What are you listening to? August 2017

[JazzyRandy]

Curtis Amy & Dupree Bolton - Katanga! _1963_

Sweet hidden Jazz gem with a West Coast based sextet featuring trumpet/sax/guitar.

File this one in your collection under "Artists who should be more well known."

 

[lpfreak1170]

Audience - The House On The Hill

 

[Markonomicon]

Lou Donaldson - Natural Soul _1963_

So tasty!

I've never heard this one. Will be checking it out!

I recently got the RVG remaster of LD's "Lush Life", a very cool album.

I was kind of put off by my first LD purchase ("Blues Walk"), which I wasn't fully sold on. Don't get me wrong, the playing is amazing, but there's not a good balance. Way too many "burners" on the album. The whole thing is like on fire with no stopping. Haha.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Far East Family Band - Nipponjin (1975)

Before he became a New Age hero, Kitaro founded what is called Japan's first prog band. This is an interesting album. Maybe a bit new agey, but another step in our quest to answer the eternal question: "What is prog?"

BTW, I found it on Spotify's "Prog Rock Monsters" playlist along with some other unexpected picks:

 

[Markonomicon]

Oh, man. Just discovered this.

On my list of things to buy next along with other funktastic groups like Budos Band, Sugarman 3, New Mastersounds, Lefties Soul Connection.

 

[Markonomicon]

Curtis Amy & Dupree Bolton - Katanga! _1963_

Sweet hidden Jazz gem with a West Coast based sextet featuring trumpet/sax/guitar.

File this one in your collection under "Artists who should be more well known."

Yeah, I'll need to check that one out.

 

[axolotl]

SPEAK ~ Speak (1997)


Cristian Amigo - vocals, guitars
Ed Barguiarena - keys, perc.
David J. Carpenter - bass
Evan Stone - drums

Matt Otto - sax,
Paul Vargas - trumpet,
Ryan Woodward - tenor sax and solo
Matt Lilley - alto sax

Reco'd to Markinomicon

I suggested this release to JazzyRandy many years ago. He was a tad underwhelmed at the time, in the sense that they have horns and could use them more.

But, I like it for its its post-funk-punk-ishness.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Chelle Rose - Blue Ridge Blood (2016)

 

[JazzyRandy]

I've never heard this one. Will be checking it out!

I recently got the RVG remaster of LD's "Lush Life", a very cool album.

I was kind of put off by my first LD purchase ("Blues Walk"), which I wasn't fully sold on. Don't get me wrong, the playing is amazing, but there's not a good balance. Way too many "burners" on the album. The whole thing is like on fire with no stopping. Haha.

I was the same way with LD. Sometimes, depending on my mood, I'm still a little ambivalent about some of his work. I can't quite put my finger on why. Mostly I guess he strikes me as a very competent musician, but rarely one who achieved over the 90th percentile mark -- it seems like he mostly stuck to what worked, and didn't strive for what could have been. But when I'm in the right mood, what worked works just fine.

 

[JazzyRandy]

SPEAK ~ Speak (1997)


Cristian Amigo - vocals, guitars
Ed Barguiarena - keys, perc.
David J. Carpenter - bass
Evan Stone - drums

Matt Otto - sax,
Paul Vargas - trumpet,
Ryan Woodward - tenor sax and solo
Matt Lilley - alto sax

Reco'd to Markinomicon

I suggested this release to JazzyRandy many years ago. He was a tad underwhelmed at the time, in the sense that they have horns and could use them more.

But, I like it for its its post-funk-punk-ishness.

I like it and wish I listened to it more. It's a fun CD. A while back, I put one of the songs on a mix-CD and was always great to hear come around.

 

[JazzyRandy]

Jackie McLean - Let Freedom Ring! _1963_

 

[Ojai Sam]

I was the same way with LD. Sometimes, depending on my mood, I'm still a little ambivalent about some of his work. I can't quite put my finger on why. Mostly I guess he strikes me as a very competent musician, but rarely one who achieved over the 90th percentile mark -- it seems like he mostly stuck to what worked, and didn't strive for what could have been. But when I'm in the right mood, what worked works just fine.

As usual, I'm with The Jazzy One on this. Despite his years on Blue Note, Lou never bowled me over. He never displayed the chops that would make me sit up and take notice.

 

[Pops]

Postvorta - Carmentis

 

[Pops]

Christine Perfect - s/t

 

[Markonomicon]

I was the same way with LD. Sometimes, depending on my mood, I'm still a little ambivalent about some of his work. I can't quite put my finger on why. Mostly I guess he strikes me as a very competent musician, but rarely one who achieved over the 90th percentile mark -- it seems like he mostly stuck to what worked, and didn't strive for what could have been. But when I'm in the right mood, what worked works just fine.

He's a great musician. "Blues Walk" is just too much "all go, no slow". Haha. I very much enjoy "Lush Life". It's quite the opposite. I read that "LL" was initially shelved because his "Alligator Boogaloo" album became a hit. From there on, he went for (what I've read) funky, soul jazz...which is right up my alley. I just haven't heard anything else.

The reason I bought "Blues Walk" because it was 5/5 with many reviews. I don't mind the "burners" as I call them (hard bop, "balls" to the wall speed)...but I love when an artist can pair a burner with something swinging, a couple ballads, and some blues...ESPECIALLY when it's their own material!

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze: Deluxe Daze (Post Haze) (2013)

 

[axolotl]

Marcos Fernandes ~ Hybrid Vigor (2002)




Hybrid Vigour comes from Fernandes' Portugese/Japanese background, his Catholicism in a Buddhist land, and from the artists in the Accretions and Trummerflora family. On the eight tracks here he has combined his percussion, production and compositional skills to create an amazing and strong album.
- Jeremy Keens, & etc.

Percussionist/Improvisor Marcos Fernandes is the driving force behind the Accretions label and a founding member of the Trummerflora collective among other projects. His latest, Hybrid Vigor, is a roller coaster ride of avant-rock and jazz, free-improv, sound collage and artfully crafted freakiness . . .Hybrid Vigor will easily make my best of 2002 list.
- Jerry Kranitz, Aural Innovations

 

[axolotl]

French Paddleboat ~ Conversions in Metric (1999)



AllMusic Review: http://www.allmusic.com/album/conversions-in-metric-mw0000262093

 

[JazzyRandy]

Stan Getz - Captain Marvel _1975_

flistening

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Meat Puppets - II (1984)