T.K. Ramamoorthy ~ Fabulous Notes & Beats of the Indian Carnatic-Jazz [1969, EM, 2011]

EM1091LP

A1. Gowla
A2. Ranjani
A3. Begada
A4. Mohana
A5. Natta

B1. Udaya Ravu Chandrika
B2. Byag Maya Malava Gowla
B3. Sahana
B4. Kanakangi
B5. Rasikapriya



Musicians taking part in this recording:

[Indian Instruments]

Veena ~ Ch. V. Kameswara Sharma
Gotuvadayam ~ D. Kittapa
Flute ~ K. Sanjeevi
Tabla tharang ~ N.V. Moorthy
Tape ~ J. Dass
Conch [senku] ~ Kuppuswamy
Ghatam ~ S. Narayana Iyer
Mridangam ~ C.P.S. Bhaskar
Chandai & sudha madhalam ~ N.C. Narayanan
Tabla ~ P.S. Lakshmanan
Jalra ~ P. Rajiah
Buyl bul Thara ~ Abubaker

[Western Instruments]

Bass clarinet ~ Varadharajan & Ganesan
Saxophone ~ Erric & Willy Horn
Piano ~ S. Ramalingam alias Babu
Guitar ~ Sadanadan
Double bass ~ P.I. Johnson
Trmpet ~ Newzealand
Drums ~ Tony D'Costa
Bongo ~ P.S. Lakshmanan



'Sly, syncretic combination of Carnatic raga & bachelor-pad lounge. Gossamer background blends worthy of any Esquivel record, snazzy licks on unique instruments, and a lilting, almost blushing sense of swing. Ramamoorthy is a violin player from Tamil Nadu. Like many large cities, Chennai has it's own film industry: Kollywood- named after the neighborhood where the studios are, Kodambakkam. Traditionally, it's known as a center for regional language movies (Telugu, Malayalam, etc), and by far the most famous composer from the area is Ilaiyaraaja. From 1952-65, Ramamoorthy was the elder songwriting partner of the more famous harmonium player and 'King of Light Music' MS Viswanathan (who seems to've played a fast Mort Shuman to his salt-of-the-earth Doc Pomus). Ramamoothy is still around, and recently gave expert singing advice (while wearing a kurta & missing half his teeth) on the Tamil answer to American Idol.' ~ weirdo

perch merch

likely me fav reish this year, which sez a lot i fink. this slab achieves errything you might hope to hear from such a promising title & remains uniquely true to carnatic melodies. one of john zorn's personal faves too, apparently. 320 snakey rips later

Larry Young ~ Lawrence Of Newark [Perception, 1973] 320 / FLAC

PLP 034

A1. Saudia 4:28
A2. Alive 1:50
A3. Hello Your Quietness [Islands] 10:02

B1. Sunshine Fly Away 8:37
B2. Khalid Of Space Part Two [Welcome] 12:20



Bass - Don Pate , Juni Booth
Bongos - Abdoul Hakim
Cello - Diedre Johnson
Congas - Stacey Edwards , Umar Abdul Muizz
Drums - Abdul Shahid , Howard King , James Flores
Drums, Electric Piano - Art Gore
Electric Piano - Cedric Lawson
Guitar - James Blood Ulmer
Organ, Bongos, Vocals - Larry Young
Percussion - Armen Halburian , Jumma Santos , Poppy La Boy
Saxophone - Dennis Mourouse
Trumpet - Charles Magee

Produced by Larry Young. Recorded at Blue Rock Studio, NYC

'The album also credits 'Mystery Guest' for "saxophones and vocals". It is fairy common knowledge and evident from listening to the record that this guest is Pharoah Sanders, who presumably was unable to use his real name because he was under contract to Impulse! Records at the time...'

here goes a [completely?] improvised, incendiary beast of a sesh from lorenzo jung & co. a happy accident or adept alchemists at the peak of their powers? unsurprisingly, this one made the wire's list of 100 records that set the woods on fire whilst no one was listenin, along with this pair. kindly note, the upload is front-loaded with the goods [sides reversed]. further

Barney Wilen ~ Moshi 2xLP [Saravah, 1972] 320 kbps

SH 10028.10029

A1. Moshi 17:00
A2. Guilde's Song To Binkirri 2:55

B1. Gardenia Devil 6:00
B2. 14 Temps 4:50
B3. Bamako Koulikaro 3:50
B4. Afrika Freak Out 6:20

C1. Zombizar 7:20
C2. El Hadji 0:24
C3. Chechaoun 12:00

D1. Tindi Abalessa 10:25
D2. El Hadji 1:00
D3. Balandji In Bobo 3:06
D4. Sannu Ne Gheinyo 5:20
D5. El Hadji 0:20



Barney Wilen - tenor sax
Michel Graillier - electric piano
Pierre Chaze - guitar
Simon Christian Tritsch - electric bass
Micheline Pelzer - drums
Didier Leon - takamba - oud
Caroline de Bendern, Marva Broome, Babeth Lamy, Laurence - vox
Composer - Barney Wilen [trx: B1, B4, C1, D4], Caroline De Bendern [trx: B1, C1, D4]
Producer - Pierre Barouh
Recorded By - Daniel Vallancien

Gatefold cover. Recorded in Studio Saravah. "Gardenia Devil" is taken from a poem of the chinese people. All other uncredited composed by tracks based on traditional folk songs.

'In 1970 Barney Wilen assembled a team of filmmakers, technicians and musicians to travel to Africa for the purpose of recording the music of the native pygmy tribes. Upon returning to Paris two years later, he created Moshi, a dark, eccentric effort fusing avant jazz sensibilities with African rhythms, ambient sound effects and melodies rooted in American blues traditions. Cut with French & African players including guitarist Pierre Chaze, pianist Michel Graillier and percussionist Didier Leon, this is music with few precedents or followers, spanning from extraterrestrial dissonance to earthbound, streetlegal funk.Wilen pays little heed to conventional structure, assembling tracks like 'Afrika Freak Out' & 'Zombizar' from spare parts of indeterminate origins' ~ amg

'A wild and groundbreaking record recorded by the great French tenor player Barney Wilen! Although he got his start as a bebopper in the 50's, Wilen sort of dropped out of sight by the end of the 60's and only emerged from time to time to cut strangely experimental sides. This record is unlike anything he ever made, and features a wild mix of African rhythms, ambient sound, and Wilen's deep deep tenor. By this point, Wilen had been absorbing a lot of different influences, from Coltrane, to Pharoah Sanders, to some of the European free players, and his sound is a weird mish mash of styles that weaves in and out of all the stuff on the record. It's a haunting bit of afro jazz & funky noise, with some cuts that are spacey, and others that are nice and funky.' ~ dusty

lately when i make a new jazz discovery, assimilate the sounds & decide i might wanna spread the gospel to you good peeps, a quick search in the engine reveals many a classique joint was owlready ushered into interwebular consciousness by one of several seminal jazz blawgs, whose illuminating arkhives will spread yer awareness like a fan. unfortunately, i seem to be about 3 years too late on some of the links when i trawl thru the backpages, but occasionally stumble upon a few rips in a roundabout way. thus, i am excited to bring you yet another pearl from the essential orgy in rhythm dustbin, on the groundbreaking saravah imprint. bacoso sez: 'Completely bonkers mash up of afro to free jazz with field recordings and vocal harmonies - out there and all the better for it. Recommended.' & eyed hafta humbly concur with that assessment. dear professor leary from a few years earlier comes highly recommended as well. 320 remerciements à la révélateur d'origine. further

Phil Cohran & the Artistic Heritage Ensemble ~ The Spanish Suite [Katalyst, 2010]

01. The Spanish Suite 39,31

'The Spanish Suite was written to magnify the contribution that Moorish Spain made on the European Renaissance. The relationship of music to cosmic rhythms and harmony was altered from the original state of Spanish music and eventually distorted down to the 12 tone equi-temperment system of tuning. The Artistic Heritage Ensemble was taught to play outside of the 12-tone system and to recognize natural tone relationships. The musicians had to be dedicated to music for life in order to reach the level they obtained. The Spanish Suite represents the median effort in returning to our original music. It was written in 1965 and first performed in December of that year at an AACM performance at the St. John Grand Lodge located at 7349 S. Ingleside in Chicago. This particular performance was at the Afro Arts Theater at 3900 S. Drexel Ave. in February of 1968.'

buy for a very nice price

by request. daps to the Holy Ghost of Electricity fer the rip. be smart & snap up the rest of Phil's albums that're available

Doug Carn & friends ~ Black Jazz Megadrop

Infant Eyes 1971
Spirit of the New Land 1972
Revelation 1973
Adam's Apple 1974

been listening to Doug Carn fer mosta the summer. the joints he dropped on Black Jazz are some of the most scintillating slabs in the spiritual jazz canon, the first 3 of which featuring the soaring vocals of his wife Jean. 'Revelation' from 73 & 'Adam's Apple' from 74 are likely me prevailing faves of the bunch as they are the most consistently catchy & feature prominent electric piano & moog. seriously stellar vibrations are pulsating thru these grooves & the lyrics are uplifting prayers of brotherhood. jazz like this won't likely happen again so do yerself a solid & grab 4 of the finest Black Jazz LP's extant, lovingly ripped at 320 & by far the toughest sounding transfers in blogland, bar none. to download just clic on any of the album covers above, but be sure to peep the source! there's plenty more honey to be harvested pon the benevolent blog o blog from whence deez treasures sprang, so go dwell like a ghost, black angel or simply snap up this torrent [thx reza for the tip!] & get sprung on the entire black jazz catalogue

Rudolph Johnson ~ The Second Coming [Black Jazz,1973]

A1 The Traveller 7:14
A2 Time And Space 7:19
A3 The Highest Pleasure 7:39

B1 The Water Bearer 6:42
B2 The Second Coming 8:56

Arranged By - Rudolph Johnson
Artwork By - Bud Doty
Bass - Kent L. Brinkley
Drums - Douglas J. Sides
Piano - Kirk Lightsey
Producer - Gene Russell
Saxophone [Tenor] - Rudolph Johnson

From the flip:
'One of the factors that keeps creative black music alive and changing is the ability of the musicians to blend their experience and emotions into the actual fibers(sic) of the music. RUDOLPH JOHNSON is a black musician who has reached that plane where spirit and techniques fuse to form free creative energy. This second album for Rudolph is like the transition between these two states, releasing the energies of rebirth.....THE SECOND COMING.'

black jazz #11. a gem of spiritual jazz, previously dropped here but since removed, allegedly at the request of the now notoriously corrupt black jazz imprint who still operate out of their po box in north highlands, california & ca$h folks' cheques without actually deliverin any records to em. so this truly is the 'second coming' & ought be heard by musicians & connoiss-ears alike, specially side a. likewise with rudy's spring rain album & really, the majority of the black jazz catalogue. 320 tanx to thee original illuminators

Jorge López Ruiz 5 - De Prepo [1972]

A1. Homenaje A La Muerte [Homage to Death]
A2. Mirosbass
A3. Puntos De Partida [Points of Departure]

B1. Todo Fluye [Everything Flows]
B2. Oda Para Mi Niña [Ode For My Little Girl]
B3. Mas De Prepo Que Nunca [Forcing Your Hand More Than Ever]

Bass, Bass [Electric], Piano, Vocals, Cello ~ Jorge López Ruiz
Drums ~ Pocho Lapouble
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Flute - Fernando Gelbard
Percussion ~ Miguel "Chino" Rossi
Saxophone [Soprano], Clarinet ~ Hugo Pierre

Originally released in 1972
Recorded at ION studios, Buenos Aires



'This blast from the past, a 1972 classic from Argentinean bassist, Jorge López Ruiz, is hard, if not impossible to beat with its lush, 70's jazz harmonies intercepting something like an electric Miles Davis set in Buenos Aires. Though the psychedelic quality is undoubtedly present, there is an incredible richness, a remarkable dialogue between Ruiz and his quartet which lifts this disc way above its competitors, whether they be dated from the 1970's or today. All these colors and textures which wind and weave within dreamy layers of guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums are penetrated only (and artistically) by the outspoken if not entrancing cry of the sax. Bliss surely awaits you with 'De Prepo'. This is not to be missed.' ~ further

purchase the lp

lovely set from this all-star cast. Fernando Gelbard on Rhodes & Hugo Pierre on sax. nuff said. mas aqui. a 320 rip. thanks to Krush

Lloyd Miller ~ A Lifetime In Oriental Jazz [Jazzman]

01. Press Keys Quartet - Gol-E Gandom [Wheat Flowers] 4:08
02. Gözel Güzler [Amber Eyes] 3:58
03. Jef Gilson Septet - Le Grand Bidou 5:14
04. Jef Gilson Septet - Bizz-aire 2:37
05. Press Keys Quartet - Gözel Güzler [Version II] 4:48
06. Gol-E Gandom [Version II] 3:47
07. Lloyd Miller Trio - Indo-European Improvisations 12:34
08. Press Keys Quartet - Hue Wail 2:43
09. Jef Gilson Septet - Chant Inca 4:00
10. Lloyd Miller Trio - Impressions Of Bhairava Raga 4:20
11. Earthtones Combo - Khamaj 9:25
12. Gol-E Gandom [Version III] 8:55
13. Mike Johnson Quartet - Impressions Of Bhairavi Raga 3:47
14. Shur Thing 8:23



'This is the definitive anthology of pioneering ethno-musicologist, mystical adventurer & real life jazz guru Dr Lloyd Miller. This album tells the fascinating life story of one man & his journey through Europe and the Middle East, living off nothing but his wits, talent & an open-minded attitude towards musique and jazz. Master of dozens of languages and hundreds of instruments, Miller has spent fifty years immersed in the music of Europe, Asia & the Middle East. Featuring recordings taken from incredibly rare privately pressed albums, live sessions in Europe, and previously unreleased material, A Lifetime in Oriental Jazz tells the story of his extraordinary personal journey from the West Coast to the Far East. Played on a plethora of exotic instruments from around the world, Miller's music is a unique blend of jazz with the modal and spiritual sounds of traditional Asian and Middle Eastern music. Spiritual jazz, Eastern jazz - direct from the source.' ~ further

by request, this one features some seriously dope santur, in addition to oud, persian piano, sarod, clarinet & tabla. Dr. Miller, a California native, is also fluent in Persian, Dari, & French. He received his doctorate degree in ethno-musicology from the University of Utah, wrote his thesis on 'Music & Song in Persia' & also lived 7 years in Tehran, Iran. Miller was trained under Iranian jazz masters Dr. Daryush Safvat and Mahmoud Karimi. He even had his own prime time network jazz show in Tehran. i initially heard the good doctor, along with Ndikho Xaba and the Natives on the seemingly forgotten but eminently listenable spiritual jazz compiltion from a few years bach. a real thing of beauty. highest imaginable recomendation. 320 thanks to the original illuminator[s]



purchase

P.E. Hewitt Jazz Ensemble ~ Winter Winds [1972]

01. Im Wondering Why
02. More Than Anything
03. Its Got Two, And Thats Alright (Show Me The Way)
04. Ill Love Song
05. Oma Rakas
06. The Winter Wind
07. Baon Que Bash
08. Tuija
09. Betrayed
10. Its Doesnt Matter...Yes It Does,...But I Cant Stop





'P.E. Hewitt’s Winter Winds is one of the rarest damn-good 70s jazz albums you could ever hope to come across. That’s a subtle, but important distinction. There are many rare jazz albums in every imaginable subgenre – funk, free, fusion… But Hewitt, a composer, arranger, vibraphonist, pianist and pilot, helmed a crack group of musicians and recorded a damn-good album… Without ever taking the time out to name his record company. His three albums – pressed in a maximum run of one hundred pieces per album – recently surfaced. 'Winter Winds' is so damn-good that neither a micro press nor forty years of silence could suppress its reemergence.' ~ egon

'A brilliantly soulful set from the PE Hewitt Jazz Ensemble – an early 70s group with a style that mixes the sunny and the spiritual! Hewitt's group works at a level that's definitely in line with some of our favorite indie jazz at the time – really pushing the boundaries with a great sense of spirit – stretching out towards new ideas, yet never getting too free or too outside to lose their sense of swing. But at another level, there's a slightly groovy undercurrent to the record too – one that comes from the wordless vocals of singer Nina Scheller, whose style reminds us a bit of the singing on the Sound Of Feeling record with Oliver Nelson – particularly given the modal grooves on the best numbers here. Rhythms are really in the lead at the album's strongest points – driven by Phil Hewitt's work on piano and vibes, and topped with alto sax and flugelhorn too.' ~ crusty groove

we love vibraphone & weird, wordless vocals. Phil Hewitt was only 19 when he dropped 'Winter Winds', his third privately pressed album as a leader. this one falls somewhere between the Butterflies, Cortex & Stark Reality, but those are admittedly lazy comparisons, like most comparisons in general. fabulous percussion too. just don't sleep, dear friend

Marion Brown ~ Why Not LP [ESP Disk, 1968]

A1 La Sorrela 12:35
A2 Fortunato 8:30
B1 Why Not 6:50
B2 Homecoming 10:00

Recorded October 23, 1966 in New York City.

Saxophone [Alto], Composer - Marion Brown
Piano - Stanley Cowell
Bass - Norris 'Sirone' Jones
Drums - Rashied Ali
Photography [Cover] - Guy Kopelowicz
Recorded By - George Klabin

'Issued in 1968, Why Not? is Marion Brown's second outing for the ESP label as a leader. The saxophonist also guested on a Burton Greene date earlier that same year. Featuring pianist Stanley Cowell, Coltrane alumnus Rashied Ali [Coltrane had been dead less than a year at this time), and bassist Norris Sirone Jones, Brown reveals his great strengths as a composer and bandleader, which are matched by his abilities as a soloist. The opener, "La Sorella," features a gorgeous opening solo by Cowell. Using large and intricate chorded modal phrases, Cowell creates a virtual chromatic field for the rest of the rhythm section -- Jones, in particular, responds in kind with scintillating three-string figures that add a deeper series of conical figures for ballast. Brown enters just behind Ali in full cry on the alto. Using a Coltrane-esque song figure to respond to Cowell's stunningly beautiful foundation, Brown blows lean but long lines before a long solo by Jones cuts them all quiet. When the band enters, they are in prelude form, with spun-out piano lines ever in anticipation and Brown calling something out of the ether that never quite materializes, which is fine because on "Fortunata" it does: a ballad that develops into something wholly other without changing tempo. This is jazz as expressionism; it doesn't need to be "free" because it has been untethered from the opening bars. Brown's solo here lilts on the branches of Cowell's arresting, nearly Debussian chromatic figures that extend harmonic ranges almost without end. By the time the band gets to the title track, a free workout in a dizzying tempo, the listener is grounded enough in Brown's composed lyricism so as not to be surprised at all when the fury of the tempo is elongated by the temperance in tension the band creates. Finally, on "Homecoming," where the ballad begins to show its face once more, each member steps in to underline and deconstruct it by using contrapuntal lyricism as a contrast. Even Ali, one of the great powerhouse drummers, dances rather than sprints around the band, even in his lengthy solo. This is a phenomenal album, a place where Marion Brown got to reveal early on why he was such a formidable force: He understood the inherent importance of musical traditions and he also understood how imperative it was to them and to jazz to extend them in a manner that left their roots clearly visible.' ~ amg

know the ledge