Power To The People! (1969)

....it's Sunday...it's colder than a polar bears toenail out here in Rapid City!!!  38 degrees with winds blowing up to 45mph which makes it feel like 20 degrees....so what else better to do than listen to some good music for the soul....todays offering comes from saxophonist Joe Henderson...the album is Power To The People and when i tell you it makes for a perfect Sunday afternoon....it makes for a perfect Sunday afternoon....from 'Black Narcissus' down to 'Lazy Afternoon'....this record here just let's the mind travel.....check out this review from 100greatesjazzalbums.com 

"Power To The People", released for the first time on CD (now in re-mastered form) is yet another example of how the finest achievements of Joe Henderson's early career went un-noticed and he was undervalued. It is just as well from the 80's on that he finally received the recognition he had so clearly merited or this groundbreaking album may only have seen the light of day as part of an inaccessible box set.

This is yet another great album highlighting Joe Henderson as an important jazz composer and great jazz saxophonist. Having said that, it represents a distinct break from "In 'N Out" or "Inner Urge" by taking up the challenge laid down by Miles Davis to make a music that was recognizably jazz but could stand alongside the breakthroughs signposted by Jimi Hendrix. Fronting a superb line up recruited direct from Miles' groundbreaking experiments with "In A Silent Way"- Herbie Hancock (piano and Fender Rhodes, Ron Carter (bass and electric bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums)- and adding trumpeter Mike Lawrence on two of the tracks ("Power To The People" and "Afro-Centric"), this is a fine journey from the easily accessible ("Black Narcissus, "Afro-Centric", "Opus One-Point-Five") into the reaches of atonality ("Isotope", "Power To The People") and back out again into a more reassuring tonality ("Lazy Afternoon"). "Foresight and Afterthought", becoming again free and touching atonality, acts as an interesting final question mark on the future. Though it is a much overworked claim, the seven pieces could easily be regarded as movements of a jazz concerto.

Before jazz fusion was to degrade into the clumsiness and lack of subtlety of "Headhunters" and "The Mahavishnu Orchestra" advances like "Power To The People" as much as "In A Silent Way" signposted vital new directions forward for jazz which only now in the hands of today's innovators such as Dave Douglas are again coming to fruition.

i got some more of his work coming too.....be sure to comment....i think one of my older post has about 103 downloads and 8 comments....never knew a 'thank you' would be so hard to come by.....i know how Doc, Chris, Nikos, Magic, and some of my other blogging circle feels now...c'mon y'all....it's just a thank you

Downland here

Sweet Philly Soul from the 70's

...now as most of you know i'm from Philly (Philadelphia for those who aren't hip to the jive talk) and as you should know my city has made HUGE contributions in all phases of music.....whether it be soul, jazz, rock or hip-hop.....we've always maintained a certain standard in quality.....now this is my first double posting and it's from one of my favorite groups.....The Delfonics (thanks Pop) my father (may Allah bless him) would BLAST these gentlemen on Sundays when we would chill in the house watching sports.......they were so sincere in their melody's and they would put me peace.....the two offerings i bring to you are their second and fourth albums respectively 

The Sound of Sexy Soul (1969)

Here's what Dusty Groove had to say about this one:

A groundbreaking album of vocal group soul -- right from the first note! The record kicks off with the sublime "Ready Or Not, Here I Come" -- which starts with fierce stepping strings that are actually funky, then soars into some of the best harmonies the group ever put to record, superbly arranged by the great Thom Bell, who also wrote the track. As the album progresses, the sound expands further to encompass many elements that would become the blueprint for vocal groups over the next few years -- like twangy electric sitar, cascading orchestrations, and pinched lead vocals that take a lot more chances than most group singers had been taking for years! There's still a bit of a 60s soul sound to some of the cuts, but the album's a watershed -- not only for Thom Bell and the group, but for harmony soul as well! Titles include "Ready Or Not Here I Come", "My New Love", "Loving Him", "With These Hands", "Somebody Loves You", and "Everytime I See My Baby".

Tell Me This Is A Dream (1972)

all i have to say about this album is listen to this

...MAN....i don't think it requires much more than that......enjoy it people! and be on the look out.....got some more coming this weekend! Peace

Sound of Sexy

Tell Me This Is A Dream

Funky Skull 1960

...wus the deal gang!  it's the boor (philly slang for boy) Messiah and i'm trying to step my game a up a bit.....this offering is a funked out jazz album from Melvin Jackson...now all i know of Mr. Jackson is that he played with Eddie Harris in his outfit during that era....outside of that the only other information i could gather was this from Dusty Groove:

One of our favorite albums of all times -- and a legendary testament to the greatness of the Chicago music scene in the late 60s! Melvin Jackson was the bassist in Eddie Harris' very successful group of the time -- and his playing on Eddie's trippy and funky records for Atlantic is one of the factors that made them so great. Here, he's working with an acoustic bass, amplified with electronics like a Varitone sax -- and this strange-sounding instrument is set up in a hip group that mixes Cadet funky studio players (Phil Upchurch, Morris Jennings, Jody Christian) with some of the brighter young players of the AACM (Roscoe Mitchell, Lester Bowie, and Leo Smith.) Jackson's bass is looped through all sorts of crazy effects, and the result is this amazing blend of avant garde playing and groovy rhythms that is beyond compare! The album includes great reworkings of two Eddie Harris funk tracks -- "Bold and Black" and "Cold Duck Time" -- plus monster originals like "Funky Doo", "Say What", "Dance Of The Dervish", and "Funky Skull (parts 1 & 2)"

all i know is it's another one of those amazing albums that make you appreciate music and it causes me to wonder why music of today has little to no emotion in it......well enjoy and stay tuned.....got something coming right after this small commercial break!

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Otis Blue 1966

...it's been a long time.....and i never left you!  that's right i'm back at it again y'all....this time i come at'chu with an effort from the man who left us too early....Mr. Otis Redding....this album is nothing short of amazing....it was his third effort and is an album full of covers and some new material.....believe it or not some people aren't even aware that Mr. Redding wrote and recorded RESPECT before Jerry Wexler thought Ms. Franklin should have a go at it (as we all know a very impressive go at that) but in addition to that gem Mr. Redding also felt obligated to pay homage to another legend...Mr. Sam Cooke who was fatally gunned down in Los Angeles two years earlier with an incredible rendition of 'A Change Is Gonna Come'....backed by Booker T. MG's this is a must have album for all soul fanatics.......Mr. Redding shows all sides of emotion on this one....for a excellent review check this one out on vervemusicgroup ......as always i won't try to talk the album up...i'll let'chu hear for your self.....here's the track listing:

1. Ole Man Trouble

2. Respect 

3. A Change Is Gonna Come

4. Down In The Valley

5. I've Been Loving You Too Long

6. Shake

7. My Girl

8. Wonderful World

9. Rock Me Baby

10. Satisfaction

11. You Don't Miss Your Water

Tracks 1-6

Tracks 7-11

ENJOY!....Peace

Sunday slowdown...It's Magic! (1958)

...guess who's back!...i know you're thinkin' it's me cause i've never posted back to back like this but i told'chu i was gettin' settled...but the wonderful Ms. Abbey Lincoln is back!  this time i bring you a 1958 effort 'It's Magic'....on this album Ms. Lincoln soothes the soul as she belts out her adoration for her man only like she could do it....she's such a class act who's often overlooked....listening to her makes me wanna put on a tuxedo and drape my lady in a mink shawl and pearls and sit in a dimly lit lounge in Harlem......in addition to Ms. Lincoln another one of my favorites Philly Joe Jones is on drums.....this will really make your Sunday a lot more relaxing....i wasn't able to find any reviews but all about jazz has a really good a biography on her....check it out....

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Sweet british soul! LARK (1972)

....wus going on y'all....i know there's always a huge gap in-between my post but bear wit me...when i finally get all settled in i'll be uploading more frequently...now this post was inspired by none other than my man Chris Rich over at Throwback Music.....he turned me on to Linda Lewis and he described it best when he dropped that first Linda Lewis jawn 'Say No More'....the song on that album that i couldn't get pass was 'Hampsted Way'....don't know if is was her melody or how she was strumming on that guitar but it had me mesmerized for like four days straight......well i was able to obtain a copy of her second album 'Lark' .....i was looking for some reviews but really didn't find any that did it any justice...what i was able to come across was Ms. Lewis' website which you can check out here i'm deeply infatuated with her voice....she's very calming and i would say before her time.....well i won't talk ya head off just enjoy the music.......be well....Peace

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Abbey Is Blue (1959)

First and foremost let me remind the few visitors that i have to keep my dear friend and brother Chris Rich over at Throwback Music in our prayers. I pray that Allah keeps his Grandmother and family in the best of spirits during this troublesome time.

I'm still getting myself settled in out here in South Dakota, which isn't that bad by the way...but i'll be slowly adding more and more of the music that has inspired, amazed, and soothed me....this is one of my favorite Jazz singers of all time.....i'm sure we're all aware of the usual divas; Etta, Lady Day, Sarah Vaughn, and of course Ms. Simone....but Miss Abbey Lincoln has been some how over looked.....my first experience with Ms. Lincoln was hearing her on Max Roach's (Ms. Lincoln's former husband) political statement album "We Insist!-Freedom Now" where she exuded the tone of that period on the song "Freedom Day"....if you haven't heard it let me know and i'll be sure to get that out to you as well......Abbey Is Blue is a rare gem in my eyes....from the opening opus "Afro Blue" Ms. Lincoln let's you know what the deal is from the start as she sets the tone draped in soft high hats and equally eloquent trumpets......here's what All About Jazz had to say: 

With the civil rights movement looming over the horizon, no longer did singers need to stick with standards and Tin Pan Alley tunes and could truly sing about subjects that mattered to them. Lincoln picked up Billie Holiday's skill at inhabiting the lyrics of a song and projecting its emotional content outward, and these songs, all of which deal with sorrow, are stark and harrowing accounts of loss and injustice. There was a sense of social protest in the first half that is tempered with weariness from the fight (especially on Lincoln's own Let Up) and a Lonely House is surely one of the most melancholy performances on record, featuring isolation and desperation in equal measures.

Personnel: Abbey Lincoln: vocals; Kenny Dorham, Tommy Turrentine: trumpet; Wynton Kelly, Cedar Walton, Phil Wright: piano; Les Spann: guitar, flute; Sam Jones, Bobby Boswell: bass; Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach: drumsIn 1959 Abbey Lincoln was poised to make a truly great album, and Abbey Is Blue was it. Not only was it a breakout performance for Lincoln, who delivered on the promise she had already shown, it was also a breakthrough performance in jazz singing.

I won't talk this album up....i'll let you be the judge...but i will tell you that after you hear "Let Up" you'll definitely play it again.....come back and let me know what you think of this one with a comment or two.....

Track listing:

1. Afro-Blue

2. Lonely House

3. Let UP

4. Thursday's Child

5. Brother, Where Are You?

6. Laugh, Clown, Laugh

7. Come Sunday

8. Softly, As In The Morning Sunrise

9. Lost In The Stars

10. Long As You're Living

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