.

.
Showing posts with label Jazz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jazz. Show all posts

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Strange Brew - 15 tracks compiled by Eric Clapton

 



1 Freddy King – I Love The Woman

2 Robert Johnson– Kindhearted Woman Blues

3 John Lee Hooker– Hobo Blues

4 Bukka White– Special Stream Line

5 Elmore James– Hand In Hand

6 Wes Montgomery– For Heaven's Sake

7 Blind Willie McTell– Statesboro Blues

8 Thelonious Monk– Crepuscule With Nellie

9 Leroy Carr– Alabama Woman Blues

10 Luciano Pavarotti– Che Gelida Manina

11 Blind Lemon Jefferson– Chock House Blues

12 Louis Armstrong & The Hot Five – Struttin' With Some Barbecue

13 Choeur De L'Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal – Pavane, Op 50

14 Pat Metheny Group– Another Life

15 Mississippi John Hurt– Frankie & Albert


Strange Brew

Saturday, October 12, 2024

60 Bar-B-Que Sizzlers - various artists compilation ...rock'n'roll/rhythm and blues/swing/country/jazz

 


1-1 Hank Williams– Hey Good Lookin'

1-2 Hank Williams– Jambalaya (On The Bayou)

1-3 Eddie Cochran– Summertime Blues

1-4 Eddie Cochran– C’Mon Everybody

1-5 Everly Brothers– Wake Up Little Suzie

1-6 Everly Brothers– Bird Dog

1-7 Jerry Lee Lewis– Great Balls Of Fire

1-8 Jerry Lee Lewis– Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On

1-9 Nat King Cole– Route 66

1-10 Nat King Cole– Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

1-11 Fats Waller– The Joint Is Jumping

1-12 Fats Waller– Ain’t Misbehavin'

1-13 Sticks McGhee*– Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee

1-14 Little Walter– Little Walter

1-15 Bill Haley– See You Later Alligator

1-16 Bill Haley– Rock Around The Clock

1-17 Carl Perkins– Blue Suede Shoes

1-18 Carl Perkins– Matchbox

1-19 Elvis Presley– (Let's Have A) Party

1-20 Elvis Presley– Hot Dog

2-1 The Hawketts– Mardi Gras Gumbo

2-2 Shirley And Lee– Let The Good Times Roll

2-3 Chuck Berry– Too Much Monkey Business

2-4 Chuck Berry– Johnny B. Goode

2-5 Django Reinhardt– Swing 39

2-6 Django Reinhardt– Stompin’ At Decca

2-7 Ray Charles– Mess Around

2-8 Ray Charles– What I’d Say (Parts 1 &2)

2-9 Jackie Wilson– Reet Petite

2-10 Dean Martin– Mambo Italiano

2-11 Dean Martin– That’s Amore

2-12 Frank Sinatra– You Make Me Feel So Young

2-13 Frank Sinatra– On The Road To Mandalay

2-14 Professor Longhair– Tipitina

2-15 Louis Armstrong– Struttin’ Before The Barbecue

2-16 Doris Day– Sentimental Journey

2-17 Doris Day– My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time

2-18 Big Joe Turner– Shake Rattle And Roll

2-19 Buddy Holly– Peggy Sue

2-20 Buddy Holly– That’ll Be The Day

3-1 Louis Jordan– Saturday Night Fish Fry- Pts 1 & 2

3-2 Louis Jordan– Caldonia Boogie

3-3 Bobby Charles– See You Later Alligator

3-4 Little Richard– Long Tall Sally

3-5 Little Richard– Tutti Frutti

3-6 Johnny Cash– Get Rhythm

3-7 Johnny Cash– Hey Porter

3-8 Duke Ellington– East St. Louis Toodle-Oo

3-9 Duke Ellington– Take The 'A' Train

3-10 Tibby Edwards– Flip Flop And Fly

3-11 Wynonie Harris– Rock Mr. Blues

3-12 George Jones – White Lightning

3-13 Rosco Gordon– Booted

3-14 Cab Calloway– Minnie The Moocher

3-15 The Clovers– One Mint Julep

3-16 Fats Domino– The Fat Man

3-17 Perez Prado– Mambo No.5

3-18 Nina Simone– My Baby Just Cares For Me

3-19 Ella Fitzgerald– Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)

3-20 Ella Fitzgerald– Summertime



Saturday, July 6, 2019

Love Me Do, 50 Songs That Shaped The Beatles...various artists



This compilation looks at The Beatles' influences, including songs recorded by them. By acknowledging local heroes, standards, jazz, country, comedy and skiffle, as well as the better-known rock and roll and R'n'B influences, Love Me Do represents the full extent of the Beatles' musical tastes.


Friday, June 22, 2018

Stratosphere Boogie: The Flaming Guitars of Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant


Pedal steel-er West and guitarist Bryant were the most in-demand session musicians of the 50's. On their own, though, is when they really let loose; and this 16-track collection culling the best of their Capitol instrumentals contains country, jazz, bluegrass and space-age effects that musicians are still scratching their heads over 40 years later! 




These 16 sides were selected from the more than 50 that guitarist Bryant and pedal steel player West cut in Los Angeles between 1951 and 1956, when they were also most in demand as country--and occasionally pop--session men. Forty years later, these are still considered the hottest, most fully realized, most musical instrumentals in the history of country. West's slashing, muscular steel lines send out sparks, while Bryant's bop-influenced, breakneck guitar cuts clean as a scalpel. Using the guitar-steel pairings of Western swing as a jumping-off point, these guys created a jazzy body of work that many guitarists are still trying to decipher.






1. Stratosphere Boogie
  2. Blue Bonnet Rag
  3. Cotton Pickin'
  4. Old Joe Clark
  5. Sleepwalker's Lullaby
  6. Arkansas Traveler
  7. The Night Rider
  8. Low Man On A Totem Pole
  9. Speedin' West
  10. Comin' On
  11. Bryant's Bounce
  12. Midnight Ramble
  13. Pickin' Peppers
  14. Shuffleboard Rag
  15. Bustin' Thru
  16. Flippin' The Lid


                                              

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Jimmy Bryant...The Fastest Guitar In the Country...original Imperial LP


Jimmy Bryant (March 5, 1925 – September 22, 1980) was a prominent American session guitarist. He was billed as "The Fastest Guitar in the Country".

Ivy J. Bryant, Jr. was born in Moultrie, Georgia, the oldest of 12 children. During the Great Depression he played the fiddle on street corners to help the family buy food, pushed to do so by his father.

After being wounded in World War II, he began working seriously on his guitar playing, influenced heavily by Django Reinhardt. After the war, he returned to Moultrie, then moved to Los Angeles county where he worked in Western films and played music in bars around L.A.'s Skid Row, where he met pioneering pedal steel guitarist Speedy West. West, who joined Cliffie Stone's popular Hometown Jamboree local radio and TV show, suggested Bryant be hired when the show's original guitarist departed. That gave Bryant access to Capitol Records since Stone was a Capitol artist and talent scout.

In 1950 Tex Williams heard Bryant's dizzying jazz/country style and used him on his recording of "Wild Card". In addition, Bryant and West played on the Tennessee Ernie Ford-Kay Starr hit "I'll Never Be Free", leading to both men being signed to Capitol as instrumentalists. Bryant and West became a team, working extensively with each other.

read more on Wikipedia





                                             


Visit my other music blogs here:


Friday, September 26, 2014

The History of the Guitar...26 track compilation covering several genres of music


There is no doubting that the guitar is one of the most popular instruments of all time. It is widely used in practically every genre of music, and many a famous artist is known for their mastering of this stringed instrument.

Here is a brief history:

The guitar is a type of chordophone, traditionally constructed from wood and strung with either nylon or steel strings and distinguished from other chordophones by its construction and tuning. The modern guitar was preceded by the lute, the vihuela, the four-course Renaissance guitar, and the five-course baroque guitar, all of which contributed to the development of the modern six-string instrument.

There are three main types of modern acoustic guitar: the classical guitar (nylon-string guitar), the steel-string acoustic guitar, and the archtop guitar. The tone of an acoustic guitar is produced by the vibration of the strings, which is amplified by the body of the guitar, which acts as a resonating chamber. The classical guitar is often played as a solo instrument using a comprehensive fingerpicking technique.

Electric guitars, introduced in the 1930's, use an amplifier that can electronically manipulate and shape the tone. Early amplified guitars employed a hollow body, but a solid body was eventually found more suitable, as it was less prone to feedback. Electric guitars have had a continuing profound influence on popular culture. Guitars are recognized as a primary instrument in genres such as blues, bluegrass, country, flamenco, folk, jazz, jota, mariachi, metal, punk, reggae, rock, soul, and many forms of pop.

read more on Wikipedia here

This 26 track compilation covers classical, blues, folk, bluegrass and jazz with artists including Django Reinhardt, John Williams, Bill Monroe, Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, Charlie Christian, Taj Mahal, Lightnin' Hopkins and more.





Saturday, November 2, 2013

McKoy ‘Cut From The Same Cloth’ Album out 3rd Nov 2013 soulful grooves, melodies and jazz


Noel McKoy is the genuine godfather of British soul - a singer-songwriter with a voice like honey backed up by his talented family. When the McKoy family – south London born siblings Cornell, Junette, lead singer Noel, and Robin - burst on to the British soul scene in 1989, they created a legacy for serious soul fans throughout the next decade and beyond. McKoy’s critically acclaimed debut album, “Family”, delivered a number of street-soul classics and their hit singles I'm Lucky and Family remain a hit with analogue, digital and underground music connoisseurs of all ages.

With a two-decade-plus career that has already encompassed reggae (The Albions), rock (Impact) and acid jazz (The James Taylor Quartet) plus a prestigious BBC 2 Jazz Award, Noel McKoy is releasing his first album in 20 years with his band ‘McKoy’ which includes his three siblings: Cornell, Robin and Junette.


Cut From The Same Cloth is the eagerly awaited album from McKoy. It is combination of grooves, melodies and jazz from McKoy’s parent’s collection, along with hints of 70's, 80's and 90's influence. The band likes to call it ‘spiritual social soul’ which they coined in the creation of their last release. Though it’s been 20 years since then, the band made a conscious decision to make an album with ‘an old school flavour with a new school approach’.  The album features the talents of General Levy, Vanessa Simon, Terri Walker, Marlon Cotton and Braydz.

preview on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/AJvBerEjBaI


Noel McKoy recorded three albums with the James Taylor Quartet and toured 10 times around the world. He has worked with some of the most talented artists in the industry including Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Martha High, Atlantic Star, Terry Callier, Cliff Richard, Lenny Henry, Jessie J, Paloma Faith and none other than Stevie Wonder. Noel says: “I met Stevie after one of his gigs at the 02 a couple of years ago. He then invited me to have a jam with him and this was one of the highlights of my career. We jammed for quite a bit and laughed all night together.”

Career highlights:

·         Met & jammed with Stevie Wonder @ his O2 performance
·         Previous project won Jazz Album in the BBC 2 Jazz Awards
·         Performed with Guy Barker’s jazz band @ the Olympics with Junior Giscombe& Natalie Williams
·         UK/European tour this September
·         Performing with Sunburst at the Jazz Cafe in November

Marty's review"Cut From the Same Cloth" combines elements of 70's soul and funk with rhythm and blues, jazz, reggae, hip hop and rap that come together in this album that just shines with soulful grooves. Of the 13 tracks on the album, 10 are orginals co-written by Noel McKoy. There also covers of the Isley Brothers' "Highways" and a funky, electric soul version of Stevie Wonder's "Living For the City". Noel McKoy's lead vocals are reminiscent of Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway, whilst his siblings provide backing vocals of soaring harmonies mixed with hip hop and rap. The musicianship is superb with jazz guitar, both acoustic and electric, tight rhythm section, piano, clarinet and even some strings to create a wide sound. It will have you swaying, dancing and possibly making love with your favourite person (!). My favourite tracks are "Highways", "Natural Collie" and "I've Changed".


Album launch party 4th October @ The Bedford in Balham






Friday, November 1, 2013

"Experience This" new album release by Tayo Irvine Hendrix..soul funk meets world sounds


Tayo Irvine Hendrix has music running through her veins. Since being given a drum at three years old, Tayo has developed a love of music and a sound of her own that is perfectly encapsulated by her forthcoming album ‘EXPERIENCE this’.

 EXPERIENCE this’ is a collection of songs that takes each listener on a journey. The album showcases Tayo’s stunning and powerful voice as well as a wide range of musical influences. Alongside the blues and soul elements, Tayo’s work as a healer has also helped to shape the sound, bringing mantras to the mainstream and creating an accessible sound.

Throughout her thirty years in the music industry, Tayo has had the honour of working with some incredible musicians and this album once again saw Tayo bring together a stellar team.  As well as the first class musicians with whom Tayo collaborated for the record, the album is mixed by Blake Eiseman, the man responsible for Pink’s debut album and known for his work with the likes of UsherJanet Jackson and Aretha Franklin.

Tayo Irvine Hendrix is a drummer, percussionist, vocalist, songwriter and composer, a true creative who was undoubtedly destined for the musical world. Her famous name aside, Tayo’s music is, as suggested by the album’s title, an experience.
The first single released from the album was the blues infused ‘Crazy Dayze’; released on September 9th, it is available for download now.
                                             

Praise for Tayo Irvine Hendrix:

Her music is, indeed, an experience and quite a special one” – Music News

“Tayo Irvine Hendrix has a sound of her own” – AAA Music

Marty's reviewTayo Irvine Hendrix' new album has an apt title.."Experience This". And it is a must listen to experience at that. Tayo's many talents shine on this debut release as she confronts love, life and all that goes with it on an 11 track collection of finely produced tracks that will keep you hitting the replay button more than once. A mostly upbeat recording that combines soul, funk, jazz, African rhythms, blues, pop, dance and even a few Indian beats make this album a unique experience that will not disappoint. Tayo's clear, sultry and sometimes sexy vocals are supported by a tight rhythm section with a touch a brass, acoustic guitar and flute. Whilst the general feel of the album is in the funky/jazz/soul vein, there is also the spiritual ballad "Calling All Angels" and the new age sound of "Om Namah Shivaya" with Indian rhythms and beautiful chanting. The song lyrics show Tayo's confident and positive outlook on life and are written from the heart. My favourite tracks are "I Am Rama", "Calling All Angels" and "History". Tayo Irvine Hendrix defies musical genres and is an experience you won't forget.

For more information and to keep up with Tayo’s journey please visit:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TayoHendrix

Experience the album at iTunes here:

                                              

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

UK Soul Legend Noel McKoy..new single release exclusive


Mckoy ‘Makin Love’ (out 24th Nov 2013)

With a two-decade-plus career that has already encompassed reggae (The Albions), rock (Impact) and acid jazz (The James Taylor Quartet) plus a prestigious BBC 2 Jazz Award, one of UK soul’s legendary figures, Noel McKoy, is releasing his first album in 20 years with his band ‘McKoy’ which includes his three siblings: Cornell, Robin and Junette.

McKoy are a family affair, lead by Noel Mckoy. Though it’s been 20 years since their last release, the band made a conscious decision to make an album with ‘an old school flavour with a new school approach’.  The album features the talents of General Levy, Vanessa Simon, Terri Walker, Marlon Cotton and Braydz. ‘Makin Love’ is the first single to be released from the album and is due out on 24th November.

Noel McKoy is perhaps best known for his work as lead vocalist with Acid Jazz Legends James Taylor Quartet recording three albums and touring 10 times around the world with the band. Since then he has worked with some of the most talented artists in the industry including Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Martha High, Atlantic Star, Terry Callier, Cliff Richard, Lenny Henry, Jessie J, Paloma Faith and none other than Stevie Wonder.

check out Mckoy – Makin Love exclusive video here:



  • Makin' Love is the first release from the ‘Cut From The Same Cloth’ album (out 3rd Nov)
  • Met & jammed with Stevie Wonder @ his O2 performance
  • Noel performed with the Guy Barker jazz band for the Olympics celebration with Junior Giscombe and Natalie Williams in July 2013
  • Noel will be guesting with Joey Negroys band Sunburst at the Jazz Cafe in November
  • UK/European tour this September   
  • Previous project won Jazz Album in the BBC 2 Jazz Awards (Best Album)


2001 was the year Noel picked up best Jazz album for his vocal and writing work on Jean Toussaint’s “A street below the Underground” Album for the BBC Radio 2 Jazz awards.

Over the past 20 years Noel is known in the teaching arena for the work he does with young people which involves vocal exercises, empowering and mentoring.  

Along with a whole host of successful projects in recent years, one of which leading Noel to Jam with Stevie Wonder Noel has reformed Mckoy with his siblings and they are back in a big way with album ‘Cut From The Same Cloth’ and the lead single ‘Makin Love’ released on Mckadelic Records


https://www.facebook.com/mckoymusicfam?fref=ts

Album launch party 4th October @ The Bedford in Balham


Sunday, August 11, 2013

The British Beat Explosion, Rock ‘n Roll Island edited by Jennifer Wheatley...new book release


On September 2nd, Aurora Metro Books released "The British Beat Explosion, Rock ‘n Roll Island" (ISBN 9781906582470) edited by Jennifer Wheatley, with contributions from music journalists Zoë Howe and John Platt, club owner Gina Way, exhibition curator Michele Whitby and the musicians themselves .  The book is published in association with a new exhibition, music gigs and film to celebrate the legacy of Eel Pie Island as a seminal jazz and R&B music venue in the 1950s and 1960s (see www.eelpieislandmusic.com). The book has been hailed as ‘containing a treasure trove of contributions - interviews, photographs and more – from musicians, fans, critics and the original Eel Pie clubbers’ (Dmitry M. Epstein on the Let it Rock blog).

The British Beat Explosion narrates the story of this incredible venue which became a literal and metaphorical island of culture and free expression for generations of teenagers. The vision and inspiration of one local man – Arthur Chisnall – lay behind it all.  Chisnall, with astonishing prescience, recognized that the burgeoning new tribe of teenagers would need a cultural and social space of their own, where they could both revel in their own culture and be provided with advice and information on a range of issues affecting their work, education and well-being.  Chisnall took over the management of a hotel on the island and soon made it a Mecca for fans and cutting-edge jazz musicians alike, including Ken Colyer and George Melly.

What began as a jazz club developed into a magical arena for young people to come together, experiment, improvise and create a new kind of music – the ‘Thamesbeat’ R & B sound - one that has been exported from the Twickenham/Richmond area to the world at large. The British Beat explosion developed in South-West London and many of the rock legends of today took their first steps to global stardom on the island: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Brian May, David Bowie, Elton John, Ronnie Wood and David Gilmour to name but a few.  Rod Stewart recently recalled his career’s beginnings on the island on the BBC television program Imagine.  The musical legacy of the Island endures strongly, with contemporary bands such as The
Mystery Jets and The Carnabys consciously exhibiting the influence of the music and the scene.  The Eel Pie phenomenon stuttered and then ended in 1971, when the Hotel burned down, and all trace of the dilapidated Club disappeared, to be replaced by new townhouses.

Chisnall succeeded gloriously in carving out this space as a separate and precious world for its young clientele, and the book carries many glowing reminiscences to this effect.

The British Beat Explosion is packed with anecdotes and descriptions, ranging from the memories of fans to fascinating insights into how musicians discovered one another. The book is an invaluable piece of research into the genealogy and development of the myriad artists who are associated with The Island, an absorbing read for anybody with an interest in contemporary culture, and – if justice is served – will go some way towards ensuring that Eel Pie Island is enshrined in the pantheon of musical venues alongside such places as The Cavern and Ronnie Scott’s.


                                                              

Friday, February 22, 2013

River Rescue: The Very Best of Ry Cooder




Ry Cooder has many influences - from the early days as part of Taj Mahal's backing group (Ryland P Cooder, Rhythm Guitar) to the global success of Buena Vista Social Club. This collection pre-dates the latter and post-dates the former. It features 19 of his best tracks from his recordings on Warner from, 1972-1994. Includes 'Paris, Texas', 'Little Sister', 'The Pearls/ Tia Juana' and more!

Whether serving as a session musician, solo artist, or soundtrack composer, Ry Cooder's chameleon-like fretted instrument virtuosity, songwriting, and choices of material encompass an incredibly eclectic range of North American musical styles, including rock and roll, blues, reggae, Tex-Mex, Hawaiian, Dixieland jazz, country, folk, Rand B, gospel, and vaudeville. The 16-year-old Cooder began his career in 1963 in a blues band with Jackie DeShannon and then formed the short-lived Rising Sons in 1965 with Taj Mahal and Spirit drummer Ed Cassidy. Cooder met producer Terry Melcher through the Rising Sons and was invited to perform at several sessions with Paul Revere and the Raiders. During his subsequent career as a session musician, Cooder's trademark slide guitar work graced the recordings of such artists as Captain Beefheart (Safe as Milk), Randy Newman, Little Feat, Van Dyke Parks, the Rolling Stones (Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers), Taj Mahal, and Gordon Lightfoot. He also appeared on the soundtracks of Candy and Performance.

Cooder made his debut as a solo artist in 1970 with a self-titled album featuring songs by Leadbelly, Blind Willie Johnson, Sleepy John Estes, and Woody Guthrie. The follow-up, "Into the Purple Valley", introduced long time cohorts Jim Keltner on drums and Jim Dickinson on bass, and it and Boomer's Story largely repeated and refined the syncopated style and mood of the first. In 1974, Cooder produced what is generally regarded as his best album, Paradise and Lunch, and its follow-up, Chicken Skin Music, showcased a potent blend of Tex-Mex, Hawaiian, gospel, and soul music, and featured contributions from Flaco Jimenez and Gabby Pahinui. In 1979, Bop Till You Drop was the first major-label album to be recorded digitally. In the early '80s, Cooder began to augment his solo output with soundtrack work on such films as Blue Collar, The Long Riders, and The Border; he has gone on to compose music for Southern Comfort, Goin' South, Paris, Texas, Streets of Fire, Alamo Bay, Blue City, Crossroads, Cocktail, Johnny Handsome, Steel Magnolias, and Geronimo. Music by Ry Cooder (1995) compiled two discs' worth of highlights from Cooder's film work. (This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.)


1. River Come Down (PKA Bamboo)
2. UFO Has Landed In The Ghetto
3. Low-Commotion
4. Smack Dab In The Middle
5. Tattler
6. Dark End Of The Street
7. The Very Thing That Makes You Rich (Makes Me Poor)
8. Going Back To Okinawa
9. Money Honey
10. Why Don't You Try Me
11. Paris, Texas
12. Chloe
13. The Pearls/Tia Juana
14. I Think It's Going To Work Out Fine
15. Down In Hollywood
16. Which Came First
17. Crazy 'Bout An Automobile (Every Woman I Know)
18. Get Rhythm
19. Little Sister







Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Billie Holiday...Legacy (1933-1958)

 

Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an African American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo.

Critic John Bush wrote that Holiday "changed the art of American pop vocals forever." She co-wrote only a few songs, but several of them have become jazz standards, notably "God Bless the Child", "Don't Explain", "Fine and Mellow", and "Lady Sings the Blues". She also became famous for singing "Easy Living", "Good Morning Heartache", and "Strange Fruit", a protest song which became one of her standards and was made famous with her 1939 recording. Music critic Robert Christgau called her "uncoverable, possibly the greatest singer of the century".

Her distinctive delivery made Billie Holiday's performances instantly recognizable throughout her career. A master of improvisation, Billie's well-trained ear more than compensated for her lack of music education. Her voice lacked range and was somewhat thin, plus years of excessive drug use eventually altered its texture and gave it a prepossessing fragility. The emotion with which she imbued each song remained not only intact but also profound. Her last major recording, a 1958 album entitled "Lady in Satin", features the backing of a 40-piece orchestra conducted and arranged by Ray Ellis. 

With few exceptions, every major pop singer in the US during her generation has been touched in some way by her genius. It is Billie Holiday who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence on me. Lady Day is unquestionably the most important influence on American popular singing in the last twenty years.

If you haven't heard or heard of Billie Holiday or "Lady Day" as she was affectionately known, then this 70 track collection of her finest recordings is a good place to start. Every track is a classic and there is no mistaking that unforgettable voice.....






                                      



Friday, December 7, 2012

The Best of John Coltrane


This collection from one of the masters of Jazz contains 20 of his finest moments including "Blue Train", "My Favourite Things" and "A Love Supreme". Just play and chill!

Bio - Whether legendary jazz saxophonist John Coltrane was inverting bebop chord structures or inducing meditational depth with his complex melodies, he seemed to shift gears and gain new expertise with every passing year in the 1960s.
In the 50s, Coltrane played in Miles Davis’ ‘First Great Quintet’, and experienced a spiritual epiphany after kicking heroin in 1957 that inspired everything he played thereafter. The same year his first real solo album was released, Blue Train, before he played on Davis’ seminal Kind of Blue and released his second major solo work, Giant Steps. At this stage Coltrane was at the forefront of the innovative changes in jazz, moving from the usual hard-bop style to the modal form that Kind of Blue introduced. Coltrane took modal jazz and ran with it through the 60s - from My Favourite Things (1961) and Live at the Village Vanguard (1962), to Duke Ellington and John Coltrane (1962) and John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman (1963), Coltrane produced innovative and complex jazz that divided the critics of the time, but is now accepted as era defining. In 1965, Coltrane and his quartet released his most famous record, the deeply spiritual A Love Supreme, which has since been regularly acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz albums ever.

After A Love Supreme, Coltrane became more interested in free jazz, as shown on the classic Ascension. After adding Pharoah Sanders to his band, Coltrane began to take hallucinogenic drugs and his music became more spaced-out, alienating some listeners. In 1967 Coltrane was diagnosed with liver cancer, and he died shortly afterwards at the age of 40, leaving a hugely influential legacy of jazz. His spirituality was influential too - in 1971 a San Francisco church began worshipping Coltrane as a saint. (This biography was provided by community contributors.)








                                                       

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Van Morrison...Moondance


Van Morrison went a long way towards defining his wild Irish heart with his first two classic albums: the brooding, introspective Astral Weeks (1968), and the expansive, swinging Moondance. If the first was the work of a poet, its sequel was the statement of a musician and bandleader. Moondance is that rare rock album where the band has buffed the arrangements to perfection, and where the sax solos instead of the guitar. The band puts out a jazzy shuffle on "Moondance" and plays it soulful on "These Dreams of You." The album includes both Morrison's most romantic ballad ("Crazy Love") and his most haunting ("Into the Mystic"). "And It Stoned Me" rolled off Morrison's tongue like a favorite fable, while "Caravan" told a tale full of emotional intrigue. Moondance stood out in the rock world of 1970 like a grownup in a kiddie matinee. --John Milward ..Amazon.com

1. And It Stoned Me 
2. Moondance 
3. Crazy Love 
4. Caravan 
5. Into The Mystic 
6. Come Running 
7. These Dreams Of You 
8. Brand New Day 
9. Everyone 
10. Glad Tidings