Joshua Rifkin - The Baroque Beatles Book (1965)

The Baroque Beatles Book is a record album created by the American keyboardist and conductor Joshua Rifkin. Released by Elektra/Nonesuch in 1965, it takes musical themes of The Beatles and reworks them into Baroque style. The artwork on the cover, signed by illustrator Roger Hane, depicts classical composers reviewing the music to "I Want to Hold Your Hand," one of whom sports a Beatles t-shirt.

Created at the height of Beatlemania in the 1960s, the works on the album share many characteristics with the music of Peter Schickele and his alter ego P.D.Q. Bach. These characteristics include parodies of stereotypical classical music conventions, anachronistic touches, and musical in-jokes that are apparent primarily to other musicians. Rifkin also shares with Schickele a penchant for unusual names and catalog numbers for the pieces.

Rifkin explained in the liner notes to the CD that the idea for adapting Beatles music to baroque styles came from Elektra's president, Jac Holzman, and that he had suggested Schickele's name to the Elektra boss. With Schickele under contract to another label, Rifkin volunteered to undertake the task of creating the arrangements.

Despite the primarily humorous nature of the compositions, Rifkin also indicates in the liner notes (signed "1684" and written as a parody of a 17th Century composer attempting to curry favor and employment with a monarch) that one of his motivations was to demonstrate how the melodies of John Lennon and Paul McCartney can be favorably compared with those of the great Baroque masters.

The pieces on the album all call to mind similar works by Baroque composers. For example, the opening track The Royale Beatleworks Musique is, despite its name, an almost movement-for-movement parody not of Handel's Royal Fireworks Music, but of the Suite for Orchestra No. 4 in D by Johann Sebastian Bach, right down to the format and instrumentation. In addition to Bach, the notes make connections to Handel and to Georg Telemann.

Side one consists entirely of instrumental variations. The use of "MBE" to indicate the opus number naturally reminds Beatles fans of their having been made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). On the second side, Rifkin connects the number 58,000 to a reference to the Beatles' concert at Shea Stadium, where reportedly 58,000 were in attendance. Of particular interest is the "Help!" aria, which begins with a recitative taken from John Lennon's two books, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works. After three vocal selections, the album concludes with a sonata for oboe, thoroughbass, and violin.

The orchestra on the album is humorously credited as the "Baroque Ensemble of the Merseyside Kammermusickgesellschaft," though it was likely, in reality, an ad hoc group of session musicians.

The record was well received by Beatles lovers. An article in the November 27, 1965, issue of Billboard reported that station WMCA received "hundreds" of favorable calls after playing selections from the LP. A week later, the magazine reviewed it as "good chamber music and good Beatles music." The record debuted at #126 on Billboard's Top LP's chart on December 11, 1965. It slowly gained favor, staying on the charts into the new year. After gradually creeping into the Top 100, album sales receded, and Billboard authors labeled it successful for its niche, so that when the label released "Beatle Country" in December 1966, the introductory article recalled the "chart-busting" nature of this earlier Elektra release.




Personnel:
Baroque Ensemble of the Merseyside Kammermusickgesellschaft conducted by Joshua Rifkin

Tracklist:
 

The Royale Beatleworks Musique, MBE 1963:
01. Overture: I Want to Hold Your Hand/You're Gonna Lose That Girl 6.00
02. Réjouissance: I'll Cry Instead 1.50
03. La Paix: Things We Said Today 2.02
04. L'Amour s'en cachant: You've Got to Hide Your/Love Away & Les Plaisirs: Ticket to Ride 4.24

Epstein Variations, MBE 69A:

05. Hold Me Tight 4.15

Last Night I Said," Cantata for the Third Sunday after the Shea Stadium, MBE 58,000:

06. Chorus: "Last Night I Said" (Please Please Me)/Recitative: "In They Came Jorking" & Aria: "When I Was Younger" (Help!) -- 5:34
07. Chorale: "You know, if you break my heart" (I'll Be Back) -- 1:40

Trio Sonata, Das Kaferlein, MBE 004 1/4:
08. Grave-Allegro-Grave: Eight Days a Week 2.27
09. Quodlibet: She Loves You/Thank You Girl/Hard Day's Night 1.12

(all compositions are a mix between Lennon/McCartney songs and ideas from Joshua Rifkin)





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Klaus Doldinger & Passport - Down To Earth (1993)

A production of the great Klaus Doldinger with Passport, the prestigious fusion german group. 

Although very well-known, perhaps they never reached the level of popularity wished by his fans and certainly, very well deserved. This album is quite eclectic, but this is a typical characteristic of Doldinger' s music. 

 It goes from a bluesy style, in Lowdown And Flyin ' High (excellent track), a funky touch, as in Korako, the Cuffey' s rap in Passport's In The House, to a deeply intimate sound in Missing You. The Down to Earth CD was honoured with the 1st German jazz Award in 1994.




Personnel:
Klaus Doldinger (saxophone, flute)
Roberto di Gioia (keyboards)
Wolfgang Haffner (drums)
Peter O'Mara (guitar)
Jochen Schmidt (bass)
Ernst Ströer (percussion)
+
Allen C. Cuffey (vocals on 07.)



Tracklist:
01. Wise Up (Doldinger) 5.23
02. Lowdown And Flyin' High
(Doldinger) 6.54
03. Korako (Doldinger) 6-30
04. Allemande Deux
(Doldinger) 6.29
05. Nighttime In The City (Doldinger) 5.01
06. Esperanto
(Doldinger) 5.23
07. Passport's In The House (Doldinger) 4.59
08. Missing You
(Doldinger) 4.58
09. Ridin' On A Rainbow (Doldinger) 5.18
10. Never Ending Blues
(Doldinger) 6.57


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Savoy Brown - Street Corner Talking (1971)

After 1970's Lookin In album, Peverett, Roger Earl, and Tony Stevens left to form Foghat, leaving Kim Simmmonds with yet another dilemma. But for Simmonds, things went a little smoother than he might have imagined, picking up piano player Paul Raymond, bassman Andy Silvester, and drummer Dave Bidwell, all from Chicken Shack. He also hired singer Dave Walker, who was the former frontman with The Idle Race, and together the new lineup recorded Street Corner Talking, one of Savoy Brown's finest moments. Gelling almost instantaneously, Walker's cozy yet fervent voice countered with Simmonds' strong, sturdy guitar playing, and an exuberant mixture of British blues and boogie rock prevailed. All of Street Corner Talking's efforts are solid examples of the group's blues-rock power, from the slick cover of Willie Dixon`s "Wang Dang Doodle" to the deep feel of "All I Can Do" to the subtle strength of "Tell Mama," Walker's best-sung tune. The album's blend of sultry guitar blues and upfront rock & roll flavor give it a multi-faceted appeal, with every musician contributing his talents uniformly, which is something that's rather difficult to achieve after there's been a wholesale change to the personnel. (by Mike DeGagne)


Personnel:
Dave Bidwell (drums)
Paul Raymond (keyboards)
Kim Simmonds (guitar, vocals)
Andy Silvester (bass)


Tracklist:
01. Tell Mama (Ramond/Sylvestr) 5.15
02. Let It Rock (Rock And Roll On The Radio) 3.07
03. I Can´t Get Next To You (Strong/Whitfield) 6.35
04. Time Does Tell (Simmonds) 5.35
05. Street Corner Talking (Simmonds) 4.00
06. All I Can (Raymond/Simmonds) 10.54
07. Wang Dang Doodle (Dixon) 7.15
08. Tell Mama (single version) (Raymond/Simmonds) 3.03

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Barrelhouse Blues Orchestra with Johnny Mars & Paul Hart - On My Mind (2003)

The Barrelhouse Blues Orchestra put together by Paul Hart in January 2003, it has grown from a 22 piece band with an exciting pedigree and the musicians have played or written for many star acts including Wings, Cream, Deacon Jones, Vandergraf Generator, Sphere/ Andy Sheppard, Lion (Be Bop Delux), The Who, 200 fingers, Robbie MacIntosh, Kenny Jones Band, Roger Chapman, Clarence "Big" Miller, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and James Last to name but a few!
The whole outfit is conducted by the enormously talented Marcus Marriot, who with Chaz Dickie and Dave Burgess are largely responsible for the smooth and exciting arrangements. The band and Johnny released the album "On My Mind" to coincide with a double feature on the Paul Jones Show for Radio 2.

And THIS is their debut-album ... everybody who is interested in hot Blues &  R & B tunes should listen to this album, because it´s one of the best albums in the last years ... this album is a must !




Personnel:
Lucy-Ann Allen (violin)
Clive Ashley (saxophone)
Pete Bettle (violin)
Dave Burgess saxophone)
Jon Dart (trumpet)
Chas Dickie (cello)
Alan Edwards (drums)
Gren Fraser (keyboards)
Helen Hardy (vocals)
Victoria Hardy (vocals)
Paul Hart (guitar)
Steve Hayes (trombone)
Alan Jenkins (trumpet)
Chris Lonergan (bass)
Sheila McKinley (vocals)
Johnny Mars (harmonica, vocals)
Steve Smith (keyboards)
Andy Urqart (trumpet)

conducted by Marcus Marriot


Tracklist:
01. Forever On My Mind (Hart) 4.05
02. Put It Where You Want It (Sample) 5.45
03. Guess Who (Belvin) 5.47
04. Strikin On You Baby (Leiber/Stoller) 2.42
05. Evening (Parrish/White) 6.14
06. Shakey Ground (James) 3.12
07. Soulmate (Youlden) 5.21
08. Everyday I Have The Blues (Chatman) 4.08
09. Please Send Me Someone To Love (Mayfield) 3.57
10. Don't Give Me The Runaround (Walker) 2.03
11. Georgia On My Mind (Carmichael) 3.56
12. All Downhill And No Brakes (Hart/Smith) 3.55



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TONY BENNETT - UNIVISION HOLIDAY SPECIAL WITH VIVA DUETS PARTNERS ON 12/9 // NEW MEMOIRLIFE IS A GIFT: THE ZEN OF BENNETT MAKES THE NY TIMES BESTSELLER LIST // ENTIRE MUSIC CATALOG ON ITUNES

Tony Bennet (Photo by Paul Bergen/Getty Images)
For his Spanish-language fans, Tony has a special Christmas treat coming soon. On Sunday December 9th at 10pm EST, Tony and his VIVA DUETS partners will star in "Feliz Navidad Con Los Nuestros: Tony Y Sus Amigos". This will be the first time a non-Hispanic media personality will have their own primetime special on Univision, the largest Spanish-language TV network in the world. Hosted By Univision's Giselle Blondet, the one hour music special will give an inside look at the album, VIVA DUETS - featuring segments with Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Romeo Santos,Vicente Fernandez, Thalía, Juan Luis Guerra and more.

Tony's new memoir, THE ZEN OF BENNETT: LIFE IS A GIFT was just released on November 20th – and already made it onto the NY Times Bestseller List! The book is described as the perfect accompaniment to this legend’s warm, sophisticated, and graceful melodies that have made him beloved by generations of fans.

Also earlier this week, Tony's entire music catalog became available on iTunes! Revisit all the phases of his unstoppable career: http://smarturl.it/TonyiTunes

Wanna learn more about what's happening with Tony? Check out some of his most recent interviews below:
CNN / Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien: http://youtu.be/ti5I7TMJme0
WYNC / The Leonard Lopate Show: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2012/nov/26/zen-tony-bennett
BlogTalkRadio / Storytellers with Eric Olsen & Chitra Agrawal: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/storytellers/2012/10/24/legendary-singer-tony-bennett
Rolling Stone / Exclusive with Patrick Doyle: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tony-bennett-taps-latin-music-stars-for-viva-duets-album-20121023

Connect with Tony Bennett:
http://www.tonybennett.net
http://www.facebook.com/tonybennett
http://twitter.com/itstonybennett
VIVA DUETS - US STANDARD TRACKLISTING
1. "The Best Is Yet to Come" with Chayanne
2. "The Way You Look Tonight" with Thalía*
3. "Steppin' Out With My Baby" with Christina Aguilera
4. "For Once In My Life" with Marc Anthony
5. "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" with Dani Martín*
6. "The Good Life" with Franco DeVita
7. "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" with Gloria Estefan
8. "Just in Time" with Juan Luis Guerra
9. "Cold, Cold Heart" with Vicentico
10. "I Wanna Be Around" with Ricardo Arjona
11. "Rags to Riches" with Romeo Santos
12. "Return to Me (Regresa A Mí)" with Vicente Fernández*

VIVA DUETS - US TARGET TRACKLISTING
1. "The Best Is Yet to Come" with Chayanne
2. "The Way You Look Tonight" with Thalía*
3. "Steppin' Out With My Baby" with Christina Aguilera
4. "For Once In My Life" with Marc Anthony
5. "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" with Dani Martín*
6. "The Good Life" with Franco DeVita
7. "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" with Gloria Estefan
8. "Just in Time" with Juan Luis Guerra
9. "Cold, Cold Heart" with Vicentico
10. "I Wanna Be Around" with Ricardo Arjona
11. "Rags to Riches" with Romeo Santos
12. "Return to Me (Regresa A Mí)" with Vicente Fernández*
13. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" with Miguel Bosé*
14. "Blue Velvet" with Maria Gadú*
15. "The Very Thought of You" with Ana Carolina
16. "The Way You Look Tonight" with Thalía* (Guitar Only)

With millions of records sold world-wide and platinum and gold albums to his credit, Bennett has received seventeen Grammy Awards -- including a 1995 Grammy for Record of the Year for his "MTV Unplugged" CD which introduced this American master to a whole new generation -- and the Grammy Lifetime Award. His 2007 prime-time special, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," won seven Emmy Awards. His initial successes came via a string of Columbia singles in the early 1950's, including such chart-toppers as "Because of You," "Rags to Riches," and a remake of Hank Williams "Cold, Cold Heart." He had 24 songs in the Top 40, including "I Wanna Be Around," "The Good Life," "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" and his signature song," I Left My Heart In San Francisco," recorded 50 years ago this coming January 2012. This song garnered him two Grammy Awards. Tony Bennett is one of a handful of artists to have new albums charting in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and now in the first two decades of the 21st century. He has introduced a multitude of songs into the Great American Songbook that have since become standards for pop music. He has toured the world to sold out audiences with rave reviews whenever he performs.

THAD JONES & MEL LEWIS CLASSIC ALBUMS RE-RELEASED...

Presenting Thad Jones & Mel Lewis & The Jazz Orchestra / Live At The Village Vanguard / Big Band Sound Featuring Miss Ruth Brown

A trio of classics from the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra! First up is the initial Presenting album – great music by one of the hippest large American ensembles of the late 60s – almost a US equivalent to the groovy sound of the Clark Boland Big Band over in Europe! Trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis had already made some great music together on their own – but once they came together in a record like this, they really found a great new direction for their energy – a bold musical force that's strong enough to also encompass the rich talents of players who include Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Joe Farrell on tenor, Jerome Richardson on soprano sax, Richard Williams on trumpet, Bob Brookmeyer and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Hank Jones on piano, and Richard Davis on bass! The sound is full, but never overwhelming – and like the Clark Boland group, this one has a great way of breaking open to allow key soloists to have some great space on their own – a modern approach, and one that still never has the band losing its groove. Titles include "ABC Blues", "Mean What You Say", "Three & One", and "Once Around". 

The next album was recorded live in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis home turf at the Village Vanguard! The group at this point was a freshly-created outfit filled with some of the best large group jazz soloists of the time – players that included Jerome Richardson, Joe Farrell, Eddie Daniels, Pepper Adams, Richard Williams, and Bob Brookmeyer – not to mention Jones and Lewis themselves! The style here is very much in the mode that the Clarke Boland Band was crafting in Europe during the same period – a redefinition of the larger jazz group, in a way that allowed it to swing with the dynamic energy and soul of some of the smaller combos of the 60s. And while the Jones/Lewis group had many years over which to hone their craft, they've never sounded better than on these initial recordings – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Samba Con Getchu", "A That's Freedom", "Bachafillen", and "Little Pixie".  

On the last album in the set, Ruth Brown joins the big band of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – in a set that's a real standout in the career of all three artists! Thad and Mel already have a pretty great groove going at this point – a large ensemble approach to jazz, yet one that's swingingly soulful – very much on a par with some of Gerald Wilson's hip work of the same time at time. And adding in Ruth Brown's vocals is a great choice – as she not only needs a great showcase like this for her amazing voice, but also because she really helps unlock a soulful sort of energy that the group always had in their instrumental music. The approach is a bit like some of Etta Jones' best 60s recordings – a nice shift for Brown – and titles include "Black Coffee", "Fine Brown Frame", "You Won't Let Go", "Trouble In Mind", and "Be Anything (But Be Mine)". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - NICO GOMEZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA, ROGER NICHOLS AND THE SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, LOU DONALDSON

NICO GOMEZ -BOSSA NOVA

Way way more than just bossa nova – a mighty groover from the great Nico Gomez! Nico's known for his harder pounding tracks that have become favorites with the funky crowd, but this stellar album shows that Nico could also work in jazzier territory when he wanted to – as the album's a wonderful batch of tunes that mix together Latin, groovy, and bossa styles! There's some very nice wordless female vocals on a few cuts, scatting along with a warm breezy feel – and other tracks feature vibes, or guitar, sax, and other strong instrumental elements – with more than enough punch to be funky at a few points. The whole thing's as groovy as groovy can be – with a sound that's past bossa, and way more than any fake easy instrumental attempt at the genre – a real peep into the mad mind of Nico Gomez, and proof that his albums are always worth tracking down! Titles include "Din Din Din", "Aquarela", "Samba De Rio", "Saudade Do Rio", "Agua", "Rio", and "O Barquinho". ~ Dusty Groove

ROGER NICHOLS AND THE SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS - MY HEART IS HOME

Sublime sounds from Roger Nichols and the revived Small Circle Of Friends – a record that definitely echoes the style the group first created in the late 60s for A&M Records! The set follows strongly on the style of Nichols first comeback album from a few years back – offering up the sweet, warm, personal charm that's always made his music so unique – produced with an edge that's really respectful to the complicated balance of his songs – and which never tries to update things too much at all. A few of the songs are more obscure numbers from the old days, a few others are new, and there's even a special Holiday number in the set too! Titles include "Take Me Home", "Something From Paradise", "My Heart Is Home", "This Is Love", "The Moon Is Red", "Show Your Love", "Christmas Is My Favorite Time Of Year", "Feels Good To Be Bad Again", and a remake of "We've Only Just Begun". (HQ – Hi Quality CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove

LOU DONALDSON - SOPHISTICATED LOU

A really unique album for Lou Donaldson – especially for his early 70s run on Blue Note! The session lives up to its title by offering up a batch of soulful ballads from Lou – tunes that really focus on his sweet lines on alto, yet set amidst some larger backing arranged by Wade Marcus – which also feature some wonderful Fender Rhodes from Derek Smith in the mix! The groove is relatively gentle, and has a nicely laidback sort of feel – the kind of lush yet soulful sounds that Marcus could do so well almost a CTI/Kudu vibe, but a bit more easygoing overall. Titles include a version of Lou's "Blues Walk", plus "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "The Long Goodbye", "Stella By Starlight", "You've Changed", and "Autumn In New York". ~ Dusty Groove

Drums for Sale...


















I know this isn't kijiji or craigslist...but I'm selling a fun little set of jazz drums these days.

For Sale: Jazz Drums

$750

16x16 Bass Drum

12x9 Tom

14x14 Floor Tom

14x5 Snare Drum

-Tom, floor tom and snare drum are all professionally refinished Gretsch Catalina maple shells

-The bass drum is a converted high-end Epek maple floor tom shell with proper bass drum hardware and parts professionally installed

-Drums have been refinished in a classic “Tony Williams” Yellow stain

-Die cast hoops on both the tom and floor tom

-Snare drum has a Trick throw-off installed, Pure Sound snare wires and die cast hoops. Bearing edges and snare bed have been professionally re-cut.

Also included (not pictured):

-Tom mounting post
-Gibraltar removable bass drum pedal riser attachment
-Floor tom legs
-16" inch soft bass drum case
-Extra bass drum heads

Does NOT include hardware or cymbals

Price firm. No trades.
Serious inquiries only.

Inquire within!

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAd?AdId=435589141&Guid=13b47d57-4030-a20b-26d5-9c7dfffa8bcd


























































































NEW RELEASES - WILLIE BOBO, NICO GOMEZ AND HIS AFRO PERCUSSION INC., MOACIR SANTOS

WILLIE BOBO - TOMORROW IS HERE

A really unique chapter in the career of percussionist Willie Bobo – a rare one-off album for Blue Note – done with a sweet Cali vibe all the way through! Bobo plays his usual percussion, but also sings a bit too – in this charming style that's never too overdone – a deeply personal approach that sounds great next to the album's electric arrangements – all in a vibe that mixes Latin with 70s funk and fusion – all with that beautiful 70s Blue Note balance between polish and poise, groove and soul! The range of sounds is mighty nice – and titles include "Suitcase Full Of Dreams", "Wacky Tobacky", "Dreamin", "Keep On Walkin", "Funk De Mambo", and the "Kojak Theme". ~ Dusty Groove

NICO GOMEZ AND HIS AFRO PERCUSSION INC. - RITUAL

Fierce funky grooves from the legendary Nico Gomez – a set cooked up in Europe, but heavy with influences from the other side of the Atlantic – from Havana all the way up to New York! There's definitely a Latin groove to the record – one that's similar to other Gomez productions – but there's also lots of heavy funk at the bottom – with basslines that drive most numbers along boldly, really raw percussion played with a nice sense of spontaneity, and these super-tight keyboards and guitars that you might find in American funk! The mix of modes is very much in the best spirit of contemporary groups like Chakachas or Lafayette Afro Rock Band – and titles include "Caballo Negro", "Lupita", "Baila Chibiquiban", "Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!", "One Note Samba", "Cuba Libre", and "El Condor Pasa". ~ Dusty Groove

MOACIR SANTOS - CARNIVAL OF THE SPIRITS

A sublime 70s session from Moacir Santos – a set that mixes the complex grooves he forged in 60s Brazil with the warmly jazzy sound of American fusion – all in a result that's totally unique! The album's quite different than any other electric Brazilian sets recorded in the US at the time – a complex album that's filled with soul and imagination – and not just an electrification of earlier styles from Brazil. Santos' vision here is wonderful – and he works with his own arrangements, and key help from producer Dale Oehler – who knows how to bring in all the right electric elements without losing the edge of Moacir's music. Players are great too – and include Jerome Richardson on soprano sax, Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Don Menza on tenor, Gary Foster on alto, Larry Nash on Fender Rhodes, Clare Fischer on piano, and Jerry Peters on organ. The sound builds and swirls in nice chunks, while the soloists creep in and lay down some horn parts – and a few vocalists, including Santos, add some slight lyrics from time to time. Titles include "Tomorrow Is Mine", "Jequie", "Coisa No 2", "Quiet Carnival", "Sampaguita", and "Anon". ~ Dusty Groove

SPANKY WILSON REISSUES - SPANKIN' BRAND NEW, DOIN' IT & LET IT BE

SPANKIN' BRAND NEW

Heavy soul from the great Spanky Wilson – an album that explodes with energy right from the start – in a groove that definitely lives up to the title! Spanky's got a great mix of funk and class on this set – a punch in the rhythms at points, yet also a poise in the way she delivers the lyrics – a blend that's a bit like Marlena Shaw in her earlier years – and set to some killer arrangements from the great HB Barnum! Barnum gives the record all the cool punch of his great 60s work with Lou Rawls – and nearly all the material was written by the obscure Howlett Smith – an excellent lost writer who had a real talent for coming up with cool little soul songs that rise above the usual bag of his generation. This material works great for Spanky, and together, the pair, along with Barnum, cook up a unique lost soul treat! Titles include "Apartment 101", "On The Morning After", "The Other Girl", "You're Gonna Miss Me", "Love Has Me By The Hand", and "Mighty Great Feeling". ~ Dusty Groove

DOIN' IT

A bit of soul, a bit of jazz, and some nice funky touches at the bottom – a killer little set from the great Spanky Wilson! Wilson's got a really unique place in music – at one level a soul singer with enough sophistication to rival the sound of Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – but at another level, an artist capable of really letting loose – hitting heavier, funkier modes that neither of those singers could ever touch! This set may well be Wilson's masterpiece – put together with excellent production and arrangements from the great HB Barnum – here coming off a great run of work for other artists in the 60s, and focusing all that experience on making Spanky sound great. Titles include "If I Could", "You", "Don't Mess With Bill", "Light My Fire", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Hurtin", and "The Love That A Woman Should Give To A Man". ~ Dusty Groove

LET IT BE

Spanky Wilson really takes off here – hitting some of her boldest soul modes to date – and serving up a few funk-heavy classics in the process! Production and arrangements are by HB Barnum – who draws on his own rich legacy of soul projects for the set, and finds a way to let Spanky really knock things out of the park – while still also holding tight to a mighty sweet groove! The style's almost an indie soul take on the Capitol Records groove that Barnum forged with David Axelrod for other singers – with all the strong sense of space between the grooves that would imply. The set features Spanky doing nice hard grooving versions of tracks that you've heard before – like "Loveland", "Let It Be", "Gloomy Sunday", and "Perhaps" – but there's also some nice ones like "Foolish" or "Love or Let Me Be Lonely", that are less familiar, and mighty nice too! ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - ERIC GALE, GRANT GREEN, GENE HARRIS

ERIC GALE - PART OF YOU / TOUCH OF SILK

Sweet fusion from the great Eric Gale – two late 70s albums back to back on a single CD! Part Of You is part of Gale's great run for Columbia Records in the late 70s, and a set that's got a nicely grooving bottom – thanks to production from Ralph MacDonald, and arrangements from William Eaton! The groove's uptempo at times, but always in a jazz-funk mode – and mostly played with smaller group instrumentation at the core – including keyboards from Richard Tee, bass from Anthony Jackson, and drums from either Steve Gadd or Harvey Mason – both cats who can hold up a groove on a date like this. Titles include "Let Me Slip It To You", "Part Of You", "Trio", "Nezumi", and "Holding On To Love". Touch Of Silk is a classic set that has the guitar of Eric Gale produced by the legendary Allen Toussaint! The cross of talents is pretty compelling – and although the album's not a New Orleans funk outing, it definitely shares some of the more creative elements that you'd get from some of Toussaint's other side projects at the end of the 70s. A few numbers definitely have a bit more bump than you'd expect from a fsuion date like this – and Toussaint himself plays piano and moog on the record, and even sings a tiny bit. Robert Dabon plays Fender Rhodes – and titles include "You Got My Life In Your Hands", "War Paint", "Touch Of Silk", "Au Privave", "With You I'm Born Again", and "Once In A Smile". ~ Dusty Groove

GRANT GREEN - LIVE AT THE LIGHTHOUSE

A soaring set from guitarist Grant Green – a really amazing double-length set that caps off his legendary run for Blue Note – done with a vibe that's different than most of his other work for the label! Like some of the other Lighthouse sessions from Blue Note – particularly those from Lee Morgan and Elvin Jones – this one has a very open, free vibe – a way of stretching out on the tracks, yet still staying soulful – all an amazing document of the rich talents of the leader in a live setting! The group's a bit unique, too – and features Gary Coleman on vibes, Shelton Laster on organ, Claude Bartee on tenor and soprano sax, Wilton Felder on bass, and Greg Williams on drums – all players who hit this hip Cali groove with Green – and really take off on cuts that include versions of Donald Byrd's "Fancy Free", Neal Creque's "Windjammer", and The Fabulous Counts' "Jan Jan" – plus the cuts "Flood In Franklin Park", "Walk In The Night", and "Betcha By Golly Wow". ~ Dusty Groove

GENE HARRIS - ASTRAL SIGNAL

A masterpiece from Gene Harris – an album that's probably been his biggest influence on the sound of soul in the 21st Century, and for good reason too! The set moves way beyond both Harris' acoustic piano roots in the Three Sounds, and his other electric sides of the 70s – into sublime spacey territory that's wrapped up in soul – as much a pinnacle of his musical vision as early 70s records were for Herbie Hancock or George Duke! The vibe here is a bit between the looser styles of Duke's MPS recordings, and the tighter grooves of the Mizell generation – and arrangements are by Harris, Harvey Mason, and Jerry Peters, the latter of whom really adds some great elements to the record. Harvey's drums make for a great funky undercurrent – and the album features the funky break track "Higga-Boom", the great groover "Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong", and the cuts "Rebato Summer", "Don't Call Me N*gger, Whitey", "Love Talkin", "I Remember Summer", "Green River", and "My Roots".~ Dusty Groove