The Finish Line for Your Phonograph Stylus… Based on an informal survey of friends who predominately play vinyl records, I believe the most neglected part of their audio system is the stylus on their phonograph cartridge. The stylus is a key component in an audio system and is subjected to the most wear. Yet when I asked folks in my network how many hours of play their cartridges have seen, they could not tell me with any accuracy; all ventured educated guesses. I’ve been there too. Given the value of records today, particularly rare and collectible jazz records, it is astonishing that... Read More

Cochemea Gastelum- All My Relations A mixture of native American chanting with some surprisingly vibrant percussion work, led by a horn player known for backing the late Sharon Jones with the Dap-Kings, Cochemea’s All My Relations is not only a sonic treat but a spiritual journey that alternates between trance and jazz with the kind of percussive sparkle and tone that make it “demo” material. A musically astute friend (thank you, Chris) brought his copy over to my place for a listen a few weekends ago. In no time, I took a quick photo of the cover and bought it immediately after... Read More

Leaf Hound- Growers of Mushroom; Famous Obscurity; Interview with Peter French Some albums develop a mythology based on rarity, the relative lack of commercial impact at the time of release and later recognition as an influence to other, more well known records by other bands. Leaf Hound’s “Growers of Mushroom” is one such album. It’s a famously “obscure” album, with original copies easily fetching well over $3,000 US. Apart from its desirability as a collectible, it’s actually a great hard rock album, its members drawn from Black Cat Bones,... Read More

Muriel Grossmann and The Golden Rule There is something very alluring about the sounds Muriel Grossmann evokes on Golden Rule, her latest album, the first she has released on vinyl, and the third in a trilogy with a band consisting of Gina Schwarz on bass, Uros Stamenkovic on drums, and Radomir Milojkovic on guitar. Grossmann, born in Paris but living in Ibiza, has been able to capture the melodic style of, say, a Lester Young with the more ethereal sounds of Coltrane, who is often credited as an originator of the “spiritual jazz” movement.  What you hear is a muscular tenor... Read More

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

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