Saturday, October 23, 2004

night mood


punchline
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.
CHARLES GROSS:NIGHT SONG
from PUNCH LINE soundtrack, A&M records 1988
finding a nice track buried in obscure, silly or unexpected filmscores are always a thrill and i know some of you out there enjoyed bill conti's and dave grusin's tracks on previous posts.
this one has very little funk or rare groove appeal, it's rather a deep and soulful piece of music
i haven't seen punchline (starring a very young tom hanks and sally field) and the lp cover sure has little appeal. but on the back a few names arose my curiosity. with mark egan on bass, danny gottlieb-drums, mitch foreman-keyboards and eugene friesen on cello, it couldn't be that bad.
egan/gottlieb was pat metheny's early and sought-after rythm section, with several albums as leaders (ok, sometimes on the verge of "musician's musicians" material- which could mean boring). anyway, this strange combination itself: comedy soundtrack vs.jazz fusion players deserved an ear shot (think about bill cosby experiments for instance) and interesting moments are scattered all along the album (a few bad ones too) but this track got me.
it's deep, moody, haunted, beautiful.
/track deleted
i didn't find really interesting stuff about mr gross. he's a composer, arranger, music director for both movie/tv scores and broadway musicals. among what predominently appears like b-movie material, his hits include air america and turner&hooch (another early hanks fling)
my lp copy is a little scratchy and if only for this track, i'd probably indulge in cd format, which is probably out of print and sure 50c or $-bin bargain stuff.
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
as far as cello and soulful music is involved, i have to mention THE SUBURBS ARE KILLING US for a recent post of sublime music by ANJA LECHNER & VASSILIS TSABROPOULOS. i rushed to the store to buy copies of CHANTS, HYMNS AND DANCES (yes, i had to spread it around!) i guess it's very efficient blogpromo-if such impact still had to be proved.
lately, THE NUMBER ONE SONGS IN HEAVEN 's selection was really a treat.
if by any chance you missed it, thanks to JAZZ AND CONVERSATIONfor a more than fascinating WIRED prospective reading about online entertainment THE LONG TAIL

living in the holland tunnel


the mockers
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.
MEA CULPA: googling for some cool holland tunnel pic for my previous post, i made the very silly choice of borrowing an album cover, reframe and post it-without asking permission or either mentioning where it came from.
as the www is a really small village, i got a very kind message from THE MOCKERS, the band i ripped off their LIVING IN THE HOLLAND TUNNEL lp covert art...
they thought it was funny i used it. hem, thanks guys. i guess you deserve some exposure!
so here's the full album cover and the site with info, promo and direct link to buy the lp!
let's hope my very bad manners will end in lot of album sales!
HERE

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

new york on my mind


holland tunnel
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.
THE HOLLAND TUNNEL PROJECT/liquid records, 199?
it's one of these 12"s you sometimes pick up on pure instinct/luck in a 50c bin.
one you don't expect much at first but ends up as a nice surprise, listeners asking who's playin' and so on... not really a classic but one fave that survives the record bag long after hits and hypes got sleevedust on the shelves.
IF is a sensual whispered ballad, full of promising innuendos. BLOW is all flute, sax solos and hammond licks, solid 90's acid-jazz material, all delivered with tasty hip hop flava.
IF feat.tiffany rios
BLOW/track deleted

THTP appears to be well and alive downtown NYC. site info describes their style as" charlie parker meets coltrane meets marley marl"... ouch ! yes, i know, such comparisons could be scary... none of these giants came to my mind but i'll give these guys a break
i wasn't able to hear the samples of their current productions but apparently, both these tracks were released prior to the 2 albums.
more music,info and maybe shopping:
HERE
thanks to those who enjoyed the buckshot track and testified: here's the showbiz remix of breakfast@denny's.
/track deleted
thanks to the everxpanding blogcommunity's word of mouth, a few new/notsonew blogs with great music, ideas, fun and good writing : jazz and conversation, nite songs, futurismain'tshit...
thanks avocado kid for the broken link, i think it's fixed now.

Thursday, October 14, 2004

ladies' night


ladies
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.
there's something unique about a woman, a piano and whatever soul comes out of it.
rickie lee jones'10" ep "girl at her volcano" offered the kicks to hear her live versions
of a few torch songs/jazz standards such as stardust, lush life and my funny valentine.
her cover of "something cool" (written by bill barnes) was then available only as bonus track on the cassette format. the cd reissue includes it but most of the time it seems like there's only a costly japan import around...
anyway, rickie's version has the awkward feeling of a late chat with that girl you just met at the bar. she talks a little too much, a little too fast, there's some twinkling in her eyes and you can't be sure if it's because of you or too many drinks. the night is young and maybe she's a regular, some looking for mr goodbar-type but she's so damn pretty you just want her to keep talking so you can look into her eyes.
rickie lee jones:something cool from "girl at her volcano", wea 1983
GONE
enjoy the lyrics:
HERE
get lucky at your local record exchange store for a used version or open your webwallet online
BUY
in contrast, i felt i had to join JUNE CHRISTY'S original version bathed in the lush 50's sophisticated veneer of pete rugolo's west coast orchestra (feat.maynard ferguson, shorty rogers, bud shank, barney kessel...)
GONE
you'll be well-advised to enjoy her sultry vocals in this bargain-price collection of standards
HERE
but then i really wanted to hang on this bluesy mood and share another very introspective incarnation of a standard. from DISTORTION OF LOVE, one of PATRICIA BARBER's first recording in 1991 on antilles records, summertime is beyond words.
constructed around a repetitive piano, marc johnson's haunting bass and adam nussbaum's minimal percs, it's blues at its deepest in a very feminine, almost hurting way. whatever version of this classic you usually favor will never sound the same afterwards.
LISTEN
miss barber's success forced a reissue of this long out-of-print album
BUY

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

choose me


tp&b
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.
TEDDY PENDERGRASS : you're my choice tonight(choose me)
love language lp elektra asylum,1984.
brilliantly featured as the opening sequence in alan rudolph's eponymous film, choose me (written and produced by luther vandross) had me running to the next record shop before the end of the show. it's probably the definitive funky ballad on my list.
open any mixtape with this one and get the groove on.
nice info on the last soul man :
HERE
be sure to check first your local record store for teddy's albums or cd's, but if you can't wait, hop here:
BUY

BUCKSHOT LEFONQUE: breakfast at denny's
cbs,1994
back in my jazzy hip-hop days, the brandford marsalis/dj premier buckshot lefonque concept felt like heaven. at last, that "talkin' all that jazz" attitude was real, live and direct and not only crafted out of samples.
it turned out the whole album, though exciting, kinda melt too many ingredients for my taste (maya angelou, an elton john cover, amaharic vocalists from ethiopia, reggae, blues etc) but that instru track was just perfect.
i'd be glad to get some feedback on this one from the blogdeputies of hip hop, say cocaine blunts&soul sides-who are busy diggin' their mutual crates these days- but from moistworks too, timewastin' and whenmadwastallandphatwascold (ouch!) about the buckshot lp's and similar jazz/hiphop concepts... and of course from you all noddin' out there.
brandford marsalis'website is full of buckshot stuff :
HERE
and if you can't convince your record dealer to deliver the goods:
BUY

Wednesday, October 06, 2004

sound suggestions for travellers


yvinek lp
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.
YVINEK:RECYCLING THE FUTURE
BMG, 2002

as i was attempting to give my cd's some comprehensive order, this one surfaced and was an obvious choice for today's post.
french bass player daniel yvinek's cv included collaborations with Salif Keita, Hector Zazou, Tania Maria, David Byrne, Riyuichi Sakamoto, John Cale, Suzanne Vega or David Sylvian. here's for credentials.
but amazingly, while receiving elogious reviews everywhere, the cd seemed to find a direct way from advance limited copies to bargain bins.
it probably suffered bad timing release and certainly lacked the standard genius marketing approach. here, former prestigious collaborations meant little to the major masterminds of labeling. there was no connection with early trip-hop experiments, no hip-hop credibility or former dj/french touch angle to stick on the cover. you couldn't dance to it in a club but to my knowledege, no remix treatment was dispensed (and all for the better) and it was probably too original to be picked up by any lounge bar compilation lazy accountant.
it's a musician's album for sure. so rich i can't even think of any description but just rely on reminiscence: some bass-clarinet parts evoke john surman's works, "angel-like" harmonica/piano duets are on a bill evans/thielemans' "affinity" palette... that's for starters.
the liner notes credits themselves are a world apart:
"secret tape recorder, polyrythms, teenage voice, stimulating ideas, bliss-thru soprano sax, cheap loops, distorted reality, river clapping, flower pots, high-heel walking, handmade engines"... all this was recorded and recycled in numerous locations including villages, fields, comfortable high-tec recording studios, people's houses, kitchens..."
picked up by ninja tune or warp or morr music or ecm, yvinek's opus would have probably set up its own standard in audio reverie.
but it's not too late, RECYCLING THE FUTURE is a perfect timeless late summer/fall album.
almost all the info i googled are in french but give it a try if you feel like it.
special order is once again probably the only option at your local store but it's worth it.
tracks:
THE COMPLETE UNKNOWN TERRITORY HANDBOOK/track deleted
UNKNOWN COMPANION
/track deleted
yvinek released last spring an interesting compilation worth checking too:
NEW MORNING: A DREAM MIX BY YVINEK which melt chet baker singing in italian with morricone strings, frank mccomb, blossom dearie, bill frisell, andy bey, shirley horn.

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

scarlet sunrise


beyond the stars lp
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.
i guess it's a blogger's syndrom. trying to keep it on tracks is so time consumin' it's hard to stay alert to the good stuff around. still, i recently enjoyed : foreign exchange@ wastin' time, banco de gaia @ tuwa's shanty, bill withers@tofu hut, ornette coleman@said the gramophone, artefact @moebius rex, a rockin' peaches remix@music for robots and manymanymore courtesy of totally fuzzy (lately herbie hancock live 75, brian eno, tom waits, david sylvian...)

last week record-shopping included the new jimi tenor cd "beyond the stars". plenty of synths, moogs, flutes, fluegelhorns and jazz orchestra. a few tracks sound a little far out but i guess it's on purpose.jt still wanders in 70's territory but there's a solid direction in his compositions which at some point sounded a little too cliche/hommage to that era in previous albums. here he's not very far from a jaggajazzist approach, the vocals adding very souful vibes to it. especially on the first track: barcelona sunrise, feat. allonymous? on vocals
his tone reminds me of mc900ft&jesus, with a softer and soothing edge.
the cd 's got a very funny and fancy cover art by vilunki 3000 & gerard berlin, in some ways reminiscent of sun ra's esp records artwork. there's a limited edition cd with a bonus title to track down. sleeve info tells "file under jazz" and let's hope it won't turn off either electronic or/and jazz purists.
jimi tenor: barcelona sunrise
from beyond the stars, kitty-yo, 2004
listen
lots of blogs link amazon to buy the cd. it sure is convenient but i kinda feel like you should try your local store first-if you're still lucky enough to have one around of course. there's a good chance they'll have to order your wishlist but i'm sure that in the meantime you'll have plenty of good music at hand to enjoy.
more jt stuff and interesting downloads
here
i recently transfered a few tracks from vinyl to cd, among them: camille/scarlet pussy.
it's the b-side of prince's "wish u heaven 7". a black anonymous label crookedly stickered makes it look like a collector's item. if not, it's still a juicy slice of p-funked prince.
/track deleted
last selection for today is: kung fu: a children's game/divine strength
from: kung fu lp, UA,1972
/track deleted
and there's very little to add after such luminous words xcept: peace.

Monday, October 04, 2004

melodie 70

from paris 70's/melodie en sous-sol, 2002
tracks: sand &rain/hurt so bad (removed)
it's french, soulful and guess what, it happened in the 70's.
the singer is nancy holloway who enjoyed a quite successful pop career in france in the sixties. musicians are guys you probably never heard of - unless you're in the rare groove/library sounds circuit : daniel janin, jean-claude pierric and vladimir cosma (a very famous film score composer).
i googled them a bit but found little really valuable info: nancy had sure numerous pop hits and
the composers were involved in the music scene at the higher level, conducting orchestras, arranging for famous singers (jacques brel among them) so we're talking serious cats jammin' around for sure. just for info and credibility, you should know that soul sides reviewed a danieljanin album in 2003:
here
this cd/2lp is a nice reissue/anthology of studio sessions, probably made for library series. most of the tracks are quality laid-back jazzy scores that won't reach classic status but these two nancy songs are really doin' it. i'm listening to the cd right now as i'm typing and it sure has its moments: percs, breaks, flute licks, you name it.
i tried to convert the intro track on the album: "saramina", which is a funky stringy piece on a dave grusin tip but the encoding just failed every time...
the double lp is really nice. a 12" version of the nancy holloway tracks exists on the same label too. so do yourself a favor with some french seventies jazz and hassle your local records store for a copy!
nb: i updated the "heroes" post with a 3rd funkier excerpt, in case you enjoyed the previous ones and missed it.

Sunday, October 03, 2004

september soul


deodato 2001
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.
eumir deodato: september,13
from 2001 lp, cti, 1972
track deleted
i started this blog last week with the very (un)original idea of presenting "september" tracks ... then i changed my mind (well, september was almost over anyway) but as this one was already in the can, i guess it won't hurt to share it with you on early october.
i'm always tempted to give the best info about the artists involved here but then, many devoted sites do it much better than i would, so the best is to dive into a little research if you like what you hear.
abouthim
for those who may not be too familiar with eumir deodato's music, you probably know him at least as the lush arranger of bjork's "post" lp (yes, these hyperballad strings are his...).
word was once said that a special "deodato version" of the whole album exists, which bjork was very fond of and would probably release. it's been many years and albums now and unfortunately this very exciting project seems to be over (but if anyone has some info about it, thanks to keep me posted!)
the 2001 lp is one of deodato's best known albums thanks to a killa discofunk cover of "als sprach zarathustra" and the backing band is a reunion of incredible musicians as always on the cti albums.
aboutit
shop

we can be heroes


heroes
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.
heroes, MCA,1977-jack nietszche
from the jeremy paul kagan film feat. henry winkler and sally field.
tracks deleted>
back in the days i saw this movie but did'nt notice the music until a tv rerun a few years ago.
amazingly, it took me some time to grab a 25c decent copy, for this soundtrack is obviously not very sought-after or even considered eligible to collection but usually buried into a stack of lp's on the cheap end of ebay.
it sure ain't no classic. but there's the distinctive nietszche strings sound (as in "one flew over the cukoo's nest" score of greater fame) and some loose jam blowin' that sweet 70's breeze for a few sparkling minutes.
so next time you cross that dollar bin, give it a try, you never know... anything by conti, goldsmith, nietszche may hold a few juicy bones to chew at.

bliss to everybody out there (youknowhoyouare) who took the time to drop by and say hello, enjoyed the music and told me so... i'll update the linkslist ASAP! have a nice weekend!

Friday, October 01, 2004

good lovin'


woman
Originally uploaded by thebeathunters.
"an unmarried woman" soundtrack, bill conti, UA.1978
packing up
tracks deleted
like many underrated seventies scores, this one holds a few gems.
whatever movie genre was at stake then, from comedies to thrillers, some good tracks usually roared in the back of the late bar or love scenes, the car chases or whatever good or bad trip was goin' on. they were usually considered as fillers but ended up as much better material than the main themes, as if the composer couldn't resist some monster jam with the cream of studio session mercenaries the production allowed him to bring in.
here we have bill conti who before messin' bad with the colebys, dynasty and rocky themes,
karate kid and james bond scores, seemed to find greater inspiration in this paul mazursky drama; thanks to some uncredited sax and deep doublebass (i'd say maybe tom scott and ron carter respectively, but more accurate info is more than welcome!)
as jazzier variations on the main theme, these in many ways remind me of gato's last tango in paris.
both these tracks are worth the few cents you'll have to pay for a nice sealed lp copy at your local used records store, if such a thing still exists in our tower/virgin/amazon times.
(more on bill conti
here