The Analog Relax Record Brush I have had an unhappy relationship with “dry” record brushes over the many years I used them. Such brushes don’t seem to do an effective job of removing surface detritus and despite the “anti-static” moniker applied to some, I have found that dry brushing can generate, rather than mitigate, a static charge. Some also shed fibers. As explained below, I eventually abandoned dry brushing altogether, instead using an “air puffer” to address any surface lint that was introduced after the records had been thoroughly cleaned using a combination of... Read More
AIR-AIR Revisited; Comparison of Pressings; Interview with Tom Coppola
AIR-AIR Revisited: Comparison of Be With Records Vinyl Reissue to Original Embryo Pressing; Interview with Tom Coppola Tom Coppola, Googie Coppola and Dave Johnson (photo by Fred Ahlert, courtesy Tom Coppola) When I reviewed the 2016 Be With Records reissue of AIR on vinyl, I promised to compare it to an original pressing; I thought the reissue was quite good, even though derived from a digital transfer. The original, on the Embryo label, although not exactly rare, does command a price these days. I borrowed a copy of the original... Read More
KEN GOLDEN: TOP PICKS FOR 2018- A LIST
KEN GOLDEN: TOP PICKS FOR 2018- A LIST : Ken Golden, who contributed a piece on “Prog Rock Obscurities” here in 2016, has been a tireless guide to the less well known, the obscure rock, jazz and hard to “genre-fy” music that has become a staple of my musical diet, gives us a holiday present in the form of his most interesting “picks” for 2018: I’m often asked to compile a year-end top 10 list and I always refrain. My memory is short and there is so much music pouring through the threshold of my business that it becomes too much work v. fun. Plus I... Read More
Black Cat Bones-Barbed Wire Sandwich
Black Cat Bones-Barbed Wire Sandwich An important album by a short-lived band known for the association of various members with a number of other early heavy rock and blues rock bands, among them, Leaf Hound, Atomic Rooster, Cactus, Foghat and Free. Kossoff and Simon Kirke, of Free, left the band before this–– the band’s sole release––was recorded but a number of the tracks have same raw swagger and unpolished sound as Tons of Sobs, Free’s first album (and, to me, Free’s best). Admittedly, there’s no Paul Rodgers here. But what is here is very, very good at times if... Read More
Mark Weber on the West Coast Experimental Jazz Scene and the Shape of Things to Come
Mark Weber on the West Coast Experimental Jazz Scene and the Shape of Things to Come Sun Ra Arkestra – April 2, 1981 Los Angeles – photo by Mark Weber I first got onto Mark Weber when I was researching Horace Tapscott and landed on Mark’s webpage, which included a photo essay of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. Mark spent the first 32 years of his life in LA, and was the CODA jazz magazine LA columnist for the better part of a decade, spending a total of 18 years reporting for CODA from Cleveland, New Orleans, San Francisco, New York, Detroit and Salt Lake City. His... Read More
SPIN CYCLE-Rare, Overlooked and Worthwhile Records to Explore
SPIN CYCLE- Rare, Overlooked and Worthwhile Records to Explore I cycle through a lot of records here—some are rare or obscure and many are deserving of further attention, but most don’t get covered simply due to time constraints. Many are overlooked and all are worthwhile, depending on your taste and sense of adventure. Thus, this piece, highlighting records worthy of further exploration; some will get more in-depth reviews as time permits. Nate Morgan- Journey into Nigritia This comes from Nimbus West, another great label with an interesting mix of spiritual jazz... Read More
A MESSAGE FROM THE TRIBE- WENDELL HARRISON
A MESSAGE FROM THE TRIBE- WENDELL HARRISON Wendell Harrison, Image by Noah Morrison, courtesy The Kresge Foundation. Talking with Wendell Harrison is like jazz itself—a free flow of information, filled with nuance and detail, marked by contrasts and the occasional surprise, all connected when you stand back and get the shape of things. Wendell is a kind, warm man whose joy of life is evident in his words, music and all that he does: now an elder statesman of the Detroit jazz scene, Wendell is a teacher, a keeper of the legacy and an active musician and producer. The years have... Read More
Good Things Come in Big Packages- Sammy Miller and the Congregation
Good Things Come in Big Packages- Sammy Miller and the Congregation Big band style jazz probably reached its peak in popularity before WWII.Sammy Miller and the Congregation aim to bring it back, with a few surprises, a laugh and an impressive, tuneful display of musicianship. If Sammy & Company prove anything, it’s that what we think of as “big band” music is an archetype and does not represent the music itself: vibrant, full of soul, life, blues and joy, with lots of space between the different instruments, offering an interplay of sounds that are immensely satisfying. I used... Read More
Air-Air
Air-Air This is a stunning record. Composed and performed by a band with a long working relationship with Herbie Mann (who produced the album), its vocal parts shine with soulful beauty thanks to Googie Coppola, the professional moniker of Carol Brooks, whose writing, performance and voice are central to the magic of this album. The rest of the band—Tom Coppola (Googie’s partner), John Siegler and Mark Rosengarden achieve something remarkable—a jazz album that has soul but is not trapped by either genre; there is an ethereal quality to this record that is both uplifting and... Read More
The Talking Blues-Doug MacLeod’s Break the Chain
The Talking Blues-Doug MacLeod’s Break the Chain I’ve always liked the blues. In some ways the simplest, yet often the most difficult music to play: the changes are easy, and while many players stun with instrumental virtuosity, what really sticks (for me) is the raw, emotional outpouring, not the flashiness. Sometimes it just falls flat because it seems like you’ve heard it a million times, and it is being played by rote. Doug MacLeod’s Break the Chain, recently released on the audiophile label, Reference Recordings (more about the label and production below), is in some... Read More
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