Monday 29 August 2011

Musicians from the Summer Program for Youthful Musicians



Brougham.
Lightin' Records written by Reginald Hall, produced by Bubbha Thomas.

Lifted from the Gilles Peterson comp, Digs America 2. Big ticket item, posted for Eric the Viking.

From the liner notes;
This ultra rare slice of psychedelic soul jazz business, was recorded in either 1973 (or 74, Thomas was not exactly sure) and released on 7" single only in almost non-existent quantities on the Lightin' Records label. Since the early 1970's, at the Summer Jazz Workshop, Thomas and a dedicated staff of seasoned musicians offer students from all over the world the opportunity to learn the rudiments of jazz. The workshop has been credited with producing professional educators, and musicians and individuals from over 8000 teenagers including notables like Joe Carmouche, Jason Moran, Brandon Lee, Horace A Young, Frank Lacy and Eric Harland.


Tuesday 16 August 2011

Roy Brooks and the Improvisational Sphere




Roy Brooks and the Improvisational Sphere.

Recorded live with:

Ray Mantilla
Claudine Myers.

Special

Monday 8 August 2011

Toshiko Mariano Quartet



Toshiko Mariano Quartet.
Little "T"

One of the most beautiful pieces of music you'll ever hear. Picked this up in California for peanuts.
Heaven.

For all the romanticism of the theme, the playing is virile and often shoutingly joyful. Little T was written by Charlie some six weeks before this recording and was dedicated to his wife. As in serveral pieces by Miles Davis and Bill Evans, the piece is developed modally, thereby allowing for freer melodic development in the long improvised passages. Actually, it can be called polymodal since several modes can be played on the scale that is it's core. Toshiko, the scholar of the two, terms that scale an E Mixolydian harmonized as an A Dorian scale. Charlie simply refers to it as a G scale (the Mixolydian mode consists of the white noteson the piano from G to G) It begins with a yearning theme, played rubato, first by Charlie who is soon joined bowed bass and is followed by Toshiko. The jazz choruses then begin in tempo. The tune goes out in reverse. After the melody is restated, Toshiko plays a rubato epilogue and the tune ends with Mariano and Cherico. Throughout , as in the album as a whole, the quartet plays with a flowing organic wholeness of feeling and time out of which come Mariano's penetrating solos with their pervasive "cry" of jazz and Toshiko's burningly intense, complementary improvisations.


Sunday 7 August 2011

Andre Ceccarelli




Andre Ceccarelli : Rhytmes.
De Wolfe.

1976

Been meaning to post this track ever since G.Raf lent me some of his vinyl a couple of months back now. Tucked away amongst some fairly mundane numbers of a Russ Dewbury compilation called jazz bizniz, was this absolute gem. The whole album is out there in the websphere, but here's the pick of this library lp containing approx 30 short breaks.

Gang Progress ....

If this baby doesn't move you, you got no soul !


Tuesday 2 August 2011

Bobby Hutcherson : Video



Bobby Hutcherson : Herzog (video)

Super rare footage of the "MAN" supported by Stanley Cowell, Joe Chambers and Harold Land. It's all here in beautiful monochrome loveliness, complete with Bobby sporting the killer neckerchief ! The year looks around 1970, maybe earlier, and this one's super cool. Land drops a heavy tone but Hutcherson's solo soars. The finest film of Hutch i've ever come across and secretly supplied by someone who wishes to remain nameless. Thanks must abound, there's more in the pipeline ... killer, KILLER GEARS !!!!