Vinyl Find of the Week

Chet Baker - In New York. Trumpet player!!!

"Cool Jazz" or "West Coast Jazz." I'm not hip enough to know the difference between it and Jazz from the other coast.

The album cover initially grabbed my attention. Then there's the "OJC" in the catalogue number, Original Jazz Classics. I've yet to find a recording with that tag that I didn't enjoy.

Garnet Rogers

A short Garnet Rogers playlist. Storyteller. Great deep voice. Great songs!!

• Shadows On the Water .... A song for his friend Bill Morrissey.
• Night Drive .... About being on the road and his brother, the late Stan Rogers. Very visual lyrics.
• One Bullet .... About the Battle of Gettysburg. The story of the battle must have moved him deeply for a Canadian to be writing a song about American history.
• Small Victory
• Next Turn of the Wheel

Jazz Playlist

Jazz playlist from time spent on youtube where one thing (video) always leads to another ....

• Oliver Nelson - Stolen Moments from the album, "The Bues and the Abstract Truth"
• Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder from the album of the same title. About halfway through found myself playing air piano.
• Wayne Shorter - Witch Hunt from "Speak No Evil"
• The Yellowjackets - Wildlife
• Chick Corea Akoustic Band - Spain
• Bill Evans - You and the Night and the Music from "On Green Dolphin Street." 
• Bill Evans - My Heart Stood Still
• Chet Baker - Almost Blue
• Red Garland Trio - C-Jam Blues from the record, "Groovy,"
• Lester Young - They Can't Take That Away From Me from the album, "Laughin' To Keep From Cryin'."

You think that you have a comprehensive collection of Jazz but then you realize that there's so much more out there to hear. These Jazz guys were so incredibly prolific especially compared with other genres. And many of the best played on each others records.

Something Different Tonight

The Kronos Quartet's recording, Caravan. 

How to describe? ..... Chamber Classical/Jazz with some occasional minimalism mixed in. A couple violins, a viola and a cello. All played beautifully and masterfully. Playing pieces from various modern times composers.

Found the compact disc during a bin browsing excursion a week or two ago. One of those: "HEY! What's this?" moments.

Thursday Evening in July Listening Pleasure

What I'm listening to tonight .....

• The Eagles - King of Hollywood .... 1979. I had just bought a new turntable. The Eagles had just released their "The Long Run" album. I used to wait anxiously for those moments where I was home alone and play their song, King Of Hollywood with the volume waaaaaayyyyyy up high. Doing the exact same thing right now. Desert Island song selection for me. 
• Steely Dan - Rikki Don't Lose That Number .... The song that more than any other, reminds me of high school even though it hadn't been released yet. I don't know why. There's something embedded in its melody that I associate with 1974.
• Craig Fuller and Rusty Young - Night Train To New Orleans
• Neil Diamond - Mr. Bojangles .... Just found a copy on vinyl of the album this is on replacing my old scratched original copy. It may have been the first album that I actually owned and it remains one of my favorites 45 years later. I've also just read the chapter in Todd Sniders book about his friendship with Jerry Jeff Walker who wrote this song. There's a story about their walking around New Orleans and coming across a street musician who was playing the song and who had no idea that the songwriter was standing there listening to him. 
• Poco - It's A Good Feeling To Know .... From the years (early 70's) when I truly became interested in albums instead of primarily the radio hits. A friend had this album and that was my introdution to the Poco sound.
• Craig Fuller & Eric Kaz - Feel That Way Again .... I assumed for years that I was the only person in the world who owned this record. Finding more and more people lately who have shattered my erroneous assumption.
• Eric Burdon - Water
• Crosby, Stills and Nash - Wooden Ships .... I was watching this DVD titled, "Under The Covers" about the stories behind the artwork on several records from the early 1970's and Wooden Ships was among the music used. It was suddenly like I was hearing the song for the first time in 35 years.

My Personal Vinyl Addiction

This could be me ..... If I won the lottery. While I think that I have a large collection compared to most people, it's not quite at this level. Though the search would be a great adventure!!

It's a strange process. I purchase a few records, get them home, then a few days later start feeling the urge to look for more. Not only for the listening pleasure but also for the visual pleasures of each. The album covers, front and back. The artwork, the liner notes, the names, etc. It's history!!!

It's funny how it all evolved. I went from twenty years of vinyl and resisting every urge in the 1980's to switch to compact discs, to eventually accepting the inevitible compact disc trend, as vinyl was disappearing from record shops. The lure of 'bonus tracks' on the CD was the final selling point in my mind. For the next twenty years it was almost exclusively the CD. I'd pick up a rare vinyl record of interest that I came across along the way but they were few and far between. Then about five years ago, vinyl started to take off again. Inventory in the record shops began to expand. It helped that my local record shop cared about quality. Not only of the record itself but of the album covers. Their selections were in good shape, not scratched, wrinkled, tattered and torn.

Now I'm probably at a 60% vinyl (mostly used but in good shape) and 40% compact disc rate. Maybe closer to 50/50? I do feel a little sense of disapoinment when I go with the CD. Like I should have searched harder for the vinyl.

A couple of friends attempted to convince me at one time, to give up my collection. They failed in their goal. I thought that they might resort to gathering a dozen mutual friends and trying an intervention. It wouldn't have been pleasant.

Will I ever listen to each of my records? I'd like to but have to admit, probably not. But I will gaze at those album covers and titles on the spines. I will treasure some of the more unknown and obscure names in my collection. I will feel excitement at the thought of what I might find tomorrow. I will feel anticipation as I drive down the street approaching each search possibility.

Video Time

Richard Shindell playing his song, "Your Guitar."

I became a fan of Richard Shindell in the early 1990's. A great time to discover singer/songwriters. There was Ellis Paul, John Gorka, Pierce Pettis, Bill Morrissey, Lucy Kaplansky, Greg Brown and Richard Shindell. Maybe one or two that I'm forgetting? I came upon their recordings around this time. Pierce Pettis may have been first on a Windham Hill Records sampler release of new acoustic folk music. That find led to the others. All with great songs!! Songs that hit a nerve somewhere deep inside my emotions.