Jazz fusion legend Bob Holz is back with Holz- Stathis: Collaborative. This album features John McLaughlin , Jean Luc Ponty, Darryl Jones, Randy Brecker, Ralphe Armstrong, Brandon Fields, Dean Brown, Billy Steinway, Airto Moreira, Joey Heredia, Alex Acuna, Rob Stathis, Elliot Yamin, Ric Fierabracci, Ada Rovatti, Karen Briggs, Diana Morira, Jamie Glaserand Ben Shepherd.
“Incident At a Free Festival” is a tribute to the mid-afternoon slots at Deeply Vale, Bickershaw, Krumlin, Weeley, and Plumpton – early 70s festivals that don’t get the column inches afforded the Isle of Wight or Glastonbury Fayre, but which would have been rites of passage for thousands of kids. Bands lower down the bill would have been charged with waking up the gentle hippies and appealing to both the greasy bikers and the girls in knee-high boots who wanted to wiggle their hips. And the best way to do that was with volume, riffs and percussion.
Compiled by the venerated Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs of Saint Etienne, this is the heavier side of the early 70s they summarised on the acclaimed “English Weather” collection. There’s an air of menace and illicit thrills among tracks by Andwella, Stack Waddy and Leaf Hound (whose “Growers of Mushroom” album is worth well over £1,000). Bigger names include the rabble-rousing Edgar Broughton Band and kings of the festival freakout, Hawkwind. They are represented by their rare version of ‘Ejection’
For every mystical Tyrannosaurus Rex performance there was something like Atomic Rooster’s Tomorrow Night or Curved Air’s Back Street Luv to capture the spirit of the day and stir the loins of festival goers; the tracks on “Incident At a Free Festival” were inspired by both Chicago’s percussive wig-outs and the Pink Fairies’ anarchic spirit. The sounds were heavy and frequently funky, with a definite scent of danger. Their message was clear and simple: clap your hands, stamp your feet, hold on to your mind.
So, put on your wellies in your living room, drop the needle and enjoy...
The studio at 122 West Loveland Avenue was not an unfamiliar space for Steve Okonski, the leader of his eponymous trio Okonski. Ever since the Colemine label set up shop in Loveland, Ohio it has been a host to a number of groups passing through town, including Durand Jones and the Indications who all of this trio's members have connections to. After setting aside some time in winter of 2020, Okonski, trained initially as a classical pianist, invited Michael Isvara "Ish" Montgomery and Aaron Frazer to work on an album that was initially planned to be beat driven and fully composed trio instrumentals. After finishing this first session with some improvisations, a second week was booked in the summer of 2021 to try and capture some more of that spontaneous energy. During this session, the tracks were all improvised and recorded live to a Tascam 388 during several late nights at the Colemine HQ. They were structured to allow the group's collective intuition to fully shape the melodies and arcs of the music. The album opens with Runner Up, where a triumphant yet melancholic melody in the piano leads to a more reserved B-section driven by the drums and bass of Frazer and Montgomery. As you journey through the remainder of the album you are met with a plethora of evoked and explored emotions. The calmness one has walking down a moonlit street after midnight, the connection one has for a person who comes into their world for just a moment or a lifetime, and the nerves and catharsis one feels when starting upon a new, unknown journey. Magnolia closes with Sunday, a track that was recorded late into the night at the close of their first recording session. Without the spontaneity of Sunday, the remainder of Magnolia would likely have never come to fruition. Magnolia was composed from the heart and from the spirit of those in the studio those late nights in Loveland. It is the culmination of an emotional and artistic release that was not afforded or recognized before the band sat at their instruments, and because of that it is introspective, meditative, spiritual, and new.
180g virgin vinyl pressing, limited edition of 750 copies only - the complete album + 2 bonus tracks A superb performer with a real knack for the blues, Debby Moore (1924-2017) only recorded one LP. She sang with the bands of Earl Hines, Rex Stewart, and Count Basie, and mentored by none other than Louis Armstrong. On 'My Kind of Blues', the pinnacle of Debby Moore's career, she is backed by brilliant jazz soloists, including Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jimmy Jones, Barry Galbraith, and Elvin Jones. "As its title promises, My Kind of Blues captures a distinctly personal interpretation of familiar blues and jazz standards - Debby Moore's uncommonly warm and gentle vocals soften the blow delivered by some lyrics transforming their melancholy into profound compassion and understanding. Nuanced contributions from trumpeter Harry 'Sweets' Edison, pianist Jimmy Jones, guitarist Barry Galbraith, bassist George Duvivier, and drummer Elvin Jones further underscore the session's feather- light beauty." - **** Jason Ankeny, AllMusic
Repress!
Redolent with the spirit of such high priests of effects and delay as Loop, Spaceman 3, and My Bloody Valentine, not to mention a fair dollop of the Jesus and Mary Chain . Methodrone clearly is the sum of its influences. Thankfully BJM does a very solid job with them throughout the album's course of over 70 minutes.
Repress!
IZIPHO SOUL are thrilled to collaborate with music producer extraordinaire Julian Jonah!
Two wonderful tracks from earlier this year now gain a 7” vinyl release.
NOW’S THE TIME FOR US is filled to the brim with early 80s soulful influences - sultry vocals from Tamika Tyan, a bass line riff to die for, catchy chorus, synths, strings and a horn solo!
COMIN’ BACK FOR FOR YOUR LOVIN’ maintains the high standard, rooted in the same era and is the more uptempo side. It features the powerful singer Ada Dyer who first came to the attention of Soul Music fans through her contributions on a couple of Norman Conners late Seventies albums.
tan color LP[29,62 €]
Nach über einem Jahrzehnt ist das erste und einzige PEEPING TOM-Album - eines der gefragtesten Alben von Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle) überhaupt - nun endlich wieder erhältlich. Unter den mitwirkenden Gästen so namhafte Musiker wie u.a. Norah Jones, Massive Attack, Kool Keith und viele mehr.
In Anlehnung an den psychologischen Horrorfilm aus dem Jahr 1960, der Patton zu dem Namen inspirierte, entstand PEEPING TOM in einem Modus Operandi ohne physische Nähe. Patton schrieb Songs mit einer Wunschliste von theoretischen Kollaborateuren im Kopf und hoffte dann auf eine Antwort in Form eines fertigen Tracks.
Das Album enthält auch Beiträge von Amon Tobin, Bebel Gilberto, DubTrio, Kid Koala, Dale Crover, Rahzel und einigen von Pattons Freunden aus der Bay Area, wie Dan 'the Automator' Nakamura und Jel, Odd Nosdam und Dose One vom Hip-Hop-Kollektiv anticon. Das Endergebnis ist ganz und gar einzigartig und weicht doch deutlich von Pattons jüngstem lauten Output ab. Eine Pop-Platte vielleicht. Jedoch eine die aus Mike Pattons Feder stammt.
Curren$y (aka Spitta Andretti) once again teams up with long-term collaborator and legendary producer Harry Fraud on Vices. This nine track album is a time capsule to the 1980s and taps into the nostalgia and style of that decade. The music and artwork of Vices is a continuation of their theme of jet-setting and smuggling illegal substances on jet boats through the marina (Cigarette Boats, The Marina, The OutRunners, and Regatta) and proves to be yet another instant classic from the duo. Entirely produced by Harry Fraud, with features from Benny The Butcher, G.T., Jim Jones, Larry June, Rome Streetz and Vico, this limited edition release is a must have.
Istanbul born performing artist, producer, composer and instrument builder Berke Can Ozcan, in collaboration with critically acclaimed Norwegian trumpet mastermind Arve Henriksen and Brooklyn-based baritone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson, takes you on a captivating journey through the depths of nature on the Lycian Way, immersing the listener in a mesmerizing soundscape that echoes the wonder and mystery of the trail leading to the ancient Lycia As Ozcan ventures deeper into uncharted territory, he stumbles upon a sight that would spark an artistic flame - the Twin Rocks. This collaboration weaves together a tapestry of sonic explorations that capture the essence of Ozcan's journey. The ambient-jazz album's delicate balance between organic sounds and electronic manipulation creates a dreamlike atmosphere that transports the listener to the rugged terrain of the Lycian Way. Mastered by three time Grammy winner Dave Darlington, each track on this ethereal album mirrors a different aspect of the journey to the Twin Rocks, meticulously composed by Ozcan, Parzen-Johnson and Henriksen with each section of the trail in mind. The album is infused with melodic bird songs and sound walk memories that add depth and texture to the ethereal soundscape. Ozcan's array of self- crafted instruments made out of bamboos, soda bottle caps, straws, house keys, terracotta flower pots alongside with his long time companions like his steel drums, chimes, gongs, and vibraphone, serve as the medium through which he expressed the reflections of his encounters in his own world of rhythm and melody
"On The Inside", das erste eigene Album von Gotts Street Park, ist mehr als nur ein Album - es ist eine Einladung: "Wir möchten, dass die Zuhörenden das Gefühl haben, mit uns einen Raum zu betreten und einen Blick auf unseren Prozess zu werfen", sagt das Trio aus Leeds (UK) und begibt sich auf eine Odyssee zwischen den Genres: Von lässigen Vintage-Soul über R&B und Jazz-Akkorden hinzu Hip-Hop Grooves.
Josh Crocker (Bass, Produktion), Tom Henry (Keyboards) und Joe Harris (Gitarre) fanden sich durch ihre gemeinsame Liebe zum Motown der 60er Jahre und entwickelten sich schnell zu einer gefragten Szene-Band mit Millionen von Spotify-Streams bei der einige der aufregendsten aufstrebenden Stimmen des Hip-Hop und Pop nach einer Zusammenarbeit fragten: Celeste, Kali Uchis, Yellow Days und Rachel Chinouriri sind nur einige der Acts, für die die Band individuell geschrieben und produziert hat. Auch auf "On The Inside" sind einige alte und neue Weggefährten zu hören, wie etwa die aufstrebende R&B-Sängerin Pip Millett, Rosie Lowe und ENNY.
Synth pioneer and musical polymath, Wally Badarou is a genius. But you know that already. A vinyl version of his majestic Colors Of Silence has been craved by the Balearic cognoscenti ever since its low-key 2001 release. Indeed, when we first started work on Be With, we asked some pals with exquisite taste what their dream release would be. We asked Balearic legend Moonboots and, without hesitation, he said Colors Of Silence by Wally Badarou. We didn't know Wally had made this album. And most still don't. But that's about to change.
Colors Of Silence is ostensibly a new age album. As ever though, Wally's sophisticated synth textures and expressive keyboard runs are so full of character, so full of life, that this work of art transcends any easy genre categorisation. It's simply stunning, throughout. It sounds like A.r.t. Wilson or Suzanne Kraft, with traces of CFCF and Jonny Nash. But it was made a good decade earlier than the work of these modern giants. Sometimes, it doesn't seem far from some Larry Heard albums.
Island Records founder Chris Blackwell's friend Nathalie Delon asked Wally to provide music for the yoga DVD she was to release. Lack of time on both sides made them agree on using "quality demos" Wally had in his ideas bank. It's understandable why Colors Of Silence remains somewhat of a lost gem. As Wally explains: "Total lack of promotion made it an 'intimate' release, which was exactly what I was looking for: just a buzz-maker and time-buyer that would allow me to concentrate on the real thing as soon as I'd have time, which could also turn into a rare collecting item later, once the final versions made their way to success. You never know."
Over the years, Colors Of Silence has become a true cult record for the ambient/Balearic heads.
The beguiling but brief "Dance In The Dust" is the shuffling, hyper-percussive, hypnotic opener. It gives way to the deep serenity of "Amber Whispers". It's a gliding, divine, mini melodic masterpiece. It'll make you swoon in its extreme beauty. The bright and breezy "Where Were We" follows, a tropical, reggae-tinged bounce through the islands.
The uptempo groove is maintained on the keys-drizzled soca-funk of "The Lights Of Kinshasa" before Side A is rounded out with "Pictures Of You". It starts with stately, melancholic, unadorned piano and this alone would make for a beautiful song. But Wally always gives us that bit extra and he effortlessly introduces warm, dreamy pads and minimal, slo-mo percussion to augment a frankly stunning piece of work.
Ushering in Side B, Wally's mesmeric piano playing is to the fore again, in the intro to uber-chilled "Serendipity For Two". The playing becomes more mellifluous as the track progresses and adds warmth through exotic percussion, woodwind, sweeping synths and digi-drums. It has echoes of, er, Echoes. It segues seamlessly into the more propulsive, wavy "Smiles By The Millions". If you're not nodding and grinning along widely to the gently throbbing bassline underpinning this, we can't help you. The meditative "Higher Still" follows, cinematic in feel and ever so slightly sinister with the strings. It sounds particularly Badalamenti-esque, if you ask us.
That unmistakable, almost peculiar Badarou funk - so lyrical, so texturally rich and so rhythmically spacious - is all over "Oriental". Next up, "Days To Wonder" brings the serenity back, insistent yet melodic keys, as if played in a place of worship, coupled with birdsong, conjure a kind of instant nostalgia for halcyon days of youth. The contemplative "Dawn Of Europa" is a sombre, beatless, ambient journey whilst the glorious, too-brief "Crystal Falls" features soft percussion and sparkle before fully glistening with some gentle head-nod beats. Wally brings this incredible collection to a mellow, tender close with the graceful "Purple Lines".
There can be few artists more under-appreciated given their vast influence than Wally Badarou. His solo work practically defined the sound of the Balearic DJs of the 1980s, and thus the more sophisticated sound of dance culture thereafter. A synth specialist, Badarou was the long-time associate of Level 42. He was one of the Compass Point All Stars (with Sly and Robbie, Barry Reynolds, Mikey Chung and Uziah "Sticky" Thompson), the in-house recording team of Compass Point Studios responsible for a series of albums in the 1980s recorded by Grace Jones, Tom Tom Club, Mick Jagger, Black Uhuru, Gwen Guthrie, Jimmy Cliff and Gregory Isaacs. Badarou's keyboard playing could also be heard on albums by Robert Palmer, Marianne Faithfull, Herbie Hancock, M (Pop Muzik), Talking Heads, Manu Dibango and Miriam Makeba. He also produced Fela Kuti. Phew!
Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland. Special thanks must go to Apiento from Test Pressing who first introduced us to Wally and facilitated all those early zoom meetings. It couldn't have happened without his help. Not least on pulling the art together, too, which features striking original photography by Mads Perch. Benji Roebuck of Roebuck Press did his thing brilliantly in art working the whole package to completion. All in all: essential.
"Jazz Contrasts", einer der herausragenden Titel in Kenny Dorhams ohnehin schon unglaublichem Katalog, wird von Kevin Gray direkt von den Originalbändern gemastert und in einer Deluxe-Verpackung untergebracht, was diese Ausgabe zur ultimativen Edition macht. Kenny Dorham ist einer der größten Jazz-Trompeter aller Zeiten. Zu Beginn spielte er in den Big Bands von Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie und Mercer Ellington sowie im Quintett von Charlie Parker. Dorham spielte nicht nur als Sideman in einigen der besten Bands der damaligen Zeit, sondern leitete auch seine eigenen Gruppen. Jazz Contrasts wurde zwischen dem 21. und 27. Mai 1957 im Reeves Sound Studio in New York aufgenommen. Auf der Aufnahme ist Kenny in glänzender Form neben dem ebenso großartigen Sonny Rollins am Tenorsaxophon, Hank Jones am Klavier, Oscar Pettiford am Bass, Max Roach am Schlagzeug und der meisterhaften Jazz-Harfenistin Betty Glamann zu hören.
The only one of tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks’ albums as a leader to be released during his too-brief lifetime, 1960’s True Blue is a hard bop masterpiece featuring Brooks’ distinctive compositions performed by an exceptional quintet with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Duke Jordan on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
Wayne Shorter stepped out as a Blue Note artist on his masterful 1964 label debut Night Dreamer, a sublime set that signalled the arrival of one of the most important saxophonists and composers in jazz history. Timeless Shorter compositions are given transcendent performances by a quintet with Lee Morgan, McCoy Tyner, Reggie Workman, and Elvin Jones. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
As the title suggests, the recording Tenorlee finds Lee Konitz, the great American saxophonist,
playing exclusively on tenor. It was a spontaneous decision, and a tribute to his dear friend,
Lighthouse All-Star saxophonist Richie Kamuca, who had passed away just days before Konitz
entered the studio for these sessions. Konitz classically trained on the clarinet, but switched to jazz
saxophone after being enamored by Lester Young. By 1945 the 18 year old Konitz was performing
professionally. He made a staggering 150 albums as a band leader over the course of his long and
storied career. He played and recorded with everyone from Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, Ornette
Colman, Elvin Jones, and Gerry Mulligan, to Elvis Costello, Brad Mehldau and Charlie Haden.
Between 1948 and 1950, he was a member of Miles Davis’ group, and participated in the recordings
that would eventually be collected and released as Birth of The Cool. With a trio featuring Lighthouse
All-Star alum Jimmy Rowles on piano and Michael Moore on bass, Kontiz called out old and familiar
songs. The intention was to “let the tunes happen” as only finely tuned jazz musicians of certain
experience can. Of note is “Lady Be Good” which finds Konitz and Rowles quoting Lester Young’s
solo from the 1936 recording with Count Basie. From 1978, originally on the Choice label, this album
has been remastered and is presented here as the artist intended, with its original title, track order and
album artwork, for the first time since its original release. Remastered by Alex McCollough at True
East Mastering. Vinyl cut by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl.
NEA Jazz Master, Toots Thielemans, is widely considered to be the preeminent jazz harmonica
player. It is safe to say that before him, the harmonica in jazz was simply not done, and Thielemans
can be credited with legitimizing the instrument in the genre. Born in Brussels, Belgium in 1922.
Theileman’s excelled on accordion as a small child, before picking up the guitar as a teenager after
hearing Django Reinhart. Along the way, he taught himself to play harmonica as a hobby. In 1948,
during a visit to the US, he sat in on guitar with a jazz group at small club in New York and was
“discovered.” Engagements soon followed with the likes of Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, Miles
Davis, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones and more. As the story goes, in response to a
musicians’ union restriction, Thielemans was forbidden to play guitar at a gig. So, he pulled out his
harmonica. The rest, as they say, is history. He went on to have a long and prolific career on the
instrument, as both a band leader and session musician. With his unique sound, he became a go-to
for film scores in the 1970s (The Pawn Broker, Midnight Cowboy). Perhaps most notably, Thielemans
is unconsciously known to generations for having played the melody on Sesame Street’s famous
closing theme. Organized as a purely jazz session, the date here prominently features a young Joanne
Brackeen on piano. It is perhaps Brackeen’s presence that makes this set so interesting. As an
avant-garde player she provides the vehicle for Thielemas to explore more advanced ideas. The
album covers a wide range of material, including two originals by Brackeen, alongside standards by
Coltrane, Ellington, Mercer and Mancini.
