Khaliq Al-Rouf Salaam’s “The Elephant Trot Dance” released on Nilvia Records in 1979. Ashley, a site visitor and now contributor from across the pond sent this gem to me. Here we have a later iteration of “The Ensemble Al-Salaam”, whose Strata East record can be find in the archives. Upon listening it’s immediately satisfying to hear that the Al-Salaam outfit seems to have continued along their spiritual jazz path. I know very little about this LP and can only offer you this little bit that Ashley provided: “libra and title track recorded 18th june 1975 @minot studio, the other 3 were recorded at platinum factory, brooklyn, march 8 1979. it’s all good, but “malcom, the call” is a bitch”, and a bitch it is :). Top notch, I say! Thanks again Ashley.

Enjoy!

Marcus Belgrave’s “Gemini” released on Gem Eye/Tribe Records in 1974. One of Detroit’s finest and accompanied by other label heavyweights such as, Wendell Harrison and Phil Ranelin. Here’s some words from Freefrom.org:

“The sound picks up in the same domain as the better Art Ensemble Of Chicago records of the late 60s and early 70s — with the rubbery funk electric bass lines and celestial groove. Trumpeter Marcus Belgrave plays in a beautiful ensemble, packed with Tribe labelmates — Wendell Harrison on tenor sax & percussion, Phil Ranelin on trombone, and Harold McKinney on electric piano. Roy Brooks and Billy Turner are on drums and percussion, and the expansive vibe is fleshed out with the help of Lorenzo Brown on bongos and Daryl Dybka on mini Moog. The record includes Belgrave’s beautiful epic “Space Odyssey”, which has a long flowing cosmic groove, nice electronics, and haunting trumpet solos. Other cuts include “Gemini II”, “Marcia’s Opal”, “Glue Fingers (Parts I & II)”, and “Odoms Cave”. A focused, but still wonderfully loose set of spacey 70s soul jazz!”

I’ve pulled this link as it’s been pointed out to me that this record has be rereleased. So go support Marcus and buy this sh#t!

Lemon Kitten’s “Spoonfed & Writhing” released on Step Forward in 1979. I just happened upon this fine folker/DADA/???/// record. I’ve nabbed these words from Scaruffi.com to put this into perspective: “The Lemon Kittens were two young multi-strumentalists involved in multimedia art-performance/theater: Danielle Dax, a fan of electronic music, biblical mysticism and middle-eastern vocal music, and Karl Blake, a veteran jazz musician. Their music harked back to Canterbury’s jazz-rock, to Brian Eno’s avantgarde rock, and to the nonsense quality of much British rock.”

Also check Mutant-Sounds for Karl Blake and the endless other shares of that ilk. This is a great LP. I mean with the above description, how can you not be at least intrigued?

Enjoy!

Chico Freeman’s “The Outside Within” on India Navigation in 1978. I promised more India Navigation LP’s long ago. Well here’s one of the first in many to ‘eventually’ come. On this outing we have Chico Freeman, tenor saxophonist (doubling here on bass clarinet) performing a 19-and-a-half-minute “Undercurrent” (an original by bassist Cecil McBee) and three shorter compositions with McBee, pianist John Hicks, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Like many of Freeman’s late 70’s to early 80’s releases the music is tinged with a far east flavor. There’s no stinkers on this one. The dynamics between the members and what I’d consider a great recording make this a ‘heater’. 

Enjoy 

Armando Piazza’s “Suan” released in 1973 on Beautiful Black Butterfly. Suan is heavy, yet subtle, folky Italian psych LP with oddly inflected vocals and some deliciously crunchyguitar. Armando employs the talents of Shawn Phillips for this outing and his ‘Nuas’ lp. For those unfamiliar with Armando Piazza, as I was, here’s a little bitty I found on over at Italianprog.com:”Armando Piazza was a singer-songwriter from Naples and released these albums with curious titles on the local B.B.B. label (that also released the Showmen 2 album), selling them by himself in concerts and through magazines. The albums contained acid-psych ballads, all english-sung and mainly based on acoustic guitar but sometime with good use of electric instruments, they’re also notable for the help of american musician Shawn Phillips (who lived in Naples for some years) on guitar and bass.”
Enjoy!

If you enjoyed my previous Turner Bros. share, then scoop this 7″ cut as well. Enjoy!

Rabbits & Carrots’ “Soul Latino” released on Vampisoul in 1969. I’m not even going to pretend like I know about latin music, I just don’t. There are a few holes in my collection but by far Latin has to be the, excluding the myriad of crossover Blue Note and mid-60’s jazz lp’s I have. Fortunately, I’ve been hipped to some good LP’s by friends and fellow collectors. Ok enough blundering and babbling, here’s a nice little write-up from Kevchino.com: 

“This Mexican group was led by Salvadore “Rabito” Aguero and included his brothers and several other musicians who were family members with the same last name. Rabbits & Carrots had a horn section and an organ, creating a rock band with a big band sound. Together they made music that blended many of the popular music styles in America during the 60s. You got funk, soul, jazz, and psychedelic. But what makes this band standout is not only their ability to do a great job of copying these styles but being able to add a nice twist onto everything they play. There are Latin rhythms all over the place and their ability to improvise and jam the hell out of the songs they play makes this music sound slightly different from what you would imagine. A good example of that would be the slow “Romeo Y Julieta,” which sounds like it’s more a score for some B movie flick than a slow jam, making it one of the most interesting instrumental songs on the album. Being that this album was originally released in 1969, there are a few covers. Standout and familiar covers include Sly and the Family Stones “Everyday People,” Eric Burdon’s “Spill the Wine,” and James Brown’s “Sex Machine,” which is an interesting listen, being that it’s in Spanish.”

Very, Very Funky! Enjoy!

Hello Curved-Air friends, family, and foes. Sorry for the lack of updates the last few weeks but I have been very busy preparing for my wedding on September 1st. New posts will resume here in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, take a gander at the archives and 100+ shares on the site.  

Cheers,
actuel 

Patrice Sciortino’s “Chronoradial” lp, released in 1970 on PSI. Chronoradial is apart of the ever expanding library records folks seem to be unearthing. Sciortino delivered several library records in the early 70’s. I didn’t find a lot of info on Patrice nor this particular recording, but wanted to share as it seems an appropriate follow-up to the last “Trees Community” post. Like with many library records you can expect some typical, what I’ll call “library pranciness”, but cliche library’ness doesn’t permeate nor dominate on this outing. The interplay and dynamics of the strings, harps, vocals and bells make this a standout recording. If you like dissonance and avant oriented compositions, I think you’ll like this.

Enjoy!

The Trees Community’s “Christ Tree” released in 1975. Folks, this is a must have record. This is easily one of the hottest LP’s I’ve come upon in a long while. A fellow record collector and friend of mine shared this with me and my life has been better because of it. Now I’m gonna pass it along to you all. Fortunately the Trees have gone out of their way to rerelease and reissue their recordings and some live material. There’s a subsite dedicated to The Trees Community over at Psychedelicfolk.com. There you can find heapings of great info.

Here’s some words taken from Psychedelicfolk.com:

This album, starting beautifully with sitar, harp and Christian harmony vocals, starts first very clearly structured, then becomes a rather free excursion through the world and various genres, and instrumental improvisations referring to various cultures, in different sections, while the group returns to songs. This freedom is done which such calmness like in meditation, while it brings you into direct confrontations with these worlds and experiences, in a way I think I am afraid wouldnt work for those Catholics that I know here in Belgium, because they would find it too direct and not like confirming their relationships with experience-less dogma. For those who are able to face things a bit more directly, this is a truly remarkable recording.

Here’s excerpt from a review from Unbroken Circle: 

“Rating an album like this is somewhat superfluous, it is beautiful and cleansing, it is almost disturbing and insane. Once heard you will never ever forget it, it is unique in the way that few are. Only Taj Mahal Travellers, Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane and a few others have gone so far out, the question is - do you want to join them? (and will you get back).” 

Now I know I’ve said this is a “must have”, but if you have an aversion to religiously oriented lyrics/music, I’d stay away. While this record has some religious overtones, the music and genuineness far exceeds imo. Oh, and they have a Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/thetreescommunity

 Enjoy! 

By request, here’s the track list:  

1. Psalm 42
2. Parable of the
3. Mustard Seed
4. Psalm 45
5. Invocation
6. Village Orchestra
7. Jesus He Knows
8. I will not leave you
9. comfortless
10. Chant for Pentecost
11. Psalm 46

The New Haven Women’s Liberation Rock Band & The Chicago Women’s Liberation Rock Band’s “Mountain Moving Day” LP released in 1972 on Rounder Records. There’s not a lot of  info about this lp online aside from what has been noted over at the CWLU Herstory Website. This record is really an incredible document into early feminist music. Not only does it have historical value, it’s damn fine music. There’s folk, soul, rock, and even some funky headnodders. Unfortunately my record is a bit rough but check it out. I encourage you to pick up the remastered compilation over at Rounder Records. Here’s some words:

“When I’d never seen a woman give a downbeat, when all-male dance bands had one girl singer sitting in a folding chair snapping her fingers, when women were supposed to be way too competitive to play music together, the Chicago and New Haven Women’s Liberation Rock Bands blew that world apart. Together with some of the punk riot-grrrls who’ve followed, they’re all on the great re-issued CD. This is music you can dance to, rebel to, rap with, and pass on to generations. Just do it!” -Gloria Steinem 

“Every movement has a music. At first, it is as raw and dangerous as imagining a different world. Yet it invites us to jump in. It screams, “Come on!” The laughter makes us brave. The music helps us to stop holding our breath, hooking us up to motion that is unfamiliar to our frozen bodies. The voices challenge everything we have ever been taught about ourselves& among the sounds of change was the music of the Chicago and New Haven Women’s Liberation Bands.” -Holly Near ”

Enjoy! (320)

Beaver/Krause’s “Gandharva” released in 1971 on Warner Bros. I’ve been quite fond the Beaver/Krause collaborative efforts sense I first stumbled upon their “Nonesuch Guide to Electronic Music”. Gandharva was probably their most popular release and is easily the most genre bending release for them. Mike Bloomfield, Ray Brown, Bud Shank, Gerry Mulligan and many others help out on this outing. The record is all over the place stylistically but yet still retains a ‘tone’. I think this is in large part is due to it being recorded all live in Grace Cathedral over two evenings in 1971. Regardless of the LP’s whimsical music stylings it’s a stunning record, top notch musicianship with a little bit for everyone. I mean just give “Walkin” a listen…amazing!

I think this is a must addition to anyone’s collection if you don’t already have it. Enjoy! <– Link updated. Fixes problems unpacking the first file for Windows users

Roland Young’s “Isophonic Boogie Woogie” lp release in 1980. I’d say more but WFMU’s write-up is proper.

WFMU’s words on Young and this release: “Roland P. Young was a huge advocate of underground music, culture, politics and radio, DJing in the Bay Area in the 1960’s and 70’s before creating the amazing Isophonic Boogie Woogie LP in 1980. Here, an entire realm of free sound gets channeled through Young’s mind into what can best be described as “afro-minimal-free-electronic-drone music” (according to the site of Em, the Japanese label that just reissued this). It’s a stunning statement indeed, with Young crafting his out sound with kalimba, sax, clarinet, bells, electronics and assorted other instruments, all flowing in their own space to amazing result. Like Larry Young’s Lawrence of Newark, Philip Cohran’s On the Beach or Love Cry Want’s live 72 record, this is a highly cosmic sound experience rooted in the earth itself.”

Enjoy!

Morton Subotnick’s classic “Touch” lp released in 1969 and released on Columbia. Morton’s contributions to electronic music are significant and far spreading. Electronic musicians will appreciate that this entire recording was composed on a Buchla synthesizer. I’m quite fond of this recording and it’s meanderings. Here’s a write-up: (more info)

“Touch (1969) is a massive experiment in disorienting music. From the beginning, it displays its axiomatic structure: a set of discrete noises that compose a liquid whole. The components (including a vivisected female voice that pronounces the three syllables “t-ou-ch”) are unmusical, but the whole is cohesive and logical. When the noises increase in frequency and pitch, they sound like a pack of rodents. The noises implode briefly in a shapeless gurgle, but then resume their frantic conversation in the fluent vernacular of musique concrete. This is music that continuously redefines itself, challenges itself, alters itself. The electronic machine produces a hammering percussive hailstorm rich in both timbres and rhythms. Subotnick’s primitivist and futurist chaos transcends the post-Webernian avantgarde, and coins a ludic music inspired to the human condition, occasionally tribal and wild, but also lyrical and joyful. The second part of the piece is the mirror image of the first part: first diffused sound, then frantic babbling (the human voice is now easier to perceive) and then an almost silent conclusion.”

I haven’t yet had the pleasure to enjoy the re-issue which I’ve heard is 10x sonically better than this tired LP recording I’ve been playing the last few years but until then…
Enjoy! (320)

Pharoah Sanders’s “Izipho Zam” released in 1969 on Strata East Records. Pharoah really needs no introduction here. I’ve been a long time fan of Pharoah’s works and have shared another of his choice recordings here before. If your not all that familiar with Pharoah’s works, you’re in for a treat. Also, check Pharoah’s home page HERE. Here’s some words about this release:

 ”Two years after the death of his mentor and boss, John Coltrane, and just before signing his own contract with Impulse!, Pharoah Sanders finally got around to releasing an album as a leader apart from the Impulse! family. Enlisting a cast of characters no less than 13 in number, Sanders proved that his time with Coltrane and his Impulse! debut, Tauhid, was not a fluke. Though hated by many of the jazz musicians at the time — and more jazz critics who felt Coltrane had lost his way musically the minute he put together the final quintet — Sanders followed his own muse to the edges of Eastern music and sometimes completely outside the borderlines of what could be called jazz. That said, Izipho Zam is a wonderful recording, full of the depth of vision and heartfelt soul that has informed every recording of Sanders since. Guests include Sonny Sharrock, Lonnie Liston Smith, Chief Bey, Cecil McBee, Sirone, Sonny Fortune, Billy Hart, Howard Johnson, and others. The set begins with a gorgeous soul tune in “Prince of Peace,” with Leon Thomas doing his trademark yodel, croon, and wail as Smith, McBee, and Hart back him and Sanders fills the gaps. Next is “Balance,” the first blowing tune on the set, with the African drums, the modal horns, and Sanders’ microtonal investigations of sonic polarity contrasted with Johnson’s tuba, leaving the rhythm section to join him as Sharrock and Smith trade drone lines and Sanders turns it into a Latin dance from outer space about halfway through to the end — it’s astonishing. Finally, on the 28-minute title track, the band members — all of them — begin a slow tonal inquiry, a textured traipse into the abyss of dissonance and harmonic integration, with Thomas as the bridge through which all sounds must travel on their way to the ensemble. From here, percussion, bells, whistles, Sharrock’s heavily chorded guitar — all provide rhythm upon interval upon tonal figure until the horns enter at about 12 minutes. They move slowly at first and gather force until they blast it right open at 20 minutes and the last eight are all free blowing and an endurance ride for the listener because, with four minutes left, Sanders leads the band in a gorgeous lyric ride that brings together all disparate elements in his world and ours, making this track — and album — an exhilarating, indispensable out jazz experience.” ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Line-up:
Pharoah Sanders - tenor saxophone
Leon Thomas - vocals
Sonny Sharrock - guitar
Lonnie Liston Smith - keyboards
Cecil McBee - bass
Chief Bey - African drums

Enjoy! (320)

Muhal Richard Abrams’s “Young at Heart/Wise in Time” released in 1969 on Delmark Records. I was very  fortunate about a month ago to score this LP sealed from the ‘Bay. Abrams is the founder of legendary AACM in Chicago and has been one of the unsung leaders of the avant-garde ever since the mid-’60s. On this recording we find Abrams in a improvisational solo piece and a explosively dynamic freejazz piece w/ some help from his friends. Here’s some words I found over at Amazon: 

“Richard Abrams has never really gotten the attention nor respect he deserves, at least outside of the Chicago jazz scene. Maybe it’s because he’s so difficult to pigeonhole, leaping as he does from numerous camps and mixing everything from late modernism to gospel into one glorious whole. Maybe it’s his steadfast refusal to sell out and dumb down his compositions. Maybe, as critic Gary Giddins has surmised, it’s his somewhat exotic first name that frightens people off. Whatever the case, the man is a giant and deserves the reputation so many contemporary jazz artists grant him. This 1969 album consists of only two tracks, both lengthy explorations of opposite ends of the New Sound in jazz. ‘Young At Heart’ is a thirty minute improvistion on solo piano, in which Abrams touches upon ragtime and stride along with the louder bursts of atonality and lyrical passages of great beauty. It’s an amazing accomplishment. ‘Wise In Time’ is a bit more difficult, a twenty-minute explosion of noise, featuring two players who would go on to become giants in their own right - Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet (here just going as Leo Smith), and Henry Threadgill on alto. A truly wonderful album, blessed with intelligence, energy, beauty and variety. ” - Amazon reviewer Jason Gubbels 

Henry Threadgill - Sax (Alto)
Muhal Richard Abrams - Piano, Main Performer
Thurman Barker - Percussion, Drums
Lester Lashley - Bass, Percussion
Wadada Leo Smith - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Enjoy! (320)

I’ve pulled the file for Roscoe Mitchell’s “Nonaah“. I’m pulling this out of respect for Roscoe Mitchell and the rerelease agreement he’s made with Chuch Nessa. This is a wonderful document and it’s good to hear that it is finally getting a proper rerelease.

While I’m indebted to Chuck Nessa for time and money spent to document this amazing record, I do not endorse nor support Nesse Records. I’m not going to go into great detail for my reasons but in my correspondense with Chuck Nesse I arrived this decision. I really, really want to post quotes from his emails to give you all an idea of what I’m saying (biting tongue) but humiliating someone to express a point is to no benefit here. After all this is about Roscoe Mitchell’s “Nonaah”. So I’m going to post an embedded audio file here to give you all a chance to listen while Nessa Records works on their repress. 

 

Check out LK’s thoughts on this LP to get a feel for it: Paris Translantic.

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More hometown funk for you! This time it’s Rhythm Machine’s “s/t” release from 1976. Here’s some words from Dusty Groove: 

One of the heaviest funk records ever to come out of Indy in the 70s — a super-dope batch of ensemble grooving with plenty of odd twists and turns! At one level, the group work in a familiar Earth Wind & Fire-styled vibe — mixing heavy bass, funky rhythms, and lots of great horns — but at another level, the sound is a bit freer, and often hipper — coming across with jazzier influences on many tracks, and an overall style that’s got some really righteous undercurrents! A number of tracks here are laidback and spacey — almost cosmic in approach, but a bit more love-oriented in subject matter -- served up with some cool watery production that makes the guitar and keyboards really sound great, and some nice use of soprano sax to give the best tunes a nicely sharp edge! Titles include “You Got Action You Got Me”, “Lil’s Place”, “Put A Smile On Time”, “Thought My Love Was Free”, “Can’t Do Without You”, and “Everybody’s Chippin”. 

You can preview some of the tracks here, and then scoot over to Dusty Groove and buy it!
 
 

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Classic hard to find funk/soul gem East of Underground’s “s/t” 1971 recording. Trust me, nab this one! Snatch a new 180mg pressing from WaxPoetics.com: here!

Enjoy! 

Jon Appleton’s “World Music Theater of Jon Appleton” lp on Folkways. Another electronic gem by the Professor and co-developer of the Synclavier. I’m skip reviewing and just say, if you have any love for og electronic music this is a must have. I personally don’t think Jon has any stinkers out there and this is further evidence of his wonderful craft. 

Here’s a brief Appleton bio:

Jon Appleton is an electronic music pioneer, composer, educator, and author. His compositions span a variety of instruments and media, including orchestra, chamber ensembles, chorus, solo voice, piano, mixed media and electronics and computers. Appleton’s music displays a distinctive energy and vitality, as well as an unchanging sense of excitement and urgency.Jon Appleton has worked at EMS (Stockholm) and GMEB (Bourges, France). He has received a Fulbright Fellowship as well as awards from National Endowment for the Arts, Rockefeller Foundation, Guggenheim Foundation … He was a co-designer of the Dartmouth Digital Synthesizer and Synclavier. He founded the Bregman Electronic Music Studio at Dartmouth College. Among his writings are Twenty-First Century Musical Instruments: Hardware and Software. He co-edited The Development and Practice of Electronic Music.Appleton is Arthur R. Virgin Professor of Music and director of the graduate program in electro-acoustic music at Dartmouth College.  

Enjoy!