Beautiful cover design and photo.
With each listen to this new Kevin Morby album, I hear another song at the perfect time and come away with a new gem bouncing around my thoughts.
'Edge Conditions' by Jeremiah Chiu. New on the International Anthem Recording Company label. A great place to find new jazz and new directions in sounds and ideas.
An AI generated (I think) description: "Jeremiah Chiu’s first full-scale solo album, expanding his improvisational style into a structured, concept‑driven electronic world, inspired by architectural transition zones and blending collaborative acoustic textures with modular synthesis.
Heavy on synthesizer, percussion and electronics. 'Synth pop.' Enjoying it greatly. Probably wouldn't have given it a chance five years ago. It's good to expand beyond old boundaries.
Notes on collecting vinyl (and cd's) ......
In younger years I made countless mix-tapes. Still have many of those cassette tapes in shoe boxes in a closet. In the compact disc years, I continued with cd mixes. All are playlists of some sort. Here's another playlist with the weekend approaching, with no themes and intentionally mixing genres. Just going by feel and not worrying about what came before or what follows. What I feel like listening to at the top of the hour might be completely different five minutes after. Hope that's ok with ya'll ....
Cleaned up on some classic jazz records today. Releases by mostly familiar names, but titles that I've never seen before. Alerted to the possibility of a haul by a facebook posting. My old local record store, now closed but still dealing in vinyl, cd's and more through a space in an antique mall. Took home eight records. Left much more behind. I'll likely be returning very soon.
My assignment for the rest of the week is to take in all these sounds. I have little choice but to accept the challenge.
Glanced at the vinyl on this one and it's in mint condition. The cover design caught my attention. Big band jazz from the early 1960's.
The vinyl taken home is a mono copy. Max Roach is a drummer.
A few words taken from the Dusty Groove online stores website: "A cool piano-less group that hits some really unusual notes!"
From 1964.
I've always enjoyed coming across lesser known titles on obscure record labels. This is free jazz and featuring saxophonist Arche Shepp. It's a 1971 reissue on Barnaby Records of a record originally released in 1960 on Candid Records. Cecil Taylor plays piano.
Again, I love the cover design and photo.
McCoy Tyner - Echoes of a Friend. From 1972. Solo piano tribute to John Coltrane. There's a cover of 'My Favorite Things' along with a couple songs that were composed by Coltrane including a personal favorite, his ballad, 'Naima.'
I am nearing completest status on the recordings of a few musicians. Jazz pianist, Keith Jarrett falls into that short list. The other day, I stumbled upon one (of two) from his 1970's-early 1980's recordings that wasn't in the collection.
Usually in his trio settings he's recording jazz standards. On this record though, the trio is playing Jarrett's original compositions. And I always prefer musicians performing or expressing their own unique visions and creations.
That leaves the massive 'Sun Bear Concerts' which I doubt I'll ever find in the local shops. And if I did happen to come across it, I'd probably have a heart attack right there where I stood and never make it home. In all my years of collecting, I've only seen photos of it.
While often difficult to reach the level of completist and exciting to be nearing the goal, there's also something a little sad in that there won't be more to seek out .... or blindly and excitedly stumble across on a random Sunday afternoon.
French violinist, Jean-Luc Ponty Experience. His 1972 album, 'Open Strings' on what looks to me as mint condition vinyl. And a gatefold sleeve with liner notes inside.
I've never seen this one before out in the record bins. Early 1970's jazz fusion. Sounds I've been specifically looking to add to my collection lately.
I hear a little experimentation, a bit of minimalism, a little spacey here and there, some free jazz moments, plus a little frenzied violin. I can appreciate these sounds in my senior years.
An album review from the All About Jazz website ..... All About Jazz
And with each glance at the album jacket, the more I'm loving the artwork.
Engaging in a little record store bin digging this afternoon. Found a seven-inch vinyl 45rpm of an obscure punk band, a R,E.M. tribute recording on compact disc and this .....
Mott the Hoople - 'All the Young Dudes.' From 1972 and on vinyl.
I was so focused on the singer/songwriters like Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Cat Stevens, etc., in those years that I never paid much attention to bands of the time. These days, I'll occasionally hear something that grabs my attention and think that I have some catching up to do. I'm only half a century behind.
David Bowie produced this and wrote the title song.
The 7-inch vinyl 45 that I unearthed. I know nothing about this record. Purchased because the cover photo caught my eye. I read that they were a garage rock / punk band. from 1995 on the 'Rip Off Records' label .... which caused me to smile. I'm a big fan of the existence of all these small independent record labels with interesting names. There ought to be a reference book or two or a corner in the library with works listing all these labels with bios, label logos and history. Maybe there is?
I see it classified as Psychedelic Rock. I'll need another listen, this time distraction free. There were some sounds that had me thinking or reminded vaguely of 'In-a-gadda-da-vida' by Iron Butterfly though not as hard as that. Like I said, I need a more attentive listen.
It's one of these weird finds I've been seeking out lately. I would have never listened to this up to a year or two ago. Part of my golden olden years evolution.
Don't know if this will help or confuse but it's a description copied from the albums Bandcamp page ..... "Somewhere between the Rama Lama sonic assault of MC5 & the Cosmic Tones of Sun Ra's Myth-Science Arkestra these guys carved out their own serendipitous expression."
'Zoning' from Mary Lou Williams. On compact disc and the Smithsonian Folkways label. Recorded and originally released in 1974. This is a 1995 reissue with a couple of previously unreleased tracks added. Piano jazz quartet with a second pianist.
Thought it was a lifeless and mediocre audio quality recording initially, not the performance or original song writing, but the actual engineering quality .... until I corrected my erroneous ways of worrying about what the neighbors would think and playing it at a low volume. Upon turning it up, the sound just washed over me and blasted open my senses. Beautiful and unique stuff, often reminding me of the years it comes from.
So as a result, and while feeling incredibly unaware and unlearned, I added this recording to my collection. From 1964. There's much more to discover. Looking forward to the adventure.
She had recently converted to Catholicism and this was a work of 'sacred jazz' with styles sometimes leaning towards spirituals, blues and avant-garde jazz.
American Primitive acoustic guitar, mostly 12-string with a little 6-string guitar and synthesizer mixed in ..... with a sound and style reminiscent of John Fahey. Each song recorded live in the studio with no overdubs. Just released today by Carbon Records. The vinyl hasn't arrived yet so I'm listening to files.
Lucas Gunn is Portland, Oregon based. It's difficult to pass on something from home.
Thursday Jazzday playlist .....
Late Wednesday afternoon and home from work scrolling through my itunes library and mostly hanging onto much younger days while struggling to hold back the tears playlist. (It is Wednesday, right?) ....
Sparse haunting piano over (and below) soundscapes created from electronic effects and ghostly voice.
From 2025 on the By the Bluest of Seas record label, discovered through Carbon Records which has been a great source for independent, different and unusual sounds and consistently quick deliveries of orders.
It would be kinda funny, if it wasn't sad in my eyes but for the records that I'm interested in, the used bookstore is turning out to be a better source for interesting and surprise finds than the two record stores in town.
Late 60's, post-bop jazz from Germany.
'Blues Happening' by The Klaus Doldinger Quartet.
A complete unknown and purchased for the album cover image and the potential gleamed from a quick speed reading of the back cover liner notes ..... and very pleasantly surprised at what I've heard. Causing a re-thinking of my avoidance lately of soprano saxophone recordings.
A 1969 release on the World Pacific Jazz Records label and with vinyl in near mint condition. (I love when that happens.) This is proving to be a priority with this bookstore's used record buyer.
Also from 1969 ..... 'Another Voyage' from The Ramsey Lewis Trio. On Cadet Records.
I've only listened to a couple cuts but there's a funk-jazz sound and vibes present here that I've always associated with the late 1970's. Possibly a decade ahead of its time.
So, I'm thinking with these weekend vinyl finds, that I'm about to venture down an additional record collecting rabbit hole with late 1960's, early 1970's period post bop recordings.
I returned the next day to take home a record that I left behind on Saturday. I first noticed it in another guy's hands. He eventually decided against it and put it back into the racks. Not sure of the sound and unwilling to take a leap of faith at the asking price, I previewed it at home via YouTube. It may be the highlight of the weekend finds ....
'Outback' from Joe Farrell. Released in 1972 on CTI Records. A huge bonus that Chick Corea is playing electric piano on the album. Also present is Elvin Jones, who played drums on classic John Coltrane records. It's certainly jazzier than what became the normal CTI (soft jazz) sound.
'Looking North' by Bryan Nichols. Released in 2016.
Solo jazz piano alternately reminding me of similar sounding moments and directions from Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea recordings of the 1970's. Best heard with midnight moods and vibes.
Just another random playlist for a Sunday evening. And just in case I ever get my own community radio program .....
I recently discovered this great independent record label, based in Minneapolis, Shifting Paradigm Records, and from what I can tell, releasing mostly jazz.
One of my recent selections from their catalogue is 'Seven Last Words' by Adam Booker.
Released in 2020. Alternating between classical leaning solo bowed acoustic bass and more traditional sounding jazz quartet pieces with trumpet and flugelhorn .... no saxophone,
An album review from the No Treble webpage:
...... and the Bandcamp page:
More exciting vinyl finds over the last few days. I have become such an insatiable geek when it comes to the level of excitement felt. ...
