Monthly Archives – July 2008

James Tatum: Jazz Mass (Jttp)

Having converted to Catholicism James attempts here to explore the religious ecstasy of “Mass” though the medium of Jazz. Weather your into Jesus or not there is a strong argument for the influence Jesus and his Dads book have played in many forms of music throughout the ages. As you may have gathered from the […]

James Tatum: Live (JTTP. 1980)

Another spiritual work out for James, this live LP was recorded at Orchestra Hall & Paradise Theatre, a venue which was apparently due for demolition a few months prior to this recording. The cover notes don’t elaborate on quite how the venue swerved the wrecking ball but I quite like the idea that jazz was […]

The Intentions – Dig It (Shovel)

This is an interesting soul/funk 45 out of Chicago that would appear to date from about 1969/70. Not much is known about the group & I have been told by different people that they were & weren’t the same group that recorded for Blue Light as the Intensions, so that just really confuses things. It […]

The Elois – By My Side

This is a monster of a slice of mid-60s Australian garage rock. I haven’t researched that much about this 45, but I do know that it will melt your speakers! (check out when the pummelling guitar riff comes in about 3/4 of the way through) The flip is their version of “I’m A Man” that […]

Ronnie Anderson – The Generation Gap

This rules!! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t detect a shred of humor here. I think, this is dead serious. In any case, I know the readers here, myself included deal with alot of these problems on a regular basis, and will find this song (?) PSA (?) funeral march (?) prescient. Listen

Captain Foam – No Reason / Will There Ever Be a Time

This heavy little 45 comes from the great state of Ohio, I have to assume it dates from the early ’70s based on the sound and the lyrical content of the b-side.  All I know about Captain Foam is that the guy was billed as a one man band, I guess he played live with […]

Ray Columbus & The Invaders – C’mon & Swim

Ray Columbus & The Invaders were the most commercially successful of New Zealand’s R&B based beat bands. Formed around 1960 in Christchurch, they went through a number of lineup changes before disbanding in 1965. 1962-63 saw them move north to be based in Auckland before leaving for Sydney, Australia for 1964 onwards. Their early 1964 […]

D.O. Akinola And His Inner Circle Orchestra

Picked this up for a couple of quid. Was kinda hoping it would be like some type of mind-blowing Afro Sun Ra-esque outing but sadly it isn’t as cool as my mind would have me believe. Two side long LP tracks make up the album so just an excerpt to listen to. Released in 1972. […]

Lee Stone: What Is Life (Break Out Records)

The first time I heard this 45 with it’s slick vocals and great horns I started to jones. Possibly one of my favourite jazz 45’s [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Kenny Rankin: In The Name Of Love (Columbia)

This 45 Columbia version differs significantly from the Scat vocal / acoustic guitar led LP cut. One of my favorite Jazz 45’s that recently got crossed off the wants list. [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

John & Ed Strickland – Rebel Beat

John & Ed Strickland seem to have been something of a none to one almost hit wonder group, it’s actually been pretty tough to find any information on these guys or this 45. The actual A side is a nice mid/slow version of Wilbert Harrison’s “Kansas City Blues” that draws equally from country & R&B […]

Hot Jam – Tobacco Road

This was exactly what the world needed back in 1975, another version of “Tobacco Road”. It’s one of my favorite songs ever & has been covered by every man & his dog worldwide. This 45 is a version of it by a band that I’d never heard of & a label I’d never seen before […]

Edna Mae Henning

Welcome to the magical world of Edna Mae Henning. A very special country singer from rural Pennsylvania. She is in many ways what I had always dreamed of in an older woman singing good ol’ fashioned country music. She has a way of capturing the soul of what is truly wonderful about the world around […]

Cecil Young Progressive Quartet – Volume 2

Crazy beatnik jazz from the 50s, heavy on the scat, bongos & humour. They have another EP before this one but I don’t know of anything else this group did apart from these two EPs on King. I suspect they both featured smilarly excellent cover art & the longer tracks (“Who Parked The Car” & […]

Joe "Youngblood" Cobb – It’s L.B. Time

Joe Cobb was a well known radio DJ on Chicago’s WVON for many years in the 60s & 70s. He cut this 45 for the local Ex-Pect-Mo label in 1972 & it was then picked up nationally by Cutlass out of Nashville who gave the record the much more colorful label & slightly altered X-Pect-Mo […]

Experiencia – Passo a Passo

I bought this LP in Lissabon some eight years ago. I’d never seen it before or since. Rock is not my expertise, but it seems to me this is a record that should be better known. I’m afraid it’s really rare though. They play folk-funk with some latin-rock influences, cool percussion in the mix. It […]

Becket G. Senchur, O.S.B: Music For Electronic Synthesizers

I’ve been unable to piece much together about this musician or the original performance of this cassette recording. It seems that Becket G. Senchur is (was) a member of The Order of Saint Benedict and this is a recording from one of his concerts at the Basilica of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The […]

Michael Garrick: Promises (Argo 1965)

A very solid modal LP featuring Joe Harriott, Ian Carr et al. Following a lengthy search for a decent copy, I was fairly alarmed when this one turned up in a used pizza box! Somehow it made it to me without a mark, the vinyl un-played the cover smelling lightly of Margarita. Song by the […]

Michael Garrick: Black Marigolds (Argo 1966)

Another one comped by Peterson, Black Marigolds is probably not my favorite Garrick LP as a whole. However, I can’t escape my love for “Ursula” played by Don Rendell on Soprano and tenor Sax with Ian Carr on fluegel horn.  “Ursula” [Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Michael Garrick: The Heart Is A Lotus (Argo 1970)

Featuring collaborators Ian Carr, Don Rendell and Norma Winstone. I do really like this LP as a whole but somehow I feel there’s more in there that I haven’t picked up on. It seems to promise my expectations but I appear to be unable to track the true direction of the vibe on this LP. […]

Alan Clare Group – Milligatawny

Since there seems to have been something of a run on UK jazz on Waxidermy lately, here is an interesting 45 to share. Alan Clare was a UK pianist who had a pretty long career & a touch of mainstream success from the 40s through to the 80s. Most of the online discographies for Clare […]

Choreo – Choreo Blues

I believe Choreo was a company that specialised in instructional dance records. This 45 has a couple of nice jazz tracks that feature somewhat quirky intros before hitting with some pretty nice jazz grooves. Does anyone have more information on the label, or know if they have other worthwhile releases? [Audio clip: view full post […]

Vince Callaher – Moo Cow Boogie Blues

This 45 is a pretty good piece of late 1950s rockabilly from New Zealand. Back in those days it seems that New Zealand rock & rollers would do songs about anything “Pie Cart Rock & Roll” & “Blackberry Boogie” come to mind. This song written by on Dood Williams (cool name) comes to us on […]

Graham Collier: Deep Dark Blue Centre

Horns, guitars and bass catch a groove on the cut “Crumblin’ Cookie”, featured on the Peterson comp and regarded by many as Colliers finest moment, I seriously love this cut, it makes me play air sax. “Crumblin’ Cookie” [Audio clip: view full post to listen]