Jeanne Moreau – Same (1963)

FrontCover1Jeanne Moreau is an icon of the French cinema who also experienced a streak of success as a vocalist during the 1960s. Born on January 23, 1928, in Paris, she broke into the film industry during the 1950s, appearing most notably in a pair of 1958 films by Louis Malle, Ascenseur Pour l’Échafaud and Les Amants. Following her breakthrough success in these films, she appeared in a long line of others by prominent directors, most notably François Truffaut, who immortalized her in his classic Jules et Jim (1962), as well as Jean-Luc Godard (A Woman Is a Woman, 1961), Michelangelo Antonioni (La Notte, 1961), Orson Welles (The Trial, 1962), Luis Buñuel (Diary of a Chambermaid, 1964), Rainer Werner Fassbinder (Querelle, 1982), and Wim Wenders (Until the End of the World, 1991). Moreau’s recording career as a vocalist was sparked by her memorable performance of the song “Le Tourbillon” in Jules et Jim. Released as a 45-rpm single by Philips in 1962, “Le Tourbillon” was written by Cyrus Bassiak (born Serge Rezvani). The full-length album Jeanne Moreau (1963), comprised of a dozen songs by Rezvani, was released on the Disques Jacques Canetti label in the wake of “Le Tourbillon.” Subsequent silver-screen singing performances of note include the songs “Embrasse-Moi,” a Bassiak song from the film Peau de Banane (1963), and “Ah les P’tites Femmes de Femmes de Paris,” a duet with Brigitte Bardot from the film Viva Maria (1965). There was also another full-length album of Bassiak songs released on Disques Jacques Canetti, 12 Chansons (1966).

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Moreau’s two full-lengths were later compiled by the British label Él on The Immortal Jeanne Moreau (2008). Numerous other best-of collections were compiled over the years, most of them featuring soundtrack recordings such as “Le Tourbillon” alongside material from her full-lengths. (by Jason Birchmeier)

Throughout her life, Moreau maintained friendships with prominent writers such as Jean Cocteau, Jean Genet, Henry Miller and Marguerite Duras (an interview with Moreau is included in Duras’s book Outside: Selected Writings). She was formerly married to Jean-Louis Richard (1949–1964) and then to American film director William Friedkin (1977–1979). Director Tony Richardson left his wife, Vanessa Redgrave, for her in 1967 but they never married. She also had affairs with directors Louis Malle and François Truffaut, fashion designer Pierre Cardin, jazz trumpeter Miles Davis and Theodoros Roubanis, the Greek actor/playboy.

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Moreau was a close friend of Sharon Stone, who presented a 1998 American Academy of Motion Pictures life tribute to Moreau. Orson Welles called her “the greatest actress in the world”, and she remained one of France’s most accomplished actresses.

Moreau died on 31 July 2017, at the age of 89. (by wikipedia)

And here´s her first album … a tribute to a real great actress … and we hear very fine chansons from France … of course. Enjoy the magic of Jeanne Moreau !

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Personnel:
Jeanne Moreau (vocals)
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François Rauber Orchestra
Ward Swingle Orchestra

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Tracklist:
01. J’Ai La Mémoire Qui Flanche (Bassiak/Rauber) 2.23
02. La Vie S’Envole (Bassiak/Delerue) 1.34
03. La Peau, Léon (Bassiak/Delerue) 2.24
04.  Rien N’Arrive Plus (Bassiak/Robert) 3.10
05. Moi Je Préfère (Bassiak/Swingle) 2.01
06. Le Blues Indolent (Bassiak/Swingle) 3.21
07. La Vie De Cocagne (Bassiak/Robert) 2.33
08. L’Homme D’Amour (Bassiak/Swingle) 2.37
09. L’Horloger (Bassiak/Swingle) 2.34
10. Ni Trop Tôt, Ni Trop Tard (Bassiak/Swingle) 2.41
11. Les Mensonges (Bassiak/Swingle) 2.17
12. L’Amour Flou (Bassiak/Delerue) 2.15

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Jeanne Moreau (23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017)

Janis Joplin – I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (1969)

LPFrontCover1I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! is a 1969 studio album by Janis Joplin. It was the first solo studio album Joplin recorded after leaving her former band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and the only one released in her lifetime (Pearl was released 3 months after Joplin’s death).I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! is a 1969 studio album by Janis Joplin. It was the first solo studio album Joplin recorded after leaving her former band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and the only one released in her lifetime (Pearl was released 3 months after Joplin’s death).

Recording began on June 16, 1969 in New York City and ceased on June 26. For the album, Joplin recruited guitarist Sam Andrew of the Holding Company to take part in development, along with the Kozmic Blues band. Joplin installed a brass and horn section into the tracks, a feature her previous band would not allow. It was a total contrast to Joplin’s previous psychedelic rock as the compositions chosen were more soul Janis Joplinand blues driven. All but two tracks were cover versions that producer Gabriel Mekler and Joplin chose. The other two tracks, “One Good Man” and “Kozmic Blues”, were written by Joplin herself. Overall, the album was a more polished work, but with the lack prominent accompanists like the Holding Company, the album was not as successful as Cheap Thrills.

The LP was released on September 11, 1969 and reached gold record status within two months of its release.[5] It was issued by Columbia under #KCS 9913. The first pressing was titled only on the spine and disc labels. Later, the title of the album was added as a sticker designed by R. Crumb and stuck to the shrink wrap. The album was re-released by Columbia as WKPC 9913 and again as PC 9913 both on vinyl. The re-issued album did not have the same title sticker, instead the re-issues had the title printed on the cover and the Sony’s “Nice Price” sticker on the shrink wrap. Some of the newer PC 9913 have a bar code. A 180 Gram Limited Edition classic LP high-definition Virgin Heavy Vinyl pressing was also released in 2010. Technically, this album was reissued on vinyl a total of six times. Many collectors are mistaken in thinking the issue that included the R. Crumb sticker was the original issue; it was not. The hard-to-find original sealed issue is KCS 9913, which had no R. Crumb sticker, and the title was only on the spine of the cover. Columbia Records released as a single Kozmic Blues b/w Little Girl Blue 4-45023. The single peaked at #41 on the US Billboard charts.

I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! also contains the hits “Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)”, “Kozmic Blues” and “To Love Somebody”. The CD reissue of the album includes the outtake cover of Bob Dylan’s “Dear Landlord”, with new lyrics and arrangements provided by Joplin, and versions of “Summertime” and “Piece of My Heart” recorded live at Woodstock as bonus tracks.

John Burks of Rolling Stone wrote in a November 1, 1969 interview praising Joplin’s vocal performance. However, he notes that her vocals are hindered by her backup band’s instrumental role in the album. Overall, Burks was satisfied with Joplin’s change in musical direction, but recommends “reaching the point where you are able to shut out the band”.

Janis JoplinLive

Janis Joplin’s solo debut was a letdown at the time of release, suffering in comparison with Big Brother’s Cheap Thrills from the previous year, and shifting her style toward soul-rock in a way that disappointed some fans. Removed from that context, it sounds better today, though it’s still flawed. Fronting the short-lived Kozmic Blues Band, the arrangements are horn heavy and the material soulful and bluesy. The band sounds a little stiff and although Joplin’s singing is good, she would sound more electrifying on various live versions of some of the songs. The shortage of quality original compositions — indeed, there are only eight tracks total on the album — didn’t help either, and the cover selections were erratic, particularly the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody.” On the other hand, “Try” is one of her best soul outings, and the reading of Rodgers & Hart’s “Little Girl Blue” is inspired. (by Richie Unterberger)

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Personnel:
Sam Andrew (guitar, vocals)
Maury Baker (drums)
Brad Campbell (bass)
Lonnie Castille (drums)
Terry Clements (saxophone)
Jerry Edmonton (drums; uncredited)
Cornelius Flowers (saxophone)
Luis Gasca (trumpet)
Janis Joplin (vocals, guitar)
Richard Kermode (keyboards)
Goldy McJohn keyboards; uncredited)
Gabriel Mekler (keyboards)
Michael Monarch (guitar; uncredited)
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Mike Bloomfield – guitar on 02., 03. ´08.)

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Tracklist:
01. Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) (Ragovoy/Taylor) 3.57
02. Maybe (Barrett) 3.41
03. One Good Man (Joplin) 4.12
04. As Good As You’ve Been To This World (Gravenites) 5.27
05. To Love Somebody (B.Gibb/R.Gibb) 5.14
06. Kozmic Blues (Joplin/Mekler) 4.24
07. Little Girl Blue (Hart/Rodgers) 3.51
08. Work Me, Lord (Gravenites) 6.45
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09. Dear Landlord (Session outtake) (Dylan/Joplin) Joplin 2.32
10. Summertime (Live at Woodstock) (G.Gershwin/I.Gershwin) 5.04
11. Piece Of My Heart (Live at Woodstock) (Ragovoy/Berns) 6.31

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Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)

FrontCover1The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 27, 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his self-titled debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, Freewheelin’ represented the beginning of Dylan’s writing contemporary words to traditional melodies. Eleven of the thirteen songs on the album are Dylan’s original compositions. The album opens with “Blowin’ in the Wind”, which became an anthem of the 1960s, and an international hit for folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary soon after the release of Freewheelin’. The album featured several other songs which came to be regarded as among Dylan’s best compositions and classics of the 1960s folk scene: “Girl from the North Country”, “Masters of War”, “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”.

Dylan’s lyrics embraced news stories drawn from headlines about the Civil Rights Movement and he articulated anxieties about the fear of nuclear warfare. Balancing this political material were love songs, sometimes bitter and accusatory, and material that features surreal humor. Freewheelin’ showcased Dylan’s songwriting talent for the first time, propelling him to national and international fame. The success of the album and Dylan’s subsequent recognition led to his being named as “Spokesman of a Generation”, a label Dylan repudiated.

Dylan1963_02The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan reached number 22 in the US (eventually going platinum), and became a number-one album in the UK in 1964. In 2003, the album was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2002, Freewheelin’ was one of the first 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. (by wikipedia)

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, the record that firmly established Dylan as an unparalleled songwriter, one of considerable skill, imagination, and vision. At the time, folk had been quite popular on college campuses and bohemian circles, making headway onto the pop charts in diluted form, and while there certainly were a number of gifted songwriters, nobody had transcended the scene as Dylan did with this record. There are a couple (very good) covers, with “Corrina Corrina” and “Honey Just Allow Me One More Chance,” but they pale with the originals here. At the time, the social protests received the most attention, and deservedly so, since “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Masters of War,” and “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” weren’t just specific in their targets; they were gracefully executed and even melodic.

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Although they’ve proven resilient throughout the years, if that’s all Freewheelin’ had to offer, it wouldn’t have had its seismic impact, but this also revealed a songwriter who could turn out whimsy (“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”), gorgeous love songs (“Girl From the North Country”), and cheerfully absurdist humor (“Bob Dylan’s Blues,” “Bob Dylan’s Dream”) with equal skill. This is rich, imaginative music, capturing the sound and spirit of America as much as that of Louis Armstrong, Hank Williams, or Elvis Presley. Dylan, in many ways, recorded music that equaled this, but he never topped it. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Bob Dylan On The Ed Sullivan Show

Personnel:
Bob Dylan (vocals, guitar, harmonica)
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on 11:
Howie Collins (guitar)
Leonard Gaskin (bass)
Bruce Langhorne (guitar)
Herb Lovelle (drums)
Dick Wellstood (piano)

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Tracklist:
01. Blowin’ In The Wind (Dylan) 2.47
02. Girl From The North Country (Dylan) 3.22
03. Masters Of War (Dylan) 4.33
04. Down The Highway (Dylan) 3.25
05. Bob Dylan’s Blues (Dylan) 2.24
06. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (Dylan) 6.53
07. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Dylan) 3.40
08. Bob Dylan’s Dream (Dylan) 5.03
09. Oxford Town (Dylan) 1.50
10. Talking World War III Blues (Dylan) 6.26
11. Corrina, Corrina (Thomas) 2.42
12. Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance (Dylan) 2.00
13. I Shall Be Free (Dylan) 4.48

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Come, you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs

You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy

You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe

But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you sit back and watch
While the death count gets higher

You hide in your mansion
While the young peoples’ blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You’ve thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world

For threatenin’ my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain’t worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn?
You might say that I’m young
You might say I’m unlearned

But there’s one thing I know
Though I’m younger than you
That even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness?
Do you think that it could?

I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death will come soon
I’ll follow your casket
On a pale afternoon

I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand over your grave
‘Til I’m sure that you’re dead

Traffic – On The Road (1973)

FrontCover1On The Road is a live album (2 LPs, reissued on 1 CD) by English rock band Traffic, released in 1973. Recorded live in Germany, it features the Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory lineup plus extra keyboardist (for live performances) Barry Beckett.

The initial U.S. release of On the Road (Island/Capitol) 1973 was as a single LP consisting of: “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” (edited to 15:10), “Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory,” “(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired” & “Light Up or Leave Me Alone.”

The album reached number 40 in the UK and number 29 in the USA. (by wikipedia)

One of the finest live albums….and who knew that Steve Winwood was such a fine guitarist? Was lucky enough to seem them in 1974 and this album is a fine reminder of just how good they were live. (by Cletus Dodgy-Mullet)

Strong effort live effort byTraffic. It’s pretty hard to sound bad when you have the Muscle Shoals rhythm section backing you up. The jams on Glad and Low Spark are burning! They could have eliminated one of the two songs from Shootout at the Fantasy Factory. But overall a good showing. (by Seanon)

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Get “On The Road” the drive is so good that you will want to stay “On The Road” there are not any pot holes, but there is definitely one big Traffic jam! Piano-guitar-Percussion-Bass-Sax-Flute-Drums-Keyboards. A flowing Traffic jam like none you have ever been in, get “On The Road” and experience live Traffic! (by Tripp Gazzeron)

Backed by Muscle Shoals sidemen, Winwood, Capaldi, and Wood rock like never before. Traffic songs that were already great were transformed into extended jazzy jams with interesting interplay between all the players. A funky groove unites all the separate tracks, making this a great driving album or a soundtrack for doing housework. Too bad the sidemen split from Traffic after this, since the album promised potential future development that might have significantly altered the direction of contemporary music. As it is, it’s a lesser-known gem in the rock archive that is absolutely necessary for any true music fan of 70’s progressive rock. (by Manley Peebleson)

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Thefirst time I saw Traffic was in 1973 at the Circus Krone, Munich … And it was such a thrilling concert … they played over 3 hours … one of the finest concerts I ever saw.

And here is one of the finest live albums ever … a timeless classic recording …  !

And a few weeks ago I saw Steve Winwood again … and he´still in a great shape !

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Personnel:
Reebop Kwaku Baah (percussion)
Barry Beckett (keyboards)
Jim Capaldi (drums, percussion, vocals)
Roger Hawkins (drums)
David Hood (bass)
Steve Winwood (vocals, guitar, piano)
Chris Wood (saxophone, flute)

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Tracklist:
01. Glad (Winwood) / Freedom Rider (Capaldi/Winwood) 21.00
02. Tragic Magic (Wood) 8.41
03. (Sometimes I Feel So) Un-Inspired (Capaldi/Winwood) 10.34
04. Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory (Capaldi/Winwood) 7.04
05. Light Up Or Leave Me Alone (Capaldi) 10.49
06. Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys (Capaldi/Winwood) 12.46

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Benny Goodman – The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert (1970)

FrontCover1The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert by Benny Goodman, Columbia Records catalogue item SL-160, is a two-disc LP of Swing music first issued in 1950. The program it captured has been described as “the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz’s “coming out” party to the world of “respectable” music.”[2]The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert by Benny Goodman, Columbia Records catalogue item SL-160, is a two-disc LP of Swing music first issued in 1950. The program it captured has been described as “the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz’s “coming out” party to the world of “respectable” music.”
The first ever double album,[citation needed] it was one of the first records of Benny Goodman music issued on the new long-playing format, and one of the first to sell over a million copies. A landmark recording, it was the premiere performance given by a jazz orchestra in the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City. This album was also sold in a set of nine 45 rpm records in the same year by Columbia.

The reception to the original 1950 long-playing double-album was exceptional, as had been the band’s appearance at Carnegie Hall.
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings includes the 1999 release in its “Core Collection,” in addition to giving it a four-star rating (of a possible four). Penguin authors Richard Cook and Brian Morton describe the release as “a model effort, masterminded by Phil Schaap, whose indomitable detective work finally tracked down the original acetates and gave us the music in the best sound we’ll ever get; with powerful, even thrilling, ambience.” (by wikipedia)

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Benny Goodman’s January 16, 1938, Carnegie Hall concert is considered the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz’s “coming out” party to the world of “respectable” music, held right in that throne room of musical respectability, Carnegie Hall. The 1950-vintage three-album set from the concert only solidified its reputation, and an earlier CD release derived from the LP master was a choice entry in the Goodman catalog for more than ten years. For the 1999 release, producer Phil Schaap re-sourced the concert from original 78 rpm transcription discs; he has also rescued “Sometimes I’m Happy,” the show’s original second number, and “If Dreams Come True,” its original first encore, along with the unedited version of “Honeysuckle Rose” (with Harry Carney in a two-chorus baritone sax solo and Buck Clayton’s three-chorus trumpet solo), all previously lost. The detail is startling, with soloists who are more up close than ever and even details from the audience reactions. Gene Krupa’s drums have an extraordinary richness of tone, and the whole rhythm section finally gets its due as well, even Freddie Green’s rhythm guitar solo during “Honeysuckle Rose,” which is gloriously enhanced. There will be casual listeners, however, who won’t like this release because Schaap has chosen to leave a lot of surface noise, in the interest of preserving the original concert ambience. Some compromise should have been possible, however, where the worst source damage is concerned, and some casual listeners may prefer the original CD release, despite the enhancements featured here. (by Bruce Eder)

What a line-up  … what a concert !

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Personnel:
Red Ballard (trombone)
Count Basie (piano)
Vernon Brown (trombone)
Harry Carney (saxophone)
Buck Clayton (trumpet)
Benny Goodman (clarinet, vocals)
Harry Goodman (bass)
Freddie Green (guitar)
Ziggy Elman (trumpet)
Chris Griffin (trumpet)
Bobby Hackett (cornet)
Lionel Hampton (vibraphone)
Johnny Hodges (saxophone)
Harry James (trumpet)
George Koenig (reeds)
Gene Krupa (drums)
Walter Page (bass)
Allan Reuss (guitar)
Art Rollini (reeds)
Babe Russin (reeds)
Hymie Schertzer (reeds)
Jess Stacy (piano)
Martha Tilton (vocals)
Cootie Williams (trumpet)
Teddy Wilson (piano)
Lester Young (saxophone)

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Tracklist:
01. Don’t Be That Way (Sampson/B.Goodman/Parish) 4.12
02. One O’Clock Jump (Basie) 6.52
03. Dixieland One Step (Dixieland Jass Band) 1.20
04. I’m Coming Virginia (Cook/Heywood) 2.07
05. When My Baby Smiles At Me (Munro/Sterling/Lewis/v.Tilzer) 0.51
06. Shine (Mack/Dabney/Brown) 1.03
07. Blue Reverie (Ellington/Carney) 3.22
08. Life Goes To A Party (James/B.Goodman) 4.13
09. Honeysuckle Rose (Waller/Razaf) 13.57
10. Body And Soul (Green/Heyman/Sour/Eyton) 3.23
11. Avalon (Rose/DeSylva/Jolson) 4.16
12. The Man I Love (G.Gershwin/I.Gershwin) 3.28
13. I Got Rhythm (G.Gershwin/I.Gershwin) 5.09
14. Blue Skies (Berlin) 3.17
15. Loch Lomond (Traditional) 2.58
16. Blue Room (Rodgers) 5.12
17. Swingtime In The Rockies (Mundy/B.Goodman) 3.27
18. Bei mir bist du schön (Secunda/Jacobs) 0.32
19. China Boy (Winfree/Boutelje) 4.52
20. Stompin’ At The Savoy (Sampson/B.Goodman/Webb) 5.55
21. Dizzy Spells (B.Goodman/Hampton/Wilson) 5.43
22. Sing Sing Sing (With A Swing) (Prima) 10.58
23. Big John’s Special (Henderson) 3.45

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Various Artists – The Twilight Saga – New Moon (OST) (2009)

FrontCover1The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the official soundtrack for the 2009 film The Twilight Saga: New Moon. The score for New Moon was composed by Alexandre Desplat while the rest of the soundtrack was chosen by music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas, who also produced the Twilight soundtrack. The New Moon – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album was released on October 16, 2009[3] by Patsavas’ Chop Shop label, in conjunction with Atlantic Records.

 
New Moon’s soundtrack comprises songs that are all original and exclusive to the soundtrack and are performed by various indie rock and alternative rock artists. New Moon director Chris Weitz stated that the soundtrack would feature songs from Radiohead, Muse, and Band of Skulls. Death Cab for Cutie contributed the soundtrack’s lead single, a song written specifically for the film called “Meet Me on the Equinox”, which debuted September 13 during the MTV Video Music Awards Bassist Nick Harmer says, “We wrote ‘Meet Me On the Equinox’ to reflect the celestial themes and motifs that run throughout the Twilight series and we wanted to capture that desperate feeling of endings and beginnings that so strongly affect the main characters.”[6] The music video for “Meet Me on the Equinox” premiered on October 7, 2009 and includes clips from the movie.[7] The English rock band Muse contributed a remix of their song “I Belong to You”, which appears in its original form on their 2009 album The Resistance. St. Vincent collaborated with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon to create a song called “Rosyln”. When describing the song, she said, “[Justin] sings in his beautiful falsetto and I’m actually singing very, very low… I think there’s something vampirey and creepy about the two of us singing together. It’s a simple, stripped-down kind of song.” The soundtrack originally had a release date of October 20, 2009, but the date was moved up four days to October 16 due to “overwhelming and unprecedented demand”. (by wikipedia)

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After Twilight became a world-wide hit, the film series based on Stephenie Meyer’s series of vampire romance books got a major upgrade. More time, effort, and money were poured into the second film, New Moon, and nowhere is this clearer than the film’s soundtrack. New Moon’s music is darker, more sophisticated, and much more indie-friendly than its predecessor’s soundtrack, and features more of the artists Meyer credits for inspiring her writing. One is Muse, whose “I Belong to You (New Moon Remix)” is so dramatic that it’s easy to hear how the band inspired Meyer’s angst-filled love triangle between the clumsy yet somehow irresistible Bella Swan, her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen and her best friend (and werewolf) Jacob Black. Meyer also cites Radiohead as a big influence, and Thom Yorke’s previously unreleased “Hearing Damage” is New Moon’s main attraction.

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Drifting in on buzzing synth bass, the song builds to luminous, ghostly heights that make it one of the album’s highlights. However, it’s not the only one: Death Cab for Cutie’s “Meet Me on the Equinox” is more brooding and rock-tinged than the band’s usual approach, but it fits in beautifully with New Moon’s sullen mood, while the close harmonies and piano on the Killers’ “White Demon Love Song” inject some much-needed drama. Indeed, despite the fact that this soundtrack is more musically satisfying, and certainly more star-studded than the first film’s, Twilight felt more like the world Meyer created in her books — melodramatic, earnest, definitely not reeking of indie rock cool. Even if nothing here nails that vibe the way that Paramore’s “Decode” did, Lykke Li’s “Possibility” and Anya Marina’s “Satellite Heart” still offer winsome indie folk backgrounds for Bella’s moping. Despite a few upbeat moments that stick out like a thumb that isn’t sore, songs like Grizzly Bear and Victoria Legrand’s “Slow Life,” Editors’ “No Sound But the Wind,” and Bon Iver and St. Vincent’s lovely, truly odd “Roslyn” are morose enough for die-hard Twilight fans and stylish enough to please the most discerning music snobs. (by Heather Phares)

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Tracklist:
01. Death Cab for Cutie: Meet Me on the Equinox  3.41
02. Band of Skulls: Friends 3.03
03. Thom Yorke: Hearing Damage  5.04
04. Lykke Li: Possibility 5:06
05. The Killers: A White Demon Love Song 3:34
06. Anya Marina: Satellite Heart 3:33
07. Muse: I Belong to You [New Moon Remix] 3:12
08. Bon Iver and St. Vincent Bella: Roslyn 4:49
09. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Done All Wrong 2:49
10. Hurricane Bells: Monsters 3:16
11. Sea Wolf: The Violet Hour 3:32
12. OK Go: Shooting the Moon 3:18
13. Grizzly Bear featuring Victoria Legrand: Slow Life 4:21
14. Editors: No Sound But the Wind 3:48
15. Alexandre Desplat: New Moon (The Meadow) 4:09

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Abdullah “Dollar Brand” Ibrahim – Autobiography – Solo Piano (1983)

FrontCover1Autobiography is a live recording by pianist and flautist Abdullah Ibrahim (also known as Dollar Brand), taken from a June 18, 1978, concert in Switzerland. On the recording, Ibrahim recalls his childhood in South Africa through the songs he learned then, progressing to his own compositions in adulthood. Originally released as a two-disc LP set, the album has since been reissued on CD. (by wikipedia)

Recorded live, this two-LP solo set features pianist Abdullah Ibrahim performing songs from his youth, a Duke Ellington medley, “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “I Surrender Dear,” Thelonious Monk’s “Coming on the Hudson” and some newer pieces, including one (“Khoisan”) that he takes as a flute solo. The music is often taken as spontaneous medleys and, although the song titles are often incorrect, this twofer really does a fine job of summing up Ibrahim’s powerful and spiritual music up to 1978. (by Scott Yanow)

What a great piece of music  … listen and enjoy !

Alternate frontcovers:

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Recorded live at the Nyon Jazz Festival/Switzerland, on June 18th, 1978.

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Personnel:
Dollar Brand (piano)

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Tracklist:
01. What Really Happened in the Cornfields is that the Birds Made Musical all the Day and so I Let a Song Go Out of my Heart at Duke’s Place” + “Anthem For the New Nations (Ibrahim) 5.11
02. Biral (Ibrahim) 3.46
03. Gwidza – Yukio-Kahlifa – Intro Liberation Dance (Ibrahim) 7.15
04. African Marketplace – Tokai – Llanga – African Sun (Ibrahim) 9.04
05. The Dream (Ibrahim) 2.30
06. Liberation Dance (Ibrahim) 2.19
07. Did You Hear That Sound ? – Our Son Tsakwe – The Wedding – I Surrender Dear – One Day When We Were Young (Ibrahim) 12.33
08. Drop Me Off in Harlem 1.123
09. Take the “A” Train (Strayhorn) – Coming On The Hudson (Monk) – Moniebah (Ibrahim) 9.01
10. Little Boy (Ibrahim) 2.30
11. Cherry (Ibrahim) 2.04
12. Ishmael – Mannenberg – Children Of Africa/Banyana – Peace-Salaam – Anthem For The New Nations (Ibrahim) 13.41
13. Khoisan (Ibrahim) 5.28

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This is another item from the great greygoose record collection.
Thanks a lot !

Andwella’s Dream – Love And Poetry (1969)

FrontCover1Andwella were a Northern Irish psychedelic rock band formed in 1968, originally as The Method and later renamed Andwellas Dream. The trio were fronted by Dave Lewis (Guitar/keyboard/vocals), with Nigel Smith (bass/vocals) and Gordon Barton (drums).[1]

Their first album, as Andwellas Dream, Love and Poetry, was recorded in London in 1968, and featured jazz musician Bob Downes on saxophone and flute, and Wilgar Campbell on drums on the track “Felix”. However, the album failed to sell, and Lewis then recorded a solo album, privately pressed, on the Ax label in 1970; which included new versions of some of the Andwella’s Dream songs. Then in 1970 David Lewis wrote the music for and produced poet David Baxter’s “Goodbye Dave” album, for which he was backed by Andwella.

With the addition of Dave McDougall on guitar and vocals, the band was renamed Andwella. This line-up issued World’s End, before Dave Struthers replaced Nigel Smith on bass and Jack McCullock joined as drummer. This lineup recorded the bands’ last album, People’s People, in 1971, after which the band broke up in 1972.

Lewis later went on to write “Happy to Be on an Island in the Sun”, recorded in the 1970s by Demis Roussos.

Love and Poetry is the first studio album by British psychedelic band Andwella’s Dream. It was released in 1969 on CBS Records.

Love and Poetry was composed entirely by band member Dave Lewis. It captures the true original sounds of Irish psychedelic rock. Relatively unknown, this album has achieved certain cult status after 40 years and is eagerly sought after by collectors of the genre.

It is featured in Record Collector’s Top 100 British Psychedelic Records of the 1960s. (by wikipedia)

Andwella´s Dream

Although Andwella’s Dream were a versatile psychedelic group, they were nonetheless generic no matter what angle they were taking. On Love & Poetry, you get sustained guitar that walks the line between freakbeat and heaviness, some swirling organ and husky vocals that betray the influence of Traffic and Procol Harum, pastoral acoustic folky tunes in the Donovan style, airy-fairy dabs of phased guitars and storybook lyrics, etc. Eclecticism is to be commended, and since late-’60s British psychedelia is an interesting genre in and of itself, generic music in the subgenre is more interesting than some other generic music in other styles. Still, generic music is generic music, and being able to do a bunch of different things in an unexceptional manner does not make you exceptional. The fairly tuneful folk-rocker “Midday Sun” is the best cut; it’s also interesting to hear a song about “Cocaine” in 1969, before the drug was too well known even in the counterculture. (by Richie Unterberger)

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Personnel:
Gordon Barton (drums)
Bob Downes (flute, percussion)
David Lewis (vocals, guitar, keyboards)
Nigel Smith (bass, vocals)

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Tracklist:
01. The Days Grew Longer For Love 3.56
02. Sunday 3.12
03. Lost A Number Found A King 6.04
04. Man Without A Name 2.42
05. Clockwork Man 2.44
06. Cocaine 5.00
07. Shades Of Grey 3.37
08. High On A Mountain 2.32
09. Andwella 3.16
10. Midday Sun 3.41
11. Take My Road 3.23
12. Felix 4.17
13. Goodbye 2.18

All songs composed by Dave Lewis

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Live at the Marquee Club, London … what a time !

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Melanie – Arabesque (1982)

FrontCover1A very pleasant guitar driven album. “Detroit or Buffalo” sounds as beautiful with her as it does with writer Barbara Keith. There’s an odd reggae number in “When you’re dead and gone”. I hate reggae but I love Melanie, so, after ten spins, let’s say I accepted the song. Country music is represented by “It don’t matter now”. Chip Taylor (yes, he of “Angel of the morning” – made famous by Merrillee Rush – and “Wild thing” – eternized by The Troggs and Jimi Hendrix) nods his way in with “Any way that you want me”. “Roadburn” is rock; “Fooling yourself” is pop with a nice gospel-like choir. “Chances” closes the album in chord progression grandeur. It was 1982 and Melanie made a varied, but synergic album. Lovely. (by S. V. Gomeson)

“Arabesque” (1982) is, hands-down, one of Melanie’s best albums. That she could consistently put out such great, commercial product and get overlooked is one of the saddest unsolved mysteries of modern music. When it was originally released in the U.S, it was on a small, independent label called Blanche Records. In the U.K. and Europe it was on RCA Records. Great combination of original songs mixed with excellent cover material. Fine musicianship and, of course, Melanie’s wonderful vocals in an understated production (by Charles)

Alternate frontcover:

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Personnel:
Melanie Safka (voclas, guitar)
+
a bunch of unknown studio musisicians

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Tracklist:
01. Detroit Or BuffaloA1 Detroit Or Buffalo (Keith) 3.48
02. It Don’t Matter Now (McDonald) 3.12
03. Any Way That You Want Me (Taylor) 4.32
04 .Roadburn (Safka) 3.15
05 .Fooling Yourself (DeVitto) 3.46
06. Too Late (Safka) 4.21
07. Standing On The Other Side (Of Your Love) (Safka) 4.13
08. Love You To Loath Me (Safka) 3.20
09. When You’re Dead And Gone (Safka) 3.05
10. Imaginary Heroes (Evans) 4.36
11. Chances (Russell) 3.33

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The singles from this album:

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Various Artists – Havana Jam 1 (1979)

FrontCover1Havana Jam was a three-day music festival that took place at the Karl Marx Theater, in Havana, Cuba, on 2–4 March 1979. It was sponsored by Bruce Lundvall, the president of Columbia Records, Jerry Masucci, the president of Fania Records, and the Cuban Ministry of Culture.

The festival included, on the American side, Weather Report, the CBS Jazz All-Stars, the Trio of Doom, Fania All-Stars, Stephen Stills, Billy Swan, Bonnie Bramlett, Mike Finnigan, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge and Billy Joel. The Cuban acts included Irakere, Pacho Alonso, Zaida Arrate, Elena Burke, Orquesta de Santiago de Cuba, Conjunto Yaguarimú, Frank Emilio, Juan Pablo Torres, Los Papines, Tata Güines, Cuban Percussion Ensemble, Sara González, Pablo Milanés, Manguaré, and Orquesta Aragón.

In 1977, US President Jimmy Carter and Cuban President Fidel Castro started to loosen the political tension between the two countries and opened Interest Sections both in Havana and Washington. It was the first time in almost two decades after Castro’s rise to power that there was a real interest in establishing a normalization of diplomatic relations and the lifting of the United States embargo against Cuba.

With a real crisis in the music industry in the United States and the start of the salsa boom, in April 1978, CBS Records director, Bruce Lundvall, saw an open door to probe Cuban music and together with a group of the company’s music enthusiasts made a four-day trip to Havana, where they were overwhelmed by the sound of Cuban music, but especially by Afro-Cuban jazz band Irakere, one of Cuba’s most highly regarded and virtuoso musical acts.

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After months of talks, Lundvall managed to sign Irakere and in July the group traveled to New York to perform an unannounced guest set at the famed Newport Jazz Festival-New York. Rave reviews led to an invitation from the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

A few months later, Irakere won their first Grammy with the album Irakere, recorded at their Montreux Jazz Festival and Newport Jazz Festival performances, and Lundvall wanted to try his luck with other Cuban bands too. So, in the Fall of 1978, he joined forces with Fania Records director Jerry Masucci and convinced the Cuban cultural authorities to organize a three-day festival in Havana with the participation of Cuban and American musicians. The event would be recorded and televised for the enjoyment of both the Cuban and American people.

So they all agreed to set a date for the festival, spontaneously entitled Havana Jam. March 2 through 4, 1979, were the days earmarked for this historical step toward establishing a cultural exchange between the two enemy nations. In order to carry out the Herculean task of planning, Lundvall brought aboard Jock McLean and Phil Sandhaus, of Columbia’s artists development department. Both veterans of major concert promotion, they knew the festival needed professional production of the highest caliber, and enlisted Showco (a Dallas-based concert production company) and Studio Instrument Rentals for the task.

HavanaJam02

At this point in time, Lundvall was diligently “feeling out” select members of the Columbia artist roster, all of whom were honored to accept the invitation to perform in Cuba. By early February the talent was confirmed. Representing the U.S. would be Billy Joel, Stephen Stills, Weather Report, Kris Kristofferson with Rita Coolidge, the Fania All-Stars and the CBS Jazz All-Stars. The latter group was conceptualized by Lundvall and scheduled to feature more than 20 top jazz artists on the label.

With the festival within grasp, other CBS Records personnel were summoned into the picture-rehearsals were set up for the CBS Jazz All-Stars, travel accommodations were made, equipment was rented, a wide cross-section of media was invited, and both recording and videotaping plans were confirmed.

Record producers Bert deCoteaux and Mike Berniker flew down with a crew from the CBS Recording Studios along with a support team and mobile 24-track Recording Studio from Record Plant NY.

HavanaJam03

Engineered by David Hewitt with Phil Gitomer and Michael Guthrie. McLean, Sandhaus, Freston and various other people were already busy working in Havana’s Karl Marx Auditorium when the musicians landed at the José Martí airport on March 1.

Havana Jam was an invitation-only event, with mostly cultural personalities and members of the Communist Party and their children in attendance, though some students from different art and music schools were also invited.

The festival was hardly mentioned on the Cuban press, and thirty years later not many Cubans know it ever existed. (by wikipedia)

In 1979 many of Columbia’s top recording artists made a rare visit to Cuba where they performed (and recorded) at a series of concerts with some of the top Cuban groups. This double LP (unlike the strictly jazz Havana Jam 2) covers a wide range of music from Weather Report, the CBS Jazz All-Stars (an allstar group with Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz and Woody Shaw) and The Trio of Doom (John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius and Tony Williams) to Irakere, Stephen Stills, Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge. There is enough worthwhile jazz on the two-fer to make this set worth picking up (by Scott Yanow).

What a great jam recording !

Recorded live at the Karl-Marx Theatre, Havana, Cuba, March 2-4, 1979

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Personnel:

CBS Jazz All-Stars:
Willie Bobo (percussion)
Arthur Blythe (saxophone)
Stan Getz (saxophone)
Dexter Gordon (saxophone)
Jimmy Heath (saxophone)
Percy Heath (bass)
Bobby Hutcherson (marimba)
Hubert Laws (flute)
Woody Shaw (trumpet)
Cedar Walton (piano)
Tony Williams (drums)

Cuban Percussion Ensemble:
Frank Emilio Guillermo Barreto, Changuito, Tata Guines, Los Papines (percussion)

Irakere:
Jorge “El Nono” Alfonso (percussion)
Carlos Averhoff (saxophone)
Armando Cuervo (percussion)
Paquito D’Rivera (saxophone)
Carlos Emilio Morales (guitar)
Enrique Pla (drums)
Carlos del Puerto (bass)
Arturo Sandoval (trumpet)
Jesus “Chucho” Valdes (piano)
Oscar Valdez (percussion)
Jorge Varona (trumpet)

Stephen Stills Band:
Bonnie Bramlett (vocals)
Mike Finnigan (keyboards)
Joe Lala (percussion)
George “Chocolate” Perry (bass)
Stephen Stills (guitar, vocals)
Gerry Tolman (guitar)
Joe Vitale (drums)

Trio Of Doom:
John McLaughlin (guitar)
Jaco Pastorius (bass)
Tony Williams (drums)

Weather Report:
Peter Erskine (drums)
Jaco Pastorius (bass)
Wayne Shorter (saxophone)
Joe Zawinul (electric piano, synthesizer)

And now, I´m too lazy to search all other musicians … sorry …

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Tracklist:
01. Weather Report: Black Market (Zawinul) 8.59
02. Irakere: Concerto Para Flaut y Adagio de Mozart(Rivera/Mozart) 9.48
03. Stephen Stills: Cuba al Fin(Stills) 7.48
04. Sara González: Su Nombre Es Pueblo (Gonzalez) 3.54
05. CBS Jazz All-Stars:  Project “S” (Heath) 8.36
06. Orquesta Aragón: Que Barla Mionda (Valdés) 7.37
07. Kris Kristofferson: Living Legend (Kristofferson) 4.29
08. Rita Coolidge: (Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher (Smith/Miner/Jackson) 3:33
09. CBS Jazz All-Stars: Black Stockings (Laws) 6.24
10. Mike Finnigan + Bonnie Bramlett: How Wrong Can You Be (Gronenthal/Grace) 4.46
11. Fania All-Stars: Juan Pachanga (Blades/Ramirez/Masucci) 4.41
12. Trio Of Doom: Dark Prince (McLaughlin) 3.54
13. Cuban Percussion Ensemble: Scherezada/Sun Sun (Rimsky-Korsakov/Traditional) 7.41

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