Thursday, December 3, 2015

Spirit Of John Morgan - Spirit Of John Morgan (1969-71 uk, stunning hard psych, 2007 japan bonus track remaster)



Keyboard player and vocalist John Morgan was a Graham Bond afficianado who turned toward psychedelia as the 1960's wore on. Billed originally as The Spirit of John Morgan, the band was successful enough to get booked into the Marquee and other top clubs.

Spirit of John Morgan's debut self-titled is an entire album's worth of strong, shadowed, R&B numbers underlit by magnificent musicianship and powerful rhythms. The set opener, a menacing cover of Graham Bond's "I Want You," is a case in point, stalker-like in its intensity, with John Morgan's organ conjuring up a phantom of the opera from which there is no escape. However, Morgan's phenomenal finger skills are best showcased on a cover of Meade "Lux" Lewis' "Honky Tonk Train Blues," a fabulously masterful piano boogie woogie, as is his equally extraordinary adaptation of Albert Ammons' "Shout for Joy." And Morgan is just as skilled on the organ, as is evidenced on the band's take on Big John Patton's "The Yodel." 

As astounding as the covers are, the quartet offered up their own numbers that are of equal quality. "Orpheus and None for Ye," is a particular standout, a dark, driving number that initially calls to mind the Spencer Davis Group before diving into the heart of the jungle, while Don Whitaker's guitar licks like flames around the piece. It is the set's final number, however, the ten-minute epic "Yorkshire Blues" that is the heart of the album. Delta blues brought to the English north, where the band convincingly make the case that life is just as tough up mill as it is down in the fields of the Deep South. In 43 minutes and with a mere eight songs, Spirit of John Morgan created an astonishing set, and this reissue appends it with the band's romp across "The Floating Opera Show," the A-side of their now impossible to find 1971 single. As if you needed another reason to own this set. 
by Jo-Ann Greene
Tracks
1. I Want You (Graham Bond) - 5:28
2. Honky Tonk Train Blues (Meade "Lux" Lewis) - 2:46
3. She's Gone (Mick Walker) - 5:01
4. Orpheus And None For Ye (Don Whitaker, John Morgan, Mick Walter, Phil Shutt) - 5:19
5. The Yodel (John Patton) - 5:50
6. Shout For Joy (Albert Ammons) - 3:12
7. Ride On (Don Whitaker, Mick Walter) - 2:56
8. Yorkshire Blues (Don Whitaker) - 10:09
9. Along Came John (John Patton) - 4:28

The Spirit of John Morgan
*John Morgan - Organ, Piano, Vocals
*Mick Walter - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Don "Fagin" Whitaker - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Phil Shutt (Phil Curtis) - Bass

1971  John Morgan - Kaleidoscope (2007 Japan remaster)

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Wednesday, December 2, 2015

David Santo - Silver Currents (1967 us, elegant folk psych)



David Santo's Silver Currents is pretty fey, sparsely arranged late-'60s singer/songwriter material in a somewhat sub-Donovan style, perhaps with a dash of early Al Stewart and some of the more earnest and romantic East Coast American singer/songwriters of the period like Eric Andersen. However, the songs aren't too strong, and the vocals are yet weaker, often with a thin and straining quality. 

Completing the hat trick, the backing is disappointing considering Richard Gottehrer was the producer, sometimes sounding like a mismatch of a British-styled folkie gypsy troubadour with threadbare New York-cut instrumentation. It's the kind of album that sounds more like a private pressing than an LP given wider release, its having gotten picked up by the young Sire label notwithstanding. Even for dedicated collectors of this kind of music, it's perhaps best limited to a sampling on a compilation, "Rising of Scorpio" being the track that's sometimes been selected for this purpose. 
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. Organ Grinder's Dream - 3:38
2. Rising Of Scorpio - 3:19
3. If You Love Me, Come Beside Me - 4:28
4. The Song That's Sung For No One - 3:18
5. Fields Of Morning - 3:37
6. Carnival Man - 4:56
7. Jesus Came To Jersey - 2:27
8. Fireside Fairy Tale - 3:33
9. Chant - 1:06
10.Jingle Down A Hill - 3:49
Lyrics and Music by David Santo 

Musicians
*David Santo - Guitar, Vocals
*David Bromberg - Guitar
*Jack Cassin - Voices
*Jim Colegrove - Bass
*Richard Gottehrer - Bongos
*Stuart Klipper - Jew's Harp
*Tom Kobus - Drums
*Larry Leitch - Organ
*Cynthia Rensberger - Voices
*Warren Sclutz - Voices
*Mark Silber - Bass
*Norman D. Smart - Drums
*Artie Traum - Guitar
*Paula Williams - Voices

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Tuesday, December 1, 2015

John Morgan - Kaleidoscope (1971 uk, remarkable heavy blues folk psych with prog shades, 2007 japan remaster)



Formed from the ashes of psychedelic blues legends Spirit Of John Morgan, this talented yet arguably overlooked keyboard player continued his career with the underground indie label Carnaby Records. However, the arrival of Kaleidoscope in 1971 failed to achieve the applause it deserved, leaving Morgan in the midst of progressive rock's obscured past.
Tracks
1. Psychic Wheels (John Morgan, Trevor Thomas) - 5:27
2. Kaleidoscope Of Life (John Morgan, Trevor Thomas) - 7:53
3. Sky Rider (John Morgan, Trevor Thomas, Mick Walker, Chris Kerredge) - 3:05
4. Sandy Mouth Baby (Mick Walker) - 5:46
5. Evil City (John Morgan, Trevor Thomas, Mick Walker, Chris Kerredge) - 6:25
6. Make Ye Merry (John Morgan, Trevor Thomas) - 4:30
7. Cow Cow Boogie (Don Raye,  Benny Carter, Gene De Paul) - 2:16
8. Anthole Highlander (Traditional) - 1:48
9. Entertainer Rag (Scott Joplin) - 2:40
10.303 (John Morgan, Trevor Thomas, Mick Walker, Chris Kerredge) - 4:29

Personnel
*John Morgan - Hammond organ, Piano, Vocals
*Trevor Thoms - Guitar, Vocals
*Mick Walker - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Chris Kerredge - Bass

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Friday, November 27, 2015

James Gang - Bang (1973 us, excellent hard classic rock)



The James Gang was originally formed by drummer Jim Fox in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966. Though guitarist/singer Joe Walsh is most often associated with the early and highly successful James Gang, he actually was the replacement for Glenn Schwartz, who departed in January, 1968. Jim Fox relates that the gap between Schwartz leaving and Joe joining was less than 48 hours. Dale Peters, who later played in the lineup with Tommy on guitar, came in on bass after the release of Yer Album, the group’s first with Walsh. The band’s music combined both American and British rock influences. With Walsh the band toured England opening for The Who, as well as having success with album and touring sales in the United States.

Walsh left James Gang in late 1971, in part because he was envisioning music that could not be performed with a power trio. He then moved to Boulder, Colorado. His immediate replacement on guitar was Domenic Troiano, while Roy Kenner was brought in on vocals.

In Boulder Walsh took six months to study ham radio and chill out. He then began to hook up with musicians such as bassist Kenny Passarelli and keyboardist Tom Stephenson, who were playing with Tommy Bolin in the first lineup of Energy. Tommy and Walsh also met during this period, and often jammed and recorded at Joe’s garage studio. Passarelli split from Energy to join Walsh in his new band Barnstorm, which offered an immediate chance at fortune and fame. Tommy was then forced to look for a new bass player and scored with Stephenson’s cousin Stanley Sheldon.

Tommy and Energy played through until early 1973, when Tom Stephenson left to join Walsh and Passarelli in Walsh’s band, and Tommy was again forced to replace a player. This time Max Gronenthal was then brought in on keyboards and vocals, but the end was near and Tommy left for New York City to record Spectrum with Billy Cobham in May.

The James Gang had not been doing as well as they had hoped for with Troiano on guitar, and Walsh was quick to recommend Tommy for a replacement. That recommendation was partly based on the intensely positive rush Tommy’s playing on Spectrum was generating, plus possibly an effort to pay Tommy back for Joe having nicked Passarelli and Stephenson from Energy. On meeting Tommy in August of 1973, Jim Fox and Dale Peters said they were impressed by Spectrum, but were concerned about Tommy’s ability to play rock. Fifteen minutes into the live audition Tommy was signed on.

The new lineup went to work almost immediately on the Bang album during August and September, 1973 at the Cleveland Recording Company, and was released in October. The album cover photo had already been taken while Domenic Troiano was still with the band, and the album went out using the same photo with Tommy’s face replacing Troiano’s, fairly seamlessly given the technology of the day.

Bang relied heavily on the stockpile of songs Tommy had written with Jeff Cook in Energy, with John Tesar separately, and from solo demos he had been doing on the reel-to-reel tape deck Mike Drumm had helped him buy. One interesting example is “Got No Time for Trouble,” which was a Bolin/Tesar song that had been sung by Jeff Cook on an Energy studio demo and can be heard on the Tommy Bolin Archives Energy CD. Of the album’s nine tracks, Tommy had written or co-written eight.

In the beginning Tommy got along well with singer Roy Kenner. They enjoyed singing a cappella together, and Kenner helped coach Tommy on his singing, a place where his confidence was low. Tommy’s lead vocal on “Alexis” could not have been more perfect for the track. Later their friendship would slowly deteriorate as competition for the spotlight would contribute to driving them apart.

The album turned out very well as the band transformed Tommy’s songs into well-polished studio gems. The record label’s choice for the first single, however, was not to the band’s liking:

“Must Be Love” started getting radio airplay quickly. Other songs such as “Standing In the Rain” and “Alexis” were also played by FM stations which at the time had creatively adventurous play lists. Jim Fox loved “Standing in the Rain” and fought hard for it to be the next single. Atco eventually relented and it hit in the Top 100.

Bang stands as one of the strongest rock statements of the period. Not only are the arrangements and performances crisp and catchy, but Tommy also laid down guitar that was on par with his performances on Spectrum. To many people this album contains the quintessential essence of Tommy’s guitar tone and fire. The guitar solo in “From Another Time” is a textbook example of his ability to play with grace, fire and precision even at fast tempos. The notes still raise your hair even if the track is played at half speed. “Mystery” was another standout with its stellar string arrangements by Jimmy Haskell, reminiscent of Paul Buckmaster’s work with Elton John.
Tracks
1. Standing In The Rain (Tommy Bolin) - 5:07
2. Devil Is Singing Our Song (Tommy Bolin, John Tesar) - 4:22
3. Must Be Love (Tommy Bolin, Jeff Cook) - 3:53
4. Alexis (Tommy Bolin, Jeff Cook) - 5:09
5. Ride The Wind (Tommy Bolin, Roy Kenner) - 3:46
6. Got No Time For Trouble (Tommy Bolin, John Tesar) - 3:47
7. Rather Be Alone With You (Song For Dale) (Roy Kenner) - 2:05
8. From Another Time (Tommy Bolin, John Tesar) - 4:00
9. Mystery (Tommy Bolin, John Tesar) - 6:07

The James Gang
*Tommy Bolin - Guitars, Synthethizer, Vocals
*Roy Kenner - Percussion, Vocals
*Dale Peters - Bass Guitar, Percussion, Vocals
*Jim Fox - Drums, Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals

1969  James Gang - Yer' Album (Japan SHM remaster)
1970  James Gang - Rides Again (2010 SHM remaster)
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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Sinto - Right On Brother (1972 germany, exceptional prog jazz rock)



Those expecting kraut-rock must stop here. It's nothing but pure prog in the British tradition and in fact there's almost no "Germanity" on this album, it could have been easily recorded in UK around the same time (1974).

Sinto's complex prog is wonderfully diluted by some funky elements - that can probably make this album appealing for both prog- and mainstream rock fans.

Instrumentation is very rich including not only guitar (Alfred Jones produces some blistering solos throughout the album) and keyboards (funky piano of Peter Holzwig is superb!), but also violin, which plays a prominent part in the whole mix.

Plus, here is a special guy who plays on different congas, bongos and other percussive instruments and his inclusion makes the rhythm-section more versatile.

All the tracks are song-oriented, but this shouldn't repulse you. Vocalist is no Demetrio Stratos, but he does a nice job and it seems that there is no accent in his pronunciation (which is characteristic of many German vocalists daring to sing in English).

Despite the simple structure of most of the tracks (the closing "Another Voice" is the only exception), they are quite unusual harmonically so that they can be labeled progressive rock by all means.

The musicianship is of the highest class and the interplays between guitar and violin are simply great.

Here are some up-tempo rocking songs with obvious funky stylings (opening title-track, "In My Times", 'Don't Wait") and some sad and extremely beautiful ballads ("Rome").

Closing "Another Voice" reminds me of Sinto's compatriots from Pell Mell - the same dark piano riff and violin extravaganza on the top.

Overall, this is a wonderful album. Due to the skillful combination of catchy funky parts and complex instrumental showoffs it can surely please both prog bigots and mainstream rock lovers.

To be honest, I'm pretty surprised this album is fairly obscure, since it seems consciously made for satisfying the wide audience.

Anyway, I highly recommend everyone to check it out. 
ProgressiveEars
Tracks
1.Right On Brother (Santos, Hannes Beckmann) - 7:37
2.Rome (Ralph Fischer) - 6:02
3.Things I See (Hannes Beckmann) - 3:29
4.In My Times (Hannes Beckmann) - 3:30
5.Don't Wait (Peter Holzwig, Hannes Beckmann) - 5:13
6.Everytime (Hannes Beckmann) - 5:20
7.Another Voice (Hannes Beckmann) - 3:20

Sinto
*Hannes Beckmann - Amplified Violin, Acoustic Bass, Percussion, Vocals
*Cotch Black - Congas, Lead Percussion, Laughter, Vocals
*Abu Dram - Drums, Percussion, Vocals
*Ralph Fischer - Bass, Percussion, Vocals
*Peter Holzwig - Piano, Organ, Marimbaphone, Percussion, Vocals
*Alfred Jones - Guitar, Percussion, Vocals

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Monday, November 23, 2015

The Shape Of The Rain - The Shape Of The Rain (1966-73 uk, splendid psych with blues and classic rock touches)



This is quite a nice collection of tunes (rehearsals and demos, mainly) from '60s British psyche group Shape of the Rain, though the term "psychedelic" should be considered in a more generic '60s context that mirrors the bluesy, folk/country tack of the American West Coast groups from the same period as opposed to anything overtly acid-oriented. Having never heard their original-album counterparts, I can't give any comparisons, but this should be very useful for completists as well as an introduction to the group, though the recording quality of the tunes are adequate, so I don't feel that compelled to seek out all the alternate takes.

"Broken Man" kicks off the disc from a '67 session, a great blues-rock stomp perhaps comparable to something early from Welsh group Man; less quirky, but catchy and with an interesting change-up at the chorus. Jumping right ahead to '73, "I Don't Need Nobody" is solid white-boy blues, but no one could have ever convinced me that this was recorded in the '70s. Strangely, the group must have never changed their gear or recording equipment, because all the '70s material on this disc could easily fool the listener as being '60s recordings, and certainly their style never deviated from the original course.

"We're Not Their Boys" is again from a '73 session, but retains a freewheeling folksy '60s naivete that is whistful and endearing. "Hello 503" freaks out a bit more toward the end with appropriately fx'd vocals complimenting the theme of the roboticisation of human beings in the technological age. The next bunch of tunes are from the earliest sessions ('66), reflected in the hissy tape quality - something I've actually grown to enjoy, as the tunes are still perfectly coherent, while giving their sound a more obscure dimension. 

This session is definitely a high point, at times reminiscent of the Stalk-Forrest Group recordings (precursor to the brilliant '70s phenomenon Blue Oyster Cult), though the latter came later. Especially cool is "Whillowing Trees", dreamy '60s "garden-psyche" at its best. From the same session, "Spring" has classic wah-guitar, a lovely folky vocal melody and that wonderful '60s bulbous bass sound. From here, the quality of tunes seems to drop off a bit, though "Big Black Bird" and "Everyone the Fool" are stand-out tunes. 
From Aural Innovations #19 (April 2002)
Tracks
1. Broken Man - 3:40
2. I Don't Need Nobody - 2:57
3. I'll Be There - 4:15
4. We're Not Their Boys - 4:20
5. Hallelujah - 2:43
6. Hello - 3:15
7. I Doubt If I Ever Will - 2:58
8. Willowing Trees - 3:35
9. Canyons - 4:33
10.Spring - 3:31
11.Words - 5:20
12.Look Around - 3:05
13.Advertising Man - 2:45
14.Go Around And See It - 2:55
15.It's So Good Here - 3:27
16.Big Black Bird - 3:41
17.Everyone The Fool - 4:08
18.You Just Call - 1:45
19.It's My Life - 3:12
All compositions by Keith Riley and Shape Of The Rain.

The Shape Of The Rain
*Keith Riley - Vocals, Guitar
*Len Riley - Bass
*Ian 'Tag' Waggett - Drums, Percussion
*Brian Wood - Vocals, Guitar, Pedal Steel
*Pete Dolan - Bass (1973)

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Saturday, November 21, 2015

Love Affair - The Everlasting Love Affair (1967-69 uk, excellent r 'n' b with psych sheathing, 2005 bonus tracks edition)



Love Affair was one of the great, all-too-unheralded pop bands of the late '60s in Britain, not a million miles in approach from the Small Faces -- and in Steve Ellis they had a soulful belter who was close to the genius of Steve Marriott. "Everlasting Love" was the big hit, a wonderful slice of music that crossed and recrossed the line between soul and pop, and which still stands proudly after all these years. But it's far from being the only excellent work here. The covers of "Hush," "Tobacco Road," "Handbags and Gladrags," and "The First Cut Is the Deepest" positively steam, while "Rainbow Valley," although a formulaic retread of the big hit, still has plenty going for it. Perhaps the big problem for the band was that they were tagged simply as a pop band, so when they attempted to break that mold, they weren't taken seriously. 

That's a shame, as "The Tree," which veers into both psychedelia and prog rock (close neighbors in those days) is an excellent piece of work, and "Once Upon a Season" offers a few echoes of Traffic. That's not to say everything is wonderful: "Could I Be Dreaming?" and "The Tale of Two Bitters" are readily dispensable, and a couple of other tracks are simply nondescript. But the ratio of good to bad is extremely high, and Steve Ellis is convincing throughout.
by Chris Nickson
Tracks
1. Everlasting Love (Buzz Cason, Mac Gayden) - 3:00
2. Hush (Joe South) - 3:38
3. 60 Minutes (Of Your Love) (David Porter, Isaac Hayes) - 3:36
4. Could I Be Dreaming  (Steve Ellis, Morgan Fisher) - 3:17
5. First Cut Is The Deepest (Cat Stevens) - 3:21
6. So Sorry (D. Gerard) - 3:09
7. Once Upon A Season (Mick Jackson) - 3:59
8. Rainbow Valley (Buzz Cason, Mac Gayden) - 3:48
9. A Day Without Love (Phillip Goodhand Tait) - 3:11
10.Tobacco Road (J. D. Loudermilk) - 3:52
11.The Tree (Steve Ellis, Morgan Fisher) - 2:45
12.Handbags And Gladrags (Mike d'Abo) - 3:49
13.Build On Love (Phillip Goodhand Tait) - 2:27
14.Please Stay (Bob Hilliard, Burt F. Bacharach) - 4:13
15.Tale Of Two Bitters (Steve Ellis, Morgan Fisher, John Cokell, Mike Smith) - 2:33
16.Gone Are The Songs Of Yesterday (Phillip Goodhand Tait) - 2:54
17.Some Like Me (Steve Ellis, Maurice Bacon, Rex Brayley, Mick Jackson, Lynton Guest) - 3:21
18.I'm Happy (Love Affair) - 2:16
19.One Road (Phillip Goodhand Tait) - 3:08
20.Let Me Know (Love Affair) - 2:29
21.Bringing On Back The Good Times (Phillip Goodhand Tait, John Cokell) - 3:22
22.Another Day (Rex Brayley) - 4:11
23.Un Giorno Senza Amore (Italian Version From 'A Day Without Love') (Phillip Goodhand Tait, Mogol) - 3:11

Love Affair
*Rex Brayley - Guitar (1967-1971)
*Maurice Bacon - Drums (1967-1971)
*Mick Jackson - Bass (1967-1971)
*Steve Ellis - Vocals (1967-1970)
*Lynton Guest - Keyboards (1967-1968)
*Morgan Fisher - Keyboards (1968-1971)

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

January Tyme - First Time From Memphis (1970 us, fine psych rock with west coast aura)



January Tyme was a New York band formed around the in-your-face vocal work of Janis Joplin-wannabe January Tyme. The band consisted of Tyme on lead vocals, keyboards, and percussion; Anthony Izzo on vocals and lead guitar; William Brancaccio on rhythm guitar, vocals, and keyboards; Steve Ciantro on bass; and Allen Cooley on drums and vocals. In 1969 the band released their only album for the Enterprise label, titled First Time from Memphis. 
by Keith Pettipas

"First Time From Memphis" (the ‘Memphis’ reference in the title might imply deep soul or similar), it’s thoroughly enjoyable and should satisfy anyone with a penchant for the more rocking side of the Airplane.
by Richard Falk 
Tracks
1. Rainy Day Feeling (Steve Ciantro, Valerie Cuccia) - 3:11
2. The Music (Bill Broncachio, Steve Ciantro, Valerie Cuccia) - 3:33
3. Sleepy TIme Baby (Steve Ciantro) - 3:16
4. Ancient Babylon (Anthony Izzo) - 3:50
5. Hold Me Up To The Light (Billy Fox, January Tyme, Justin Tyme) - 4:53
6. Love Is Blind (Bill Broncachio, Billy Fox, January Tyme) - 2:50
7. Are You Laughing (Steve Ciantro) - 2:58
8. Down To The River (Steve Ciantro) - 4:09
9. I Could Never Love You (Anthony Izzo) - 3:32
10.Take This Time (Bill Broncachio, January Tyme) - 2:58
11.Love Surrounds Me (Billy Fox, January Tyme) - 3:23

Personnel
*January Tyme - Percussion, Keyboards, Vocals
*Allen Cooley - Drums, Vocals
*Steve Ciantro - Bass
*William Brancaccio - Rhythm Guitar, Keyboard, Vocals
*Anthony (Mony) Izzo - Lead Guitar, Vocals

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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Charley Musselwhite - Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band (1967 us, astounding electric blues rock)



Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Charley Musselwhite, Elvin Bishop, Nick Gravenites, Barry Goldberg, Harvey Mandel, Jim Schwall, Corky Siegel, Steve Miller. If you have been following the progress of folk music activity over the last few years, these names probably are familiar to you.

If not, let me quickly explain that these young men, and a few others like them, have been the prime movers in the latest thrust of the urban folk music revival, the move to the tough, powerful sound of the postwar blues—the loud, mean, insistent blues style developed in the Negro ghettos of the Northern cities in the late 1940's and early '50's by such bluesmen as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Magic Sam and Johnny Shines, among a great many others.

The content and style of this strong, vigorous music have been handsomely defined and documented in Vanguard's three-disc survey of modern blues approaches, Chicago/The Blues/Today! the listener is respectfully referred to them; for providing a comprehensive sampling of current blues approaches, and demonstrating the breadth and richness of the music, I know of no more " representative or convenient set of recordings.

In recent years, an increasingly large segment of the folk music audience has come to discover the power and vitality of the postwar urban blues. Inevitably, too, a number of skilled young folk revivalists have turned their talents to this strong contemporary Negro music. Generally they have been far more successful in bringing these latter-day styles to life than have those who sought to reanimate (at best), reinterpret, or recreate (at worst), the older, more apocalyptic country blues idiom.

Not surprisingly, the most successful attempts at essaying modern blues styles have come from the young men listed above, all residents of Chicago and, as such, immediately and directly in touch with many of the living sources of the music. It is no mere accident that they should have attained to such idiomatic fluency in the urban blues approaches; they have been able to learn, assimilate and perfect the music through the simple expedient of having played alongside of the men who shaped it in the first place.

Charley Musselwhite learned his blues harmonica directly from the Negro innovators on the instrument: Little Walter Jacobs, Big (or Shakey) Walter Morton, and "Junior" Wells, among others. Then he further sharpened his skills in years—literally—of playing with various Negro bands in the rough-and-tumble bars and lounges that dot Chicago's South- and West-Side Negro ghettos.

It is the mark of this most demanding of apprenticeships that stamps the work of the young Chicago bluesmen with such conviction and authority. Quite simply, it separates the men from the boys; you can't shuck at Theresa's, Pepper's, the Blue Flame, the J & C Lounge, or any of the countless other clubs where blues are to be heard in the city. You either hold up your end or you're run off the stage. It's as simple as that.

It may be a hard, ruthless system, but it produces artists. Charley Musselwhite is a case in point, a man who has learned his lessons well, has put in his term of apprenticeship (and, in fact, is still doing so), has paid his dues. This is his first recording as a leader, though he has earlier appeared as a sideman with Big Walter Horton in the third volume of Vanguard's Chicago/The Blues/Today! set, with John Hammond on his Big City Blues and with singer-guitarist Tracey Nelson on her Prestige set.

But this disc represents, in a very real sense, Charley's debut—as the fulcrum of a typical hard, powerhouse, Chicago-styled band of the kind with which he's been used to playing over the last few years. It was he who picked the sidemen, he who organized and supervised their rehearsals, he who selected the materials to be recorded, and it is his intensive singing and incisive playing that are featured throughout this album.

The Musselwhite band's music is tough, direct, powerful, providing his assured, idiomatic voice and harp, the perfect setting and foil. As this first recording suggests, Charley is right now one of the handful of young blues interpreters who have succeeded in penetrating beyond the surface of the music to the development of a thoroughly satisfying, recognizeably personal approach to the modern blues. In the coming years, his single-minded dedication to the music, his ever-deepening technical skills, and his thirst for new ways of expression, are sure to yield an even richer musical harvest.

Listen to where he is now, and then recall that he is 22. And this last statement is hardly meant as an apology or justification; quite the contrary, it's a frank expression of acclamation from a devoted friend and admirer.
by Pete Welding
Tracks
1. Baby, Will You Please Help Me (Charley Musselwhite) - 3:20
2. No More Lonely Nights - 5:19
3. Cha Cha The Blues - 3:12
4. Christo Redemptor (Duke Pearson) - 3:21
5. Help Me (Carraras, Farver, Ward) - 3:30
6. Chicken Shack - 4:17
7. Strange Land (Charley Musselwhite) - 3:01
8. 39th and Indiana (Charley Musselwhite) - 4:10
9. My Baby - 2:42
10.Early In The Morning - 4:35
11.4 P.M. (Harvey Mandel) - 3:14
12.Sad Day (Barry Goldberg) - 5:00

Musicians
*Bob Anderson - Bass
*Fred Below - Drums
*Barry Goldberg - Organ, Guitar, Piano, Keyboards
*Harvey Mandel - Guitar
*Charlie Musselwhite - Vocals, Harmonica

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Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Raymond Froggatt - The Voice And Writting Of Raymond Froggatt (1968-69 uk, marvelous orchestrated folk country, 2004 remaster)



Raymond "Froggy" Froggatt was a singer/songwriter who spent much of his tumultuous career struggling to gain recognition. Born in Birmingham, England, he made his debut singing at a Dunlop factory party and received ten cents for his efforts. Froggatt was a sickly child who spent much of his youth battling tuberculosis in the Yardley Sanatorium. He left school in the 1950s to work a series of odd jobs. He had a recurrence of tuberculosis at age 18, and this time it attacked his kidneys and bladder. While isolated at yet another sanatorium, he took up poetry and decided to form a band. After advertising for musicians in the Birmingham Evening Post, he met young guitarist Hartley "H." Cain, bassist Lou Clark, and drummer Len Ablethorpe.

The band began playing the Birmingham club circuit and became regulars at the Belfry, a popular club. There Monopoly gained a devoted following, and was eventually signed by Polydor Records to a five-year contract in 1964. Froggatt's first success came with his song "Red Balloon." Unfortunately, though played on local radio stations for two months, it was badly mishandled and never appeared in stores; later the song became a hit for the Dave Clark Five, and then for Marie Laforet in France. 
by Sandra Brennan

Froggatt's debut album was a bland singer/songwriter effort, mixing in parts of troubadour folk and late-'60s middle-of-the-road British pop/rock. At times, particularly on some of the more bittersweet tunes, it's a little reminiscent of the softer aspects of the early Bee Gees (check "Lonely Old World" for a dose of that). Some of the more hale pop-folk-rock cuts might vaguely bring Donovan's more mainstream work to mind, although Donovan was miles better. Occasional tracks like the traditional "Corinna Corrina" and the guitar instrumental "Sonnet by Hartley Cain" tread close to contemporary folk. But others deploy hokily dated and at times unbearably cutesy orchestration, such as "Red Balloon (Callow-La-Vita)" (covered for a British hit by the Dave Clark Five) and the oompah-horn-laden "Roly." It's a peculiar endeavor that seems unsure of whether to aim for a frivolous pop audience or a more serious folky one, but the lack of focus is less of a problem than the mediocrity of the music.
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. Always Goodbye - 02:16
2. Corrina Corrina - 02:38
3. Red Balloon (Callow-La-Vita) - 02:38
4. Lonely Old World - 03:45
5. ABC Goldfisch - 02:38
6. Sonnet By Hartley Cain - 01:45
7. Something's Goin' On - 02:40
8. The Old Accordion - 03:00
9. Froggatt Went A Courtin' - 01:44
10.Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair - 02:37
11.We're All Coming To The Seaside - 02:42
12.Roly - 02:38
13.Callow-La-Vita (Single Mix) - 02:34
14.Lost Autumn - 04:12
15.Just A Little Bit Of Love - 02:18
16.ABC Goldfisch (Single Mix) - 02:38
17.Roly (Single Mix) - 02:39
18.Time Goes By - 03:28
19.Ring-Ting-A-Ling - 03:14
20.Anything You Want - 02:44
21.Movin' Down South - 03:16
22.It's Only Me - 02:58
23.Lazy Jack - 02:19
24.Hasn't The Lord Blessed Us - 03:35
All titles composed and arranged by Raymond Froggatt

Musicians
*Raymond Froggatt - Vocal
*Hartley Cain - Guitar
*Leonard Ablethorpe - Drums
*Louis Clark - Bass
*John Fiddy - Bass

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