★Trading Places
Last Autumn's Dream
Experimental fusion project Jade Warrior began in the early 70s when percussionist/flutist Jon Field and guitarist Tony Duhig joined forces with bassist Glyn Havard; Field and Duhig had been in Second Thoughts which later became July. By the time of Last Autumn’s Dream the group was a quintet with drummer Alan Price and Tony’s younger brother David on lead guitar, allowing for denser explorations of the contrast between world music fusion and acid rock: Dave’s searing guitar leads jostle with ea…
Live In London
2024 repress. Weather Report’s long and illustrious career had many twists, turns and revelations. Live In London draws on the best moments of performances delivered at the Hammersmith Odeon in June 1983, with former Chic percussionist Jose Rossy, plus a take of ‘Corner Pocket’ as played at the Dominion Theatre one year later with Mino Cinelu. Mainstay Joe Zawinul mans the ship alongside saxophonist Wayne Shorter, this edition of WR driven by the frantic beats of Omar Hakim and the bass of Victo…
Matthew, Mark, Luke And John
Obscure psychedelic gospel act Methuselah had its roots in Scunthorpe ‘Beat’ group the Dimples, which became Gospel Garden, whose only 45 infused Northern Soul with psycheleanings. Regrouping as Methuselah, the group signed to Elektra for this sole religious rock concept LP, their sound deceptively American, with vocal harmonies evidencing bluegrass influences; guitarist Les Nicol is never short of excellent. Certain members would later form Amazing Blondel, but Matthew, Mark, Luke And John has …
First Encounter
After playing with Mingus, Coltrane, Lady Day and Abbey Lincoln, inventive jazz pianist Mal Waldron moved to Europe and first reached Japan in 1970, where he met Idahoborn double-bassist Gary Peacock, who had played with Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Bill Evans and free-jazz giant, Albert Ayler before moving to Japan to study zen buddhism. First Encounter, recorded in Tokyo in 1971 for French producer Herve Bergerat, shows that the intense pairing was quite natural, the harmonic dissonance of Waldron’…
Tribal Dance
Los Angeles bass titan Henry Franklin is bestknown for the two Skipper LPs issued by Black Jazz in 1972-74; 1977’s Tribal Dance is more obscure and arguably the best of the bunch, the spiritual jazz given an extra propulsive dimension via the excesses of Sonship, banging complex rhythms on his elaborate self-made drums, as heard on the opening title track and the extended ‘Cosmos Dwellers.’ Elsewhere, ‘Eric’s Tune’ has flamenco undercurrents, ‘Spring Song’ is a slow piano meditation, and ‘Prime …
Open The Door Homer
Proto-prog act Titus Groan came together in London from disparate influences: drummer Jim Toomey, who later played in the Tourists, had a trad jazz background, and then played in a soul act with saxophonist/flutist/oboist Tony Priestland; bassist John Lee had played with jazz saxophonist Dick Morrissey, and guitarist/keyboardist Stuart Cowell was a blues fan, hence the diverse directions of their sole LP. Rare 12-inch ‘Open The Door Homer’ features their cover of the unreleased Bob Dylan song th…
Diana
Progressive folk act Comus was a true one-off, their unique take on folk rock a spine-tinglingly shocking one, even as the music draws the listener into singalongs. Formed by singer-guitarist Roger Wootton with some art school mates, including guitarist Glen Goring, violinist Colin Pearson and oboist Rob Young, Comus began recording their debut LP for RCA, who dropped them halfway through, leading to further recordings for Dawn with Barry Murray. Every song on this single bears the hallmark of t…
Matrix
Esteemed pianist Masabumi Kikuchi enjoyed a long and illustrious career in jazz that encompassed many forms. After playing in Lionel Hampton’s Japanese touring band, he played on five Sadao Watanabe albums in mid-1960s and backed Sonny Rollins before studying at the Berklee College of Music. Matrix was the first of five albums recorded with his Sextet and is rightly rated one of the greatest of his entire career, the album mixing well-executed covers of songs by Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Watanab…
Zzebra
Established by members of the British brass-rock outfit IF with the former Osibisa percussionist Loughty Amao, Zzebra was a forward-thinking hybrid mixing jazz, rock, and world music. Chief songwriter/saxophonist Dave Quincy keeps the arrangements complex and Loughty injects the African element, former Elastic Band keyboardist Gus Yeadon and guitarist John Terry adding layers of melodic inventiveness. Yielding a progressive jazz style that roped in funk, blues, and west African rhythms, this ent…
Panic
Established by members of the British brass-rock outfit IF with the former Osibisa percussionist Loughty Amao, Zzebra was a forward-thinking hybrid mixing jazz, rock, and world music. Chief songwriter/saxophonist Dave Quincy keeps the arrangements complex and Loughty injects the African element, former Elastic Band keyboardist Gus Yeadon and guitarist John Terry adding layers of melodic inventiveness. Yielding a progressive jazz style that roped in funk, blues, and west African rhythms, this ent…
After The Rain
The pianist and bandleader Frank Strazzeri enjoyed a distinguished jazz career. After backing Billie Holliday and Woody Herman, Strazzeri became a mainstay of the west coast jazz scene. His excellent album After The Rain, released by Catalyst in 1976, straddled different styles and moods, Strazzeri’s piano and synth melodies abetted by top accompaniment from Herman’s horn alumni Sam Most and Bobby Shew, playing alongside Cal Tjader’s bassist Harvey Newmark and percussionist Don Alias of Blood Sw…
My Own Time And Space
Of Filipino descent, the expressive keyboardist, vocalist, and composer Flip Nuñez enjoyed a varied career in jazz. After backing Bev Kelly, Jon Hendricks, and others in the 1960s, Nuñez impacted in the Latin jazz-rock act Azteca. The marvellous My Own Time And Space, his only solo album, showcases his versatility; the Latin cadences of Willie Colon and former Santana bassist Tom Rutley and the keen jazz phrasings of guitarist Michael Howell and drummer Vince Lateano make superb backing for Nuñe…
Live at Glastonbury Festival June 1971
Obscure British prog-rock band Mighty Baby evolved from a Mod group called The Action, but moved heavily into experimental psychedelia in 1969, when they cut an incredible debut for the Head label. Glastonbury Fayre Festival 1971 captures the legendary group in live action, ‘A Blanket In My Muesli’ being a free-form jam that remains their best-loved effort; ‘India’ is a similarly hefty instrumental mega-jam with lilting flute amidst the bluesy guitar work, and there are awesome renditions of ‘Vi…
Hot Summer Day
Multifaceted San Francisco psyche-delic band It’s A Beautiful Day drew on aspects of folk, classical, jazz and world music, their outstanding differences driven by the lead vocalist and violinist David LaFlamme, his keyboardist wife Linda, and harmony singer Patti Santos. This engaging compilation joins the anthem ‘White Bird’ and the spirited ‘Hot Summer Day’ with ‘Don And Dewey’ (based on ‘Wring That Neck’ by Deep Purple, who nicked one of their musical themes for the intro to ‘Child In Time’)…
Conflagration
Reissue, originally released in 1971. The core membership of free jazz act The Trio ensured its output was captivating, comprised as it was of double-bassist Barre Phillips, who had played with Archie Shepp, Chris McGregor, and Gong; saxophonist John Surman, who had played with John McLaughlin, Lester Bowie, and Alexis Korner; and drummer Stu Martin, who had played with Count Basie, Donald Byrd, and Herbie Hancock. On the gripping sophomore set Conflagration, guest players include Chick Corea an…
Gryphon
Non-standard prog act Gryphon made their mark by incorporating abandoned instruments and ancient classical elements in their work, giving their self-titled 1973 debut outstanding differences to standard rock fare. With co-founder Richard Harvey on recorders, mandolin, harpsichord, and glockenspiel and Brian Gulland, on bassoon, crumhorns, and vocals, backed by guitarist Graeme Taylor and drummer/percussionist Dave Oberlé, GRYPHON expertly channelled contemporary English folk through forgotten me…
Mice And Rats In The Loft
*2023 stock* Originally released in 1971-- a particularly ripe vintage for freewheeling progressive folk-rock-- British trio Jan Dukes De Grey's second album Mice and Rats in the Loft ranks alongside Comus' First Utterance as one of the wildest relics of the era.
Comprised of three lengthy tracks, Mice and Rats in the Loft amply showcases the formidable talents of multi-instrumentalists Michael Bairstow and Derek Noy, joined here by drummer Dennis Conlan. Throughout these pieces, the musicians …
Strange Terrain
After exiting Buster Summers Express, Leeds-based songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Derek Noy formed Jan Dukes De Grey with woodwinds player, Michael Bairstow, soon opening for Pink Floyd and the Who, though LPs Sorcerer and acid folk masterpiece Mice And Rats In The Loft sold poorly. After line-up changes, in 1977, Noy assembled a new crew for Strange Terrain, cut at Brittania Row with Roger Waters co-producing, but the album’s curious mix of post-prog, acid rock and punk was deemed unsuitable f…
Live In San Francisco Late 1969
Sandy Bull’s unorthodox approach to guitar was as unique as his personal circumstances. Son of jazz harpist Daphne Hellman and brother to the sitarist Daisy Paradis, Bull became part of the bourgeoning Greenwich Village folk circuit. A move to San Francisco in 1963 found him sharing an apartment with Nubian oud master, Hamza El Din, which had a profound effect on his playing, spurring early world music experiments. The previously unreleased Live In San Francisco features bluesy electric ‘Memphis…
Implosion
Obscure yet outstanding '80s Italian outfit Implosion released one album in 1988, combining space rock, prog, psychedelia, and proto-electronics. This limited edition, double-LP set contains 16 previously unreleased tracks originally recorded between 1983 and 1989. Digitally remixed and remastered in 2020 from the master analog tapes. Limited super-deluxe, double-LP; gatefold sleeve with lyrics and detailed liner notes.