Sunday, May 12, 2013

Charles Lloyd - Soundtrack (Atlantic, 1969)


"...I want to transform things 
and make this a blissful 
place. I dream of the day 
when man can live in harmony. 
There's still all that ugliness 
out there and I want to 
wipe it out with beauty..."
- CHARLES LLOYD (from LP back cover)

Charles Lloyd, tenor sax & flute
Keith Jarrett, piano
Ron McClure, bass
Jack DeJohnette, drums

A band briefly together in the late 60's, I know they made this recording and the beautiful Forest Flower but not sure what else. Not sure where it was recorded. Like Jarrett's best solo work of the 70's, a solid, funky foundation that goes pretty far out, but nothing you could call "free" or "out-", not to my ears. Gorgeous jazz for late nights or sunny days.

Side A - "Sombrero Sam", "Voice in the Night" 
Side B - "Pre-Dawn", "Forest Flower '69"



Sunday, May 5, 2013

Another one down..

...and Singer Saints II blog (singersaints2.blogspot.com) is down. Don't know whether it was forced or by choice...but I'll miss it! Hopefully you'll be around with another iteration, Joe Sarno!

Ryuichi Sakamoto - 左うでの夢 (Left Handed Dream) (Alfa, 1981)


This is the Japanese release, vastly different from the U.S. recording I found in the past (No Robin Scott vocals, this is all Ryuichi!). Get ready for some MIDI-fied renditions of traditional-sounding Japanese numbers, some ready-for-dance-floor or midnight-drive-through-the-postmodern-city tracks... Although Brian Eno's hand isn't directly in this, some songs, like "Living in the Dark," definitely sound like the paranoid-jazz rhythm sections of Another Green World. And keep an eye/ear out for Adrian Belew pulling out the stops on tracks like "The Garden of Poppies."

A tight, at times funky, ear-candy filled release from one of my favorites. Enjoy!



Chet Atkins - Chet Atkins in Hollywood (RCA, 1959)


I've been sitting on this one for a while. First record I bought upon my arrival to L.A., not quite Hollywood, but I can see the sign. Anyway, this is sounding pretty good on these first 90 degree days...

As usual, the man with the guitar can sling tasteful licks over even the schmaltz-iest of accompaniments. "Estrelita" and his version of "Jitterbug Waltz" are particularly lovely. And "Armen's Theme" is my favorite, if you want to hear a smart reimagining of it and other sunny numbers, check out Co La's version on "Rest in Paradise.

In fact, here's that version now: 



(As for the upload, I found out it's actually a re-recording Chet did in '61 with the orchestra tapes. If it's any consolation, I like this better than the original vinyl I have...)