Easter

Ndikho Xaba : Sunsets

Ndikho Xaba : Sunsets

Highly recommended release from a living legend available from CDbaby.

Many thanks and huge respect go to Mama Nomusa.

The Lightmen

The Lightmen ; Free as you Wanna Be.
Judnell 1001.

No bullshit build up on this one !
Killer, killer, killer.

Seelow and Mayer Foundation

Seelow and Mayer Foundation
Mr Dynamite : DK Disc

Recorded in June 1970 at the Jankowski Studio, Stuttgart-Feuerbach, this obscure album certainly has it's moments. Check out the top tappin' cracker track Masquerade. 

Dieter Seelow 

Wolfgang Schmid 

Peter Mayer

Hans Haug

Hadley Caliman Tribute

Hadley Caliman

Really been hitting the Hadley gears lately. I picked up on his playing when trawling through Bobby Hutcherson's back catalogue many many years ago, which lead to the conclusion, if HC is in the line-up then it's going to be good. Spent a very pleasing evening recently putting together what i consider to be his best tunes, lifted from his 2 Mainstream lp's, Projecting on Catalyst and Bayete's World's around the Sun on Prestige. There's 7 tracks in there, including Iapetus, Quadrivium, Smearzo, The Latin Thing and Bayete's (Between man and God) killer tune. Looking at the personnel that was involved in with this stuff, it's no wonder the quality is so high. James Leary, Louis Gasca, Todd Cochran, Woody Theus, Victor Pantoja, Hotep Cecil Bernard and many more. 

It's a great listen, let me know what you think.

The Playlist;
track 1 : Watercress from Iapetus
track 2 : Quadrivium from Iapetus
track 3 : Cigar Eddie from MRL-318
track 5 : Smearzo from Projecting
track 6 : Her from Projecting
track 7 : The Latin Thing from Projecting
track 8 : Bayete from World's around the Sun

Lonnie Smith : THINK!

Lonnie Smith : THINK!
Blue Note 1968

Nothing to private press here, but this has been driving me crazy recently. 2, very heavy tracks, Son of Ice bag and the killer, The Call of the Wild which contains some of fiercest percussion out there. Just the ticket for Christmas morning hang- overs and hang- ups. 

Henry Pucho Brown on Drums, Willie Bivins and Norberto Appellaniz on congas and percussion lift these tracks to another level. Pretty damn wild for BN ...

Barry Zweig : Desert Vision 1978

Barry Zweig : Desert Vision
Jazz Chronicles JCS 788 courtesy of Los Angeles Theaseum

Another west coast jazz rarity out of LA from 1978.

Barry Zweig : Guitar
Bobby Shew : Trumpet and Flugelhorn.
Tom Collier : Marimba, vibes and percussion.
Peter Donald : Drums.
Abraham Labortel : Bass
David Parlato : Bass

Loving this one, check out this version of Dave Gruisin's Queen Bee.

Slick ...

When Deep-Jazz became a Reality.

Just a few words to say a massive thank you to all those that made it to the Queens' Head on Saturday. We never really knew how this was going to turn out and if anybody would even bother to put in an appearance. It topped off quiet a special day for me, and one i will always remember. Olympia Record fair which for once came up with the goods this time. Ambiance on Ebun, some Gary Bartz, McDuff's Moon Rappin OG and Joe Henderson in Japan US original. Larry Stabbins playing Coltrane's Africa at the Royal Festival Hall, followed by DJR.

It's always difficult to know who's out there taking an interest in this obscure, abstract and impossible to label jazz. The music played that night was a culmination of many many years spent diggin' the crates, and will no doubt never end. Still, and always discovering hidden gems. 

Bacoso (damn that latin Stan Tracey drop!) has already name checked many of the players that reached and showed such enthusiastic support. Not sure if there be will another session quiet like it, but there should be another night sometime in the new year.

17th November : Reach!

Location;

The Queen's Head

Denman Street

W1D 7HN

8 till Late.

Not for the faint hearted this one. Fierce  Jazz from the vaults of Private Press and Orgy in Rhythm's Bacoso. Rare gears from the  US to Japan. Olli, Sabu, Mtume, Shamek, McBee,  Bonner,  Chambers,  Weldon,   Hutcherson, Henderson, Tjader, Brooks, Blakey and plenty more. 

Im-Hotep, Flying Dutchman, Fontana, Chiaroscuro, Tribe, Strata-east, Nimbus, Impulse, Lightin, Vistone,  Blue Note, Fantasy, Muse, Strata, Mainstream, Judnell, Prestige and all the Private press labels will be in the shakedown. I think i'll leave the Latin gears to Bacoso, who could compete? There could be a pinch of Soul to lighten the mood. 4 Hours of darkness could be a step to far. 

It's a great location, next to the Piccadilly Theatre, in the heart of the West End. We'll be squeezed into the Function room on the 1st Floor.

http://www.queensheadpiccadilly.com/

Massive thanks for the Artwork  goes to Blackclassical. 

Try to reach, come along and support.