27 July 2009
As I’m working on the “Blues For Duffy Power” sequence with A. J. Kaufmann, both of us have been of course listening to a lot of DUFFY. I would say that the one album of his I’d buy first to get the purest version of his unique blues-vision is the SKY BLUES collection of BBC broadcasts out on the UK “Huk” label. Both of the RPM label two-cd compilations are must-have collections, and in addition the obscure 1965 Alexis Korner album SKY HIGH featuring Duffy on vocal and harmonica is a killer, and it’s lead me to listen to a lot of Korner. I do have Korner’s amazing 2-lp compilation BOOTLEG HIM (many Americans were introduced to Korner by this album on Warner Brothers) and the first ALEXIS KORNER’S BLUES INCORPORATED album live at the Marquee on vinyl, and beyond SKY HIGH, I’ve also gotten 4 or 5 other mid-to-late 60s Korner albums on CD recently to complement the earlier material. For someone labelled as a purist, Korner has a refreshingly eclectic palette that includes the blues and r&b in all of its forms (this is a man for whom Tommy Johnson, Roy Hawkins, Eddie Taylor, Sister Rosetta Thorpe, and Jay McShann are all of a piece), and even a mid-70s ‘Supersession’ such as GET OFF MY CLOUD contains completely original reinterpretations of well-known tunes such as the Stones title track (featuring Keef on gtr and backing vocals) and an incredible version of Larry Williams’ SLOW DOWN. Pretty much any 60s album of Korner’s is worth buying, and it’s easy to see why Korner and Duffy Power (Power was Korner’s vocalist circa 1964-65) were attracted to each other, and remained friends through Korner’s life (he passed away about 20 years ago)…Alexis continued to perform some of Duffy’s compositions, and Duffy would on occasion re-unite with his former employer for one-off gigs and recordings…and after AK passed away, on various tributes to the master. Korner and Duffy also have in common their use of the blues as a platform on which to construct their own unique musical vision, and at times the blues functions merely as a catalyst present at the creation of a wholly new music. Listen to Powers’ amazing BBC solo acoustic broadcasts for examples of that. Think I’ll put on RED HOT FROM ALEX right now to get the morning going…
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30 December
Spinning more vintage vinyl today, as Kendra and I start printing up Luis’s STILL HUMAN, I work on editing A. J. Kaufmann’s SATORI IN BERLIN, and I continue the writing/editing of my new extended poem sequence VENETIAN SAGE.
Right now, I’m blasting the classic CARP album by CARP, on the Epic label circa 1970. Oklahoma transplants in L. A., featuring that great Oklahoman Gary Busey. Carp are usually compared to The Band, and I’ve got to admit that too, but anyone who enjoys The Youngbloods or The Electric Toilet should also dig this. Also in today’s vinyl stack are
GOVE, “Heavy Cowboy” (TRX)
STEVE LACY/MICHAEL SMITH, “Sidelines” (IAI)
PAUL MAROTTA, “Agit-Prop Piano” (Do Speak)
EYES OF BLUE, “In Fields of Ardath” (Mercury)
ST. JOHN GREEN, “St. John Green”, produced by Kim Fowley (Flick Disc)
MACIUNAS ENSEMBLE, “Music for Everyman 861″ (Apollo)
TANGERINE DREAM, “Alpha Centauri/Atem” (Virgin)
FORD THEATRE, “Time Changes” (ABC)
DHARMA BLUES, “Dharma Blues” (Major/Minor)
SWAMP OAF, “Swamp Oaf” (Stanton Park)
LINN COUNTY, “Proud Flesh Soothseer” (Mercury)
ALEXIS KORNER, “Bootleg Him” (Warner Bros.)
SCOTT WALKER, “We Had It All” (CBS UK)
PSYCHIC TV, “Temporary Temple” (Temple)
T. I. M. E., “Smooth Ball” (Liberty)
HANS REICHEL, “Bonobo” (FMP)
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7 November 2008
It’s vinyl time here at KSE—and we’re blasting the following gems:
HELL PREACHERS INC., “Supreme Psychedelic Underground” (Europa)
WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND, “Vol. 3, A Child’s Guide to Good and Evil” (Reprise)
OPAL (w/ Kendra Smith & David Roback), “Early Recordings” (Serpent)
V. A., “Everywhere Interferences” (Chainsaw Sound)
LEE RANALDO, “Scripture of the Golden Eternity” (Father Yod)
QUINCY JONES, “Explores the Music of Henry Mancini” (Mercury)
THE ALAN FRANKLIN EXPLOSION, “The Blues Climax” (Psycho)
POTTER ST. CLOUD, “Potter St. Cloud” (Mediarts)
SMOKE, “At George’s Coffee Shop” (Uni)
SUNDOWN, “Sundown” (Ampex)
DOUG SAHM TEX-MEX TRIP, “Groover’s Paradise” (Warner Bros.)
PARIS PILOT, “Paris Pilot” (Hip)
THE COUNT BISHOPS, “Good Gear” (Dynamite)
A.B. SKHY, “Ramblin’ On” (MGM—produced by Kim Fowley)
FERNANDO GRILLO, “Fluvine” (Cramps)
JESUS VILLA-ROJO, “Clarinettissimo” (Cramps)
DOWNLINERS SECT, “Be A Sect Maniac” (Line)
AUM, “Resurrection” (Fillmore)
THE ABSTRACTS, “The Abstracts” (Pompeii)
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7 October 2008
Of course, we’re blasting the new Dylan album, TELL TALE SIGNS: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLUME 8, a great collection of out-takes and alternate takes and odd’n’sods (songs for film soundtracks, a few live trax, etc.) from 1989 through 2006. Highly recommended! Just released today…
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25 September 2008
printing up copies of A. J. Kaufmann’s POZNAN CITY GOSPEL while listening to
KIM FOWLEY, hotel insomnia;
KYLE BOBBY DUNN, fragments and compositions of Kyle Bobby Dunn;
PIERO PICCIONI, original sound track ‘MMM83′;
LINDOLPHO GAYA & ROGERIO DUPRAT, os maestros premiados;
JULIE LONDON with the BUD SHANK QUINTET, all through the night: julie london sings the choicest of cole porter;
PAUL BLEY & PAUL MOTIAN, notes;
ELVIS PRESLEY, the ‘patch it up’ acetates.
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13 September 2008
printing up copies of CHRISTOPHER CUNNINGHAM’S “IN GAMBLER’S BLOOD” while listening to…
MOTHER TUCKER’S YELLOW DUCK, 1st album (great West Coast countryish psych from Vancouver);
THE ID, the inner sounds of The Id (classic psychsploitation kitsch featuring gtrist Jerry Cole);
COSMIC TRAVELERS, live at the spring crater celebration (hawaiian gtr-jam-psych circa ‘72 w/ Drake Levin);
BOB DYLAN, live in Grenoble, France, June 29, 2008;
V. A., piccadilly sunshine, vol. 1 (UK popsike comp, similar to Fading Yellow series of Fairy Tales Can Come True series);
BRUNO NICOLAI, original soundtrack “El Cisco” (Italy-Spain 1966, starring William Berger).
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