The amazing full length debut of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a cool combo
from the Chicago scene who've been making some big waves around the
world over the past few years! The brass-heavy group have a family
legacy that links them to the Artistic Heritage Ensemble of Phil Cohran –
and an approach to their music that mixes spiritual jazz, deep funk,
and elements of New Orleans music too – a really unique style that has
earned the group's rare singles some tremendous praise – and which is
finally ready to step out fully in this wonderful album! The horns are
even harder and heavier than before – honed through some touring around
the globe, and brought into focus here beautifully – bristling with
energy from the very first note. The set features guest appearances
from Malcolm Catto, Tony Allen, Flea, and Damon Albarn – but the real
strength of the record lies in the group's amazing horns and rhythms –
on titles that include "War", "Gibbous", "Alyo", "Ballicki Bone",
"Jupiter", "Marcus Garvey", "Party Started", "Sankofa", "Satin Sheets",
"Hypnotic", and 2 versions of "Rabbit Hop".
Mindblowing – and a landmark recording that crosses all boundaries in
the Chicago music scene of the late 60s! Philip Cohran was a visionary
musician who'd played with Sun Ra during the 60s, but who left Ra to
forge his own musical vision by the middle part of the decade. The
Artistic Heritage ensemble was a crucially important group in Chicago –
one that drew players from both the soul and jazz scenes, with a wealth
of talents that later went onto work with groups like Earth Wind &
Fire, The Pharoahs, Ra's Arkestra, and other ensembles. Talents on this
set alone include players like Charles Handy, Don Myrick, Aaron Dodd,
Henry Gibson, and Louis Satterfield – not to mention Cohran, who plays
cornet (as he did with Sun Ra), plus two groovy instruments of his own
invention: the violin uke and the great Frankiphone, a sort of electric
thumb piano whose use on these recordings pre-dated the very famous
Kalimba sound that Earth Wind & Fire would use to great success
during the 70s. The album includes the driving conga funk track
"Unity", the singing soulful track "The Minstrel", the incredibly
haunting "On The Beach", and the track "Motherhood", which has a strong
Abbey Lincoln type of feel. The whole thing's a beautiful batch of
spiritual jazzy tracks with a good groove – and a perfect blend of soul
and spirit, jazz and righteousness!
One of the grooviest compilations we've ever seen – a collection of work
by American expatriates living in Israel at the end of the 70s – a hip
blend of US funk and Hebrew spirituality! Most of the work here sounds
like the best spiritual funk of the 70s – very much in an Earth Wind
& Fire tradition of joy, love, and life – played in righteous
ensemble mode with a good deal of jazz in the instrumentation alongside
funkier rhythms on the bottom! The artists on the set originally hailed
from Chicago and Detroit – and there's still strong influence from
those scenes, particularly the early 70s sound of the Windy City. If
you dig The Pharaohs and Pieces Of Peace, you'll find plenty here to
love – and as usual with Numero Records, the whole thing comes with an
amazing booklet of notes – the full story of this unique musical
diaspora, supported with some great images as well. Titles include "Go
To Proclaim", "Equilibrium", "Prince Of Zeal", "Junky Baby", and "Savior
In The East" by Soul Messengers; "Holding On" and "Dimona" by Tonistics; "Daniel", "Burn Devil Burn", and "A Place To Be" by Spirit Of Israel & Soul Messengers; and "Hey There" and "Modernization" by Sons Of The Kingdom.
In the wake of the massive early-'70s
success of Santana, a flurry of groups that combined rock with
traditional percussion were signed to major labels. Osibisa, though a
completely different animal than Carlos Santana and crew, were one of
these groups. On Happy Children, the band's fourth album and one of
their best, Osibisa emerge as a true world fusion group, merging a
myriad of styles to an extent unmatched by almost any other unit of the
period. The band usually shies away from anything like traditional pop
structures, favoring long jams played on top of a repetitive bass vamp
in the tradition of live Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis's Bitches Brew
period. Unlike these two artists, however, Osibisa usually emphasizes
group dynamic shifts and Blood Sweat and Tears/Tower of Power-style
written-out horn lines over individual solos. As they were an African
group recording in London, the band's basic rhythms also differ
significantly from those of its contemporaries. They play a style of
music that has its roots in authentic tribal drumming and chants.
Consequently, there are similarities to New Orleans second line,
Southern and West Coast/Sly Stone funk, Jamaican reggae, and Afro-cuban
jazz, but in a raw, driving manner that seems to pre-date all of these
styles. At the same time, on several tunes, Osibisa brings a Duke
Ellington-like harmonic sense that belies the members' musical
sophistication. Though they don't generally approach anything resembling
a pop tune here (which might make the album a hard listen for the
casual funk fan), Happy Children is a fascinating glimpse at a band
successfully fusing a celebratory, pre-rock energy with ancient rhythms
and modern jazz harmony.
A gem from the great Lloyd Miller – backed by modern Brit jazz funk
maestros The Heliocentrics – and a credit to the legacies of all
involved! Miller has worked timeless, hypnotic magic on an array of
Middle Eastern and Asian instrumentation throughout his career, here
playing piano, Indian santur, clarinet, Chinese sona, sitar, wood flute,
oud and more – and this effort stands strongly with the best of it.
He's accompanied by the masterful Malcolm Catto & The Heliocentrics –
showing as much depth and versatility as ever in largely acoustic and
improvisational setting – and the bottom line is that it's just as
wonderful as their work with Mulatu. As much as we've flipped out over
the Heliocentrics efforts as headliners to date, it's quite stunning
how well they work backing such influential and legendary figures.
Essential! Includes "Electricone", "Nava", "Mandala", "Spiritual Jazz",
"Bali Bronze", "Modality", "Salendro", "Pari Ru", "Lloyd's Diatribe",
"Fantasia" (Pts 1 & 2), "Chahargah", "Sunda Sunset" and more.
Avant - improv - folk - punk - prog - jazz - new orleans - klezmer -
gipsy - balkan - east asian.... you need a train of words to
describe.... music that starts from japanese street performances (chindon) and goes globally... madly.
The sound of CICALA MVTA is developed around the mainman/composer
WATARU OHKUMA`s distinctive clarinet improvisations, by an unsual line
up of musicians playing the tuba, percussions, fiddle, cello, electric
guitar... The compositions are complexed, rich in multicultural
references, with many unexpected turns and changes; the "street" feeling
though, (lyrical, dramatic, bufooning ) is always present...
"CHING DONG..." is the german version of the first self-titled CICALA MVTA album.
Moniker CICALA MVTA honours the memory of the great, early 20th century japanese streetmusic singer, Soeda Azembo, the "mute cicada".
For some reggae connoisseurs this is one of the greatest record you never heard.
Eric Gale was home in Negril wailing on his guitar behind some serious
lambs bred. This album was recorded in Jamaica before Eric Gale went
back to New York to become one of the most in-demand East Coast session
guitarists. The music is laid-back instrumental Reggae.
This album is some of the most musically advanced reggae you can
find. The tracks are all sizzling with dancing groove energy that is the
perfect mix of soul and reggae. Paints a perfect picture of the beaches
of Negril in Jamaica. If you like reggae and James Brown and Marvin
Gaye and Phish, you should give this album a try.
Have a look at the list of the involved musicians and you get an idea of the quality:
Eric Gale (Lead Guitar), Peter Tosh (Rhythm Guitar), Richard Tee
(Piano), Keith Sterling (Piano), Leslie Butler (Organ &
Synthesizer), Cedric "Im" Brooks (Saxophone, Percussion), Val Douglas
(Bass Guitar), Aston "Family Man" Barrett (Bass Guitar), Paul Douglas
(Drums), Sparrow Martin (Drums), Joe Higgs (Percussion), Isiah "Sticky"
Thompson (Percussion).
A wonderfully groovy set – every bit as great as you might guess from
the title and the cover – and the very first installment in the
now-legendary Mood Mosaic series! The set's one of the few to bring
together tunes from the groovier side of the spectrum at the end of the
60s – work from British, French, American, and German sources – all
awash in a great blend of funky, easy, and pop-oriented modes! There's a
nicely trippy feel throughout – and titles include "Hascisch Party" by
George Garvarenz, "Kiss This" by Claude Denjean, "Acka Raga" by Shocking
Blue, "Mas Que Nada" by Luiz Enriquez, "En Melody" by Serge Gainsbourg,
"Love For Sale" by Marian McPartland, "Batucada" by Phil Crewe, "Marins
Armins Amant Ou Maris" by Michel Legrand, and "Sitar Beat" by Klaus
Doldinger.
In one word: WOW !!!!
A 1969 release on MPS by Jonny Teupen, who is backed by an amazing band featuring Dave Pike on vibes.
Recording date: July 7 - 9, 1969 Cologne (Germany).
Killer Funk, Psych, Kraut-Acid-Jazz LP. Contains "LOVE ME", "HARP REVOLUTION" and other outstanding tunes ...
MUSICIANS ARE:
Jonny Teupen [harp], Jiggs Whigham [tb], Shake
Keane [tp], Charly Antolini [drums], J.A. Rettenbacher [bass, e-piano],
Dave Pike [percussion], Volker Kriegel [guitar], Günter-Kallmann-Chor
[vocal]
TRACKS INCLUDED:
The Fool On The Hill, Blue Tattoo, Come Back And
Shake Me, The Cornflower Girl, Harp Revolution, Love Me, By The Willow
Tree, Theda, Plaisir D'Amour, I Saw The Sun Goin' Down
NODENS ICTUS features members of OZRIC TENTACLES and EAT STATIC
presenting a mixture of live with heavy use of synths and a range of
influences from western to eastern. "Spacelines" is one of electronic
music, and has almost no links with the neo-psyche of OZRIC TENTACLES.
Everything sounds crystal and clear on this hour of lush electronic
sounds. These recordings date from 1986 to 1989, with two tracks from
the year 2000. Psychedelic software for your mind...!
Great collection of 'Other worldy folk music gems and psychedelics' compiled by the man with numerous aliases. A few words from Mr. Pritchard
from the inlay - "...basically I've never been a massive fan of
traditional folk music. However I would always have a dig through the
folk section in second hand record stores because every now and then I
would come across a certain style of folk that would give me chills.
Call it 'Folk Funk' or 'Soft Psych' or even 'Acid Folk', but what
interests me with these tracks is that you can hear that the musicians
are drawing on a lot of different influences and styles: Jazz, Prog,
Soul, Experimental music; to create something new and original..."
A hybrid sound, from rock to jazz to funk to world/ ethnic music. Heavy duty
Indian raga meets funk bass, uptempo rhythms, frantic tablas, mellow sensual
sax. Shades of electro funk Miles Davis. This is spiritual funk, a sort of
spiritual Material. Big names, an all star line up which includes Dave
Liebman, Graham Haynes, Bernie Worrell, Jah Wobble, Sussan Deyhim, Zakhir
Hussain, Laswell and much more. Great production, wonderfully dark at times.
Laswell plays some killer bass at times (X Zibit i) . Qawalist Gulam Mohamed
Khan does a fine job supplying the vocals, perfect for on a sultry summer
night, the drone of the harmonium accompanying him at all times.
Atmospherically ambient, almost what we have come to expect of anything Bill
Laswell has been involved in with. Black Lotus has some great organ / drum/
bass interplay. What drives this album are the eastern rhythms merging with
jazz ideas. I hear my own ghosts crop up- Shakti, McLaughlin / Santana, Oregon
but this recording plunges far far deeper into some sort of heart of darkness.
Hussain's tabla playing is reminiscent of the work he did on City Of Lights.
First rate. Don't hesitate just pursue a copy.
'Kristi and friends make hypnotic ethno-trance tunes
featuring folk instruments from Greece and Asia Minor
mixed with psychedelic and Balkan polyrhythms. Her
haunting vocal lines (inspired by Byzantine psalmody)
are cut into Eurobeat mixes for contemporary world
music is that sound, turned around.'
“Ol’ Tim Leary woulda’ LUVVED this worldbeat/folk
adventure! Kristi sings in Greek, but you’d think you were at an
“Airplane” concert (with slightly more emphasis on th’ percussion than
Grace Slick might’ve had). This is NOT the (dreaded) sloppy techno-rawk
it could have been… it doesn’t sound (in the least) like low-end
cut/paste electronics, & that’s a LARGE plus for the
listener…/…there are some very clearly psychedelic influences that take
me (in a FLASH, mon’) back to some wild concert nights in th’
‘60s!…/…you’ll get LOST in the echoes, floatin’ off on a Persian carpet
into la-la land…/…The CD definitely rates a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from this
reviewer.”
The Schäl Sick Brass Band started out as an alternative, multi-culti
Cologne Carnival band . With its offbeat style of world
music, the band has since developed into one of the most exciting German
music groups.
The "musical world theatre" rides on the breeze
of delightfully fresh and versatile "collective-blowing" in the spirit
of "think global - blow local," supported by a rhythm section consisting
of tuba, drums, percussion and guitar or Waldzither, that "grooves like
hell" (Gitarre & Bass). After about 500 concerts at home and abroad
- in Bavaria and Istanbul, in Morocco and Madrid, in Cologne's Carnival
and concert halls, in Oetztal and Rimini, in Prague in springtime, in
Budapest in autumn, in Ljubljana and Greece in summer - the journey
continues. It's a journey that uses the simple language of music to
contribute to a better intercultural understanding…"this is gloriously
polycultural stuff"
Susheela Raman's smooth and mellow music carefully balances Classical Indian Music
with modern sounds. Her songs are thought-provoking, and speak about
love, rootlessness and spirituality. All this loftiness of lyric and
music, though, does not take away from the catchy pop sensibility that
Raman manages to achieve.
For their major-label debut, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy don't change their tune at all, which is a good thing. Like their two indie releases, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
is a rollicking set of big-band swing, performed with energy and
tongue-in-cheek. The group runs through a number of standards and
originals, and while their ironic humor may irritate purists, their
vigorous, exciting performances make the album a delight.
Oscar Marcelo Alemán (February 20, 1909 – October 14, 1980) was an Argentine jazz guitarist.He was a singer, dancer, entertainer, and guitarist.
In the 1930s, having discovered American Jazz , Alemán moved to Paris where he was hired by Josephine Baker to lead her band, the Baker Boys
at the Cafe de Paris. This provided him an opportunity to play
regularly with American Jazz musicians who would come to see Josephine
and sit in with her band.
Alemán later formed his own nine-piece band which would play nightly at
the Le Chantilly, just across town from where Django Reinhardt and his
partner violinist Stephane Grappelli would be performing at The Hot Club
of France with their Quintet. Although these two geniuses of the guitar
never recorded together, they became close friends.
Again as a solo act, he toured Europe, playing with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington.
The Nazi invasion of France during World War II forced him to return to Argentina. He continued playing there with his hit Rosa madreselva, and continued to record and perform with both a swing quintet, as well as with a nine-piece orchestra.
He continued to teach and perform in his native country until his death in 1980 at 71 years of age.
Alemán generally played with thumb pick and fingers. He compares his style and technique to Django Reinhardt's:
"I knew Django Reinhardt well. He used to say jazz was gipsy
- we often argued over that. I agree with many Americans I met in
France who said he played very well but with too many gipsy tricks. He
had very good technique for both hands, or rather one hand and a pick,
because he always played with a pick. Not me, I play with my fingers.
There are things you can't do with a pick - you can't strike the treble
with two fingers and play something else on the bass string. - But I
admired him and he was my friend. He was my greatest friend in France.
We played together many times, just for ourselves. I used to go to his
wagon, where he lived. I've slept and eaten there - and also played! He
had three or four guitars. Django never asked anyone to go to his wagon,
but he made an exception with me. I appreciated him, and I believe the
feeling was mutual".
According to Jorge Larsen
"Although he kept playing Latin music up to the end, he never jazzed
it, but was always very careful to maintain each genre's authenticity."
Critic Leonard Feather
wrote "Alemán has more swing than any other guitarist on the
continent", and "His tone, phrasing, swing, and attack are so grand that
if anyone ever mentions Django Reinhardt to me again, I shall stare
coldly."
Alemán was best known for playing the D-hole Selmer Maccaferri (also played by Django Reinhardt). He also used a National Style 1 tri-cone resonator guitar, nylon string guitars and archtop guitars.
To mainstream audiences, Squirrel Nut
Zippers' out-of-left-field rise in popularity (on the strength of
"Hell," their 1997 alterna-pop hit) marked the beginning of the new
swing movement's commercial breakthrough. Yet as PERRENIAL FAVORITES
proves, the Zippers' diversity of styles evokes more than mere zoot
suits and jump-blues shouters. Imagine, instead, a stew made of hot
jazz, western swing and ethnic folk musics like klezmer, polka and
tango--as well as brass-driven boogie--which seamlessly reflects the
cross-cultural melting pot that early 20th century America aspired to
be. A race-barrier-less utopia of sound.
Featured in this revue are: Jim Mathus, who
plays the Al Jolson-esque part of comedic vocalist and MC, Katherine
Whalen, who stars as both Bessie Smith and Josephine Baker, a female
singer straddling the line between the glee of cabaret-like pop and the
melancholy of 78 rpm urban blues, and Andrew Bird, whose violin evokes
both ancient Jewish melodies and the lonesome sounds of Appalachia.
Songs like "Ghost of Stephen Foster" and "Trou Macaq" are filled with
references to ragtime, "Camptown Races" and many other touchstones of
early 20th century American popular culture, updating these images from
oldies to perennials. And naturally, PERENNIAL FAVORITES swings like a
kool-kitty demon on a ballroom floor.
Squirrel Nut Zippers: Jim
Mathus (vocals, guitar, banjo, tenor saxophone, trombone, piano,
percussion); Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo); Tom Maxwell (vocals,
guitar, clarinet, tenor & baritone saxophone, gong); Ken Mosher
(guitar, alto & baritone saxophone, Fender Rhodes, cymbal,
background vocals); Je Windenhouse (trumpet, coronet, background
vocals); Stuart Cole (bass); Chris Phillips (drums, steel drum,
percussion, background vocals).
Additional personnel: Steve
Watson (pedal steel guitar); Andrew Bird (violin, piano, percussion,
background vocals); Emily Laurance (harp); Rick Lassiter, Don Raleigh
(bass)
In 1999, Boney released his first CD under the name of his band « The Bone’s Project ».10 tracks among which seven 7 original compositions perfectly
illustrate Boney’s musical world; a repertoire that goes back to the
origins of blues but also offers a real variety of rhythms, from
traditional Chicago blues to wild Rock and Roll as well as funky groove
in the same vein as Cameo. The repertoire also includes some Reggae with
an outstanding remake of “Express Yourself”.
Also known as “Boogaloo Joe“, (born 1 November 1940) is a psychedelic jazz guitarist. He made his solo debut as “Joe Jones” on Prestige Records in 1967, but earned the name “Boogaloo Joe” following a 1969
record of that title. The demeaning name was meant to distinguish him
from the other people with similar names in the music business, such as
R&B singer Joe Jones, jazz drummers “Papa Jo” Jones and Philly Joe Jones, and the Joe Jones of the Fluxus movement. Later, he’d turn to billing himself as Ivan “Boogaloo Joe” Jones.
Jones recorded several albums in a soul-jazz vein for Prestige in the period from 1966 to 1978. In addition to leading his own group for recording purposes, Ivan Jones recorded with Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes, Houston Person, Rusty Bryant, Harold Mabern, Wild Bill Davis and, most notably, Willis Jackson. Rusty Bryant, Charles Earland, and Bernard Purdie are among the sidemen also featured on Boogaloo’s albums.
His sound and style clearly derived from the blues. But it was a solid understanding of rock that Jones brought to his style of jazz. He was influenced most by Tal Farlow and Billy Butler, but gravitated toward the rhythm and blues jazz Butler was popularizing with organist Bill Doggett‘s popular group.
While
jazz went through some drastic changes during the dozen years of his
recording career, Jones' sound and style stayed remarkably consistent.
His twangy tone coupled catchy chordal vamps with astonishing
rapid-fire single-note playing. He could handle familiar pop covers
(“Light My Fire,” “Have You Never Been Mellow”) and ballads. But he
really excelled in the jazz-funk groove and proved himself a first-rate
blues player.
In 1993, BGP released Mindbender/My Fire!, which contained two complete
albums -- Mindbender and My Fire!, originally released on BGP in 1968--
by funky jazz guitarist Joe "Boogaloo" Jones .
One of the few really fantastic albums to come out of the Miami scene
of the seventies! The great Little Beaver lays down some righteous
guitar and heavy vocals over a cool spare backing groove on cuts like “I
Can Dig It Baby”, “Money Vibrations”, “Let The Good Times Roll”, and
“Party Down (parts 1 & 2)”. The sound is sort of a mix between
Shuggie Otis’ Inspiration Information LP and heavier funk outings, and
the record’s a classic bit of southern 70s funk.
Plenty of darkness here from Phil Upchurch – those great tones and notes
he worked so well back in the 70s – all with that near-perfect quality
that made him one of the most in-demand players of his day! The style
here is a bit different than some of Phil's previous work in Chicago –
as the set was recorded on the west coast with support from players who
include Joe Sample on piano, Arthur Adams on rhythm guitar, Chuck Rainey
on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums. But that shift of locale hasn't
dampened Phil's sound at all – and he's still getting a bit of hometown
help from Donny Hathaway, who arranged a few tracks and also plays a bit
of electric piano on the record. Other arrangements are by Nick
DeCaro, and titles include "Love & Peace", "Darkness, Darkness",
"Cold Sweat", and "Inner City Blues"
«Είχα έναν φίλο πρεζονόμο που μου μαγείρευε τα πιό όμορφα διαστημικά μπισκότα.
SPACE COOKIES γαρνιρισμένα με δραμαμίνη για τα ταξίδια μου!
Κάθε κατεβασιά, κι ένα μικρό ονειρεμένο Challenger.
Μπούκωνα με δαύτα τα καριολίκια και πετσικάρανε τα σαγόνια μου.
Φλασσάρω και μπήγω τις φωνές: "Τυριά ξυπνήστε! Θα σας φαν' οι βλάχοι!"»
Ο Γιώργος Πιλάλας, ο Γκρήκ Αμέρικαν της Ελλάδας ή
διαφορετικά ο κροταλίας της ασφάλτου, παρουσιάζει στη σκηνή ιστορίες με…
περιεχόμενο! Ο Ζώρζ, ο καλλιτέχνης με το επιλήψιμο χιούμορ, διηγείται
ιστορίες κοσμοπολίτικες, επαρχιώτικες, ροκ εντ ρολ, ιστορίες σκυλάδικες,
της ξέρας και της άπνοιας! Ο Ζώρζ Πιλαλί, το άτομο “παρφέ”, είναι ο
πρόδρομος και ο δρόμος της ντόπιας κιτς εντ μπήτ λογοτεχνίας. Παράλληλα
είναι ένας σημαντικός κιθαρίστας του μπλουζ (μία από τις κορυφαίες
φυσιογνωμίες της σκηνής). Εμφανίζεται μόνο όταν εκείνος θέλει, και
θέλει, όταν έχει κάτι καινούργιο να πει. Το καλοκαίρι του 1989 προσκεκλημένος από το
Festival d ete du Quebec εμφανίστηκε σε 12 συναυλίες στο Quebec και το
Winnipeg Folk Festival, παίζοντας με τον BOB BROZMAN και μουσικούς από
την Ινδία, Οκινάουα, Ιαπωνία, Αρμενία, Τουρκία, Γαλλία, Κούβα, Μ.
Βρετανία, Αμερική και Καναδά. Οι καινούργιες ιστορίες, τα ταξίδια και τα
μπλεξίματα σε ήχο μπλουζορεμπέτικο, η νέο-κλασσική πλαστική θυμοσοφία
του, ύστερα από πολλές περιπέτειες κυκλοφόρησαν το 1994 με την
“Θεοκωμωδία”. Η “Θεοκωμωδία” είναι ό,τι πιο ολοκληρωμένο έχει
παρουσιάσει μέχρι σήμερα ο ανισόρροπος αυτός ισορροπιστής της λογικής
του παραλόγου.
Ηχοϊστόρημα (Θεοκωμμωδια 1994):
Είμαι στο Χάρλεμ.Εκεί που οι πορτουρίκοι σνιφάρουν με ένα
τεράστιο καλάμι, τις άσπρες διαχωριστικές γραμμές του δρόμου, περνώντας
τις για ράγες κόκας…
Κσι σπρώχνω το τελευταίο bale, σε ένα τοξότη, 10.000 bucks!Και όπως
είμαι φορτωμένο, νιώθω τη λαίδη Αμέρικα να μου χαιδεύει το μάτσο
«εδώ» λέω, «από σήμερα στο radio της Αστόρια δε θα ακούτε τη φωνή της Αμερικής, αλλα την κραυγή μου»
Το ξέρω, το ξέρω, ήμουν ιπτάμενος αλλά όχι gentleman!
Κατηφορίζω στο bar και βλέπω πίσω απ’τη μπάρα την πιο ζόρικη αφρο-αμερικάνα του Brooklyn:
-«Ε,» λέω «μάμα, πως σε λένε?»
-«Γερτρούδη» μου λέει «καλε πατερούλη»
-Είσαι μόνος, μου λέει , σ’αυτή την πόλη?
-Oh no, ειμαι μαζι με την Mari τον Juan και την Anna
-Τι δουλειά κάνεις George, Μου λέει
-Ότι έκανε ο Peter Fonda στον «Ξένοιαστο Καβαλάρη».Δουλειές με φούντες beautiful lady.
-Και δε δουλεύεις? Μου λέει
-Δεν έχω χρόνο, λέω
-Και πως ζείς? Μου λέει
-Από φιλοδωρία ,της λέω, και κάνω έτσι και βγάζω το σακούλι με το κακό χορτάρι…
-Τι είναι αυτό george?, μου λέει
-Είναι αυτό, λέω, που έκανε τον Barry White, που ξάσπρισε τον μαυρούλη
Barry, αυτό που έκανε τον William Burroughs writer, συγγραφέα, που
έκανε τον Πώλ, Σιδηρό…
-Είναι κανείς που να νοιάζεται αληθινά σ’αυτή τη πόλη για σένα μωρό μου, της λέω
-Αυτή την εποχή έχω μόνο φίλους, δεν έχω καλούς μου, είμαι αέρας αλλα
την έχω δει να δέσω.Είχα έναν άνθρωπο που ήμουν καψούρα πιο πολύ κι
απ’το παιδί μου,αλλα έδεσε μια της μέρας…
-Εγώ τις κυρίες της μέρας τις κάνω της νύχτας και τους τα παίρνω
-Χαλόου, μου λέει, darling, έχω ένα καλό προαίσθημα για μας.Περίμενε
να χύσω τα ξίδια απ’τις γαλότσες και θα σε κάνω διάσημο και πλούσιο.
Βάζω την κυρά στο κάρο και πηγαίνουμε στο motel της.Νοικιάζω τη
γαμήλια σουίτα και χαιρετίζω όλους τους ενοίκους, το μισό αμερικάνικα
στρατά, τα κορίτσια, τις μπαλαρίνες, τους φοιτητές του Stanford που
έβλεπες στα μάτια τους τα βουνά Παντέρμα της California.
-Σαββατοκύριακο δεν έχω φέρει κανέναν george, μου λέει, μόνο τις
καθημερινές, για να ξεκουμπίζονται νωρίς το πρωί για τις δουλειές
τους.Είσαι ο μόνος άνθρωπος που έρχεται στο weekend καλε πατερούλη…
Πάω να βγάλω τα παπούτσια και ακούω τις φωνές της μιστερ Εσθερ:
«Ξεκωλιάρη αντρα,θα με σκοτώσεις απόψε»
Εεε ,λέω,τι γίνεται δίπλα?Σκοτώνουν τα call girl όταν γεράσουν?
-Είμαι κουρασμένη απόψε george,δε θέλω να κάνουμε τίποτα, θέλω να κοιμηθούμε σαν αδερφάκια…
…αλλά…βγάζω πουκάμισο, παντελόνι , βλέπει κορμάκι ζόρικο, πλακώνει με
χαιδεύει, τη χαιδεύω και γω, και την ώρα που νει-χυ η γυναίκα, εγώ τη
λαχανεύω με το πόδι, κοζάρω που είναι το πορτοφόλι, και με το πόδι
προσπαθώ και το τζουρνεύω. Αποτέλεσμα?
Με τη γυναίκα αγαπηθήκαμε, αλλα όπως μονίμως, άνθρωποι σαν κι εμένα
δεν έχουν ριζικό.Πάνε κι έρχονται οι δρόμοι μου, αστέρι μου…
Και φεύγω για το Τσεκάγκο, που ‘ναι η California το Blues.Και φτιάχνω μια wonderful μπάντα, και παίρνω όλο το χαρτί…
With Revelation, the young heavy psychedelic rock group Virus produced one of best early progressive albums in Germany - indeed it was a revelation! Their style was strongly influenced by Pink Floyd and Deep Purple . The album had five long tracks. The title track included an instrumental classical adaptation of the Rolling Stones'
"Paint It Black". Their instrumental work was even better on the 12
minute "Endless Game". The varied album also had a more hard rocking
track named "Burning Candle". Finally "Nur Noch Zwei Lichtjahre" guided
the listener into deep space, much like a mellow and matured
"Interstellar Overdrive". The album was recorded in Star Studios,
Hamburg and produced by none other than Konrad Plank. Virus were Werner Monka, Jorg-Dieter Krahe, Bernd "Molle" Hohmann, Reinhold Spiegelfeld and Wolfgang Rieke.
Cale’s second album followed much the same formula as his first
- laid-back blues-rock with hints of country and jazz. Indeed by now it
was clear that he had his own unique sound that he was sticking to.
There are some differences worth noting however. Whilst much of Naturally had a rough demo-like feel, Really
was clearly recorded on a bigger budget, with a large roster of
professional session musicians and a cleaner, more polished sound. The album was recorded at various big studios in Muscle Shoals, Nashville and Mount Juliet.
By 1968 Al Kooper had played with Bob Dylan both on stage and in the studio, been a member of The Blues Project, and formed Blood, Sweat & Tears with Steve Katz (subsequently leaving after their first album). He was then working for Columbia Records as an A&R man. In
May 1968 he called up his old friend guitarist Mike Bloomfield and
asked him to come to the studio to jam. Kooper and Bloomfield had worked
together in 1965 on Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited album. Bloomfield was curently working with his group The Electric Flag,
but he was about to leave them. With Kooper on keyboards and Bloomfield
on electric guitar, together with bassist Harvey Brooks (who had also
worked with them on Highway 61 Revisited) and drummer Eddie Hoh they recorded a series of blues-based jams. Barry Goldberg also played electric piano on two of the numbers. However
Bloomfield was struggling with imsomnia and a heroin addiction - the
next day, with more studio time booked, he failed to turn up. So Kooper
called up Stephen Stills (who was then leaving Buffalo Springfield) to replace him on guitar. The resultant album, Super Session,
was credited on the cover to all three of them, the first side with
Bloomfield and the second with Stills. Horn arrangements were afterwards
added to some of the songs. The first side is firmly rooted in blues
and is mostly instrumental, driven by Bloomfield's fantastic guitar
playing. It's also notable for the nine-minute modal jazz-fusion number
"His Holy Modal Majesty". The second side has more focus on Kooper's
vocals, with renditions of Dylan's "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A
Train To Cry" (where Kooper plays 12-string guitar), Donovan's "Season
Of The Witch" (which is drawn out into a fantastic 11 minute jam) and
Willie Cobbs' "You Don't Love Me". Stills plays some brilliant lead
guitar throughout. Though it was initially conceived as just Al Kooper jamming with some of his famous musician pals, Super Session
actually ended up becoming one of his best-known and most successful
releases, and also known as featuring some of Bloomfield's best guitar
playing.
When
Dr. John's Gris-Gris
hit the rock underground in 1968, it wasn't certain whether its master
of ceremonies had landed from outer space, or just been dredged out of
hibernation from the Louisiana swamps. The blend of druggy deep
blues,
incantational background vocals, exotic mandolin and banjo trills,
ritualistic
percussion, interjections of free jazz, and Dr. John's own
seductive-yet-menacing
growl was like a psychedelic voodoo ceremony invading your living
room.
You could be forgiven for suspecting it of having been surreptitiously
recorded in some afterhours den of black magic, the perpetuators of
this
misdeed risking life-threatening curses for having exposed these secret
soundtracks to the public at large. The most exploratory and psychedelic outing of Dr. John's
career, a one-of-a-kind fusion of New Orleans Mardi Gras R&B and
voodoo mysticism. Great rasping, bluesy vocals, soulful backup singers,
and eerie melodies on flute, sax, and clarinet, as well as odd Middle
Eastern-like chanting and mandolin runs. It's got the setting of a
strange religious ritual, but the mood is far more joyous than solemn.
