Spanish Fly on the wheels of Jazz

I wanted to post this one for ages already but forgot it again and again. Now's the time for this hard to find german Latin Jazz goodie. If you dig tight Latin Fusion Jazz, some excellent scatting and even a bit of humor this one will make you smile for a while!

Cheers, Basso

Merge - Long Distance LP PRESALE

yippeeeee!!

our first record is being pressed these days and will arrive around
october 24th. there will be no more than 420 copies worldwide ...
you can preorder here:

RUSH HOUR 

GROWING BIN RECORDS

Cheers, Basso

Austria Drei Illinois Eins

Here we have something Austrian that doesn't quite sound "austrian". It's mainly Werner Pirchner's Marimba that gives this fusion outfit an ethnic/world music feel and some of those tricky rhythmic structures make you forget completely about alpine idyllic scenes. Adelhard Roidinger's bass workouts might make you forget about everything else (Check Lonely Frog).  I'll also mention "fast fingers" Harry Pepl on guitar and "tight" Todd Canedy, former member of the legendary Rhythm Combination & Brass, on drums. I'll also mention that I hope you'll enjoy this fine album!
Cheers, Basso

Im Stollwerk

Cologne rules! I am a big fan of Dunkelziffer / Unknown Cases and especially of Dominik von Senger. Guess what my face looked like when I turned the cover of this LP to have a look at the back.... If you're a fan too - download immediately. If not - give 'em a try anyway.

Download expired in 2011. After I posted this in 2009 this post got only 1 (ONE!) comment in 2 years. Maybe some of you have snapped by now that these guys rule ; ) New link follows

Cheers,

Basso

Yas-Kaz Does Jazz

 

Yas-Kaz - Virgo Indigo

Yas-Kaz is a Japanese percussionist. His works are often filed under ambient, experimental, new age and classical. This record released in 1986 is more in the jazz vein. There are tracks on this record that would fit the experimental tag, and a couple could be heard as leaning towards the cosmic side of sounds. Weather Reporter, Wayne Shorter is featured on soprano sax on the title track. Sounds of flute, violin, guitar, guitar synthesizer, keyboards, and off course, lots of percussion fill out the mix. 

Music

wtf five

that day I found it I put the B-Side on first, sat down and listened to the free jazz for a minute or two. Then turned it around and sat there for ten minutes, got up, lifted my arm went back and sat there for ten minutes, got up, lifted my arm went back and sat there for ten minutes, got up, lifted my arm went back and sat there for ten minutes, got up, lifted my arm went back and sat there for ten minutes, .....

Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays - San Lorenzo Live

Horns and stuff ....

Habirigum was a group of well educated musicians from Hamburg, Germany. According to the little info to be found in the web they were playing the famous Onkel Pö regularly between 1975 and 1985. 
On their one and only hard to find release called "1" they play excellent Jazz-Funk / Jazz-Rock with a strong focus on reeds and horns (see the cover ; )  
It was recorded in 1982 at Volksparkstudio in Hamburg and released in 1983 as a private pressing. Here's the musicians involved:

• Bass – Jörg Brohmann
• Drums, Engineer – Ben Ahrens
• Guitar, Percussion – Wolfgang Kröger
• Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Matthias Goldbach
• Trombone, Soprano Saxophone – Nadir Ibrahimoglu

Cheers, Basso

EDIT: a member of Habirigum has asked not to share their music so I deleted the download link

Latter Lasry

Back to Amazonia was one of Teddy Lasry's last full lps. It was released in 1987 on the Sonimage label. The tracks are the usual eclectic mix of jazz, ambient and cosmic sounds. Lasry had help from Jean-Michel Hervé and Jean-Philippe Rykiel with the synthesizers. Guy Cassuto plays trumpet on a few tracks. Multi-instrumentalist Lasry takes care of the rest (reeds, keys, percussion, and strings).

The Cosmic Equation

More Lasry for synth fanciers. This one is from 1976 on the RCA Victor production media label. Lots of spacy noodling and some fine percussion on a few tracks. Lasry is credited with all instruments except bass which is covered by Jannick Top. Lasry's instrumental credits include reeds (flute, sax, and clarinet), mallets (marimba and percussion), keys (synths, clavinet, electric piano and piano). Some nice long tracks are included with this release, so it's one of my favorite Lasrys.

how does Brown taste?

maybe Jan Huydts knows? Or Ali Haurand or Leo De Ruyter?? Maybe you'll know after listening to this fine piece of experimental jazz from 1970? Released on the tiny JG label (Jazz Groove... yep it got some groove as well) this record does not wait in every box at the fleamarket, so I thought sharing it would be a nice thing to do.
If you dug this post over here and you wanted it a little less sweet then check out Brown Taste. It's completely different.... Most definitely something for fans of Third Eye. (Hyutds and Haurand were founding members).
Enough of the namedropping - go beg for a link in the comments ....

cheers, Basso

what's the latest fashion?

The latest fashion ..... I kinda lost track of it a couple of years ago but eagerly trying to catch up ; )  I was trying not to think about that when making a mix/selection mostly consisting of jazzy and fusion faves for Chee's "visionary mixes" series.
check it out - THE WHOLE SERIES OF COURSE!

Thanks, Michael !

BIG THANKS!!!!! to Michael who was so kind to record this excellent russian Jazz LP. It's the Allegro Jazz Ensemble's first LP from 1980. Both sides seem to be suites again (just like on their "In This World" LP). Long and beautiful tracks...... Enjoy!

out of this world: In This World

Now here you have some Russian Jazz. I'm far from being an expert in Jazz from Russia but I guess there must be tons out there. Only have some Allegro, Arsenal, Bumerang and Kutsenko, ... and here is my fave among them: The Allegro Jazz Ensemble's "In This World" from 1981. Powerful sound with partly funky rhythms and some solid synths.... and then there's that bass in the last tune......... Both sides are suites, but I dared to divide them into parts.
Cheers!

Jazz in the Clouds . . .

This lp represents the first of many collaborations between Karin Krog and John Surman. The two musicians had in common a love of the poetry of Paul Rowlands and decided to base this music on his works. Karin chose her favorites and she and John went into the studio and laid down these tracks. The music was recorded in 1976 with the help of Stu Martin on drums and Janet Cooke on piano and string ensemble. John is playing synthesizers, which are very prominent on this recording, bari and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, piano and guitar, and of course Karin is the vocalist singing these poems. The release of this music was delayed 3 years by lack of funds. The mix-down finally occurred in 1979 and the music was released on the Polydor label in the West and on Poljazz in Eastern Europe. The Poljazz release is different from the Polydor issue in that only Karin's name appeared on the cover.

An acquaintance recently observed that "women are not particularly fond of listening to this album". So, if you happen to be a woman and are turned off by this music please leave a comment. I would like to know what it is about this recording that is offensive to women. Conversely, if you like this music, feel free to comment on that as well. This is experimental jazz, so an acquired taste. I am curious to know why 'women' in particular would be offended by this music which is the work of 2 WOMEN and 2 men . . .

Cloud Line Blue

Tagore

This record has been dwelling up in the shelf for more than 10 years without futher notice. Back in the days when I tried to find as much Dauner as possible (he's a genius) I also found this goodie, but I was more into Dauner's freaky LPs like Oimels or Output and so I probably wasn't listening to this here LP more than once. Just a little too relaxed for my imago of Mr. Dauner at that time (also I have avoided Charlie Mariano LPs back then ;). Times have changed and so has taste. For heaven's sake the record was still up there and to heaven the ears went when the record finally got some play and a patient listener. Don't know if this will appeal to the "masses" of downloaders, but if you can take some spiritual and calm music with indian influences, you're definitely not going wrong with this one.
Wolfgang Dauner and Charlie Mariano - Tagore.
Music from the film ICH WOLLTE SEIN EINE LANDSCHAFT
in rememberance of RABINDRANATH TAGORE.
A Film by Durga Shankar Ghosh, produced by SDR T.V. Stuttgart.
Cheers!

Oh Nandu, What Have We Done?

Promise is promise. Here's the Zenamon self titled LP from 1984. As you see in the image above it was released on Polydor.... so it's not mad rare but at the same time not easy to find. Though you will find a copy at a decent price maybe even before the recent run for it (caused by the appearance of one song of this LP in a Harvey mix) is over. The whole LP has really not much to do with dance music (imho) as some may want to think. It's actually pretty mellow and also "folky" at times. Music lovers into Balearic will find reasons to call parts of it balearic as well. Anyway - when I listen to music I don't mind too much about categories - I just listen and I'm happy when the music touches me and that 's how I got to appreciate this LP. Bought it because of the fancy cover and didn't expect a bit when listening to it for the first time. Some years ago I didn't really listen to a lot of that kinda "esoteric" ; ) stuff but I somehow liked it instantly and to my surprise it got better and better. I hope I'm not ruining your first time listening by these here words. I just want to add: Don't expect too much, take your time - maybe it works.

cheers,
Basso

ps. I hope it will be reissued sometime soon

I hear the grass growing

Folks, let's yodel! Here you have Grassella Oliphant's 2nd LP. Grassella on Drums is accompagnied by Major Holley on Bass, Grant Green on Guitar, almighty John Patton on the Organ, Clark Terry on Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Trumpet [Pocket] and Harold Ousley on Tenor Sax. Get yourself a "Rapid shave". This great album is out on CD incl. Grassella's First "Grass Roots". Go out and buy it now!

Cheers,

Basso

Interjazz 3

Some heavy stuff on here.
One of my eastern jazz faves.
I hope you'll enjoy it.
Cheers,
Basso

Ja! Ja! Ja!

Ja Ja Ja is Frank Samba, Julie Jigsaw and Wietn Wito. Their first and only LP was produced by Pyrolator back in 1982. In opposition to a lot of young german bands of that time the vocals are english mostly. If you want them categorized - Ja Ja Ja sounds like something between the B52s and The Dance or Tom Tom Club plus a little bit of rapping on Graffitti Artists International. And they sound fresh! Check out I am an animal and you know what I mean.

Cheers,
Basso

Krzysztof "Komeda" Trzciński !!!

Komeda was a genius! And most definitely one of the seminal jazz musicians of his time. Cesare left a link in the Adam Makowicz post leading to a blog where you'll find a whole lot of Komeda's music. You really HAVE TO click you there and check it out. LINK

Check out this site also, dedicated to Komeda and his music.

Cheers, Basso