CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

1^st album by British guitarist / vocalist Mick Abrahams, one of the most underrated guitar players in the history as far as I'm concerned. Abrahams first achieved recognition as a founding member of Jethro Tull, with the release of their debut album "This Was", where he plays some incredible guitar licks, which earned him comparisons with "God" Eric Clapton. A personality clash and musical differences between Abrahams and Ian Anderson led to his decision to leave Jethro Tull and form the brilliant Blodwyn Pig, one of the earliest and best Jazz-Rock / Blues Fusion bands ever. The original Blodwyn Pig lineup lasted just under two years and recorded two outstanding albums, breaking up prematurely. Abrahams then formed the Mick Abrahams Band, which is featured on this album. In later years Abrahams was to reform Blodwyn Pig and record several more album with that group (from the 1990s on) as well as leading the Mick Abrahams Band. His amazing guitar playing is unfortunately only recognized by a relatively small circle of fans, although in retrospect his consistently excellent performances in the last five decades are quite unparalleled. This album was recorded soon after the demise of the original Blodwyn Pig and features a great lineup of Mick on guitar, Bob Sargeant on keyboards and guitar, Walt Monaghan on bass and Ritchie Dharma on drums. The material, all written by Abrahams, is a great example of Blues-Rock, the genre in which Abrahams feels most comfortable. The album lost nothing of its charm and beauty and is certainly worth of an honorable place in any serious record collection.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

1^st and 2^nd albums by short-lived British proto-Prog band Toe Fat, founded by vocalist Cliff Bennett, a veteran of UK Rock scene in the 1960s, and including an impressive lineup consisting of future Jethro Tull bassist John Glascock and future Uriah Heep founders keyboardist / guitarist Ken Hensley and drummer Lee Kerslake. Bennett's impressive vocal abilities and the band's instrumental strength turned the band into a notable unit, which played powerful Rock music with many Prog elements, similar to early Deep Purple and other proto-Prog outfits. Unfortunately the band never achieved much success, despite their grueling touring schedule both in UK and USA, which led to their demise just after one year of activity and two studio albums. By the time the second album was recorded, almost at the end of their days, Hensley and Kerslake left the band and were replaced by Alan Kendall and John's brother Brian Glascock. The second album is even more Prog oriented, with longer tracks and more instrumental solos. In retrospect these two almost forgotten albums reflect perfectly the UK scene at the end of the 1960s with Rock becoming heavier and louder, transforming in the process into Prog. Listening to this music, which still holds all its merits, is still quite an experience and surely deserves to be re-visited, not only for nostalgia's sake. Worth investigating!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

2^nd and 3^rd albums by British band Amazing Blondel, which were quite an unusual "bird" among the flourishing UK Folk-Rock flock in the late 1960s / early 1970s. Although many British bands often relied on traditional folk material and even went back several centuries in search for inspiration (Pentangle, Fairport Convention, Gryphon and even Jethro Tull), none of them dedicated their entire musical scope to English Early Music, Elizabethan song and minstrelsy, which is exactly what Amazing Blondel did. Formed by Terry Wincott and John Gladwin, the band was soon after expanded to a trio with the addition of Eddie Baird. The duo managed to record the debut album "The Amazing Blondel And A Few Faces" for the obscure Bell label and after expanding to a trio they joined the roster of Island Records, recording a series of albums for that label, of which the two albums included here were the first. The very fact that a major record label would sign such an unusual fact is a reflection of the times and the character of the legendary Island owner Chris Blackwell, who collected on his label a staggering crew of music makers, promoting music on the basis of its merit rather than on its commercial potential – happy and sadly long time gone reality. These two albums are some of the most memorable and unusual musical documents of that era of Artistic freedom. The music, almost entirely written by Gladwin, who also sings the lead vocals, is completely acoustic and played on instruments, which were used centuries ago and based entirely on the English Early Music format. The lyrics are also kept in the general spirit of the era, spiced with humorous tongue in cheek tidbits. "Fantasia Lindum" includes a suite of the same name (which originally took up the entire side of the LP), which is often considered as one of British Prog-Folk most revered pieces. In retrospect these two albums remain an ageless masterpiece, unrivaled to this very day and I can hardly imagine any Folk-Rock enthusiast's record collection, which does not include them. For people who never came across this band before, this reissue is a splendid opportunity to fill a gap, which is unforgettable. Grab it!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

1^st and 2^nd albums by Canadian trio Klaatu, which came to fame following one of the most brilliant promotional campaigns in music business, spreading insinuations and "hidden clues" that they were no others than the Beatles, recording under an alias. Of course the rumors were proven to be completely false, but they did get their share of public interest and fame at the time. The band did have a very Beatles-like sound and musical approach, and recorded five quite impressive albums, to disappear into oblivion soon after. Their music was very melodic, spiced with Psychedelic and Prog elements and great vocal harmonies - altogether quite classy and occasionally even brilliant. In retrospect the music still sounds fresh and bearing the wonderful sound signature of the 1970s is definitely a pleasant trip down the memory lane. Definitely much better that what most critics would have you believe.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of more new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

1^st and 2^nd albums by British Prog band Druid, a short-lived but excellent quartet, which included vocalist / guitarist Dane Stevens, keyboardist Andrew McCrorie-Shand, bassist Neil Brewer and drummer Cedric Sharpley. The played classic Symphonic Prog, mostly composed by the guitarist and the bassist, which included lengthy instrumental passages and well structured songs, with Stevens' falsetto vocals perfectly suiting the gig, a close similarity to Jon Anderson work with early Yes, less the theatrics. The band and both these albums are as good as anything produced by all the other UK Prog bands, but unfortunately they simply missed the train with Punk exploding just at the time when they were starting their career, with British Prog being decimated in the process. The band folded shortly after recording the second and last album, and their recorded legacy remained mostly forgotten, to be re-discovered a couple decades later by the new generation of Prog fans. In retrospect these two albums are superb examples of the first classic wave of British Prog and remain a most satisfying listening experience, surely deserving wider recognition. Sometimes I wonder if the fact that bands like Yes, who decided to schlep on against all odds, was a wise move musically. Here is an example of a band which knew when to quit, leaving behind them a spotless legacy. Wholeheartedly recommended!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a nice album by Israeli pianist / composer Tsivi Sharett, who now lives in London, who I found by looking at a Sonja Kristina CD that she played on and arranged:

 

 

1^st album by Israeli pianist / composer / arranger Tsivi Sharett, currently living in London, who presents here her talents as composer of great Jazz tunes as well as playing piano with an ensemble of British musicians. Classically trained, Tsivi continues a long family heritage of musical activities. After extensive musical studies in Israel she left for London, where she continues working as composer, player and musical director. Although always open to Jazz, she really started to compose and perform Jazz relatively late in her life. Her Classical training is quite evident in her playing and composing, with clear lines and sophisticated melodies. This debut album is primarily intended as a showcase for her compositions, which are truly remarkable and varied, combining Jazz with both Classical and World (Middle Eastern) music. The album's track include a septet, a quintet and one trio performances, featuring talented musicians who are most sympathetic as performers of this delicate and often intricate music. Overall this is an excellent debut, which hopefully will be followed by more recordings, as Tsivi surely has a lot to share with her listeners.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here are more additions to the fabulous Robert Wyatt catalog, which are still missing on my site:

 

 

9^th album by Robert Wyatt, which is yet another triumph in his outstanding career over the years, presenting an imaginary three-parts opera abut life and its unexpected aspects, craziness, absurd, love and so on. Supported by an incredible team of musicians from all over the world (UK, Brazil, Norway, Cuba, Colombia, Spain and Israel – bassist Yaron Stavi and saxophonist Gilad Atzmon) Wyatt creates a continuous stream of relatively short tunes, many richly orchestrated, which is quite different from most of his previous works, which have been mostly intimate in their sound scope. The music is mostly composed by Wyatt, with a couple of tunes by Brian Eno and two folk songs used as well. Wyatt and his wife Alfreda Benge are responsible for most of the great lyrics, but a Garcia Lorca poem is also used, which exemplifies Wyatt's deep love and appreciation of the Spanish and Ibero-American culture. The music, still very much typical Wyatt, has also another dimension to it at times, being more closely related to contemporary Classical, probably due to the orchestral arrangements. Overall it's a complex work, which requires several listening sessions to truly appreciate it and is definitely some of the best music recorded lately in complete contrast to the surrounding overwhelming shallow output created nowadays. Brilliant stuff!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here are more additions to the fabulous Robert Wyatt catalog, which are still missing on my site:

 

 

6^th album by Robert Wyatt, which has a rather convoluted history: the album was recorded in 1991 (making it in fact Wyatt's 5^th album) and released at the time, but seven years later Wyatt remixed the album completely from the original tapes, following his disappointment with the original (haphazard) mix, which became sort of obsolete – hence the "revisited" in the title. Musically the album starts an uninterrupted streak of brilliant works, continued to this very day, with Wyatt finally finding a perfect balance between his extraordinary musical approach and political agenda. Wonderfully supported by his wife's (Alfreda Benge) poetry used in addition to his own more politically oriented lyrics, balancing the radicalism, and musically supported by extraordinary musicians like former Soft Machine bassist Hugh Hopper, who also contributes one composition. Wyatt aims straight to the listener's heart here, no prisoner taken. Lyrical at times, bitter and angry at others, he is always himself, delivering those heartbreaking vocals the way only he can do. His musical ideas never cease to amaze and overall this is a minor masterpiece, which definitely deserves repeated listening.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here are more additions to the fabulous Robert Wyatt catalog, which are still missing on my site:

 

 

1^st album by drummer / keyboardist / singer / composer and one of the Canterbury movement founding figures, Robert Wyatt, recorded while he was still a member of Soft Machine. Sadly often overlooked, this revolutionary recording shows Wyatt's visionary approach to music and his deep involvement with the UK avant-garde Jazz scene, which was approaching a peak of its development at the time. Overall this album is more radically Jazz oriented than the music created by Soft Machine at the time, which was still related to Rock roots and essentially an extension of the early Jazz-Rock Fusion efforts. The only Soft Machine member appearing on this album is saxophonist Elton Dean, who shared Wyatt's passion for Jazz. The rest of the players are prominent UK Jazz musicians like bassist Neville Whitehead, trumpeter Mark Charig, pianist Mark Elidge and Canterbury legend David Sinclair on organ. Wyatt composed all the music except one tune, which is a Gil Evans composition heavily arranged by Wyatt. Wyatt's drumming on this album is spectacular, completely unique in his rhythmic approach and closely related in the form of collective improvisation to the expressions of his partners. One can only imagine how Wyatt's involvement with the British avant-garde Jazz scene would have developed, if not for the tragic accident, which cut short his drumming career. Therefore this album becomes even more historically important, presenting that aspect of the man's genius. For listeners acquainted with Wyatt's later years, this album should be quite a revelation, although probably a much tougher musical challenge. In retrospect this album remains as essential document of an era, when breaking musical barriers was completely acceptable and music was making giant steps towards a new horizon. This is a visionary work in every respect, which should be cherished and returned to periodically, to be re-discovered. A must for any serious music lover!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

5^th and last album by British band Streetwalkers, founded by two ex-Family founding members vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist John Whitney, after Family disbanded. Recorded during the very last months the band existed and released "posthumously", this album (originally a double LP) splendidly sums up the band's three years of activity, presenting them at what they did best: kick ass. On stage Streetwalkers were a mean Rock machine, delivering their music with vengeance and perfect professionalism. Chapman's unequalled vocal delivery is of course the focal point, but the instrumentalists provide a superb background for his genius. The music, mostly written by Chapman / Whitney, is sophisticated enough to be interesting at all times, but also rocky enough to deliver a care-free straight-ahead exterior appeal, which Rock music projects. This is a splendid farewell present to the band's loyal fans and followers, which unfortunately were not strong enough in numbers to ensure the band's success, especially in view of the fact that the musical trend at the time was rapidly shifting towards the anti-musical revolution of Punk. In retrospect this is a great showcase of the last glorious days of British Rock. The album is an absolute must to all Family fans, but should appeal to most dedicated British Rock lovers, especially after being unavailable for so long.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

3^rd and 4^th albums by British band Streetwalkers, founded by two ex-Family founding members vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist John Whitney, after Family disbanded. The band continues to develop their strength and no-nonsense approach on these two albums, keep a steady core lineup of Chapman, Whitney and Bob Tench, with Chapman / Whitney providing most of the material, continuing their cooperation since the early days of Family. "Red Card" is the band's strongest album, with both the quality of the material and energetic delivery reaching an artistic peak. For "Vicious But Fair", their last studio album, the band added a fifth member, keyboardist Brian Johnstone, but kept the basic direction. Chapman's vocal qualities remain exceptional during the entire Streetwalkers period and he truly deserves the status of one of Britain's most unique and talented vocalists. Both albums are prime examples of British Rock at its prime, with superb musicianship and total dedication and in spite of their lack of success at the time they were released, true icon of the era. These albums are a must to all Family fans, which should see in Streetwalkers a direct extension of the Family legacy and re-visit these recordings to find out how well they withstand the tides of time.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

2^nd album by British band Streetwalkers, founded by two ex-Family founding members vocalist Roger Chapman and guitarist John Whitney, after Family disbanded. Strictly speaking, it was the first album released under the Streetwalkers moniker, since the previous album was released as Chapman-Whitney and was only entitled "Streetwalkers", but in time that album was commonly accepted as the first Streetwalkers album and is referred to as such. Although Chapman and Whitney consciously wished to separate themselves from the Prog image associated with Family when they founded the new band, trying to create a more "straight-forward" Rock band, many of the elements which made Family one of the best and most unique bands were inherited. Chapman's absolutely distinctive voice and vocal delivery was by itself a sufficient factor to distinguish the band from any other and with Whitney's subtle guitar work and exceptional talent to write tunes that were both rhythmically and melodically quite apart from most Rock songs made Streetwalkers a great band. They drafted another singer / guitarist Bob Tench (ex-Jeff Beck group), who was responsible for the Rocky side of things and an excellent rhythm section, which kept the band kicking. Guest keyboardist also participated in the recording to expand the group's sound. Unfortunately Streetwalkers somehow never really "made it", with their albums selling poorly, which eventually led to their demise, but their recorded legacy remains to this very day as an excellent example of sophisticated British Rock, which combines quality music with great delivery. This is a must to all Family fans, who will find the music a logical continuation to the Family's output.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

1^st and 2^nd albums by brilliant British Prog outfit Gnidrolog, one of the best representatives of the genre, who for some incomprehensible reason failed to make any impact at the time and were largely discovered decades later by new generation of Prog fans. Led by twin brothers Colin Goldring (lead vocals) and Stewart Goldring (lead guitars), the group also included Peter Cowling on bass and Nigel Pegrum on drums. Saxophonist John Earle joined the group in time for the second album. All the group members played additional instruments and as an ensemble were able to produce a most impressive instrumental variety. Their true strength however was the incredibly complex music they composed, which was more advanced than that of most of their contemporaries. Frequent tempo changes, quirk passages, uneven beats, in short everything that makes music interesting, were all part of their musical trademark. Although the band obviously had their unique voice and did not copy or was not especially influenced by any of their peers, Prog aficionados will find in their music traces of King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant and basically any known British Prog act active at the time, although to be completely fair it is worth mentioning that Gnidrolog probably used (or invented) many of the tricks of the trade before any of the others did. Following the complete commercial failure of the two albums, the group disbanded and was never heard about again, until they re-surfaced with a re-union recording almost 30 years later. These two albums firmly belong to the early Prog Canon and are worthy of discovery by anybody who missed them until now. Absolutely classic stuff!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

3^rd and 4^th albums by Canadian trio Klaatu, which came to fame following one of the most brilliant promotional campaigns in music business, spreading insinuations and "hidden clues" that they were no others than the Beatles, recording under an alias. Of course the rumors were proven to be completely false, but they did get their share of public interest and fame at the time. The band did have a very Beatles-like sound and musical approach, and recorded five quite impressive albums, to disappear into oblivion soon after. Their music was very melodic, spiced with Psychedelic and Prog elements and great vocal harmonies - altogether quite classy and occasionally even brilliant. In retrospect the music still sounds fresh and bearing the wonderful sound signature of the 1970s is definitely a pleasant trip down the memory lane. Definitely much better that what most critics would have you believe.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

Contrary to popular opinion, British singer / songwriter / keyboardist Georgie Fame was born to be a Jazz singer. Although his early career developed during the fabulous late 1960s and was mostly visible on the Pop scene, with several hit singles, his albums were another story entirely. Backed up by the cream of the crop of British Jazz musicians, Fame delivered his superbly sensitive vocals with elegance, always spiced with a dash of the typical British humor. Looking at the list of musicians playing on these two albums one can find such names as John McLaughlin (guitar), Tony Oxley (drums), Gordon Beck (piano), Jeff Clyne (bass), Peter King (sax), Kenny Wheeler (trumpet), Lynn Dobson (sax) and many more – a list that reads like a who's who of the burgeoning late 1960s UK Jazz scene. Fame tackles quite a few vocal standards on these album, many of the great American songbook classics as well as some newer songs by British composers. Overall these two albums are a great example of how great music lasts forever and the 40 years that passed since they were recorded seem to make it even better, given the shape of contemporary music mayhem. Absolutely delightful!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

1^st and 2^nd albums by obscure UK Prog group Gracious, which were the groups entire recorded output and in time achieved quite a legendary status due to the fact that the group was one of the first to use extensively the mellotron as their main instrument (along with their contemporaries Moody Blues and King Crimson). The band was led by vocalist Paul Davis and keyboardist Martin Kitcat with the pair also writing all the material the band played, which was a great blend of Rock and Classical Music (as appropriate for Prog) with some Jazzy influences evident on the long improvised instrumental passages. Guitarist Alan Cowderoy, bassist Tim Wheatley and drummer Robert Lipson, the remaining group members, were all able instrumentalists and provided excellent support for the keyboard-oriented music. The band's debut album was the 2^nd release on the legendary Vertigo label, but the follow up, although intended to be released on Vertigo, was put on ice by the label (as a result of poor sales of the debut album – which goes to prove that Vertigo was run on pure business basis in contrast to its "progressive" image) and release only 2 years later on a Philips budget label, after the group was already long gone. Both albums have been highly sought-after collector's items for many years and are considered as classics of early British Prog. The music withstood the test of time remarkably well and listening to these albums today is still a Prog fan's heaven on earth. Warmly recommended!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the fabulous UK reissue label BGO:

 

 

4^th and 8^th albums by US group Steppenwolf, which are in fact the earliest and the latest recordings by this band during their initial period of activity. It is quite astonishing to see how the group developed and changed in the short period of four years, with this change reflecting well the overall music scene dramatic developments during that period. Surprisingly (or perhaps not) "Early Steppenwolf" was not really recorded by Steppenwolf, but by the group Sparrow, which is the first outfit formed by vocalist John Kay in Canada, and which eventually settled down on the West Coast and changed the name to Steppenwolf (with some minor lineup changes). Recorded live at the legendary SF "Matrix" club (owned by Jefferson Airplane's Marty Balin), the album is a phenomenal document of the West Coast music scene in 1967, when Rock music, heavily spiced by Psychedelic influences, was breaking all the barriers and moving forward at an incredible pace. The album includes an 21+ minutes version of "The Pusher", which is in fact a freely improvised modern music, having really very little to do with Rock per se, and being closer to Free Improvised Music or Contemporary Classical Music, with extended instrumental improvisations, sound effects, dramatic crescendos, etc. The atmosphere is not far removed form what other West Coast bands were doing at the time, with similar live recordings by the Doors, Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead serving as proof. "For Ladies Only", in complete contrast to its companion, presents a completely different musical approach, although separated by mere four years. The group was now past its commercial peak, reached with the release of their first two albums, and with a solid Blues-Rock / Hard Rock image and strong songwriting serving as their forte. For their swan song they mellowed up quite a bit, dedicating the album to the ladies in their lives and expressing a strong feminist view, quite contrary to usual chauvinistic approach of most Rock musicians. The songwriting and playing is still very strong, but it's quite clear that the band was running out of wind and it was time to quit. Kay and various version of Steppenwolf were to appear again in the future and record more albums, but nothing ever would come close to the first eight glorious albums. A classic!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the small, but interesting UK reissue label Evangeline / Acadia:

 

 

3^rd and 4^th albums by US duo Flo & Eddie, who were of course vocalist Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman who had come to fame as members of the splendid US 1960s band the Turtles, which produced a long streak of excellent singles and albums, based on the incredible vocal harmonizing abilities of the pair. Following the Turtles implosion, Kaylan and Volman became a much sought after studio vocalists, supporting many of the Rock stars (T Rex for example) in their recording sessions and eventually were drafted by no other than Frank Zappa to join his Mothers Of Invention troupe, where they supplied some of the most brilliant vocal parts ever created in Rock music. Zappa's zany sense of humor suited the pair like a glove and they excelled in incorporating satire, impersonations and standup comedy trickery into their act, which was absolutely hilarious. Zappa encouraged the pair to pursue their own career and even gave them the trade moniker Flo & Eddie. The duos albums turned out to be all brilliant pieces of musical comedy and just plain music, unfortunately they were largely overshadowed by their Zappa stint and in time neglected and forgotten. Listening to these two albums is a real ear opener to their music, with the first presenting their madcap on-stage brilliance and the second focusing on their vocal and songwriting abilities, which were always superb. They used some of the best musicians around in their backing band, including many Mothers members and the result is a stunning example of sophisticated 1970s Rock, which mixes Pop, Rock and Jazz elements with finesse and deeply rooted musicality. Definitely worth re-discovery and careful listening, this music stands the test of time with flying colors and is a great document of the era. With the humor as an added value, this is a package you don't want to miss!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the small, but interesting UK reissue label Evangeline / Acadia:

 

 

2^nd and 3^rd albums by US violinist Papa John Creach, who became famous after he joined Jefferson Airplane towards the end of their days, an association that lasted for several years and continued with the establishment of offshoots Jefferson Starship and Hot Tuna. Although Creach was a generation older than the Airplane rockers and of Afro-American origin, his integration into the extended Airplane family worked like a dream, adding a new and exciting dimension to the group's sound. Creach turned out to be a very prolific musician / composer and in addition to participating in many of the Airplane family recordings he released several albums under his own name on the Airplane "home" label Grunt Records. He also established his own band, named Zulu, which accompanied him on his recordings and included excellent players, such as guitarist Kevin Moore, keyboardist John Parker, bassist Sam Williams and drummer Carl Byrd. The music is also quite different from the stuff he played with Airplane and consists of a great mixture of Jazz, Funk, Rhythm & Blues and Blues, focusing on the virtuoso violin performances. Most of the tracks are instrumental, although Creach handles the vocal parts very well. In retrospect these albums still sound fresh and are great fun to listen to, a document of an era when anything was possible and musicians were appreciated for their talent and given ample opportunity to explore it. A must for Jefferson Airplane buffs and violin lovers, smoking stuff!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the small, but interesting UK reissue label Evangeline / Acadia:

 

 

1^st album by US singer extraordinaire Grace Slick, one of America's greatest female Rock stars in all times, who fronted the legendary Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship bands for decades. She waited with the recording of her debut solo album for the demise of the original Jefferson Airplane and recorded it in the interim period between Airplane and Starship. Of course many of the Airplane members took part in the recording (reading like a who’s who of American Rock), but surprisingly the album is much more adventurous and "progressive" than any of the Airplane recordings. The title track is a 15+ minutes long suite, recorded with a symphony orchestra, which is described as "Theme from the Movie Manhole", but the movie is completely imaginary and never existed in fact. Slick simply realizes here her life-long fascination with cinematography and her wish to create a soundtrack for a movie, even if an imaginary one. She composed all but one of the tracks on the album, with several being co-composed with her Airplane (and life) buddies David Freiberg and Paul Kantner. There is some incredible instrumental work present and of course her singing abilities were never better. Strangely this album remained unreleased on CD for almost three decades, hiding away one of the best moments of the Airplane family ever recorded. This new edition reveals a piece of musical history, which deserves to be appreciated and introduced to new generation of listeners, pointing the way to how music should be treated. This is a must to all Airplane fans and an invitation to those listeners, who never managed to get acquainted with that part of the American music scene.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the small, but interesting UK reissue label Evangeline / Acadia:

 

 

3^rd and 4^th albums by the legendary US West Coast band Big Brother And The Holding Company, which is sadly most famous for giving the world their lead singer – America's most incredible female artist Janis Joplin. After recording a couple of albums with the band for the Columbia label, Janis was persuaded to leave them and start a solo career, a move which musically turned out to be most unfortunate. Although at the early stage Big Brother, led by guitarist and the group's main songwriter Sam Andrew, were perhaps not the most seasoned and high profile band on the spot, they fitted Janis like a glove with their raw energy and enthusiasm, providing her with the best possible vehicle for her vocal extravagancies. Faced with the prospect of their lead singer, who was absolutely irreplaceable, most bands would have called it a day, but Big Brother decided to hang on and went to record a couple of excellent albums, presented here. They expanded the lineup to a sextet, featuring three lead guitarists (Andrew, Peter Albin and David Schallock), and armed with a set of great tunes (mostly written by Andrew) they dared to expand into new musical ventures, way beyond the early Blues-centered tunes. With traces of Psychedelic influences, harder Rock riffs and even proto-Prog moments, these two albums are amongst the finest attempts, sadly remaining almost completely ignored and forgotten for years. Having them both back in circulation is a treat and a great opportunity to get acquainted with some lost treasures of American music. Wholeheartedly recommended!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the small, but interesting UK reissue label Evangeline / Acadia:

 

 

1^st album by US most formidable white (and Jewish of course) Blues guitar hero Mike Bloomfield, who by the time this music was recorded has already established a legendary status among Blues aficionados and music lovers in general, following his remarkable work with Bob Dylan, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Electric Flag and Al Kooper's "Super Session" meetings. Considering his status, the album was a huge disappointment at the time of its release, as it didn't follow the formula of extended solo guitar fireworks in the Blues vein, which everybody expected. Bloomfield decided to get away from that formula and record a much more relaxed album, surrounded by many of his faithful cohorts from years past, including his ex-Electric Flag buddies Mark Naftalin on keyboards and Nick Gravenites on backing vocals. Although a fair share of Blues material is present, Bloomfield also tackles Rhythm & Blues and even Country, with his soloing subdued and mighty guitar work kept in the background. He did however write 10 of the 11 tracks on the album, sticking to his own music rather than playing over Blues standards. If one has to criticize, the only poor decision here was Bloomfield handling the lead vocals, rather than leaving that part to much abler singers, like Gravenites (something that worked wonderfully on the singer's debut solo album. But in retrospect every note played by Bloomfield is worthy of admiration and preservation, and considering this is the first reissue of that album on CD, this is a treat any way one looks at it. Definitely worth investigating!

 

 

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

 

 

1^st and 2^nd albums by the classic US (of Canadian origin) band Steppenwolf, which epitomize not only the birth of American Rock, but also the atmosphere and state of mind of the young generation during the turbulent times of the Social upheaval in the late 1960s. Steppenwolf's origins go back about a couple of years before the music included here was recorded, when Canadian singer John Kay (a German immigrant) formed the band Sparrow. After Sparrow disbanded Kay formed a new band, which he named Steppenwolf – a title of an influential novel by the German / Swiss author Hermann Hesse (one of the most widely read authors in the late 1960s, whose mystical and philosophical ideology and love of the orient and the occult appealed to the hippie generation – yours truly included). Their debut album, which included the monster hit "Born To Be Wild", became an instant classic and was soon after immortalized, when Dennis Hopper included the song in the soundtrack of his cult classic movie "Easy Rider" (one of the first US independent cinema productions created outside of the Hollywood dominated movie industry), which became a visual anthem of the era, and in turn made the song the era's musical anthem. This mega success worked (in retrospect) against the band's interest, as they remain conceptually linked to the phenomenal success of that one song and as a result both listeners and critics kept neglecting and diminishing their overall output, which was always excellent and surely deserved more recognition of their talent (see the pitiful entry on the band in All Music Guide). Kay was a formidable singer / songwriter and his charisma and vocal ability was as powerful and striking as the charisma of many other singers, who became legends of their time (i.e. Jim Morrison). The band's other members were all great instrumentalist and the guitar / organ layers of sound, which characterized their music, are classic examples of early Hard Rock at its best. Moving between Blues, Blues-Rock, Rock and Hard-Rock, those two albums truly define the musical era they represent and influenced hordes of other Rock bands to follow suit. The tunes, usually based on unforgettable riffs, are all delivered passionately and confidently, sounding as fresh today as they were when heard for the first time, and perhaps even better, as this music ages well, as does good wine. If the term "Classic Rock" has any meaning at all, it applies to this music better that to most of the stuff that is often associated with it. I can't imagine any decent record collection, which does not include these two albums.

 

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the small, but interesting UK reissue label Evangeline / Acadia:

 

 

This is the last album in the series of recordings made in the late 1960s by keyboardist / producer Al Kooper with some of the greatest guitar players (mostly Blues oriented) like Mike Bloomfield, Stephen Stills, Carlos Santana and Johnny Winter under the umbrella of the "Super Session" format, which allowed for a loosely defined jam session environment with a lot of on-the-spot improvised music to be recorded. This album features the talents of the Blues guitar prodigy Shuggie Otis, who was barely 15 years old at the time of this recording (son of Blues legend Johnny Otis). As usual for these sessions, Kooper assembled a rhythm session of seasoned studio musicians to accompany him and Otis. The session was divided into two parts, with one LP side containing more structured songs and the other lengthy jams, which allow Otis to play his heart out and display his guitar artistry at full. In retrospect this music lost nothing of its freshness and power, hitting the right notes time and again and for electric Blues fans this is still some of the best stuff ever recorded. Kooper's magic touch just couldn't go wrong and he kept the Blues flame burning. This is a great piece of music history and a much appreciated reissue of an album, which was lost for many years in the vaults.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the small, but interesting UK reissue label Evangeline / Acadia:

 

 

5^th and 6^th albums by US group Blues Project, which fell apart soon after recording their three original albums, with keyboardist Al Kooper and guitarist Steve Katz leaving to form the legendary Blood, Sweat & Tears and bassist Andy Kulberg and drummer Roy Blumenfeld creating Seatrain. Blues Project founder, guitarist Danny Kalb, resurrected the band in 1971, first as a trio and later on as a quintet, with original band members Blumenfeld (who left Seatrain in the meantime) and singer Tommy Flanders. This band recorded two albums, the first of which was recorded in the UK and the second in the US, produced by the legendary Gabriel Mekler (who produced Steppenwolf among others) and who also guests on the album on keyboards. These two albums are quite different from the recordings by the original band, but still present fairly strong efforts by talented musicians, with occasional excursions into the Blues format, but mostly featuring original material written by the band. Considering the fact that these two albums have been out of circulation for ages, it's great to see them available again.

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!

CD

 

Here is a series of new additions on the small, but interesting UK reissue label Evangeline / Acadia:

 

 

1^st album by US group Blues Project, formed in 1965 by blues fanatic Danny Kalb and four other Jewish NY youngsters (well who else would play the Blues if not Jewish kids), including the legendary keyboardist Al Kooper, freshly out of the first electric Bob Dylan band. The Blues Project became the resident band at the NY club Café Au Go Go, drawing large crowds and swiftly becoming one of the most popular NY bands, with the Blues revival flourishing in the background and Blues-Rock being born. Therefore it's hardly surprising that the band would record their debut album live at the club, which has become their place of residence, although starting off with a live album was hardly an acceptable norm. They were however always strongest live, as their future albums would prove. Although firmly based in the Blues tradition, the band played a strange amalgam of tunes, which included early Psychedelic adventures, Rock, Jazz and Rhythm And Blues, creating a unique sound and breaking new musical ground on the way. Kalb played some nifty guitar licks, Kooper was always brilliant on organ and electric piano and the other band members contributed their share, which all together sounded quite brilliant. The album includes 2 sessions, the first with the band's lead singer Tommy Flanders, who left the band soon after, and the second without him. This new reissue includes all the tracks recorded during both these sessions, presenting the full document of the band at the time. In retrospect this is all not only great music, but a great trip down the memory lane – no one plays such honest music today. Wholeheartedly recommended!

 

 

JAZZIS WEB SHOP

 

Normal activity.

 

HAVE FUN!