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Black Jazz Records-Theo Parrish’s Black Jazz Signature

September 30, 2019 by Bill Hart Leave a Comment

Black Jazz Records -Theo Parrish’s Black Jazz Signature  The Black Jazz Records label is becoming increasingly collectible due to some powerful albums that cross multiple modern jazz boundaries. This compilation of some of the great tracks from that label, compiled by DJ Theo Parrish, is an inexpensive introduction to some of the artists and tracks whose work made that label legendary. It does not contain all the best work to be found on the label, but there is enough here not only to whet your appetite, but to satisfy. Two LPs, four sides, it starts with a Doug Carn track from his... Read More

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Robin Trower- Twice Removed From Yesterday

September 30, 2019 by Bill Hart 3 Comments

Robin Trower- Twice Removed From Yesterday Robin Trower released this album a year before his classic Bridge of Sighs. Although it is probably overshadowed by the latter’s popularity, it has just as much power and is bluesier in its orientation. It’s also an excellent hard rock recording. I’m listening to an early UK pressing, which is cheap enough (shipping to the States notwithstanding). You don’t have to wait long for the pay-off: that hard, bluesy guitar with distorted edges rippling with fuzz and echo jumps right out on the first track, “I Can’t Wait Much Longer,” which... Read More

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Clifford Jordan- Glass Bead Games

May 23, 2019 by Bill Hart 3 Comments

Clifford Jordan- Glass Bead Games Glass Bead Games is the second albumJordan released on Strata-East in 1974, following In the World in 1972. Like In the World, it relies on two different groups of musicians, including Stanley Cowell, one of the co-founders of the label and Bill Lee, whose family participated on The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe reviewed here.  Unlike In the World, Glass Bead Games is a two record set. The album seems to garner universal praise, with prices to match. It has been reissued on vinyl several times. I thought it might be helpful for readers, both those... Read More

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Live Soul Jazz: Roy Brooks -The Free Slave

May 23, 2019 by Bill Hart Leave a Comment

Live Soul Jazz: Roy Brooks -The Free Slave Roy Brooks The Free Slave may be one of his best though it is not well known outside of collectors of soul jazz. Brooks is credited playing with a lot of famous names, but he leads on The Free Slave, accompanied Cecil McBee, Hugh Lawson, Woody Shaw and George Coleman, in a live session recorded in 1970. We were at the cusp of jazz falling off the mainstream playlists as it became even more inventive (cause and effect? If not on a major label attempting to appeal to a broad audience, the artists had more freedom to experiment). This record,... Read More

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Clifford Jordan In the World

May 23, 2019 by Bill Hart Leave a Comment

Clifford Jordan In the World Clifford Jordan In the World was released on Strata-East in 1972 (though the album was recorded in 1969). Jordan was already a well-seasoned player, having worked with Max Roach, Horace Silver and Eric Dolphy. (The album credits state that it is the first in a Dolphy series produced by Jordan). Like Jordan’s Glass Bead Games which followed on Strata-East, In the World depends on two different groups of musicians- and there are some killers players here–Julian Priester, Don Cherry, Richard Davis and even Roy Haynes (who alternates with Albert... Read More

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Mary Black-No Frontiers

May 23, 2019 by Bill Hart Leave a Comment

Mary Black-No Frontiers Mary Black’s No Frontiers was an audiophile favorite back in the day. I hadn’t thought about this record, or played it, in decades. A mention of it somewhere brought it to mind and I thought, man, that was a pretty good album. After several fruitless searches through the “miscellaneous” wall of records here, I gave up and bought an early pressing via a UK seller. Now I remember why this record was beloved. (And it’s usually after I buy another copy that I find the one I had). Anyway, back to Mary Black.   There are some great songs on here—not... Read More

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Cochemea Gastelum- All My Relations

April 15, 2019 by Bill Hart Leave a Comment

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

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Nathan Davis- Makatuka

April 15, 2019 by Bill Hart 1 Comment

Nathan Davis- Makatuka This album, released a year before the recently reviewed “6thSense in the 11thHouse,” was recorded in the same Pittsburgh studio, by the same engineer, with a different band, the Nathan Davis Sextet. It also features a vocalist, Wheeler R. Winstead, whose soulful groove adds another dimension to an album chock full of surprises. This is a record of virtuoso horn playing, from the range of saxes and clarinet played by Davis (who could wring out just about every sound imaginable from those instruments) to some glorious trombone work by Nelson Harrison. These players... Read More

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Jim Hoke –The Floating Zone

March 7, 2019 by Bill Hart 3 Comments

Jim Hoke –The Floating Zone Jim Hoke is one of those unsung, working musicians who often remain under the radar of the general public, but are well-known and respected by other musicians: Paul McCartney included Jim on four tracks of his latest album; Jim has worked with pretty much everybody: Billy Joel, Dolly Parton, Boz Scaggs, Buddy Guy, Steve Earle, Joan Baez and a long, long list of others. He has toured with Emmylou Harris and NRBQ; George Jones recorded one of Jim’s songs. Jim’s latest album, “The Floating Zone” calls upon some of the notable performers with whom Jim has... Read More

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Peter Ledermann’s Direct Grace Records

February 21, 2019 by Bill Hart 1 Comment

Peter Ledermann’s Direct Grace Records Most of us know of Peter Ledermann through his Soundsmith company, one of the small handful of companies that “retips” phono cartridges. In more recent years, Peter has proven to be a prolific innovator of a range of phono cartridges and accessories. But, did you know Peter also had a record label? One that produces and distributes direct to disc records? It’s called Direct Grace Records. http://www.directgrace.org/Home.html Direct to disc records have, in my experience, been some of the best sounding LPs I have heard. Sadly, many are... Read More

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In Brief:

There Is No “Magic Bullet” in Hi-Fi

There Is No “Magic Bullet” in Hi-Fi No Magic Solutions I’ve spent some time on the audio chat fora over the years. Many popular threads these days are devoted to cheap improvements that can be made using audiophile “tweaks” or repurposed non-audiophile products. These can be applied to isolate gear, enhance the signals or connections or otherwise address some perceived problem that, once solved, offers to raise the level of music reproduction. It’s like a cheap solution to upgrade your system: from audiophile fuses, special wires (beyond simply having a high-quality interconnect, speaker wire or power cable) and other tweaks, to contact fluids and other things that you can attach to power sources, equipment, or place in the room (bowls, various harmonizers or active resonators, noise harvesters, etc.) This is apart from room treatment, which is sui generis; that is, every situation is … [Read More...]

Milt Ward Reissue-release date May 6, 2022

Milt Ward Reissue-release date May 6, 2022  Andreas Vingaard, of Frederiksberg Records, dropped me a note that the Milt Ward & Virgo Spectrum record about which much has been written here will be available on vinyl beginning on May 9, 2022. However, several promo emails today, Friday, May 6, 2022 say the record is available NOW via Bandcamp (see link below). The reissue was done with the participation of Milt Ward’s family and includes comprehensive notes in a booklet. Given the price of original pressings, this should be worthwhile even if not taken from the master tape. I plan to get a copy and we’ll do a shoot-out with my “OG” pressing. I’m sure some of you are willing to brook a little sonic compromise to get access to an otherwise very hard to find, expensive spiritual jazz rarity. At the time of this writing there is one copy on Discogs in NM condition for media for over … [Read More...]

Milt Ward Virgo Reissue Coming from Frederiksberg

Although I don't have all the details yet, I have learned that Frederiksberg Records, a small, eclectic label from New York, is in the process of reissuing the hard to find (and even harder to pay for) jazz obscurity, Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum. You can find out more by keeping tabs on Frederiksberg's Bandcamp page, https://frederiksbergrecords.bandcamp.com   I'm told there is a bootleg out there so be careful. Frederiksberg is doing this project with the participation of the family of Milt Ward, which is to be applauded. Hopefully, this will give more access to a great jazz record at a reasonable price. The Roots album reissue from Frederiksberg (which is sold out on vinyl on the Frederiksberg Records bandcamp site) still appears to be available through some online retailers as a pre-order, so that's another one to jump on now if you can find it-- the original is extremely pricey and … [Read More...]

Clem Snide- Forever Just Beyond

Clem Snide- Forever Just Beyond With a name derived from a character in the same literary work as the band name so famously identified with the Walter Becker-Donald Fagen duo, Clem Snide has an extensive discography, typically cataloged as “alt country.” This latest release is the work of one of its founding members, Eef Barzelay, who was responsible for much of the songwriting and singing. According to his bio, Barzelay suffered some serious bumps in the road during the last decade, including a failing marriage and financial ruin. At the same time, he learned that Scott Avett was a fan and they found inspiration in each other, leading to this album- a collaboration of artistry where Avett and Barzelay share some writing credits and Avett produces. The result is a fresh, upbeat set of tunes that are appealing in their simplicity and refreshing in their sincerity. The band is first tier … [Read More...]

Muriel Grossmann- Reverence

Muriel Grossmann- Reverence Muriel Grossmann continues her quest for musical ascension on Reverence, which was released on vinyl in early December, 2019 on the RR Gems label as a 2 LP set. The compositions are Grossmann’s, and the band is much the same as the group of seasoned musicians with whom she has worked for some time (and detailed in the review of her Golden Rule), but for one notable exception: the addition of a keyboard player who brings that rich, woody Hammond B-3 sound to a series of compositions devoted to Africa. In some ways, Ms. Grossmann’s exploration of the roots of jazz deliberately eschews any superficial attempt to make African music. Instead, she draws inspiration from its influences, which are wide ranging and deep—you can hear rhythm and blues sounds mixed with more traditional African instrumentation and polyrhythms and come away with something that is both … [Read More...]

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