Atmospheres - Clive Stevens & Friends. 1974 Capitol (LP). Antique mall find (May). Imagine Mahavishnu Orchestra with a sax player. It's the latter that creates a bit of a wedge between me and this album. When in melodic mode, the album displays its talent. But there's a lot of skronk and squeak here that gives me a headache (literally). Borderline keeper, just a bit too much noise.
*Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil. 1999 Blue Note (1966) (CD). This and the Dolphy came from a thrift shop find in the Kansas City area (Oct 2023) and just now getting to hear them (May). This is more my kind of jazz. In fact this is exactly the kind of jazz I want to be hearing at a dark lit Italian steakhouse. Highly melodic, rarely out of control. I get some of the same vibe that I do from Miles' Kind of Blue. Strangely I don't own too many albums like this, so I'm keeping this one.
Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch. 1999 Blue Note (1964) (CD). I really wanted to like this since everyone else seems to. Sometimes I think people feel obligated to like something, then write their justification as to why they agree. I can understand the allure for certain. A talented musician, a tortured soul who wasn't long for this world, releases an album that was radical for today much less the year I was born. Doesn't mean I find it enjoyable. Unfortunately. (May)
Julie London - Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast. 1967 Liberty (LP). The next four albums came from the Rocky Mountain Record show (Apr). I've had a few London albums come through here, but I never exhibited the patience to hear them, anxious to gain my profit. The $2 dealer at the show had a few, including a couple in incredible condition (usually her albums are fairly beat, especially the covers). So I grabbed those two, both new to me. Recently I went on about how much I enjoyed Helen Merrill's debut. London and Merrill were peers with the former being far more commercially successful. This is the well that Diana Krall drank from. As for this album, how about that title? Breathy and sensuous, London gives us 10 perfunctory songs that all pretty much sound the same. For 1967, this album was already out of date, though the culture that surrounded it lasted well into the 1970s. It was the wink-wink oversexual days when most men and women were abstinent against their will. Had this title come out in 1956, it would have been hubba hubba. The beginning years of Playboy and the like. By the free love years of the late 60s, it could only be considered quaint and charming. Ironically wholesome, when that wasn't its intent at all. I can pass on this title, but I'm sure there will be a couple in her canon I'll keep.
Hidehiko Matsumoto - The First by Sleepy. 1977 Toshiba (Japan) (LP). If I see a Japanese jazz album for less than $10, I'm buying it. This one was $5 from the show, so an easy decision. Pretty much a standard 50s / 60s styled jazz combo with Matsumoto playing sax with a little bit of flute. Nothing I need at this stage but a pleasant listen. Matsumoto's nickname, fwiw, was Sleepy. This title did come out in the US, but this is the Japanese original. (Apr)
Julie London - Sophisticated Lady. 1962 Liberty (LP). Another London from the two dollar bin at the RMRS. Perfect follow up to Motorhead. Heavy on the strings, this is music for the hotel lobby at some stuffy Gilded Age 1800s hotel in Manhattan. You can just smell the smoke coming through the restaurant while you fumble for change at the payphone. Call your boss - dialing fast, cutting your finger on the metal: "I just sold 300 boxes of saddle shoes to Miller - how fast can we ship? ... 3 months!!! That's not gonna work". Time for a mixed drink before heading home on the A Train. (Apr)
*Dave Valentin - Land of the Third Eye. 1980 Arista GRP (Japan) (LP). Late in my high school years, I used to go to sleep listening to our local jazz radio from North Texas State University (now known as University of North Texas). They're a very famous school for jazz and classical musicians. Their Lab Band is considered one of the best in the world and they have some sought after albums too. Most of the jazz the station played wasn't really to my taste, though hardly offensive. Good for the purpose of putting me to sleep. Even today, I prefer this music as background in restaurants, but not necessarily for sit down listening. One exception I recall was Dave Valentin. I've always enjoyed flute, and his infusion of Latin culture adds to the spice. Hard to miss this cover. I'm usually buying anything with an obi at $5 (same RMRS table), but this is one I didn't look up its value because I wanted to hear it regardless. I've seen Valentin's albums in the bins before, but this is my first try at hearing one. With a cover of two vixens on the front, I thought it might be a bit disco-y. But that title is certainly intriguing, as are some of the others. The opener 'Sidra's Dream' sold me right away, with a most engaging deep groove. 'Fantasy' is my favorite Earth Wind & Fire song, and I like Valentin's interpretation. I found all the tracks pleasant to very good, save A3 which was more commercial in nature. It is a flute jazz album - and after awhile, it's too much icing on the cake at once. I don't have too many albums like this, and A1 is brilliant, so I'll keep it. (Apr)
*Astrud Gilberto - Now. 1972 Perception (LP). From Dr. Boom in a large trade (Mar). What can I say? Astrud is my kind of girl. Her sweet vocal styling makes me melt. Usual mix of covers and originals along with Portuguese and English vocals. Easy listening Bossa Nova music as if we never left 1966. Fine with me.
Donald Byrd - Thank You… For F.U.M.L (Funking Up My Life). 1978 Elektra (LP). Acquired for a buck at a shop in Pueblo (Feb). Speaking of desperation so as to stay in the game. Back cover gives the game away with Byrd looking ridiculous in his double breasted yacht captain suit. Long ways from the gritty aura of Ethiopian Nights, Black Byrd, and Street Lady. Of course it must be stated that Byrd wasn't above recent trends, and played right into the jazz funk movement of the early 70s. He just happened to be really good at it. And here he follows the style of the day: Disco. And to be fair, this is a decent attempt for relevancy. The final track 'Close Your Eyes and Look Within' offers promise that Byrd could have had another winner on his side. Too many strings, boring beats, and annoying vocals sink this title though. Feels like a contract obligation album for Byrd.
---collection revisits
Fred – Live at the Bitter End. 2004 World in Sound (1974) (CD). High energy Mahavishnu inspired instrumental fusion. Violin leads galore with some good guitar thrown in. Decent non-soundboard live recording, though organ is completely flushed out and overall a bit tinny. (Feb)
*Catalyst - Perception. 2010 Porter (1973) (CD). Second album that is very similar to their first. Even copies the same track order flow of atonal versus melodic. Perception is a little bit more hard jazz mainly due to the title track being 14.5 minutes, and it gets a bit noisy. As such I rate the debut one point higher. If I had this on its own, I'd probably let it go (though I'd probably keep an original LP, there's a cool vibe here), but since the CD is attached to the first album, which I really enjoy, it's going nowhere. (Jan)
* - albums I kept for the collection
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