A Record a Week: Herbie Mann - The Evolution of Mann

SIDE 1.
NEW ORLEANS
MOTHERLESS CHILD
GEORGIA ON MY MIND
NOT NOW - LATER ON

SIDE 2.
GYMNOPEDIE
YESTERDAY'S KISSES
NIRVANA
FEELING GOOD

SIDE 3.
PATATO
WHY DON'T YOU DO RIGHT
SCRATCH
DROWN IN MY OWN TEARS

SIDE 4.
CONSOLATION
TURKISH COFFEE
INCENSE
PLEASE SEND ME SOMEONE TO LOVE

This isn't the first Jazz Flute album I've reviewed, which I wouldn't have wagered when I began this project. Nor would I have guessed how boppin' it can be. Some of the songs fit into the 'smooth jazz' category, but some have a real funky beat happening underneath and it is delightful.

He's a very talented flautist and was able to keep active for 50 years, despite a pocket of time where Jazz was not as popular as disco and rock music. He saw this and worked with some artists in that genre to be able to keep it up until the interest in Jazz began to regain some steam. Another record by a name I recognized, but knew nothing about and another surprise. If I ever held an upbeat party with a retro theme, this would definitely be a record to throw on.

A Record a Week: Peggy Lee - Is That All There Is?

   

SIDE 1.

IS THAT ALL THERE IS?
LOVE STORY
ME AND MY SHADOW
MY OLD FLAME
I'M A WOMAN

SIDE 2.
BROTHER'S LOVE SALVATION SHOW
SOMETHING
WHISTLE FOR HAPPINESS
JOHNNY (LINDA)
DON'T SMOKE IN BED

You know something? This project has stirred up something of a taste in this style of music in me. It's a kind of music that stirs the hips even if you're not in the mood for dancing. It brings to mind girls with wonderful dresses and 60's hair, their hands sticking out at their hips and swaying side to side.

It's just good music. In the past, I think I've made the mistake of lumping it in with smooth Jazz or other type of easy listening. I mean it is easy listening, in that it's easy on the ears, but not in that K-Lite FM type of sound. Is that all there is was Lee's biggest success, song-wise and it features that wonderful chorus that pretty much everyone is familiar with. Her cover of The Beatles' Something is a wonderful gem on the B Side.

All in all, another wonderful diamond in my collection.

A Record a Week: Hubert Laws - Then There Was Light

SIDE 1.
IN THE BEGINNING
RESTORATION

SIDE 2.
GYMNOPEDIE #1
COME YE DISCONSOLATE
AIREGIN

What are the chances I come upon to flute specialist records in the span of a couple weeks? I can't imagine there are even more than three in my whole collection, but I guess this proves that I don't know much about that.

This record had fairly run-of-the-mill Jazz sounds at first, but then the flute solo kicked in. Flute in jazz is so much different than the flute I remember from high school music class. I always thought of it as a pretty boring instrument until its inclusion in jazz. I should know better, because years ago I saw an oboist who used a looping pedal and played some pretty neat stuff, including Smells Like Teen Spirit and that blew my conventional knowledge of instruments right out of the water.

Besides the flute solos, there are two very surprising drum solos that occur. One on each side of the album. The first one was on Restoration and the second (I think) on Come Ye Disconsolate. The one is reminiscent of speed metal drumming and really caught me off guard, as it seemed like a real departure in terms of genre. Definitely found this one a very interesting listen a a few different ways.

A Record a Week: Bert Kaempfert - ...Love That Bert Kaempfert

SIDE 1.
CARAVAN
LONELY IS THE NAME
AGAIN
STEPPIN' PRETTY
I SHOULD CARE

SIDE 2.
JUST AS MUCH AS EVER
THE FIRST WALTZ
MY LOVE FOR YOU
THE GLORY OF LOVE
THE SHEIK OF ARABY
EVERY TIME I DREAM OF YOU

Since many (or all) of his covers are in this style, I always expected Kaempfert to be either a surfy-love song type or at least a crooner. I suppose if I saw the 'and his orchestra' I would've narrowed it down to crooner. I suppose none of that matters, since it's actually jazz. Easy listening jazz, at that; the farthest thing from what I thought it was.

Once I got past the mismatch of cover and content, I was able to focus solely on the music. While easy listening or 'smooth jazz' lacks the punch that I usually enjoy from music, I was able to set that aside and hear the quality of the music being played. He was obviously excellent at gathering and conducting musicians to execute both the classics and his own compositions, as this record shows.

Before his early (56) death in 1980, he was a renowned band leader and composer. I suppose the aging population mixed with the number of his records sold made this inevitable, but it's sad to know that someone of this caliber can be in the 'guaranteed find' pile at value village alongside Englebert Humperdinck.

A Record a Week: Lena Horne - The Lady and Her Music (Live on Broadway)

SIDE 1.
OVERTURE
FROM THIS MOMENT ON
I GOT A NAME
I'M GLAD THERE IS YOU
I WANT TO BE HAPPY
COTTON CLUB REVIEW
COPPER COLORED GAL
RAISIN' THE RENT
AS LONG AS I LIVE
LADY WITH A FAN
COTTON CLUB TO HOLLYWOOD (DIALOGUE)
WHERE OR WHEN

SIDE 2.
CAN'T HELP LOVIN' THAT MAN
HOLLYWOOD (DIALOGUE)
JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS
STORMY WEATHER PT.1
LOVE
BROADWAY (DIALOGUE)
PUSH DE BUTTON
THE LADY IS A TRAMP
YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS YOUNG

SIDE 3.
DEED I DO
LIFE GOES ON
WATCH WHAT HAPPENS
THE SURREY WITH THE FRINGE ON TOP
FLY
BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEWILDERED

SIDE 4.
A LADY MUST LIVE
LOVE THIS BUSINESS (DIALOGUE)
THAT'S WHAT MIRACLES ARE ALL ABOUT
EARLY CAREER (DIALOGUE)
I'M GONNA SIT RIGHT DOWN AND WRITE MYSELF A LETTER
STORMY WEATHER PT. 2
IF YOU BELIEVE
STORMY WEATHER (CURTAINS/CROWD/BOWS)

When was the last time a band put out a double record? I feel like there have been a lot of these in my collection thus far and I'm nowhere near done. I know, I know, this is a Broadway piece, which is different than a studio double, but still it begs the question of how long it's been since that was popular practice.

Horne is a multi-award winning artist who rose up from the New York club scene to Hollywood and back to the nightclubs where she used her fame to rise to the top of the circuit. Later in life, she took her skills to Broadway where she recorded this album.

It is no wonder she had such success at every level, because her talent shines brightly on this record. Even with that talent, she must have had a hard time making a name for herself at the time she was famous. She refused roles in Hollywood that pushed stereotypes and fought for civil rights much of her life. This record showcases her life while also interspersing bits of her personal history between songs. The tracks referring to the Cotton Club are about the club of that name where she got her start. Now, if the name brings up any flags in your head, you're probably not far off the mark in your thinking. The club was an all-white club with predominantly black performers (who presumably had a separate entrance, likely the kitchen). The racism didn't only come from one side, though. When she was young, fellow African-American children mocked her light skin and having one white parent. She managed to rise above all of that and become a talented actress and singer. Her life of stories and years of honing her skill come out in fine form on this album, which is a wonderful listen.       

A Record a Week: Billie Holiday - God Bless the Child

SIDE 1.
I CAN'T PRETEND
IF MY HEART COULD ONLY TALK
HAVIN' MYSELF A TIME
SAYS MY HEART
LONG GONE BLUES
GHOST OF YESTERDAY
FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN

SIDE 2.
I'M ALL FOR YOU
I HEAR MUSIC
IT'S THE SAME OLD STORY
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
ST. LOUIS BLUES
LOVELESS LOVE
LET'S DO IT, LET'S FALL IN LOVE

SIDE 3.
GEORGIA ON MY MIND
ROMANCE IN THE DARK
ALL OF ME
I'M IN A LOW DOWN GROOVE
GOD BLESS THE CHILD
AM I BLUE
SOLITUDE

SIDE 4.
JIM
I COVER THE WATERFRONT
LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME
GLOOMY SUNDAY
MANDY IS TWO
IT'S A SIN TO TELL A LIE
(IT WILL HAVE TO DO) UNTIL THE REAL THING COMES ALONG

This double LP was obviously designed for record players that have an auto-changer, or 'umbrella spindle' where you can set up multiple records to play in sequence without having to flip them yourself. The first and fourth sides are opposite on one record and the second and third on the other. That being so that you can align sides one and two and then flip them over and align three and four on the spindle.

This record covers a lot of Holiday songs, including the namesake, which strangely doesn't appear until the third side. Like many artistic talents, she was a troubled soul. Her upbringing had many problems, which begot her drinking, which in the end killed her. Her singing was described as 'Jazz Singing', which this record line amusingly describes as 'a way people who know about jazz describe a singer they like', which is to say not a pop singer. I would think it possible that, given the time, the colour of her skin may have got her automatically grouped into many categories including the 'jazz singer' one.

She has a lot of soul in her voice and it is a shame she died so young. This record has an incredible selection of songs and is a must-have for anyone looking to dive head-first into her music. Double records can be a bit of a chore, but the passion and soul in this one make it well worth the listen.

A Record a Week: Al Hirt - The Best of Al Hirt Vol. 2

SIDE 1.
BYE BYE BLUES
STAR DUST
THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA
ALKIN'
SLEEPY LAGOON
I CAN'T GET STARTED

SIDE 2.
CLARINET MARMALADE
(DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO MISS) NEW ORLEANS
EASY STREET
LET'S DO IT (LET'S FALL IN LOVE)
THE JITTERBUG WALTZ
PERSONALITY

Now that's what I'm talking about. Another week, another musician who is the namesake of the record without being the singer. It's nice to hear, because as nice as instrumental music is, sometimes it is good to hear music with a singer where they aren't drowning out the music. Maybe if Guns n' Roses were just called Slash, Axl wouldn't have become the ego-maniac that he did and we'd still have that same 90's rock band (although after The Spaghetti Incident, maybe it's better this way).

It is clear after listening to this record that Hirt was a solid trumpet player. This album covers all styles of classics and he nails it all the way through. He was born and raised in the hot bed of jazz, New Orleans, but studied music up in Ohio. He played swing and big band music as well through his time after Ohio and thus gained the tools to be able to play all the styles of music that he exhibits on this record. I've always been jealous of people who play the brass instruments, as they always made my cheeks hurt and I just couldn't get past that. Maybe it will be something I revisit as an adult to see if I've built up any durability in the cheekal region. (I know that's not a real word)

It is a good thing to get a few records like this under your belt if you consider yourself to have a diverse knowledge of music. I myself think that I need to dig deeper into the last 2 artists I've reviewed, as they're both great and I have only mildly increased my hold on what they're about.

A Record a Week: Earl Hines - Fatha and His Orchestra On Tour

SIDE 1.
I JUST WANNA MAKE LOVE TO YOU
SECOND BALCONY JUMP
PASSION FLOWER
MY HEART STOOD STILL
I FEEL SO SMOOCHY
ALL OF ME

SIDE 2.
SOMEBODY LOVES ME
NIGHT IN TRINIDAD
CANNERY WALK
THINGS AIN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE
MELODICA BLUES
EASY TO LOVE

Listening to this record, I am reminded that there was a time when the player was the namesake of the group, even if he or she was not the singer. Not to take anything away from the singer in this group, she's wonderful; but it is clearly Hines that is in control and the best of the bunch.

Teaming up with jazz greats Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington(among countless others) he over the years, Hines was considered amongst the elite in jazz and what would later become 'bebop'. He triumphed through a move to Chicago(where jazz was king at the time), powered through the times when African-Americans were discriminated against everywhere, and even maneuvered much of his band being drafted into the army, missing only a short stint as a result. I am not an aficionado of this style of music at all, but I can tell a good piece when I hear it. If my record player were upstairs, this would certainly be perfect cocktail party background music. I'm going to go against the grain of saying 'I should have been born in (insert era)' and just go ahead and say more modern musicians should do well done versions of music from eras past.

A Record a Week: Erroll Garner - Misty

SIDE !.
MISTY
EXACTLY LIKE YOU
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE
WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED LOVE
FRANTONALITY

SIDE 2.
AGAIN
WHERE OR WHEN
LOVE IN BLOOM
THROUGH A LONG AND SLEEPLESS NIGHT
THAT OLD FEELING

This is a great and classic swing album. Garner bridges the gap between classic jazz and swing without being too generic or offensive to either style.

This album contains a good collection of songs, including the leading song, Misty, which became a jazz standard covered by several other jazz musicians. The song, first released on 1954's Plays Misty was at that time an instrumental. Lyrics were later added by Johnny Burke and the song re-released on the album Contrasts. This record is a re-release of Plays Misty and includes the lyricized version of the song.

The other songs are equally well-written and engaging, encompassing a bright vision of all elements of jazz. Various time signatures, including at some times different ones played by different hands, meld together at the right time creating an element of suspense-satisfaction as the listener gets drawn in. Even if you can't hear such subtleties (ones I only heard occasionally myself), this album plays out as a great jazz/swing collection.

A Record a Week: Giants of Jazz - Duke Ellington

SIDE 1.
EAST ST. LOUIS TOODLE-OO
CREOLE LOVE CALL
BLACK AND TAN FANTASY
BLACK BEAUTY
JUBILEE STOMP
YELLOW DOG BLUES

SIDE 2.
HOT AND BOTHERED
THE MOOCHE
SHOOT 'EM AUNT TILLIE
RING DEM BELLS
MOOD INDIGO *The Jungle Band
ROCKIN' IN RHYTHM *The Harlem Footwarmers
IT DON'T MEAN A THING (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

SIDE 3.
BABY WHEN YOU AIN'T THERE
BUGLE CALL RAG
MERRY GO ROUND
HARLEM SPEAKS
IN THE SHADE OF THE OLD APPLE TREE
MERRY GO ROUND
TRUCKIN'

SIDE 4.
CLARINET LAMENT (Barney's Concerto)
ECHOES OF HARLEM (Cootie's Concerto)
CARAVAN
I LET A SONG GO OUT OF MY HEART
SOPHISTICATED LADY
JACK THE BEAR

SIDE 5.
KO-KO
CONCERT FOR COOTIE (Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me)
COTTON TAIL
NEVER NO LAMENT (Don't Get Around Much Anymore)
HARLEM AIR SHAFT
IN A MELLOTONE
WARM VALLEY

SIDE 6.
TAKE THE "A" TRAIN
I GOT IT BAD AND THAT AIN'T GOOD
PERDIDO
C JAM BLUES
ROCKABYE RIVER
JEEP'S BLUES

This one took me a couple of weekends to listen to in its entirety, so I apologize for the delay. Plus things have been busy, plus I had people here last weekend. With a side of I have no other excuses and will get back to business next week.

The 3-record collection is the last of the Giants of Jazz records that I have and as with the others, it takes a journey through the career of the artist over the span of their career. Instead of the way I did the other ones, this album seemed to mostly be Duke Ellington lead groups, except for the few songs I noted where the group name didn't include his name.

Spanning multiple styles and recording qualities, starting with the foundation of jazz and direct wax recording through to the multi-tracking days that were in their early years by the time he died. It's interesting to think that every new style of jazz heard on the record could conceivably have been brought upon by Ellington or even the very song. His progressive musical styling took jazz in new directions with the likes of Louis Armstrong and other innovators at the time. They never were around to experience anything but the beginning of the experimental likes of fusion and other newer branches of jazz. I would be interested to hear his take on that. It may not have suited his style, but as a musician I think he would have appreciated the creativity involved.

I would say this takes the 'bet of' term and brings it all the way up to 'thorough sampling of' territory. Definitely a must listen for fans of Ellington and those curious alike.

A Record a Week: Duke Ellington (& Others) - Original Big Band Sounds

SIDE 1.
UPPER MANHATTAN MEDICAL GROUP (Duke Ellington)
BIG ROCK CANDY MOUTAIN (Johnny Long)
IN THE SHADE OF THE OLD APPLE TREE (Art Mooney)
ARKANSAS TRAVELER (Ray Block)
AUTUMN (Lionel Hampton)

SIDE 2.
UNBOOTED CHARACTER (Duke Ellington)
MEET ME TONIGHT IN DREAMLAND (Ray Block)
HAWAIIAN HOOPLA (Johnny Long)
SHINE ON HARVEST MOON (Art Mooney)
STARRY NIGHT (Lionel Hampton)

This record contains less of Duke Ellington's earlier career and more of his big band/bandleading days. I suppose, though that there are only 2 songs of his, so there is a much smaller sampling size. Also of note, Lionel Hampton seems to have gotten the shaft, being the only one who never gets a higher position than last on both sides.

The opening song has a Jazz club feel to it, though the rest sound like more typical big band shows. I really like the Ellington stuff and basically anything instrumental on the album. I don't have anything particularly bad to say about Hampton, so I'm not sure what made him get the short end of the song listing stick.

A Record a Week: The Best of Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

SIDE 1.
WARM VALLEY
ROCKIN' IN RHYTHM
PRELUDE TO A KISS
SATIN DOLL
CARAVAN

SIDE 2.
FLAMINGO
IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD
BLACK AND TAN FANTASY
PASSION FLOWER
BAKIFF

Duke Ellington was an incredible jazz piano player, jazz pioneer and band leader. He was innovative and ground-breaking, an important part of the foundation of African-American music movement of the early 1900's.

His style covered many grounds, as this album proves. He has that soft jazz style that was famous in the early days of jazz as well as some more intricate pieces, different time signatures and different groupings of instruments. I thought for the first few songs that it was going to be that slower sound of many jazz records I have listened to over the past year or so that don't really have the punch and swing of the jazz form later time periods. I forgot, however, that this was encompassing his entire career, or at least more that the early 20's.

Both Satin Doll and Caravan are my two favourites on the album, though it is a solid listen in its entirety. I imagine those songs may pop up again, as looking forward, it would appear I have at least a couple of weeks more of Duke Ellington ahead. Thank goodness he is so talented.

A Record a Week: Herwin Records Presents - Dixieland Jazz Classics (1917-1928)

SIDE 1.
DIXIELAND JAZZ BAND ONE-STEP(Original Dixieland 'Jass' Band
MEMPHIS GLIDE(Original Memphis Five)
MOBILE BLUES(The Bucktown Five)
SAN SUE STRUT(Arcadian Serenaders
THAT'S NO BARGAIN(Red Nichols and his Five Pennies)
BIG BOY(The Wolverines)
AT THE JAZZ BAND BALL(Bix Beiderbecke and his Gang)
SAN(Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra)

SIDE 2.
DIPPER MOUTH BLUES(King Oliver's Creole Band)
MUSKRAT RAMBLE(Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five)
WEST END BLUES(Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five)
BLACK BOTTOM STOMP(Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers)
KANSAS CITY STOMP(Jelly Roll Morton and his Red Hot Peppers)
KATER STREET RAG(Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra)
HERE COMES THE HOT TAMALE MAN(Doc Cook and his Dreamland Orchestra)
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BLUES(Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra)

Much of dixieland sounds like the soundtrack to a silent film to me. Specifically the type where the characters move around very choppily and slap their faces in an exaggerated way and there are breaks between scenes that say 'I don't care how she votes I'm still going to marry her' (Buster Keaton in The Scarecrow). Perhaps that's because this was the style of music that coincided with the time of silent films. Either way, it's not just silent films that come to mind when listening to this music. Flappers, bobs, the Charleston, prohibition, speakeasies and many other things that happened in the first world war and post-war era.

If you didn't know that this album was a collection, you may think that it was the chronicle of one artist. The only real difference being the quality of the recording improves over time. The one notable difference on the album is Louis Armstrong, who adds a bit of the progressive jazz style that jump started his solo career. He also adds some of his signature vocals to the mix, something that most, if not all of the other groups did not do.

A Record a Week: Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain

SIDE 1.
CONCIERTO DE ARANJUEZ
WILL O THE WISP

SIDE 2.
THE PAN PIPER
SAETA
SOLEA

This album is the first one I've heard by Miles Davis that has a real vibrant energy. Don't get me wrong, his immense talent always shows through, it's just that the more upbeat tempos aren't usually his style. There is also plenty of his type of jazz on this record. Infused with Spanish melodies, this album contains a larger selection of horns than a normal Davis record.

To me, the first few songs sound like backing music for a movie from the 40's or 50'swhere the dialogue might go something like 'We gotta go, see. Time is running short, see'. But then the second side sounds more like the score to a film detailing a victory by Alexander the great or some other ancient conqueror, with its horn-tooting melodies in major keys.

As someone who only has limited exposure to Miles Davis, this was a great record to experience the range of this vastly talented man.

A Record a Week: Nat King Cole - You're My Everything

SIDE 1.
YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING
LITTLE COQUETTE
MAGIC MOMENTS
YOU'LL SEE
BEND A LITTLE MY WAY

SIDE 2.
THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA
BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE
BRUSH THOSE TEARS FROM YOUR EYES
POINCIANA

This album is a compilation of Nat King Cole songs and as far as I can tell, it was an unauthorized release. It's hard to find information on it other than that it was released by Pickwick Records in 1967 and it doesn't seem to appear on any of his 'official' discographies.

It contains a mixture of Jazz Piano, some more upbeat stuff and some crooning style. No matter what the style, Nat King Cole's wonderful voice floats above. The man fought adversity to become a pioneer in the formats of Jazz Piano, Jazz Trio and Male Vocal. Constantly up against the racism battle, he just kept on making music and ignoring the hatred. Sadly, he died in 1965 after a battle with lung cancer. No surprise, as he reportedly smoked up to three packs a day, something he apparently attributed his vocal sound to (if you trust Wikipedia).

This album is a nice mixture, but it leaves me wondering why, if you are going to make a (most likely) unauthorized collection, you wouldn't make one with a few more chart-hitting songs of his. Perhaps these were the songs that were public domain, or favourites of a label exec. Either way, with a voice like his, it's pretty hard to go wrong when picking songs.

A Record a Week: Claude Bolling/Maurice Andre - Toot Suite

SIDE 1.
I - ALLEGRE (C Trumpet)
II - MYSTIQUE (E-Flat Trumpet)
III - RAG-POLKA (B-Flat cornet)

SIDE 2.
IV - MARCHE (B-Flat Piccolo Trumpet)
V - VESPERALE (B-Flat Flugelhorn)
VI - SPIRITUELLE (B-Flat Piccolo Trumpet)

Unless you have a real musician's ear, it is not often that you know what key every song on an album is in. Two-thirds of this album is in B-Flat, which, save for the Rag-Polka, they use to create a sad or melancholy feel.

These two french musicians have both had long and illustrious careers, each working with and/or inspiring all of the famous musicians of their instrument. On this album they come together to create an album that is a little bit sad story, a little bit funny Family Guy montage and a little bit Mad About You theme song. (I actually don't remember that particular theme song, but for some unknown reason a part of this record made me think of that)

The two musicians will start off playing complimentary parts, then they will go on a tangent playing counterpoint parts, then bring it back together playing identical parts. The effect this produces is a sort of controlled chaos that is quite interesting. No doubt their talent allows them to go off in any direction and be able to pull it all in when necessary. This talent is one that any musician who solos needs to possess to be able to lay it all out and be able to get back to a verse or chorus by a specific bar or beat. It is quite obvious that these two have a complete mastery of that talent and it makes for a great listen.

A Record a Week: Bix Beiderbecke (Giants of Jazz Collection)

SIDE 1.
COPENHAGEN (Wolverine Orchestra)
BIG BOY (Wolverine Orchestra)
MY PRETTY GIRL (Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra)
CLARINET MARMALADE (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
SINGIN' THE BLUES (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
OSTRICH WALK (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
RIVERBOAT SHUFFLE (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)

SIDE 2.
I'M COMING, VIRGINIA (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
WAY DOWN YONDER IN NEW ORLEANS (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
FOR NO REASON AT ALL in C. (Tram, Bix and Lang)
THREE BLIND MICE (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
BLUE RIVER (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
IN A MIST (Himself)
CLEMENTINE (Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra)

SIDE 3.
WRINGIN' AND TWISTIN' (Tram, Bix and Lang)
HUMPTY DUMPTY (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
KRAZY KAT(Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
THERE AIN'T NO LAND LIKE DIXIELAND TO ME (Broadway Bell-Hops)
AT THE JAZZ BAND BALL (Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)
ROYAL GARDEN BLUES (Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)
JAZZ ME BLUES (Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)

SIDE 4.
GOOSE PIMPLES (New Orleans Lucky Seven)
SORRY (Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)
CRYIN' ALL DAY (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
SINCE MY BEST GIRL TURNED ME DOWN (Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)
THREE BLIND MICE (The Chicago Loopers)
CHANGES (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)

SIDE 5.
LONELY MELODY (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
MISSISSIPPI MUD (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
DARDANELLA (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
FROM MONDAY ON (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
SUGAR (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
'TAIN'T SO, HONEY, 'TAIN'T SO (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
THAT'S MY WEAKNESS NOW (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra

SIDE 6.
BECAUSE MY BABY DON'T MEAN "MAYBE" NOW (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
LOUISIANA Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang)
LOUISE (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
I LIKE THAT (Frankie Trumbauer and His Orchestra)
CHINA BOY (Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra)
BESSIE COULDN'T HELP IT (Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra)

(Performance groups in parentheses and italics)

This record set comes with a delightful booklet detailing everything you could possibly want to know about Bix Beiderbecke. He lived a short life that was centred around music and booze. He was a natural talent that played from the heart and could repeat a song by ear, never actually bothering to learn how to read any music. He played alongside the likes of Bing Crosby and his skills were (and are) the envy of jazz musicians from all styles and cultures. Cornet was the instrument he most frequently played, though he was also adept at the piano.

This collection has a lot of good dixieland-style jazz on it. It's a style I'm not normally into, but this record could certainly provide a basis for liking it. The style often comes across a little 'silly' for me, but the talent is quite evident there on this record.

A Record a Week: The Best of Mark-Almond

SIDE 1:
THE CITY
TRAMP AND THE YOUNG GIRL
ONE WAY SUNDAY

SIDE 2:
THE GHETTO
SONG FOR YOU
FRIENDS
SOLITUDE

Musicians Jon Mark and Johnny Almond are the main forces behind Mark-Almond (aka Mark Almond or the Mark Almond Band). The pair began playing music together in the late 60s and gained most of their popularity through the early 70s.

When I first turned this record on, it sounded very reminiscent of The Moody Blues. The first song "The City" is an 11 minute jazz-rock anthem. The album flows through styles of space rock, lounge jazz, fusion and avant-garde.

I really enjoyed this album as a whole. I didn't love all of it, but "The City"really got me interested and although my interest dropped a bit in the second song, "One Way Sunday" got me back. After a slow-ish start on the second side, things branch off into the artsy jazz realm. There was one song that had a terrific group vocal part, but I couldn't discern whether it was "Song For You" or "Solitude". It sounds like a mash-up of jazz-rock, The Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, the out-there sounds you hear coming from the Rex at 1:30 in the morning and some version of Jazz you would hear on your local EZ rock station. I know that covers a lot of different areas, but for the time period they were playing, it kind of makes sense.

A Record a Week: Mose Allison - Back Country Suite/Local Color

Wow, I'm starting writing this at 10:45 and it's a double record, so I am going to have to listen and write at the same time to get this under my self-imposed Saturday Deadline!

This album is a re-release of his Debut Album "Back Country Suite" and his second effort, "Local Color".



SIDE 1. (Originally released on the album Back Country Suite)
NEW GROUND
TRAIN
WARM NIGHT
BLUE BLUES
SATURDAY
SCAMPER
JANUARY
SPRING SONG
HIGHWAY 49

SIDE 2. (Originally released on the album Back Country Suite)
BLUEBERRY HILL
YOU WON'T LET ME GO
I THOUGH ABOUT YOU
ONE ROOM COUNTRY SHACK
IN SHALAH

SIDE 3. (Originally released on the album Local Color)
PARCHMAN FARM
CARNIVAL
CREPUSCULAR AIR
MOJO WOMAN
TOWN

SIDE 4. (Originally released on the album Local Color)
TROUBLE IN MIND
LOST MIND
I'LL NEVER BE FREE
DON'T EVER SAY GOODBYE
AIN'T YOU A MESS

An incredible piano player, Mose Allison's Jazz styles range from the smooth piano lounge to the snap-your-fingers jazz dance club. It's easy to see how he influenced and is covered by the Clash, The Who, The Stones, Hendrix, Elvis Costello, and the Yardbirds; Van Morrison even did an entire Album's worth. The Pixies song "Allison" is a tribute to him. The songs on these albums, a mixture of his own work and variations on others', are a foundation for his 40+ albums and have a sound that wove through Jazz and Rock for years to follow.

In this reissue, Pete Townshend and Ira Gitler fill the gatefold with tales of his life and his influence on them.

Years before Elvis brought was a white man doing black music, a teenage Mose Allison was playing jazz with an also teenage B.B. King in Memphis.

The first side of the record sounds like something you would hear on Itunes when you double-click a song. The songs start and play for about a minute before fading out, sounding more like a snippet than a complete works. The songs focus on the instrumentation (mainly his piano, but including solos on other instruments), with vocals used sparingly. The sparse use of vocals really pulls you into focus after you lose yourself in the groove of the instrumental tracks. Once you flip the record over, the other three sides have a more traditional length to them and a more complete feel as well. He even plays trumpet on the opening track of the final side.

I love the sounds on old records and I wish sometimes that things had never gone digital. The effect of the old microphones and the recording on to tape has such a warm, comfortable feel to it. Drums were recorded with two microphones and sound better than many of today's ten plus microphone setups.

This record is a terrific example of why I started this project in the first place. I have a whole host of records that I've never listened to and I just knew that I would be exposed to a bunch of new areas of music that I hadn't been previously. This record is a real gem and here's to hoping that I uncover more treasures along the way.

(writing finished at 11:51, record played until 11:59)