Martin Freeman rejoins Eddie Pillar for another 'On The Corner' comp

Along with being a fine actor, Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman is also a fan of dancefloor jazz, funk, soul and yé-yé swingers.  

Here's the scoop...

After a five-year break, Martin Freeman and Eddie Piller return with their latest compilation: ‘On The Corner’ (out October 23 via Acid Jazz Records). While their two previous collections have shone a spotlight quite specifically on jazz and soul, the latest iteration takes a more panoramic approach, taking in those loves, but adding in some British mod stomp, neo-library music and some French yé-yé, as Martin says in his notes.

Martin is of course the multi-award-winning actor famed for The Office, The Hobbit, Sherlock and The Responder, but also for his deep love of music, which brought him to us with these compilations. On this volume he has chosen well, with obscure cuts from Santana and neo-soul from Kadhja Bonet, and Indo-funk from Ashal Puthli. These sit alongside jazz from Gary Burton and Buddy Rich as well as favourite soul 45s, all topped with the wonderful stew of Traffic’s ‘Medicated Goo’.

Eddie founded Acid Jazz Records in 1988 and even before then was a well-known and successful DJ. His sides show the excitement that he still finds in discovering and playing music. Opening with the synth-led Main Theme from UK cult film The Long Good Friday, he selects beautiful soul and jazzy disco, before entering the world of Brit-Funk with cuts by Hi-Tension and Light Of The World. He brings it home via Ace’s ‘How Long’ and some Brian Auger, which sets us up for the Ye-Ye beat of Jacquelin Taieb and Jacques Dutronc.

Showing our modernist roots, the album comes sharply dressed in its Dean Chalkley-photographed Unknown partnership sleeve on Double LP or CD, with notes by both Ed and Martin. The perfect end-of-year present to yourself or the one you love.

Martin Freeman & Eddie Pillar - On The Corner

1. Big Time Operator – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band

2. Needle In A Haystack – The Whispers

3. Light Of Life – Santana

4. Vibrafinger – Gary Burton

5. Space Shuttle – Buddy Rich

6. Please Open The Door – Little Charles & The Sidewinders

7. Higher Ground – Doug Carn

8. Procession – Kadhja Bonet

9. Funky Mule – Ike Turner

10. Right Down Here – Asha Puthli

11. Top Brass – Matt Berry*

12. Medicated Goo – Traffic

13. Main Title Theme From Long Good Friday – Francis Monkman

14. I Can’t Keep From Crying Baby Sometimes – The Deidre Wilson Tabac

15. Too Late – Mandrill

16. Wounded Woman – Sandra Wright

17. I’ve Got To Come In – Jean Battle

18. Don’t You Worry Baby, The Best Is Yet To Come – Bessie Banks

19. Don’t Walk Away – General Johnson*

20. Hi Tension – Hi Tension

21. Time – The Light Of The World

22. How Long – Ace

23. Rope Ladder To Th e Moon – Julie Tippets and Brian Auger

24. 7th Du Matin – Jacquelin Taieb

25. Le Responsible – Jacques Dutronc

*2LP Only. Note CD has a different running order

Remembering John Coltrane on his 100th Birthday

Raising a glass to iconic jazz saxophonist/composer John Coltrane his 100th with a 1963 appearance on Jazz Casual, an interview with Ravi Coltrane and more.

Bill Sassenberger talks about Toxic Shock Records @ Emissions, Tuesday

Toxic Shock mainman Bill Sassenberger talks about his books Assassin of Mediocrity and Wanderlust at Emissions on Tuesday. 

Punk rock record store owner and label boss Bill Sassenberger discusses his books “Toxic Shock Records, Assassin of Mediocrity: A Story of Love, Loss and Loud Music” and "Wanderlust and Welcome Mats: The Broccoli Chronicles" at Emissions Records (1114 Dundas St. West, basement) on Tuesday, September 22 from 5 pm to 7 pm. And yes, there will be Toxic Shock merch available. 

Back in 1980, punk rock musician Bill Sassenberger opened the Toxic Shock record store in Pomona, California specializing in tough-to-find punk records on indie labels. Three years later, Sassenberger and his wife Julianna Towns (of Skinner Box) turned Toxic Shock into a record label with the 1983 release of the Noise From Nowhere EP – a 7-inch  compilation of local bands, Kent State, Manson Youth, Modern Industry and his own band Moslem Birth (later renamed Peace Corpse) with sleeve art by Pushead. 

The label went on to release records by Corrosion of Conformity, Skin Yard, Dayglo Abortions, Raw Power and Zero Boys before moving operations to Tucson, Arizona in 1988 and putting out more vinyl from the likes of Sloppy Seconds, The Hickoids, House Of Large Sizes, Th' Inbred and Treepeople. In 1990, the label name was changed to Westworld, the store became Toxic Ranch Records and continued operations until December 31, 2013. Julianna Towns, who had suffered a severe stroke in 2011, passed away in 2019 at the age of 58.  

All of this and much more is covered in  Bill's memoir "Toxic Shock Records – Assassin of Mediocrity: A Story of Love, Loss and Loud Music" which he'll be discussing along with the sequel "Wanderlust and Welcome Mats: The Broccoli Chronicles" at Emissions Records on Tuesday. You can check out a couple of Bill's prior interviews with Alan Brostoff for Goldmine Magazine (from 2924) and Johnny Fever for Equalizing Distort, see links below. 

LINKS
Goldmine Toxic Shock Records' Bill Sassenberger talks about his punk rock memoir
Equalizing Distort Bill Sassenberger interview

Happy 70th Birthday Doug Wimbish!

Cheers to Tackhead, Little Axe, Sugarhill Gang and On-U Sound bass boss Doug Wimbish on his 70th birthday! 

Cheers to Doug from the whole On-U Sound crew! Producer Adrian Sherwood just added a note.

Seu Jorge & Beck vs Nick Drake

Seu Jorge and Beck recently recorded their own version of Nick Drake's "River Man" – check it out. 

P.I.L. This Is Not The Last Tour @ Danforth Music Hall, Saturday

John Lydon and his current Public Image Ltd crew hit Toronto just days after his former Pistols mates. 

He Mistook Her For A Swan, Grier Coppins @ Handlebar, September 26

Steve Koch & Colleen Hodgson (left) will be joined by Grier Coppins & Mad Larry Graves at Handlebar on Saturday (Sept. 26) from 3-6 pm.

Here's the scoop from Grier Coppins...

"Trickbag at Handlebar in Kensington this Saturday cancelled for the Kensington Jazz Festival. I’ll be back w/ a new bag of tricks next Saturday Sept 26. ‘He Mistook her for a Swan’, Steve Koch & Colleen Hodgson back me up for the 1st set & I will back the Swans for the 2nd set. Mad Larry Graves on the drums. British Folk Revival inspired tales of murder, betrayal, infidelity, magic… with the odd rocker, jig & a reel tossed in for the dancers. Should be a great afternoon’s listen. Come on out!"

Watch this: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DH3YRn9M7Sy/

Coppins & HMFAS, Saturday, September 26, Handlebar (159 Augusta), 3-6 pm.

Listen to He Mistook Her For A Swan's latest release "Same Old Man" along with some "Voodoo Blues"