Happy Birthday Oscar Pettiford!

Remembering Oscar Pettiford with a 1950 version of "Oscalypso" feat. Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn.

Midweek Mixdown: Dean Rudland's Atmospheres 25-09-20

Check out Dean Rudland's ace Atmospheres selection of contemporary jazz with a few vintage gems mixed in right here. 

Dean Rudland's Atmospheres Mix – Sept 25

1/ Traneflight – Esoteric Circle feat Terje Rypdal (Flying Dutchman) The Esoteric Circle

2/ Klara – Nimbus Sextet (Acid Jazz) Dreams Fulfilled

3/ Looking At Sounds - Michel Benita (ECM) Looking At Sounds

4/ Lost Sunbeams of Childhood – Andrew Wasylyk (Athens Of The North) Fugitive Light

5/ Endless Love – Greg Foat (Athens Of The North) The Mage

6/ Wonderful World (Babel remix) – Grand Union (People Tree) unreleased

7/ The Rain – Eddie Gale's Ghetto Music (Blue Note)

8/ Hanging Round The Bee Tree – The New Rotary Connection (Cadet Concept) Hey Love

9/ How Can You Mend A Broken Heart – Kahil El’Zabar (Spiritmuse) America The Beautiful

10/ Jump & Shout (For Those Gone) - Kahil El’Zabar (Spiritmuse) America The Beautiful

11/ Song For Julle (for Tony Allen) – Mino Cinelu & Nils Pettar Molvaer (Modern Recordings) 

12/ As If…The Ghost Was Me – Terje Rypdal (ECM) Conspiracy

13/ How Long – Dwight Trible (Spiritmuse) Pathways & Passages

14/ Beware Of A Stranger (Ashley Beedle Stripped back mix) – Lady Blackbird (Foundation) 

15/ One Step Ahead – Aretha Franklin (Columbia) 7-inch

16/ The Assasination – The Dixie Nightingales (Chalice) 7-inch

17/ Fantasy For Ralph – David Axelrod (Mo’ Wax) David Axelrod

18/ Mighty Yusef – Chip Wickham (Lovemonk) Blue To Red

19/ Before Us In Demerara Caura – Nubya Garcia (Concord) Source

20/ Soul Mate – Andrew Hill (Mosaic) Mosaic Select 16

21/ Suspicion – Charles Tolliver (Gearbox) Connect

22/ Pisces – Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (Blue Notes) Freedom Rider CD

21/ All What Remains – Dominik Wania (ECM) Lonely Shadows

Watch My Darling Clementine's video for "The Crooked Line"

Check out the version of Elvis Costello's "The Crooked Line" by My Darling Clementine bolstered by Farfisa fiend Steve Nieve. 

 

Happy Birthday Roy Campbell Jr.

Remembering trumpeter/composer Roy Campbell, Jr. on his birthday with a short doc and some stellar performances. 

 

 

 

 

Roy Campbell Jr.'s Discography

As a Leader: 

2008 Roy Campbell Ensemble - Akhenaten Suite (AUM Fidelity/Arts for Art) 

2001 Roy Campbell Quartet - It's Krunch Time (The Blue Series/Thirsty Ear) 

2001 Pyramid Trio - Ethnic Stew And Brew (Delmark)

1998 Pyramid Trio - Ancestral Homeland (No More Records)

1996 Pyramid Trio - Communion (Silkheart)

1994 La Tierra Del Fuego (Delmark)

1992 New Kingdom (Delmark)

As a Co-Leader:

2011 Other Dimensions In Music with Fay Victor - Kaiso Stories (Silkheart)

2011 The Nu Band - Relentlessness: Live at the Sunset (Marge)

2010 The Nu Band - Live in Paris (NoBusiness Records)

2009 The Nu Band - Lower East Side Blues (Porter Records)

2007 Other Dimensions In Music - Live at the Sunset [Paris] (Marge) 

2007 The Nu Band - The Dope and The Ghost (Not Two)

2003 The Nu Band - Nu Band Live (Konnex)

2001 The Nu Band - Live at the Bop Shop (Clean Feed)

2000 Other Dimensions In Music - Time Is Of The Essence Is Beyond Time (AUM Fidelity) 

1998 Other Dimensions In Music - Now! (AUM Fidelity)

1990 Other Dimensions In Music (Silkheart)

As a Sideman:

2012 William Parker Orchestra - Essence of Ellington: Live in Milano (Centering Records)

2010 Jemeel Moondoc - Muntu Recordings [Box Set]- Spirit House (NoBusiness Records)

2006 Whit Dickey - Sacred Ground (Clean Feed)

2005 Marc Ribot/Spiritual Unity - Spiritual Unity (Pi Recordings)

2005 Whit Dickey - Heartbeat (Clean Feed)

2004 Whit Dickey - Coalescence (Clean Feed)

2002 Maneri Ensemble - Going To Church (AUM Fidelity)

2000 Jemeel Moondoc & The Jus Grew Orchestra - Spirit House (Eremite)

2000 William Parker & The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra - Mayor Of Punkville (AUM Fidelity) 

1999 Yo La Tengo - Now 2000/Excalibur 2001 2x7" set (Egon)

1999 Peter Brotzmann / Die Like A Dog Quartet - From Valley To Valley (Eremite)

1998 Matthew Shipp Horn Quartet - Strata (Hat Hut)

1997 William Parker & The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra - Sunrise In The Tone World (AUM Fidelity)

1988 William Hooker Orchestra (trio) - The Colour Circle (Cadence)

1986 Billy Bang Sextet - Live At Carlos 1 (Soul Note)

1982 Jemeel Moondoc Quartet Muntu - The Athens Concert (Praxis)

1981 Jemeel Moondoc Sextet - Konstanze's Delight (Soul Note)

1981 Jemeel Moondoc - New York Live (Cadence)

1979 Jemeel Moondoc & Muntu - The Evening Of The Blue Men (Muntu)

Watch guitar evangelist Rev. Louis Overstreet in action

Here's some rare live footage of Reverend Louis Overstreet taking his church rockin' message to the people. 

 

Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour delves into whiskey

Bob Dylan's playlist includes elbow benders from Charlie Poole, Wynonie Harris, Bobby Charles, Willie Nelson & Frank Sinatra.

Happy Birthday John Gilmore!

Here's saxophone great John Gilmore with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1965. 

Pratt & Moody come up with another deep soul gem "Wheels Turning"

Helsiniki-based production team Cold Diamond & Mink strike again with Pratt & Moody's "Wheels Turning" out October 2nd.

Here's the scoop...

Pratt has definitely carved his name in flaming letters on the pages of contemporary soul music during the past few years. This has been achieved with the modern classic "Lost Lost Lost" currently clocking close to 2M Youtube plays, as well as its sequel single "Words Words Words" which is also doing well out there in the world. With "Wheels Turning (Gonna Run Away From You)" Pratt skids away from his guitar wielding partner Moody and rides towards a morbid dusk with only Cold Diamond & Mink by his side. 

Those, who are familiar with Pratt's work under his birth name Tuomo Prattala, know that he's a dynamic solo artist, songwriter and musician on his own. So it comes as no surprise, that this new platter brings everything that fans of dark but sweet ballads crave for. The lyrics are loaded with metaphors and we'll let you decipher them for yourself. 

What needs no explanation, is that Tuomo is pitching high as he rolls away, leaving a trail of bitter heartache behind. Have a listen below. Pre-order a copy of the single right here. 

Keyboard Face Classics: Keith Jarrett with Miles Davis in 1971

Watch this impressive sequence from Keith Jarrett with Miles Davis at Berliner Jazztage in 1971.

 

Happy 80th Birthday Gary Bartz!

Celebrating Gary's 80th birthday with a couple of stellar 2019 concert performances. 

 

Hear John Lomax III tell Townes Van Zandt stories

Here's an interview Otis Gibbs conducted with John Lomax III about his time managing Townes Van Zandt. 

Here's the scoop...

The short version: John Lomax has done a ton of cool things in his life. This is an interview about the time he spent managing Townes Van Zandt.

The long version: When I first moved to Nashville, I got an email from John Lomax wanting to buy some CDs. I figured it was some other John Lomax, it couldn't be THE John Lomax. Low and behold, a few hours later, there was John Lomax standing in my living room. It was one of many great "welcome to Nashville" moments.

I can't imagine what American music would sound like without his family's influence. I don't want to get too far in the weeds right now, so scroll down and we'll talk about his family's storied history in the comments.

I later became friends with John and he's about the coolest cat you'll ever meet. This is an interview from back in 2014. It originally aired on my podcast and this is my attempt to adapt it to YouTube. John was Townes Van Zandt's manager back in the day, so I asked him to share whatever stories he'd feel comfortable sharing.

He talks about starting Townes' fan club, Heartworn Highways, Townes partying with Gram Parsons, Townes jamming with The Allman Brothers, Townes' love of Lightnin' Hopkins and a lot of other great stories. – Otis Gibbs

Danko Jones puts down the guitar for experimental Throat Funeral project

Danko Jones's guitar-free Throat Funeral album with vocals from Tad Doyle & Tanya Tagaq is available Friday via Bandcamp. 

One For The Weekend: Philippe Laurent

Check out Philippe's overlooked b-boy electro jam Exposition 2 from 1982. 

Teresa Teng vs. Stephen Cheng

Teresa Teng's swing at Chang Cheh's "Green Is The High Mountain" can't top Stephen Cheng's 1967 rocksteady version.

R.I.P. Gerson Cortes of Gerson King Combo, 1943-2020

Sadly, hard belting Brazilian funk great Gerson Cortes has passed away at the age of 76. He'll be greatly missed. 

Watch The Posies new video for "Sideways"

"Sideways" – the first new Posies tune from Jon Auer & Ken Stringfellow since 2016 – is off their forthcoming album due in 2021. 

 

Happy Birthday Norma Winstone

Midweek Mixdown: Andy Votel's Songs Of Insolence

 

Listen to Andy Votel play his favourite stone-circle psych, prog, synth interspersed with a little witchy spoken word right here. 

Happy Birthday Nick Cave!

 

Here's Nick performing Marc Bolan's "Cosmic Dancer" in Eindhoven back in January. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Stefan Gnys

Straight outta St. Catherines, Stefan Gnys recorded an LP in 1969 which is now a sought-after Canuck folk-psych gem. Have a listen.

Dwight Trible joins Derf Reklaw to create Cosmic Vibrations

Dwight Trible's ensemble Cosmic Vibrations are putting out their Pathways & Passages album on Friday. 

Here's the scoop...

On September 25, Spiritmuse is releasing Pathways & Passages, the debut album from Cosmic Vibrations, the LA-based ensemble led by acclaimed jazz vocalist Dwight Trible that defines spiritual jazz in the 21st century. A genre-defying amalgamation of divine vocals, soul-stirring jazz, healing poetry, with a rich tapestry of African, Mesoamerican and indigenous North American percussion and instrumentation, taking you on a cosmic journey of spiritual improvisation and beyond. 

Cosmic Vibrations is a supergroup of heavyweight musicians with a vast combined experience, an ensemble of 6 souls who approach improvisation full of spirit and without ego. Gathered for this very purpose by Dwight Trible, undoubtedly the most acclaimed and in-demand vocalist currently working in the realms of spiritual jazz, the band has been performing steadily over the last three years, building a reputation in LA and further afield for their electric, mesmerising performances. “Pathways & Passages” presents the first time that their transcendental sound has been recorded and publicly released. 

A show-stopping performer and artist, Dwight Trible has directed the legendary Horace Tapscott Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, and performed alongside with the likes of Pharoah Sanders, J Dilla, Gary Bartz, Kamasi Washington, Kahil El’Zabar, Madlib, Charles Lloyd, Matthew Halsall, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Soil & “Pimp” Sessions, Mark de Clive-Lowe, and Carlos Niño. There is indeed no one today who better carries on the tradition of legendary jazz vocalists such as Terry Callier, Leon Thomas and Andy Bey, whilst carrying that torch forward and exploring brand new territory. Apart from his rich vocal tones, Trible is also heard on kalimba here. 

Improvisation forms the core of this record, but the rhythm, the groove is never absent. The poetry led “Nature’s Vision” sets the tone for the record’s journey, but it peaks on the group’s incredible rendition “Motherless Child”. A live favourite of Trible’s, this bluesy take rides heavy on Williams’ bass and enjoys the addition of guest Scott Fraser’s lap steel guitar. With his rich, emotive singing Trible takes full possession of the song. By the time the beautiful closing ballad, “Some Other Time” ends, the album has truly succeeded in transcending the listener from their earthly surroundings.

A genre-defying amalgam of divine vocals, intuitive improvisation and deeply spiritual music, on Trible’s voice soars among the nexus of winds & skins from an incredibly talented and “deeply rooted” group in complete brotherly connection with one another. If you are looking for genuine, soul-enriching spiritual jazz today, look no further than Pathways & Passages. 

Watch Cosmic Vibrations perform "Stay Strong Everybody" at the Mr. Musichead Gallery in West Hollywood right here and get a copy of Pathways & Passages over there. 

Check out the Cosmic Vibrations livestream on Friday at 11 pm Eastern. Get the details right here. 

Happy Birthday Leonard Cohen

Remembering Leonard Cohen with Donald Brittain & Don Owen's 1965 film Ladies and Gentlemen: Mr. Leonard Cohen.

 

Watch The Bats' video for "Another Door"

"Another Door" is taken from The Bats' forthcoming Foothills album for Flying Nun available for pre-order here.

The Apartments return with In and Out of the Light

Watch the video for "What's Beauty To Do?" off The Apartments' new album In and Out of the Light out now. 

Here's the scoop...

Begun in Brisbane in 1978 by singer songwriter Peter Milton Walsh, The Apartments restarted in London in the 80’s on Rough Trade (after Walsh’s brief musical holidays in The Go-Betweens and Laughing Clowns), Sydney finally became the base for the band. Over a series of releases in the 90s and 00s The Apartments developed a worshipful following especially France but mid-decade they fell silent.

In 2015, The Apartments surprised fans by reemerging—after over a decade of silence—with No Song, No Spell, No Madrigal, an album that saw a new audience drawn to The Apartments music. By year’s end, readers and critics of French music magazine Magic named No Song, No Spell, No Madrigal its Album of the Year.

Five years later, In and Out of the Light – out now via the Bordeaux-based French indie Talitres – is the highly anticipated follow up that will once more appeal to existing fans and new ones as well. Listeners will again find themselves reflected in songs which, laced with the light of optimism, speak to situations all of us face and deal with at some point. The Apartments exquisite instrumentation and beautiful harmonies work together with Peter Milton Walsh’s impressionistic storytelling beautifully on “In and Out of the Light.” Here are eight songs to get lost in—for a day, for a week, for a lifetime. 

You can get a copy of The Apartments' In and Out of the Light right here. Check out the new video for "What's Beauty To Do?" and the audio clips for "Pocketful of Sunshine" and "Write Your Way Out of Town" below. 

Happy Birthday Eddie Bo!

Remembering New Orleans R&B great Eddie Bo with a few of his 45s including "I'm Wise" which inspired Little Richard.

More Zamrock rarities uncovered by Jason "MoSS" Connoy

The limited-run Rock Sound compilation focuses on lesser-known Zambian crews which never released full-length albums. 

Here's the scoop from Strawberry Rain...

The most difficult project we’ve done to date, this compilation features some of the most obscure Zamrock bands to ever record.  None of these bands went on to release albums, some have remained in obscurity even within collectors circles in Zambia.  There were only released on 7″ singles like the snotty, proto-punk ‘Watchout’, a number from the post-Amanaz Drive Unit, a group consisting of Amanaz members and legendary bassist Ricky Banda.  Blistering fuzz guitars like the 3 1/2 minute solo on Hulk Raiders ‘Mans World’ that can go toe to toe with any guitar solo released during the period. ‘Shoot’ from Mother Breed, a band who went on to record a series of singles which we will be releasing as a full length album in the future, and others like Mabanga Band, The Ghost Band, Heroes Band, Osauka Band and The Real Savages. The first in a series of compilations featuring obscure Zambian groups that will cover Rock, Disco, Folk and Afrobeat.  Highly recommended for fans of the genre.  Limited to 350 copies in paste-on cover. Get it while you can from Rappcats mailorder right here. 

Dutch soul crew The Tibbs return with new vocalist and album Nov 20

Singer Roxanne Hartog – who also contributed lyrics for Another Shot Fired – is an impressive addition for The Tibbs.

Dutch vintage soul combo The Tibbs announces the release of “Damaged Heart” b/w "Ball and Chain", the first single taken from the forthcoming album Another Shot Fired. The new single, showcasing the powerful voice of new singer Roxanne Hartog, will be available via Record Kicks on October 9 on all digital platforms and on a limited edition 45 vinyl – check out a preview clip right here. The release of Another Shot Fired will follow on November 20.

The Tibbs' second studio album, Another Shot Fired was recorded during lockdown at Electric Monkey in Amsterdam under the supervision of producer Paul Willemsen (Lefties Soul Connection, Michelle David & The Gospel Sessions) and it introduces a new singer to the project: the young super-talented Roxanne Hartog, who penned the lyrics of most of the songs.

Based around Amsterdam, The Tibbs took off in 2012 working right from the start with producer Paul Willemsen. In 2016 their first LP, "Takin' Over" marked their debut with Milan based imprint Record Kicks. The singles "Next Time" and "The Story Goes" received critical acclaim on radio stations throughout Europe and North America and the 45s flew out the door in record time. The release of "Takin' Over" delivered the band far richer rewards. Playing sold-out venues in both Milan and Frankfurt. The Tibbs' profile rose further still with wonderful festival performances in Germany and Hungary, followed by a successful sold-out tour of Spain. 

In late 2018, lead vocalist Elsa Bekman decided to follow her heart and focus on a solo career. The Tibbs then began their search for a truly worthy successor, which they found in singer/songwriter Roxanne Hartog who auditioned for The Voice of Holland back in 2016 (see below) without success. Their loss is our gain. Another Shot Fired is available for pre-order right here. Check out the album teaser below followed by Rachel singing Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black" from 2017. 

R.I.P. Dave Kusworth, 1960-2020

Sadly, Birmingham singer/songwriter Dave Kusworth has passed away. He'll be greatly missed. 

That time The Tomcats appeared in the Spanish film Operación Secretaria

 

UK garage/R&B upstarts The Tomcats (pre-July) synched to "Two Minds In Tune" for Mariano Ozores' 1966 comedy

The Tomcats' 23-track double LP is out now.

Spain's Munster Records label compiled all the essential Tomcats recordings in the double album set A Tu Vera which includes "Two Minds In Tune" from the 1966 film Operación Secretaria (see clip below) which you can get right here. Check out the informative Mike Stax-penned essay from the liner notes.  

The Tomcats’ story begins in Ealing, West London, where Tom Newman (vocals, guitar), Peter Cook (lead guitar), Alan James (bass) and Chris Jackson (drums) first began playing together as The Dreamers. When Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies opened the Ealing Club in 1962, it became a magnet for young blues enthusiasts, many of whom would go on to form their own R&B groups, including The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and Manfred Mann. Evenings spent at the Ealing Club had a similar effect on members of The Dreamers, who soon afterwards retooled their repertoire and rebranded as The Tomcats.

Another Ealing-based group, The Second Thoughts, were thinking along the same lines. Singer Patrick Campbell-Lyons (later the mastermind behind pop-psych heroes Nirvana), guitarist Tony Duhig, harmonica player Vic Griffiths, bassist Mickey Holmes, drummer John “Speedy” Keen and conga player/backing vocalist Jon Field played in a similar roughneck R&B style to The Tomcats, and at many of the same venues. It was inevitable that their stories would eventually entwine. In 1964 The Second Thoughts recorded some demos at a studio in Rickmansworth. However, the band parted company shortly afterwards when three of the members (Duhig, Holmes and Keen) headed for Spain to accompany the French nightclub singer Teddy Ray. When they returned to England a few months later, they immediately set about putting a new band together with the intention of returning to Spain as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, after playing a lengthy residency at the Oxford Street club Beat City, The Tomcats had also broken up, so it was only natural that the remnants of the two bands join forces. Initially called The Thoughts, the new group featured Tom Newman (lead vocals, guitar), Tony Duhig (lead guitar), Mickey Holmes (bass), Jon Field (congas, backing vocals) and Speedy Keen (drums). Soon afterwards Speedy was replaced by original Tomcats drummer Chris Jackson, at which point they decided to readopt the Tomcats name.

The revamped Tomcats arrived in Madrid in early 1965 and took up residency at Club Consulado. The group’s long hair and fashionable mod clothes were a novelty in Franco’s Spain and they immediately began to attract attention. When Mickey Holmes decided to go home, original Tomcat Alan James came out to take over on bass. Vic Griffiths of The Second Thoughts returned as harp player for a short while too.

Philips signed the band, which resulted in the release of four EPs in 1965 and 1966. While the majority of the songs were remakes of recent hits, The Tomcats deliver them with enough guts and gusto to make them more than worthwhile. The group also chose to cover a few Spanish numbers, most notably ‘A tu vera’, a song best known by the iconic singer, dancer and movie actress Lola Flores. The Tomcats transformed the dramatic flamenco torch song into a wild, fuzz guitar-spattered rocker. They also recorded the title song to one of her movies, “Ay pena, penita, pena”, updated with a throbbing bass line, thumping jungle drums and a stinging fuzz guitar solo. A small handful of original numbers were also scattered across the four EPs, including the moody ballad ‘Running At Shadows’, ‘It Ain’t Right’, and the Mersey-style ‘Don’t Ask For Me’. While in Spain, The Tomcats were cast in a comedy film, “Operación secretaria”, performing the thrilling punk R&B number ‘Two Minds In Tune’. That song makes its first appearance on vinyl here, along with a fine version of Reverend Gary Davis’s ‘Cocaine’ and a rowdy original number, ‘Don’t Let It Go’.

The Tomcats’ Spanish sojourn came to an end in the summer of 1966. Back in England, Newman reunited with original Tomcats guitarist Peter Cook and the pair began writing new songs in a more complex psychedelic style. The Tomcats regrouped as a six-piece, and in 1968 recorded a pair of wonderful singles and an album for Major Minor, by which time they had changed their name to July. After July disbanded in 1969, Duhig went on to form Jade Warrior, while Newman became a successful producer as well as recording numerous solo albums. – Mike Stax

Check out the Tomcats' appearance in Operación Secretaria following Munster's promo trailer for The Tomcats' A Tu Vera compilation. 

One For The Weekend: Squirrel Nut Zippers

Check out "Cookie" off the Zippers' new album Lost Songs of Doc Souchon out September 25. 

Today the Squirrel Nut Zippers release “Cookie,” the third track from their forthcoming album Lost Songs of Doc Souchon (Out September 25th).   

"Cookie is the next oldie I've dug up for ya and it was written by a very good friend of mine, Irvin McClair,” remarks Zippers mainman Jimbo Mathus.  “This was written before WW1. Irvin used to play piano at tne old Triangle Theater in New Orleans as an accompanist to the silent movies. he also performed in vaudeville as one of the Fuzzy Wuzzy twins. They had a piano and vocal team."

Since 1995, the Squirrel Nut Zippers have sacked and plundered the old, weird America then sailed off to further distant lands. They have used New Orleans as their hideout and base of operations.  Jean-Lafitte-like the hide in the lee side of barrier island, receiving goods and masking dark back channel deals; hiding in cellars or in plain view. 

They began their musical journey in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in the mid 1990’s, as a musician’s escape from the cookie cutter world of modern rock radio at the time.  Jimbo Mathus along with drummer/percussionist Chris Phillips formed the band as a casual musical foray among friends and family in the area.  It wasn’t long before the band’s quirky mix of jazz chords, folk music, and punk rock leanings spread out of the region and attracted a national audience.

Between 1995-2000 the Squirrel Nut Zippers sold over three million albums.  Their watershed album, Hot (1996) was recorded in the heat of New Orleans, fueled by a smoldering mix of booze and a youthful hunger to unlock the secrets of old world jazz. This passion mixed with klezmer, blues and random bits of contemporary musical leanings became the bands signature style.  At the time, there were few other bands inhabiting this space. The album would eventually break free of any “jazz” stereotypes and land on commercial radio, taking the band to remarkable heights for what was essentially an anti-establishment sound.

The band's forthcoming new album, Lost Songs Of Doc Souchon, will be released next Friday (September 25).  You can pre-order the new album here: www.snzippers.com

“This new album was inspired by all of the mysterious characters from the history of New Orleans jazz music,” sez Jimbo.  “It speaks to the hidden roots of where our aesthetic, interests and philosophy comes from. It pulls on the hidden thread.”  Listen to "Cookie" followed by "Train on Fire" and "Animule Ball" below. 

Watch Catl's rip snortin' livestream from The Piston

 

Toronto's Catl rocked The Piston for a Wavelength livestream recently – watch their whumpin' 53 minute performance below.  

Robyn Hitchcock releases updated version of The President with video

Check out Robyn Hitchcock's clever reworking of his 1986 classic, The President below.   

Happy Birthday Peter Zaremba!

Celebrating Peter Zaremba's birthday SuperRock™ style with a Fleshtones 2019 performance in Lyon, France.  

Neil Swainson Quintet's 49th Parallel album gets overdue vinyl release

Toronto bassist Neil Swainson's 1987 throwdown with Woody Shaw & Joe Henderson is finally out on vinyl with a bonus track. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Anibal Velasquez

Check out Anibal's wicked "La Mazamorra Del Diablo" off Analog Africa's new collection La Locura de Machuca 1975​-​1980.

La Locura de Machuca 1975-1980

La Locura de Machuca is the story of one man’s bizarre odyssey into Colombia’s coastal music underground, and the wild, hypnotic sounds he helped bring up to the surface. 

One night in 1975, a successful tax lawyer named Rafael Machuca had his mind blown in Barranquilla’s ‘Plaza de los Musicos’. Overnight he went from a high ranking position in the Columbian revenue authority to visionary production guru of the newly formed record label that bore his name, Discos Machuca, and for the next six years he devoted his life to releasing some of the strangest, most experimental Afro Psychedelia Cumbia and Champeta ever produced.

The Colombian music industry was thriving in the mid-seventies, but while homegrown bolero and vallenato tunes were doing well on the charts, it was imported African records that were setting crowds on fire at the picos – the sound-systems that fuelled neighbourhood parties – and wherever those records were played there were always a handful of groups who were inspired to plug traditional Cumbia directly into the electric currents coming from across the Atlantic. 

It was these obscure bands, who fused Colombian and African rhythms with the swirling organs and psychedelic guitars of underground rock, that fired Machuca’s imagination. While the label made its money releasing popular hits by legends such as Alejandro Durán and Aníbal Velásquez, that money was poured back into a unique run of experimental releases by fringe artists such as La Banda Africana, King Somalie, Conjunto Barbacoa, and Abelar- do Carbono, one of the godfathers of Champeta Criolla. 

When Machuca couldn’t find groups to realise his particular vision, he simply created them himself. Drawing on a fearsome roster of musicians associated with the label, he assembled bands that lasted only as long as it took to record an album, and unleashed the results – complete with arrestingly unusual album covers – under a series of different names such as Samba Negra or El Grupo Folclórico. This unorthodox approach led his longtime recording engineer, Eduardo Dávila, to describe Machuca’s productions as the “B-Movies of Colombian music.” 

The story of Doctor Machuca and his eccentric exploits tells of one of Colombia’s most atypical and peculiar record companies; a defining pillar of Afro-Caribbean psychedelia. His productions have come to represent the roots of Champeta and set the pedigree standards for Afro and Costeño avant-garde. The seventeen tracks on La Locura de Machuca, harvested from the darkest, strangest corners of the Discos Machuca catalogue, sound like little else recorded before or since. 

Analog Africa's compilation La Locura de Machuca 1975-1980 is out October 16. Pre-order a copy right here. Listen to the Anibal Velasquez scorcher "La Mazamorra Del Diablo" below. 

 

Happy Birthday Cannonball Adderley!

Remembering Cannonball Adderley on his birthday with an 1969 performance in Oslo featuring Joe Zawinul. 

Listen to Patti Smith's first reading at St. Mark's Church in 1971

 

Patti Smith is accompanied by Lenny Kaye at NYC's East Village landmark St. Mark's Church on February 10, 1971. 

David Letterman's Nashville Episode from 1999

 

Get BR5-49 and Biff Henderson on a flatbed truck rolling through Music City and you've got comedy magic. 

That time Getachew Mekuria got down with The Ex in Toronto

Ethiopian saxophone great joined The Ex for a Wavelength show in Toronto on September 13, 2009 – check out a few clips below. 

Happy Birthday Charles Brown!

Remembering influential singer/pianist Charles Brown with a couple of classic early sides.

 

New Music covers Toronto Metal scene at Larry's Hideaway in 1984

Blind Vengeance (above), Rapid Tears, Banshee, Nytrix and Axxs were caught at Larry's Hideaway by Daniel Richler in 1984.