Quintessence "Sonoma Rag"

Hey everyone, I’ve had this one ready for awhile and keep thinking I’ll have time to do a little write up to accompany the post but I don’t think it’s gonna happen. I’ve been way too busy burning the candle at both ends trying to get this little coffee shop I’m trying to open off the ground. Anyways, the review below is complements of O-dub AKA Oliver Wang. Hope you all enjoy this rare slice of private press jazz.

From what I've been told (and can infer), this was put out by a jazz group in the northern part of the Bay Area (where Sonoma is located). 2/3rds of it is a fairly striaght-ahead jazz album except for two, very notable tracks. The first is "Cotati Funk" which kicks off the B-side, and starts off with a simple bassline and then drummer Ken Ilusorio drops the beat hammer and the songs swings into one helluva soul-jazz smash, practically eight minutes of non-stop illistics. This is followed by another killer groove, "Salsa de Santa Rosa" which is more uptempo, adds in some Afro-Latin flavor and some swinging horn melodies. S.F.'s Luv N' Haight was wise to this LP back in the day and put out both cuts on two different compilations in the early '90s. The album itself though came out on a small independent label so it's a tough one to track down.



Billy Browning – Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax, Flute
Frederick Coleman – Trumpet, Fluglehorn
Joe Kennedy – Piano
John Goodman – Bass
Ken Ilusorio – Percussion

Wish me luck with the coffe shop. I'll be back when the time presents itself.

Peace........................Dr. Fever

Melvyn Price Rytmer II

Happy Holidays everyone!! Life has been busy for me to say the least. We’ve had some crazy winter weather here in the Pacific NW and I’ve also been spending a tremendous amount of time trying to get a small business off the ground in the midst of this lovely recession. This has unfortunately has left me little time for blogging or even keeping up on the haps on blogland in general. Yada, yada, yada , enough of the personal snoredom and onto the music.

Recently, Wax Poetic’s released Melvyn Price’s 1974 LP Rhythm and Blues on record and CD, which if you haven’t purchased you really should HERE. This is his 1971 release on Meldor, which is comprised of just extended percussion and bass grooves. I believe it was meant to serve as a soundtrack for dancing but it holds up well on it’s own as a simple percussive jam session. It would be a fun album to throw on and jam over the top of with some Rhodes (Simon?) or any instrument of your choice really. Anyways check it out and let me know think.

See you in 2009!

Peace.....................Dr. Fever

With a little help from my friends......Freddy Robinson

Since I can't seem to get a post up to save my life these days, new blogger Arkiver has answered a long time request of mine and posted Freddy Robinson "Hot Fun In The Summertime" at his new blog. Stop by and check out this slice of fonky-ass blues and welcome Arkiver to blogland.

I'm still working on getting the Melvyn Price joint up here. I promise I will return shortly with some nice goodies for ya'll.

Peace..........................................Dr. Fever

Fuller filler for the Shad Shack

I’m back with a little Mainstream musical solace to help put your ears at ease during these times of turmoil. Ever since the inception of the Shad Shack I have been itching to post this excellent Curtis Fuller album. The trombone is not an instrument that easily lends itself to the art form of jazz. In essence, there are only a handful of cats that can make the bone rip in a jazz set and Curtis definitely one of them. This is his second LP recorded for the Mainstream label and follows basically the same template as the first. On “Smokin’”, Curtis finds himself amidst a swinging group of young players and a few vets who mix up the grooves with an even split between electric and acoustic numbers. This album would prove to be Fuller’s final for the Mainstream label and also his last foray into the electric side of jazz. Curtis has continued to record and has released albums a recently as 2005.






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Curtis Fuller - trombone
Earl Dunbar - electric and acoustic guitar
Cedar Walton – electric and acoustic piano
Billy Higgins - drums
Mickey Bass – fender and acoustic bass
Jimmy Heath – soprano and tenor sax
Bill Hardman - trumpet

Been meaning to get this one out for about 3 weeks now, better late than never I guess. Leave your feelings for the Fuller in the comments.

Peace........................Dr. Fever

Big Thanks!!

Once again, my requests have been answered. Check out this legendary slice of South Florida jazz-funk from 1977. Pay no attention to the cover, this album is a real heater. The Jazzberry Patch was a trio made up of sax/flute, keys, and drums and are backed by a full band on this LP which includes Mike Longo on the Rhodes. Longo also wrote the liner notes where he gives the band some major props. The title track here is a unrelenting 20 minute smoker and with the exception of the vocals on some of the joints the whole album just kicks some serious ass. An original copy of this LP will set you back some serious duckets, check it out here. Purchase a CD directly from the band's website here.

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Boomp3.com

Ben Champion - Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Sax & Flute
Ken Burkhart – Organ, Clavinet, Moog Synthesizer, Strings & Vocals
Danny Burger – Tubes & Percussion
Mike Longo – Fender Rhodes & Strings
David Winters – Congas & Percussion
Kelton Champion – Guitar
Gary “Tiny” Champion – Bass
Mickey McGann – Piano & Strings

This one is compliments of vpex who answered my request again. Just check out the comments under Joe Pass "Better Days".

I'll be back with a post of my own before the week is up.

Peace................... Dr. Fever

P.S. Special thanks to Reza, whose blog presence is sorely missed.

More Joe Pass!!!

Man, I almost forgot. Big props to vpex for knocking one off my request list. This Joe Pass album is a real killer and a whole lot funkier than you would ever expect. Carol Kaye's bass work here is stellar. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!!



Boomp3.com

Give your thanks to vpex for this awesome share.

Peace........................ Dr. Fever

D.J. Rogers "D.J. Rogers"

Sorry, I've been lagging a bit on the posting lately. Life has been busy, nuff said. Hopefully this one will make up for it. It's a favorite of mine that I haven't seen yet in blogland. So, enough of the blah, blah, blah and on to the album......................

This album has always held a special place in my heart because it was brought to my attention by a good friend of mine who has since past away. I can still remember the first time he played it for me and told me it was Sly Stone. I kept thinking that I had somehow missed a Sly album somewhere between “Riot” and “Fresh”, which really threw me for a loop. Well, eventually he told me it was D.J. Rogers and showed me the album. I would spend the next few years trying to track down this record to no avail. Ironically, I finally did procure a copy of it in a trade with my same buddy (funny how record karma works sometimes). To this day I still have never run across another copy of it. So this one is courtesy of my good friend Keith who’s impeccable taste in music was unparalleled.

I’m sure many of you are familiar with Mr. DeWayne Julius (D.J.) Rogers and the work he did on the RCA and Columbia labels in the late 70’s. Although he never achieved major stardom, D.J. did score a few hits over the years, most notably “Say you love me” which was later covered by Natalie Cole. The album below is his first solo effort and was released in 1973 by Leon Russell’s Shelter label. It might be easy to dismiss this effort as some sort of Sly Stone rip-off, which upon listening to cuts like “March On” and “Bail Out” out of the context of the album, may seem like a valid criticism. However, after listening to the album as whole one begins to understand that D.J. is far from a Sly impersonator. The album's mix of down home gut-bucket funk backed by a gospel choir with heavy soul vocals in the front is a sound that is all D.J. It's the kind of album that just plain and simple delivers the goods.




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Boomp3.com

Bobby Watson/ Andre Lewis/ Keith Hatchell – Bass
Fred Allen/ E.T. Thomas/ Scott Sansby/ Ron Woods – Drums
David T. Walker/ Marlo Henderson – Guitar
Rhonge Southern – Rhythm Guitar
D.J. Rogers – Vocals, Clavinet, Keyboards
Kenneth Loper – Organ
Clarence McDonald – Piano
“Sod” – Horns
Stan Lee Ensemble - Background Vocals under the direction of D.J. Rogers
Lomie Washburn, Patty Hall, Rhonge Southern, Maxayn Lewis, Andre Lewis, Marlo Henderson, Marsha Smith and Sigidi - Background Vocals

Roger, if your feelin' it let me know in the comments

Peace................ Dr. Fever

Pete Eye Trio

The Doctor is back with a little mystery platter for everyone. Here’s the story, I picked up this LP at a record show from a fellow collector. He snagged it from a thrift store in Missouri while on a road trip through the Midwest. There is very little I can tell you about this record being that it is essentially the poster child for a private press LP. The front cover is comprised of a stock image and there is absolutely nothing on the back cover. It was recorded in Independence Missouri at Multiple Subterranean Recording Studios (sweet name, huh?) and is listed as Cavern Custom Recording #41287. Besides the names of the players there’s not a lot more that I can give you, even the vinyl is missing a recording date. My best guess is that it was recorded sometime in the mid to late 70’s by a local club act and received only regional distribution in the Kansas City area. Well, this is Pete’s big chance to get some worldwide recognition through the blogoshere. Good luck Pete!!

OK, how about a quick break down of the album. The album is a pretty standard affair, made up of a smattering of cover songs and some originals. Pete switches between the Fender Rhodes and or Wurlitzer elp and acoustic piano, often times back and forth within the individual cuts. There is a smoking cover of “Sissy Strut” that opens the album which is hands down my personal fave but there are other nice moments here including: original “Good Bait” and a decent cover of “Sumthin You Got”. The only downside occurs when Pete decides to grace us with his vocal styling, for all of you who hated the Ben Sidran I posted, be warned that Pete’s voice is similar if not worse. Even with its vocal flaws the album is still a pretty nice showpiece of private press Americana that deserves to be rediscovered. So hop in your musical time machine and take a trip down to Missouri, crack a brewski and enjoy the musical magic of the Pete Eye Trio.




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Pete Eye – Fender Rhodes and or Wurlitzer Electric Piano and Acoustic Piano
John Hatton – Acoustic Bass
Barry Gould – Drums

Pete Eye or nay, let me know in the comments section.

Peace………………..Dr. Fever



My bad, just found a few things on the web about Pete here and the album here. Our internet has been down the last few days so I was unable to do my usual research on this post.

Joe Pass "Guitar Interludes"

Below lies an LP that has eluded my collection for years and thanks to Katonah, it has finally graced my ears. After spotting my request, he graciously provided this 320 vinyl rip for everyone to enjoy. Your generosity is greatly appreciated, Thanks Katonah!!!!

So let’s see what I can tell you about this LP. This was recorded at a bit of a crossroads in Pass’s career. His recording contract with the World Pacific label had just ended and he was spending most of his time doing session work in the studios of L.A. Pass recorded “Guitar Interludes” for the small Discovery label in 1969 in an attempt to cash in on the “now” sound of the day. Actually the album is really like two different albums on one disc. The first part is made up of different interludes of Pass unaccompanied on guitar. This is actually what he would become famous for later on his recordings for Norman Granz’s Pablo Records. The second half of the album is of Pass recording with a group of singer’s with a rather funky rhythm section backing him up. This yielded the Axelrodesque track “A Time For Us” which was featured on Dusty Fingers Volume 13 and has made “Guitar Interludes” a beatdigger classic for some time now. Although the songs with the singers may sound somewhat dated today and would probably make a jazz purist/Pass fan a touch nauseous, I think they deserve some reexamination. When taken out of the context of Pass’s career and what one would expect from the man know as “The Virtuoso”, the cuts amply hold their own against some of the critically acclaimed sunshine pop work of the time by groups such as “The 5th Dimension” or “The Association”. So let’s give “Guitar Interludes” a second chance, turn off your inner jazz snob and just enjoy the music.



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Boomp3.com

Joe Pass - guitar
Mike Melvoin - keyboards
Monty Budwig - bass
Colin Bailey - drums
Victor Feldman - percussion
Vincent Terri - rhythm guitar
Jess Ehrlich on 7 - cello
Gwen Johnson, Jim Bryant, John Bahler, Nancy Adams, Vangie Carmichael, Bob Tebow & Gene Merlino - voices
Robert C. Smale - arranger and conductor of personnel on 9-13
Del Kacher - guitar & voices
Jim Hughart - bass
Frank Severino - drums

Tracks 1-8 were recorded at Amigo Studios, L.A. on August 20, 1969. Tracks 9-13 were recorded at California Recorders, Hollywood on April 14, 1970 in L.A.· 1-6 are the first recording of Joe's unaccompanied solo playing.

Don't forget to thank Katonah for this essential contribution. I will hopefully get another post of my own up before the weekend.

Peace...................Dr. Fever

Oliver Sain "Main Man"

OK, here’s a RARE hunk of soul for ya’ll to sink your teeth into for a stretch. This scarce piece of wax took me literally years to track down and a squeaky clean copy of it still eludes me to this day. “Main Man” is Sain’s funky debut, which was released in 1972 on Abet. When it was issued Sain had already been in the music biz for over 20 years playing the part of writer, producer, talent scout and musician. An icon of the St. Louis music scene, he is possibly second only to Ike Turner as far influence on the local sound. On “Main Man” Sain delivers the goods, his signature big brassy sound is soaked in a greasy style rhythm section who keep the playing simple and tight. It’s the perfect setting to enjoy “The Man With the Golden Horn” in. So sit down, relax and let ole Oliver serve you up a heaping helping of soul food. Hope your hungry.

Still curious? More bio info on Oliver Sain here



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Boomp3.com

Try to find this record here

Charles Hayes – Alto & Baritone Sax
Bob Elliot – Trumpet
Phil West – Guitar
Earl Wright - Guitar
Paul Jackson - Bass
Sammy Harris – Drums
Oliver Sain – Alto & Tenor Sax, Organ and Vibraphone

Here's to filling that hole in your soul with some deep grooves that'll make you move.
Your comments are the fuel that powers my posting.

Peace.................Dr. Fever

Ben Sidran "Puttin' in Time on Planet Earth"

I love this guy, a man after my own heart!! Ben Sidran has pulled off a long eclectic career in the music biz that spans nearly 40 years. He’s played producer, musician, lyricist, author, journalist, and just about anything else you could imagine in the field. Pretty fascinating guy and by the way, he also wrote the lyrics for college pal Steve Miller’s stoner-rock classic “Space Cowboy”. More bio here.

This is Sidran from 1972 on the Blue Thumb label and features a pretty impressive lineup of players. I’m not the biggest fan of the more lyrical numbers that predominate the 1st part of the album but side 2 is a different story. The first time I heard “Now I Live (And Now My Life Is Done)” I was absolutely floored. I said, “Who is that?” When my buddy showed me an album cover of a guy who looked like Cat Stevens leaning on some sort of rock structure, I was somewhat perplexed. Then I realized I had been let into some sort of secret club. It still never fails that when I spin this track out, there’s always someone who asks me, “Who is this?” I usually just smile and show them the cover. “Wanna join the club?”

Buy the CD here

Bill Perkins - Saxophone
Tony Williams - Drums
Phil Upchurch - Bass, Guitar, Drums
Tim Davis - Vocals (bckgr)
Curley Cooke - Guitar
Laudir Soares de Oliveria - Percussion
Steve Miller - Guitar
Jim Peterman - Organ
Frank Rosolino - Trombone
Ben Sidran - Percussion, Piano, Electric Piano, Vocals
Jose Soares - Percussion
Clyde Stubblefield - Drums, Bass
Sam Linde - Cymbals


Boomp3.com

Boomp3.com

More from Mr. Sidran? You make the call in the comments.

Peace.................Dr. Fever

R.I.P. Black Moses

Just got the news on this one, what a sad day. He was just here in PDX about a month ago for our annual "Waterfront Blues Festival". Unfortunately I was DJing and missed his performance. His death is hitting me hard tonite. May the beauty of his music provide an eternal exitence for a man who was a pillar of the sound we call SOUL.

Gabor Szabo "Dreams"

OK, here's a quick post of one of my favorite Gabor Szabo records. This one was produced and played on by Gary McFarland for his short lived Syke label. It's hard for me to completely sum this album up because it seems to contain a certain sort of magic that goes beyonds the power of the pen. It was recorded in 1968 amongst a flurry of musical experimentation where many styles were beginning to cross pollinate each other and really blur the lines of conventional categorization. The best I can come up with is something like "psychedelic gypsy jazz". There was a nice article in "Wax Poetics" #13 that goes in depth over the specifics of the recording sessions. If the album really intrigues you, it might be worth hunting it down for the read.

buy the cd here
even better, the record here

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boomp3.com

Your thoughts are always appreciated in the comments section.

Peace.............Dr. Fever

Oh, almost forgot. For all you Kenny Barron fans, Wara Katsu left a little treat for everyone in the comments section of "Lucifer". Give him a shout if you enjoy it much as I did!
Thank You!!!! Thank You!!!!

Kenny Barron "Lucifer"

Since the last few ditties I’ve laid on you all have been of the private press variety, I figured I would pick a rarity from the vaults of one of my favorite 70’s jazz labels to share, Muse.

Kenny Barron recorded this album in 1975, at the age of 32 with the help of his brother and host of heavy jazz cats. The result is pure bliss. Not unlike his previous album (Peruvian Blue), Lucifer hands us a bit of a mixed bag as far as styles go. There are some scorching jazz-funk numbers, a spiritually tinged acoustic affair and an almost avant-garde fusion cut. Kenny even coined a term to describe his music called “Electracoustic Fusion” which is talked about in length on the back cover. Regardless of what its called, the music is surely one of the bright spots in Kenny’s career as a leader. As a bonus I also included a Buddy Rich track from his 1976 LP “Speak No Evil” where guest star Kenny just rips the Rhodes to pieces.


Kenny Barron - piano, el-p, clavinet, string synthesizer & cowbell
Bill Barron - soprano sax
James Spaulding – alto sax & bass flute
Charles Sullivan – trumpet
Carlos Alomar – acoustic & electric guitars
Chris White – electric bass
Billy Hart - drums


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boomp3.com

boomp3.com

Give me a shout when your out an about grabbing the link. Despite what you may think, the comments are what makes it all worth while.

Peace....................................The Doctor

Natural Life "Natural Life"

Sorry for the long delay between posts. July has been a super busy work month for me and has incidentally left me with a very small window for blogging. Well, regardless of my time constraints I thought I would throw a little something up before the weekend comes to a close.

Here’s some more private press jazz with its roots in the Minneapolis scene of the late 70’s. This self-titled album by Natural Life is made up of two studio sessions cut directly to disc. By the late 70’s overdubbing and studio tricks had become so prolific in jazz recordings that a few subversive jazz artists began to buck the trend and record direct to disc. Direct to disc meant no mistakes could be made, this could really only be pulled off by a group of players with great chops. Natural Life definitely had the chops to pull it off.

The album is made up of three extended cuts, which gives each player a chance to really showcase their skills. Each track is like a mini opus where musical styles and instrumentation change with frequency. Although the sound here sometimes borderlines on fusion, the groove is solid enough to keep things firmly grounded. In my opinion, the cast turns out something that’s worthy or preservation and shouldn’t be lost to total obscurity.

The Players:

Captain Mike Elliot – guitar
Sargent Bob Rockwell – tenor and soprano sax, flute
Bobby (Bobbette) Peterson – piano and electric piano
Corporal Billy Peterson – electric and string bass
Steve (Rainbows) Kimmel – congas, tables, and auxiliary percussion
Bill (Ice) Berg - drums

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Do you prefer good clean living? Then perhaps it's the natural life for you my friend. Leave some food for thought in the comments section.

Peace...................Dr. Fever

Bobby Jackson "Desiree"

Mystery time, I’ll tell you what I know about this record first and maybe someone out there can fill in the rest. This is Bobby Jackson from 1978 on the independent label “Ninth Note Records”. It was recorded at Moon Sound Studios in Minneapolis MN and engineered by Mike Geske.
Here’s the player list:

Bobby Jackson – Fender Rhodes
Bobby Hughes – alto sax
Tony Moreno – drums
Enrique Mercado Reyes – trombone
John Howard - bass

That’s about all I can give you. I tried my best to research the album and turned up a whole lot of nothing.

Who is Bobby Jackson? Well I can tell you this much, he’s one hell of a Rhodes player with a penchant for heavy grooves. His playing here is somewhat understated but purposefully so in it intentions. The buttery repetitive chords he spins provide a perfect platform for his cast of supporting players to build their solos upon. I particularly like his solo work on “Modetique”, where he uses one hand to lay down a solid line while the other hand just kind of zips off into the cosmos. On the whole, I was really impressed with this session, it sounds a bit like a lost album from the Black Jazz or maybe Strata East catalogue. Hopefully you'll find some listening pleasure in here as well.



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boomp3.com

Are you a Bobby Jackson fan? Leave your love in the comments.

Peace.................Dr. Fever

Ray Bryant "Up Above The Rock"

Ok, Ok, I get it, no one seems to like the soul posts very much. So, I will make the move back to jazz for a spell. My musical tastes are really all over the board, so for me it’s natural to mix it up a bit, but the comments show a heavy lean towards the jazz end. Jazz, Jazz, Jazz it is…….........…….

This is easily my all time favorite Ray Bryant album. It was recorded in the fall of 1968 in NYC with a trio that consisted of Ron Carter on bass and Grady Tate on the drums, some cuts are also augmented by a small horn section made up of just flugelhorn and trumpet. The recording here is just right, its mixed in a way that pushes Tate’s hard and heavy drums right up front so you can really feel the funk. The drums are the perfect accompaniment to Bryant’s bluesy piano playing and lay a great framework for Ron’s snaky bass lines. The horns are amazing too, mainly focusing on short little licks and sounding almost like something you’d here out of Memphis. This is about as funky as Ray Bryant ever got, peep it and see what you think.


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Give me a little piece of your mind, in the comments section.

Peace.................................Dr. Fever

The Big Score

Damn!!! Had a stellar day at my fave little record store yesterday. Goes to show that it still pays to hit the pavement and bring a shovel for some serious digging. I must say, there's nothing quite like the hunt for the real deal. I sure do love me some vinyl!!!!!

I was thinking of the putting up the Bobby Jackson first. Any suggestions?

Peace.......................Dr. Fever

George & Gwen "Together"

As promised, here’s a little bit more SOUL for ya’ll from the Cat label. This is husband and wife team George and Gwen McCrae’s “Together” LP ala 1975. Actually, together might be a bit inappropriate since the two split shortly after this was recorded. Regardless, the LP yields some rather tasty cuts steeped in the magic of that classic T.K./Cat production style. Dirty man Clarence Reid (aka Blowfly) pens most of the songs here and if you take a listen to the lyrics it’s pretty obvious. My personal fave, “The Rub” became beat fodder in the hands of DJ Premier who used it for a nice Brand Nubian joint a few years back.



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boomp3.com

If you like what I'm doin' here, don't be afraid to say so while your there chillin' in the comments section................

Peace ........................Dr. Fever

Monty Alexander "Rass!"

It's Friday night and about time to roll out another post. This one goes out to the newly created Magic Purple Sunshine blog that Ish has recently assembled. I thought I would contribute one of my all time faves from the MPS catalogue. This very rare Monty Alexander LP took me forever to track down and finally found it’s way into my hands via E-bay a couple of years back. I have to say it was one of those rare instances where the LP actually lives up to its hype. Monty lays down some wicked chilled out grooves on the Rhodes that pretty much blow away every other LP I’ve ever heard from him. There are a few Calypso cuts on here that aren’t really my cup of tea but the rest of the album is pure butter! Apparently, Monty traveled to his homeland of Jamaica to record this and was backed up by Jamaican studio musicians who supply the perfect compliment to his killer keyboard work . Sparrow Martin’s drums are rock solid and Ernest Ranglin’s guitar work is absolutely stellar. It’s really the perfect jazz album to sit back and enjoy on warm summer day. Give it a shot!!

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boomp3.com

Keep showin' the love. Peace........... Dr. Fever