
interpretive artist. She sounds best when the arrangements are simplest,
which is rare on this record for instance, her version of "A Taste of
Honey" (yes, the same pop tune the Beatles
once covered) starts off well as a kind of folk arrangement, and then
gets dampened by horns. The best track is the original "Light Of Love"
a melancholy breakup song, though even this isn't so hot or
appropriately arranged.
Recorded live at the Jericho Club in Los Angeles, this album shows how
Ron Eliran captivates his audience with his special blend showmanship,
talent, and creativity.
Born September 26, 1945 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, passed away on November 9, 2022.
One of the most mindblowing albums ever recorded – anywhere, anytime!
This 1969 set stands as one of the greatest records ever cut by Gal
Costa – done at the height of the Tropicalia movement, and featuring a
sublime mix of styles that really gets the spirit of the movement right.
Arrangements are by the legendary Rogerio Duprat – who effortlessly
shifts the backings between stark electronics, sweet bossa, gliding
strings, jazzy piano, and baroque orchestrations that dance around with a
surprising amount of grooves! Tunes include some classics by Caetano
Veloso, Jorge Ben, and Gilberto Gil – served up in amazing new versions
by Gal and Duprat!
A fantastic album – with a really groovy approach! The record is the
only one we've ever seen from arranger Jean Leccia – and it's got a
two-vocal lead approach that's pretty darn great. Soul singer Pat
Henderson joins up with male vocalist Ed Whiting – in a style that's
part harmony, but which also has a focus on the solo leads from time to
time. Leccia's arrangements are a mix of bouncy jazz and dreamy pop –
sweet and slow at times, but with some majestically groovy moments at
others – baroquely skipping alone in a style that reminds us of some of
the best European vocal groovers of the time, mixed with a healthy dose
of California sunshine pop!
One of the first European recordings from Sahib Shihab – a classic set
that's the start of an amazing 60s run on the continent! Shihab here is
quite different than his American dates of the 50s – bolder, and
blowing with a really open, fluid sort of groove that marks a great
development in his sound – using baritone sax, soprano, and flute – a
range of instruments that really creates a wide range of feeling in the
set! The performance is a live one, and the group is great too – with
Allen Botschinsky on flugelhorn, Ole Molin on guitar, Niles Henning
Orsted Pedersen on bass, and both Alex Riel and Bjarne Rostvold on
drums.
The second amazing album from Placebo – a wicked mix of funky fusion
styles, and a real standout on the European scene of the early 70s! The
group's the brainchild of Marc Moulin – who wrote all tracks, and plays
a wealth of great keyboards, in ways that almost make him the European
equivalent of Herbie Hancock – especially in the way he can spaciously
explore a groove! But there's other great elements to the music too –
some tight funky rhythms, great horn parts, and some wicked guitar from
fusion legend Philip Catherine – whose snakey lines bring a quality to
the record that was in place on Placebo's first outing.
Killer funk British library on Rouge ! Soul City Orchestra's (aka DeWolfe in-house composers Chris Rae & Franck McDonald) 'Meal Ticket' on Rouge Music Ltd from 1977. A mixture of funk/disco/rock with an orchestra.
Αφιερωμένο στη μνήμη του ποιητή , ηθοποιού κι αγωνιστή Μανώλη
Μπαλλή.Ακούγονται στίχοι από την ποιητική συλλογή του Μανώλη Μπαλλή: "Το
Μουγγό Ουρλιαχτό του Μανώλη. Μουσική: Electric Looser Λόγια: Βάλια.
Ευχαριστούμε τον Κώστα, την Εύα και τη Μαριαλένα για το καλοκαιρινό δώρο
και ανταποδίδουμε.....
We’re delighted to announce the reissue of this ultra-rare LP, originally issued on JSR Records back in 1980.
Heavily influenced by the likes of Bobby Hutcherson and Roy Ayers,
‘Taking Care Of Business’ is full of positive, uptempo soul/jazz gems,
featuring Ted Coleman’s wonderful vibraphone playing throughout. Not
only did Coleman both sing and play piano, synth and vibes on the
record, but he also designed the artwork himself; a true DIY LP if ever
there was one. This DIY ethos even extended to the New Jersey label JSR
who originally pressed the LP, describing themselves as: “a new company
that helps working club bands that can sell their own records. JSR
artists spend no money for recording or production costs, and there are
no recording contracts.” This could well explain the album’s rarity,
with original copies selling on Discogs for eye-wateringly high prices.
Taste :
Ted Coleman Band - Due Consideration
Ted Coleman Band - What A Lovely Way To Spend A Lifetime
Η πορεία στο τραγούδι άρχισε για εκείνον στο Παρίσι όπου πήγε να
σπουδάσει ιατρική όπως ήθελε η οικογένειά του, αλλά κατέληξε να τραγουδά
σε καμπαρέ. «Ο πατέρας ήταν γιατρός και η μητέρα τραπεζικός. Εμένα με
κέρδισε το τραγούδι».
Ακολούθησε η τηλεόραση, όμως ο Σταύρος Ξαρχάκος είχε άλλα σχέδια για
εκείνον και τον έπεισε να επιστρέψει στην Ελλάδα. «Εκανα και πολλή
τηλεόραση. Δίπλα σε μεγάλους σαν τον Αζναβούρ, τον Ζιλμπέρ Μπεκό κ.ά.
Αλλά και στην Ιταλία με τον Τζιάνι Μοράντι. Ελειψα οκτώ χρόνια. Η
δουλειά πήγαινε πολύ καλά, ήμουν πανευτυχής, ήθελα να μείνω. Αλλά ο
Σταύρος Ξαρχάκος, στον οποίο οφείλω πολλά, με είδε εκεί και μου πρότεινε
να γυρίσω στην Ελλάδα. Στη Γαλλία βρήκα και τον Μίκη. Επειτα στην
Ελλάδα ήταν να τραγουδήσω ένα έργο του, τελικά το είπε μια άλλη κυρία.
Το μπαμ έγινε πράγματι το 1966 με τον Σταύρο και το “Ενα μεσημέρι”.
Επειτα το “Ονειρο απατηλό” του Καλδάρα και πόσα ακόμη». (23 Μαρτίου 1937 - 1 Οκτωβρίου 2022).
An ultra-hip treasure from the LA scene of the 60s – very obscure work
from the group of vibist Wayne Powell – a combo who sound even hipper
than they look on the cover! All tracks here are originals for the date
– and the group has Wayne leading an octet of Cali players, but with
the sharpness of a small combo jazz date – nice and raw around the
edges, with maybe even more bite overall than a Prestige Records session
of the time – thanks to excellent work on tenor, trombone, and trumpet –
sewn together with a bit of guitar, and strong use of baritone moving
between the rhythm and melody.
Obscure French album released on a Disques Bagatelle label. The music here is
composed by the great French conductor, arranger and flutist Jean Morlier! It’s all
progressive jazz and folk groove!!
A great little album of jazz funk – and the only record we've ever seen
by this group! The 3 Pieces may not have lasted long in the record
business, but this rare album from 1975 has made them legends on the
rare groove scene for years. The record was cut during the height of
the jazz funk years at Fantasy Records – and it features Donald Byrd
handling the production chores, in a similar manner to the style that he
used with the more famous Blackbyrds, who were also recording for
Fantasy the time. The record features loads of electric piano and ARP,
plus some tight and smooth guitar, and a nice rolling groove that is
very catchy.
Stunning funk from the great Dizzy Gillespie – light years away from his
early bop recordings! The album's a slammin batch of 70s instrumentals
– Dizzy's trumpet firmly in the lead over electric backings that have
more than a bit of funk in them – a bit like his Soul Salvation record,
and but slightly more open overall – with a groovy vibe throughout! The
bass is the main driving factor of the tunes – played either by Phil
Upchurch or Chuck Rainey – and the tracks bounce along with a fierce and
righteous groove that also includes hard riffing on guitar and some
sweet piano lines.
Turkish singer, tv host and actor known as "Superstar"
Ajda Pekkan was born in 12 February 1946, Beyoğlu, İstanbul. First single released in 1964.The second album "Fecri Ebcioğlu Sunar: Ajda Pekkan" released in 1969.
Global psychedelic grooves from Zambia – the tripped out sounds of
Witch! Witch works in a killer rock groove on Lazy Bones, with furious
rhythms, heavy drums and fuzzed out guitars. It's all nice and raw and
done with a really heady and fierce sense of groove – but there's some
more delicate moments with acoustic guitars, and a focus on melody, too –
but most tunes bring the a raw, echoing fuzz groove. The lyrics are in
English and many of their influences are western, but the African rock
groove is in full effect, particularly in the insistent rhythms.
The first-ever release of some incredible funky folk tunes from vocalist
Susan Christie – originally recorded as demos in the years before her
work at Columbia Records, and arguably even better than those classic
singles! Backings here are by John Hill, who inflects Susan's folksy
style with a heavier undercurrent – one that's subtly funky at the best
moments, and which also pushes fuller strings and more baroque
instrumentation into the mix – all in a way that almost sounds like
David Axlerod might, had he started making folk records!
This
thrilling 1971 album by Chicago is the last to feature the lengthy
song-cycle suites that characterized their 1969-1971 output. Bringing
together aspects of jazz rock, progressive rock (as it existed in 1971),
acid rock, and avant-garde influences, this also may be their most
experimental album - unlike the first two albums, there were no smash
hits on Chicago III. All
of the guys in Chicago were excellent musicians and the ensemble work
on the album is fantastic. Counterpoint, melodies, harmonies, and the
use of sophisticated meters are all used very well and make this album
an extremely interesting listening experience. The guys were great
vocalists too and they used the differences in the texture of their
voices very well - for example, Terry sang the heavier pieces, while
Peter sang the "sweeter", more melodic songs etc. Then there is the use
of instrumentation: great big-band type horn arrangements, searing
electric guitar, Danny Seraphines great drumming, Peter's fantastic
bass playing (he is criminally underrated)...whew, this is great stuff.
Speaking of Peter, he is one of the few rock bassists that can play a
convincing walking bass line and really drives each tune along.
Spiritual sounds and a heck of a lot more – served up by Ndiko Xaba, an
expatriate South African musician who was working in Oakland at the time
of this record – fusing together the roots of his homeland with some
wonderfully free and open American jazz styles! At times, there's a bit
of a Dollar Brand vibe in Xaba's piano – long lines, with a really
compelling pulse – but other times, the music opens up with the kind of
searching freedoms you'd hear on the AACM scene of the time – mixing
together righteous styles with inventive musical expression! The great
Plunky – of Oneness Of Juju fame – is in the group on tenor, soprano
sax, and flute – and the record also features Black Fire labelmate Lon
Moshe on vibes and percussion, plus additional percussion, bass, and
drums.
One of Chico's classic recordings for Impulse, and a weird batch of
tracks that have an off-beat sound to them that's hard to categorize.
The group includes Ernie Hayes on organ, Arnie Lawrence on alto, Larry
Coryell on guitar, and a guest appearance by Archie Shepp on piano.
On that night in 1972, the funk gods must have descended on a small club
in Indianapolis called the 19th Hole Night Club. Fifty years have
passed since that miraculous live performance. Finally, "In The Rain"
has been released as the 50th Anniversary Edition at 45RPM.
The intimate performance space that set the scene for Billy Wooten Live at The 19th Hole Night Club lives on in this 7” single from P-VINE, celebrating 50 years since the recording of The Wooden Glass. Billy Wooten’s trademark vibraphone would make its way through venues of all shapes and sizes in his native Indianapolis, and the active crowd chatter between tracks highlights a working musician early in his career. However, as Wooten’s playing cuts through the crowd on album highlight and a-side “In The Rain”, the band feel at one with the elements. Wooten’s mallets dispense delightful high tones, organs sound warm and cleansing while guitars offset with acid stabs of thunder. B-side “Day Dreaming” keeps the band rolling with a latin groove that rounds off the 50 year anniversary celebration in style.
This is the
last 50th title of the 45rpm vinyl marathon to commemorate P-Vine's
45th anniversary.
Taste :
The Wooden Glass Featuring Billy Wooten - In The Rain
Romantic Attitude is strong, rich and tender! Defined by
Fitch’s heartfelt vocals as they hurl out sonic highs and intense lows,
whilst soft backing vocals coax the gentle elements out. A heavy
melodic bass line guides the song giving depth and texture as a
contrasting jangly loop cuts through and punctuates. A gorgeous track!
Anadol is a psychedelic synth folk project by Gözen Atila, a Turkish
sound artist and photographer based in Berlin. Her third album Uzun
Havalar is based on collective improvisations of middle eastern folk
songs called „uzun hava“. They turn out as rich, atmospheric synth
ballads. A diverse roster of improvising musicians creates their
fascinating complexity. Anadol recorded them during extensive sessions
in Istanbul. You can hear drummers laughing and playing guitars,
composers howling, announcements in French and screams in no language,
record collectors playing oscillators, and trumpets through spacious
echoes.
Guerssen Records present a reissue of Dave Bixby's Ode To Quetzalcoatl,
originally released in 1969. Since its discovery in the late '90s, Dave
Bixby's legendary $2000 private press album from 1969 is considered by
all serious record collectors as the king in the loner/downer folk
genre. After being involved in '60s Michigan folk and garage-rock bands
such as The Shillelaghs and Peter & The Prophets,
Bixby started playing acoustic guitar and experimenting with LSD. After a
year of drug abuse, he felt broken. Starting a soul-searching,
spiritual journey, he wrote Ode To Quetzalcoatl and most of the material for his second album, Harbinger's Second Coming (1970) in just one month and a half. Assisted by fellow musician Brian MacInness, who played some guitar parts on the album, Dave recorded Quetzalcoatl
using an echo-laden four-track machine in a flat's living room. The
sound is lo-fi and sparse: just acoustic guitars and some occasional
harmonica and flute, added to Bixby's haunting, emotional vocals,
spiritual lyrics, and solid songwriting. The opening cut, the eerie and
painful "Drug Song" sets the mood perfectly for the rest of the album
which contains more tormented titles like "666", "Lonely Faces", "Open
Doors", "Secret Forest" -- never has an acoustic folk album sounded so
intense.
A real treasure from the South African scene of the 60s – and the kind
of record that we thought wasn't being made until the following decade!
Tenorist Winston Mankunku Ngozi rivals the genius of Coltrane and Wayne
Shorter here – both artists to whom he dedicates a key track on the
album – and the record's hardly just a South African jazz effort, as
it's got this long-flowing spiritual energy that rivals some of the best
American work on Impulse or Blue Note at the time – but, like the best
of those records, never does so in any sort of slavish way at all!
Instead, Ngozi really finds his own voice here – blowing tenor with a
great amount of depth, in a quartet that often hits these modal currents
that work great with his horn – a lineup that features Lionel Pillay on
piano, Agrippa Magwaza on bass, and Early Mabuza on drums.
An overlooked 60s pop gem from Margo Guryan – probably best known as the
writer of the "Sunday Morning" hit for Spanky & Our Gang, but an
equally great singer on her own! Margo's got a style that's towards the
hipper side of girl pop in the late 60s – but one that's also free from
singer/songwriter modes too – an approach that's never too serious, yet
which often has a nice undercurrent of darkness in the mix. Production
is somewhat poppy, but not in a commercial way – and we might well say
that Guryan's work here has that same great balance of elements we love
in the Mercury recordings by Spanky & Our Gang.
1 Toru Takemitsu - Searching for fantasy 2 The Gripsweats - Gripsweats Theme 3 Bobby Jones - Welcome Back A Foolish Man 4 Antonio Castro - W.E.L.F.A.R.E 5 Innersouls - Thoughts 6 Sunny and the Sunliners - Put Me In Jail 7 John Fitch & Associates - Romantic Attitude 8 Boco - Running The Mardi Gras 9 Hugh Masekela - Grazing In The Grass 10 Hugh Masekela - Riot 11 Young Holt Unlimited - Country Slicker Joe 12 Tania Maria With Boto And Helio - Fio Maravilha 13 Bossa 70 - Si Voce Pensa 14 The Moon People - Land Of Love 15 Black Sugar - Too Late 16 The Judy Roberts - Never Was Love 17 Ελπίδα - Στείλε δυό φιλιά 18 The Wooden Glass - In The Rain
The Nineteenth Whole were an Indianapolis-based funky jazz outfit who
were part of a very vibrant scene. Jazz guitar legend ‘Grant Green’ had
originally hailed from there and he recruited the members of the 19th
Whole as his rhythm section for live dates. (Green also discovered the
other great Indianapolis jazz outfit Funk Inc. at about this time.) The
attention that followed their work with Green allowed the Nineteenth
Whole to sign with producer Bob Porter (responsible for many superb jazz
productions for Prestige and Atlantic) on Eastbound, a label he had set
up with Detroit independent Westbound Records.
Fronted by Billy Wooten’s distinctive vibes, joined by guitar legend
Cornell Dupree (you all know his opening riff on the intro of Aretha
Franklin’s ‘Respect’) and percussionist Buddy Caldwell (THE session musician for respected labels such as Prestige & Muse) makes Smilin’ an organ funk groove classic at its best!
Recorded in 1972 by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder (known for
recording Miles Davis in the early 1950’s and the countless work he did
for Blue Note, Prestige, Verve .. and many others) at the Indianapolis
club that gave the band their Eastbound name: ‘The Nineteenth Whole’.
Production on the album was handled by Bob Porter (responsible for many
superb jazz productions for Prestige and Atlantic).
Top notch Library LP by Frank And The Top Ten (aka Jürgen Franke aka Frank Mantis)! This LP features tune after tune of amazing grooves, all tracks on this are outstanding, it is full of wicked fuzz guitar, fine hammond organ, cool flute, heavy drum breaks and percussion…real hot, a total banger!
A folk funk classic from the early 70s – and a weird little record that
has a sound that's unlike anything else we can think of! The
arrangements are quite soulful, almost funky at times – with a righteous
undercurrent that reminds us of Richard Evans or Charles Stepney at
Cadet Records. But the vocals – by singer Barbara Massey – have a
flanged-out quality that's clearly overdubbed, creating a double-voiced
sound that's almost a bit like Brasil 66! This mix of modes is really
great – completely unique, and sublime throughout – with a vibe that was
years ahead of its time, and which is finally beginning to get some
recognition these many years later. Arrangements are by the pair, but
Deodato also had a hand in the record too – and the core combo of
musicians includes Grady Tate on drums, Ralph McDonald on percussion,
and Sam Brown on guitar – alongside more guitars from Ernie and
keyboards and piano from Barbara.
A really legendary group from the underground 70s scene in Chicago – one
who've got all the chops and capabilities of the bigger groups of the
time, but who never fully got their due – maybe in part because of the
racy image on the album's cover! The group are a sharp funky ensemble
–and work with a hard jamming sound that's clearly influenced by the
city's Earth Wind & Fire, but not nearly as slick or as broadly
spiritual in scope – more like the grit of the funky 45 generation has
been littered into the grooves of a full length record! The standout
cut on the album is the 20 minute "Open Soul" – an album-side jammer
that has lots of vamping and hard grooving, and just a little bit of
singing – but the other side's equally great, with shorter soul tracks
that have a nice harmony vocal approach.
Part of a great move forward for Japanese drummer George Otsuka in the
70s – a player who'd really made some great waves with his trio material
at the end of the 60s, but who found a way deepen his groove with a
larger group on records like this – really standing out as one of the
most spiritual players on his scene at the time! The players are all in
Japanese, so we can't tell you their names – but the quintet feature an
excellent reedman who blows both soprano sax and tenor, a deep-voiced
trumpeter, and a pianist who also serves up a fair bit of Fender Rhodes
too – both elements used in a really strong way over these long tracks
on the set, which have a similar blend of soul and spirit as the best
Japanese Columbia jazz sessions of the time.
An incredible treasure of Brazilian music – an obscure but landmark set
from the great Jose Mauro, and one of the few records ever issued on the
legendary Quartin label! There's a soaring brilliance here that easily
matches the best early 70s work from Milton Nascimento and Edu Lobo –
with perhaps some of the more complicated styles that Marcos Valle was
also bringing to his music at the time too – all wrapped up with just
the right mix of full orchestrations, acoustic guitar, and lead vocals
from Jose. Production is amazing – possibly one of the best studio
efforts ever from Roberto Quartin – and although issued on a tiny label,
the record stands head and shoulders with the giants of MPB in the
early 70s.
Late 60s big band funk cuts galore! This LP gem is high in demand and
fetches ridiculous prices at auctions. Two true masters of French jazz –
Michel Colombier and Ivan Jullien - teamed up in 1970 with other well
known musicians from the French scene to record this excellent album at
the famous Barclay Studios in Paris. The music was composed and played
by Colombier and Jullien together with an allstar ensemble of finest
studio players. Famous drummer André Arpino can be heard aswell as
hammond master Eddy Louiss, Maurice Vander on piano, Raymond Gimenez on
electric guitar or Roger Guérin on trumpet. “Riviera Sound No.1” stands
out as one of the perfect moments in French jazz funk, never reissued
before and remaining on top of collector`s lists since years. There are
not many facts to be found about this vinyl artefact, although nearly
everybody of the featured musicians earned himself an excellent
worldwide reputation.
The ten piece horn section delivers a great funky big band style
from start to finish, very groovy and always with this special
mediterranean Riviera vibe. Wicked jazz funk is mixed with soundtrack or
drama library sounds, like “Opening”, that was also released on an
impossible to find 45 single in the same year. “Crescendo” tears up
every dancefloor, while “Talk” provides a monster open drum break at the
beginning. Softer titles like “Edith” or “The Looser” draw their
inspiration from cool jazz, modern jazz or pop music of the time. “I
Remember Otis” is a soul and funk infused tribute to Otis Redding in a
delicate Majestics or Mohawks style and the perfect groover “Wake The
Monster” was re-recorded by Ivan Jullien later on for the always in
demand Italian mod beat band “I Pyranas”.
Ζούσα στη μακρινή Νορβηγία. Τρελαμένος ανεβοκατέβαινα την Karl Johans όταν άκουσα μια φωνή μαγική να τραγουδά στο δρόμο. Πήγα κοντά (στον John Dunne),είχε
μαζέψει πολύ κόσμο και άκουσα όλο του το σετ μέσα στο κρύο.
Τελειώνοντας
του έπιασα κουβέντα και του ζήτησα να πάμε για μια μπύρα. Δέχτηκε.Μου
πε πως είναι Ιρλανδός και γενικά πήγαινε όπου τον πήγαινε η μοίρα του
για να τη βγάλει. Έπινε...σαν Ιρλανδός!!
Per Sveinson (Bass)
Του είπα να μείνει στο σπίτι μου εκείνο το
ΣΚ δεν είχε και κάπου να πάει....Ήρθε! Παίξαμε μαζί και ταιριάξαμε από τη πρώτη στιγμή. Του έπαιξα δικά μου πράματα,μου έπαιξε δικά του και για να μην τα πολυλογώ αρχίσαμε να βρισκόμαστε συχνά να γράφουμε τραγούδια και να φτιάξουμε μπάντα. Είχα ένα αργεντινό φίλο τον Luis και του ζήτησα
να παίξει μαζί μας. Είπα και στο κάλο μου φίλο Per Sveinson να παίξει μπάσο. Tο
γκρουπ ολοκληρώθηκε με τον
Bengt Jenssen κιμπορντίστα των Aunt Mary που γούσταρε τη φάση. Αρχίσαμε να εμφανιζόμαστε σαν Medusa δεξιά κι αριστερά,ερχόταν κόσμος να μας δει να μας κεράσει να περάσει καλά. Ηχογραφήσαμε και το πρώτο μας άλμπουμ μέχρι που πιάσανε τον John Dunne και τον απέλασαν. Χάλασε η φάση...
Luis Maria Gambolini (Drums)
Eμενα λίγο αργότερα μου ζήτησαν να παίξω στους Lumbago, υπέγραψα σε μεγάλη εταιρεία.... τα υπόλοιπα είναι λίγο πολύ γνωστά σε όσους με παρακολουθούν.
Bengt Jensen (Keyboards)
Έχω μια κακιά συνήθεια να κρατάω όλες μου τις ηχογραφήσεις. Κι έτσι τώρα κυκλοφορούν σχεδόν όλα μου τα άλμπουμ στη Νορβηγία σε cd. Έψαξα και ότι είχα από τη Μedusa. Και προς μεγάλη μου συγκίνηση βρήκα 4 κομμάτια από αυτά που ετοιμάζαμε με τον John αλλά που δυστυχώς δεν έγινε εφικτό να παίξουμε λόγω απέλασης. Έκανα λοιπόν ένα καινούργιο ρεμιξ που είναι πιο σύγχρονο αλλά στα αυτιά μου μια κατάθεση ψυχής για μια εποχή που οι ηχογραφήσεις είχαν ψυχή και όχι μετρονόμο κι ας γινόντουσαν λάθη. Δε
γ@@@@ς! Θανάσης Ζλατάνος.
Medusa was a multi racial quintet with Greek, Irish, Norwegian and
Argentinean members. Thanasis Zlatanos (guitar) John Dunne (vocals)
Bengt Jensen (keyboards) Per Sveinson (bass) and Luis Maria Gambolini
(drums).
LP: Medusing (1979) Recorded in Norway in 1979 but shelved until 2003
when a Greek label Ikaros Music rescued it from oblivion. Prog Jazz Rock.
Taste :
John Dunne & Thanasis Zlatanos- Spread Your Wings (members from Medusa)
