Warren Bernhardt

'Floating' by Warren Bernhardt. From 1979, on vinyl.

I read yesterday, that Warren Bernhardt had passed away a few days ago at 82 years old.

I recall finding this record many years ago at Djangos in Portland. I haven't listened to it much since that day but suddenly here I am, forty years later, reading of his passing and thinking about life.

I know very little about his career other than he was a member of the jazz group, Steps Ahead and that he also played with Steely Dan.

Improvisational, piano Jazz on this recording that I am truly appreciating tonight.

Basie and His Orchestra

Another vinyl find from yesterday and on the turntable today. Count Basie Orchestra - 'Basie In Europe.' A mono sound and Japanese printing. Live concert recordings from the early 1970's in Germany and France. The album notes state, "probably" recorded in Munich and the south of France.

Big Band Jazz. All Music Guide calls it a "fine collection."

The owner of the record store placed a little sticky note with the letters, "NM" on the cover  .... It eventually dawned on me that he was grading its condition, NM for Near Mint condition. And he is correct. It's a beautiful black vinyl, free of dust, fingerprints, smudges and scratches. Looks like it's never been played ....  Update: except for today.

One Flight Up

It's another Saturday morning and on the turntable is yesterday's vinyl treasure find, from 1964 on Blue Note Records, 'One Flight Up' by Dexter Gordon. 

Stumbled upon while digging through bins of vinyl records. My favorite pastime these days. 

If it's on Blue Note, I assume it will be a rewarding listen. A proper assumption in this case. If nothing else, I wanted it for the cover photo. 

Mortality Blues Playlist

Since it's on my mind lately, a playlist for when/if I retire. Not that I've made a decision or anything, but with each day, I do recognize my mortality and that I can't go on forever. ..... I can't, right? I mean maybe I can? Maybe I can be the first to break the mortality barrier? So anyway .....

• Keith Jarrett - Koln Concert .... There are no song titles so how about the entire double album? I'm fine with that idea.
• Radiohead - Daydreaming
• Red House Painters - Have You Forgotten ..... A question I've been wanting to ask a certain someone in my world. 
• Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me, Ohio
• Fred Eaglesmith - Rebecca Street
• Allan Wachs - Adventures of the Invisible Dog

Maybe it's noticeable? (Thought with a snicker) There's no common theme, genre or style here. My mind is in its default mode of total illogical randomness. Not a rarity here.

• Libera Me - From the soundtrack for the movie, 'Black Robe.' 
• Johnny Mandel - The Shadow of Your Smile .... from the movie, 'The Sandpiper.' 

My playlists are generally what pops up in the progression of songs listened to in a day or evening. Mostly influenced by YouTube selections that arise on the home page or by browsing through names and titles in my Collectorz application. There's little deep thinking, reflection or science involved.

• GoGo Penguin - Raven

End of the Day Playlist

Sunday evening random playlist, on the heels of a trip to check out the newest record store in town. That's two in a month. Both are small but both are something, which is a lot more than we had to this point.'

• Gregory Alan Isakov - Light Year / Arms In the Air ..... If you like acoustic guitar based, singer/songwriters ....
• Pete Morton - Another Train
• Paul Brady - The Lakes of Pontchartrain

Sometimes you just feel like changing course. Not that there was anything wrong with the original direction, it's just that another path, long neglected, suddenly appeared and the temptation was just too great.

• Pete Townshend - A Friend Is a Friend .... From 'The Iron Man' musical.
• Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane - My Baby Gives It Away / keep Me Turning
• Ronnie Lane - April Fool
• Dave Mason - Sad and Deep as You
• Creedence Clearwater Revival - Have You Ever Seen the Rain
• Mike Oldfield - Pictures In the Dark .... From the glory days of music videos.

And I don't think I can play the previous song without playing something by .....

• Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart / I've Seen All Good People

The Gloaming

From 2019, The Irish American band, The Gloaming and their recording titled, 'The Gloaming III.'

Listening on Youtube as the vinyl record is in transit, still a day or two away.

To begin with, I love the cover art. That's what caused me to listen hoping that I'd love the music as well. And you know what? I do!!

Beautiful and haunting. Deep roots in Celtic music. Often instrumental. Swirling violin (fiddle), piano and occasional vocals. A perfect end to the day, causing inspiration to sit and write words to a friend.

Impressions of Japan

From 1964. The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Jazz Impressions of Japan. On vinyl and the Columbia Records label.

A find from earlier in the week in the new record store in town. It feels perfect for this moment, the mood I'm in and the very definite vibes of this evening.
 

It's Entirely Too Hot Playlist

A Sunday evening, hoping it's the end of the hot temps, wishing for some serious cooling, and just because I want to make a random playlist tonight, playlist.

• The Jayhawks - This Forgotten Town
• Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey
• Brian Eno - By This River .... Something that needs immediate rectifying, the fact that I only have one Brian Eno album. 
• Chris Whitley - Poison Girl .... I was warned recently to steer clear from a certain lady at work. That when she gets angry, she becomes "a poison snake and you'll get bit."
• Jonatha Brooke - Linger
• Harry Manx - Don't Forget to Miss Me
• Tom Waits - Emotional Weather Report .... Many years ago, my college roommates put this on the turntable. It was my initial Tom Waits experience, and I was hooked.
• Tom Waits - Nighthawk Postcards (From Easy Street) .... "Goodness gracious .... my bass player should be chained up somewhere."
• Warren Zevon - Sentimental Hygiene .... An indication of it being way too hot for way too long: I'm wondering such things like, if Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner crossed paths with the gorilla in Gorilla You're a Desperado, would they steal a Studebaker in search of some Sentimental Hygiene? I think yes!
• Anders Osborne - Coming Down
• Anders Osborne & Luther Dickinson - Black Muddy River .... Not saying it's going to happen, but this seemed like a good one for getting ready for the end of the day and going to sleep.

New Record Store In Town

It's about damn time!! 

Dreams do come true!!

There's a new record store in town. It's not a huge shop but my initial visit showed an interesting selection with a promise of more arriving soon. It's a start. It's what I've been hoping for  ..... well for over two years now. A place to get lost for a few minutes when needed.

What I came away with, all on vinyl:

• Clifton Chenier - Black Snake Blues (1967)
• The Ramsey Lewis Trio - The In Crowd  (1965)
• Lu Watters Yerba Buena Jazz Band - The San Francisco Style: Stomps, Etc. & The Blues (1954) ..... Recordings from 1946.
• Red Garland - Satin Doll (1983)
• Gene Harris Trio - Live at Otter Crest (1981) .... Otter Crest is on the Oregon coast. From a summer jazz festival that I think, no longer exists.
• Chris Connor - Chris In Person (1960) .... Live recordings from a great voice.

Not the most well-known titles but I've always loved finding the lesser known, more obscure titles. 

Heavy on the Jazz sounds with a little Zydeco mixed in. As always, interesting cover photography and sleeve spines in decent shape are important to the decision to purchase. 

                                                                            

The Gene Harris recording is especially intriguing to me because it was recorded live at the Oregon Coast. And it's autographed as well. 

A couple of the records are promotional copies which is something the truly serious and dedicated vinyl collecting nerds, dorks and geeks are always happy to stumble upon. 

I was happy with my haul. but even more ecstatic with the discovery of a new local record store. And in a cool location on the edge of downtown. 

Not all was joyful though. I did sigh a little while coming up empty when checking for the record that I've had on my radar of late. I've been obsessed lately with finding an original vinyl copy of 'The Nightfly' by Donald Fagan. I don't want to accept finding it online. I want to find it while flipping through bins of used records. There has to be one out there someplace. 

Suffering Through the Heat Playlist

 Hottest day and night of the summer to date, playlist .... 

• Mary Lou Lord - Western Union Desperate ..... "I'll wire you some love today, There's so much more I want to say, But I'm western union desperate, in a pay phone in the rain, and it's so insane, I'm Rimbaud and you're Verlaine."
• Matthew Ryan - Return to Me
• The Feelies - Find a Way
• The Jayhawks - Quiet Corners 
• Todd Snider - Can't Complain .... Reminds me of John Prine though if I played John Prine first, I'd likely says he reminds me of Todd Snider.
• Tim Easton - You Don't Even Know Me

I've apparently got an Americana, Singer/Songwriter from the 1990's-2000's thing going on here tonight. 

• Grant Lee Buffalo - Happiness
• Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Only Children .... "Are you still taking notes?"
• Jason Isbell - The Magician
• Buffalo Tom - Sodajerk
• The Delines - Drowning in Plain Sight

Vinyl Finds

 

New Order - 'Low Life'  

From 1985 on vinyl. Attempting to fill some gaps in my record collection. Specifically mid-1980's sounds. At the time, even though I was a huge fan of MTV, I was apparently too hung up on my old favorites from the 70's to notice much of what was going on that was different.

On the road yesterday, twenty miles out of town and had this in my hand, knowing that I've been wanting to add New Order for quite a while but still just not sure at the asking price. So, I put it back. It was ten minutes after returning home that I realized my mistake. I would have hit the road again had there not been a closing time. I had to get through todays time at work, speed back down the freeway, fretting the entire time, (knowing my kind of luck), the scary possibility that someone else just might not be as hesitant as I had been. 

It was still there!!! The ongoing issues of lack of 1980's Brit-synth sounds has been addressed for the moment.

I also had this in hand and foolishly returned it to the bins. 

Why can't I be more decisive?

John Williams Trio, self-titled album from 1955. Jazz piano. I loved the cover photo and had no hesitations or objections to the asking price. I was just unsure, having never seen this cover image before, of the musical quality. Again, a little research from home and I realized the errors of my ways, though I felt a little better about the likelihood of returning and it still being there. I made sure that it wouldn't be there tomorrow. 

I am of the opinion that there was much more thought put into album cover presentation and photography in the 1950's and 60's. Creating an impression through an image was more important in those days. The sounds within the cover photo and liner notes sometimes feels like ten bonus tracks.

Spill The Beans

'Spill The Beans,' a compact disc-EP, from 1994 and The Bats. Indie-Rock from New Zealand on the Mammoth / Flying Nun record labels.  

Jangly guitars and catchy tunes. 

I discovered The Bats just a few years ago, a little late in life, but at least I eventually discovered them. None of this waiting anxiously for a new release. They already had a sizeable catalogue of sounds.

Hey! that should be a title for a song .... "Waiting Anxiously."

I love some of the names of the smaller record labels: Yep Roc, Lost Highway, Flying Fish, Secretly Canadian, Flying Nun, et. all.