REQUESTS FOR RE-POST

There was a lot of requests for re-posting over the last few weeks.  I shall start a re-post program shortly, hopefully.  For the time being  I have a problem with my storage drive and will not have access to the backups for a few weeks.  Still trying to fix the hard drive ...
Patience!

GLITZ, GLAM & FUNK

La Velle – Brand New Start

LP Blue Silver ‎– BS 3010 - France, 1981

A change from the old scratchy EP!   Time for glitz, glam and funk!  Fix yourself a Dry Martini or chose your favorite poison and get on the floor for some 80s disco funk boogie.

About La Velle

Lavelle McKinnie Duggan is an American Jazz, Soul and Gospel singer.

Born in Kankakee, near Chicago, in a musical family. Her father played the guitar in Nat King Cole's band, her mother was a dancer and singer in the Cotton Club. Lavelle already sung gospel in choirs at the tender age of 3. She started studying the piano at 5. She entered Chicago's national Conservatory at the age of 11, being the youngest student. She did brilliant musical studies, earning many awards. She sung Haendel's Messiah as she was only 14. She continued her studies at the prestigious Julliard School of Music de New York.

After a career as a lyric singer, she progressively went back to jazz and gospel.  She made an appearance in the Broadway musical “Hello Dolly”. She then toured across America, singing with the greatest names in soul music such as Ray Charles or Sammy Davis Jr. She also worked with the big bands of Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson and Quincy Jones.

In 1977, she moved to France, releasing her first album Winter's Mind. She then released a disco single entitled Playgirl in 1979, followed by a second LP, the soul / funk oriented “Brand New Start.”.

In 1989, she did background vocals for Ray Charles & Dee Dee Bridgewater. The following year, she recorded and produced the album Straight Singin' - Tribute to Nat King Cole. Apart form her own concert and tours, she ran singing masterclasses, sharing her passion and contributing to the creation of many gospel choirs in France. In 1992, she was awarded the decoration of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres

During the 90s, she was the female vocalist of the B-one project. She probably did all vocals for Miranda from 1999-2001. She also sung for some TV ads.

She then left France to settle in Saint-Cergue (Switzerland). She leads a gospel choir in Geneva, but also keeps on running masterclasses and touring in France.

About the band 

Top-notch French (and a few expats) studio musicians, all with extensive jazz pedigrees (several of them – Gimenez, Bonfils, Bessot … -were members of the jazz-fusion band Synthesis in the late 70s).  Jean Pierre Sabar was a long-time arranger for Serge Gainsbourg.  Interesting also to see the name of Noah Howard – another long time French resident – in the credits!  Que du beau monde!

Tracklist

A1       Brand New Start

A2       When You Find The Time

A3       Creole Girl (Lyrics: La Velle / Music : Nat Dove, Noah Howard)

B1       Rastafaris   (LaVelle, Joe Scott)

B2       It's Too Soon  (Lowell Folsom, B.B. King

B3       Take A Look In The Mirror And See

B4       Someday In The Dust / Just Like My Friends Used Too

Credits

Arranged By – Raymong Gimenez* (tracks: A1, A2, A3, B1, B3)

Trumpet – Kako Bessot (tracks: A1, B1, B2, B3)

Trombone – Alex Perdignan* (tracks: A1, B1, B2, B3)

Saxophone – Alain Hatot (tracks: A1, B1, B2, B3)

Guitar – Jean-Claude Chavanat (tracks: A1, B1, B3), Laurent Roubach (tracks: A2, A3, B2)

Piano – Jean-Pierre Sabar (tracks: A1, B1, B3), La Velle (tracks: A2, A3, B2, B4)

Bass – Louis Martial Kool* (tracks: A2, A3, B2), Tony Bonfils (tracks: A1, B1, B3)

Drums – Pierre Alain Dahan* (tracks: A1,B1, B3), Sangoma Grover Everett (tracks: A2, A3, B2)

Percussion – Negrito Trasante (tracks: A1, A2, A3, B1)

So, if you feel adventurous and your tastes are catholic enough to embrace 80s soul funk, give this album a try.  The lady has an amazing vocal range; the arrangements and playing are excellent, with that typical “european” touch.

JAZZ ON A SUNDAY NITE

THE BOP FRIENDS – LIVE @ THE MOZART

VOGEL LP 006-s     BELGIUM, 1977

No nonsense, straight ahead, no prisoner taken, live bop session by the cream of the Belgian Boppers, recorded in front of a selected audience featuring several fellow jazz musicians (see below).  If you are a follower of this blog, or of Belgian jazz from the sixties to the  eighties … you probably already know all these guys.  They are all gone now and deeply missed. 

Read their bio on the Jazz in Belgium Website.

The Mozart no longer exists either and is also fondly remembered by all the Brussels jazz aficionados.

If you liked the two live albums by Hugh Brodie posted last month, you’ll probably love this one too!  It's cookin' and steamin' hot!

Recorded live before an audience including Tany Golan, Didian, Wild Bill Davis, Dave Pochonet, Dany Doriz, Freddy Sunder - at café "Mozart", Uccle, Brussels, Sunday, May 15, 1977 - by Canal 21, production Francine Arnaud, engineers Jean-Paul Géal and Guy Van Humbeek - LP produced by Mon Devoghelaere with kind permission of Radio-Télévision Belge, Centre de Production Bruxelles. 

This album, issued on the short-lived Vogel label, has become pretty rare and has never been re-issued.

Band members

Etienne Verschueren  - alto sax

Nic Fissette      trumpet

Tony Bauwens            piano

Roger Vanhaverbeke – bass

Freddy Rottier drums

Tracks

Side A

Just Blow (Fissette)

Tengo Tango (Adderley)

Side B

Pepper Adams (Bauwens)

Blues for Alice (Parker)

I got it bad and that ain’t good (Ellington-Webster)

Oop Bop Sh’Bam (Gillespie-Brown-Fuller)

RARITY #49

MITTERNACHT IN MUNCHEN

BRUNSWICK 86016 LBP (10") - GERMANY, 1953

This 10” was recorded just a few days after my birth. Like me, it is 60 years old, a bit scratchy but it still  swings hard!

Thanks to Onxidlib - and an anonnymous friend of his -  for unearthing this memento from a bygone era, the Golden Age of Radio! - and for taking the time to rip and clean it.

Your work is much appreciated my friend!

MITTERNACHT IN MÜNCHEN  - JUBILEE CONCERT ON THE OCCASION OF THE 500TH BROADCAST

Here is some interesting information on the Mtternacht in Munchen radio broadcast (in German):

• Mitternacht in Munchen
• Jazzreitung

TRACKS

Side A:

1. The Beat  (Gene Ammons) 2:46

2. Perdido  (Tizol/Lenk/Drake) 7:03

3. How High The Moon  (Hamilton/Lewis) 2:49

4. Night Train  (Jimmy Forrest) 3:07

Side B:

5. MIM-Boogie  (Werner Scharfenberger) 3:02

6. Muskrat Ramble  (Kid Ory) 4:12

7. The Man I Love  (George Gershwin) 3:20

8. Rosetta  (Hines/Woods) 3:42

9. Festival Riff  (Erich Becht) 1:53

TT 31:57

Track 1, 4, 8 + 9:

Max Greger Big Band;

Fritz Weichbrodt, Rudi Grätz, Harry Franke, Sepp Huber, trumpet

Max Büttermann, Fritz Gläser, Willi Schmidt, Max Höll, trombone

Hugo Strasser, alto saxophone & clarinet (solo on 8)

Herbert Peltzer, alto saxophone

Max Greger, tenor saxophone (solo on 1,2 + 4)

Heinz Eberle, Sepp Seitz, tenor saxophone

Delle Haensch, baritone saxophone

Klaus Ogermann, piano (solo on 5)

Hans Lehmann, bass

Sylo Deutsch, drums

Track 5:

Die Dixie Maximators:

Fritz Weichbrodt, trumpet

Hugo Strasser, clarinet

Max Büttermann, trombone

Klaus Ogermann, piano

Hans Lehmann, bass

Sylo Deutsch, drums

Track 2 + 3

Die Deutschen Jazz-Sieger [The German Jazz-Winners]:

Fred Bunge, trumpet (solo on 2 + 9)

Günter Fuhlisch, trombone (solo on 2 + 3)

Delle Haensch, alto saxophone

Max Greger, tenor saxophone

Paul Kuhn, piano

Max Büttermann, bass

Teddy Paris, drums

Note: Members of the German Jazz-Winners do also play on other tracks except tr.6 + 7.

Track 7:

Paul Kuhn, piano

Max Büttermann, bass

Teddy Paris, drums

Werner Götze, announcer

Recorded at the 'Deutsches Theather, Munich on May 4, 1953 on the occaison of the 500th broadcast of "Mitternacht in München".  (Mitternacht is midnight..).

TWO PAIRS OF LOCKED HANDS

André Persiany - Milt Buckner

Requiem Pour Un Chat

LP LIFDIS / Le Chant Du Monde ‎– A.J 1010 - France, 1973

The locked hands technique developed by Milt Buckner might not be everyone's idea of jazz piano. Some people - starting with my good friend Paul D. - do not like it.  I do and I have always considered this album a must for fans of « old style » piano : stride, blues, swing and boogie woogie.  The first track “Requiem pour un Chat” is a terrific piano blues duet. I just love hearing Milt's grunts as he gets deep in the groove.  The whole album is pretty good and has been a favorite for over thirty years.

Milton Brent "Milt" Buckner (10 July 1915 – 27 July 1977) was an American jazz pianist and organist, originally from St. Louis, Missouri. He was orphaned as a child, but an uncle in Detroit (trombone player John Tobias) taught him to play. Buckner pioneered the parallel chords style which influenced Red Garland, George Shearing, Bill Evans, and Oscar Peterson.

He first played in Detroit with the McKinney Cotton Pickers and then with Cab Calloway. In 1941 he joined Lionel Hampton's big band, and for the next seven years served as its pianist and staff arranger. He led a short-lived big band of his own for two years, but then returned to Hampton's in 1950. In 1952 he formed his own trio, concentrating on the Hammond organ. He often played in Europe in the late 60's and recorded prolifically for European labels such as Saba, MPS and Black & Blue.

Buckner pioneered the use of the electric organ. He died in Chicago, Illinois, at the age of sixty-two.

Buckner's brother, Ted Buckner, was a noted jazz saxophonist.

André Persiany was born André Paul Stephane Persiani in Paris on November 19, 1927.  He was a versatile bebop accompanist who led his own groups from 1946 on. Influenced by Milt Buckner, Persiany played in the pianist/organist's familiar locked-hands style. He recorded in Paris with American expatriates like Sidney Bechet, Buck Clayton, Lionel Hampton, Bill Coleman and Mezz Mezzrow until 1956, when he came to America. Persiany spent most of the 1960s working in trumpeter Jonah Jones' quartet.

Persiany's career hit a peak in the 1970s after he returned to France. His expat collaborations continued with Buckner, Cat Anderson, Arnett Cobb, Buckner, Charlie Shavers and Budd Johnson. Among Persiany's own recordings were Swinging Here and There (1958, Pathé), The Real Me (1970, Black & Blue) and Every Night at Furstemburg (1977, Open).

This LP was recorded on March 21,1973 at the Steinway Studio in Paris.

Tracklist

A1       Requiem Pour Un Chat           6:59

A2       Stinky                                     7:09

A3       La Très Jolie Gwendoline       6:37

B1       What A Mess For A Bass        7:15

B2       Tophie's Dream                       5:05

B3       Boogie-Woogie For Edith        4:15

B4       Slide, Jimmy Slide, Flash        1:30

Credits

Piano – André Persiany, Milt Buckner

Bass – Roland Lobligeois

Drums – Roger Paraboschi

Cover by Pierre Mas

With special thanks to Paul D. for the rip, especially considering that he is no fan of block chords / lock hands style.  Merci Paul pour ta patience.

EAU DE COLOGNE

KOLNER JAZZ HAUS BIG BAND – OPEN LINES

LP JMH 04 ST – GERMANY, 1980

An exciting and adventurous contemporary big band outing led by Joachim Ulrich and featuring both established and upcoming musicians who collaborated with the Kolner Jazz Haus in the early eighties (Markus Stockhausen, Klaus Lenz, Karl Heinz Wiberny, Georg Ruby …).  An album that proves that there was still a lot of creative music played and recorded in Europe in the early eighties!

While it may have been Keith Jarrett’s famous (and, IMHO, overrated) “Koln concert” that put Koln on the jazz map for the casual jazz fans, the city had a very lively and creative jazz scene in the late 70s / early 80s (and may still have?). 

To the best of my knowledge, this LP never made it to CD.  Shame as there is some great playing here.  My favorite track is the last one, “My You the Better”, but the whole LP is pretty good.  

See Discogs for the detail of the players.

Tracks

A1       Fly      6:54

A2       Fluorescent Stones In The River      7:45

A3       Insisting Lines           5:17

B1       Different Colours      10:13

B2       My You The Better   8:49

With thanks to Paul D. for the rip and the scans.