Weekend's Vinyl Finds

Saturday vinyl search and finds. The place was busy and crowded so the search was cut short. I did have a couple records in hand at one point that were returned to the bins. I did take home:

Jimmy Raney - 'Live In Tokyo.'  from 1976. A new name for me and certainly a different face/name than most of the recordings I see shared in the vinyl community. I noticed Sam Jones on bass and I do have an album of his that I enjoy. 

A guitar focused jazz trio recording. There's a short, very complimentary review on the All Music Guide website.

'Town Hall Concert' by Charles Mingus. Recorded in 1962 (I think) and I assume originally released then. This is a reissue and something about the feel of the record and sleeve in my hands caused me to wonder if it was possibly a poor audio quality reissue but hey, it's Mingus!! One of the masters. I gave it a spin today and it sounds great. 

Big Band or orchestra jazz on clear vinyl and Destination Moon Records. (Which caused me to smile.) Post Bop sounds.

I was intrigued by several of the album covers in both the indie rock and punk sections. Charles Mingus is always a sure thing for me. And though I think that I have pretty good intuition on such matters, I'm always hesitant to take multiple financial chances on titles that I know nothing about. I need to take notes and research such things. 

Larry Coryell

'Spaces' by jazz guitarist, Larry Coryell. A vinyl find this afternoon on Vanguard Records. A 1970 release. A fusion of jazz and rock. Chick Corea is on this record playing electric piano. The back cover photo of the album is shown here. 

I love finding these early records of musicians who went on to have long careers. Found in a dusty, cramped record shop, in a plastic bin, under the racks of more well known, better selling recordings. I've stumbled across several interesting recordings in these bins.  

The Schramms

The Schramms - 'Rock, Paper, Scissors, Dynamite'

A 1992 recording on compact disc and on the Okra Records label.

Americana. Ringing guitars. Rock with little hints of alternative-country. Or perhaps obvious hints. 

From All Music Guide:                                              "Melding pop, folk-rock, and alt-country sounds with quirky wit and a keen intelligence, the Schramms were the brainchild of guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Dave Schramm, who debuted the group in 1987. The band's sound is built around Schramm's guitar work, at once tuneful and wiry, but he and his collaborators create a sound that's edgy but welcoming, with a warmth in the performances that rivals the subtle intelligence of Schramm's lyrics. "

Abercrombie and Friends

ECM Records kind of Jazz. Melding electric guitar, violin, double-bass and drums. Beautiful compositions!!

I'm not especially good at descriptions so I try to find words and phrases to use. Words that come to mind as I listen .... Soaring violin lines!! Quiet yet piercing guitar!!

The conflicted wind fades to a gentle evening breeze!! Footsteps in the dark! Improvised abstract poetry! Spiritual discovery and possibilities? .... All thoughts that came to mind at different points of the journey.