Watch Bukka White jam with Howlin' Wolf at Newport in 1966

Thankfully Alan Lomax's crew had film rolling when Howlin' Wolf joined Bukka White on "World Boogie" at the Newport Folk Fest in July, 1966. 

Happy Birthday John Bonham!

Remembering legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham with an early interview clip and a couple of stellar performances. 

That time Bill Monroe recorded a Dr. Pepper jingle

Unlikely as it may seem, Dr. Pepper managed to get Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys to cut a sweet bluegrass jingle in 1975.

Whaddya mean you don't know "D" & The Sugar Cane Factory

Here's a fab psych/exotica gem masterminded by Aki Aleong & Dun "D" Uchimura which has just turned up on a Numero comp Louis Wayne Moody High. 

Watch Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records

The Trojan Records documentary Rudeboy is screening as part of the We Are One Global Film Festival. Check it while you can. 

We Are One: A Global Film Festival is a 10-day online festival, exclusively on YouTube. Discover and watch films during this first ever global film festival co-curated by over 20 film festivals from across the world. All funds raised during the festival will benefit COVID-19 relief funds.

For full festival schedule, go to https://www.weareoneglobalfestival.com

Randy Holden's heavy whumpin' Population II reissued on cassette!

For the first time ever, Randy Holden's classic Population II is available on cassette, in a van rockin' white shell (wood paneling sold separately). Get it here. 

Georgia Anne Muldrow aka Jyoti previews new album with "This Walk"

"This Walk" is the first track off Georgia Anne Muldrow's forthcoming album as Jyoti called Mama, You Can Bet! set for release August 28. 

Digital versions of "This Walk" and "Cowrie Waltz" are available via your favourite music outlet right here. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Tommy "Madman" Jones

Here's Chicago saxophonist Tommy "Madman" Jones (left) with pianist Harold Mabern, saxophonist Maurice McIntyre and bassist Johnny Wright.

Happy Birthday "Deadly" Headley Bennett

Remembering late Jamaican saxophone great Headley Bennett on his birthday with an interview and his 1982 album 35 Years From Alpha.  

New solo album from Nat Birchall due in June

Nat Birchall's forthcoming album Mysticism Of Sound is slated for release on June 26.  Listen to "Celestial Spheres" below. 

Here's the scoop from Nat...
"I've always hated the synthesizer, with one very notable exception which is when it's played by Sun Ra. When the lockdown began I had to think of ways to try to generate some income. My first thought was to record a solo saxophone album and sell it just as a download, thereby avoiding the need to go to a studio (impossible in the lockdown of course) and avoiding the need to have CDs or LPs pressed. It was uncertain whether pressing plants would continue to operate or maybe Post offices would close like they did in France.

"I'm uncertain just exactly how I got here but after a week or so of recording solo saxophone, I decided to get a small, cheap synth, the Korg Minilogue, and tried for something a little different. I'd already bought a single basic microphone and a preamp/interface and purchased a digital recording workstation (Reaper) so when the synth arrived I got to work.

"In two hours I had a 'test' track finished, it was only 47 seconds long but it's actually the first track on this album. The music just happened largely by itself and even though I was still aiming to make a download only album I was so surprised by the results that I'm pressing it on an edition of 500 copies on 180 gram vinyl. I even played drums on some of the tracks, something I've never ever done before, even though there's a kit here (which is really my daughter's), I've only ever tried to play reggae on it. But the jazz just happened, I have no explanation for it. Although I admit it's not the best drumming you're ever likely to hear it serves its purpose.

"And I'm not an engineer by any means, even though I've sat next to the engineers on practically every one of my albums when mixing and I've added my input I've never actually twiddled a knob and am still pretty clueless when it comes to "hands on" engineering. But I know about sound, or the sound that I like at least. So I gave it a shot, and once it was mixed I had a go at mastering it.

"So, coming very soon, a few short weeks hopefully, this is truly a "solo" album because I did every damned bit of it (even the sleeve design...) myself, so I have no one else to blame if it flops! And it's kind of Sun Ra inspired but I don't think the music sounds like that, except for maybe some of the synth sounds. But it's music which means a lot to me, the Sun Ra quote on the cover goes some way to explain why that is but is only part of the Immeasureable Equation. Thanks for listening!"
Peace,
Nat Birchall

You can pre-order a copy of Nat Birchall's Mysticism Of Sound album right here. Listen to "Celestial Spheres" below.

Another day, another pleasant Bob Stanley collection

A follow up to English Weather, Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs present Occasional Rain, yet another 70s set ranging from British proggy folk to folky prog. 

Various Artists - Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs present Occasional Rain
1. HIDDEN TREASURE - Traffic
2. RAGGED RAIN LIFE - Duncan Browne
3. HOME AND WHERE I LONG TO BE - Cressida
4. LEIT MOTIF - Keith West
5. NIGHT TIME - Skin Alley
6. ONCE UPON A TIME - Clouds
7. COME WITH ME TO JESUS - Mandy More
8. OUT AND IN (SINGLE VERSION) - Moody Blues
9. WASTING MY TIME - Shape Of The Rain
10. NUTMEG, BITTER SUITE - Granny's Intentions
11. SWEETNESS - Yes
12. STATION SONG PLATFORM TWO –
Pete Brown and Piblokto!
13. FREEFALL - Argent
14. I KNOW THAT I'M DREAMING - Exchange & Mart
15. POSTCARDS OF SCARBOROUGH –
Michael Chapman
16. QUESTION OF TIME - Christine Harwood
17. THE CASTLE - 'Igginbottom
18. WINDY BAKER STREET - Andrew Leigh
19. FLYING SOUTH IN WINTER - Tonton Macoute
20. INNOCENCE OF A CHILD - Catherine Howe
21. WATERLOW - Mott The Hoople

Walter Daniels & The Hungry Hearts let rip "Out At Dusk"

Spacecase just put out the boffo "Out At Dusk" single by Walter Daniels & The Hungry Hearts in a limited run of 300 copies. Get an earful below.

Here's the scoop...
Spacecase Records is proud to release the new single "Out at Dusk" b/w "Where's The Pain Point" by blues-punk legend Walter Daniels and his band The Hungry Hearts. The 7” features Walter Daniels’ usual all-star lineup, including Texacala Jones (Tex and the Horseheads), Marco Butcher (Jam Messengers), Cypress Grove (Jeffrey Lee Pierce) and Luis Tissot (Jesus and the Groupies). Cover art by Art Chantry. Limited to 300 copies. Get it directly from Spacecase right here.

One For The Weekend: The Clean

Here's the video clip for The Clean's 1982 classic "Beatnik"

Shirley Collins has a new video for "Wondrous Love"

Says Shirley: "I first heard the hymn at a Sacred Harp Convention in Alabama. Alan Lomax and I recorded it on our field recording trip in 1959."

Watch a short Alice Coltrane documentary from 1970

Here's an interesting 14 min colour film about Alice Coltrane shot for National Education Television's Black Journal in 1970. 

PJ Harvey releasing Dry demos as stand-alone LP in July

The raw demos Polly Harvey made herself prior to recording Dry are being released on vinyl July 24. You can pre-order right here.

9Os Nostalgia: Giant Sand

"Searchlight" is off Giant Sand's Long Stem Rant album originally released by Homestead back in 1989. 

Watch Andy Bey solo at Zinc Bar in New York

The intimate setting of Zinc in New York was perfect for an evening of Andy Bey singing a few favourites at the piano back in 2014. 

Happy Birthday Stephanie Goodman!

Cheers to musician/DJ Steph Goodman of Shrag, Blue Minkies, Summer Hunter and Need We Say More?... check her solo debut after the vintage clips.

Midweek Mixdown: Andy Votel's Raising Helelyos

Here's a wicked mix of pre-revolution Persian psych, prog rock and bent pop courtesy of Finders Keepers mainman Andy "No Tell" Votel. 

Butch Cage & Clarence Edwards vs. Howlin' Wolf

Butch Cage and Clarence Edwards have a good time with Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning"

Midweek Mixdown: The Real Copy from DJ Classy Craig

Toronto DJ Classy Craig offers a sweet vinyl selection of "real fuzz, fake psych, real wolfmen, zodiac freaks and go-go chaos" 

Happy Birthday Rubén González

Remembering Cuban piano great Rubén González with a couple of typically stellar performances.

Whaddya mean you don't know Hateful Snake

Back in 1983, Toronto's Hateful Snake were tipped as the next big thing in metal by Daniel Richler. Watch for the new book Eve Of Darkness from UXB Press.  

Mike Westbrook's original Citadel/Room 315 performance surfaces

The 1974 debut performance of Mike Westbrook's Citadel/Room 315 suite with John Surman has finally been released by My Only Desire Records. 

The debut performance of esteemed pianist/composer Mike Westbrook's 70s jazz masterpiece 'Citadel/Room 315', recorded live in 1974. Featured soloists throughout the album are the iconic saxophonist John Surman plus a crack team of Sweden's top jazzers.

The original RCA recording of 'Citadel/Room 315' is an hour-long suite of eleven tracks, beautifully composed and arranged by Mike Westbrook that is rightly considered to be one of the high-points of Brit-jazz from that era. Mike was commissioned by Sveriges (Swedish) Radio to write the work with Surman as lead soloist. He then travelled to Sweden to perform and conduct it for the first time, live in concert. This recording has never been released until now and presents a wildly different recording to the later LP, the rawness and freedom of the playing contrasting strongly with the more polished studio album.

Surman - playing baritone and soprano saxophone, plus bass clarinet - is in sumptuously freewheeling form throughout, soaring between wild expression and wonderfully controlled playing, perfectly complimenting Mike's compositions that gracefully move from jazz-rock, ballads, to tightly composed orchestral themes and more avant-garde moments.

Backed by the 16-piece Swedish Radio Jazz Group led by saxophonist Arne Domnérus and Argentinian trumpeter Americo Bellotto, the group comprised the finest players on the Swedish scene, including trumpeters Bertil Lövgren and Håkan Nyquist, saxophonist Lennart Åberg, guitarist Rune Gustafsson, pianist Bengt Hallberg, bassist Georg Riedel and drummer Egil Johansen.

Mike Westbrook's Love and Understanding is available from My Only Desire Records on vinyl as a limited edition 2LP gatefold (500 units worldwide) and 'mini-LP' gatefold CD remastered by Caspar @ Gearbox Records from the original master tapes with sleeve notes by Daniel Spicer (Jazzwise, The Wire). Listen to "Love and Understanding," "Bebop de Rigueur" and "Construction" below followed by the album credits.







Mike Westbrook’s Citadel/Room 315 
Recorded live in concert March 28th 1974 at Folkets Hus Södertälje, Sweden
Composed and arranged by Mike Westbrook
Produced by Bosse Broberg

Personnel:
Mike Westbrook (conductor, electric piano)
John Surman (baritone and soprano saxes, bass clarinet)

The Swedish Radio Jazz Group: 
Arne Domnérus (alto saxophone, clarinet)
Claes Rosendahl (tenor saxophone, flute)
Lennart Åberg (tenor and soprano saxophone, flute)
Erik Nilsson (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, flute)
Americo Bellotto (trumpet)
Bertil Lövgren (trumpet, flugel horn)
Jan Allan (trumpet, alto horn)
Håkan Nyquist (trumpet, flugel horn, French horn)
Lars Olofsson (trombone)
Sven Larsson (bass trombone, tuba)
Rune Gustafsson (guitar)
Bengt Hallberg (piano)
Georg Riedel (bass)
Stefan Brolund (bass guitar)
Egil Johansen (drums)
Jan Bandel (drums, vibraphone, percussion)

R.I.P. Jimmy Cobb, 1929-2020

Sadly jazz drummer extraordinaire Jimmy Cobb passed away yesterday at the age of 91. He'll be greatly missed. 

Watch Nicole Atkins' Alone We're All Together

Nicole Atkins is joined by Michael Rault, Pearl Charles, The Smoking Flowers and Shamir. 

A snapshot of the Harlem jazz scene in 1930

Here's a swingin' selection of tracks cut by Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Luis Russell and Don Redman including "Shakin' The African"

Happy Birthday Steven McDonald!

Cheers to Steven McDonald of Redd Kross, OFF! and The Melvins. Here's a recent interview. 

R.I.P. Bobby "Digital" Dixon, 1961-2020

Sadly, legendary producer Bobby Digital – who changed the course of reggae music – passed away in Kingston from complications due to kidney disease.

Kutiman releasing new Wachaga album in July

Watch the video for "Copasavana" off Ophir Kutiel's new Kutiman album Wachaga which you can pre-order right here.

Here's the scoop...
People have been living around the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro for millennia. One day in 2014 another jeep pulled up, in a rural neighbourhood where many people from the Wachaga nation live, work and play. This jeep contained Ophir ‘Kutiman’ Kutiel, the producer, multi-instrumentalist and filmmaker who is get-stopped-in-the-supermarket famous in his home country despite being terminally shy of the spotlight.

Kutiman carried microphones, video recording equipment and a request for creative collaboration to Tanzania – and he left Wachaga with a set of recordings. Some of these were of everyday sounds and some contained special sounds: school children from the city of Arusha playing drums or the dancers who wore bells to add a percussive element to the movement, like the metal plate in a tap dancer’s shoe.

This fourth studio album is a combination of the material he collected on his 2014 trip with recordings made with saxophonist Shlomi Alon, trumpeter Sefi Zisling and trombonist Yair Slutzki, alongside his own playing and studio wizardry. He was listening to a lot of spiritual jazz during the recording, and in a departure from his usual cut and paste style, played on top of the recordings.

It’s a creative push that has paid off: Horns and synth melodies spiral across borrowed rhythm patterns and chants which provide the bedrock around which Kutiman builds his own musical dwelling, creating new pathways of jazz, psychedelia and circular meditative zone-outs.

Check out the video for "Copasavana" below.

Happy Birthday Archie Shepp!

Celebrating Archie Shepp's birthday with a performance with Chucho Valdés from 2011 and at the Châteauvallon Jazz Fest in 1973. 

Watch Terrace Martin's video for "The Deuce"

Jon Langford talks about Prince Far-I, Slade and Gang Of Four

Jon Langford is planning to release a series of singles. Until then, here's a Q&A followed by a performance with Sally Timms & John Szymanski. 

Happy Birthday Famoudou Don Moye!

Celebrating percussion master Famoudou Don Moye's 74th birthday with Art Ensemble's cover of Fela Kuti's "Zombie" and a jam with Johnny Dyani. 

Scott Chantler talks about BIX, his graphic novel about jazz great Bix Beiderbecke

Canuck artist Scott Chantler's latest work is a graphic novel about the tragic life of Iowa-born jazz cornetist/pianist Bix Beiderbecke.

Here's the scoop...
From Scott Chantler – the acclaimed Eisner Award–nominated creator of Two Generals and Northwest Passage – comes BIX, a gorgeous and spare illustrated exploration of the rapid rise and tragic fall of 1920s legendary jazz soloist Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke (1903-1931).

Told in stunning illustrations, BIX is a near-wordless graphic exploration highlighting the career of Leon Bix Beiderbecke, one of the most innovative jazz soloists of the 1920s next to the legendary Louis Armstrong. While composing and recording some of the landmark music in the early history of genre, Bix struggled with personal demons, facing the disapproval of his conservative parents and an increasing dependence on alcohol. Presented in predominantly silent panels to reflect his rebellious outsider quality and inability to communicate in anything other than his own musical terms, BIX tells the story of a music star’s rapid rise and tragic fall—a metaphor for the glories and risks inherent in the creative life. BIX was published by Gallery 13 via Simon & Schuster Canada on April 28 and is available from various online outlets.

Listen to Scott's chat with Comics Journal writer Irene Velentzas below followed by a selection of Beiderbecke's classic recordings and a recent episode of Alex Pangman's fine Swing Set program on jazzcast.ca which features some music inspired by Beiderbecke.

About the author
Scott Chantler is the acclaimed creator of the graphic novels Two Generals, Northwest Passage, and the Three Thieves series, which won a Joe Shuster Award. He has also been nominated for five Eisner Awards, two Harvey Awards, and a Doug Wright Award. Find out more at ScottChantler.com.

Lang Lang vs. Attarazat Addahabia & Faradjallah

Lang Lang's wistful reprise of Beethoven's "Für Elise" is pretty sweet but hang on – Casablanca's Attarazat Addahabia and crew are bringing the funk. 

That time New Bomb Turks played Toronto's Rotate This in 1996

Back in 1996, Ohio's New Bomb Turks stopped by Toronto record shop Rotate This for an in-store. Also, check out their Sneaky Dee's show from 1994. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Anunnaki

Wolf Parade drummer Arlen Thompson and Moths & Locusts bassist Dave Read are Anunnaki. Check out the live clip and their release with Ottawa's TBWNIS. 

Colemine launches Brighter Days Ahead series with Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio

Colemine Records is releasing a new single each Friday starting with a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" by Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio.

Here's the scoop from Colemine label boss Terry Cole...
"Brighter Days Ahead was an idea that started shortly after most of the country's stay-at-home orders came down due to COVID-19. Tours were cancelled, release dates were pushed, manufacturing for our LPs and 45s came to a halt. We all knew it was going to have a dramatic impact on our business, our artists, our schedule, and pretty much every aspect of our daily lives. So, as we settled into a 'new normal' and started to look at the schedule it became clear there was going to be a lull in our physical output during the summer. So we wanted to come up with some way to give our fans and our artist's fans something to look forward to. So, the idea of Brighter Days Ahead was born. A new track every Friday from the Colemine label group starting today (May 22) and running through the end of summer. And for the first week each track is on Bandcamp, Colemine will be paying 100% of any revenues generated from Bandcamp directly to the artist. So our goals are simple: put a little bit of money in our artist's pockets and get our fans some new tunes. We can't wait to share all this wonderful music with you!" – Terry Cole, owner, Colemine Records

The first single as part of the Brighter Days Ahead weekly series is Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio’s “Inner City Blues,” a slinky, upbeat cover of Marvin Gaye’s 1971 single. Listen below.

A bit more on Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio:
 Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio—or as it is sometimes referred to, DLO3—specialize in the lost art of “feel good music.” The ingredients of this intoxicating cocktail include a big helping of the 1960s organ jazz stylings of Jimmy Smith and Baby Face Willette; a pinch of the snappy soul strut of Booker T. & The M.G.’s and The Meters; and sprinkles Motown, Stax Records, blues and cosmic Jimi Hendrix-style guitar. It’s a soul-jazz concoction that goes straight to your heart & head, and makes your body break out in a sweat. Live, the band’s fiery and intuitive chemistry is unstoppable, brimming with improvisation, instant composition, imaginative takes on classic tunes, and a booty-shaking back catalog of soulful gems.

The band features organist Delvon Lamarr, a self-taught virtuosic musician, with perfect pitch who taught himself jazz and has effortlessly been able to play a multitude of instruments. On guitar is the dynamo Jimmy James who eases through Steve Cropper-style chanking guitar, volcanic acid-rock freak-out lead playing, and slinky Grant Green-style jazz. From Reno, Nevada is drummer Dan Weiss (also of the powerhouse soul and funk collective The Sextones). Dan’s smoldering pocket-groove drumming locks in the trio’s explosive chemistry.

Since its humble beginnings in May, 2015, the trio has issued two Billboard-charting albums and a 45; toured nationally and internationally, and performed on live at Upstream Music Festival broadcast by KEXP that garnered over 7 million views. In the near future, DLO3 will be releasing a bevy of new music come fall and winter 2020. DLO3 is part of the hip Colemine Records family, is booked by the prestigious Kurland Agency, and is managed, owned, and operated by Delvon’s staunchly supportive wife, Amy Novo. Amy has been lovingly nicknamed “Shortcake Mafia” as a tribute to her sweet but shrewd business acumen.

DLO3’s new single “Inner City Blues” is out today on digital and streaming platforms via Colemine Records.

Happy Birthday Sun Ra!

Remembering Sun Ra on the anniversary of his earth birth with some interesting footage shot for French TV in 1969 and 1972.

One For The Weekend: Bill Fay

Here's Bill Fay performing "Be Not So Fearful" off his classic 1970 album for Deram followed by an interview on BBC's Radio 4 from 2012. 

Nick Cave vs. Marc Bolan

Nick Cave recorded Marc Bolan's "Cosmic Dancer" for the tribute album AngelHeaded Hipster due out September 4th which you can pre-order here. 

Quarantunes: Itasca

Currently on lockdown near Joshua Tree, Itasca decided to hook a generator up to her amp and knock out a few tunes including a sweet Warren Zevon cover. 

Watch David Lynch's animated short film Fire (Pozar)

David Lynch just made available Fire (Pozar) – his 2015 collaboration with musician Marek Zebrowski – which you can see below.