John Fahey – Live At Amazingrace (1975)

FrontCover1John Fahey (February 28, 1939 – February 22, 2001) was an American fingerstyle guitarist and composer who played the steel-string acoustic guitar as a solo instrument. His style has been enormously influential and has been described as the foundation of the genre of American primitive guitar, a term borrowed from painting and referring mainly to the self-taught nature of the music and its minimalist style. Fahey borrowed from the folk and blues traditions in American roots music, having compiled many forgotten early recordings in these genres. He would later incorporate 20th-century classical, Portuguese, Brazilian, and Indian influences into his work.

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Fahey spent many of his later years in poverty and poor health, but enjoyed a minor career resurgence in the late 1990s, with a turn towards the avant-garde. He also created a series of abstract paintings in his final years. In 2003, he was ranked 35th on Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” list. In February 2001, six days before his 62nd birthday, Fahey died at Salem Hospital after undergoing a sextuple coronary bypass. In 2006, no fewer than four Fahey tribute albums were released as a testament to his reputation as a “giant of 20th century American music”. (wikipedia)

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One of acoustic music’s true innovators and eccentrics, John Fahey was a crucial figure in expanding the boundaries of the acoustic guitar over the last few decades. His music was so eclectic that it’s arguable whether he should be defined as a “folk” artist. In a career that saw him issue several dozen albums, he drew from blues, Native American music, Indian ragas, experimental dissonance, and pop. His good friend Dr. Demento has noted that Fahey “was the first to demonstrate that the finger-picking techniques of traditional country and blues steel-string guitar could be used to express a world of non-traditional musical ideas — harmonies and melodies you’d associate with Bartok, Charles Ives, or maybe the music of India.” The more meditative aspects of his work foreshadowed new age music, yet Fahey played with a fierce imagination and versatility that outshone any of the guitarists in that category. His idiosyncrasy may have limited him to a cult following, but it also ensured that his work continues to sound fresh. (by Richie Unterberger)

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And here is an excellent soundboard recording that shows all his fantastic guitar skills.
Actually almost unbelievable.

Thanks to frenfri for sharing the show at Dime.

Recorded live at Amazingrace (at The Main), Evanston, IL; August 16, 1975
Very good soundboard

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Personnel:
John Fahey (guitar)

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Tracklist:
01. Banter – Tuning 2.44
02. Some Summer Day (Fahey) / Candy Man (Davis( / /Stomping Tonight On The Pennsylvania-Alabama Border(Fahey) / Christ’s Saints Of God Fantasy (Hopkins) / In Christ There Is No East Or West ((Burleigh/Dunkerly/Oxenham) / Beverly (Fahey)  23.39
03. Tuning 2.42
04. On The Banks Of The Owichita (Barth/Fahey) /The Dance Of The Inhabitants Of The Palace Of King Philip XIV Of Spain (Fahey) 17.45
05. Tuning 0.17
06. Gaucho (first time ever played publicly) (Sete)  5.05
07. Break – tuning 5.47
08. On The Sunny Side Of The Ocean (Fahey) / Spanish Two-Step (Fahey) / Lion  (Fahey) 15.27
09. Tuning 1.14
10. The Revolt Of The Dyke Brigade (Fahey) / Requiem For Mississippi John Hurt (Fahey)  9.09

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Amon Düül II – Made In Germany (1975)

LPFrontCover1Amon Düül II (or Amon Düül 2, Pronunciation: Amon Düül) is a German rock band. The group is generally considered to be one of the pioneers of the West German krautrock scene. Their 1970 album Yeti was described by British magazine The Wire as “one of the cornerstones of … the entire Krautrock movement”.

The band emerged from the radical West German commune scene of the late 1960s, with others in the same commune including some of the future founders of the Red Army Faction. Founding members are Chris Karrer, Dieter Serfas, Falk Rogner (born 14 September 1943), John Weinzierl (born 4 April 1949), and Renate Knaup-Krötenschwanz (born Renate Aschauer-Knaup, 1 July 1948).

The band was founded after Weinzierl and the others met at the Amon Düül ‘art commune’ in Munich. The commune consisted mainly of university students, who formed a music group initially to fund the commune, with everyone who lived there joining in to play music whether or not they had any experience or ability.

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The commune split when they were offered an opportunity to record, which was boycotted by the more musically proficient members of the commune (who went on to form Amon Düül II). Recordings were made by the other members but were of very poor quality and were only released later (under the name Amon Düül) to capitalise on the success of Amon Düül II’s albums. As Amon Düül II grew and personnel changed, they still remained a commune, living together as a band.

Their first album Phallus Dei (‘God’s Phallus’), released in 1969, consisted of pieces drawn from the group’s live set at the time. By this time the line-up was built around a core of Karrer (mainly violin and guitar), Weinzierl (guitar, bass, piano), Rogner on keyboards, bass player Dave Anderson, and two drummers (Peter Leopold (born 15 August 1945) who had joined the group from Berlin, and Dieter Serfas. Renate Knaup at this point was only contributing minimal vocals but was very much part of the group. According to Weinzierl by this time “The band played almost every day. We played universities, academies, underground clubs, and every hall with a power socket and an audience”. Releasing an album brought the group greater prominence and they began to tour more widely in Germany and abroad, playing alongside groups such as Tangerine Dream, and in Germany staying in other communes including the pioneering Kommune 1 in Berlin.

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Their second album Yeti (1970) saw them introducing arranged compositions along with the bluesy violin and guitar jams such as the long improvised title track. The next album Tanz der Lemminge (1971) was based on four extended progressive rock suites. By this time bassist Anderson had returned to England and joined Hawkwind, to be replaced by Lothar Meid (born 28 August 1942), and the group was augmented by synthman Karl-Heinz Hausmann (Karrer had formed a short-lived group in 1966 – supposedly named ‘Amon Düül O’ – with future Embryo founders Lothar Meid and drummer Christian Burchard).

Still touring widely, they recorded their Live in London album in late 1972 and in 1975 signed with Atlantic Records in the US, and United Artists Records Germany and initially disbanded in 1981.

As well as their albums and live shows ADII received offers to write music for films, winning a German film award, the Deutscher Filmpreis, for their contribution to the film San Domingo.

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Amon Düül II’s drummer, Peter Leopold, died on 8 November 2006. A memorial service was held for Leopold in Munich, where the remaining members of Amon Düül II sang a song for him. Leopold was replaced by multi-instrumentalist Daniel Fichelscher, for many years guitarist and drummer of Krautrock group Popol Vuh.[8] Fichelscher is not new to the group, and in fact has had a long affiliation with Amon Düül II, having played with them as early as 1972 on Carnival in Babylon.

Bass player Lothar Meid died on 3 November 2015. (wikipedia)

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And here´s their 9th album:

There is a lovely moment in “La Krautoma,” after the surf music intro gives way to a strange Peter Leopold drum solo and moves on, that the sound begins to mutate into early-’70s Hawkwind, a gleeful nod from one notable space rock outfit to another. “La Krautoma” is more than that, though; it’s a six-minute distillation of acid rock, space rock, and Krautrock that shows the band’s knowledge of their own history. It is also an eyebrow-raising moment in the midst of this particular, which spends more time getting into the same space as mid-’70s Europop, providing an antimatter universe version of an average Eurovision song contest lineup — think early ABBA in vinyl raincoats, singing ditties about old King Ludwig and the like. Equally perverse, the Blue Angel motif of the cover fits completely with this approach: life as a cabaret, the decadent edges visible through the veneer. In many respects, it’s a neat record, though sometimes a bit too glossy and clever for its own good — nowhere near the sprawling Tanz Der Lemminge, for example. One of the essential set, however. (by Steven McDonald)

The shortened US edition:
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I think I’ve heard pretty much all the classic Krautrock albums at this point, plus a bunch of the more obscure ones, and this has to be my favorite. It’s as goofy as the other ADII classics, but much more cohesive and diverse. It’s not as experimental as, say Yeti, or Can’s Tago Mago, or Ash Ra Tempel or early Tangerine Dream, but the 2LP version of Made in Germany is just captivating from start to finish and accessible enough to even play for your normie friends.

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I say the 2LP version because that is an important distinction: the single LP version released in the US feels very chopped up and disjointed by comparison. The double LP version is very much a concept album with all the attention to transitions and composition that comes with a great concept effort. Accept no substitute! (by Jeff Dean)

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Personnel:
Robby Heibl (bass, guitar, violin, vocals)
Chris Karrer (guitar, banjo, violin, vocals)
Renate Knaup (vocals)
Peter Leopold (drums, percussion)
Nando Tischer (vocals, guitar)
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Thor Baldursson (keyboards)
Karlheinz Becker (percussion, gong)
Lee Harper (trumpet)
Fritz Sonnleitner (violin)

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Tracklist:
01. Overture (Evers) 5.13
02. Wir Wollen (Leopold) 1.33
03. Wilhelm, Wilhelm (Leopold/Tischer) 3.10
04. SM II Peng (Leopold/Weinzierl) 2.17
05. Elevators Meet Whispering (Rogner) 1.26
06. Metropolis (Weinzierl/Knaup/Rogner) 3.37
07. Ludwig (Weinzierl/Tischer) -2.33
08. The King’s Chocolate Waltz (Korduletsch/Rogner) 2.29
09. Blue Grotto (Weinzierl/Knaup/Rogner) 3.33
10. Mr.Kraut’s Jinx (Karrer) 8.44
11. Wide-Angle (Fichelscher/Knaup/Rogner) 4.06
12. Three-Eyed Overdrive (Korduletsch/Rogner) 1.17
13. Emigrant Song (Heibl/Tischer) 3.21
14. Loosey Girls (Tischer) 5.13
15. Top Of The Mud (Tischer) 3.45
16. Dreams (Tischer) 4.08
17. Gala Gnome (Rogner) 3.52
18. 5.5.55 (Weinzierl/Tischer/Leopold) 1.39
19. La Krautoma (Yradier/Heibl/Karrer/Knaup/Leopold/Tischer) 6.09
20. Excessive Spray (Korduletsch/Rogner) 1.42

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More from Amon Düül II:
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The official website:
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Back Door – In Cologne (1975)

FrontCover1Back Door was a jazz-rock trio, formed in 1971.

Colin Hodgkinson first met Ron Aspery whilst the two were playing in Eric Delaney’s Showband. The two began to talk about forming their own band around 1969, and eventually Back Door came to fruition in 1971, with Tony Hicks joining on drums. Hodgkinson made an innovative use of the electric bass, making it a lead instrument rather than a part of a rhythm section.

Their unique brand of jazz-rock and Hodgkinson’s original playing was a hit at their regular venue; the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge, Yorkshire. However, record labels were not keen and the band were repeatedly told “No singer, no contract”. Ever the innovators, the band decided to record their first album themselves. It was recorded on a 4-track Ampex mixing console in eight hours, and mixed in four hours the next day. Around 1,000 copies were first printed by RCA. The album was sold over the bar at The Lion Inn, and at a few record shops in the local area.

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A copy of the record somehow made its way to the NME headquarters in London, and a superb review by Charles Shaar Murray was printed. After a few more reviews, the band passed an interview, and began playing a regular slot at The Senate in Peterlee, despite Aspery snapping a key off his saxophone moments before the audition. The band’s popularity increased when they were asked to play a two-week stint at Ronnie Scott’s club in London, opening for Chick Corea, a run that was eventually lengthened to three weeks. The record companies changed their tune, and after receiving many offers, the trio decided to sign with Warner Brothers. The band rejected an offer from Richard Branson (who was just starting up Virgin Records at the time) because, according to Hodgkinson, “they were successful – this other guy seemed really nice, but he had no track record”. Warner Brothers then re-released their debut album.

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In 1974, the trio went to New York City to record their second album, 8th Street Nites. The album was produced by former Cream producer, Felix Pappalardi. This was their first album to feature vocals, provided by Hodgkinson because “we needed a singer, and I was the least bad out of us.” Pappalardi himself also played on a few tracks. Warner Brothers duly released the record, and a tour of the United States supporting Emerson, Lake & Palmer followed. Subsequent tours (usually as the support act) included one with Alexis Korner in Germany, which led to a long-lasting collaboration between Korner and Hodgkinson, and The J. Geils Band in the US, and a few as headliners on the university circuit in the UK.

BackDoor04By the time they recorded their third LP, Another Fine Mess, Dave MacRae had joined the band on piano. He was a friend that Hicks made while in Australia. The band shifted style slightly on this album, and more effects, processing, and electronic sounds were used, although they were still defined as jazz-rock. McRae’s stint in the band only lasted about a year, however, and by the time they recorded Activate in 1976 he had departed the band, as had longtime drummer, Tony Hicks. The band hired Adrian Tilbrook as a replacement on drums, claiming they needed “a more hard-hitting drummer.” The album was produced by Carl Palmer.

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After the release of Activate, the band played less and less together, and eventually broke up around 1977. Aspery went on to do work as a session musician, and Hodgkinson worked in a string of projects including The Spencer Davis Group, a stint playing live with Alexis Korner, as did Aspery, and a few outfits alongside Jan Hammer, then of The Mahavishnu Orchestra.

The original line-up briefly reunited for what was initially one night at the Ronnie Scott’s 1986, although this was subsequently followed by a short tour of the UK.

In 2003, the original line-up reunited once again to record a new album. Askin’ the Way consists of 6 re-workings of favourite old songs, and 13 new recordings. Hicks also played accordion on this album on a couple of tracks. The official launch took place in The Lion at Blakey Ridge, where the band had first started out back in 1971. The band then played a few more shows but Aspery had been suffering from an illness for quite some time, and decided that the rigours of the road were no longer for him.

On 10 December that year, Ron Aspery died at his home in Saltdean, Sussex.

The band played a few more concerts in 2005 with Rod Mason on saxophone, including the Guildhall venue at the Brecon Jazz Festival, Hull Jazz Festival, and further sold – out Blakey concerts in 2005.

Tony Hicks died in Sydney, Australia on 13 August 2006.

In 2007 Colin Hodgkinson formed a new trio under the name Colin Hodgkinson Group with Rod Mason (sax) and Paul Robinson (drums). In 2008 they released Back Door Too!, a mixture of old Back Door numbers and new material. (by wikipedia)

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And here´s a real good live recording … a Rockpalast TV-Show …

And we hear high energy Jazz-Rock in a really unusual line-up … a combination of Jazz and Robert Johnson Blues tunes … a real incredible sound

So … it´s time to discover Back Door again and of course … Colin Hodkisnon is an exceptional bassist

Recorded live at the WDR Studio-A Cologne/Germany, April  24, 1975

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Personnel:
Ron Aspery (saxphone, piano)
Colin Hodgkinson (bass, vocals)
Adrian Tillbrook (drums)

BackDoor02Tracklist:
01. Introduction by Alexis Korner (in German) 1.02
02. Sane No More (unknown) 5.33
03. Walking Blues (Johnson) 4.52
04. Candles Round Your Hat (Aspery/Hodgkinson/Hicks) 6.00
05. 32-20 Blues (Johnson) 3.33
07. One Day You’re Down, The Next Day You’re Down (Aspery/Hodgkinson) 3.25
08. Cryin’ Inside (Aspery/Hodgkinson) 6.41
09. Lieutenant  Loose (Aspery/Hodgkinson) 5.03
10. Vienna Breakdown (Aspery/Hodgkinson) 4.16

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Ron Aspery

The now deleted website of Colin Hodgkinson:
CH Website

Siddhartha – Weltschmerz (1975)

LPFrontCover1From the Stuttgart region of Germany, Siddhartha’s origins go back to 1971, as a few student friends hatched the idea of creating a blend of psychedelic and art-rock musics.

In 1973 they became Siddhartha (taking their name from a Hermann Hesse novel) as a part time band whilst continuing studies at university. (discogs.com)

And here´s theri first and last album, a mega rare item (with a print run of only 400 or 1,000 pieces)

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When Siddhartha originally recorded their only album in 1975, no label would commit to the uncompromising weirdness of the music from these art rockers. Weltschmerz starts off with “Looking in the Past,” a track that goes from brash proto-new wave with female vocals, to laid-back psychedelic guitar rock, to hyper, keyboard-driven prog, and then into strange space rock territory with a chorus and finally back to the driving proto-punk. Siddhartha doesn’t try to fit any niche too comfortably — Pink Floyd-ian space rock, to Emerson-like symph-rock keyboard workouts, to psychedelic guitar solos, to haunting violin over a lush keyboard bed, to cosmic folk with acoustic guitar and flute. Siddhartha works against predictability as they pull one musical rabbit after another out of their hat, with strange song structures in between long instrumental passages of melodic beauty. Siddhartha is a difficult group to pigeonhole, if you are so inclined; however, for those who don’t like their music pigeonholed, Weltschmerz is a wonderful treat. (by Rolf Semprebon)

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I think that unjustly this band like related has been classified prog, for my taste is a progressive band without no doubt.

“Looking In The Past” begins with a powerful song of a female singer, followed by a surrounding keyboard and underground, the subject is developed almost completely instrumental.

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“Tanz Im Schnee” is a jewel made by this group of adolescents, enthusiastic bass guitar, with powerful rates, a guitar that perfectly follows the development of the subject, a style support jazz of the battery and the omnipresent keyboard that makes of this subject an intense experience, really is the high point of the album.

“Times Of Delight” is good and mysterious, the bad thing is the poor performance of the male singer in where it is not reached to listen nor to understand what says, besides to have an English very badly spoken.

“Weit Weg” this it is the most complex track of the album, sung in German, diverse changes of rates, is used the violin and tuba giving him to a strange atmosphere of circus and mystery is a great subject although it is not easy to understand initially, but its power catch you and like.

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“Gift Of The Fool” the disc finishes with a mysterious song in where it becomes to emphasize the great work of the organ, delicate sound of violin and an appropriate vocal performance.

Finally single it is to say that it is a good discovery of the underground German progressive world of 70’s, you do not doubt purchase to it this disc (by ChileProg)

The band would rather have had Gabi Roßmanith sing all the songs… what a great voice and the voice reminds me of Grace Slick.

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Personnel:
Klaus Hermann (drums)
Gerhard Kraus (violin, vocals)
Martin Mörike (keyboards, vocals)
Eberhard Müller (guitar)
Klaus Scharff (bass)
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Lothar Mattlinger (tuba)
Gabi Roßmanith (vocals)
Iris Rothermel (flute)

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Tracklist:
01. Looking In The Past 6.08
02. Tanz im Schnee 5.11
03. Times Of Delight 7.04
04. Weit weg 12.15
05. Gift Of A Fool 6.39

All songs written by:
Klaus Hermann – Gerhard Kraus – Martin Mörike – Eberhard Müller – Klaus Scharff

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Krzysztof Sadowski And His Group – Three Thousands Points (1975)

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Krzysztof Jan Sadowski (born 15 December 1936 in Warsaw) – Polish organist and jazz composer. His greatest hits: ‘To nie grzech’, ‘Spacer przy księżycu’, ‘Ten nasz zwyczajny świat’ and ‘Wiatr, wiosenny gitarzysta’.He made his debut in the mid-1950s. In 1957 he founded the band Modern Combo. He collaborated with leading Polish jazzmen, including Janusz Muniak, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Jan “Ptaszyn” Wróblewski, Andrzej Kurylewicz, as well as rock and pop bands and soloists (Czerwono-Czarni, Jerzy Grunwald, Józef Skrzek). He gave concerts in Poland and abroad. Between 1963 and 1966 he was the leader of the Bossa Nova Combo. In 1968 he began playing the organ and electronic keyboard instruments, creating the Krzysztof Sadowski Organ Group, with which he made numerous recordings for the Polish Radio and album recordings. He collaborated with Polish Television – he produced television programmes popularising classical music in an entertaining form and his own recitals (including Swing Party, K. Sadowski and his guests and Music for 200V).

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He has performed and recorded with the Polish Radio Jazz Studio, Big Band Stodoła, Big Band Wrocław, Novi Singers group, Janusz Muniak, Tomasz Stańko. He has conducted Jazz Workshops in Chodzież and Puławy, as well as the music cafe Pod Kurantem in Warsaw. He is a composer of film music and songs for Maria Koterbska, Danuta Rinn, Maria’s daughter, Irena Santor, Katarzyna Sobczyk, Liliana Urbańska, Violetta Villas, Wanda Warska.

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President of the Polish Jazz Association in the 1990s.

In 2005, awarded the Bronze Medal for “Meritorious Service to Culture Gloria Artis”[1].

In August 2019, media reports of sexual abuse of underage girls and boys by the musician, of which he was accused by investigative journalist Mariusz Zielke. In November 2022, the prosecutor discontinued the investigation into the case due to the statute of limitations. (wikipedia)

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I can only hope that these accusations are not true.

The beginnings of fusion music in Poland may not have been very impressive – to recall the reviewed albums by Adam Makowicz or Spisku Six – but soon this trend caught up with the world level as well. One of the best proofs of this is the Three Thousands Points album signed by Krzysztof Sadowski and his Organ Group. The material develops ideas from the three years older ‘Na kosmodromie’ (released outside the Polish Jazz series), making even bolder – and somewhat more interesting – use of the possibilities of electric instrumentation. Compared to its predecessor, the longplay is also more coherent and stylistically consistent. The apt selection of own and other people’s compositions also proved to be a key to success. In addition, the excellent line-up has to be mentioned. Or actually two. This is because there were recordings made on two different occasions over a period of eight months, in completely different circumstances.

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The entire first side of the vinyl record is filled with the three-part “Suite of Three Thousand”, recorded on 29 October 1974 at the Polish Radio studio during the 17th edition of the Jazz Jamboree festival. In addition to Sadowski – who exceptionally plays not only his primary instrument, the Hammond organ, but also the electric piano – the recording featured his wife, flutist Liliana Urbańska, bassist Wojciech Bruślik, Bulgarian-born saxophonist Veselin Nikolov, drummer Zbigniew Kitliński and percussionist Andrzej Zieliński. “Suite Three Thousand” is first and foremost a thrilling performance, with numerous solos on flute saxophone and keyboards, as well as powerful, jazz-rock rhythm section playing with very expressive, slightly distorted bass guitar parts. Of course, this is not a complete improvisation. The whole piece is based on several pre-composed motifs, and there is no shortage of planned changes of atmosphere and other twists and turns (there is even a more classical, swinging interlude at one point). Sadowski evidently felt perfectly at home in such a formula, as the title track from ‘Na kosmodromie’ already suggested.

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While on the previous release, the title composition was accompanied by a collection of shorter, overly eclectic pieces, this time the whole album is kept in a similar style. This was achieved in spite of the fact that the remaining recordings were made after a long break, on 17-18 June 1975 at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall, with a much changed line-up. Only Bruślik, Urbańska and, of course, Sadowski remained from the previous incarnation of the Organ Group. The bassist brought in his old comrades from the rock group System, guitarist Wincjusz Chróst and drummer Wojciech Morawski (in the meantime, both of whom had also joined the Breakout line-up, with whom they recorded the album Stones). In addition, the band was joined by the fantastic saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski and percussionist Bożena Bruszewska.

The highlight of this session seems to be ‘This Ordinary World of Ours’, another three-part suite, although only its first and last parts appear here. The middle, song-like section had already appeared on Urbańska’s solo album Liliana. In truth, its absence worked out for the best, as it would not fit here at all. What’s left is great instrumental playing (albeit with Liliana’s vocals), on the borderline of fusion and progressive rock, and even with a sort of folk-like insertion of an acoustic guitar and elements of musique concrète. The remaining two recordings are interpretations of other people’s compositions.

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A great example is the reworking of “Sorcery”, written by Keith Jarrett for Charles Lloyd, which in comparison to the original takes on a jazz-rock feel, but does not lose its finesse. The moment when all the instruments fall silent apart from the pastoral flute part, which gradually gives way to the sound of the organ, is capital. There was none of this in the original, and it really enriches the piece nicely. Claude Debussy’s ‘Syrinx’, originally written for solo flute, was also taken, but here played with the accompaniment of other instruments. The piece became more dynamic, coming a little closer to prog rock (I associate it with Bach’s ‘Bouree’ in the Jethro Tull version). It was played in quite a sophisticated way; Urbanska’s part is particularly successful.

‘Three Thousands Points’ is certainly not a revelatory album. On the contrary, it may even be accused of being somewhat derivative of Western performers. However, it is worth appreciating that Krzysztof Sadowski’s Organ Group draws only good patterns from world fusion, not succumbing to the fashion of the time for plastic sounds and dance rhythms. If we add to this a great performance and successful compositions, “Three Thousands Points” emerges as one of the few, at worst a dozen or so best albums in the Polish Jazz series. Paweł Pałasz )

Essential volume in the Polish Jazz series by organ grinder Krzysztof Sadowski and crew. Strong psych jazz with drum break action all over. Recommended piece for all funk and fusion heads. (Paweł Pałasz )

Recorded live at the Polish Radio Studio (XVII Jazz Jamboree + 74), October 27, 1974 (01.)
Recorded lie at the Philharmonic Hall, Warsaw/Poland, June 17. + 18. 1975

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Personnel:
Wojciech Bruslik (bass)
Bozena Bruszewska (percussion)
Winicjusz Chrost (guitar)
Zbigniew Kitlinski (drums)
Wojciech Morawski (drums)
Veselin Nikolov (saxophone)
Krzysztof Sadowski (keyboards, electronics, percussion, vocals)
Tomasz Szukalski (saxophone)
Liliana Urbanska (vocals, percussion, flute)
Andrzej Zielinski (percussion)

Krzysztof Sadowski07Tracklist:
01. Introduction / Suita Trzy Tysiace (Suite Of Three Thousand) (Sadowski) 21.23
02. Sorcery (Jarrett) 6.04
03. Ten Nasz Zwyczajny Swiat (Cz. I I III) (Our Common World) (Sadowski) 9.58
04. Syrinx (Debssy) 3.50

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Renee Geyer Band – Ready To Deal (1975)

FrontCover1Renée Geyer is Australia’s most respected and successful soul singer, with a recording career of nearly 30 years. Her career began around 1971 in Sydney, when a girlfriend took her along to the rehearsal of friends who were forming a band. Geyer was encouraged to get up and have a sing and was instantly invited to join as singer. Although she was so shy in the beginning she couldn’t face the audience, musicians noticed her, and Geyer was invited to join one more experienced band after another until 1971, when she became part of an ambitious jazz fusion group called Sun. Geyer was still just 19.

After one album (Sun ’72), Sun and Geyer parted company; Geyer eventually found herself part of a group called Mother Earth, still with jazz leanings but also incorporating the soul and R&B Geyer loved and excelled at. With Mother Earth, she started touring and was offered a solo recording contract. She insisted that Mother Earth provide the backings on her first album. For her second album, the cream of Melbourne musicians were assembled for the sessions. Geyer formed such a strong bond with these musicians, but by the time the It’s a Man’s World album was released and her powerfully provocative version of the James Brown title song was a big hit, Geyer was ready to throw her lot in with those musicians rather than be a solo performer.

Renee Geyer02Her two solo albums so far had been cover versions or sourced songs, apart from the single “Heading in the Right Direction.” The Renée Geyer Band wrote the songs for 1975’s Ready to Deal album in the studio and toured extensively. A live album, Really.. Really Love You, followed, based on Geyer’s building reputation as a powerfully voiced, raunchy performer.

That reputation found its way to America and led to an invitation to record an album in Los Angeles with famed Motown producer Frank Wilson. While the Movin’ Along album provided another hit at home, in America Stares and Whispers created confusion. R&B stations loved the record, but didn’t know what to do when they discovered Geyer was a white Jewish girl from Australia. For the next few years, Geyer bounced between Australia and America, working in Australia and recording two more albums in America. When 1981’s So Lucky album presented her with a huge hit with “Say I Love You” both in Australia and New Zealand, it became necessary to put the American dream aside for two years. In 1983, Geyer returned to base herself in America permanently, still keeping in touch with her Australasian fans with tours.

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While in America, Geyer became part of a group called Easy Pieces with former members of the Average White Band. But the album took so long to record, by the time it was finished, the group had never performed and were going their separate ways. Geyer spent several years in America doing session work for Sting (the fade vocal on “We’ll Be Together”), Neil Diamond, Jackson Browne, and others, touring with Joe Cocker and Chaka Khan and others, and writing songs.

During one foray back to Australia, Geyer was invited to sing the Paul Kelly song “Foggy Highway” for the soundtrack of a TV series based on the seven deadly sins. Kelly was so impressed by Geyer’s version, he offered to produce an album and wrote some of the songs, including the title track, which (alongside “It’s a Man’s Man’s World” has become Geyer’s signature song, Difficult Woman). The working relationship with Paul Kelly was such a happy and satisfying one, Geyer decided to base herself back in Australia. With Paul Kelly and Joe Camilleri (Jo Jo Zep, Black Sorrows) producing, she recorded 1999’s Sweet Life album.

At the end of 1999, Geyer released her frank life story, Confessions of a Difficult Woman through Harper Collins. (by Ed Nimmervoll)

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In January 2023, Geyer was admitted to hospital in Geelong where she had hip surgery. It was subsequently discovered that she had inoperable lung cancer. She died from surgical complications on 17 January 2023 at the age of 69. (wikipedia)

Ready to Deal is the third studio album by Australian singer Renée Geyer. The album was released in November 1975 and peaked at number 21, becoming Geyer’s highest-charting album. The album is credited to Renée Geyer Band. The album features the track “Heading in the Right Direction” which became Geyer’s first top 40 single in 1976.

“Sweet Love” featured in the 2000 film Chopper starring Eric Bana.

In October 2010, Ready to Deal was listed in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums. (wikipedia)

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And here´s a real nice story about this album:

When I was a 13 year old boy in Sydney, Australia in 1975, I was playing guitar in a metal band, covering Deep Purple, Led Zepplin and so on. One day I heard a song called “Shining Star” by Earth, Wind and Fire on the radio, and my musical world began to shift. I taped it on a reel-to-reel tape recorder, transcribed it, and forced my teenage comrades to start to play funk songs. They hated it, and the band soon split in half.

Later that year, my older brother and I began to go into the city to see Renée Geyer, who had an amazing soulful, jazzy voice and a funky band. Smells of marijuana and patchouli oil swirled around us, and people would laugh at the “little kids” as we walked around, but I was just transfixed by the music. She’d do a song by Chaka Khan and Rufus, and the next day i’d harass the import record shop owner for a record by them. Everything had changed.

There are some great funky tracks on this album, picks are “Sweet Love”, “Love’s got a hold” and “Heading In the Right Direction” . Plenty of Rhodes, clav and wah-wah. (neverenoughrhodes.blogspot.com)

Indeed … a fascinating album … funk, soul and blues… and …what a voice ! And .. if you like Maggie Bell … then you really should listen to this album !

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Personnel:
Renee Geyer (vocals)
Mal Logan (keyboards)
Mark Punch (guitar, background vocals)
Barry Sullivan (bass)
Greg Tell (drums, percussion)
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Tony Buchanan (saxophone, flute)
Russell Smith (trumpet)

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Tracklist:
01. Sweet Love 3.19
02. If Loving You Is Wrong 4.20
03. Spilt Milk 5.01
04. Whoop 6.49
05. Heading In The Right Direction 3.59
06. Two Sides 3.29
07. Ready To Deal 3.30
08. Love’s Got A Hold 3.47
09. I Really Love You 5.53

Music & lyrics:
Renee Geyer – Mal Logan – Mark Punch – Barry Sullivan – Greg Tell

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Jim Capaldi – Short Cut Draw Blood (1975)

FrontCover1Nicola James Capaldi (2 August 1944 – 28 January 2005) was an English singer-songwriter and drummer. His musical career spanned more than four decades. He co-founded the progressive rock band Traffic in 1967 with Steve Winwood with whom he co-wrote the majority of the band’s material. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of Traffic’s original lineup.

Capaldi also performed with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Alvin Lee, Cat Stevens, and Mylon LeFevre, and wrote lyrics for other artists, such as “Love Will Keep Us Alive” and “This is Reggae Music”. As a solo artist he scored more than a half dozen chart hits in various countries, the best-known being “That’s Love” as well as his cover of “Love Hurts”.

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Capaldi married Brazilian-born Aninha E S Campos in 1975 in All Saints Church, Marlow [23] and in 1976 toured with his band Space Cadets before moving to Brazil in 1977.

He had two daughters, Tabitha born in 1976 and Tallulah born in 1979. The Capaldis lived in the Bahia region of Brazil until the beginning of 1980 and while there he became heavily involved with environmental issues. They maintained homes in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro. The track “Favela Music” on his 1981 album Let The Thunder Cry arose from his love of Brazil, and he worked with several Brazilian composers.

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Capaldi was a friend and supporter of the London School of Samba and played with the bateria on at least one occasion. He did a lot of charitable work for organisations in Brazil, such as the Associação Beneficiente São Martinho street children’s charity in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro, which the LSS also supported between 1994 and 2001. His wife was also the Porta Bandeira (flag bearer) of the LSS in the 1994 and 1995 Notting Hill Carnival parades.

Outside his music and environmental activism, Capaldi also assisted his wife in her work with Jubilee Action to help Brazilian street children. Because of this charity work, Capaldi and his wife were guests of Tony Blair at the Prime Minister’s country house, Chequers. He remained professionally active until his final illness prevented him from working on plans for a 2005 reunion tour of Traffic. He died of stomach cancer in Westminster, London, on 28 January 2005, aged 60.

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Short Cut Draw Blood is the third studio album by the British musician Jim Capaldi, released by Island Records in 1975. It marked a major turning point in Capaldi’s career: it was his first album recorded after the breakup of Traffic, and more importantly it was his commercial breakthrough. While Capaldi’s first two solo albums had been moderately successful in the United States (in fact, in Short Cut Draw Blood was his least successful album in the United States thus far, with both the album itself at number 193[1] and the single “Love Hurts” barely scraping into the Billboard charts at number 97[2]), Short Cut Draw Blood entered the charts in several other countries for the first time. This was particularly evident in his native United Kingdom; the single “It’s All Up to You” at number 27, released a year before the album, became his first top 40 hit there, only to be overshadowed the following year by his cover of “Love Hurts”, which went all the way to number 4.

The title of the album was conceived by co-producer Chris Blackwell.

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The song “Boy with a Problem” was written about former Traffic bandmate Chris Wood, whose self-destructive tendencies (particularly his drug addiction) were a cause of increasing concern for Capaldi. The song features Paul Kossoff on guitar.

Rolling Stone called the album “still uneven” and “unfocused” but a promising step forward from his first solo work. Their review approved of both the session musicians and the arrangements, but criticized Capaldi’s lyrics as “simply absurd” or “rather embarrassingly sentimental”, being at his best only on the cover of “Love Hurts”, where “he brings a sense of pain very different from Roy Orbison’s original.” (wikipedia)

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Jim Capaldi struck out on his own following the break-up of Traffic and the result is the upbeat Short Cut Draw Blood. This album produced hit singles in the form of such tracks as “It’s All Up to You,” “Love Hurts,” and the FM staple “Johnny Too Bad.” Aided by a wide variety of musician friends and dipping into a wide range of musical styles, there is something for everyone on Short Cut Draw Blood. While some cuts still have a thrown-together sound to them, this album holds together even better than his first release. A fine look at the mid-’70s in terms of just how wide a variety of music could be contained on one album by one personality. (by James Chrispell)

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Personnel:
Ray Allen (saxophone (on 01., 04., 08. percussion on 03.
Rebop Kwaku Baah (percussion on 02., 04., 05., 07., 08.)
Barry Beckett (keyboards on 04., piano on 05., 07.)
John “Rabbit” Bundrick (piano, clavinet on 02.)
Pete Carr (lead guitar on 04., 05. 07., guitar on 06.)
Phil Chen (bass on 02.)
Jim Capaldi (vocals, drums on 02., percussion on 02. 05., 06., drum machine on 01.
Gerry Conway (drums on 03.)
Rosko Gee (bass on 03., 08.)
Roger Hawkins (drums on 04. – 07.)
David Hood (bass on 04 – 07.)
Jimmy Johnson (guitar on 04. – 07.)
Remi Kabaka (percussion on 01., 04., 08.)
Paul Kossoff (lead guitar on 07.)
Phil (guitar on 08.)
Jess Roden (guitar on 02.)
Rico Rodriguez (trombone on 08.)
Jean Roussel (piano, minimoog on 03.)
Chris Spedding – guitar (on 03., 05.), lead guitar on 06.)
Steve Winwood (guitar on 01. + 08.,  keyboards on 01., 08., bass on 01. piano on 03., bass on 06. mellotron, harpsichord on 08.)
Chris Wood (flute on 08.)
Peter Yarrow (guitar on 04.)
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Muscle Shoals Horns (horns on 04.)

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Tracklist:
01. Goodbye Love (Capaldi) 4.34
02. It’s All Up to You (Capaldi) 4.14
03. Love Hurts (Bryant) 3.31
04. Johnny Too Bad (Bailey/Beckford/Crooks) 4.16
05. Short Cut Draw Blood (Capaldi) 4.29
06. Living On A Marble (Capaldi) 4.31
07. Boy With A Problem (Capaldi) 6.34
08. Keep On Trying (Capaldi) 7.28
09. Seagull (Capaldi) 4.17

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Manuel Göttsching – Inventions For Electric Guitar (1975)

FrontCover1Manuel Göttsching (9 September 1952 – 4 December 2022) was a German musician and composer.

As the leader of the groups Ash Ra Tempel and Ashra in the 1970s and 80s, as well as a solo artist, he was one of the most influential guitarists of the Krautrock (also known as Kosmische Musik) genre. He also participated in the Cosmic Jokers sessions. His style and technique influenced dozens of artists in the post-Eno ambient and Berlin School of electronic music scenes in the 1980s and 1990s.

As a child, Göttsching was exposed to the music of Verdi and Puccini by his mother, who was a fan of opera. He also listened to radio stations run by American and British allied forces. Too young for early rock and roll, it was not until the 1960s that Göttsching found the music that really inspired him such as Motown music from the United States, as well the Rolling Stones and British blues bands. Originally a classical guitarist, the music he heard inspired him to switch to the electric guitar.

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In school, Göttsching played with a cover band. “We played some Rolling Stones, we played some Beatles, we played some Who, some what was the popular music and that was just for fun,” he recalls. However upon hearing Blue Cheer’s proto-metal cover of “Summertime Blues” and learning about the free jazz movement inspired Göttsching and his bandmates to pursue a freer, more improvisatory approach to music.

As Göttsching and his bandmates moved from song-based music to free improvisation, Ash Ra Tempel was born in 1970. “We didn’t play blues,” Göttsching recalls. “We used some elements of it but tried to keep the freestyle of improvisation and using some blues themes.”  Along with Göttsching, the group included Klaus Schulze (who had just left Tangerine Dream) and Hartmut Enke. Just after Ash Ra Tempel released its self-titled debut album in 1971, Schulze left to pursue what became a successful solo career.

In 2000, Göttsching and Klaus Schulze released a studio album and a live album as Ash Ra Tempel. The live album was recorded as part of the Cornucopia concerts curated by Julian Cope at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Göttsching died on 4 December 2022, at the age of 70. (wikipedia)

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Inventions for Electric Guitar is the first solo studio album by electronic artist Manuel Göttsching. However, it was released with the subtitle Ash Ra Tempel VI, technically making it the sixth and final album under the Ash Ra Tempel name. The album was written and performed entirely by Göttsching on electric guitar. (wikipedia)

Some copies of this album indicate that it was encoded with the Stereo Quadraphonic, or “SQ” matrix system, for 4 channel quadraphonic sound. SQ recordings are compatible with standard 2 channel stereo playback systems.

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This album is sometimes credited to Ash Ra Tempel, but the music was composed and performed by Manuel Göttsching alone. All sounds were created with guitar, but Göttsching’s use of echo, delay, and assorted treatments give these pieces the flavor of sequenced synthesizer music, occasionally reminiscent of Tangerine Dream’s work from the period. The opening “Echo Waves” is a trance-inducing space guitar masterpiece, with repeating rhythm figures and gradual phase shifts creating a warped sense of time. The first 14 minutes of the track consist of short, subtly changing melodic phrases, until Göttsching questionably chooses to close with a searing, acid-fried guitar solo. “Quasarsphere” is much more contemplative, with Göttsching processing his guitar to sound like a synthesizer in the vein of Robert Fripp.

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The closing “Pluralis” consists of endless variations constructed around a simple guitar sequence; it possesses a structure similar to “Echo Waves” (down to the late-breaking blast of psychedelic soloing) with a bit more space and a slower tempo. In some respects a precursor to the groundbreaking proto-techno of E2-E4, Inventions for Electric Guitar is an essential document for space rock enthusiasts. (by Mark Richardson)

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Personnel:
Manuel Göttsching (all instruments)

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Tracklist:
01. Echo Waves 17.45
02. Quasarsphere 6.38
03. Pluralis 21.32

Music: Manuel Göttsching

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The US edition:
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Memorial plaque at the former Electronic Beat Studio in Berlin/Germany:
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The official website:

Website

Hot Tuna – America’s Choice (1975)

FrontCover1Hot Tuna is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 by former Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen (guitarist/vocals) and Jack Casady (bassist). Although it has always been a fluid aggregation, with musicians coming and going over the years, the band’s center has always been Kaukonen and Casady’s ongoing collaboration.

As the band prepared for its 1974 tour in support of The Phosphorescent Rat, Kaukonen laid off Piazza after deciding to have the band return to its semi-acoustic repertoire. Kaukonen and Casady then proceeded to record Kaukonen’s first solo album, Quah. However, July 1974 marked a departure from their primarily bluesy, acoustic style when Hot Tuna dropped their acoustic sets completely and morphed into a heavy rock band. In October 1974, the group performed on The Midnight Special.

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The albums America’s Choice (1975), Yellow Fever (1975), and Hoppkorv (1976) showcase a power trio with the addition of new drummer Bob Steeler. Jeff Tamarkin’s liner notes on the RCA “Platinum Gold Hot Tuna Collection” characterize this trilogy as being emblematic of the band’s “rampage years.” Kaukonen is quoted as saying the change of focus was due to the fact that “it was just fun to be loud.” During this period, Kaukonen’s electric guitar playing was multi-layered, prominently showcasing such effects as the Roland Jet phaser. His “rampage” style is typified by the solos on “Funky #7” and “Serpent of Dreams” on America’s Choice and “Song for the Fire Maiden,” “Sunrise Dance with the Devil,” and “Surphase Tension” on Yellow Fever. Live performances throughout the epoch were distinguished by free-flow improvisational jams and very long sets (up to six hours uninterrupted) with extended versions of their studio material.

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A November 1976 concert at the Palladium in New York City featured a 16-minute version of “Invitation.” However, producer Harry Maslin did not appreciate the group’s style and held them to a more traditional rock format (including several cover songs) for Hoppkorv. In 1977, Kaukonen began to perform solo sets before the band would perform. The trio stopped touring at the end of 1977 and performed its final concert at the Palladium on November 26, with keyboardist Nick Buck and saxophonist “Buffalo” Bob Roberts.

Although live performances from all iterations of the group enjoyed a notable cult following for much of the 1970s, Hot Tuna failed to rival or eclipse Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship from a commercial standpoint. All but two Hot Tuna albums from the era reached the Billboard Top 100, America’s Choice was their only post-1972 album to chart for more than ten weeks, peaking at No. 75.

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America’s Choice is the fifth album by the American blues rock band Hot Tuna, recorded in 1974, and released in 1975 as Grunt BFL1-0820. The album was also released in Quadraphonic as Grunt BFD1-0820. The first of the “Rampage” trilogy albums (the others being Yellow Fever and Hoppkorv) recorded by the now power trio, it marked a major shift in musical direction by the group. With new drummer Bob Steeler, Tuna now performed in a predominantly hard rock style, leaving the earlier band’s mixture of electric and acoustic material.

The album rose to No. 75 on the Billboard charts. One of the tracks is named “Hit Single #1”. Despite its title, it was not released as a single.

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The album cover art depicts a box of laundry detergent, complete with dripping suds, labeled “America’s Choice: Hot Tuna”. The lettering and color scheme are loosely based on the style of Tide. On one side of the detergent box, a contents label lists the musicians as the “active ingredients”, and also says, “Pure, unadulterated sounds with amplified additives and the necessary polytonal ingredients to handle heavy loads.” On another side of the box is a “warning” stating, “This album to be played at full volume for maximum effect.” Unedited extended live versions of “Invitation” recorded at the New York York Palladium November 26, 1976, and Santa Clara University May 28, 1977, are available. In 1996, RCA released the CD box set Hot Tuna in a Can which included a remastered version of this album, along with remasters of the albums Hot Tuna, First Pull Up, Then Pull Down, Burgers, and Hoppkorv. (wikipedia)

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Hot Tuna returned to a heavier sound on their fifth album, which, although it again was dominated by Jorma Kaukonen’s compositions, leaned more heavily on extended electric-guitar solos and even included a Robert Johnson classic, “Walkin’ Blues.” Drummer Bob Steeler replaced Sammy Piazza as of this release. The result was a modest recovery from the disappointing sales of The Phosphorescent Rat, although not a complete return to form. (by William Ruhlmann)

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What it suffers from most is Jorma’s cringy mixed-down/double-tracked/reverbed studio vocals, something that old Tuna fans would find strange and unappealing because they and in direct contrast to how he sang in live setting. These are bad production elements that marred this record in a few spots (Funky #7 and Great Divide, notably)
But each fault (and there are more) is offset by a plethora of musical brilliance that make me chuckle and say, “damn”. When this is on all cylinders, it’s really on, and that is most of the time.
A favorite Tuna record. (Sancho Wobbivitz)

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Personnel:
Jack Casady (bass)
Jorma Kaukonen (guitar, vocals)
Bob Steeler (drums, percussion)

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Tracklist:
01. Sleep Song (Kaukonen) 4.25
02. 
Funky #7 (Casady/Kaukonen) 5.49
03. Walkin’ Blues (Johnson) 5.22
04. Invitation (Kaukonen) 6.55
05. Hit Single #1 (Kaukonen) 5.16
06. Serpent Of Dreams (Kaukonen) 6.53
07. I Don’t Wanna Go (Kaukonen) 4.57
08. Great Divide: Revisited (Kaukonen) 5.17

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Passport – Cross Collateral (1975)

FrontCover1Passport was a German jazz/fusion group formed in 1971. Founded by Ace Saxeman, composer and arranger Klaus Doldinger along with Curt Cress (percussion), Kristian Schultze (keyboards), and Wolfgang Schmid (bass & guitar). This was the classic lineup that started with their 4th album “Looking Thru” in 1973, their first US release. I’m not familiar with their first 3 albums, but outside Klaus, the lineup was pretty different. This classic lineup continued through the next 5 albums. Utilizing spacey electronic jazz with rock and classical styles, this group was very groundbreaking. Klaus has a knack for coming up with some of the most beautiful saxe melodies you ever heard.

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Curt Cress was probably one of the first drummers to experiment with electronic drums. Bassist Wolfgang Schmid’s classical guitar adds a nice demension. And Kristian Schultze’s use of synth and mellotron gives them an expansive orchestral sound. After their 8th album, PASSPORT went through many different incarnations with only Klaus as the common denominator in all of them. In the 80’s, Klaus did other projects like motion picture soundtracks, most notably “Das Boot”. But PASSPORT still to this day records and performs (mostly in Europe, they came to the US only once) with various personnel. But it was the classic lineup that expanded their audience and gave them critical acclaim. (by progarchives)

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And here´s the 6th album:

Along with “Infinity Machine”, this is probably the best of the German Jazz-Rock (actually more Rock-Jazz) combo’s run of classic albums in the 1970s, all of them distinguished by the colorful surrealism of their cover art. PASSPORT was never in the same league as the MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA or WEATHER REPORT (the latter in particular an obvious influence), but the group nevertheless managed to carve their own distinctive niche in an overcrowded market: no small accomplishment at the time.

I love the way that jittery opening sequencer pattern (in what sounds like a hellishly complex time signature) suddenly gels into the easy Space-Jazz swing of “Homunculus”, with Klaus Doldinger’s saxophone dancing gracefully around a sparkling electric piano solo. And the 13+ minute title track covers a lot of territory, working almost like a Beginner’s Guide medley to the music of PASSPORT.

Wolfgang Schmid & Klaus Doldinger:
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In quick succession it moves from a kinetic start/stop introduction (featuring some primitive electronic percussion triggers) to a brief but lively drum solo by the incomparable Curt Cress, and from there into a relentless mid-tempo rocking section. A blast of rare high-amp electric guitar signals another change of pace, matching equal parts power and finesse before another saxophone freak-out reprise of the opening jam ends the track as it began: stopping on a dime.

Flipping the album over to Side Two (not recommended with a compact disc) doesn’t offer any immediate relief, throwing the unwary listener headlong into the full-throttle punch of “Jadoo”: three minutes of pure adrenalin guaranteed to raise your blood pressure a few notches. Kristian Schultze’s distorted electric piano solo is totally haywire, and the whole thing is propelled by the monster beat of Cress, again proving (and not for the first time) that he was one of the most dynamic and creative drummers of the decade…at least until he later briefly joined TRIUMVIRAT in their declining years.

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The rest of the album is almost a let-down after “Jadoo”: three tracks of pleasant instrumental music, played with Doldinger’s trademark melodic funk and flair, but still sounding tame after all the preceding fireworks. In retrospect, maybe the running order could have been rearranged to better effect.

PASSPORT was a band that was never about to change the world, but they did make it a more pleasant place to live for a while. This album would be an ideal introduction for newcomers, as easy as anywhere else in their long discography, but why not start at the top? (by Neumann)

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Personnel:
Curt Cress (drums, percussion)
Klaus Doldinger (saxophone, synthesizer, piano, mellotron)
Wolfgang Schmid (bass, guitar)
Kristian Schultze (keyboards)
Curt Cress01Tracklist:
01.Homunculus 6.18
02. Cross-Collateral 13.33
03. Jadoo 3.09
04. Will-O‘-The Wisp 6.20
05. Albatros Song 5.22
06. Damals 4.50

Music composed by Klaus Doldinger

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