tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30467162928642098312024-03-13T13:14:59.917-07:00Tomes of The Warriors of SalemMusical Artifacts for the Discerning ListenerThe Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-74975396203327699922018-09-30T22:25:00.002-07:002018-09-30T22:25:42.481-07:00Blog RebirthSo after a few years of not posting for a variety of reasons, I will begin to post new material in the coming weeks and repair broken linksThe Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-52171211361810465302014-01-19T02:10:00.002-08:002014-01-19T02:10:30.469-08:00Tom Jones - Live at Caesar's Palace (1971)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In many ways, <i>Live at Caesar's Palace </i>succeeds where many live albums fail; It is as good as a studio album. Oddly enough, the recording is more like an authorized bootleg than a typical album. That's not to say that the album has bad sound, just that we get to hear the banter of Tom Jones with the rowdy crowd and get a sense of the concert environment. The album opens with an introduction over the loudspeaker with the band playing a segue into "The Dance of Love," an uptempo number that not only showcases Jones but the talents of his band from the driving feeling of the guitar and bass to the impressive low register playing in the trombone section. The next track, "Cabaret," is a good example of how the album covers an eclectic variety of music albeit with Jones's trademark. Jones and his soulful vocals are definitely a focus of the song, but this is one of the stronger arrangements on the album with the horns being featured prominently. Immediately after "Cabaret" ends, we hear Jones giving his introduction mixed in with some playful flirtatiousness. The next track, "Soul Man," has Jones exploring his R&B side. Jones may be a white Welshman, but he definitely has the style down. After this song closes, there is more banter, this time probably slightly racier. However, most of the raciest material was probably edited out of the recording. Keep in mind, this is the concert where women threw their panties and room keys on stage, so the craziest stuff is not present. The next track, "I (Who Have Nothing)," is the first ballad on the album and probably the style that Jones is most associated with along with the uptempo rock numbers like "It's Not Unusual" or "She's a Lady." The end of this track showcases his vocal abilities as he closes the track in a drawn-out operatic manner, much different than the earlier studio version. As this track ends, we hear a heckler shout out "Delilah." Interestingly, this is the next track, but due to the unknowns of editing, maybe the track order was changed around to make this work. Maybe Tom Jones gave into a heckler. There is audience interaction where a woman asks Jones for his tie, and then into the next track "Delilah." This is a personal favorite for a few reasons. The brass sections in this tune are great, the transition from 4/4 to a 3/4 waltz feel during the chorus, and it is amazing that someone got away with writing and recording a song about killing a cheating girlfriend. After the second chorus listen for the trumpet section playing their riff. The first time is like the studio version, but is followed by the lead trumpeter Bobby Shew taking his part up on octave. After the end of "Delilah," there is more more banter, this time slightly awkward as Jones is talking to a young girl about her mother. The following two tracks, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "My Way," are both ballads albeit from different musical traditions. Jones's success on ballads are partly due to his proper vocal technique. He is definitely a baritone, but he uses proper air support to sing into the tenor range and pull off those long held notes. "My Way" is definitely one of the strongest ballads on the album. Make sure you listen to the embellishment at the end of the piece where he goes to a higher note than the original before landing on the end note. The following track "God Bless the Children," is one of the weaker tracks on the album in my opinion. It just seems too stylistically removed from Jones's other material. When the horns play the backgrounds during the choruses (except the first), they sound very reminiscent of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." They aren't rhythmically connected, but the chord voicings are very similar. Following this tune we get introduced to some of the band including lead trumpeter Bobby Shew, drummer Kenny Clare, bassist John Rostill, background vocalists, guitarist Big Jim Sullivan, and conductor/arranger Johnnie Spence, with the instrumentalists taking solos after their introductions. Shew most likely was part of the Caesar's Palace house band with the "rock part" of the band travelling with Jones. House bands at Vegas at the time were some of the best in the country as many musicians tired of the road in big bands would leave a band in Vegas and settle down as Vegas had the best wages for a musician. Kenny Clare is notable for his solo, as well generally unknown, he has quite a history with a number of jazz musicians. In my opinion, his playing is kind of reminiscent of Buddy Rich. The following two tracks, "Resurrection Shuffle" and "She's a Lady," are both great uptempo numbers leading up to the three tracks that make up a sort of climax of the album. The three next tracks, "Till," "Hit Medley," and Hi Heel Sneakers are a climax of the album in that they seem to get an amazing positive reaction from the audience. The first, "Till," is a soulful ballad ending on an impressive held note that lasts for around twelve seconds. "Hit Medley" is just a short compendium of Jones popular songs of the time, but is worth a listen to hear the variations from the original studio versions. "Hi Heel Sneakers" begins with the crowd going wild and really adding a lot of energy to an already energetic track. The album closes with "Rock n' Roll Medley," a group of songs from the 1950s that Jones opens with "Well, when I was just a little boy/ My one and only joy/ Was listening to that good old rock n' roll' But, now that I'm a man/ I still get all the kicks I can/ Listening to that good old rock n' roll." I'm curious if Jones wrote this short introduction given his personal history of contracting tuberculosis as a child. It was during this two year isolation that he would sign along with records, and consequently began him on his career as a singer. I typically don't listen to a lot of vocalist-centered albums, but I think Jones has a great sense of style and his albums typically have an eclecticism that lend to interesting listening.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-65649440002421683692013-07-11T14:50:00.003-07:002013-07-11T14:52:15.167-07:00Baby Huey and the Babysitters - The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend (1971)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the relatively unknown acts from the late 1960s blues-rock scene in Chicago, Baby Huey and the Babysitters shares some musical similarities with groups/individuals like the Electric Flag and Curtis Mayfield (not surprising as this album was recorded for his Curtom label), and albums like <i>Super Session.</i> It has the driving guitar/bass/organ combination that is characteristic of these blues-rock/psychedelic groups, yet has the horns on an equal level as the rest of the band like Curtis Mayfield and similar soul acts of the day would have done. The album opens with "Listen to Me,"a track that is all organized around the original bass line that sets the foundation for the song. The psychedelic influence seems to show in this tune, as during the verses Baby Huey sings in unison with a distorted guitar. This track also shows influence of horn rock bands of the Chicago area, such as the Ides of March, with the very accented, strong horn sections. This is probably the strongest track of the album, not only for its delivery, but also for its exploration of various styles. "Mama Get Yourself Together," sounds like it would accompany a fast-paced montage in a blaxploitation film and has a lot of similarities to Mayfield's film score <i>Superfly </i>in my opinion, with the prominence of the guitar and horns. To some degree, it is also a bit unusual that an album featuring a singer would have instrumentals, almost suggesting that the instrumentalists are very much like a segue scene in a movie, instead transitioning from one vocal track to another. The next track is a cover of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Going to Come." It is a decent rendition with the main differences from the original being the prominence of the guitar and organ in the mix during the verses and the high energy of the bridges. This track also further demonstrates the eclectic influences of the band with the addition of a gospel cover. "Mighty, Mighty," a Curtis Mayfield tune, is one of the stronger tracks on the album and also gives an example of a recording of the band in a live setting. "Hard Times," is one of the weaker songs in my opinion, mainly because the accompaniment of the song seems to differ stylistically from the vocals. "California Dreamin'" is probably the strongest cover on the album in my opinion, as the melody being carried on the flute with Hammond organ creates a nice texture to evoke a "dream-like" mood. The statement of the chorus with its very warm, high energy brass lines contrasts well with the cool, dreamy flute lines to present a nice arrangement of the tune. The following track, "Running," relies heavily on studio techniques to open the track. While the track is not the strongest vocal on the album by far, it is interesting to hear how the studio techniques are used to create a layered track with some interesting timbres created through distortion. The album closes with another instrumental, "One Dragon Two Dragon," that features flute. The track has an almost bossa-nova feel due to the chromatic nature of the tune, albeit with notable differences in the instrumentation. This is an album that is very hard to classify into any one genre, as placing it into the blues-rock, psychedelic, or soul categories does not necessarily convey the complete style or influence. of the album.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-29917908325782485482013-06-20T13:19:00.000-07:002013-06-20T13:19:14.467-07:00Harry Nilsson - Aerial Ballet (1968)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Aerial Ballet </i>gets its title from Nilsson's Swedish grandparents who were trapeze artists, so while the album cover suggests something a little different, the truth is in the name. This album was quite influential in its day, having been a favorite of the Beatles to the point that they requested copies of the album to give away. <i>Aerial Ballet </i>opens with "Daddy's Song," a personal song about Nilsson's own father, who left he and his mother at a very young age. The track starts with a very positive view of the early events of his life, but quickly turns negative despite keeping a very uptempo, energetic mood. "Good Old Desk" is a track that might be best described as a "poetic still life" of a tune. While the tune is about a desk, it is described in very poetic terms with Nilsson often resorting to personification. "Don't Leave Me" is one of my favorites from the album and probably one of the strongest tracks on the album. The gradual layering that builds to the chorus really gives the track a nice progression. The tune is written in a sort of bossa nova style, with the original statement of melody by Nilsson and guitar is later augmented by strings and brass. "Mr. Richland's Favorite Song" is the story of musician who gradually fades out of the spotlight until the musician knows "all of his fans by name." It's tracks like this that showcase Nilsson's real strength as a lyricist. "Little Cowboy" is actually a bedtime song that Nilsson's mother sang for him as a child. I'm unsure if the verse and the harmony was actually realized before Nilsson recorded the song, but I doubt that it did. The next track is "Together" which has some nice building moments queued by the strings, and is nicely arranged albeit simple. "Everybody's Talkin'" is probably the most well-known track of this album having been used in the music for <i>Urban Cowboy. </i>Written by singer-songwriter Fred Neil, the tune has a folk quality despite the string accompaniment. "I Said Goodbye to Me" is most interesting for its rhythms. The song is primarily in 3/4, but sneaks in a bar of 2/4 at the end of the 8 bar phrase. The song is also unique for incorporating spoken word as the song progresses. "Little Cowboy (Reprise)" seems to be a homage to old Western films with the melody being whistled, with Nilsson only coming with vocals at the very end of the track. "Mr. Tinker" is very similar to "Mr. Richland's Favorite Song" in subject matter as it tells the sad tale of a tailor. "One" will be recognized by most listeners, but listeners are most likely more familiar with the Three Dog Night cover. The original Nilsson version is a bit more mellow, and sad-sounding with the driving organ and melodious flute accompaniment. "The Wailing of the Willow" like "Don't Leave Me" seems to be influenced in some respect by bossa nova. The maracas, background vocals, and the strings seem to be reminiscent of Jobim or Sergio Mendes to some degree. The album closes with "Bath," with to some degree seems to be reminiscent of big band music when the brass plays bluesy "shout choruses." Nilsson's real strength seems to lie in experimentation and a myriad of influences coming together to create a unique singer-songwriter sound, but his tracks aren't always the strongest musically speaking. There are some great tracks on the album, but every track is not consistently great. Still, if you are interested in singer-songwriter music of the late 1960s to early 1970s, you should definitely give this album a listen.<br />
<br />The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-13368803630749798752013-05-05T22:30:00.001-07:002013-05-05T22:30:40.459-07:00Badfinger - Magic Christian Music (1970)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is the first studio release of the band called Badfinger, a name derived from the working title of a Paul McCartney album or a John Lennon tune called "Badfinger Boogie" depending on your source. However, this is the second studio album by the band, as the first released for Apple Records (the label owned by the Beatles) was under the name The Iveys. What is interesting is that a great deal of the material from The Iveys' <i>Maybe Tomorrow </i>is reminiscent of the material on this first release under the Badfinger moniker. The album opens up with "Come and Get It," a tune by Paul McCartney that was written specifically for the group. McCartney even attended the studio date when the band was recording the song. While Badfinger has been compared to the Beatles at times, it's tunes with the direct Beatles connection that may lead to this interpretation. While I won't deny the sonic similarities, I think it's important to meet the band on its own tunes and concentrate on the songwriters in the band like Pete Ham without always looking for the similarities to Beatles material. The following tune is "Crimson Ship," a driving, medium-tempo Pete Ham (rhythm guitar; piano), Tom Evans (bass guitar), Mike Gibbins (drummer) tune, that is notable for the organ during the verses and Joey Molland's solo guitar during the chorus. It is the driving rhythmic element that is one of the main ingredients of the Badfinger sound and "Crimson Ship" is a good example of such a song. "Dear Angie" is a ballad that originally appeared on the earlier Iveys release and is actually penned by a former member of the band, Ron Griffiths. The most memorable parts of the song are during the bridge when the strings become much more intense with periodic solo guitar. While the song stays mostly in minor, it's interesting to note that the tune actually ends on a major chord. "Fisherman" is a sort of musical poem that I believe is supposed to be reminiscent of a sea song and originally appeared on the earlier Iveys release. Written by Tom Evans, it may have been written during his earlier life in Liverpool or when the band was based in Swansea, Wales. Both being coastal towns, the song elements such as the sound clip of the sloshing of boots, the flutes, and the violin seem to suggest a sea song interpretation. While the lyrics are very literal, the invoke a visual scene in which the musical elements add another layer. "Midnight Sun," a Pete Ham, is a very straight-forward call-and-response rock tune. "Beautiful and Blue," first released on The Iveys' <i>Maybe Tomorrow, </i>is in the pop realm of the band opening with solo vocals by Tom Evans accompanied by Molland's guitar that opens to vocal harmony in the bridge. The second verse becomes denser yet as strings enter the mix, and the guitar begins accompanying with motivic material. "Rock of All Ages" is a driving, up-tempo number that shows the band exercising its "harder" side. "Carry on Till Tomorrow" sounds like it from a much earlier time during the verses with only vocals and an almost Alberti bass being played by acoustic guitar. The chorus opens up much more when the drums enter and the guitar begins strumming chords and the vocals utilize a pyramid effect to layer harmony. An Evans, Ham tune, "Carry on Till Tomorrow" shows how vast and wide-ranging the songwriting duo's ideas were. I mean, how often do you hear strings supplying a driving, rhythmic pulse under a guitar solo? "I'm in Love," a Ham tune, is a very light-hearted tune, but it shows how many styles of music Ham was exploring at the time rather than sticking with the ballads and medium-tempo songs that were generating the hits. It also originally appeared on The Ivey's <i>Maybe Tomorrow</i>. "Walk Out in the Rain" is probably my favorite obscure tune on the album. The song is very well crafted with the harmony changing in order to create chromatic movement in the motifs in the vocal part. It's also interesting that the bridge goes to the parallel minor, as well changing styles. Another interesting element is that after each bridge the verse becomes more layered. Originally the vocals are supplied by Pete Ham, then Molland's guitar enters the mix, and finally the whole band enters to supply vocal harmony. "Angelique," a tune originally on <i>Maybe Tomorrow</i>, is a very vocal heavy tune with only lightly-strummed guitar and the occasional musings of electric harpsichord providing a counterpoint line. "Knocking Down Our Home," a Pete Ham tune, is very reminiscent of theatre or even Tin Pan Alley. A verse opens the tune with Ham's voice ending on the minor seven of a dominant chord and then going into a sort of Latin rhythm accompanied by trumpet and saxophones. This track is also one that originally appeared on the earlier Iveys release. "Give It a Try" is a great medium tempo track with all of the Badfinger elements: vocal harmony, driving rhythms, and the solo guitar interjections. "Maybe Tomorrow," the title track of the earlier Iveys release closes the album. This track has songs nice moments, especially when the voices of Ham and Evans are accompanied by the strings. during the chorus. This is the album that essentially marked Badfinger's initial success that would peak with 1971's <i>Straight Up </i>with tunes like "Baby Blue" and "Day After Day."The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-27815828456032966092013-04-01T18:24:00.001-07:002013-04-01T18:24:29.724-07:00Chris Connor & Maynard Ferguson - Double Exposure (1961)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been waiting awhile to share this album due to the tracks I really wanted to explicate. I think that certain albums imply a season whether it be the album title or the tracks within. <i>Double Exposure </i>is one of two albums that vocalist Chris Connor and trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and his orchestra collaborated on in the early 1960s. What is unusual is that Connor was signed to Atlantic at the time, where Maynard was signed to Roulette at the time. In a rare move, the record companies agreed to the collaboration with the stipulation that one record would be released on Atlantic and one on Roulette. <i>Double Exposure </i>is the Atlantic release, where <i>Two's Company </i>is the Roulette release. In retrospect, I think Connor was one of the finest vocalists of her time. She didn't simply sing the song as written; she often takes interpretive and rhythmic liberties that really add a lot to the music. The album begins with the often recorded "Summertime." Even from the first track of the album, the listener can appreciate the aforementioned rhythmic liberties that Connor takes as she sings very lyrically in vast contrast to the punctuated accompaniment of the jazz orchestra. This track also shows how well Maynard can add energy to a piece with his high register trumpet playing. The following track, "I Only Have Eyes for You," is a great example of the quality of arrangers had in his ensemble. The ensemble playing in the space that vocalist Connor leaves is well executed, and the stylistic transitions throughout the track make it a real joy to answer. "It Never Entered My Mind" is a relaxed ballad notable for its atypical instrumentation of having the woodwinds double of flutes and clarinets. This addition combined with the muted trumpets and the closely-voiced trombones create a great texture for the vocalist. The following two tracks are interesting in that both have lyrics penned by poets. "Two Ladies in De Shade of De Banana Tree" has lyrics penned by Truman Capote and is an uptempo number with a lot of energy and more of Maynard strutting his stuff in the upper register joined often by his trumpet section. The rhythmic precision of the band throughout the track is quite remarkable. The next track "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" is the main reason why I waited to share this until April. My favorite track on the album, the lyrics were penned by poet Fran Landesman and the title is actually a "jazz rendition" of T.S. Eliot's "April is the Cruellest Month" from <i>The Wasteland</i>. This track is fantastic for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Connor's interpretation of the rhythms and the inflections in her voice really display a feeling for the lyrics. Secondly, the arranging is phenomenal. The generally unknown Willie Maiden uses clarinets, flutes, and a vibraphone to create a lot of distinct colors and textures that only make a great tune sound ever richer. "The Lonesome Road" is an interesting blues number, with a slow tempo beginning transitioning into the faster section with a prominent baritone sax bass line. My favorite part of this track are the few examples of word painting such as when Maynard delivers a high note foray after the lyric "Before Gabriel blows his horn." The tempo changes in this track are really what makes it great to listen to. The following track, a version of Jerome Kern's "All the Things You Are" is another testament to the arranging genius of Willie Maiden. Maiden manages to quote the Kenton tune "Maynard Ferguson" in the arrangement after the double time section. The melodic precision in the double time section make this track one of the best on the album for showcasing the instrumental talent on the album. The track even ends with Maynard playing the French horn "Black Coffee" is a favorite blues standard of mine, and Connor does a great interpretation of the lyric. The sliding doits and powerful sections in the brass are testament to the other notable arranger in the Ferguson orchestra at the time, Don Sebesky, most known for his later work for CTI. "Happy New Year" is a strange tune that begins with a quote of "Auld Lang Syne," but ends the quote on a minor chord indicating a dualistic tune whose subject addresses sads individuals who are not enjoying the reverie of the New Year celebration. The album closes with "That's How It Went, All Right," which is a great medium tempo closer to an album. The contrast of the bands' punctuated rhythms and Connor's relaxed vocal style, in addition the building sections present a lot of the musical ideas that are present on the rest of album.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-79374939193354702292013-03-04T17:27:00.002-08:002013-03-04T17:27:47.712-08:00Jean-Jacques Perrey - The Amazing New Electronic Pop Sound of Jean Jacques Perrey (1968)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Electronic music in the late 1960s generally seems to fall into two categories: reinterpretation of classical pieces or space-age pop material. The former could be represented by <i>Switched-On Bach (1968), </i>while this album is a great example of the latter. Jean-Jacques Perrey was known mostly for his tenure as a ondioline (an early electronic keyboard instrument capable of vibrato) salesman and his collaborations with Gershon Kingsley (famous for "Popcorn") before the release of his own material in the late 60s. Many may be most familiar with the sound of his music from the Main Street Electric Parade at Walt Disney World, which is actually a cover of he and Gershon Kingsley's tune "Baroque Hoedown. What's amazing is that this album is entirely Perrey's playing with the help of a sound engineer (who I believe added in the drum tracks). Perrey uses the ondioline and the newly-invented Moog synthesizer to create the wide range of colors and textures that make up his electronic music palette. Perrey shows a willingness to absorb a variety of styles from the operatic "Mary France" to the latin sounds of "The Mexican Cactus" and "Brazilian Flower." Despite having no formal training, Perrey's technique is quite impeccable as the fast runs in "Brazilian Flower" or on other tracks would attest too. While I would typically review each track, this is simply an album you have to listen to the whole way through as it's more like a book than separate tracks (an exploration of the capabilities of electronic instruments of the time, if you will). Perrey's music has gained some notoriety in the current world for the tracks on this album being used for original videos on YouTube. The nyan-cat-alternative "Rainbow Bunchie"(4 million views) uses "Brazilian Flower" and its primary theme and the strange "Going to the Store" (12 million views) uses "The Little Ships" as a CGI mannequin flails around for no particular reason. I know this album won't appeal to every listener, but I like that my blog has a variety and doesn't necessarily concentrate on one specific genre. Still, if you enjoy electronic music or are curious of what the possibilities of layered synthesizers and other electronic keyboard instruments may sound like, then it's worth a listen.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-13339360702761235022013-03-04T16:43:00.001-08:002013-05-05T22:32:23.528-07:00Don Ellis - The New Don Ellis Band Goes Underground (1969)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While this album may be one of Don's more commercial efforts, it also shows a willingness to absorb a variety of styles and reinterpret them in the jazz idiom. This album has Ellis covering songs from the counterculture (which some may say Ellis is part of anyhow), the singer-songwriter movement, and R&B, but Ellis also writes his own material in these styles. The album opens with "House in the Country" an Al Kooper (who consequently produced the album) composition from the Blood, Sweat & Tears album <i>Child is Father to the Man (1968), </i>which albeit true to the original has the Ellis eccentricity of using his electronic sounds at the beginning and close of the track and during breaks in the melody. The following track is a cover of Harry Nilsson's "Don't Leave Me" originally on <i>Aerial Ballet (1968). </i>This tune is essentially an expanded transcription of the original with Ellis liberally interpreting the melody and "jazzing" up the rhythmic accompaniment in the ensemble sections. While Ellis does not change much, his solo over the chorus adds a lot to the song and proves that while this may not be "high jazz material," it is worthy of interpretation of a jazz artist. "Higher" is the first of four tracks to feature the vocals of Patti Austin, an addition to the band during this period of Elli's band. This is one of the weaker tracks on the album in my opinion, with Ellis's ring modulator trumpet one of the only notable sections of the track. The following track "Bulgarian Bulge" is based on a transcription of a Bulgarian folk melody (a music known for its odd time signatures) and was recorded later on <i>Tears of Joy. </i>The latter recording is superior to this one in my opinion, due to the fact that the band was probably more familiar with the tune and consequently able to be more rhythmically free in their solos rather than conforming to how the beats were broken up (it's in 33/16 (2+2+2+2+3+2+2; 2+2+2+3+2+3+2+2)). "Eli's Comin'," a Laura Nyro composition, is in the same modus operandi as Nilsson's in that the track is an expanded transcription. This is probably the strongest cover tune, because while it is a transcription Ellis does a lot with the transitions from section to section and explores a variety of rhythmic feels. This tune was in the repertoire of a few bands at the time, with Maynard Ferguson having recorded it on <i>M.F. Horn </i>in 1967. The following track "Acoustical Lass" is one of the more interesting tunes as it seems that Ellis tried to write a pseudo-psychedelic pop tune that featured his trumpet. The tune is very sparse with only the leader on trumpet and electric piano and guitar as accompaniment, which gives the track a spacey, surreal sound. "Goood Feelin'" is Ellis' attempt to write a quasi-R&B tune, which in my opinion succeeds. The ostinato in the low brass sets the foundation in which all the other grooves are layered on top of. There is a sort of baroque pop section after an energetic solo featuring oboes and flutes, which is then developed until it the mood changes to a cheesy 20s "sweet" jazz feel. "Goood Feelin'" is notable if only for the variety of styles Ellis uses and the transitions which don't seem at all unnatural. "Send My Baby Back" is probably the strongest vocal on the album, but it shouldn't be remembered for its lyrics which consist of too many "yeahs" towards the close track. The strength in the song is the contrast in the vocal line for the verse and chorus, as well as the ensemble parts (the trumpet section entrances always give me chills). "Love for Rent," a Fred Selden contribution, is a sort of work-in-progress in my opinion, as the tune is later used as a section to his "Euphoric Acid" track on <i>Tears of Joy</i>. However, the tune has a great section featuring an Ellis solo on trumpet with an echoplex effect. "It's Your Thing" is mostly a straight-ahead cover, however, it's a bit humorous when you listen to the quarter-tones in some of the ensemble backgrounds of the song. "Ferris Wheel" is a great blues solo vehicle for trombonist Glenn Ferris. More than most of Ellis' band, Ferris uses quarter-tones to great effect and the backgrounds incorporate this same tonal effect. This track is also notable for the octavizers used in the sax section that make the section sound an octave lower in addition to the note they are playing. "Black Baby" was a late addition to the album and was an idea of Patti Austin's. While I don't find it one of the more memorable tracks on the album, it is a great track for listening to Ellis' conception of unaccompanied soloing in a blues style (especially the blue notes he hits using his quarter-tonal valve).The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-48746388564644379972013-02-14T02:08:00.001-08:002013-02-14T02:08:16.511-08:00Minoru Muraoka - Bamboo (1970)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Minoru Muraoka's little known 1970 masterpiece <i>Bamboo </i>is primarily searched out due to it's use by DJs (as are the majority of Japanese releases in this vein), but it's really a fascinating album if viewed through a post-colonial lens. Jazz in Japan has had an interesting history and in its early days (and even later) players were typically viewed by the familiarities in their sound such as Nanri Fumio ("Japan's Louis Armstrong). If jazz was brought to Japan by the American "colonizer" even before the post-War Occupation, it was artists like Muraoka who combined it with an indigenous sound. It was jazz artists like Sonny Rollins who suggested that Japanese artists combine jazz with their native music albeit in a way that may have been offensive. <i>Bamboo</i>, however, does just that. What's most interesting is that through the post-colonial lens, Muraoka is not creating an entirely native music, but rather a post-colonial brand of jazz infusing native instrumentations and songs with musical elements of the American colonizer. The album opens with a track that exemplifies this view with a cover of Paul Desmond's "Take Five," only with a slight twist. In lieu of an alto saxophone and a piano, Muraoka plays shakuhachi, a traditional bamboo Japanese flute, with his band members playing the koto (a stringed instrument) and tsu-tsumi (pitched drums). The version is true to the original only with a decidedly different palette of musical colors. The second track "Mogamigawa Funauta" is a traditional song which translates to "The Mogamigawa Boatman," which originates in the Tohoku region in northeast Japan. The song has a very traditional sound, however, the addition of the electric bass adds a definite Western quality to the song, however the sections with only koto and shakuhachi sound like what may have a been a traditional way to perform the song. One of the most fascinating tracks on the entire album is "The Positive and the Negative," which combines so many different stylistic elements that it would be hard to confine it to one genre. The shakuhachi and koto create a texture that sounds much like the latter track and very songlike, yet the bass and drum set create a texture reminiscent of funk. While this form of jazz may be much more "Japanese" than most, it's hard not to notice the effect of American popular music on this album. Even in trying create a decidedly Japanese brand of jazz, there are still elements of the "colonizer" in the music. However, that's not to say I'm trying to lessen the accomplishments of the album's innovativeness in introducing Japanese elements to a style of music that originated in the West. It's the insight that the album gives to the musical cultural exchange and relationship of Japan with the West, that makes the post-colonial lens such a tempting frame of examination to use. The next track is a cover of the Beatles tune "And I Love Her," furthering the connection between Japanese and Western popular music. This tune also introduces another traditional instrument, the biwa (a plucked string instrument, which engages in a sort of call-and-response with Muraoka's shakuhachi. "House of the Rising Sun" begins with an unaccompanied shakuhachi intro that gives way to the organ outlining chords that give way to the tune and the melody in the shakuhachi. While "House of the Rising Sun" is a very old American sun, it's difficult to see the connection The Animals version with the presence of the organ and electric guitar. "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" is also a cover, but a very lighthearted one sounding almost Latin with the rhythmic accompaniment in the bass and snare. The organ in the beginning of "Soul Bamboo" is practically transcribed directly from "Blues, Pt. 2" from the Blood, Sweat & Tears self-titled album released only a year previously. However, once the whole band comes the similarity entirely ends. While remaining in the jazz-rock style so popular during these years, Muraoka creates a great original tune utilizing some of his virtuosic technical skills on the shakuhachi. The following track is "Call Me," a song originally a Petula Clark song, but made famous by Chris Montez. However, while the Montez version is in a pop style, Muraoka's version is in a bossa nova style made obviously by the samba rhythm in the drums and the pronounced articulation in the shakuhachi. "Scarborough Fair" is the final track, and while it isn't one of the stronger tracks it further highlights the album's mixture of East and West. While the music Muraoka is covering may not be entirely American, it's probably not wrong to assume that his original exposure to this music came from Japanese relations with America. This album is a great introduction to this style of Japanese jazz that incorporates traditional elements with jazz and popular elements. I highly recommend this highly sought-after album for both its musical and cultural significance.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-15936171094310906352013-01-24T10:36:00.001-08:002013-01-24T10:36:31.916-08:00Gino Vannelli - The Gist of the Gemini (1976)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The Gist of the Gemini,</i><i> </i>Gino Vannelli's fourth studio album starts showing the promise that would eventually lead to his financial success with <i>Brother to Brother. </i>While the album doesn't have the chart-toppers or entirely consistent material like his later albums would have, tracks like "Love of My Life" and "Fly into This Night" embrace an electronic sound that is both tasteful and catchy. "Love of My Life" opens the album and is probably the strongest pop track on the album. The rhythmic "comping" of Joe Vannelli on electric piano gives a lot of energy to a rather flowing vocal line. The following track, "Ugly Man," is a very introspective ballad that seems to have been composed around the words and sounds sort of like a sketch of a song until the rest of the band comes in about halfway through the song. It is the latter half of the song with the polyphonic synth parts that is the most interesting as the track does not seem to have much direction in the earlier moments. "A New Fix for '76" is unabashed uptempo song without really any substance. The vocals in the verses don't seem to really match with what is happening the song and are sung so quickly that they lose their effect. Still, the instrumental parts of the song are what is really interesting, as the polyphonic synth delivered by Gino's brother Joe has an almost 8-bit sound that is still a bit unusual today for a pop song. "Omens of Love" is very reminiscent of "Ugly Man" in structure and feel, but it succeeds where the other track seems to fail. The sparse accompaniment in the beginning is layered very well with the vocals that create a sort of ambient mood until the drums come in and add a more evident rhythmic pulse. The tension of release of the vocal line in relation to the drums and synthesizer create a well-crafted song. "Fly into This Night" is another strong track that has a sort of Latin feel with the presence of maracas and cuiça. This feel blends well with the electric piano and the faster tempo of the song. This track is on par with the opener of the album "Love of My Life." Most of the remainder of the album is devoted to the "War Suite," a sort of classical meets progressive rock with an electronic bent. The opening of the suite might be able to be compared to the Renaissance track "Song of Scheherazade" with the chorus and very epic opening, but eventually goes into an electronic retreat with an almost swing rhythm on the hi-hat. This exchange between classical and electronic continues through the rest of the suite. While I won't go into detail about every track in the suite, it is a great addition to the album while it may not be for every listener as it is much more explorative than the pop contributions to the album. The album closes with "Summers of my Life," a medium tempo ballad that highlights a lot of the ideas present on the rest of the album such as flowing vocal lines and electronic elements. While Gino is undoubtedly a pop figure, his music does have a harmonic sophistication that you wouldn't expect from material of this genre. It may be hard for some listeners to get past the sounds of the time such as the rather cheesy background singers and things of that nature, but overall the album is relatively unknown despite its exploration of concurrent styles that might not otherwise be combined.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-58739442499678599312013-01-14T18:36:00.001-08:002013-01-14T18:36:52.352-08:00Bill Watrous - The Tiger of San Pedro (1975)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The second and final big band album that Watrous recorded for Columbia is very similar to the first in style and quality. <i>Tiger of San Pedro </i>opens with "Dirty Dan" a rock chart that is one of the weaker on the album but still showcases Watrous' ability to solo within a variety of styles. "Quiet Lady," is a personal favorite and is a medium tempo bossa nova. This track exemplifies the sensitivity with which Watrous plays in the upper register of his instrument. The band accompaniment is scarce throughout a lot of the track. The accompaniment is mostly chordal building to suspensions. The title track "The Tiger of San Pedro" is an uptempo Latin chart showcasing the tightness of the ensemble. Danny Stiles, Watrous' long time lead trumpet gives a dazzling scale based solo into the upper register and Watrous himself shows off another one of his strengths, fast tonguing. "Somewhere Along the Way" is a gorgeous ballad and definitely one of the highlights of the album. Watrous can play fast, but it is on ballads where his tone is really brought to the fore. "T.S., T.S." is another rock chart. It's not that the rock charts are terrible, they just aren't as strong as a lot of the other material on the album. "Passion at Three O'Clock" is a good example of how a soprano sax (played here by Ed Xiques) can really add a lot to a big band, not only in sax solis but as a solo instrument. This track is probably one of the most nuanced tracks on the album and the one that develops the most. The album closes with "Sweet Georgia Upside Down," is a sort of "reworked" version of "Sweet Georgia Brown," and is a great uptempo close to the album. It's a shame that this album can be so hard to find as it wasn't released in a digital format until 2007 and then only stayed in print for a short period of time.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-72629929007588456442012-12-17T13:06:00.002-08:002012-12-17T13:06:11.771-08:00Stan Kenton - A Merry Christmas! (2003)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This may have been released in 2003, but it is actually a composite album of a 1970 album <i>Kenton's Christmas </i>and a Roulette 45 of Maynard Ferguson's Birdland Dream Band playing "Christmas for Moderns." Changing the packaging for essentially one bonus track is a bit strange, but it is a welcome addition as the only other digital version that has been released is in the Mosaic <i>The Complete Roulette Recording of the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra</i>, which with prices now exceeding $1,500, it is a bit pricey. The conception of the Kenton part of the album is unusual for a big band, but not so much for Kenton. The instrumentation does not include saxophones, but rather adds mellophones for a brass band with rhythm section. Kenton wanted to only cover traditional Christmas songs, so there is no Kenton version of "Frosty the Snowman" or anything like that. Most all of the songs are well-conceived and have a chorale-like sound my favorites being "The Holly and the Ivy" and "Once in Royal David's City." There are sparse jazz elements interspersed with the chorale sound on tracks like "God Rest Ye Gentleman," but this is an album that shouldn't be evaluated on the terms of the standard big band, as it is more of a Third Stream effort. The bonus track, "Christmas for Moderns" is in stark contrast to the rest of the album. While, it has some of the same chorale style writing, the Willie Maiden chart has popular Christmas songs of the day mixed with traditional numbers, as well as having much more of a driving swing feeling. This is a great album for its classical sensibilities and its showcasing of the warm brass sonorities that remind many of us of past holiday seasons.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-83510136357720879162012-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:002012-12-02T13:35:14.634-08:00Maynard Ferguson - Conquistador (1977)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Definitely Maynard's most successful album even if critically it falls short. Maynard was not immune to Columbia's wishes to relinquish quite a bit of artistic control and "cross over" in order to sell more records. <i>Conquistador </i>has quite the star-studded cast from the studio players from people like George Benson and Bob James. <i>Conquistador </i>has a sound that was pretty synonymous with CTI Records in the early 70s and then duplicated by nearly every label by the middle of the decade. The album opens with Maynard's #28 hit "Gonna Fly Now," a high note excursion into the Rocky theme. The track showcases Maynard's command of the upper register, but in this reviewer's opinion it's not really tasteful. "Mister Mellow" is a track that showcases George Benson and is one of the stronger tracks on the album. Once you get past the background vocals, the track is a great solo vehicle for Benson and Maynard within a laidback funk groove. Interestingly enough, Maynard's solo utilizes much more of the lower register than most of the other album and consequently while it is on of the most "studio" tracks on the album, it's definitely one of the more genuine tracks. "Theme from Star Trek," is another attempt by Maynard to capitalize on the pop culture on his time. That being said, this track showcases Maynard's control of his instrument much more so than "Gonna Fly Now," due to the fact that he plays the entirely melody not just a solo. This is especially apparent when he plays "whistle tones" at the close of the song when the track is fading out. "Conquistador," the title track of the album is a collaboration between Maynard and Jay Chattaway. This track is not as Spanish sounding as <i>Sketches of Spain </i>or even some tracks on Maynard's <i>Carnival </i>album, but it is an interesting mixing of the aria style of trumpet playing Maynard is associated with at this point in his career and funk elements. It's hard not to get past the period sound of this particular track, maybe even more so than some of the novelty material on the album. "Soar Like an Eagle" is a Bob James tune that features the author and Maynard. I have similar opinions on this track as I did "Mister Mellow." It may have elements indicative of the period such as heavy electronics and studio orchestra accompaniment, but it is one of the more jazz oriented tracks. I for one think that the color of the synthesizer mixed with the flute is very interesting. James takes a memorable solo on the Fender Rhodes after Maynard's foray into the high register, which breaks up the solos on the track. "The Fly" is really the only uptempo track on the whole album and is a great close the album. The accented unison sax melody over the funky bass groove is picked up by the ensemble and then leads into an "aria-like" solo by Maynard. This track gets its name most likely from the "fly-like" synthesizer sound which was most likely the work of Bob James. This album is interesting for its melding of the big band with some of the electronic and studio sounds of the day, but I wouldn't say it was the highlight of Maynard's career. Sure, it was his most financially successful period, but critically speaking his Roulette material from the 1950s is far superior as jazz music.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-90357333846845362132012-11-24T10:00:00.003-08:002013-01-27T13:21:24.275-08:00Various Artists - The Atlantic Family Live at Montreux (1978)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This album is a real oddity, but that's part of what makes the session really interesting and worthwhile. Originally released as a double LP, this album was never rereleased, so consequently this is an album rip. Recorded at the 1977 Montreux Jazz Festival, this album is a session of all the artists at the festival that were signed to Atlantic Records at the time. It's essentially a funk jam session with the horn players playing backgrounds and contributing extended solos over classic and original charts. The album notes refer to this idea as "the universal rhythm section," an idea that ascribes the rhythm section as the foundation of the band in jazz and blues. The album opens with "Bahia (Na Baixa Do Sapateiro)" (credited on other albums as Baía), a tune penned by Brazilian composer Ary Barroso in the 1930s famous for other tunes like "Brazil." "Bahia" is a great showcase for the horns, which present a very rhythmic interpretation of the melody, and for the guitars, which interject soloistic lines at the ends of phrases. Randy and Michael Brecker currently signed to Atlantic with their funk outfit The Brecker Brother play extended solos over the heavily funky interpretation of a Brazilian classic. "Jadoo" is an original penned by German saxophonist Klaus Doldinger, who at the time was leader of Passport, a German fusion group. "Jadoo" relies on heavily accented unison lines in the woodwinds with the Doldinger showing off his command of the altissimo range of his horn. Herbie Mann delivers a memorable solo on flute as does guitarist Jim Mullen. My personal favorite on the album is "Everything Must Change," the only vocal track on the album. The track is a slow ballad with lead vocals being traded between Average White Band vocalist Hamish Stuart and Ben E. King. "Everything Must Change" is a great example of how suspensions and extended harmony can create the perfect balance of tension and release in a song. This track captures the conception of the album most of any track, as the rhythm section is really the driving rhythmic, harmonic force upon which everything is based exemplified by the rock solid bass line and the sweeping lines on the Fender Rhodes. "McEwan's Export" is a track written by Average White Band guitarist Alan Gorrie and recalls the aesthetic quality of their album <i>Soul Searching </i>released the previous year in 1976. This track is the kind of jam tune that made Average White Band famous. "One to One" is a very slimmed-down track with Average White Band only accompanied with a few soloists. The tune is a solo vehicle for tune author David Newman and fellow saxophonist Klaus Doldinger. "Pick Up the Pieces" closes the album and is probably the biggest highlight of the album showcasing not only the conception of the album, but also giving the horn players a great vehicle for some incredible solos. While the tune is well-known by most people, the arranged horn sections that are inserted between solos give the tune a new vitality and a sense of identity. "Pick Up the Pieces" has the most strictly "jazz" solos presented by Don Ellis, Herbie Mann, and the Breckers. This album is a testament to the stark contrast of records released in the late 70s to the current times. The environment of that time period ripe for jazz-funk crossovers and artists willing to take the leap create an interesting albeit odd product that should be rereleased in a digital format.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-43096644363814609582012-11-12T19:35:00.001-08:002012-11-12T19:37:20.287-08:00Chase - Pure Music (1974)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The last album before his death in a tragic plane accident, <i>Pure Music </i>shows the band moving in a very different direction than previous albums with an emphasis on instrumental rather than vocal material. The only two vocals on the album are "Run Back to Mama" and "Love is on the Way," and frankly this is some of the weaker material on the album. While Chase had used a lot of outside writers on past albums, the instrumental material on <i>Pure Music </i>is penned entirely by its leader. The album opens with "Weird Song #1," a tune based on a groove in 9/4 with various superimpositions. By 1974 Chase had more fully embraced electronic aspects in his music, which "Weird Song #1" is a great example. In addition to featuring a Chase "electric trumpet" solo (that's how it's credited on the album), the track also has an other-wordly synth solo by new band member Wally Yohn. "Run Back to Mama" was written by Chase and Jim Peterik, the vocalist of Ides of March fame ("Vehicle") brought in by the label who was never a full-time member of the group. This track is a very straight-ahead tune with a driving bass line and the cascading trumpet lines Chase was known for. "Twinkles" is an unusual track on the album, as it was not common that Chase had ballads on his albums, let alone those that were acoustic. "Twinkles" shows Chase's ability on the flugelhorn and the sensitivity to lyricism that the listener wouldn't get from his typical forays in the stratosphere of the upper register of the trumpet. What's interesting about this track compared to the rest of his repertoire is that the opening of the tune features a bass ostinato upon which everything is layered; this is not so different as having a groove be the basis for a tune. "Bochawa" is a great full energy tune that is named for the soloists it features. "Bo stands for "BoReebie," a nickname for Jerry Van Blair, one of the strongest jazz soloists in the band. "Cha" stands for Chase, and "Wa" stands for Wally Yohn. What's interesting is that while this tune was used in tour before the recording of this album, its new band trumpeter Jay Sollenberger that is featured, not Jerry Van Blair. "Bochawa" has a great 12/8 funk groove that is a perfect showcase for Chase's lead playing and high note work as well as Wally Yohn's virtuosity on the organ. At the close of the tune, the listener will also hear a short solo by John Emma, a young guitarist from Illinois that showed a lot of promise as a jazz player before his life was tragically cut short by the plane crash that also killed Bill Chase, Wally Yohn, and Walter Clark. "Love Is on the Way" is another one of the commercially-oriented tunes on the band, but is the stronger one compared to "Run Back to Mama." The track starts out with a groove in the electric piano and a rhythmic accompaniment on guiro that builds to include the harmonized vocals and the famous Chase horn lines. "Close Up Tight," my personal favorite, closes the album and is a tour de force of the Chase sound and concept. This track begins with a motif that is stated in the synth and is transferred to the trumpets as it climbs two octaves to rest on Chase's high G (Concert F). However, after this motif the drums enter playing a swing rhythm on the hi-hat. This beat is slower than what might be present in a bebop tune, but what's important is that this is not a rock beat. Chase always sought to play music that was both the best of jazz and the best of rock, and "Close Up Tight" is a perfect example of this conception. In the original liner notes it reads, "'This is 1974. The music I make must be today. . . . It's got to be a reflection of the times and the world we live in, or to me it just doesn't make it.'" While it's no longer 1974, Chase's music is still in my opinion a pinnacle of the genre of jazz-rock.<br />
<br />The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-68797472055363606642012-10-31T15:27:00.002-07:002012-10-31T15:27:59.286-07:00Deodato - Prelude (1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Eumir Deodato started out as an arranger using bossa nova material from his native Brazil. After the military dictatorship took power there, Deodato moved to New York and eventually became known to Creed Taylor through mutual acquaintances. <i>Prelude </i>is most known for the opening track "Also Sprach Zarathustra," an crossover jazz adaptation of the classical piece penned by Richard Strauss and famous at the time of <i>Prelude </i>for its incorporation in Kubrick's <i>2001: A Space Odyssey. </i>This track has a lengthy Rhodes introduction that leads to almost transcription of the orchestral piece over a funk groove. Once the orchestral namesake has been covered, the tune goes into a funk breakdown full of solos until the tune comes back to the classical material to close to tune. "Spirit of Summer" is a fairly laidback tune dominated by strings characteristic of the 1970s. Deodato takes a solo on the Fender Rhodes and guitarist Jay Berliner takes a memorable flamenco-tinged solo, which leads into an orchestral outplay. "Carly & Carole" is actually my favorite on the album, probably because it's the most similar to latin jazz music in the same vein. "Carly & Carole" has a lot of influences of bossa nova with the funky Rhodes groove and the melody in the flute. This track also has an extended Rhodes solo by Deodato which really shows off his Latin roots; something not as clear on the other tracks. "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" is an arrangement of a tune from the 1953 music <i>Kismet </i>which is itself borrowed from the second movement of Borodin's <i>String Quartet in D. </i>It is essentially a riff tune with extended solo breaks for guitarist John Tropea, a musician noted for his studio work. "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" is an adaptation of Debussy's symphonic tone poem of the same name. As far as the classical adaptations go on this album, this is probably the strongest and most developed arrangement (CTI must have thought so to, as it is the track to give its title to the album). This track has marvelous transitions and features trumpeter Marvin Stamm and flutist Hubert Laws during various sections. As far as incorporation of all the musicians, this track is probably the finest because it has the most expansive scope. The album closes with "September 13," another riff based tune which opens up to feature John Tropea. The end tune opens up to include the trumpet and flute sections repeating the groove that underlays the whole tune. This is one of the most successful albums CTI ever had, and it shows the key to CTI's success and demise. While some of the original material and classical adaptations are fine spectacles of musicianship and musical conception, some fall short or are just based on simple riff tunes that don't really develop. </div>
<br />The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-42420969668338473952012-10-26T22:39:00.001-07:002012-10-26T22:39:51.654-07:00Kool & the Gang - Kool & the Gang (1969)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Kool & the Gang's debut sounds nothing like much of the material the general public know by them. Formed in Jersey City, NJ in 1964, the band was originally called the Jazziacs until they were mis-billed as Kool & the Gang during a gig and just stuck with the name. Despite, their penchant for funk tunes later in their career, Kool & the Gang is much jazzier on this album. Call it soul jazz. Call it jazz-funk, but whatever genre you label it under, it's much more jazz than anything. The title track of the album opens the album to a great start; a funky guitar riff and a tambourine build to introduce the horn line of saxes and trumpet. This track, "Kool & the Gang," was a surprise hit and reached #59 on the Billboard Top 100. This track is a great indication of what the album will be like; there are lots of funky grooves that create a great vehicle for the three horns. "Breeze & Soul" is a personal favorite of mine and opens with a relaxed electric piano solo that transitions into a harmonized melody carried by the horns. This track is different than most Kool & the Gang material in that the piano is the primary source of harmony rather than the guitar; the guitar typically ornaments what the piano is doing for most of the track. "Chocolate Buttermilk" is another highlight to a great album. This track some really great unison horn writing with great transitions. Towards the end of the track the alto plays extensions of the chord that makes for a harmonically close to the track. "Sea of Tranquility" moves to a laidback feel and adds vibes to create "moon sounds." I call them "moon sounds" because the Sea of Tranquility is on the moon. "Give it Up" is an medium tempo funk marked by tremolos on a bluesy-sound piano and horn lines that build up to a solo by tenor sax player Khalis Bayyan. "Kool's Back Again" recalls the first track as the opening guitar shares close similarities to the one that opens the first track albeit much slower. "Let the Music Take Your Mind" is a great close to the album, and is the only track that has extended vocals. The lack of vocals on the majority of this album is really what sets it apart from the rest of the Kool & the Gang discography and aligns the album much more definitively in the realm of jazz. There's not much variation in how the horns are orchestrated, but that's not really what funk music is about. It's about the groove, and this album experiments with a variety of them. "Breeze & Soul" and "Sea of Tranqulity" incorporate instruments like the electronic piano and vibes that are uncommon in funk, but the majority of these tunes are straight-ahead funk with a jazz sensibility.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-33753209840334903342012-10-14T18:25:00.001-07:002013-01-22T14:17:20.371-08:00Bread - Manna (1971)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bread's third album <i>Manna </i>unknowingly highlights what eventually would drive the band to fall apart. Despite having a rock songwriter in James Griffin and having a talented pop rock songwriter with a tendency to write ballads in David Gates, it was David Gates' songs that gained the most popularity and consequently drove the band's financial success. This rift in the acceptance of their music grew into the lives of the two men, eventually causing the band to split in early 1973. Bread is a fundamental part of the genre of soft rock that flowered in the early 70s with bands like America. The first song "Let Your Love Go" is a Gates penned tune which is unusual given its driving rock feeling. The opening track showcases the vocal harmony which is very typical of Bread. In fact, Bread was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006. "Take Comfort" is an interesting for the juxtaposition of the driving rock sections against the halftime ballad sections. Don't let my introduction mislead you, Griffin could write a good song, his songs were just financially outshone by Gates' material. "Too Much Love" is a great song that blends the sounds of electric and acoustic guitars and shows Bread's partial roots in country music. "Too Much Love" has a bass line that sounds like it is right out of a country song, but it is the bluesy guitar and the rhythm of the hi-hat on the drums that makes this song sound much more than a country song. "If" is the highlight of the album and personally one of my favorite Bread songs of all time. Harmonically, "If" is a very interesting pop tune. While "If" is primarily based on A(I), D(IV) and E(V) chords, Gates frequently uses borrowed chords (mostly the minor iv) from the parallel minor to create a fantastic ballad. When all of the elements of the wah-wah effect on electric guitar, the arpeggios on the acoustic guitar, and Gates' falsetto are mixed together "If" becomes a terrific example of great songcraft. "He's a Good Lad" is another personal favorite and stylistically very similar to much singer/songwriter material of its time. The layering effect created as instruments slowly enter the song, orchestrated strings, and the piano maintaining the pulse are all pretty common in music of the time. "I Say It Again" highlights many of the elements that made Bread famous; its mixing of electric/acoustic, vocal harmony, and Gates' falsetto are all at the fore of this song. "Come Again" combine a lot of influences into an interesting track. The track starts in a ballad feel with the piano playing in unison with Gates. The track then moves into a semi-jazz feel with brushes on the drums. This juxtaposition continues with the ballad progressively becoming more orchestrated and the "response" section becoming stylistically varied. "Come Again" reiterates a lot of the elements that make Bread an interesting band. Harmonized vocals, a mixture of electric/acoustic, orchestrated strings, and an embrace of other genres are the primary elements of Bread's music and why I continue to listen to their music year after year.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-81512226346681091022012-10-03T15:19:00.001-07:002012-10-03T15:19:56.527-07:00Badfinger - Straight Up (1971)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Furthering the exploration of a singer/songwriter "kick," <i>Straight Up </i>is notable when compared to previous posts as it was produced by Todd Rundgren. Released in December 1971, <i>Straight Up </i>is one of the finest albums by Badfinger, one of those groups you didn't know you knew. Developing out of a group The Iveys, Badfinger got its name from the working title of Lennon-McCartney's "With a Little Help from My Friends" and is known for such hits as "Baby Blue," "Day After Day," and "No Matter What." Unfortunately, as is the case with many bands, the tragedy of the suicides in the band often overshadow a serious look at the music. Music critics will refer to Badfinger as "power pop," but as was the case in my review of Egg and Canterbury scene I'm hesitant to embrace the term as the musicians themselves didn't use it. (The term originated from an interview with Pete Townshend of The Who, but in its context it's unclear if he is actually labeling himself as such). <i>Straight Up </i>opens with the medium-tempo ballad "Take It All" penned by Pete Ham. This track is a fantastic opener because of the gradual entrances in the beginning of the track; the track starts with piano, voice, and harmonics on the guitar and builds to include organ, drums, and bass.<i> </i>"Baby Blue" is the next track on the album and one of my personal favorites. "Baby Blue" is a good example of why Badfinger is considered "power pop" because of the liberal use of power chords in the guitar. Yet, it seems senseless to base a genre around the frequent use of one type of chord. "Baby Blue" is an interesting track because despite tending toward the major key (the exception being the bridge) the words of the song are very melancholy. This creates a great tension in the listener which is resolved in the minor bridge and the outro. "Flying" is a quaint piece because of the word-painting it uses along the concept of flying. The long notes in the verse and especially the suspended held notes later in the track give a sense of gliding. "I'd Die Babe" is a great track with a notable driving bass line, and syncopated comping in the keyboard synced with the crash cymbals. This track is also testament to the tasteful use of vocal harmony that is key to a number of Badfinger songs. "Name of the Game" is a great ballad noteworthy for the sporadic harmonized vocal backgrounds and Ham's work on piano. The bass primarily outlines the roots of the chords and isn't very busy until the choruses. Despite making some good solo vehicles on guitar, the piano seems to be just as integral to the Badfinger sound. "Day After Day" is indefinitely one of Badfinger's most well-known singles and one of my favorites. "Day After Day" uses a lot of the elements of its other songs such as prominent piano, vocal harmony, and driving bass lines in an excellent execution. This track is also noteworthy for George Harrison's slide guitar solo, who was the record's producer until he left to produce The Concert for Bangladesh. The closing track "It's Over" seems to be a bit tongue-in-cheek when its subject matter is compared to its place on the album. "It's Over" is a great feature for the vocals of the group as well as one more taste of Ham's piano and Molland's guitar.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-81880971460303557032012-09-29T21:23:00.000-07:002012-09-29T21:23:18.624-07:00The Brothers Johnson - Right on Time (1977)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The second release for the duo of George "Lightnin' Licks" and Louis "Thunder Thumbs" Johnson more commonly referred to as The Brothers Johnson. Louis Johnson is primarily credited along with Larry Graham for developing the "slapping" technique for the electric bass. Both would go on to work on a variety of studio albums for such well-known acts as Michael Jackson due to their connection with producer Quincy Jones. The album opens up with "Runnin' for Your Lovin'," a track that is a great introduction to the style of the band; laidback funk tunes with driving bass lines, harmonized and background vocals, and ample use of horns in the backgrounds. What sets the style of the band apart from other funk outfits is that the vocals have a songlike quality rather than the shout-like style of James Brown or Parliament and the band uses a synthesizer in their background accompaniment on nearly every track. "Be Yourself, Free Yourself" is the kind of tune you would expect to come out of 1977; there's the octave jumps in the bass that exemplifies disco and the builds brought on by layered horns that build to a climax in the tune. The next track, the instrumental tune "Q," indefinitely named after producer Quincy Jones, won a Grammy in 1978 for best R&B Instrumental Performance and is a feature for the guitar of George Johnson and the synthesizer work of Dave Grusin, who consequently is more famous for his work as a jazz pianist and a film scorer. The title track "Right on Time" is in a moderate tempo which features the synthesizer predominately in the chorus when the synthesizer "trades twos" with the repeated vocal. The big highlight of this tune is the breakdown with the alternated horn entrances which go to the end of the tune. "Strawberry Letter 23," a Shuggie Otis tune, is probably one of the most well-known tracks by the group. The prime differences from the original are that the bass line is more driving and funky, the vocals of George Johnson are smoother and more rubato, and most importantly the prominence of the drums. However, most of the song even down to the guitar lines and the chimes are verbatim from the original by Otis. "Brother Man" is another instrumental jam tune, but funkier than "Q." Overall, it's a lot less interesting than "Q" because of the musical form. There are really only two sections to the tune, the synth melody and the funk response. These two ideas combine at the end with the synth (and later the guitar) soloing over the funk jam. "Never Leave You Lonely" starts out as a laidback vocal tune dominated by the texture of synth, triangle, and a relaxed bass line which is juxtaposed to a funk section with a double time feel where the bass and the guitar pull out all the stops. The final track, "Love Is," is in a drastically different style in that it features acoustic guitar and vocals. It's a pretty cheesy track in my own opinion, but the album as a whole shouldn't be judged by the shortcomings of one track.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-4591154988150335612012-09-27T20:45:00.000-07:002012-09-27T20:45:26.365-07:00Woody Herman - Big New Herd at the Monterey Jazz Festival (1960)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This album, recorded at the 1959 Monterey Jazz Festival, features Herman's standard band studded with alumni such as trumpeters Conte Candoli and Al Porcino, tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, guitarist Charlie Byrd, trombonist Urbie Green, and vibraphonist Vic Feldman. It is also important to note that this album is one of the first Herman albums to feature a young Bill Chase on lead trumpet; a player that would have quite a history with the band through the 1960s. The set opens with the famous Jimmy Giuffe sax section feature "Four Brothers" which really put Herman on the map in 1947. It's important to note that when this tune came out, big bands weren't really playing bop influenced material. The exceptions to this were the bands of Billy Eckstine, Claude Thorhill, and Woody Herman. Eckstine was notable for having Dizzy and Bird in his band for a time and Thornhill's arranger Gil Evans arranged tunes such as "Donna Lee" and "Anthropology" for the band. Herman's band, however, endured the financial hardships of the late 1940s and was the last remaining figure of these early big band voyeurs into the bop style. The second track "Like Some Blues Man" is one of my personal favorites on the album and features solos by Vic Feldman, Conte Candoli, and Charlie Byrd. The real energy in this tune comes from the star-studded trumpet section which really gets to shine in between the solos and at the very end of the chart. "Skoobeedoobee" is a great tour-de-force by the whole band alternating sax and brass section soli and featuring solos by Zoot Sims, Urbie Green, and Woody Herman. The band shows a real tightness of rhythm throughout the whole track; the sort of thing that only happens when its a mature ensemble with great lead players. "Monterey Apple Tree" is a reworked version of Herman's "Apple Honey" and is quite a treat for the extended solos by a large number of players throughout the entire band. The next track "Skylark" is a wonderful for trombonist Urbie Green (a personal favorite of mine) and an earlier example of a chart that he would record on <i>The Persuasive Trombone of Urbie Green, Vol. 2 </i>in 1961. "Skylark" shows the ensemble's variety of dynamics from the soft backgrounds of the saxes and muted brass to the boisterous runs and "pops" where the brass takes out all the stops. Urbie's warm, dark tone makes "Skylark" a great break on an album that has mostly uptempo charts. The album closes with "Magpie" a great swinging chart with solo breaks and a magnificent close with the clarinet of the leader. This album is a real harbinger to the success that the 1960s Thundering Herd would experience.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-1076504454966730092012-09-22T19:33:00.001-07:002012-09-22T19:33:03.319-07:00Carole King - Tapestry (1971)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Tapestry</i> was a critical and popular success that catapulted Carole King into the spotlight. This album is the next subject of the singer/songwriter trend in popular music I started with Laura Nyro's <i>Eli and the Thirteenth Confession</i>. This album could be viewed as one of the peaks in the commercial success of singer/songwriter music which is why is it the next installment. Many people are familiar with the tracks "I Feel the Earth Move," "It's Too Late," or "You've Got a Friend" which is not really true with the singer/songwriter material I covered earlier. Stylistically, King does many of the same things that both Nyro and Rundgren did before her such as embracing a variety of styles and overdubbing her own voice to create lush harmonizations. The early 1970s, specifically 1970-1972, seem to be the real golden age for singer/songwriter music as the style began to enjoy a lot of critical and financial success. The album opens with the classic track " I Feel the Earth Move" which is most interesting for the rhythmic transition in the bridge from a very uptempo song to a more laidback feel. This is one track where you can really see King's influence of jazz music such as the solo exchange between the piano and the guitar which seem to have a jazz feel. The rest of the album is really in strict stylistic contrast to the first track as the majority of the album is ballads. One of my personal favorites is "So Far Away" because it has such a marvelous development. The track begins with little instrumentation (piano, voice) and slowly builds to have a wide instrumentation including even congas and flute. Yet, in the same way that it builds, it fades with only flute, guitar, and drums. I also enjoy how the piano outlines the beat allowing the bass to act like a countermelody. "It's Too Late" shows again how King is the master of the transition. The song starts out in such a laidback feel, that's it is a bit of surprise when the chorus approaches and the tone of the track changes entirely. The transition is carried out by the piano and the guitar that syncopates the accompaniment rhythm right before the chorus. Part of the success of this album is not only the melodies, but the lyrics provided by King's songwriting partner Gerry Goffin. It's lyrics like these that give the empowering quality to a song like "Beautiful." After listening to "You've Got a Friend," you may question why the James Taylor cover has become the quintessential version of this tune. The vocal tones of King combined with the orchestrated strings provide an infinitely more complex emotional delivery than the very under-orchestrated version by Taylor. The piano is definitely the driving force behind this album. It is the key to nearly every transition and the perfect compliment to Goffin's lyrics sang by King. I only highlighted the well-known songs or personal favorites on the album, but there really isn't a bad track on the album.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-11005786587791380602012-09-16T14:17:00.000-07:002012-09-16T14:17:17.197-07:00Chick Corea & Return to Forever - Light as a Feather (1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Chick Corea & Return to Forever's second album is a fine example of fusion with a variety of Latin influences. The album starts out with the track "You're Everything" which Corea has noted is his favorite vocal track that he has ever released. The track begins with Corea ornamenting the head chart in a slow tempo utilizing mostly block chords with vocalist Flora Purim coming in with the words. What's great about this opening section, is the sensitivity by with Corea and Purim present the original theme. The rest of the band then enters when Corea moves into double-time and takes on a very syncopated Latin feel throughout the rest of the track. When analyzing the form of the piece, it is relatively simplistic, but it is the transitions engineered by Corea and the backgrounds on the flute by Joe Farrell that really make for a great track. The second track "Light as a Feather" starts out with vocals, but it is much more of a display of the instrumental soloists when considering the entirety of the track. Corea's work on the Fender Rhodes on this track is quite remarkable; his improvisational interpretations against the rhythmic pulse of the track show a very mature soloist when you consider how well he develops the motives and transitions to new ideas. Joe Farrell and bassist Stanley Clarke get to showcase their ability on their respective instruments and Farrell also displays his ability in the altissimo range of his horn. "Captain Marvel" is definitely the most uptempo chart on the album and primarily showcases Chick Corea's technical ability whether it be his fast runs or his ability to comp Farrell's flute with syncopated chords. The real masterpiece of the album is Corea's chart "Spain," which along with "La Fiesta" on <i>Return to Forever </i>make up his most well-known compositions. The beginning of "Spain" is a direct quotation from the Adagio (second) movement Joaquin Rodrigo's <i>Concierto de Aranjuez </i>a guitar concerto famously performed by such guitarists as Paco de Lucia. Interestingly enough, "Spain" comes twelve years after Miles Davis released Gil Evans' rendition on <i>Sketches of Spain </i>in 1960. "Spain" is an upbeat chart that melded jazz fusion with flamenco elements. Not only is Spain groundbreaking in its use of flamenco harmony, it is also groundbreaking in its use of syncopated rhythmic material. <i>Light as a Feather </i>is one of the finest records released by Return to Forever and is a perfect showcase of Corea's playing after he "went electric."The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-86125896755057353062012-09-12T11:23:00.001-07:002012-09-12T11:32:52.575-07:00Egg - Egg (1970)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before digging into Egg's eponymous debut, it's important to discuss the journalistic sub-genre known as Canterbury scene. Canterbury scene is one of those genres that journalists have created in order to have a shorthand for a particular sound. Really Canterbury scene seems to be an attempt to classify those bands that follow in the musical or historical traditions forged by the Canterbury band Soft Machine. Egg has the whimsical nature that many progressive rock bands around the Canterbury area had at the same time, so they are often incorporated into this sub-genre. However, this was not a term used by musicians at the time and due to the fact that the London-based Egg had no real geographical connection to Canterbury, it could be very difficult to substantiate this claim that Egg is indefinitely a Canterbury scene band. In saying that, I will review it as a progressive rock album while making allusions to the "Canterbury scene bands." My personal favorite and the track that screams high progressive rock is a treatment of Bach's <i>Fugue in D Minor</i>. "Fugue in D Minor" is executed magnificently by keyboardist Dave Stewart, whose playing is consequently the highlight of the album in general. "Fugue in D Minor" is a perfect example of Stewart's classical training, as you can hear that he is indefinitely using the correct fingering. Interpretations of classical pieces were not uncommon in the 1970s in general, but "Fugue in D Minor" is an excellent example of a modern interpretation that does not take too much artistic liberty with the original. The drums are simply outlining the beat without complicating or making the rhythm sounds muddy. The bass is also simply outlining a sort of figured bass albeit incorporating modern elements. "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano" starts out with long, sweeping piano runs that can't help but make the listener think of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." Yes, this track predates that one, but it's true and quite funny. Along with "Bulb" and "Boilk," these tracks make up the atonal "noise rock" part of the album. It's for tracks like "I Will Be Absorbed," "The Song of McGillicudie the Pusillanimous," and "Seven Is a Jolly Good Time" that Egg gets the Canterbury scene moniker. The strange lyrical subjects combined with unexpected musical transitions combine to create the whimsical nature that is known as Canterbury scene. For instance, "Seven Is a Jolly Good Time" uses the lyrics to anticipate the rhythmic changes to come up. However, in general they are in strange time signatures. "I Will Be Absorbed" begins in 9/4 with a transitional section in 7/4 grouped in two bar phrases. "The Song of McGillicudie the Pusillanimous" is primarily in 5/8 while "Seven Is a Jolly Good Time" begins in 4/4, progresses to 5/4 with the chorus arriving in 7/4. Later in the track there is also a section in 11/4. A good portion of the album is Symphony No. 2 making good use of classical themes from such material as Grieg's <i>Peer Gynt </i>(specifically "In the Hall of the Mountain King"). In fact, the Third Movement was not originally included due to copyright issues with the Stravinsky estate. Overall, this album has a lot of overlying trends in progressive rock throughout it, and while I'm hesitant to call it Canterbury scene, that term can be helpful in explicating the album. Typically in music history when we use a term such as Canterbury scene or the Viennese school, we are talking about a particular group of musicians confined to a geographic location. However, Canterbury scene does not fit this fold and rather tries to use the term despite geography. This can be quite problematic as it is possible that similar trends develop independently. Perhaps Egg's sound is derived from the sound of Canterbury band Soft Machine, but doing more than speculating is problematic.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046716292864209831.post-67828306803339541372012-09-07T22:05:00.003-07:002012-09-07T22:05:28.554-07:00Rick James - Come Get It! (1978)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Rick James is known colloquially for his appearance on Chapelle's Show and musically for his single "Super Freak," and James's auspicious debut in the late 1970s comes on strong with all of that. With tracks entitled "Sexy Lady," "Dream Maker," and "Mary Jane" it's easy to see that the whole sex and drugs routine was there from the very beginning. Musically <i>Come Get It! </i>is a great album which opens and closes with live footage of James and the Stone City Band. In the studio, the band is really just James on most of the instruments and in fact it wasn't until later in his career that the band existed in any other form other than live. The two big singles from the album are "You and I" and "Mary Jane" which really started his career off. "Mary Jane," an obvious ode to marijuana is great for its laidback guitar accompaniment and especially the effect on James's voice in the chorus on the words "Do You." One of the great things about this album in general is James's willingness to embrace a variety of electronic effects and instruments without them compromising the integrity of the intimate feel of his music. My favorite tune on the album is probably "Be My Lady" because it uses layered vocal harmony well in addition to having interesting horn parts and breakdowns. "Be My Lady" also has James paying homage to his origins in Buffalo. In conjunction with "Hollywood," James seems to be coming to terms with being a musician in the spotlight Rick James once famously declared himself the "King of Punk Funk" at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, but surprisingly it is hard not to notice the influence of disco on the album. The vocal parts, the guitar parts in "You and I" and "Sexy Lady,"and the open hi-hat are all very characteristic of disco throughout the album. The album showcases James's signature bass lines, which really made James the figure he was. However, tunes like "Hollywood" show how well James had control of the tenor range of his voice. James was really a fantastic writer and arranger, it's just a shame that he had personal and legal problems in his later career that really inhibited musical growth in his later career.The Mystichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436992443810553106noreply@blogger.com2