Give the Drummer Some's
Favorite Downloads from the MP3 Blogosphere
Some lovely and oddball offerings populate the Motherlode this time around with tubas figuring prominently: Bob Stewart blows magnificently on Arthur Blythe's Lenox Avenue Breakdown (listen for his solo on the title track; Howard Johnson channels Jimi Hendrix on Gil Evans's big band interpretation of "Voodoo Chile"; and maestro Ransom Knowling weilds a "brass bass" in support of both Doctor Clayton and his "buddy" (Sunnyland Slim) on a number of mid-'40s blues sessions you won't want to miss.
This group really blows...
Jack Wilcox Sowards ~ "A Marriage of Clocks and Highways"
(Blog: Out of the Bubbling Dusk)
Quiet a Masterpiece
"Jack Wilcox was introduced to me by a good friend as a buried regional LP from my neck of the woods, maybe 3 years ago... a lost loner folk record that sounded like it was recorded by the angry son of a logger, trapped in Northern Idaho, a wayward intellectual youth washed out into the resignation of beer-can spray and icy roads of the soul... I liked the LP then, and still find something very appealing about it now. Allegedly recorded in an empty bar, Wilcox's voice is fragile but coarse, and his songs exude the dull ache of blue collar America's trappings and smoke filled particle board interiors. The whole trip may seem a little flat at first but I found a subtle edge to it all that only grew on me over time. For folk fans, it is most certainly something worth checking out." (By J.D.F., at Out of the Bubbling Dusk)
Doctor Clayton & His Buddy ~ "Pearl Harbour Blues"
(Blog: Don't Ask Me ….. I Don't Know)
Whoop for Joy
"Doctor Clayton was an American blues singer and songwriter who performed barefoot, wearing comically large, round glasses. Peter Joe Clayton was born in Georgia on April 19, 1898 (although he later claimed he had been born in Africa), and moved to St. Louis as a child with his family. He had four children of his own and worked in a factory in St. Louis, while starting his career as a singer. He could also play piano and ukulele, although he never did so on record. Doctor Clayton recorded six sides for Bluebird Records in 1935, but only two of those were ever issued. His family all died in a house fire in 1937, after which Clayton became an alcoholic and began wearing oversized hats and glasses." (By Xyros, at Don't Ask Me...)
Tea and Symphony ~ "Jo Sago"
(Blog: Hippy Djkit)
Hold the Scones
"Tea & Symphony gained a reputation early on, for their strange stage-shows and presentation which included as much theatrical as musical content. They were probably the first local group to perform at Erdington's legendary Mothers club that opened in August of 1968. This internationally famous venue that specialized in booking the top "progressive" groups, was previously known as the Carlton Ballroom where a number of local acts including The Moody Blues had got their start in the early 1960's. In 1969, Tea & Symphony toured with progressive blues outfit Bakerloo who were from nearby Tamworth in Staffordshire. Both groups were signed to the Harvest Records label in 1969 and Tea & Symphony were able to record under the direction of producer Gus Dudgeon who had previously worked with the famous Nottingham group Ten Years After and would later produce records by Elton John." (By John R. Woodhouse, at Brum Beat)
Arthur Blythe ~ "Lenox Avenue Breakdown"
(Blog: Mohaoffbeat)
Best Vibrato in the Biz
"Prodigiously talented as an instrumentalist and composer, alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe was one of the most innovative jazz musicians of the 1970s and '80s, and Lenox Avenue Breakdown, his Columbia Records debut, proves it. Blythe's ability to marry the best of the genre's traditions (he is equally versed in swing, post-bop, and romantic styles) with his avant-garde leanings is evident here. "Odessa," for example, a modal exploration, begins melodically, yet pushes further into free-jazz territory as the tune progresses. The angular bop of the title track is offset by adventurous soloing and unique instrumentation (flute and tuba add to the sonic palette here, along with guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer and drummer Jack DeJohnette)." (By Frasco, at Mohaoffbeat)
[This download is in the lossless FLAC format. For 320 MP3, go to Music • Hertz)
Gil Evans Orchestra ~ "Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix"
(Blog: Van Groove Express)
The Cool Grows Up
"Since I am an avid fan of Modern Progressive Big Band music, as well as progressive rock and jazz rock fusion, Gil Evans Plays the Music of Jimi Hendrix released in 1975, is a combination of all those styles and I find it a spectacular performance. The highlight tracks for me are "Voodoo Chile," a tune best known for Jimi Hendrix's guitar wah wah-driven intro, the use of the most awkward instrument of them all the tuba, in place of the lead guitar is one of craziest things I have ever heard in recorded music…" (By jjaysmoker, at Squidoo )
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