Remembering Ghana's highlife king E.T. Mensah on his birthday

Raising a cup of tea to Ghana's highlife trailblazer E.T. Mensah with a few of his many recordings with The Tempos and beyond. 

B-Side Wins Again: Howlin' Wolf

Here's a lesser know soul blues groover cut by Howlin' Wolf with Sonny Thompson and Cash McCall on the flip of "I Smell A Rat" 

Remembering Shake Keane & Michael Garrick on their birthday

Raising a glass to Shake Keane and Michael Garrick who share a birthday and made some memorable music together. 

One For The Weekend: Dom Salvador w/ Adrian Younge

Check out "Não Podermos O Amar Para" by Brazilian samba-jazz legend Dom Salvador with Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad. 

Here's the scoop...

With lyrics that declare, "Tem um tempo pra sentir, tem um tempo pra tocar, tem um tempo pra lutar, não podemos o amor parar, (There is a time to feel, a time to play, a time to fight—we cannot let love stop)" Adrian Younge wrote this song while reflecting on Dom Salvador's role in using music as a tool for social change and the ongoing struggle of Black Brazilians. The track encapsulates the spirit of resilience, reinforcing the message that love and resistance must never be stopped. Dom Salvador's signature piano playing gives the song its heartbeat, his touch a reminder of his immeasurable contribution to Brazilian music.

Jazz Is Dead continues its journey of honouring musical legends with Dom Salvador JID024, an album that revisits and revitalizes the pioneering spirit of one of Brazil’s most influential musicians. Dom Salvador, the trailblazer who fused samba with jazz, funk, and soul in the late ’60s and early ’70s, is the cornerstone of a movement that shaped the sound of Black Brazilian music. Now, in collaboration with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, he returns to that foundation in a wholly new way.

R.I.P. James Lowe of the Electric Prunes, 1943-2025

Sadly, Electric Prunes frontman James Lowe has passed away. He'll be greatly missed. 

!K7 Records finally releasing long overdue Quantic DJ-Kicks set

Producer/composer and DJ Will "Quantic" Holland's dancefloor ready DJ Kicks set is out Friday with a release party at Phonox UK.

Here's the scoop...

Having worked and lived in the UK, US and Colombia throughout his 20-plus-year career, Quantic is an artist whose reputation has long been forged by his unique engagement and vibrant musical exchange with local scenes and cultures from across the world. His discography of electronic releases is vast, spanning two decades and ranging from solo productions and intimate collaborations to expansive ensemble projects. Under aliases such as Quantic, the Quantic Soul Orchestra, the Limp Twins, Flowering Inferno, Ondatrópica and many more, the multi-instrumentalist, DJ, composer and producer Will Holland has released over twenty studio albums as well as countless EPs and singles.

Now, Quantic pulls from his unparalleled, wide-ranging pool of musical companions for his DJ-Kicks compilation, which fittingly radiates friends and family energy. The mix bursts with unreleased exclusives and places the art of curation at its core, giving the listeners space to go and dig more of the songs and sonics which resonate the most. Will Holland includes a breadth of new material, including new music from Quantic alongside another of his other aliases Sobredosis.

Having made records together as Transgressors, he hails JJ from The Poets of Rhythm. Similarly, the drummer of London band The Heliocentrics, Malcolm Catto, played in the Quantic Soul Orchestra in the early 2000s, and the band’s fuzzy track features early on in the mix. The ties don’t stop there though. Having mixed his album ‘Bring Backs’, Holland welcomes Mist’s jazz instrumentalism onto his Kicks, followed by a whistling dance contribution from JKriv – ft. Gabriel Oliveira – with whom he spent his early days as bassist for New York live house ensemble Tortured Soul. Quantic also brings to the mix his Colombian contemporary Frente Cumbiero, with whom he formed tropical supergroup Ondatrópica.

As a selector often booked to play at sunset, Quantic channeled this energy into the mix’s pacing too. “I love when people suddenly realise they are engulfed in the night… and this mix does put you out into some pretty high tempos of bass music, dub and Cumbia.” Beyond raising profiles, the mix encapsulates Quantic’s tempo-changing DJing style which, over the past decade, has built him a strong community of fans. In regard to the compilation’s sonic journey, which likens the voyage to boarding a boat, he says “you’re going down a river and get off in a different place… it’s also a cool way to encapsulate, stylistically, what I’ve been up to as a DJ over the last few decades, while shining a light on people I admire”.

This DJ-Kicks is the latest instalment in Quantic’s ever-evolving artistic trajectory, an accompaniment to those moments when the gloaming disappears into darkness. An homage to an unparalleled artistic path within the dance music cosmos. Will Holland’s longstanding dedication to a full range of melodic and percussive expression alongside continued musical collaboration is what makes his edition of DJ-Kicks such a rare beauty.

Get a copy of Quantic's DJ Kicks 2LP directly from !K7 Records right here. Check the track listing below followed by a couple of tracks and a clip from an all-vinyl Quantic set at System in London last year.  

Quantic DJ Kicks

A1 JJ Whitefield feat. bonnie behave - The Mind Is A Palace

A2 The Heliocentrics - Minimal Engagement

A3 Quantic - Dialect

A4 Alfa Mist - In My Defence

B1 JKriv feat. Gabriel Oliveira - Pifeiro Malandro

B2 Quantic & Sly5thAve - Twang

B3 Frente Cumbiero - Michilero

B4 Quantic - Theme From Selva (Remix)

C1 Quantic - Eko Eko

C2 Quantic - Motivic Retrograde (Live Version)

C3 Eblis Alvarez, Meridian Brothers - Un Grande Nubarrón Se Alza En El Cielo

C4 The Maghreban - Covent Garden

D1 Anna Morgan - Throw Dat Azz

D2 Ehua - Scintille

D3 Turbo Sonidero - Kumbia ESSJ

D4 Sobredosis - No Llores Por Mí

Expanded 2LP version of Eli "Paperboy" Reed's debut album due June 6

The 20th Anniversary deluxe edition of  Eli "Paperboy" Reed's "Sings Walkin' and Talkin' and Other Smash Hits!" from 2004 boasts 14 unissued tracks! 

Here's the scoop...

Eli "Paperboy" Reed is celebrating 20 years of making soulful music with the re-release of his very first album, Sings Walkin' And Talkin' And Other Smash Hits! The set was originally recorded in a basement studio in Allston, Massachusetts, all live to analog tape in mono and pressed as a limited run of 300 CDs in 2005. This self-released CD was mostly sold while Reed busked on the streets of Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass in his early 20s. 

This deluxe edition includes all 12 tracks from Eli's debut album and 14 never before released tracks! The first disc of the newly remastered double LP reissue contains the original album, plus four additional tracks recorded the same December day in 2004. The second disc contains 11 tracks from a session recorded for WHRB radio at Harvard University in 2005. The single CD version of the reissue will contain all of the songs featured on the deluxe LP. 

Eli "Paperboy" Reed Sings Walkin' and Talkin' and Other Smash Hits reveals Eli's humble beginnings in Boston by way of Mississippi and Chicago, playing his own rough and ready interpretations of down-home blues, R&B and gospel. With this 20th anniversary release and the celebration of two decades of legendary live performances, Reed cements himself as an elder statesman of the genre.

Get a copy of the deluxe reissue via Bandcamp or directly from Yep Roc Records right here. Check the track listing below followed by an interview with Paul Cashmere for Noise11.com and a couple of songs from the album. 

Eli "Paperboy" Reed – Sings Walkin' and Talkin' and Other Smash Hits!

1. I Just Got to Know

2. Walkin' and Talkin' (For My Baby)

3. The Tips of My Fingers

4. Woman Woman Blues

5. Something You Got

6. The Poor Side of Town

7. I'm Tired of Wandering

8. Fat Mama Rumble

9. You're Gonna Make Me Cry

10. Cool Drink of Water Blues

11. Don't Let Me Down

12. A Dying Veteran's Plea

13. Lone Town Blues (Bonus Track)

14. A Woman, A Lover, A Friend (Bonus Track)

15. Roamin' And Ramblin' Blues (Bonus Track)

16. Right Around The Corner (Bonus Track)

17. She May Be Yours (Radio Session)

18. Brought Life Back to the Dead (Radio Session)

19. West Helena Blues (Radio Session)

20. Thirty Two Twenty Blues (Radio Session)

21. I'm Leaving You (Radio Session)

22. Big Fat Mama Blues (Radio Session)

23. I'm a King Bee (Radio Session)

24. Rollin' And Tumblin' (Radio Session)

25. Stop Talking In Your Sleep (Radio Session) 

26. I Can't Quit You Baby (Radio Session)

27. The Last Mile Of The Way (Radio Session)

Also, you may wanna grab a copy of Eli's 2023 singles set Hits and Misses on Yep Roc while's it's still available. 

Happy Birthday Arto Lindsay!

Celebrating the birthday of guitarist/composer/producer Arto Lindsay with a few performances and interviews worth checking. 

Midweek Mixdown: Thai Roots presents "Thai? Groove!" Luk Thung 1970-79

The Thai? Groove! mix includes the overlooked Rome Srithammarat gem "Tan Yong Suay" as a closer! 

Thai? Groove! Luk Thung Music Of Thailand, 1970-1979

1.Kha Kor Tai Mai Kha Kor Tai - Plearn Promdaen (ฆ่าก็ตายไม่ฆ่าก็ตาย - เพลิน พรหมแดน)

2.Ku Lu Nang Oua - Waipod Phetsuphan (คูลูนางอั้ว - ไวพจน์ เพชรสุพรรณ)

3.Tee Hua Jai - Monrak Kwanpohthai (ตีหัวใจ - มนตร์รัก ขวัญโพธิ์ไทย)

4.Klua Tam Mai Jon - Buppah Saichon (กลัวทำไมจน - บุปผา สายชล)

5.Fon Tok Og Cham - Pai Chompu (ฝนตกอกช้ำ - ไพร ชมภู)

6.Chan Mai Ngo Dok Ther - Rungpetch Laemsing (ฉันไม่โง่ดอกเธอ - รุ่งเพชร แหลมสิงห์)

7.Pin Caen Fak Sao - Sorapetch Pinyo (พิณแคนฝากสาว - สรเพชร ภิญโย)

8.Tan Yong Suay - Rome Srithammarat (ตันหยงสวย - โรม ศรีธรรมราช)

Happy Birthday Dee Dee Bridgewater!

Cheers to jazz singer extraordinaire Dee Dee Bridgewater on her 75th birthday! Here's a Birdland show and Tiny Desk Concert. 

Catl embarks on blues rockin' European takeover this June!

Look out Germany and Belgium, Toronto juke joint blues duo deluxe Catl are coming to tear shit up near you! 

** CATL'S EUROPEAN TOUR 2025 **

6.5 - FRANKFURT, DE - Dreikönigskeller FFM

6.6 - MONCHENGLADBACH, DE - *private party*

6.7 - KNESSELARE, BE - ROOTS IN THE JAR FARM FEST

6.12 - KUSEL, DE - Kulturzentrum Kinett

6.14 - BERLIN, DE - BERLIN STRING BASH

Painting attributed to Erick Lee Purkhiser aka Lux Interior up for eBay auction

From the signature, the painting appears to date from 1970, prior to Lux Interior meeting Poison Ivy and forming The Cramps.

 

According to the eBay seller...

This is an auction for a

RARE ONE OF A KIND PIECE OF ARTWORK PAINTED BY "LUX INTERIOR" OF THE Band The CRAMPS, OR AS HE WAS KNOW AT THE TIME,  ERICK LEE PURKHISER

Size 37 x 29 Inches

Erick Lee Purkhiser (October 21, 1946 – February 4, 2009), better known by the stage name Lux Interior, was an American singer and a founding member of the American rock band the Cramps from 1976 until his death in 2009 at age 62

He met his wife Kristy Wallace, better known as Poison Ivy, a.k.a. Ivy Rorschach, in Sacramento in 1972, when he and a friend picked her up when she was hitchhiking. The couple founded the band after they moved from California to Ohio in 1973, and then to New York in 1975, where they soon became part of the flourishing punk scene.

The painting is a fascinating mix of eroticism and nightmare, surreal and vivid in style. It is not especially Cramps typical look– but then again, it is, if that makes sense. You might not immediately see it as the obvious work of Lux Interior, but when you know that it is , it doesn’t seem all that surprising. Lux always gravitated towards women who would bring out his inner creativity – with Ivy, of course, he found a soul mate who was as creative as he was and the pair of them built an insular, unique artistic universe together until his death in 2009.

Painting was done in 1970 (see signature detail at right), before Lux met Posion Ivy during art classes at California State University, Sacramento where the text book I believe was the infamous book "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross"  by John M. Allegro. 

When someone has such a defined and iconic public persona as the late, great Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, it’s hard to remember that he didn’t come out of the womb already attached at the hip to Cramps cohort and life partner, Poison Ivy Rorschach. But Lux did indeed have a life before he became Lux – he was 30 when the band formed and although it has been barely mentioned in any Cramps biographies or his Wikipedia page, he had a previous marriage and a son, both of which were so effectively wiped out of history. This painting would have been done during that time I believe. 

Clean pre-owned condition. Signature on top of ERICK in lower right corner is the previous owners, he was a young man in his 20s when he purchased it in HOUSTON TX in the 80s. He believed he would never get rid of it, that is why he put his name on it . Times and priorities for the previous owner changed and he decided to sell the painting to me a few years ago, Ive had it ever since.

Looking for a new good home for the is one of a kind painting.

Could Be The Crown Jewel of someones CRAMPS collection

Any questions, please email before bidding.

selling as is!

"Buy It Now" price: $14,000 US or best offer. Check it out right here. 

Happy Birthday Gerry Roslie of The Sonics!

Celebrating the 81st birthday of Sonics keyman Gerry Roslie – who wrote "The Witch" – with some performances & interviews. 

LINKS 

The Skinny The Sonics' Gerry Roslie interview 

Riff Magazine Reigniting The Sonics

Ace Records The Sonics' High Time 7x7-inch box out June 27

She Said Boom: The Story of Fifth Column screens at Hot Docs Cinema on June 14

Kevin Hegge's "She Said Boom" documentary about Toronto trailblazers Fifth Column gets a rare local screening at Bloor Hot Docs Cinema on June 14.

She Said Boom: The Story of Fifth Column 

Bloor Hot Docs Cinema

Saturday, June 14 at 1 pm

Tickets: $15 (members $10) available here. 

"She Said Boom: The Story of Fifth Column is the story of a group of young female artists from Toronto in the early 1980s. They united to use music, film and self-publication to defy conventions of art practice and gender ideas, and to challenge homophobia. These endeavours snowballed into global art and political movements. This film looks at their work and explores why you may not have heard of them, despite their impact." – Kevin Hegge

Becoming Led Zeppelin doc screens @ Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, Sunday

The pairing of rare live footage with exceptional audio fidelity makes Bernard MacMahon's Becoming Led Zeppelin a must-see. 

Here's the scoop...

An exploration of the origins of the iconic rock band and its meteoric rise—in just one year and against all odds. Powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music, Bernard MacMahon’s cinematic odyssey examines Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical and personnel origin story. The film is told in the band’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film about the group. Could a music documentary sound any better? Probably not. 

Becoming Led Zeppelin screens at Bloor Hot Docs Cinema on Sunday (May 25) at 4 pm. Get tickets here. Check out the trailer below. 

Watch the documentary Turn Blue: The Short Life Of Ghoulardi

Phil Hoffman's Turn Blue doc tells the story of influential Cleveland TV personality Ghoulardi aka Ernie Anderson. 

Here's the scoop...

For northeast Ohioans who grew up in this area in the 1960s, the new TV production Turn Blue: The Short Life of Ghoulardi is an entertaining blast from the past. Ernie Anderson, who played Cleveland's counter-culture media celebrity Ghoulardi, hosted WJW-TV's late-night horror movies from 1963 to 1966 and was an incredible influence locally.

Turn Blue is the work of award-winning producer/director Phil Hoffman, Ed.D., who also teaches radio and television courses at The University of Akron. It is the latest in a series of local history productions that Hoffman has created in cooperation with Western Reserve Public Media.  The program has also aired on WGTE Public Media in Northeast Ohio.

"The process of creating this film began with my discovery of a book 'Ghoulardi: Inside Cleveland TV's Wildest Ride,'" Hoffman said. "Authors Rich Heldenfels and Tom Feran do an excellent job of making the case for Ghoulardi's place in the pantheon of local TV hosts who had an impact on a generation of young minds weaned on TV during the 1960s." 

At WJW-TV 8, Ernie Anderson was working as an announcer when the station asked him to don a fright wig and serve as the host of a late-night horror movie series. Ghoulardi was born. Within just a few short weeks, Clevelanders were shouting phrases including "knif," "Oxnard" and " blue." Anderson's Ghoulardi would begin a local TV tradition that would continue with Hoolihan and Big Chuck and Little John Rinaldi well into the first decade of the new millennium.  

Turn Blue chronicles Anderson's wild ride on Cleveland TV and includes interviews with Heldenfels, Feran, "Big Chuck" Schodowski, Dick Goddard, Mark Dawidziak and many other colleagues and witnesses to the Ghoulardi phenomenon. 

The world premiere of the production was held in 2009 at the annual Ghoulardifest, and the one-hour production was first broadcast on Western Reserve PBS that same year. It earned two Emmy Awards, for directing and editing for producer Phil Hoffman. Check it out below. 

Catweazle Club presents Jennifer Foster @ The Real Estate Shop, Sunday

Singer/songwriter Jennifer Foster (Jazzagal #3 on Schitt's Creek) plays songs from her fourth album Powerline and more on Sunday evening at 7 pm.  

Here's the scoop...

Based on the original Catweazle Club in Oxford, England, our gathering is all about intimate engagement. It’s a completely unplugged evening, and everyone piles together at the front on pillows, rugs, and couches for an up-close, participatory experience of artistic sharing and warm-fuzzy community! Seasoned international talent and first-time local performers all have their moment in a supportive, interactive environment, culminating in a set by a featured act, and there's always time to mingle and meet new people.

On Sunday (May 25), the Catweazle Club will feature a performance by Jennifer Foster. Jennifer is a songwriter known for her distinctive sense of melody and emotionally honest storytelling. Her upcoming album, Powerline, promises a fresh collection of acoustic-driven folk-pop songs and is set for release later this year. Canadian music icon Ron Sexsmith has already praised it as “wonderful.”

Powerline is Jennifer’s fourth studio album. Her last release earned a JUNO nomination for producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda. Jennifer started out with The Pursuit of Happiness and has since worked with a variety of Canadian artists, including Lori Cullen, Carole Pope, Kevin Hearn, and the Rheostatics. You might also recognize her from her five-season run as a "Jazzagal" on the Emmy-winning series Schitt’s Creek.

The Catweazle Club takes place on Sunday (May 25th) at The Real Estate Shop (1033 College St). It's at the corner of College St. and Rusholme Park Crescent. Doors open at 7pm and the open stage will begin at 7.30 so sign up to perform before then. Jennifer will play at around 9pm.

Please bring a cash donation of $15 to help cover the rent on the space and Jennifer's honorarium.

For further information, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/catweazletoronto

Whaddya mean you don't know Rome Srithammarat (โรม ศรีธรรมราช)

Check out a few luk thung swingers from popular Thai singer Rome Srithammarat

One For The Weekend: The Budos Band

Check out "Overlander" off the new Budos Band album "VII" due May 30. They rock the Danforth Music Hall on June 27th.

B-Side Wins Again: Chuck Berry

Back in 1956, Chuck Berry's "The Downbound Train" appeared on the flip of "No Money Down." Check it out.  

Watch The Sadies with Dallas Good play Massey Hall in 2021

Remembering singer/songwriter and guitarist Dallas Good on his birthday with a Sadies set at Massey Hall on Nov 30, 2021. 

Remembering Sun Ra on the anniversary of his earthly arrival

Celebrating the life and music of forward looking artist Sun Ra with a 1988 performance and a few documentaries worth checking. 

LINKS

WKCR-FM Sun Ra Arrival Day 24hr Broadcast

Steven Krakow launches new Plastic Crimewave Syndicate album and cassette!

Plastic Crimewave Syndicate will be performing songs from their new recording at Not Not's Sike Fest in Chicago on Saturday.

Here's the scoop from Steven Krakow...

This Saturday, not only will Plastic Crimewave Syndicate (with Mac Blackout) play a release show for our new split 12” on Cardinal Fuzz / Echodelick Records with Blue Fantasy, we will also debut A NEW LIMITED CASSETTE called “Out Demons Shout!” PCWS’s UK Free Fest covers set (and choice practices) from Million Tongues 20th anniversary hoo hah 8/24 at The Empty Bottle! This Ladbroke Grove-oriented incarnation also features ex-Ministry/Revolting Cocks man Chris Connelly on vocals, Yakuza’s Bruce Lamont on sax, and Satin Banshee‘s Jordan Marks shredding on our versions of Hawkwind, Pink Fairies, and Deviants underground bangers, like we did way back at M.Tongues in 2004! I CAN mail order a few these tapes for those who can’t make it to Saturday’s Siked happening at Not Not with Bobby Conn, Taralie Peterson, Desert Liminal, William Vermette, Kendraplex Kendraplex and many more! See ya there! 

Plastic Crimewave Syndicate + Mac Blackout / Blue Fantasy split LP

Cardinal Fuzz and Echodelick Records are blessed to bring forth this slab of wax featuring on one side - Plastic Crimewave Syndicate + Mac Blackout and on the other side - Blue Fantasy.

For years, these Chicago scuzz-punk psychedelic have long been turning turned on heads as the USA’s answer to Hawkwind, CAN, AMT and a whole slew of the most cosmic of mind-expanding brain-fryers out there. Here you are blessed with 2 tracks of comic devotion - a nuclear blast of motor city acid-punk, Japanese-style skree and throb, synth punk, no-prog, and freak funk displaying all the gnarly heaviness that PCS have long made all their own. Hereby joined by American visual artist and musician Mac Blackout blowing on the Saxophone to add to the cacophony/symphony of sound ala Monoshock-meets-Comets post-Stoogedom spaced ritual-rock opus.

Flip over for Blue Fantasy - Hailing from Saskatoon and Regina and featuring local legends of the scene - Shelby Gaudet (Radiation Flowers), Chris Laramee (Shooting Guns / Radiation Flowers / Wasted Cathedral) and Christopher Sleightholm (Snake River / The Sunshiny Daze). The Blue Fantasy side navigates the sonic playground of Spacemen 3, Galaxie 500 and BJM (think Satanic Majesties), as it emits a wondrously narcotic northern lights psychedelic glow. Through tales of love and loss, Blue Fantasy’s grooves stretch out and drape you in heavenly vibrations with a hypnotic cocktail of feedback, fuzz, jangling guitars, eerie organs and reverb-soaked vocals that creates a sci-fi-hurricane kinda groove.  Get a copy via Bandcamp right here.  Watch Plastic Crimewave Syndicate in action below. 

Pavement movie "Pavements" screens at Fox Theatre, Thursday

Pavements, Alex Ross Perry's epic meta-rockumentary about alt-rock stars Pavement screens at the Fox on Thursday at 6:30 pm. 

"Pavements" is a slightly bent rockumentary about the 90s alt-rock band Pavement from beautiful suburban Stockton, CA which combines documentary footage of the band shot over their career with fictionalized preparations for a biopic and also an off-Broadway musical based on songs from their back catalogue.

From quirky filmmaker/video director Alex Ross Perry – behind the movies you probably haven't seen “Listen Up Philip,” “Queen Of Earth,” “Golden Exits,” “Her Smell” – comes the epic meta-rockumentary "Pavements" that intercuts talking head commentary (from Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, Matador Records honcho Gerard Cosloy, etc) with rehearsal room clips of the real Stephen Malkmus, Spiral Stairs, Bob Nastanovich, Mark Ibold and Steve West trying to relearn their own songs for a Pavement reunion tour in 2022 with footage tracking a fictional off-Broadway musical inspired by the band's tunes called "Slanted! Enchanted!" simultaneously with a Hollywood-style biopic (starring Jason Schwartzman as Matador founder Chris Lombardi) along with the creation of a pop-up museum filled with Pavement's gig posters, print ads, song lyrics and merch. Stranger Things' Joe Keery (Steve Harrington) does a brilliant job in the role of an up-and-coming young method actor trying desperately to become S.M., affecting his look, clothes, mannerisms and speech patterns with entertaining results. It might sound like a confused two-hour mess but Perry actually pulls off the musical & biopic within a documentary concept with Fassbinder-esque apblomb – how's that for a poster-ready pull quote?  

 Screens at the Fox Theatre (2236 Queen St. East) on Thursday (May 22) at 6:30 pm. Get tickets right here. Watch the trailer below along with some videos, interviews and performance footage. Those interested can get a digital version of the 41-song Pavements film soundtrack  being released by Matador Records on May 30th right here.

Midweek Mixdown: Kogar's Jungle Juice Show #106

Fans of raucous rockabilly, rockin' instros, sloppy R&B and sundry sonic savagery should dig program 106 of Kogar's Jungle Juice. 

Here's the scoop from Kogar the Swinging Ape...

Episode #106 of Kogar’s Jungle Juice Hot Rods your way! Over two hours of jam packed hi octane fueled fun for all you Kats n’ Kittens! This show features artists like; The Men of Chantz, Chaino, Wes Dakus, The Danderliers, Donald Woods, Vernon Green, Baby Huey, Jimmy Lloyd, Dall Raney, Slim Harpo, The Trashmen and Jim Dickinson! Have a listen to the 2 hour show via Mixcloud right here.  Full set list at the Boss Radio 66 Blogspot over there. 

Happy Birthday Susan Cowsill

Cheers to Susan Cowsill on her birthday! Here's a couple of Continental Drifters clips and more. 

Doug Paisley shares first take acoustic set of new songs "Rough Master"

Although Doug Paisley just released a set of new tunes, he'll focus on his "Sad Old World" album at the Monarch on Thursday. 

Here's the scoop from Doug...

"These are songs that don't let me go, recorded right when I was writing them, very bare-bones and rough and a lot of them will always be that way and that's how I love them. Thank you for listening and for your support. Lots of love." 

Listen to Doug Paisley's "Rough Master" album and get a digital copy via Bandcamp right here. Check the tracklisting below. Doug plays songs from his excellent 2024 covers album Sad Old World and more at Toronto's legendary Monarch Tavern (12 Clinton) on Thursday (May 22). Tickets are $34.37 and available via Dice right here. Watch a few performance clips and hear an interview with Doug below. 

Doug Paisley – Rough Master

1. Nothing Is Wrong 3:57

2. Cautionary Tale 3:44

3. Gin, Gin 3:13

4. Tragic Song, Simple Life 2:56

5. Parts I Play 2:29

6. Look Through Your Eyes 2:23

7. She Needs Me 1:57

8. One Unlike Me 3:35

9. It Takes A Lifetime To Be True 2:07

10. Stranger's Just A Friend You've Forgotten 4:17

Remembering visionary gramophone inventor Emile Berliner on his birthday

Cheers to Emile Berliner who saw the practical home entertainment application of his gramophone and grooved flat recording disc. 

Chicago celebrates saxophonist Mars Williams, May 24 & 25

Ken Vandermark and fellow collaborators salute the music of Mars Williams on what would've been his 70th birthday. 

Writes saxophonist Ken Vandermark...

Very much looking forward to the Music From Mars events being held next weekend in Chicago to celebrate Mars Williams on what would have been his 70th birthday:

-Saturday, May 24, 8:30pm: The Devil’s Whistle, Constellation 8:30pm. Watch the livestream below. 

-Sunday, May 25

+2pm: Mars Williams’ Toy Story, a new piece composed and performed by Lia Kohl, with Katinka Kleijn and Macie Stewart, Rosehill Cemetery/May Chapel

+3-5pm: Opening reception for the Mars Williams archive, Experimental Sound Studio

+9pm: The NRG Ensemble plays the music of Mars Williams, Hungry Brain

It’s an honor to have been asked to be a part of The Devil’s Whistle and NRG Ensemble concerts. Dave Rempis and I got together Friday afternoon to run NRG material that Mars had composed for the group, most of which I performed and recorded with the band during the 1990’s (Corbett vs. Dempsey released a blistering live album, “Hold That Thought”, last March which captures NRG in concert in Holland during a 1996 European tour: https://corbettvsdempsey.com/records/hold-that-thought/).

Reviewing and playing the music with Dave brought back a lot of memories. It was an important time for Chicago music and Mars Williams was at its forefront.

Thanks to Dave Rempis and Steve Marquette for all their work in organizing these performances and their assistance in assembling the Mars Williams archive with ESS.

Link to Reader article by Bill Meyer with full coverage of the Music From Mars events: https://chicagoreader.com/music/concert-preview/music-from-mars-constellation/

Celebrating Cecil McBee's 90th Birthday with Milt Ward & Carlos Garnett

Check out three stellar tracks from jazz bassist extraordinaire Cecil McBee's 1977 session with Milt Ward and Carlos Garnett. 

Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum

It seemed trumpeter/composer Milton Ward had all he needed for a breakthrough in the world of contemporary jazz in the late 1970s. Blessed with a beautiful trumpet tone and an impressive work ethic, Ward found a home in Boston’s exploding soul and jazz scenes of the early 1970s. His star never joined the constellation of jazz luminaries, but Ward did leave one fantastic album of spiritual jazz that has become a collectors’ favorite: Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum. 

Frederiksberg Records is proud to present the first and only authorized reissue of this funky jazz classic. The release includes remastered tracks from the original LP along with in-depth liner notes that provide a detailed account of Ward’s journey from his early years discovering music in the South to his toils finding a hold in the music business in Boston and New York City. 

Born in Michigan but raised in New Orleans, Ward came up through the Crescent City’s legendary musical education system. After a stint in the Air Force, Ward and his friend Stanton Davis (of Ghetto/Mysticism fame) looked to the Berklee College of Music in Boston for the next step in their development. Immediately, the two were immersed in Boston’s busy music scene, finding trumpet chairs in Herschel Dwellingham’s Orchestra at the Sugar Shack, where they backed up many of the day’s soul greats. 

Ward worked with many up-and-coming musicians emerging from Berklee’s nurturing arms. He recruited many to his projects, including his Ultra Modern Quintet Plus Two, which played regularly around Boston in the early 1970s. It was in the mid-1970s that Ward took it upon himself and his entrepreneurial spirit to start his own record label, Twin Quest, and record his stand-alone release. 

Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum brought together great young musicians who would quickly make names for themselves within the jazz world, including keyboard wizard Delmar Brown and future Jazz Messenger saxophonist Billy Pierce. Saxophonist/flutist Eddie Alex is a standout, as is baritone saxophonist Glenn Barbour, who soon would head to Atlanta to join The Whole Darn Family. Percussionist Ignacio Mena, bassist Cucho Martinez, and drummer Hugh Petersen all hailed from farther south: Chile, Venezuela, and St. Croix, respectively. The recording also incorporated two bona fide New York jazz masters and veterans of the spiritual jazz movement, bassist Cecil McBee and saxophonist Carlos Garnett. 

The recording still stands as a hallmark to the creative music scene of Boston and New York City when soul and funk began to emmesh themselves in jazz. Milton Ward’s Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum remains a youthfully vibrant recording that is ripe for rediscovery by a new generation of explorative listeners. Get a copy via Bandcamp right here It seemed trumpeter/composer Milton Ward had all he needed for a breakthrough in the world of contemporary jazz in the late 1970s. Blessed with a beautiful trumpet tone and an impressive work ethic, Ward found a home in Boston’s exploding soul and jazz scenes of the early 1970s. His star never joined the constellation of jazz luminaries, but Ward did leave one fantastic album of spiritual jazz that has become a collectors’ favorite: Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum. 

Frederiksberg Records is proud to present the first and only authorized reissue of this funky jazz classic. The release includes remastered tracks from the original LP along with in-depth liner notes that provide a detailed account of Ward’s journey from his early years discovering music in the South to his toils finding a hold in the music business in Boston and New York City. 

Born in Michigan but raised in New Orleans, Ward came up through the Crescent City’s legendary musical education system. After a stint in the Air Force, Ward and his friend Stanton Davis (of Ghetto/Mysticism fame) looked to the Berklee College of Music in Boston for the next step in their development. Immediately, the two were immersed in Boston’s busy music scene, finding trumpet chairs in Herschel Dwellingham’s Orchestra at the Sugar Shack, where they backed up many of the day’s soul greats. 

Ward worked with many up-and-coming musicians emerging from Berklee’s nurturing arms. He recruited many to his projects, including his Ultra Modern Quintet Plus Two, which played regularly around Boston in the early 1970s. It was in the mid-1970s that Ward took it upon himself and his entrepreneurial spirit to start his own record label, Twin Quest, and record his stand-alone release. 

Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum brought together great young musicians who would quickly make names for themselves within the jazz world, including keyboard wizard Delmar Brown and future Jazz Messenger saxophonist Billy Pierce. Saxophonist/flutist Eddie Alex is a standout, as is baritone saxophonist Glenn Barbour, who soon would head to Atlanta to join The Whole Darn Family. Percussionist Ignacio Mena, bassist Cucho Martinez, and drummer Hugh Petersen all hailed from farther south: Chile, Venezuela, and St. Croix, respectively. The recording also incorporated two bona fide New York jazz masters and veterans of the spiritual jazz movement, bassist Cecil McBee and saxophonist Carlos Garnett. 

The recording still stands as a hallmark to the creative music scene of Boston and New York City when soul and funk began to emmesh themselves in jazz. Milton Ward’s Milt Ward and Virgo Spectrum remains a youthfully vibrant recording that is ripe for rediscovery by a new generation of explorative listeners. 

Get a digital version of Fredriksberg Records' reissue of the album via Bandcamp right here. 

Credits

Trumpet, Flugelhorn, liner notes – Milt Ward

Bass – Cecil McBee 

Tenor Saxophone – Carlos Garnett 

Alto Saxophone, flute – Eddie Alex 

Baritone Saxophone – Glenn Barbour 

Soprano Saxophone, tenor saxophone,  – Bill Pierce 

Drums – Hugh Peterson 

Electric Bass [Fender] – Coucho Martinez 

Electric Piano, Piano, Synthesizer – Delmar Brown 

Percussion – Ignacio Mena 

Photography – Harold Emerson

Illustration, Art Direction – J.M. Wilson  

Liner note essay: Bret Sjerven