The Spirit of 77
Not for impressionable maiden aunts or spinster librarians, or their dude equivalents. Continue reading The Spirit of 77
Category: Jazz
Interjection Used To Stir Up Excitement
Sketches from Spain? Continue reading Interjection Used To Stir Up Excitement
Ruth’s Heels
In which our young hero struts in a cool fashion Continue reading Ruth’s Heels
Blue, Blue, Eclectic Blue
Warm genius from the artist formerly known as Dollar Brand. Continue reading Blue, Blue, Eclectic Blue
No Frills Hard Bop
Mmm, cornbread. Continue reading No Frills Hard Bop
Ting!
You don’t get to add ‘The Great’ onto you bands’ name for nothing. Continue reading Ting!
Bhasobha (Be Careful)
Sometimes you simply just get the right record at the right time. Continue reading Bhasobha (Be Careful)
Stinkin’ One Thing And Reviewin’ Another
Callow young man buys jazz LP in Leeds, sort of understands it 13,780,000 minutes later. Continue reading Stinkin’ One Thing And Reviewin’ Another
Call Me Ishmael
Is it a girl Sean Connery? no Ishmael. Continue reading Call Me Ishmael
Le Jazz Gratuit
Free Jazz: Headache, or Headcleaner? Continue reading Le Jazz Gratuit
Mr Incredible
A learned dissertation on the wisdom of adopting the epithet ‘Incredible’ before one’s name. Continue reading Mr Incredible
No Sweeter Song
‘Jazz, Delicious Hot, Disgusting Cold’ as the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band put it. Luckily for the multiverse Sonny Rollins Way Out … Continue reading No Sweeter Song
It’s So Easy
Ya get nothin’ for nothin’ If that’s what ya do So there I was yesterday in Birkenhead with 20 minutes to … Continue reading It’s So Easy
Nine Sinatras In A Sack
Here’s my favourite Mingus LP and so, by definition, near enough my favourite jazz LP, Blues & Roots. Prior to Mingus … Continue reading Nine Sinatras In A Sack
My Mother Was a Friend Of An Enemy Of The People
My brother, my brother, is a drummer, a drummer, in a band from Stroud called Blurt – They break my ears! I once … Continue reading My Mother Was a Friend Of An Enemy Of The People
Winging The Infinite
A moment of sublimity in a chaotic world: After a gentler more bucolic number a new track starts. Quite frankly its a … Continue reading Winging The Infinite
My Rhythmic Credentials
I have mixed feelings about this LP. The best track here Snowboy ‘Snowboy’s House of Latin’ is the whirling kind … Continue reading My Rhythmic Credentials
All Zila, No Killer
Dudu Pukwana Zila ’86 – Here’s one I saved from my dad’s shed. No, really, my dad keeps Anglo-African jazz … Continue reading All Zila, No Killer
Kölnic Irrigation
A 17 year-old promoter, a pianist who’d missed some serious sleep over a few days due to a chronic back … Continue reading Kölnic Irrigation
Mingus Plays Piano, Pretty Well
‘Most of my heroes ain’t appeared on no stamp’, one of my heroes rapped, well this one of mine has. … Continue reading Mingus Plays Piano, Pretty Well
Cross-Criss
Now, I may have just mentioned it in passing once or twice, but I’m big on sleevenotes. In this case … Continue reading Cross-Criss
Jazz Sand
I love South African jazz pianist / band leader Dollar Brand, he was a big favourite of my father’s and … Continue reading Jazz Sand
Best Jazz Composition Of More Than Five Minutes Duration, 1960
Ahh, the effortless poetry of Grammy categories … anyway, as all you happenin’ hepcats and hepkitties know the winner that … Continue reading Best Jazz Composition Of More Than Five Minutes Duration, 1960
Awful Pygmy Music
The scene: My front room (lots of LPs, lots of cushions) Dramatis personae: Mr & Mrs 1537, to say nothing … Continue reading Awful Pygmy Music
Mercy Mercy Buddy
Warning contains industrial-strength language: What kind of playing do you think this is? What kind of miscues do you call … Continue reading Mercy Mercy Buddy
Too Betty Davis
Too wild for husband Miles Davis*, too rock for black radio in 1973, too intelligent to carry on working as … Continue reading Too Betty Davis
The (Iron)-In Sound From Way Out!
Since I started this blog I’ve noticed I’ve evolved two types of listening there’s BL and LL. let me explain. … Continue reading The (Iron)-In Sound From Way Out!
Dollar Brand: Black Lightning
Okay so no smart-ass titles for once, listening to this LP just now has made me fall in love with … Continue reading Dollar Brand: Black Lightning
Hard Bop
I own quite a bit of jazz although I know very little about it really. I mean I can bluff my … Continue reading Hard Bop