This gallery contains 7 photos.
After a brief sortie into the mid -70s, LJC returns to the early 60s, closer to Home. Selection: Contemporary Focus . . . Artists: Impulse title containing two sessions, recorded eight months apart, three tracks in trio, three in sextet … Continue reading
This gallery contains 4 photos.
Sonny Fortune, “saxophonist of urgency and grace”, died last month, at 79. By chance I picked up one of Fortune’s early albums recently, one which followed on from his debut Strata East title. Possibly almost to the day, unknown to … Continue reading
This gallery contains 11 photos.
After pushing at the boundaries of jazz into the fusion-heavy 1970’s, a new acquisition offered an opportunity to walk back a decade or more, to early beginnings of Blue Note, and the brief career of Jutta Hipp. Selection: Dear Old Stockholm … Continue reading
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Selection: Native Land . . . Artists Dupree Bolton, trumpet; Curtis Amy, tenor, soprano sax; Jack Wilson, piano; Ray Crawford, guitar; Vic Gaskin, bass; Doug Sides, drums. Pacific Jazz Studios, Hollywood, CA, February 3, 1963 Music Katanga!? At LJC I sometimes … Continue reading
This gallery contains 7 photos.
Selection: Sweet and Sugary Candy (12:26) . . . Selection, a quintessentially British jaunty swinger, worthy of Tubby at Ronnies. Artists Michael Garrick – piano, harpsichord, celeste; Don Rendell – soprano and alto sax, flute; Ian Carr – trumpet; Coleridge … Continue reading
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LondonCheapskateRecordCollector here. A must-have album, of many faces, one of which belongs on your turntable. But which? Selection: Pent Up..Tune Up…Cock-up! rip mix-up! Tune Up (Davis) . . . Artists Chet Baker, trumpet; Glauco Masetti, alto sax; Gianni Basso, tenor sax; Renato … Continue reading
This gallery contains 7 photos.
Straying over the boundaries of 50s/60s jazz, putting a toe into the early ’70s, turning the focus back home to Britain, and the influence of expatriate African jazz musicians on the evolving British jazz scene. Think: Londonjazzcollector. British jazz started … Continue reading
This gallery contains 7 photos.
I had this post in preparation, but somehow never got around to posting it, So here it is warts and all. Selection: Between Races US Limelight original . . . 2. UK Mercury – 1st UK release . … Continue reading
This gallery contains 11 photos.
To continue the theme of British Jazz, now expanded to 1963-74, the second double album compiled by DJ of French origin, Gilles Peterson, Impressed 2 released on vinyl in 2004. Nice cover segue, with a second thumb print, it’s all … Continue reading
This gallery contains 9 photos.
Hey LJC – original vinyl, remember? A DJ compilation reissue, have you taken leave of your senses?! Quite possibly, but I’m gonna do it anyway. This one is different. The original recordings carefully curated here are simply impossible to find … Continue reading
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As today is the day Americans celebrate their independence from us Brits ( looking back, I think on the whole a good move) , it is only fitting to return the spotlight from British jazz back onto to our ungrateful … Continue reading
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Not everything is as it seems. A post on sketchy identities, confusion, possibly even deception. It introduces a relatively unknown British jazz artist named Scott. Not Tony, not Ronnie, but…Johnny. And even that’s not his real name. Follow the twists and turns in another jazz mystery tour. … Continue reading
This gallery contains 6 photos.
This piece started out as a review of Grant Green’s 1979 Japan-only release Matador. Some consider it among his finest albums, after Idle Moments, of course, and arguably, Solid. Just four tracks to choose from. Initially, I selected the Duke … Continue reading
This gallery contains 7 photos.
Selection: John Coltrane (Lee) A two record set deserves a second selection: Eddie Harris (Lee) . . . Artists Billy Higgins drums, percussion; Cedar Walton, Stanley Cowell, piano; Clifford Jordan, tenor saxophone; Bill Lee, Sam Jones, bass. Quartet I: C. … Continue reading
This gallery contains 7 photos.
(Updated June 12, 2018 – see foot of post) Saxophone Colossus overlooked (and that’s a tall order!) The mystery of RVG/ Prestige alphabetic stamp codes. Followers of The Evil Silver Disc might want to sit this one out. It’s deep vinyl. … Continue reading
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Selection: Girl You Got A Home (Bill Lee) . . . Artists Cecil Payne, baritone, alto saxophone; Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Wynton Kelly, piano, organ; Wilbur Ware, bass; Albert Heath, drums. Recorded December 16, 1968, at Town Sound Studios, Englewood, NJ. … Continue reading
This gallery contains 15 photos.
New LJC topic: the jazz cover art of Jim Flora. Selection from Nick Travis, The Panic is On: You Don’t Know What Love Is (Raye / de Paul) . . . Marc Myers (“Jazz Wax”) pays tribute to … Continue reading
This gallery contains 8 photos.
Selection: I Surrender Dear (Barris -Gordon) . . . History of a “Jazz Standard”: I Surrender Dear. Bing Crosby first recorded “I Surrender Dear” in January, 1931, with Gus Arnheim’s Cocoanut Grove Orchestra. Written by Harry Barris (not to be … Continue reading
This gallery contains 6 photos.
Selection: Son of Skydive . . . Sorry Don Sebesky and Bob James – faced with the tracks featuring twelve violins, six brass and four woodwind, two hens a-laying and a partridge in a pear tree, I’ve gone for the … Continue reading
This gallery contains 6 photos.
LJC Special Selection: Albums I initially avoided due to presence of turkeys, but which also contain prime cuts: BST 84243 Lee Morgan’s Delightfulee. Apologies in advance to lovers of the Fab Four, and cranberry sauce. Selection: Nite Flite (Morgan) . … Continue reading
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Selection: I didn’t Know What Time It Was ( Rogers & Hart) . . . Artists Lonnie Hillyer, trumpet; Charles McPherson, alto sax; Barry Harris, piano; Ernie Farrow, bass; Clifford Jarvis, drums; recorded Plaza Sound Studios, NYC, September 28, 1961, … Continue reading
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An uncommercial island, Stanley Cowell and Charles Tolliver’s Strata East Records, stubbornly surrounded by increasingly commercial waters, making music to satisfy its core listening audience rather college boys and the bachelor demographic, who had moved on elsewhere. Venturing further into … Continue reading
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Van Gelder fakes fake stereo: it’s all good! Selection: Kerplunk (Byrd) . . . Selection chosen for the scarce recording presence of Elmo Hope, and the young Byrd and McLean strutting their stuff backwards and forwards running the changes double … Continue reading
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Selection: Lester Left Town (Shorter) . . . Artists: Lee Morgan, trumpet; Wayne Shorter, tenor sax; Walter Davis Jr., piano; Jymie Merritt, bass; Art Blakey, drums; Dizzy Reece, congas, recorded Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, November 10, 1959. … Continue reading
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“Poisson d’Avril” put to bed, LJC navigates the turn of the ’60s/’70s decade, where modern jazz slides into electric jazz-rock fusion, with flagship of the genre, Freddie Hubbard’s Red Clay. A transition not only in musical style, but demands on … Continue reading
