VA • Cool Funk

 

 

Billy Preston • Encouraging Words

 

Review by Bruce Eder
Encouraging Words was about as fine an album as Apple Records ever issued by anyone who wasn't a member of the Beatles, and it's also better than many of the Apple albums issued by the ex-bandmembers; but it's also among the most obscure of any album that the label ever issued by a major artist -- without a hit single to drive its sales, the LP never did more than brush the very bottom of the charts, and it was quickly lost amid the financial collapse of the label and the implosion of the Beatles' business ventures; even many Billy Preston fans never had a chance to find out it was there, obscured as it was by his subsequent chart success with "Outta Space" on the A&M label. A bold and searing effort mixing gospel, soul, and rock sounds about as well as any record cut that year, Encouraging Words lived up its killer musical pedigree, partly an offshoot of the evolution of the Let It Be and All Things Must Pass albums, and of sessions that Preston and George Harrison had produced for Doris Troy; but it also picked up where Preston's playing for Ray Charles had left off in 1968. The surging, soaring blues "The Same Thing Again," and the driving rocker "You've Been Acting Strange," both Preston originals, were worth the price of the album, but for those requiring familiar fare, Preston's renditions of "My Sweet Lord," "All Things (Must) Pass," and "I've Got a Feeling" are here too, the first two as stunning gospel numbers (the second with some gorgeous jazz and classical embellishments) that make the Harrison versions seem pallid; and the latter a delightfully funky rendition that makes the Beatles' recording sound like a classy demo; and for truly, delightfully strange sound amalgams, "Sing One for the Lord" manages to couple soaring gospel with some loud lead guitar and a piano part derived from Tchaikovsky (at least according to the annotator -- this reviewer would have said Grieg). [The 2010 reissue of Encouraging Words was remastered by the same Abbey Road team who remastered the acclaimed 2009 Beatles reissues and was expanded by three bonus tracks: the previously uneleased “How Long Has the Train Been Gone,” the scrapped B-side “As Long As I’ve Got My Baby” and “All That I’ve Got (I’m Gonna Give To You),” cowritten by Doris Troy.] 
https://www.allmusic.com/album/encouraging-words-mw0000618856

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Reseña de Bruce Eder
Encouraging Words fue uno de los mejores álbumes que Apple Records publicó de alguien que no fuera miembro de los Beatles, y también es mejor que muchos de los álbumes de Apple publicados por los exmiembros de la banda; pero también es uno de los álbumes más desconocidos que el sello discográfico publicó de un artista importante: sin un sencillo de éxito que impulsara sus ventas, el LP nunca pasó de rozar la parte más baja de las listas y se perdió rápidamente entre el colapso financiero del sello y la implosión de los negocios de los Beatles; incluso muchos fans de Billy Preston nunca tuvieron la oportunidad de descubrirlo, ya que quedó eclipsado por su posterior éxito en las listas con «Outta Space», publicado por el sello A&M. Encouraging Words, un trabajo audaz y conmovedor que mezcla gospel, soul y rock tan bien como cualquier otro disco grabado ese año, estuvo a la altura de su impresionante pedigrí musical, en parte como resultado de la evolución de los álbumes Let It Be y All Things Must Pass, y de las sesiones que Preston y George Harrison habían producido para Doris Troy; pero también retomó el trabajo que Preston había dejado en 1968 cuando tocaba para Ray Charles. El blues arrebatador y vertiginoso «The Same Thing Again» y el rockero «You've Been Acting Strange», ambos originales de Preston, ya valían el precio del álbum, pero para aquellos que buscaban temas más familiares, las versiones de Preston de «My Sweet Lord», «All Things (Must) Pass» y «I've Got a Feeling» también están aquí, las dos primeras como impresionantes temas gospel (la segunda con algunos magníficos adornos jazzísticos y clásicos) que hacen palidecer las versiones de Harrison; y la última, una interpretación deliciosamente funky que hace que la grabación de los Beatles suene como una elegante demo; y para amalgamas sonoras verdaderamente deliciosas y extrañas, «Sing One for the Lord» consigue combinar un gospel ascendente con una guitarra solista potente y una parte de piano derivada de Tchaikovsky (al menos según el comentarista; este crítico habría dicho Grieg). [La reedición de 2010 de Encouraging Words fue remasterizada por el mismo equipo de Abbey Road que remasterizó las aclamadas reediciones de los Beatles de 2009 y se amplió con tres temas extra: el inédito «How Long Has the Train Been Gone», la cara B descartada «As Long As I've Got My Baby» y «All That I've Got (I'm Gonna Give To You)», coescrita por Doris Troy]. 
https://www.allmusic.com/album/encouraging-words-mw0000618856

Billy Preston • 16 Yr. Old Soul

Review by Richie Unterberger
Most listeners only became aware of Billy Preston as a solo artist after he signed to Apple Records in the late 1960s. But he'd been recording for a long time prior to that, dating back to when he was a teenager. This instrumental album for Sam Cooke's SAR label (issued on its sister Derby imprint) was cut in March 1963, when Preston was still going to high school in Los Angeles. The very fact that it's wholly instrumental indicates that it's pretty early in Preston's evolution, and though he does play some piano, it's really on the more uptempo, organ-dominated tunes where he hits the best groove. In truth, these aren't any great shakes even when it comes to soul organ instrumentals, but they have a nice swinging bounce that places them a cut above period background music, though they fall a good ways short of being spellbinding. The slower numbers (including covers of hits by Sam Cooke and Ray Charles) verge on easy listening; in contrast, the more urgent cuts are cookin', with bop, jazz, and gospel influences spicing up the soul/R&B recipe. Preston didn't write much of the material, but one of the numbers on which he's credited as a co-composer, "Good News," is a highlight. [The 2011 CD reissue on ABKCO adds a couple of bonus tracks, one of them a cover of Cooke's "Win Your Love for Me."]

 

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Review by Richie Unterberger
Most listeners only became aware of Billy Preston as a solo artist after he signed to Apple Records in the late 1960s. But he'd been recording for a long time prior to that, dating back to when he was a teenager. This instrumental album for Sam Cooke's SAR label (issued on its sister Derby imprint) was cut in March 1963, when Preston was still going to high school in Los Angeles. The very fact that it's wholly instrumental indicates that it's pretty early in Preston's evolution, and though he does play some piano, it's really on the more uptempo, organ-dominated tunes where he hits the best groove. In truth, these aren't any great shakes even when it comes to soul organ instrumentals, but they have a nice swinging bounce that places them a cut above period background music, though they fall a good ways short of being spellbinding. The slower numbers (including covers of hits by Sam Cooke and Ray Charles) verge on easy listening; in contrast, the more urgent cuts are cookin', with bop, jazz, and gospel influences spicing up the soul/R&B recipe. Preston didn't write much of the material, but one of the numbers on which he's credited as a co-composer, "Good News," is a highlight. [The 2011 CD reissue on ABKCO adds a couple of bonus tracks, one of them a cover of Cooke's "Win Your Love for Me."]

VA • Total Funk! The Ultimate Collection

 

75 Original Tracks in a Four CD Digibook in Lavish Suede Package. Universal Music Are Pleased to Announce the Arrival of the Ultimate Funk Package, Including the Most Influential Tracks Ever Recorded Within the Genre. Starting in 1959 with James Brown and Covering the Classic Funk Years Right Up to 1980, this Four CD Digibook Set is a Must for Every Serious Music Collector.


 

Hank Crawford & Jimmy Mcgriff • The Best Of

Review:

Hank Crawford and Jimmy McGriff didn't co-lead a studio date until 1986, when Bob Porter (one of the top producers in the soul-jazz field) produced their Soul Survivors album for Milestone. But alto saxman Crawford and organist McGriff should have recorded together long before that because they have so much in common. Both are soul-jazz/hard bop heavyweights, and both thrive on jazz that is funky, earthy, blues-drenched, and quite accessible; as a rule, blues and R&B lovers who don't care for the more abstract, cerebral styles of jazz have no problem getting into Crawford or McGriff. And they will have no problem getting into this fine collection, which offers a 75-minute sample of material that the veteran improvisers recorded as co-leaders from 1986-1998. Everything on The Best of Hank Crawford and Jimmy McGriff was produced by Porter, who has produced countless soul-jazz sessions over the years. So not surprisingly, this 2001 release is full of state-of-the-art soul-jazz. Crawford and McGriff enjoy a strong rapport whether they are getting into hard-swinging up-tempo fare on "One Mint Julep" (a major hit for Ray Charles in 1961) and Lester Young's "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid" or lyrical ballad playing on "Second Time Around" and "Because of You." None of the material is groundbreaking; in the '80s and '90s, Crawford and McGriff excelled by sticking with the type of down-home stuff they had been embracing since the '50s. The Best of Hank Crawford and Jimmy McGriff isn't difficult, ultra-intellectual jazz that will scare away R&B, rock, and pop fans -- this is grits-and-gravy music, and accessibility is the rule on these inspired Crawford/McGriff encounters.

by Alex Henderson

https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-hank-crawford-and-jimmy-mcgriff-mw0000017212

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Reseña:

Hank Crawford y Jimmy McGriff no codirigieron una cita en el estudio hasta 1986, cuando Bob Porter (uno de los principales productores en el campo del soul-jazz) produjo su álbum Soul Survivors para Milestone. Pero el saxofonista alto Crawford y el organista McGriff deberían haber grabado juntos mucho antes de eso porque tienen mucho en común. Ambos son pesos pesados del soul-jazz y el hard bop, y ambos prosperan con el jazz que es funky, terrenal, impregnado de blues y bastante accesible; por regla general, los amantes del blues y del R&B que no se preocupan por los estilos más abstractos y cerebrales del jazz no tienen problemas para entrar en Crawford o McGriff. Y no tendrán problemas para entrar en esta fina colección, que ofrece una muestra de 75 minutos de material que los improvisadores veteranos grabaron como co-líderes entre 1986 y 1998. Todo lo que hay en The Best of Hank Crawford y Jimmy McGriff fue producido por Porter, que ha producido innumerables sesiones de soul-jazz a lo largo de los años. Así que no es sorprendente que este lanzamiento de 2001 esté lleno de soul-jazz de última generación. Crawford y McGriff disfrutan de una fuerte compenetración, ya sea que se metan en el ritmo de "One Mint Julep" (un gran éxito de Ray Charles en 1961) y "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid" de Lester Young o en la balada lírica de "Second Time Around" y "Because of You". En los 80 y 90, Crawford y McGriff se destacaron por mantener el tipo de material casero que habían adoptado desde los 50. Lo mejor de Hank Crawford y Jimmy McGriff no es difícil, jazz ultra intelectual que asustará a los fans del R&B, el rock y el pop... esto es música con agallas, y la accesibilidad es la regla en estos encuentros inspirados de Crawford y McGriff.

por Alex Henderson

https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-hank-crawford-and-jimmy-mcgriff-mw0000017212

 

 

Billy Preston • Wildest Organ in Town

Biography by Bill Dahl

It's advantageous to get an early start on your chosen career, but Billy Preston took the concept to extremes. By age ten he was playing keyboards with gospel diva Mahalia Jackson, and two years later, in 1958, he was featured in Hollywood's film bio of W.C. Handy, St. Louis Blues, as young Handy himself. Preston was a prodigy on organ and piano, recording during the early '60s for Vee-Jay and touring with Little Richard. He was a loose-limbed regular on the mid-'60s ABC TV series Shindig, proving his talent as both a vocalist and pianist, and he built an enviable reputation as a session musician, even backing the Beatles on their Let It Be album. That impressive Beatles connection led to Preston's big break as a solo artist with his own Apple album, but it was his early-'70s soul smashes "Outa-Space" and the high-flying vocal "Will It Go Round in Circles" for A&M that put Preston on the permanent musical map. Sporting a humongous Afro and an omnipresent gap-toothed grin, Preston showed that his enduring gospel roots were never far removed from his joyous approach. He continued to perform and record throughout the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, until he fell into a coma caused by pericarditis late in 2005; sadly, he never regained consciousness and passed away on June 6, 2006.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-preston-mn0000590285/biography

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Biografía de Bill Dahl

Es ventajoso empezar pronto la carrera elegida, pero Billy Preston llevó el concepto a los extremos. A los diez años ya tocaba el teclado con la diva del gospel Mahalia Jackson, y dos años más tarde, en 1958, apareció en la biografía cinematográfica de W.C. Handy, St. Louis Blues, cuando era joven Handy. Preston fue un prodigio del órgano y el piano, grabando a principios de los 60 para Vee-Jay y haciendo giras con Little Richard. Fue un asiduo de la serie de televisión Shindig de la ABC a mediados de los 60, demostrando su talento tanto como vocalista como pianista, y construyó una envidiable reputación como músico de sesión, incluso apoyando a los Beatles en su álbum Let It Be. Esa impresionante conexión con los Beatles llevó a Preston a la gran oportunidad de ser solista con su propio álbum de Apple, pero fueron sus éxitos de soul de principios de los 70 "Outa-Space" y la voz de altos vuelos "Will It Go Round in Circles" para A&M los que pusieron a Preston en el mapa musical permanente. Con un enorme afro y una omnipresente sonrisa de dientes separados, Preston demostró que sus duraderas raíces de gospel nunca se alejaron de su alegre enfoque. Continuó actuando y grabando durante los años 80, 90 y 2000, hasta que cayó en coma por pericarditis a finales de 2005; lamentablemente, nunca recuperó la conciencia y falleció el 6 de junio de 2006.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-preston-mn0000590285/biography

 

Billy Preston • Gospel In My Soul

 

http://www.billypreston.net/

Billy Preston • Early Hits Of 1965

Biography by Bill Dahl

It's advantageous to get an early start on your chosen career, but Billy Preston took the concept to extremes. By age ten he was playing keyboards with gospel diva Mahalia Jackson, and two years later, in 1958, he was featured in Hollywood's film bio of W.C. Handy, St. Louis Blues, as young Handy himself. Preston was a prodigy on organ and piano, recording during the early '60s for Vee-Jay and touring with Little Richard. He was a loose-limbed regular on the mid-'60s ABC TV series Shindig, proving his talent as both a vocalist and pianist, and he built an enviable reputation as a session musician, even backing the Beatles on their Let It Be album. That impressive Beatles connection led to Preston's big break as a solo artist with his own Apple album, but it was his early-'70s soul smashes "Outa-Space" and the high-flying vocal "Will It Go Round in Circles" for A&M that put Preston on the permanent musical map. Sporting a humongous Afro and an omnipresent gap-toothed grin, Preston showed that his enduring gospel roots were never far removed from his joyous approach. He continued to perform and record throughout the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, until he fell into a coma caused by pericarditis late in 2005; sadly, he never regained consciousness and passed away on June 6, 2006.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-preston-mn0000590285/biography

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Biografía de Bill Dahl

Es ventajoso empezar pronto la carrera elegida, pero Billy Preston llevó el concepto a los extremos. A los diez años ya tocaba el teclado con la diva del gospel Mahalia Jackson, y dos años más tarde, en 1958, apareció en la biografía cinematográfica de W.C. Handy, St. Louis Blues, cuando era joven Handy. Preston fue un prodigio del órgano y el piano, grabando a principios de los 60 para Vee-Jay y haciendo giras con Little Richard. Fue un asiduo de la serie de televisión Shindig de la ABC a mediados de los 60, demostrando su talento tanto como vocalista como pianista, y construyó una envidiable reputación como músico de sesión, incluso apoyando a los Beatles en su álbum Let It Be. Esa impresionante conexión con los Beatles llevó a Preston a la gran oportunidad de ser solista con su propio álbum de Apple, pero fueron sus éxitos de soul de principios de los 70 "Outa-Space" y la voz de altos vuelos "Will It Go Round in Circles" para A&M los que pusieron a Preston en el mapa musical permanente. Con un enorme afro y una omnipresente sonrisa de dientes separados, Preston demostró que sus duraderas raíces de gospel nunca se alejaron de su alegre enfoque. Continuó actuando y grabando durante los años 80, 90 y 2000, hasta que cayó en coma por pericarditis a finales de 2005; lamentablemente, nunca recuperó la conciencia y falleció el 6 de junio de 2006.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-preston-mn0000590285/biography

 

 

 

Hank Crawford & Jimmy McGriff • Steppin' Up

Review by Scott Yanow
Altoist Hank Crawford and organist Jimmy McGriff met up for a second time on this 1987 CD, and the results are predictably soulful and pleasing. With guitarist Jimmy Ponder and drummer Vance James completing the quartet and pianist Billy Preston (rarely heard in this type of setting) sitting in successfully on three of the seven numbers, this is a highly enjoyable outing, easily recommended for soul-jazz fans. Among the highlights are "River's Invitation," "Tippin' In" and McGriff's "Steppin' Up."

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Reseña de Scott Yanow
El altoista Hank Crawford y el organista Jimmy McGriff se reunieron por segunda vez en este CD de 1987, y los resultados son previsiblemente conmovedores y agradables. Con el guitarrista Jimmy Ponder y el baterista Vance James completando el cuarteto y el pianista Billy Preston (raramente escuchado en este tipo de escenario) sentando con éxito en tres de los siete números, esta es una salida muy agradable, fácilmente recomendada para los fanáticos del soul-jazz. Entre lo más destacado están "River's Invitation", "Tippin' In" y "Steppin' Up" de McGriff.

VA • Sxl. Organ

Colección de más de 100 temas, que tienen como protagonista al órgano, temas clásicos, no reeditados, singles y raros la conforman. La mayoría de los mismos proviene de una web que ya no existe llamada "General Eclectic"

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Automatic Translation:

Collection of over 100 issues that have as protagonist the organ, vintage, not reprinted, singles and rare form it. Most of them comes from a website that no longer exists called "General Eclectic"

Billy Preston • The Most Exiting Organ Ever

The Most Exciting Organ Ever is the first album by Billy Preston. The fully instrumental album was released in 1965, several weeks before Preston's nineteenth birthday. Extra songs recorded during the sessions of The Most Exciting Organ Ever were released in the next album.

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The Most Exciting Organ Ever es el primer álbum de Billy Preston. El álbum totalmente instrumental fue lanzado en 1965, varias semanas antes del decimonoveno cumpleaños de Preston. Las canciones extra grabadas durante las sesiones de The Most Exciting Organ Ever fueron lanzadas en el siguiente álbum.

 

www.billypreston.net ...

 

VA • Rock Instrumental Classics - Vol.3 - The 70's

 

 

Rock Instrumental Classics, Vols. 1-5 Review by Heather Phares
Rock Instrumental Classics, Vols. 1-5 collects all the volumes of Rhino's Rock Instrumental Classics series into a five-disc box set. Each volume individually and as a set lives up to the title; Santo & Johnny's "Sleepwalk," Bill Justis' "Raunchy," the Champs' "Tequila," and Link Wray's "Rumble" are just a few of the standout tracks from the first disc, which chronicles the rise of instrumental rock in the '50s. The Ventures' "Walk, Don't Run," the Tornados' "Telstar," the T-Bones' "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)," and Mason Williams' "Classical Gas" are among the '60s instrumental hits from the second volume, while Hot Butter's "Popcorn," Billy Preston's "Outa-Space," Van McCoy's "The Hustle," and the Edgar Winter Group's "Frankenstein" are some of the late-'60s and early-'70s classics featured on the third and fourth discs. The final disc is dedicated to surf, the king of instrumental rock genres, and features such twangy singles as the Belairs' "Mr. Moto," Dick Dale's "Miserlou," the Crossfires' "Fiberglass Jungle," and Jack Nitzsche's "The Lonely Surfer." Rock Instrumental Classics, Vols. 1-5 is a wonderfully comprehensive and entertaining retrospective of instrumental rock's golden years, and a must for any fan of the genre.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/rock-instrumental-classics-vols-1-5-mw0000175139

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Clásicos instrumentales del rock, Vols. 1-5 Reseña de Heather Phares
Rock Instrumental Classics, Vols. 1-5 recopila todos los volúmenes de la serie Rock Instrumental Classics de Rhino en una caja de cinco discos. Cada volumen por separado y como conjunto hace honor al título; "Sleepwalk" de Santo & Johnny, "Raunchy" de Bill Justis, "Tequila" de los Champs y "Rumble" de Link Wray son sólo algunos de los temas destacados del primer disco, que narra el auge del rock instrumental en los años 50. Walk, Don't Run" de los Ventures, "Telstar" de los Tornados, "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)" de los T-Bones y "Classical Gas" de Mason Williams son algunos de los éxitos instrumentales de los 60 del segundo volumen, mientras que "Popcorn" de Hot Butter, "Outa-Space" de Billy Preston, "The Hustle" de Van McCoy y "Frankenstein" del Edgar Winter Group son algunos de los clásicos de finales de los 60 y principios de los 70 incluidos en el tercer y cuarto disco. El último disco está dedicado al surf, el rey de los géneros instrumentales del rock, y presenta singles tan enérgicos como "Mr. Moto" de los Belair, "Miserlou" de Dick Dale, "Fiberglass Jungle" de los Crossfires y "The Lonely Surfer" de Jack Nitzsche. Rock Instrumental Classics, Vols. 1-5 es una retrospectiva maravillosamente completa y entretenida de los años dorados del rock instrumental, imprescindible para cualquier fan del género.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/rock-instrumental-classics-vols-1-5-mw0000175139