FIRST POST

NOW IT'S MY TURN

Whew...

Hi, folks -

It's been a rough couple of weeks. Been dealing with the bureaucrats. On the phone way too much, getting various pieces of paper sorted out, cleaning up the house...

I apologize for being so silent of late. I apologize especially to those who have left comments. They will not go unanswered, I just need a little more time to straighten things out.

I'll be back soon with The Main Ingredient.

In harmony,
Chris

The Eddie Fisher Quintet

Hi, folks -

I love this album. Over the years, I've had to sell a lot of my LPs and CDs for various reasons, but I never let go of this one. My copy is pretty wrecked, so I ordered one from DUSTY GROOVES and it arrived on Wednesday afternoon. It's a reasonably clean copy. I'm still searching for that mint copy. I know it's out there...



The Third Cup, Cadet, 1969

Out of print LP. Ripped @ 320.

EDDIE FISHER (1943-2007) came out of Wes Montgomery & Grant Green, but on his Cadet albums there's a spareness, a rawness, a looseness in his playing that just kills me. Same for the whole combo, which includes the not-yet-amazing PAUL JACKSON [BLACK OCTOPUS], a few years before he developed into the tree of life at the center of the Headhunters Band (he plays acoustic on The Shadow Of Your Smile). The whole album is excellent. The title track is one of the high masterpieces of soul-jazz.

1. Scorched Earth (Fisher) 3:06
2. A Dude Called Zeke (Fisher) 3:49
3. Shut Up (Fisher) 7:02
4. The Third Cup (Fisher) 6:07
5. Two By Two (Oliver Lake) 3:20 [abrupt end of fade as is on LP]
6. Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Be-Do-Da-Day (Cosby, May & Wonder) 3:55
7. The Shadow Of Your Smile (Mandel & Webster) 11:57

Eddie Fisher, g
Phil Westmoreland, 2nd g
Bobby Selby, org
Paul Jackson, b
Kenny "Spider Webb" Rice, d

Recorded at Saico Studios, St. Louis, Mo., February, 1969
Produced and engineered by Oliver Sain

LINK

Fisher's second Cadet album, Eddie Fisher & The Next One Hundred Years, is a psychedelic monster. Coming soon!

In harmony,
Chris

First Two Woody Herman Albums On Cadet

FILES ARE NOW GOOD
APOLOGIES TO ALL WHO
DOWNLOADED BAD FILES
Out of print LPs. Ripped @ 320.

The third (Woody, 1970) will have to wait -- my copy sounds like hell. I'll get it cleaned and see how it goes...



Light My Fire, 1968

Arranged by RICHARD EVANS -- one of the greatest of the great -- that's recommendation enough for me! Some storming solos here (Sal Nistico!), and a nice soul-jazz feel on many of the tracks. The gorgeous, Ellington/Strayhorn-tinged ballad Impressions of Strayhorn and the straight-ahead swinger Keep On Keepin' On display Evans' superfine composer's chops.

DUSTY GROOVE SAYS: "A masterpiece -- one of 2 crazy albums in which Woody Herman's late band meets the Cadet arrangements of RICHARD EVANS. You might think the combination wouldn't work -- Woody's big band flourishes meeting up with Evans' compressed soulful grooves -- but gosh, the record is simply incredible, and it's one that we'd never part with in a million billion years! Worth it alone for the version of Edu Lobo's "Ponteio", but there's lots of other nice stuff -- like "I Say A Little Prayer", "Hush", "Keep On Keepin On", and "Light My Fire"."

01. Ponteio (Edu Lobo)
solos: Vicari, Pavone
02. Here I Am Baby (Smokey Robinson)
solo: Vicari
03. Hard To Keep My Mind On You (Jake Holmes)
solo: Herman
04. Macarthur Park (Jim Webb)
solos Pt. 1: Herman, Burgess
solos Pt. 2: Lederer, Hicks, Hall, Marquez, Grant, Pavone, Bossert
05. Light My Fire (Morrison, Manzarek, Krieger, Densmore)
solos: Marquez, Hall, Burgess
06. I Say A Little Prayer (Bacharach & David)
solos: Vicari, Hall
07. Hush (Joe South)
solos: Nistico, Hall
08. For Love Of Ivy (Quincy Jones & Bob Russell)
solos: Vicari, Grant
09. Impressions Of Strayhorn (Richard Evans)
solo: Herman
10. Keep On Keepin' On (Richard Evans)
solos: Nistico, Hall

Produced by RICHARD EVANS

Woody Herman, cl, as, ss
Gary Grant, Nat Pavone, Henry Hall, Sal Marquez, James Bossert, tp
Frank Vicari, Sal Nistico, Steve Lederer, Thomas Boras, reeds
Robert Burgess, Henry Southall, Vincent Prudente, tb
Phil Upchurch, g
John Hicks, p
Arthur Harper, b
Edward Soph, d
Morris Jennings, perc

Recorded at Ter Mar Studios, Chicago, Illinois, October 1968

LINK

* * * * *



Heavy Exposure, 1969

Also arranged by RICHARD EVANS - enough said!

DUSTY GROOVE SAYS: "Excellent stuff! We used to pass this one by all the time, thinking that it was some sort of fake jazz album -- but these days, we love it to death, and listen to it all the time! Woody Herman's band meets the soulful arrangements of RICHARD EVANS, and the whole thing cooks nicely in the Chess studios in Chicago. The result is a tasty blend of soulful big band tracks, with a strident groove that Woody never duplicated, and with the kind of baroque arrangements that Evans was bringing to some of the best soul work on Cadet at the time. Donny Hathaway plays organ, and the group does a killer version of his own "Flying Easy". Other titles include "The Hut", "Sex Machine", and "It's Your Thing" -- but it's all great!"

Nope, there's nothing fake about this album! Nothing to add to the above, except to note that Lancaster Gate and The Hut were composed by Evans.

01. Flying Easy (Donny Hathaway)
solos: Vicari, Burgess, Herman
02. I Can't Get Next To You (Whitfield & Strong)*
solo: Nistico
03. Aquarius (J. Rado, G. Ragni, G. MacDermot)*
solo: Herman
04. Memphis Underground (Herbie Mann)*
solos: Herman, Vicari, Chase
05. High School Hero (Jake Holmes)
solo: Gauvin
06. Lancaster Gate (Richard Evans)*
solos: Herman, Hall, Burgess
07. The Hut (Richard Evans)
solos: Nistico, Hall, Burgess, Chase
08. My Cheri Amour (Cosby, Wonder & May)
solos: Herman, Burgess
09. It's Your Thing (R. Isley, O. Isley & R. Isley)*
solos: Nistico, Chase
10. Catch That Bird (Loonis McGlohan)
solos: Vicari, Burgess, Chase
11. Sex Machine (Sylvester Stewart)
solos: Chase, Burgess, Gauvin, Upchurch

Produced by RICHARD EVANS

Woody Herman, cl, as, ss
William Byrne, Henry Hall, Richard Murphy, Rigby Powell, Bill Chase, tp
Frank Vicari, Sal Nistico, Steve Lederer, Alan Gauvin, reeds
Robert Burgess, Pete Dalbis, Tom Malone, tb
Phil Upchurch, g
John Hicks, p
Donny Hathaway, org
Gene Perla, b
Morris Jennings(*), Edward Soph, d
Richard Powell, Marshall Thompson, perc

Recorded at Ter Mar Studios, Chicago, Illinois, September 2,3, 1969

LINK

BUY THESE ALBUMS AT DUSTY GROOVE

In harmony,
Chris

The Dells at Musicmeiho

There Is
Give Your Baby A Standing Ovation
and
The Dells Vs. The Dramatics!

Thanks, MM, for more of the Dells on Cadet!

Hmmm...

I'm way late, but a while ago, the 4 Brothers asked:

What song or album changed you or moves you more than the others? **OR** if you can't narrow it down, then try this question instead: What specific song do you want played at your funeral as your "final theme song?"

I think my all-time favorite song has got to be I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun by Rotary Connection. First heard it when my mom bought Hey Love home and popped it on her crappy old KLH. Hopeful, spiritual, defiant, full of love and confidence and solidarity. And Phil Upchurch is just OUT OF HAND. Yeah, definitely my favorite song. I like the Nuyorican Soul version, but, really, it's pretty thin compared to the original.

At my funeral, I want them to play Since You Been Gone. James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Catfish and Bootsy, Clyde Stubblefield and the other guitar player, I can't remember his name. No horns, barely any keyboard, no nothing but the funk, played by the folks who invented the shit. I first heard the edited version on a compilation called Motherlode and it kicked my ass so hard I still feel it, but THE UNEDITED VERSION (click to download) features Bootsy getting so far down into the thing that he misses a key change twice and the groove is so deep, nobody gives a shit. That's what happens when a group of geniuses get together in a room and create.

In harmony,
Chris

You Are The Meaning Of This Song

I feel a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for arrangers. One of the many reasons I started this blog was to try to give a little more attention to the folks who contributed so much to the music I love, yet very often are overlooked. Charles Stepney was one of those people. He was in a class all his own. He's a hero of mine. In my opinion, Stepney stands right up there with Duke Ellington.

Gene Page (1938-1998) was arguably not as gifted as Stepney, but he was a damn fine artist. Everybody knows his work with Barry White - the 8-minute LP version of Never Never Gonna Give Ya Up on STONE GON' and Strange Games and Things from Love Unlimited's MY SWEET SUMMER SUITE are utterly devastating; BLACULA is justly celebrated, but SOULWALKING will teach you a little bit more about what he did for music, and THIS SITE will tell you even more. The man had an amazing career! Now I'll shut up and let his music speak for itself!



Love Starts After Dark, Arista LP, 1980



[Photos scanned off album cover, courtesy of SOULWALKING. I'll have a scanner very soon, I swear!]

Out of print. Ripped @ 320. Somewhat noisy, with a couple of gigantic pops, but no skips, as I recall. If you find any let me know!

1. Love Starts After Dark (Leon Silver) 5:32
2. With You In The Dark (Leon Ware, Herb Alpert) 4:00
3. Put A Little Love In Your Lovin' (Ray Parker Jr.) 5:40
4. Second Time Around (Emmett North, Robert Jackson, Tony Churchill) 4:50
5. You Are The Meaning Of This Song (Leon Siver, Nidra Beard) 3:33
6. Hold On To That Groove (Eddy Watkins, Phillys St. James) 5:54
7. Hollywood (Joe Sample, Wil Jennings) 4:35
8. I Wanna Dance (Gerard, Lon Van Eaton) 3:45

Produced by Billy and Gene Page

Arranged and Conducted by Gene Page

"Put A Little Love In Your Lovin'" produced By Ray Parker Jr

Horns arranged by Edward Meyers and Kinsman Dazz, except "Love Starts After Dark", arranged by Gene Page

Production coordinator: Sara Gene Page

Music Preparation: George Annis' Music Suite

Recorded at The Sound Factory

Special thanks to Leon Sylver for his Platinum

Guest Artists: Merry Clayton, Jackye Gerard, Phyllis St. James, Charmaine Sylvers

Ed Greene, d; Eddie Watkins, b; Charles Fearing, Paul Jackson Jr., Emmett North, Ray Parker Jr., Thom Rotella, Tommy Tedesco, Wah Wah Watson, g; Alex Brown, Mercy Clayton, Sylvia Cox, Jackye Gerard, Yvonne Hill, Ray Parker Jr., Francy Pearlman, Pat Powdrill, Dorie Pride, Phyllis St. James, Charmaine Silvers, Sybil Thomas, Carla Vaughn, voc; Sonny Burke, Gene Page, keyb; Jack Ashford, Eddie Brown, Olie Brown, Gary Coleman, perc; Darren Carmichael, Kurt Mc Gettrick, Allen Mc Grier, Edward Meyers, John Mitchell, Wayne Preston, Les Thaler, John Thomas, horns; Todd Cochran, Steve Caplan, synth; Harry Bluestone, concertmaster; Merry Clayton, vocal contractor

LINK

Viva Maestro Gene Page!

In harmony,
Chris

The Time To Be Free Is Now

Hi, folks -

One day, we'll win. I don't know when, maybe not in any of our lifetimes, but love, respect, radical generosity, solidarity and simple human decency must win in the end, or else...

I don't much like labels. I hate stereotypes. We need to learn to live without that nasty shit.

Here's something that transcends all categories and gives a beautiful example of the immense heights people can reach when they come together to create in collective freedom.



Richard Davis - Epistrophy & Now's The Time
Muse LP, 1972

Ripped @ 320 from a fairly clean LP. There's a sealed copy HERE for 50 bucks. THE CD REISSUE has a bonus track: The Highest Mountain (Clifford Jordan). I'm gonna buy it very soon. Normally, I won't post things that are in print (with occasional lapses, as earlier), but this album is so earth-shattering, I have to turn folks on to it and I hope you'll buy the reissue.

1. Epistrophy (Monk) 22:56
2. Now's The Time (Parker) 22:31

Richard Davis, b
Clifford Jordan, ts
Hannibal Marvin Peterson, tp
Joe Bonner, p
Freddie Waits, d

Recorded live at Jazz City, NYC, September 7, 1972.

From the liner notes:

"I liked the idea. There was no discussion about what we were going to play. I picked Monk's tune, just got into it and then everybody joined in. Monk is one of my favorite composers. Epistrophy is from the late 40s so it just shows that good compositions are perennial. I was crazy about that group and that night. Everybody was into everybody else's vibrations. Now's The Time is the be-bop thing. I think Clifford Jordan sets the theme on that one. The idea was just to play sounds and music."
    - Richard Davis

"America can't create our music - or destroy it."
    - Clifford Jordan

"What does it matter the man's age as long as he can lift the weight and bear the pain."
    - Hannibal Marvin Peterson

"I'm constantly striving for inner peace and self-improvement determined by the mere survival of daily living as well as my musical experiences. Hopefully, my truest and most pure feelings are expressed through my work. However, if I have accomplished relating truth and purity to the audience at the best of my ability at any given time, I have but the creator, my family and my fellow artists to thank. This particular album with Richard Davis was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had. There was a consistent joint interchange of music, love and understanding expressed by all the musicians which I felt was dynamic."
    - Freddie Waits

***

I'm not sure how to describe this music, but some folks call it free bop. Another great bassist, Gary Peacock, when asked how he could feel comfortable playing with both Albert Ayler and Bill Evans, said (I paraphrase): "When you have 2,000 standards under your belt, know the music and have your chops together, you can't help but play free." This album says the same thing.

LINK

In harmony,
Chris

Gerald Wilson 1

Gerald Wilson (born 1918) played trumpet and wrote arrangements for Jimmie Lunceford from 1939 to 1941, led an under-recorded bebop big band (1944-1947) and played and arranged for Basie and Ellington. He arranged for Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson and many others. His most famous composition is probably Viva Tirado, which was a big hit for El Chicano. He made 10 albums for Pacific Jazz and World Pacific in the 60's. With one exception, they're all first-rate; the one exception is by no means bad! I'll be posting them over the next couple of months.

I have all the LPs, but I'll rip from the Mosaic set, which you can buy HERE and support Mr. Wilson, who is still alive, still a grand master.



Gerald Wilson Orchestra - Eternal Equinox
World Pacific, 1969

Ripped @ 320 from the 5-CD Mosaic Gerald Wilson box set and retagged.

Out of print, but not hard to find. I've seen it on ebay for 5 bucks.

This is one of hell of a big band album. Richard "Groove" Holmes plays his ass off on the first track, Bobby Hutcherson solos beautifully on a couple of other tracks, Jen-Luc Ponty, who I usually can't listen to at all, tears it up on Scorpio Rising and, I mean, HAROLD LAND!? You gotta check out this fantastic album.

1. Equinox (Coltrane)
2. Aquarius (Rado, Ragni, MacDermot)
3. Pisces (Wilson)
4. Scorpio Rising (Wilson)
5. Celestial Soul (Wilson)
6. Baby, Baby Don't Cry (Robinson, Cleveland, Johnson)
7. You, Me and Now (Wilson)
8. Bluesnee (Wilson)

Gerald Wilson (arr); Larry McGuire, Jay Daversa, Paul Hubinon, Tony Rusch, William Peterson (tp); Lester Robinson, Frank Strong, Thurman Green (tb); Alexander Thomas, Mike Wimberley (bass tb); Arthur Maebe (fhr); Henry DeVega, Anthony Ortega, Bud Shank (as); William Green (fl, pic); Ernie Watts (ts, fl, pic); Hadley Caliman, Harold Land (ts); Richard Alplanalp (bari); Jean-Luc Ponty (v); Bobby Hutcherson (vib); Wilbert Longmire (g); Richard "Groove" Holmes (org); George Duke (p); Bob West (el-b); Carl Lott, Paul Humphrey (d)

Recorded in LA, early June, 1969.

I don't have a scanner yet, but when I do, I'll provide scans for this and every other album I've posted.

LINK

All About Jazz: Article | Interview

In harmony,
Chris

Sing Out Of Tune In The Chorus Of The Contented

Hi, folks -

Well, I have a little more time than I thought I would, so I guess I'll be posting more often than expected, which makes me glad.

To go along with the Taiguara, here's another great lost LP from Brasil.



Jards Macalé - JARDS MACALÉ, Phonogram LP

Out of print since 1972. Funk-rock-bossa trio with very minimal overdubs, loose and kind of garage-psych. They obviously had a great time when they recorded this.

Ripped @ 320 from LP-to-CD transfer by my dear friend FRANCISCO FARIA (those are drawings, not photographs!), to whom many thanks e um grande abraço afetuoso.

1. FARINHA DO DESPREZO (Macalé/Capinam)
2. REVENDO AMIGOS (Macalé/Waly Salomão)
3. MAL SECRETO (Macalé/Waly Salomão)
4. 78 ROTAÇÕES (Macalé/Capinam)
5. MOVIMENTO DOS BARCOS (Macalé/Capinam)
6. MEU AMOR ME AGARRA & GEME & TREME & CHORA & MATA (Macalé/Capinam)
7. LET'S PLAY THAT (Macalé/Torquato Neto)
8. FARRAPO HUMANO (Luiz Melodia)
9. A MORTE (Gilberto Gil) - HOTEL DAS ESTRELAS (Macalé/Duda Machado)

Jards Macalé, ag, v
Lanny Gordin, ag, eb
Tuti Moreno, d

I couldn't find much online info about Tuti (or Tutti or Tutty) Moreno, but he's played with almost everybody - one hell of a great drummer, married to the singer, Joyce.

Here's the lyric (and my translation) of what is arguably the most famous song on the album. The lyric echoes, parodies and honors one of the most famous poems by the great Brasilian poet, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, and the title alludes to a composition by Thelonious Monk.

LET’S PLAY THAT
Macalé/Torquato

quando eu nasci
um anjo torto
um anjo solto
um anjo louco
veio ler a minha mão

não era um anjo barroco
era um anjo muito solto
louco, louco, muito doido
com asas de avião

e eis que o anjo me disse
apertando a minha mão
entre um sorriso de dentes:
vai bicho
desafinar o côro dos contentes

     when i was born
     a bent angel
     a loose angel
     a crazy angel
     came to read my palm

     it wasn’t a baroque angel
     it was a really loose angel,
     crazy, crazy, totally wacked
     with airplane wings

     and behold the angel did say unto me
     holding my hand
     with a toothy smile:
     go, dude,
     sing out of tune
     in the chorus of the contented

LINK

In harmony,
Chris