1976’s Seagulls and Sunflowers is Naomi Lewis’ second album. This is the
result of a young songwriter’s dream. She was involved in all the
process from songwriting to vinyl pressing to be sure that her second
album was exactly as she wanted it to be. And It worked. Acclaimed by
genre fans, Seagulls and Sunflowers is Naomi’s masterwork. Lewis’ songs
are equally inspired by popular music like The Beatles and Joni Mitchell
as psychedelic sounds and her lyrics spill out as small diary entries,
written as gifts for one friend or another. Blending touchstones of soft
rock, pop and dreamy singer-songwriters with Lewis’ cherubic voice, her
albums have been praised as pinnacles of the privately- issued folk
movement of the 1970s.
We're excited to release this stunning Italian soundtrack originally
issued in 1976 which is widely considered a true holy grail of the genre
and Funk Exotica masterpiece. Originally composed by maestro and
orchestra conductor Alberto Baldan Bembo for the movie soundtrack "Ecco
lingua d'argento", starring the sexy Carmen Villani. The album includes
many spellbinding and powerful grooves filled with great basslines, dope
wah wah and killer Funky sounds a countless amount of drum beats with
dancing Fender Rhodes, Disco-Funk arrangements with driving tropical
percussions, dreamy cinematic strings and sexy female chorus harmonize.
Taste :
Alberto Baldan Bembo - Lingua D'Argento (full album)
First of its kind for Funk Embassy Records, the compilers have dug the
archives of Estonian Radio for funk, soul-jazz, disco, instrumentals,
library music and covers. Influences from West made it to Soviet Estrada
musicians on one hand; to rock, jazz, folk and fusion artists on the
other. Recorded between 1974-1988, this is the sound of Estonian artists
as heard at music halls, stadiums, radio, TV shows and cafeterias.
Selection ranges from folk-funk, psychedelic soul, dancefloor certified
disco, Isaac Hayes reminiscent blues-funk, contemplative jazz-funk,
Piero Umiliani-esque library music, funk-rock, in-your-face b-boy break
to a flute-led master piece by Uno Naissoo – one of the founders of the
Estonian jazz scene who organized the notorious Tallinn Jazz Festivals
(1949-1967).
Some of the tracks were unreleased - instrumental versions by the
Estonian TV and Radio Estrada Orchestra "Kesköösamba" (1977); and
"Mälestuste Teel" (1974, trnl. “On The Road of Memories”) carried by a
sentiment that predicts composer Raivo Tammik’s escape to Germany a year
later; a cover of Carita Holmström, "Näed vaid oma silmi" with the
former Soviet child star Tiiu Varik belting her unique-timbred guts out. Inspired by the resurgence of the
spirit of Funk around the globe, the compilers have taken the intention
to give a taste of Estonian music in the bygone Soviet era during which
the government attempted to control the artists and music being made.
Nevertheless, a lot of influences made it through, as Estonia was the
westernmost country in the USSR. By all means, the selection isn't
all-encompassing. It's just resonating with represses coming from all
over the world that exhibit music with an exotically local touch.
Taste :
Valter Ojakäär - Rasked veosed
Eesti tv & Raadio Estraadiorkester - Kesköösamba (instrumentaal) Marju Kuut - Üksi, kuid vabana
Wonderful work by Nina -- the kind of record that once made purists turn
up their noses, but which is now being rediscovered as a unique
jazz/soul crossover album, filled with loads of nice moments! The
instrumentation's pretty darn interesting -- and includes sitar, harp,
Spanish guitar, and other odd percussion instruments.
The two musicians, who had also worked together on the masterpiece
“Feelings” (1974), have often collaborated and delivered some of the
best Italian library music of all time. “Musica per commenti sonori” is
certainly one of the most interesting. On the two equally split sides of
this LP, the first for Torossi and the second for Brugnolini (but it
seems that this partition was exclusively dictated by legal demands),
there are twelve amazing tracks that will excite lovers of the wildest
funk, producers in search of rare breaks, and those with a penchant for
the psycho-beat atmospheres of the sixties.
Among the most heated tracks featured on Torossi’s side, we can’t
pass over the amazing “Sweet-Beat”, “Interrupted” (perhaps the best
track of the album) and “Repetition” while “Polyphony”, “Motuproprio”
and the closing track “Flyer” shine on Brugnolini’s. Virtually
impossible to find, even at astonishing prices, this reissue puts back
into the market one of the best examples of ‘The Italian Art of Library
Music’: a genre worldwide envied and collected.
“Musica per commenti sonori” is a cult series within the diverse world
of Italian library music. In the late sixties and seventies, the small
record label Costanza Records has published several releases precisely focusing on ‘background music’, including works of great composers such as Peppino De Luca, Roberto Pregadio, Franco Micalizzi, Vito Thomas, Giancarlo Thomas, Puccio Roelens, Riccardo Luciani, and by the protagonists of this.
The Moments’ On Top is
a perfect example of symphonic soul. Amongst true heads, this is
considered the most valuable of all their albums; an original copy of
this LP, if you can find one, starts at around $75. Alongside
contemporaneous acts from the early 70s - The Chi-lites, The Stylistics,
The Delfonics, The Futures, Blue Magic and The Main Ingredient - The
Moments exuded all that was compelling about deep, harmony-drenched,
string-laden soul.The standout here is undoubtedly "To You With Love", a floating,
tender ballad sung by Harry Ray that features the group’s patented
handclap-tambourine combo, sweetly repetitive strings, serene guitar and
gentle piano. It was famously sampled by J Dilla for “Last Donut Of The
Night” - the gut-wrenching finale to his seminal Donuts.
Sublime work from The Manhattans who are on top of the world at this
point! The group's harmonies are excellent, a bit rough in the best
parts ala Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes during the Teddy
Pendergrass years but also capable of tremendous strength when forged
together, which happens often on the album's tight set of
Philly-produced tracks.
A great Wayne Shorter session from the mid 60s – recorded then, but not
issued until 1979, for some incredibly unexplained reason – especially
given the strength of the set! The group is distinctly modern, and
features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, James Spaulding on alto, and McCoy
Tyner on piano – all of who were committed to heavily pushing the
boundaries of their playing at the time. Added to the mix is the
youthful Tony Williams on drums, fresh from work with Miles Davis, and
playing with an incredibly free hand on the kit – plus the great Ron
Carter on bass. The resulting mix of tracks is a beautiful example of
how these mid-60s Blue Note sessions could keep firmly in touch with
modern developments in jazz, yet never lapse into the kind of sloppiness
that could sometimes ruin sets like these on other labels – always with
a keen sense of timing and rhythm, and a sharpness that made Blue
Note's "new" newer-sounding than most'
Livingstone Studio present a reissue of Gboyega Adelaja's Colourful
Environment, originally released in 1979. Fresh from touring with Hugh
Masekela -- The Boy's Doin' It (1975) -- Gboyega Adelaja goes into the
lab to drop heavy keyboard science on his Moog and Fender Rhodes. Its
Joe Sample meets the Afro funk of BLO. With names like Jake Sollo on
guitars, Mike Odumusu (BLO, Osibisa) on bass guitar, and Gasper Lawal on
percussion, this is a top quality, Afro funk -- an all-stars affair
that shines from the inspired interventions, masterly arrangements to
the sublime production.Adelaja on the period of recording: "I was already following
Hugh Masekela when I met him, he was an outstanding musician and I knew
of his collaboration with Hedzoleh, that band brought him nearer to many
of us, because he was playing authentic African melodies with the
Hedzoleh sound which was mostly percussion oriented. Yes I knew about
Hugh's music before I met him. In fact when we started playing together,
he insisted that I stay with him in our three bedroom apartment, other
members of the band had their own apartments, but Hugh and myself shared
the same three bedroom apartment. We were touring, under Casablanca owned by Neil Boggart, we
toured as professional musicians, flying to our gigs. There was a time
when we were touring with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic we
had two luxury buses deployed for our use. We made many friends where
ever we went to play, we met many big and popular musicians who came to
watch our shows, the Spinners came to see us in Detroit, we met Wayne
Shorter of Weather Report, Freddie Hubbard, we played a gig with Herbie
Hancock at the Carnegie Hall New York City, we toured almost all the 50
States of the US.
The daughter of a Brazilian mother and German father, Astrud
Gilberto achieved international prominence with "The Girl From Ipanema,"
an inauspicious debut recorded for the landmark album her husband, Joao
Gilberto, created with Stan Getz in 1963. Moving to the USA, where
later began a relationship. Over-the-top classic That Girl From Ipanema
allowed her to revisit the hit in the sweeping high-fidelity
full-spectrum setting of a disco big-band, the album overseen by MFSB
and Salsoul mainstay, Vince Montana. Along with individual takes of Cole
Porter's "Love For Sale" and Harry Nilsson's "The Puppy Song," original
"Far Away" benefits from the understated trumpet of Chet Baker, but the
album ultimately revels in all things disco, the Brazilian element
coming courtesy of percussionist Dom Um Romao on select tracks. Crank up
the volume and tune in to the brass, piano, and percussion that
percolates under Astrud's characteristically soft and sultry vocals to
fully experience this underrated gem.
Shamisen never sounded so groovy before – thanks to excellent work from
Akira Ishikawa & His Count Buffalos – who are working here at their
funky 70s best! The album mixes great sounds from Count Buffalos with
the solo talents of Rinsoye Kida on shamisen – the traditional Japanese
three-stringed instrument that's usually used in much more conservative
settings – but which is recorded here in a style that's right up front
in the mix, and able to step out nicely in front of the fuller, groovier
backings from Ishikawa and his group! Given the nature of the
instrument, the style is quite different than some other jazz albums
from the time that try to mix with Japanese folkloric styles – maybe a
bit like Dorothy Ashby on the koto, but more striking overall.
Taste :
Rinsyoe Kida,Akira Ishikawa & His Count Buffaloes - Souran Bushi
Rinsyoe Kida,Akira Ishikawa & His Count Buffaloes -Tan To Setsu /Jongara Bushi
The strongest album in years from the mighty Snowboy – a set that firmly
returns him to his Latin roots, but with a sound that's even better
than before! The approach is perfect – loads of strong congas and
percussion from the leader, and a wickedly jazzy lineup that do way more
than just rehash classic lines – and instead allow Snowboy to dig deep
into all the funk, soul, and jazz influences he's explored over the
years – borrowing their best bets to fold right back into a core Latin
groove! The record features superb bass from Nico Gomez, great Hammond
and Fender Rhodes from Neil Angilley, and searing work from Pete Wareham
on tenor and baritone sax. House legend Marc Evans does an incredible
job on vocals for the title cut "New York Afternoon" – a wicked
reworking of the Richie Cole classic – and Jen Kearney sings on the
tracks "Better" and "Oxen Free".
An amazing album of vocal Brazilian jazz and sweet electric funk -- a
standout classic that's forever been at the top of our stack of 70s
Brazilian music! Singer Ana Mazzotti is at the head of the session --
singing with this breezy style that's at once cold and warm, cool and
emotive -- and she's backed by a small jazz combo with some incredible
moog, Arp, and organ from Jose Roberto Bertrami of Azymuth! The
record's got a bucketful of groove-heavy tracks that feel like CTI
meeting up with Joao Donato -- and the album's a treasure that should be
in the collection of any fan of 70s Brazilian funk
An obscure bit of electro soul from the 80s – an excellent small label
set with lots of cool electronics! There's a touch of Roy Ayers
spirituality in the music, made slightly chillier through the 80s
keyboards and drum tracks – but the balance is quite nice, a lot more
soulful than you might expect – especially given that the whole thing
was something of a home-grown effort from Jeff Phelps! Antoinette sings
on a few tracks – giving the record some female vocals – but everything
else was done by Phelps, and the album's about half instrumental, too.
An appropriately titled set from Susan Phillips -- an overlooked bit of
slinky female soul that we'd rank right up there with All-Platinum early
70s releases by Sylvia and Eleanor Mills! The production is a
wonderful mix of stripped down grooves with just the right amount of
sweet strings and horns -- creating just a gentle sort of New Jersey
soul style that really works well with Phillips' vocals.
A heavy-hitting album of keyboard funk that's right up there with the
best Deodato work for CTI! Brazilian arranger Daniel Salinas was
clearly influenced by the success that his fellow countryman Deodato was
having in the US during the early 70s – and he's working here in a
style that would have made CTI proud – one that blends larger orchestral
backings with tight electric rhythms, jazzy soloing, and a few nicely
placed moments of Brazilian percussion! The real star of the set is
keyboardist Sergio Sa – who plays Fender Rhodes on the standout track
"Staussmania" – a killer bit of dancefloor electric jazz that has a very
strong "2001" feel! Sergio also wrote the nice little groover "Baiao" –
which comes across with a slight sort of Airto/Hermeto mix of
percussion and reeds – and the album also features a great fuzzed out
take on Donovan's "Atlantis", plus the super-beautiful soundtracky
groove "Like A Rainy Night"!
Wilco's post-millennium masterpiece! After years of adventurous sounds
and increasingly poetic lyrics being subtly layered over their country
rock roots, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was such a radical departure from their
first couple albums that it was legendary upon arrival. What's so
amazing about it is that it's essentially an art rock album with rootsy
heart, somehow carrying the emotional resonance of earlier
heart-on-sleeve songcraft with hardly a twangy riff to be found.
The musical partnership of Nick Mackrory & Harry Collier dates all
the way back to the 90’s, when they were both deeply invested in the
musical boom in the UK that followed after acid house, the rave scene,
and the Ibiza experience. They found their way back to each other in
2014 and has since developed a sound together that is fresh but not too
polished. With touches of 60’s chanson coupled with sundazed
electronics, their songs lingers on like the feeling of a long day spent
outdoors in summer.
A really cool little set that's maybe a bit jazz, and a bit "something
else" -- instrumental sounds from keyboardist Roland Bocquet, who you
might know from his work in the group Catharsis -- served up here with
all sorts of cool elements that move between jazz fusion, spacey
keyboard instrumentals, and other underground modes on the 70s French
scene! At times, there's a lyricism that almost feels soundtrack-like,
and at others, the songs are maybe more tuneful in sort of a sound
library style -- heavy on acoustic and electric keys from Roland, but
featuring some guest instrumentation as well.
Rie Nakahara is a singer (now retired), actress, and TV presenter.. Rie
was active from the late 70s and through the 80s. This
long-player was a secont out of the nine she released in all and is
one of her most popular as it mixes up fusion,funk,city pop and
jazz across synth sounds. These are enjoyable and sophisticated sounds
from this talented vocalist.
Mr. Bongo Has Brass shows all the signs of the Kenton influence, but the solo Costanzo is free to crank up the bongos far beyond his "Bongo Riff" moment with Kenton.
The result is similar to "crime jazz" -- tightly arranged but very
dramatic and suspenseful. Camp though it is, the sheer impact and tonal
variety of the bongos make it easy to see why bongos had their own
"craze," just like the ukulele and guitar. That said, the only really
spectacular thing about this session is the sound. "Barney Google"
("Baia" with absurd lyrics), "El Diablito," and the crime/film noir
classic "Man with the Golden Arm" are the best cuts. Among the other
interesting cuts are a Latinate treatment of "Bei Mir Bist du Schoen"
and "Burley-Q Bongo," a burlesque (the music of jazzmen on hard times).
It is a great introduction to the many facets of Mr. Bongo.
A whole new level of genius for Herb Alpert – a record that's light
years away from his earlier work with the Tijuana Brass, and which has
the trumpeter stepping strongly into the world of smooth jazzy fusion!
The title track here went platinum the minute it was released – and
became an end-of-the 70s instrumental anthem that seemed to drift out of
speakers around the country. The rest of the album's pretty great too –
built on the modes explored by Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, and other
soulful fusion players of the 70s but cast out with a bit more drama
overall.
This is a classic. This powerful mid seventies Jazz Funk and Fusion
album is featuring German singer Inga Rumpf. Songs on the album are
written by Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder and Peter
Herbolzheimer himself. Some songs from this very album were sampled by
Hip Hop producers worldwide and the original vinyl LP is quite rare
these days and an collectors item for every record digger and vinyl
aficionado.
Taste :
Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass & Inga Rumpf - Butterfly
A pretty fantastic soundtrack to a movie that looks pretty darn spooky
-- not in the usual Italian horror way, but more in an earthy,
ritualistic sort of mode! As part of that vibe, the music's got this
great current of sex -- some funky elements mixed with grittier sounds
-- often electric bass balanced with raw percussion, or a sweet electric
bit moving alongside an acoustic one -- an approach that sounds
especially nice when pounding piano lines play out with a great sense of
strength! There's also some especially nice flute -- used almost as
this surprising current of innocence, which gets cool counterpoint from
some fuzzier guitar.
Incredible work by Willie Bobo -- a slamming record of hard funky
instrumentals, one that sounds different than any of his other albums!
The record's a killer all the way through -- a mixture of Latin and deep
70s funk, one of the few perfect fusions of the styles, held up
beautifully all the way through the set. We've always liked Willie a
lot, but honestly, we don't know how he managed to make a record this
funky but we're also not arguing, just enjoying the grooves with
tremendous delight and surprise. Great all the way through, and
includes the break cuts "Do What You Want to Do", "Broasted or Fried",
and "Soul Foo Young" plus a version of "Dindi", which, for some
reason, Willie seemed to record every chance he got!
Taste :
Willie Bobo And The Bo-Gents - How Can I Say Goodbye?
Fantastic stuff – and a record that may well be the greatest ever from
the mighty Serge Gainsbourg – high praise indeed, considering the
greatness of Gainsbourg's other music! The album is one long suite
built around a spare, electric bass-driven theme – a slow funk riff
that's been sampled countless times over the years, and which has gotten
the album continuous play on both sides of the Atlantic for many many
years. The mighty Jean-Claude Vannier handles the arrangements, and
Serge mutters the lyrics over the top, in a raspy loud whisper – while
the funky rhythms dart in and out of odd washes of sound, and unusual
eerie sounds. There's a very strong soundtrack feel to the album, as
waves of music envelop the lyrics – tripped out in funky beats that have
become legendary over the years, thanks to some very famous samples!
Nothing pop about this groovy little record -- save, perhaps, for the
fact that it's been sampled by a number of hip hoppers over the years --
because the set's one of the greatest ever from the legendary Janko
Nilovic -- a real masterpiece of complex grooves and offbeat
instrumentation! The album goes way past the usual sound library funk
-- as Janko brings in so many different sounds and styles throughout --
using flute, tympani, oboe, 12 string guitar, and other unusual
instruments with a very freewheeling set of grooves!
Think!, organist Lonnie Smith's 1968 sophomore effort (and first for
Blue Note), is easily one of the strongest dates the Hammond B-3 master
would produce for the label. Featuring a stellar group of musicians
including trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist David Newman, guitarist Melvin Sparks, and drummer Marion Booker, Jr., as well as a three-member Afro-Latin percussion unit led by Henry "Pucho" Brown, Think! is a perfect mix of funky soul and forward-thinking jazz. Kicking things off with Hugh Masekela's instantly memorable "Son of Ice Bag," both Sparks and Newman take searching funk-flow solos while Morgan seems to be remembering a certain Masekela lick he dug. Similarly expansive is the epic and frenetic Afro bliss-out "The Call of the Wild," which finds Newman in a heady, bluesy organ jam freak-out set against "Pucho" Brown's torrid Latin rhythms and Sparks'
nasty repeto-funk guitar riff. By the time you get to the title track
and realize "Oh, it's that "Think," all you can do is laugh at the utter
hipness of it all and take pleasure in the notion that the album is
only half over.
One of Art Blakey's first true moments of genius! This transitional
version of the Jazz Messengers included two parts – Lee Morgan and Bobby
Timmons – of the holy Morgan/Shorter/Timmons trilogy, and it's also got
the added bonus of Benny Golson on tenor, who was at the height of his
power at this point. The record really shines in ways that few Blakey
albums shone since his days with Horace Silver – in that it's a forum
for fresh new writing, most importantly Golson's landmark compositions
"Blues March" and "Along Came Betty", and Timmons' instant classic
"Moanin".
While still unknown to many today, Enzo Minuti (1927-2000), aka Ezy
Minus, left his unique mark on the kaleidoscopic world of Italian
library music. One of the most versatile, skilled and authentic figures
in the Bolognese music scene of the mid- to late 20th century, Minuti
was a multi-instrumentalist, composer, music producer and recording
studio manager, as well as a painter, etcher and graphic artist. He
devoted his life to music (especially jazz, a genre that has enjoyed a
long tradition in the city of Bologna), so much so that even his visual
art was inspired by music.
After extensive touring in Europe and Turkey as a jazz musician, in the
late 60s Minuti opened one of the first (if not the first) recording
studios in Bologna, Studio 67. This is where, throughout the 70s and
80s, he composed and recorded his own library music under the monikers
Ezy Minus, Maripal and Cronomas. The fact that he was based in Bologna
is in itself worthy of notice for, at the time, Italian library music
was produced almost exclusively in Rome and Milan (most of his output in
this genre was indeed released by Kronal, a sub-label of Fabio ‘Fabor’
Borgazzi’s Rome-based Minstrel, and by Music Scene, a joint imprint of
Minstrel and Milan’s Jump Edizioni Musicali).
This collection brings together
music composed by Minuti between the ‘70s and the early ‘80s. Within
this timeframe, his first library compositions can be described as
cheerful pop-jazz pieces veering towards either easy listening – with
vocal harmonies, jazzy vocalizations, and rhythmic elements from bossa
nova, samba and swing – or a more psychedelic style, with the use of
chromatism and an experimental rock feel here and there. Later on he
also experimented with genres such as reggae and increasingly used
electronic instruments (synths, drum machines, loop stations, etc.).
However, his playful, light-hearted approach to composition remained
unchanged, or was even enhanced, in his later output (which, like his
earlier work, features simple musical structures, terse arrangements,
and delicate and linear melodies). On a technical note, it is worth
mentioning that, not unlike better-known maestros like Piero Umiliani
and Giuliano Sorgini, Minuti often used the technique of overdubbing and
played most instruments on his tracks (flute, saxophone, organ, piano,
percussion), sometimes even singing some of the vocals. By Four Flies Records
One of the greatest albums ever for Blue Note – and the only album
recorded by tenor player Tina Brooks that was issued during his
lifetime! The album's nearly perfect – and features Brooks' edgey tenor
set in an all star group that includes Duke Jordan on piano, Freddie
Hubbard on trumpet, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. Brooks
had blown on other Blue Note sessions before, but here, working as a
leader, his sound is tremendous – vaguely to the left of center of some
of his other tenor counterparts on the label, but with an equally
impeccable approach to soul and rhythm.
Early soul jazz piano work from Takehiro Honda – recorded in a style
that's quite different than most of his later albums! The sound here is
full and rich – with Honda's work on the keys augmented by fuller
backings arranged by Teddy Adams – all recorded in the US (we think),
with a quality that's a fair bit like some of the best soul jazz coming
out of LA at the end of the 60s! Honda plays both acoustic and electric
piano – and the groove has a hiply vamping style that's always verging
on funky, but which is a bit more laidback overall.
If
you read about La Femme, you see them described as
pychadelic/punk/surf-rock/cold-wave/etc... The reason people throw so
many labels at them is that they defy characterization. La Femme is one
of those inexplicable bands that comes out of nowhere to create
something magical that flies totally under the radar.
Such a wide range of styles and
influences in one album could result in disaster. Instead every element
of every genre that they pull from fits so naturally together that it
seems almost remarkable that no one else has put anything like this
together before. It's insane how tight and coherent they sound as a
band, especially when this is only their first LP.
Sublime genius from funky flute player Bobbi Humphrey -- a record we'd
rank right up there with her classic Blacks & Blues set -- and like
that one, another fantastic collaboration with producer Larry Mizell!
The groove here is tremendous throughout -- a heady mix of Bobbi's
flute, Larry's keyboards, and some additional work from Jerry Peters,
Skip Scarborough, and other 70s funky jazz legends -- all coming
together in a large lineup that works together with an amazingly tight
and stripped-down groove -- a sound that seems to flow effortlessly from
the breeze, but which was the long result of careful work in the studio
by Larry Mizell and his brother Fonce, who also helped on arrangements.
Humphrey is in excellent form -- blowing with a tone that's hard,
crisp, and very soulful -- and the spacey keyboards and gentle grooves
lift her flute way out into the cosmos, yet never push things too far!
Between 1965's Maiden Voyage and 1968's Speak Like a Child, Herbie Hancock was consumed with his duties as part of the Miles Davis Quintet,
who happened to be at their creative and popular peak during those
three years. When Hancock did return to a leadership position on Speak
Like a Child, it was clear that he had assimilated not only the group's
experiments, but also many ideas Miles initially sketched out with Gil Evans. Like Maiden Voyage,
the album is laid-back, melodic, and quite beautiful, but there are
noticeable differences between the two records. Hancock's melodies and
themes have become simpler and more memorable, particularly on the title
track, but that hasn't cut out room for improvisation. Instead, he has
found a balance between accessible themes and searching improvisations
that work a middle ground between post-bop and rock. Similarly, the
horns and reeds are unconventional. He has selected three parts -- Thad Jones' flügelhorn, Peter Phillips' bass trombone, Jerry Dodgion's
alto flute -- with unusual voicings, and he uses them for tonal texture
and melodic statements, not solos. The rhythm section of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Mickey Roker
keeps things light, subtle, and forever shifting, emphasizing the
hybrid nature of Hancock's original compositions. But the key to Speak
Like a Child is in Hancock's graceful, lyrical playing and compositions,
which are lovely on the surface and provocative and challenging upon
closer listening.
Enterprising composer and musician Eddie Suzuki made his own path
throughout his lifetime. Born on October 4, 1929, Suzuki worked as a
young shoeshiner in 1940s Honolulu, saving enough money to take piano
lessons. In high school, he lead a big band orchestra of 16, and
sometimes up to 40 members. By the age of 18, he owned a piano shop that
pivoted to become Honolulu’s top guitar store.
For Eddie Suzuki, music always came first. In 1973, after performing and
composing songs for many years, Eddie Suzuki and his group, New Hawaii,
recorded the now impossibly rare album, High Tide.
The LP is “not a rock-out”, local music journalist Wayne Harada
ruminated in a 1973 review. “Rather, it’s one man’s vision — and version
— of the now Hawaii.” A seasoned mix of psych, Hawaiian, and pop
sensibilities, the music on High Tide gave the listener a look into
Eddie’s singular vision celebrating the sights and sounds (and spirit)
of Hawaii.
Οι A Priori σχηματίστηκαν στη Θεσσαλονίκη στα μέσα της δεκαετίας του '70. Ιδρυτικά μέλη ήταν ο Ντάνης Τραγόπουλος (κιθάρα, πιάνο και φωνητικά), ο Δημήτρης Γουμπερίτσης
(μπάσο), ο Σωτήρης Αναδολής (ντραμς) και ο Δημήτρης Παναγιωτίδης
(κιθάρα). Με τα χρόνια έγιναν αλλαγές στη σύνθεση του συγκροτήματος.Το ομώνυμο ντεμπούτο τους κυκλοφόρησε το 1986. Διαλύθηκαν το 1991 και επανασυνδέθηκαν για μια και μοναδική εμφάνιση το 2010. By Greek Jazz Library
nitially released on Sonia E. Pottinger’s highly respected High Note
Records in 1981, Sonya Spence’s Sings Love LP was relatively overlooked
at the time her album came out. Sent on her final journey in 2007, the
one-woman band leaves us with a legacy of exception. However,
time and a small first pressing has made it an object of desire for
collectors, deejays and lovers all around the world. And, though it was
shamelessly bootlegged throughout history, it is the first that time
that this bliss of an LP gets the official reissue treatment on wax,
with the love and respect it deserves.
A definite masterjam from Chaka Khan and Rufus – one of the group's last
key efforts together – produced to perfection by the mighty Quincy
Jones! Chaka's vocals are sublime right from the start – taking on the
soaring majesty she'd use on her initial solo recordings – and the
group's tighter than ever – really hitting the right mix of jazzy funk
and soul to make the whole thing come together perfectly. Greatness
like this only gets better with years – and this sweet little album is
more than proof of that fact!
Tremendous early work from German saxophonist Joki Freund – a player who
would go onto much greater fame in the progressive years at the end of
the 60s, but who already sounds plenty darn great on this early combo
side from 1963! The style of the work is incredibly hip – with a
definite John Coltrane modal groove in place, but also a sense of
globally conscious jazz that's very much in the spirit of classic
Saba/MPS work, but which predates most of that by a number of years!
Freund plays tenor and soprano sax here – in a sextet with Wolfgang
Dauner on piano, Emil Mangelsdorff on flute and alto, Eberhard Weber on
bass, Karl Theodor Geier on bass, and Peter Baumeister on drums – and
the record is overflowing with great tunes that more than live up to the
compelling title and cover image!
A legendary German session from the 60s – and a record that really
showcases the unusual criss-crossing of modes that was going on in the
European scene at the time! There's a very strong MPS vibe here – as
trumpeter Dusko Goykovich leads a swinging sextet that includes Nathan
Davis on flute, soprano, and tenor – blowing some tremendously soulful
reed lines – plus incredible rhythms from Mal Waldron on piano, Peter
Trunk on bass, and Cees See on drums. The record's an attempt to bring
traditional Macedonian rhythms into a jazz perspective – but with
players like these, it swings in a way any Macedonian album never could –
damn soulful, and with a great exotic vibe. Davis is especially great,
and plays in a soaring modal vein that's similar to his work on his
classic MPS sides, and on the records he cut in America in the early
70s.
Rip Dusko Goykovich (14 October 1931 – 5 April 2023)
The lasting legacy of the enigmatic Ted Lucas -- a somewhat mysterious
figure who moved between Detroit and Los Angeles in the late 60s -- but
who works here with a sound that's completely his own! Part of the
record was created as demo tracks for Warner Brothers -- who'd issued
some of Ted's earlier singles with other bands -- but the material never
got released on the bigger label, but has the kind of completely
individual vibe that really captures the spirit of the best underground
work Warner was handling at the time. Lucas sings shorter tracks on
side one -- but often with this weird sort of overlapping production
style -- creating his own vocal harmonies that resonate with slightly
jagged guitar lines -- flowing out in modes that partly illustrate his
experience studying sitar with Ravi Shankar on the west coast, partly
just show a love of unusual tunings that would have made Lucas great
even as a solo instrumentalist.
The guitar genius of Gabor Szabo -- set to magnificent arrangements by
Gary McFarland! The set's one of the most sophisticated albums Szabo
ever cut -- and has a slow-building style that steps off of his Impulse
years with a deeper, broader vision of music. By the time of the set,
McFarland himself was hitting a more contemplative style in his own
music -- and you can hear that shift in this album as well, especially
in the moodier, mellower moments. Instrumentation includes violin,
cello, and French Horn -- all used sparingly to augment Szabo's small
combo with piano by McFarland!
