Hell yeah, Halloween!!!

 Just a fun compilation for one of my favorite holidays. Try not to scare yourself.

 1. Night of the Ghouls

2. Gates of Hell - David Murray

3. Little Pocket Sized Demons - Vijay Iver

4. Friday The 13th (scary version) - Orange Then Blue

5. Night Creeper - Arthur Blythe

6. Frankenstein and Igor - Roy Campbell

7. Death Scene - Johnny Mandell

8. Zombie - Art Ensemble of Chicago

9. Right Frankenstein in Saigne-leg - Akira Sakata

10.Dance of the Devil Demons - Fred Ho and his Monkey Orchestra

Billy Bang Sextet - Sweet Space

I posted this lp a few years ago but I recently had a request for a repost which I am happy to oblige. What a better excuse for digging out this great record. In my earlier  review I called this lp "shambolic". I don't necessarily get that anymore. Well I do kinda, but this thing grooves in a way I was just learning to appreciate back then.

Now I'm grooving on it on one of the last nights I can sit outdoors without a fire. And it's hitting all the right buttons.


Recorded live at the Loeb Student Center north lobby, New York University, November 15, 1979.

Billy Bang Sextet
Sweet Space

1. A Pebble Is A Small Rock
2. Sweet Space
3. Loweski For Frank (T.F.R.)
4. Music For The Love Of It

Billy Bang - violin
Frank Lowe - tenor sax
Luther Thomas - alto sax
Butch Morris - cornet
Curtis Clark - piano
Wilbur Morris - bass
Steve McCall - drums


Vinyl rip 

Bob Thompson - On The Rocks

  Mr. Thompson claims to have used an all star west coast cool jazz crew for the lp. There are no credits but I don't doubt for a minute that he is correct A little bit of investigation should confirm that. Unfortunately I lost my PI badge in a scuffle with a prog rocker and I have no assistant to back me up.

 This is one of the more sought after bachelor pad lps and with a cover like that, why wouldn't it be?
 Even better is that it is a recent gift from a friend whose new girlfriend "doesn't appreciate those type covers."

 So stir yourself a martini, light a log, and groove on some tunes your parents (or grandparents!) thought were cool on the new hi-fi in the living room.


1. There's A Small Hotel
2. June Is Just Bustin' Out All Over
3. Happy Talk
4. Breezin' Along With The Breeze
5. Just You, Just Me
6. Almost Like Being In Love
7. On The Rocks
8. Jersey Bounce
9. I'll See You Again
10. The Little Black Box
11. Always
12. All The Things You Are

Recorded at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World, Hollywood, California on October 21 and November 4, 11 and 18, 1959.    

Vinyl rip.

Andre Previn and J.J. Johnson play Kurt Weill

 I mostly dismissed Andre Previn for years. He still doesn't set my world on fire but he worked with these kick ass dudes and played some of my favorite showtunes so I guess he gets a pass.
  The version of Pirate Jenny (or the crazy titled equivalent) is over the top cool. The rest of the record races to keep up and nearly succeeds.

 1. Bilbao-song
2. Barbara-song
3. Overture
4. Seerauberjenny
5. Moritat
6. Surabaya - Johnny
7. Wie Man Sich Bettet
8. Unzulanglichkeit


Anre Previn - piano
J. J. Johnson - trombone
Red Mitchell - bass
Frank Capp - drums


vinyl rip Columbia CS 8541   (1962)

Cal Tjader - West Side Story

 I know this is beat to hell. If I had a better copy I share it. Doesn't really make a difference here but I have this really groovy red vinyl copy.


1. Prologue - Jet Song
2. Something's Coming
3. Maria interlude
4. Maria
5. Tonight
6.America
7. Cool
8. One Hand, One Heart
9. I Feel Pretty


Cal Tjader - vibraphone
Clare Fischer - piano
Red Mitchell - bass
Shelly Manne - drums
Red Callender - tuba
Milt Holland - drums
Paul Horn - flute
Mongo Santamaria - conga
Willie Bobo - drums and Timbales

and a whole host of horn and string players I don't recognize. There are people out there that spend far too much time compiling lists for slackers like me, so the complete personel should be available with little effort.

Fantasy 3310

Charles Lloyd Quartet - Dream Weaver

Really can't imagine why this lp doesn't stay in print. Great tunes, fantastic line up. These cats were at the top of their game. I still struggle a bit with the flute but it is swinging opening track that sways me this time. I dig the long sequences on the first side, while Love Ship from the oether side has ended up on many a jazz comp for unsuspecting novices.

1. Autumn Sequence
  a) autumn prelude
  b) autumn leaves
  c) autumn echo

2. Dream Weaver
 a) meditation
 b) dervish dance

3. Bird Flight
4. Love Ship
5. Sombrero Sam


Charles Lloyd - tenor sax & flute
Keith Jarrett -piano
Cecil McBee - bass
Jack DeJohnette - drums

Atlantic Records  SD 1459     1967

yosuke yamashita / adelhard roidinger - inner space

 Another duo lp by Yamashita. Another excursion into the ozone. Amazing lp that rides the wave between cool and just a little weird. Perfect for a cool autumn night.



1. Country Walk
2. Tight Pants
3. Soft Waltz
4. Green Wave


Yosuke Yamashita - piano
Adelhard Roidinger - bass


recorded 6/24/77

Terumasa Hino Sextet - Fuji

s

Here's a rare weeknight posting, but crisp fall weather is in the air, a large glass of bourbon and a sit out on the porch culminated with this lp.
 I came of age in the 70's, learned to dig jazz by the end of the decade. Bet yer ass I never heard this.
 Liner notes tell us the this 1975 lp was Hino's first US release as a leader. All the hipster's though were aware of him a couple of years earlier. Guess I missed out on that part. Probably bought a Yes lp instead.
 Just the same I love this lp that sounds very much of its time (little electric guitar, little electric piano) in a way I never appreciated back then. Then again, I'm pretty sure this record wasn't carried by my local hippie co-op records and tapes joint.


1. Be and Know
2. Reaction
3. Fuji
4. A Child Is Born

Terumasa Hino - trumpet
Takao Uematsua - tenor sax
Mikio Masuda - electric piano
Kiyoshi Sugimoto - guitar
Yoshio Ikeda - bass
Motohiko Hino - drums


Catalyst Records Cat-7901