What are you listening to right now?

[bambooneedle]

My father in law used to rave about this record.

[Poor Deportee]

Funny, I re-listened to Momofuku recently. My favourite tracks (Harry Worth, Stella Hurt, Mr Feathers, My Three Sons, Song with Rose, Go Away) stood up very well, but that's about it. The rest of the record struck me as decidedly uninspired. Now I'm extremely sympathetic to that album concept - in effect, no concept, just a bunch of punchy pop songs for once - so that's not the issue; the issue is that several of the songs themselves, including (crucially) most of the first half, just aren't that great, workmanlike at best rather than genuinely exciting. But I'll concede that part of the issue may be the retroactive contrast between the writing on an album like this and the stunning creative supernova at play on National Ransom. It's the difference between a guy doing his job and a guy truly inspired.

As far as non-EC material, I've had some fun over the last while with Cabin Fever, an album by Corb Lund and his terrifically-named backing band (The Hurtin' Albertans!). Country-fried to be sure, but also intelligent and laced with some wit.

A beautiful little track, 'September:'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFvwqgjC7As

And a taste of sardonic comedy (my 8-year-old daughter likes this song, and so do I), 'Cows Around:'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nk8-MqnHlw

Not a masterpiece, but a neat album to take for a spin if you're in the mood for smart country.

Has anyone heard Lindi Ortega's latest album? Any word on that?

[Otis Westinghouse]

I was really impressed with his Queen of Denmark solo debut, and am now loving the above. A unique and fascinating singer and lyricist. The Icelandic electrobeats on much of this album were a surprise, but a very good one. Seeing him live has brought home his manifest brilliance to me (and others, a friend who'd never heard of him before went to the same gig and declares it in his all-time top 10 gigs).

His latest single is GMF. The chorus, to a gloriously sweet tune goes:

I am the greatest motherfucker
That you're ever gonna meet
From the top of my head
To the tips of the toes on my feet

Hope it rises up the pop charts.

http://johngrantmusic.com/

[Jack of All Parades]

Kenny Dorham's majestic Whistle Stop from 1961 with the assistance of Hank Mobley, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. Listening is like taking one long rail trip through the fertile compositional imagination of Mr. Dorham as all 6 of the songs on the record are his and reflect an imaginary train trip. It is clear in listening that few can equal his ability to take a melodic theme and work it totally achieving all its possibilities in jazz. His tone is exact and he judiciously fills his playing with sly trumpet slurs and grace notes. The songs on this record are filled with 'visual' cues within the themes. It is a listening delight in that way. A highlight is his hard bop blues of the opening track "Philly Twist" which creatively plays upon the musical abilities of the drummer used in this session. This is one of my favorite jazz records. Listen to the title tune for an idea as to why:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 3778,d.dmQ

Musical heaven

[Jack of All Parades]

"At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol 2"- Art Blakey and the Jazz Messangers. Quite the set from back in late November of 1955 with Mr. Blakey and his recently formed band featuring Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Kenny Dorham, and Doug Watkins. That lineup speaks for itself. The music does as well. A mix of Mobley originals along with some old standards and one beautiful ballad by Dizzy Gillespie- "I Waited for You" a favorite of my late mother in law. Mobley and Dorham shine on this rcord with some strong underpinning by Silver. And throughout are the judicious and thunderous 'rolls' provided by Blakey. The sophisticated harmonics throughout the record can be directly attributed to Mobley and Dorham. Kicking off with Mobley's "Sportin' Crowd", which others know as "Tenor Madness' made famous by Sonny Rollins, this album is a superior 'cookin' session' as the set is introduced on the record by Blakey. The music boils, roils, bubbles, percolates, stews, steams, or bakes and luxuriates in the lovely melodies offered by Jerome Kern and Cole Porter. My favorite might be "Like Someone in Love" where Kenny Dorham demonstrates for once and forever his mastery of the jazz trumpet. Have a listen:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 3778,d.dmQ

[Jack of All Parades]

"Trumpeta Toccata"- Kenny Dorham. Definitive proof for me that this man was a master. All one need do is listen to this one piece from 1964 which features his sophisticated mastery of harmonics in his composition and his 'pure' tone. He is beautifully aided by Joe Henderson on tenor and Tommy Flannagan on piano. I particularly like Flanagan's subtle and able shadowing. Everybody wants to praise Miles Davis-poor Kenny gets lost too often in the discussion. Just listen:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 3778,d.dmQ

[Poor Deportee]

Well, like everybody else, I like sunny, warm weather - superficially. But am I the only misanthrope who ultimately isn't crazy about summer? The sad fact is, I'm more of an indoor creature - I like lamp-lit rooms, reading, wine, coffee - and seem to be most comfortable in cooler, elegiac autumn weather. All too often I go out into the sunshine blinking and stupefied, like a miler-mannered version of Gollum, cursing my eye floaters and annoyed at the danger of sunburn. Meanwhile, I have enough trouble sleeping properly without summer heat. A sad case, really

[Jack of All Parades]

Well, like everybody else, I like sunny, warm weather - superficially. But am I the only misanthrope who ultimately isn't crazy about summer? The sad fact is, I'm more of an indoor creature - I like lamp-lit rooms, reading, wine, coffee - and seem to be most comfortable in cooler, elegiac autumn weather. All too often I go out into the sunshine blinking and stupefied, like a miler-mannered version of Gollum, cursing my eye floaters and annoyed at the danger of sunburn. Meanwhile, I have enough trouble sleeping properly without summer heat. A sad case, really

Suspect this drifted from another thread but what the hell-must have been the blinding sunshine-this then might very well address your feelings about this time of year:

"Ah Sun-flower! weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the Sun:
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the travellers journey is done.

Where the Youth pined away with desire,
And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow:
Arise from their graves and aspire,
Where my Sun-flower wishes to go."
William Blake

But this is coming from a man whose wife regularly refers to him as 'mole man' given his equal penchant for shade and darkness and contemplation.

[Jack of All Parades]

Peter Beets- Portrait of Peterson. Peter with Reuben Rogers on double bass and Greg Hutchinson on drums. This is an exhilarating run through of some of the highlights from the Oscar Peterson catalog. Peter is an energetic and sympathetic interpretor of that catalog and this album of revisits to the Peterson ouevre is a lively and exhuberant shoutout for Oscar as a pianist- that respect and love is easily caught in the opening composition by Peter, "Blues for Oscar", where Oscar's noted playfulness is captured in the main melody. Had the pleasure of seeing Peter perform this past Sunday night at Smalls in the Village. Many of the songs on this record were performed. His energy was manic; his execution inimitable. His band cooked Sunday evening.

Here is a sample:

http://www.peterbeets.com/video/

[verbal gymnastics]

Brutal Youth - EC

The UK tour has brought this back out for me. Glad that mini VG is enjoying it too

[Jack of All Parades]

Have been spending time with the first solo record from Jim James- "Region of Light and Sound of God" and by way of that re-visiting an old one from the collection- Pete Townsend's "Who Came First" from back in 1972.

Besides both albums being idiosyncratic statements of spiritual awakening I am struck by how unpreachy they are as personal statements. That is a hard quality to pull off in this personal vein of recording. Both men have their heads in the clouds deep in their personal meditations. The music is slightly self-absorbed but both men elegantly and sincerely seem to acknowledge their human limitations as they strive to attain personal reinvention of their moral and spiritual beings. It is never preachy; more so the message is this works for me- maybe it might for you. I have been struck by how seemingly sincere the struggle has been for both men- given the four decades that separate them- to come to grips with the 'sublime'. Neither's efforts have the false ring of self-indulgence.

[Jack of All Parades]

Amazon Music is my new best friend. With the continued loss of neighborhood brick and mortar record shops in my neck of the woods I have been acquiring albums that have been big gaps in my collection at a fraction of the cost[used]. The latest- "The Who Sings My Generation[Deluxe Edition]". I had forgotten how just plain good this record is. This was a band that seems to have appeared fully born and muscially formed. The sound on this remastered and expanded album is phenomonal. The sheer musicality of their three core instruments- guitar, drums and bass - is unequaled. The sophistication of Townsend's compositions at such an early age belies the sound being put down by their peers. And it is played with an ease and fluidity that gives a listener tremendous joy. This is music that is now nearly fifty years old and yet it still maintains a freshness in its approach to R&B and Pop that still engages me. There are too few debut records that are that old that still make me want to pop the disc in the tray and give it a spin; this is one- if only for the pop perfection and confection of "I Can't Explain" or the manic posturing of the title song.

*** interesting that the iconic British cover for this record gets a shout out in the new interview with Chaulkie Davies shared by Mr. Foyle earlier today- witness:

"The Rebel: I love all your photos of The Specials. I know Jerry Dammers was a big fan of The Who so I'm guessing the picture on the front of their debut album was a homage to the My Generation album. Whose idea was the photo on the back of the sleeve (side profile)?

"Yes, Jerry showed me the My Generation sleeve just before the shoot. The front cover was taken from the first floor of an abandoned building, looking down at the Band who were standing in a triangular shape. But Starr, my partner in life and crime took an SX 70 photo of the same shot from the side, at ground level. When I got down the stairs she showed it to me and I told the Band to stay in position, I sized it up the the Hasselblad viewfinder, gave minuscule directions to each musician to get the image perfectly composed and clicked the shutter. Once. One single frame. I must have been nuts not to take a second, but the roll was finished, so I never took any more. It's probably the best group shot we ever did, and it certainly passes the test of time. It's essentially an Architects Drawing, side and top elevation, not that the Two Tone fans were supposed to get that straight away, but it gives it a cohesive quality, the front and the back are carefully linked together but you don't quite know why at first glance."

[invisible Pole]

New Manic Street Preachers' song "Rewind The Film" featuring Richard Hawley.
In fact Hawley does most of the singing.
I like it more and more with every listen.

[Otis Westinghouse]

I can see why, two great voices, powerful song, moving chorus. Saddening video of the washed up remains of the former mining town, Trehafod, though apparently it's host to the Heritage Mining Centre!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trehafod

The story of how Hawley came to work with them here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rewind_the_Film

[Who Shot Sam?]

Just drinking beer and going through The Who's catalogue.

[Jack of All Parades]

A sultry Monday morning in the Cube so I am enlisting the aid of Kenny Dorham to keep me fresh and engaged as I start my work week. In this case his outstanding recording effort from back in 1956- The Complete 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia. In making this live recording he is coming off his successful stint as a main player in Art Blakey's first group of Jazz Messangers and an equally successful stint with my father in law, Al Cohn, Phil Woods and Conte Candoli as a member of the Birdland Stars. This double record is an absolute essential in any jazz listeners basic collection. It cooks and simmers with scintillating workouts of Kenny's original compositions as well as old blues standards and pieces like A Night in Tunisia or the title track. Every song is imbued with Dorham's innate ability to play with a well formed melodic sense that is always enhanced by agile and telling details in the arrangement. And as usual he surrounds himself with quality players- in this case some early work by Kenny Burrell on Guitar and Bobby Timmons on Piano and Sam Jones on Bass. All will go on to have outstanding careers. A special mention has to be given to the overall sound of this record- it really has the sound of sitting in a small club and listening carefully to a well oiled group. I have rarely encountered that on a live recording. Listen to the treatment Kenny gives to that old chestnut "Autumn in New York"- this is what is written about it on the cd notes- "the bittersweet glow of the Dorham Trumpet is perfect for capturing the feeling of 'dreamers with empty hands' described in Vernon Duke's lyrics, a mood further enhanced by the high level of melodic invention in this two chorus gem." I will let that stand for how I feel about this album in its entirety.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 5608,d.dmg

[ice nine]

Dan Bern

Marilyn Monroe didn't marry Henry Miller
She lived outside the Tropic of Capricorn
Marilyn Monroe didn't marry Henry Miller
I don't even know if she knew Henry Miller

[Jack of All Parades]

A Wednesday in the cube with a totally new record for me- "Jazz Contrasts" by Kenny Dorham. A 1957 session with Mr. Dorham as a leader on old ballads and one orignial by him- "La Villa". Just a powerhouse session because it features this lineup- Sonny Rollins on tenor, the late and great Hank Jones on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass, Max Roach on drums and a surprise a Harpist Betty Glamman on three of the tunes. And the harp works giving a strong coloring to the songs on which it is used. Kenny is in rare form as his trumpet playing easily handles all the moods generated by the indivdual tunes. As the record's producer notes in the liner notes-"But to my ears, there are extremely few jazz trumpet players who reached prominence in the second half of the twentieth century who should be ranked any higher than Kenny.... he was at ease and masterful at any tempo." What a wonderful addition to my library.

Here is a taste with "Falling in Love with Love"-

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... ZzY8bz8riw

[John]

I've been enjoying David Rodigan's recent reggae shows for BBC Radio 1 Extra and Radio 2.

These are two favourites:-

Shy FX
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piIuME8rVak

Cate Ferris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPegoRyEuoo

[Otis Westinghouse]

Looking forward to the new Laura Veirs album. July Flame was a great album, played it loads, and this song is v promising. Sound is a bit guitarrier than JF, which bodes well. She's done some fine stuff and has a distinctive voice and stylings:

[invisible Pole]

A few weeks ago, surfing the internet I came across a mysterious album from Prefab Sprout tentatively called The Devil Came A-Calling.
I saw on many blogs that it excited fans all around the internet, but nobody was quite sure whether the songs were just unknown old recordings from the vaults, or a sign of new songs to be released in the near future.
One way or the other, good news is that a new album, actually titled Crimson/Red, has been officially confirmed for release on October 7.
I have listened to the album (sorry, I could not resist downloading it) a few times, and can only agree with initial opinions that it could be one of the best Prefab Sprout albums. Superb, witty, melodic songwriting.
Can’t wait for the official CD.

[Jack of All Parades]

A few weeks ago, surfing the internet I came across a mysterious album from Prefab Sprout tentatively called The Devil Came A-Calling.
I saw on many blogs that it excited fans all around the internet, but nobody was quite sure whether the songs were just unknown old recordings from the vaults, or a sign of new songs to be released in the near future.
One way or the other, good news is that a new album, actually titled Crimson/Red, has been officially confirmed for release on October 7.
I have listened to the album (sorry, I could not resist downloading it) a few times, and can only agree with initial opinions that it could be one of the best Prefab Sprout albums. Superb, witty, melodic songwriting.
Can’t wait for the official CD.

Thank you for the heads up- I will be on the lookout for this one.

A wednesday in the cube and yet another new one to me from Kenny Dorham- Blue Spring. A fresh session from early 1959 for which Mr. Dorham wrote all the songs, did the arrangements, conducted the session and booked the talent which includes Cannonball Adderley on Alto , Cecil Payne on baritone sax, Cedar Walton on Piano, Jimmy Cobb and Philly Joe Jones on drums and Paul Chambers on bass and a young family friend, David Amram, on french horn. It is an audacious session that tries to give a musical voice to the breadth of Spring- its freshness, its invigoration, its vitality. It does this quite successfully. Kenny's playing in particular on the entire record is refreshingly 'fleet and agile' as the liner notes say. The songs float, bounce and soar. Who would have the audacity to write a cannon in jazz?- Dorham did in "Spring Cannon". This is an album that earns repeated playing. Further it cements Mr. Dorham's reputation for me as the pre-eminent player on his instrument- he is definitely above Miles Davis in my book.

[Jack of All Parades]

This initial offer off of the soon to be released Bootleg Recordings Vol 10 has my ears aquiver:

http://youtu.be/zXpix8FHBOE
This has to be voice that his mother remembered back in Minnesota as heavenly 'sweet'. The line 'if I was a poet and could write a fine hand' has my attention. He warbles as the very birds referenced in the opening of the lyric do. Just lovely.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Funny how a YouTube commentator refuses to believe it's Dylan! Pretty similar to the special approach to vocals he adopted for Nashville Skyline and describes in Chronicles, no? Lovely song and vocal.

I confess I've never heard Self Portrait. There's just too much Dylan history for me to consume. I laughed at the ref to Greil Marcus's review here:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/c ... trait.html

Had better check it out and this new addition. Had I but world enough and time...

Am pretty busy right now with early, unreleased Bowie bootleg rarities (for which I owe a huge debt of gratitude to a former frequenter of this site). The V&A exhibition and the brilliant live event film celebration of it I saw on Tuesday have catapulted me back there. A rich seam, e.g. a weird song called 'Little Toy Solider' recorded in April '67, only a month after the Velvet Underground & Nico album that Bowie loved so much he took it home and just played it over and over, that quotes the 'Venus In Furs' lines 'Taste the whip, in love not given lightly'. In fact Bowie heard the album in Dec '66 when Ken Pitt brought an acetate back from New York, so had a head start. The acetate was on display in the exhibition. Great stuff.

[Jack of All Parades]

Otis, I remember well that Marcus review and the reaction of friends to that album in 1970. I bought it and have never been able to fall totally in love with it. I am most hopeful that the Bootleg edition to be released in little more than a week will go a long way towards making me a new convert if only based upon that song "Pretty Saro". I may be able to piece together a reconstructed record that will feature these newly unearthed stripped down versions. This man is for me what Bowie is for you and I will always have an open ear and eye for his many life and recorded journeys.

I appreciated the blog piece by Mr. Greenman where he states that his favorite is JWH and, in particular, the song "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" whose namesake is my avatar on a different site. I think I have found my doppelganger.