Warren Wolf
Reincarnation
Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
Well the clue is in the title but Warren Wolf’s latest album is a departure from the classic jazz he’s peddled – as leader and sideman – across the last two decades. Good vibes though, and please pardon that pun – as Wolf takes all he learned from masters like Bobby Hutcherson and applies a bit of Roy Ayers’ flair for R’n’B song settings. Read More
John Scofield
Swallow Tales
ECM
In John Scofield’s first trio album as a leader for the ECM label it’s to a series of reunions; Sco is back leading a trio, back with one of his favoured drummers – the great Bill Stewart – and back playing the songs of Steve Swallow (who also plays bass here, completing the trio’s line-up). These are songs from across Swallow’s career, songs that Scofield first heard and learned some 40 years ago. He approaches them with relish, places them in a jazz setting of course, but moves around the edges with his trademark fusion of blues licks and rock bends. Read More
Maceo Parker
Soul Food – Cooking With Maceo
The Funk Garage
The living legend of the funk-soul saxophone Maceo Parker returns – his first studio album in eight years. And he sounds good. Really good. From the hip-hop hints on opener, Cross The Track, through some N’awlins strut (Yes We Can Can, Right Place Wrong Time) and Soul-Train inspired disco-infused funk (Rock Steady) Parker is having fun here. And did I mention already that he sounds great? Read More
Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Malapaso Productions / Appian Way Productions / Warner Bros. Pictures
Richard Jewell is the story of a security guard that went from national hero to chief suspect in a crushing blow for his own health and sanity and in an awful trial-by-media persecution that is just part of the downfall of the alleged American dream. Read More
Jazz Sabbath
Jazz Sabbath
Blacklake
In 1968 Jazz Sabbath were considered to be at the forefront of the new English jazz movement. Their self-titled debut album would be released on 13 Feb 1970, but on Feb 12th founding member and pianist Milton Keanes was hospitalized with a massive heart attack; leaving him fighting for his life. The record company shelved the album and cancelled the scheduled release out of financial uncertainty of releasing a debut album from a band without it’s musical leader. When Milton was released from hospital in September 1970, he found out that a band from Birmingham, conveniently called Black Sabbath, had since released two albums containing so-called metal versions of his songs. His recalled albums had been destroyed in a warehouse fire in June 1970; leaving only a few bootleg tapes of Jazz Sabbath’s live performances as proof of existence. The master tapes, believed to be lost in the fire, were found last year. These songs will now finally be heard; proving that the heavy metal band worshipped by millions are in fact nothing more than musical charlatans, thieving the music from a bedridden, hospitalized genius…
Okay, that’s the crafted backstory, the attempt at creating and carrying on a joke, but such a joke is not needed at all. The truth is Jazz Sabbath is the brainchild of the touring keyboardist for Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath. And the far more prosaic backstory is that he was jiving around on some Sabbath songs in a hotel foyer at the piano, taking Tony Iommi’s defining metal riffs and creating ivory-tinkled melodies from them.
Someone thought well enough and wise enough that this sort of silly but harmless, musically clever joke should be expanded and now we have a full album of Black Sabbath songs interpreted for piano trio.
If you remember the soul and funk, horn-drenched Brown Sabbath fiesta then you’ll already know the music translates well to genres outside and away from metal. If you know the songs well already then you’ll delight in hearing their signature parts delivered in a fresh, surprising way. Read More
B.B. King & Eric Clapton
Riding With The King (Deluxe Edition)
Reprise Records
You know those reviews that accompany retro/reissue/archival releases, all breathless with excitement…lost classic this, forget all about it that, underrated at the time…finally revealed as a true classic…
Yeah…this is not one of those… Read More
Purdie / Fabian / Oswanski
Move On!
Consolidated Artists Productions
Here, the living legend of laidback-shuffling funk drums and quick-fire rimshot/hi-hat attack Mr. Bernard “Pretty” Purdie joins up with journeyman musicians Ron Oswanski (Hammond B-3 organ) and Christian Fabian (electric bass) for a trio record of lively, funky instrumentals. Read More
Don Covay
Anthology: His First Recordings
Master Tape Records
The great journeyman soul singer and songwriter Don Covay is best known for his Mercy, Mercy which was a crucial song, early on, for The Rolling Stones. And many of his songs were covered many times throughout the years – but really the biggest gem was Chain of Fools being sent out into the world via Aretha Franklin. Covay had other hits himself but he settled into being a staff writer and working in publishing in the back-half of his career.
However, in the 1950s he was an R’n’B singer – and writer. And one of his first jobs was as the touring hype man and warm-up act for Little Richard. Billed as Pretty Boy, he would sing rock’n’roll pastiche and doo-wop balladry and some of the songs were glorified adverts for Little Richard and his style (Bip Bop Bip, Rockin’ The Mule) but there is so much in his early career and this anthology seeks to capture it all. Blues songs (I’m Coming Down With The Blues) and gorgeous soul ballads (Cause I Love You) from a writer, singer and musician that was also a hell of an entertainer – before he took a backseat into the songwriting and publishing roles.
Great band feels here too (See About Me) and infectious soul and R’n’B tunes (The Popeye Waddle) this is one to play over and again, teach your friends about Covay, bask in his sound, find new favourites every time, 29 songs to choose from here. It makes a wonderful soul soundtrack for any day of the week, any time of day; timeless good fun music.
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the lactic acid in the calves of your despair
Ali Whitelock
Wakefield Press
Ali Whitelock is a Scottish poet now based in Australia. This is her third book, her second volume of poems. I loved the previous volume, and my heart crumples like a coke can, so much. I still think about it. Often. It was hard to put it aside to read the lactic acid in the calves of your despair. This is the whitest of first world problems: Your new favourite poet releases a really good new book that might threaten to eclipse that other really great book she wrote which is still current and occupying your mind. Read More
Harry Nilsson
Campaign Hero (The Skip Weshner Show 1970 and The Smothers Brothers Summer Show 1970 Broadcast)
Smokin’ Badger
Here’s a nice curio from the Nilsson vaults. It’s been available before – but it’s on the streaming platforms now and gathered all in one place. This EP-length (just 17-minutes) collection of two different talk show/radio-broadcast appearances from 1970 shows several songs in embryonic form; shows Nilsson in full-charm as piano-bar balladeer; has all of the proof in less than 20 minutes that he was a songwriting and song-interpreting genius. Read More
Rudresh Mahanthappa
Hero Trio
Whirlwind Recordings
Rudresh Mahanthappa is a killer alto player – you’ve maybe heard his work with Vijay Iyer, that’s where I was first introduced to his sound. But he’s gone on to make over a dozen recordings under his own name and collaborate with other leading lights in modern jazz. Here he pays tribute to some of his musical heroes with an album that features a long-serving rhythm section in what’s known as a “cordless trio” – that very configuration seems a tribute to both Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman; both masters of this format – saxophone, upright bass and drums. Read More
Don Bryant
You Make Me Feel
Fat Possum
Don Bryant made a few singles under his own name, cut a few albums for other people– but his lasting contribution to music is as a songwriter. If nothing more he heard his wife utter the words, “I can’t stand the rain!” and lifted them up and away from slight disgruntlement to the keyboard to create a stirring soul classic that’s been covered by dozens of people and probably paid the rent for a time. His wife was – and still is – Ann Peebles and that’s been Bryant’s other great contribution to music really: taking a background role, being a promoter, songwriter and backing singer for his wife. Helping to promote her music and to usher in her unique soul sound. Recognising and bowing down to her immense talent. Read More