Duke Ellington discovered and recorded pianist-composer Dollar Brand aka Abdullah Ibrahim in 1963 playing in a more or less conventional jazz manner, but it took a long time for the South African township music he evolved in the 1970s to be accepted outside of Africa. This album was one of the very first to be made in America and its impact was immense, its melodicism, warmth and simplicity brought something new and refreshing to the often overheated, testosterone-filled gladiatorial pit of small group improvising to established harmonic patterns. As Jelly Roll Morton had shown 50 years earlier, sometimes the best comes from a truly group effort. (KS)
Those who only know Gillespie from his 1950s efforts onwards can have no conception as to the veritable force of nature his trumpet playing was in the 1940s. This CD collation of the earliest sides under his leadership, made for tiny labels such as Guild and Musicraft, will have your jaw sagging in amazement as he consistently delivers ideas that top even those of Parker. Just to keep it interesting, Gillespie also wrote some of the most enduring bop anthems, and many of them get their first outings here. These sessions, like the Parker Savoys, are the holy tablets of bop. (KS)
Ben Sidran On The Cool Side Rar
Ra had been making albums for his own label Saturn for a decade by the time this one slipped out via ESP-Disk, but this was the first to make a wide impact due not only to the unprecedented nature of the music (some tracks sound closer to Tibetan Buddhist music than anything being played in the America at the time) but also to the fact that ESP-Disk, a tiny label making a big noise at the time, actually got distributed outside of Chicago and New York and even made a splash internationally. Ra was on the vinyl map and never looked back. Next stop, Jupiter. (KS)
After the resounding critical drubbing for 1971's lackluster Rock Love, Steve Miller's worst-received release at that time, he rebounded a year later with this eclectic and much stronger set. It's his seventh album and last as a cult artist before the commercial breakthrough of 1973's The Joker. The album, dedicated to Mahalia Jackson and Junior Parker, is split into two distinct sections. Side one dips into '50s doo wop with "Enter Maurice," acoustic folk-blues ("High on You Mama"), upbeat down-home pop ("The Sun Is Going Down"), and good-time R&B blues-rocking with horns ("Somebody Somewhere Help Me") that pre-dates Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes' similar style by about five years. But side two is where Miller really hits his stride, with beautiful, somewhat psychedelic folk-rockers that add his blues and rock roots to the string-enhanced acoustic ballad "Nothing Lasts," the haunting "Love's Riddle," and the shimmering closing title track, certainly one of his most endearing compositions (and the only selection to make the cut from this collection for his first career recap released later that year, 1972's Anthology). Nick De Caro's string arrangements are beautifully and expertly integrated into these songs and previous Steve Miller Band member Ben Sidran's production is sympathetic and spacious, as is veteran Bruce Botnick's (the Doors) engineering.
Brown Eyed Girl (1967)b/w Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye). Released on 7-inch in June 1967 in the UK (Bang/London, HLM 10453), the US (Bang, B-545) and Australia (Stateside, OSS-278); reached #10 on the US charts (RIAA-certified platinum record). Re-issued on 7-inch in March 1971 in the UK (President, PT-328), in April 1974 in the UK (London, HLM-10453) and in 1991 in Spain (CBS, ARIC-0007).
ASTRAL WEEKS (1968)Astral Weeks / Beside You / Sweet Thing / Cyprus Avenue / The Way Young Lovers Do / Madame George / Ballerina / Slim Slow Slider. Released on elpee in November 1968 in the UK and the US (Warner Bros., WS-1768) with flipback cover; RIAA-certified gold record. Re-issued on elpee in 1970 in the US (Warner Bros., WS-1768, green label), in 1973 in the UK (Warner Bros., K-46024), in 1977 in the US (Warner Bros., WS 1768, burbank label), in 1979 in Japan (Warner Bros., P-4704W), in 1982 in the UK and Germany (Warner Bros., K-46024, with barcode). Re-issued on cassette in Australia (Warner Bros., M5-1768). Re-issued on CD in the US (Warner Bros., 1768-2) and in 1987 in Germany (Warner Bros., 246024). Re-released on 180g vinyl elpee in 1998 in the UK (Simply Vinyl, SVLP-20), on December 30, 2008 in the US (Warner Bros., R1-1768) and on June 29, 2009 in the UK (Rhino, 79907-1). Re-packaged w. Moondance + His Band And The Street Choir on 3CD in 2005 in Australia and Europe (Warner, 73243) and in 2008 in the UK (Rhino, 5144287115).
(Straight To Your Heart) Like A Cannonball (1972)b/w Old Old Woodstock. Released on 7-inch in 1972 in Brazil (Warner Bros., WBCS-7.006). Also released as promotional 7-inch in March 1972 in the US (Warner Bros., WB 7573) featuring stereo/mono versions of the A side.
Warm Love (1973)b/w I Will Be There. Released on 7-inch in June 1973 in the UK (Warner Bros., K-16299) and the US and Canada (Warner Bros., WB 7706). Also released as a promotional 7-inch in 1973 in the US (Warner Bros., WB 7706) featuring stereo/mono versions of the A side.
Bulbs (1974)b/w Who Was That Masked Man. Released on 7-inch in November 1974 in the UK (Warner Bros., K 16486) and Germany (Warner Bros., WB 16486). Regional versions feature picture sleeve. Also released as promotional 7-inch in 1974 in the US (Warner Bros., WBS 8029) featuring stereo/mono versions of A side.
Joyous Sound (1977)b/w Mechanical Bliss. Released on 7-inch in July 1977 in the UK (Warner Bros., K 16986), the US (Warner Bros., WBS 8411) and Spain (Warner Bros., 45-1567). Regional versions feature picture sleeve. Also released as promotional 7-inch in 1977 in the US (Warner Bros., WBS 8411) featuring stereo/mono versions of A side.
Natalia (1979)b/w Lifetimes. Released on 7-inch in February 1979 in the UK (Warner Bros., K 17322). Also released as promotional 7-inch in 1979 in the US and Canada (Warner Bros., WBS 8743) featuring mono/stereo versions of the A side.
Bright Side of The Road (1979)b/w Rolling Hills, You Make Me Feel So Free (FRA). Released on 7-inch in September 1979 in the UK (Mercury, 6001 121) and France (Mercury, 6837 585); reached #79 on the UK charts. Regional versions feature picture sleeve. Also released as promotional 7-inch in 1979 in the US (Warner Bros., WBS 49086) with mono/stereo versions of A side.
Perfect Fit (1995)b/w Raincheck + Cleaning Windows (live). Released on three-track CD single in September 1995 in the UK (Polydor, 577 015-2). Also released as two-track promotional CD single in 1995 in the US (Polydor, PRCDP 00066) featuring Edit and LP versions of A side. Also released as one-track promotional CD single in 1995 in the US (Polydor, PRCDP 00077).
No Religion (1995)b/w Days Like This; Raincheck; Whenever God Shines His Light (with Cliff Richard); Have I Told You Lately That I Love You; Gloria (with John Lee Hooker). Released on three-track CD single, four-track cassette single and four-track CD single in November 1995 in the UK (Exile/Polydor, 577 579-2; 577 488-4; 577 489-2); reached #54 on the UK charts. Also released as one-track promotional CD single in 1995 in the UK (Exile/Polydor, VAN 1) featuring Radio Edit version of A side.
THE EARLY YEARS 67-68 (2000)Brown Eyed Girl / Ro Ro Rosey / The Smile You Smile / Send Your Mind / T.B. Sheets / Midnight Special / Madame George / Spanish Rose / Who Drove The Red Sports Car? / Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye) / Beside You / The Back Room. Compilation released on CD on June 27, 2000 in the UK (Metro, METRCD017).
But perhaps the strongest Jewish influence can be found in punk rock, a natural fit for those who appreciate its outsider stance and biting social critique, despite its occasionally fascist overtones. As L.A. punk photographer Jenny Lens puts it on her website, Jewish Punks 1974-80: 2ff7e9595c
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