What Are You Listening To?

[SteveO]

ESPERANZA SPALDING - JUNJO

A soothing blend of jazz, bossa nova and soul within a trio setting. This lady has a very promising future and only 27!

[Tiggi]

My own copy on shiny silver disc.

1963 Jazz milestone from bloke with a fine taste in hats.

Apparently written as a ballet suite. I'd pay good money to watch someone trying to dance to this...

An album that'll go onto my list of challenging listens that I intend to fathom out before my days are done. Light on melody, but absolutely gripping listening.

The last track is a 17 minute piece which starts with a mournful theme, then descends into cacophony, before repeating the process numerous times. Sounds awful, but is incredibly engaging.

Certainly not easy listening, but I'm very glad to have made this album's acquaintance. Thanks Matt...


AllMusic 5/5 stars.

[Jerome]

You won't see me in this section of the forum often even though I do listen to the blues every now and then but I was watching the movie 'Bird' today. Absolutely amazing. A 'close to the bone' movie if ever there was one.

[Tiggi]

On the laptop.

Despite playing with the Bluesbreakers, Canned Heat, & John Lee Hooker, this is the US bluesman's solo debut, from 1990.

A mix of live & studio material, which despite me not expecting to like it, proves to be a pretty damn fine record. Walter is certainly a talented Blues/Rock guitarist (and harp player...), and the band he's using here are well up to the job.

A very good Blues/Rock album.


AllMusic 4/5 stars.

[mtthwibrahim]

I put on "Om" by John Coltrane last. Let's just say I turned it off 15 minutes in

[Tiggi]

i-Pod listening in the garden this PM.

Catching what must be close to the last of the year's warm rays...

Second album of Jazzy Blues from 1966.

Butterfield blows a mean harp (I'm a real Bluesman, me !!), and sings a collection of fine songs that played a part in igniting the '60s Blues revival that dragged white audiences in, which may or not have been a good thing, depending on your standpoint...


AllMusic 5/5 stars.

[bjgeiger]

Home Boy by Don Cherry and Desireless by Eagle-Eye Cherry alternating tracks from each. It is pretty cool.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1076[/ATTACH]

Home Boy
Don Cherry
Free Jazz
1985

1 Call Me 4:31
2 Treat Your Lady Right 6:06
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2qkUxH0es4
3 Butterfly Friend 3:43
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3POLLAWcZYg
4 I Walk 3:10
5 Art Deco 2:51
6 Rappin' Reciepe 7:19
7 Alphabet City 3:40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gErWDcasmR0
8 Bamako Love 5:21
9 Treat Your Lady Right (Bim Bam Boom) 6:10
10 Kick 4:06
11 Rappin' Reciepe (Instrumental) 7:20

Trumpeter/cornetist Don Cherry first burst on the music scene along with the rest of the revolutionary Ornette Coleman Quartet in the late '50s. Addicted to both the search for the ultimate sound and the intoxicating substances which would be his undoing, Cherry succumbed to the limits of this mortal coil in 1995.



[ATTACH=CONFIG]1077[/ATTACH]

Desireless
Eagle-Eye Cherry
Alternative Rock
1998

01. Save Tonight 3:59
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnEdUVBjZfo
02. Indecision 5:16
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orYA_BKI8WI
03. Comatose (In the Arms of Slumber) 4:37
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR5suEiv-y8
04. Worried Eyes 4:31
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2eux8Y-w4o
05. Rainbow Wings 4:04
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKeZb6LwWno
06. Falling in Love Again 3:30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI3BBuHXT3s
07. Conversation 4:44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc0JpGm-jc0
08. When Mermaids Cry 4:22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpZPlj4BbbY
09. Shooting Up in Vain 5:36
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNEX9_Mt1Q4
10. Permanent Tears 4:43
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE-tj6a-qEU
11. Death Defied By Will 4:23
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu2mzp2ENc0
12. Desireless (music by Don Cherry) 6:14
[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk2FpODNJR4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk2FpODNJR4

[/URL]Cherry was born in Stockholm, Sweden, the son of African American jazz artist
Don Cherry and Swedish painter/textile artist Monika Moki Cherry. He was
named Eagle-Eye because the first time he looked at his father, he did so with
only one eye open.

[latorius]

First heard of The Butterfield Blues Band (BBB) in Newcastle in October 66, they were a support act, the headliner was Eric Burdon and the Animals. Was a big Animals fan (local boys made good), and was playing in a local blues band (on bass) whilst studying at Uni.
The BBB were very striking for a number of reasons. Firstly when they walked on stage, they did not have "stage gear on", Butterfield was wearing an old brown cordoroy jacket, and Bloomfield had that "iconic" horizontal blue and white T shirt. Bloomfield had his Gibson Les Paul, which looked very battered even then. Bishop had a nice shinny Gibson SG, this was the first time I had seen the "second guitarist with a better guitar than the lead player.

They played a short 20 minute set, all tracks from their first album, opening with "Born in Chicago", followed by "Blues with a feeling", "Shake your moneymaker" and closing with "Got my mojo working".

The thing that hit you was the sound, raw, aggressive and very very tight. Looking back I regard them as the first "Punk" band, but no "Punk" band had the chops that these guys had. If Born in Chicago is not a Punk anthem, then I dont know what is.

I was very impressed and went the following saturday to buy their album. The shop only had East/West so I bought it. I went to the flat I shared with 2 other band members, and we put it on the little record player we had, turned the lights out smoked what weed we had, and were knocked out by what we heard.

The first track "Walking Blues" hit like a freight train, alan our guitarist wanted to hear it again immediately, but was persuaded to let the Album play, "Get out my life woman" was followed by the sublime "I've got a mind to give up living". Alan's comment on hearing the intro was "Christ, who the hell is this guy". Butterfield's vocal, just wrenched the gut, Bloomfield's guitar soaring hitting all the emotional spots. "All these Blues" returned to the driving freight train of "Walking Blues", the harp leading the assault. Then "Work Song", a tune we played, having seen the Animals play it in their early years. The number opens with Butterfield's harp laying out the tune, before Bloomfield comes and pisses guitar all over the track, played with incredible speed and attack, then Butterfield answers with the harp, not going to be overawed by Bloomfield. Then Naflin and Bishop show their chops, before the band trades licks (the first time we had heard that) and wraps it all up in a breathtaking crescendo. Alan was all for playing the whole side again, but we turned it over and heard "Mary Mary" a Monkees number played tightly, straight and with restraint and made their own ending with yet another killer guitar solo. Then "Two trains running", played so tight and crisp, no one other than Booker T and the MG's played as tight and funky as that. "Dont say no to me" with Bishops vocal is not up to the standard of the rest of the Album.

Then East/West starts with Bishops bluesy guitar solo, Butterfield blasts out a harp solo, reaching a crescendo, then off the top of the crescendo, Bloomfield comes in and just soars for the next 8 + minutes, we were left stunned.

This was one of a handful of albums of that era that really defined the direction that music could go in. Butterfield was never better, and even with the estimable Buzzy Fielten was never able to recreate the magic, this really is his career topping moment.

[Music Head]

^^

very nice post

[Tiggi]

^ Absolutely.

Thanks for that. It's really good to get some personal recollections from the time of the album's release.