The Magnificent Goldberg

I've just been listening to Groove Holmes' "X-77" on PJ, recorded at the Lighthouse in 1970. It's not a bad album; Thornel on guitar, Paul Humphrey on drums and someone called Bob West on bass (!). Good playing from all and Groove turns in his fastest version of "Licks aplenty". But I hate the sound of the X-77! Groove makes all kinds of sounds on it, from something near to what he normally gets from a B3 - but not quite real, you know? - to jingly bell sounds. And I hate it! So, what was this thing supposed to be like? And, since there was a bass player on the stage, did the X-77 not have bass pedals? Or was there some terribly crappy thing about them? MG

Groove Holmes - X77 - PJ orig MG

Oh well, that's kind of fair enough, though I AM prepared to put up with a lot of it from people I like anyway. And Lonnie definitely falls into that bag. MG

Reuben Wilson - On Broadway - BN orig Reuben Wilson - Love bug - BN orig Reuben Wilson - Blue mode - BN orig Reuben Wilson - A groovy situation - BN black label MG

They have just 'dinged' me big time with the 'sale' package. Cancels out the savings. Hope you have better luck. They missed the Onzy Matthews select, so I guess I've had my luck for this year But this set will be WORTH it - I've got 20 of the tracks on a cheapo comp and they're hot stufferoonies. MG

Yay! Only six weeks to wait! (while HM Customs & Excise exercise their little minds about whether I can have this box). MG

Whereas, of course, Ganda Fadiga is BLUES MG

OK, you're saying if music is from your native culture, so to speak, there are layers of meaning for you that are inaccessible to others. I can recognize that. But how am I supposed to "deal with it", accordingly or otherwise? I don't know what you mean by that. I think you have to deal with it by recognising that the only way you CAN deal with it is through yourself, and remaining yourself, not trying to be something you aren't. The self-recognition that can occur in music is not necessarily that of recognising yourself in something foreign (though since we're all human, there IS that, of course) but also recognising one's own difference. So I know my response to Gospel music is mediated by my own opinions and background but I don't have any other tools for the job. Some things can only be as good as they can be. MG

Dafydd Elis-Thomas Safle Dafydd Iwan Cynog Dafis

Well said. (As ever.) MG

Well, I like "Stump juice" a lot. Seems strange for me to be thought of as not liking the funky stuff much Anyway, I'm going to have another go at side 1 of "Afrodesia". No, as I said, I don't have any of the Sonny Lester material. Probably a mistake, but you can't buy everything (well, Rod can, but I can't ) MG

Douglas Adams Zaphod Beeblebrox Slartibartfast

Just changed mine again! This one is a photo of Archie Shepp at St Louis, Senegal, in 1993. MG

Reuben Wilson - The sweet life/Cisco Kid - GM twofer, VERY flexible vinyl! Joe Liggins - Great R&B oldies - Blues Spectrum UK issue on Bulldog Johnny Otis - Cold shot - Kent, UK issue on Sonet MG

There used to be an announcer at Paddington Station who made the most amazingly sarcastic announcements when things went wrong. Cheered us all up a treat, he did! MG

I thought I was going to love this when I got it. Unfortunately, RVG recorded it and added some horrendous reverb. It sounds like the horns are being played in an empty warehouse. Great tunes and great playing but I just can't get over the lousy sound here. Never noticed. Bet you HATE Jug's recordings for Aristocrat/Chess in the 1948-51 period. MG

(deeply unhappy) I expect you're right about that. One of the problems Gospel has for us for us left wing Jewish atheists is all the conventional stuff that comes with it. (Some days, I just ARGUE back to sermons ) MG See, as a left-wing Jewish atheist, I think I like Gospel a lot better than I would if I were religious. As it stands right now, I have more invested in practically ANYTHING ELSE than I do in the actual "message" of a Gospel song. I listen to it, I understand the words, but they have about as much meaning to me as if they were sung in pig-latin. I laugh so hard when I hear relgious types saying that "if only atheists heard our message, they would convert." I hear it everyday. Often, several times in the same day (just got finished listening to disc four (the sacred songs) of the "Anthology of American Folk Music", as a matter of fact). It doesn't make a difference in my belief system. I've probably heard about how Jesus sacrificed himself for me more than most Christians do (if they only attend church on Sunday), and I STILL don't give a flying fuck. I just like how the music SOUNDS. As suppose that's just as bad as people who tell Alan Moore (the great comic book writer) that they just read comics to look at the pictures, but there it is. Well, I do agree to some extent, though I was really moaning about how conventional much of the message content is, compared to the almost anarchic views that appear to be what Christ's supposed activities indicate. But, to me, the commitment of the singers and musicians to this message is a most important element, so I can't really ignore it. MG

My copy of Afrodesia, which is the original, has these tracks: Side 1 Afrodesia Spirits free Side 2 Straight to the point Favors The awakening I don't like either track on side 1. I haven't played that side since about 1970something. But I think side 2 is fabulous! Perhaps, in view of what you've said, I should give side 1 another try... I don't have any of his GM albums. But I have "Speak your piece" by Joe Thomas and Bill Elliott on Sue, which I like very much. They were two thirds of the original Rhoda Scott Trio and took in Jiggs Chase on organ to replace her when she went to France. MG

Groove Holmes - Welcome home - PJ Liberty UK issue Groove Holmes & Ernie Watts - Come together - PJ orig MG

Mileage really varies - Jim S. has dissed this in some pretty nasty terms. Iirc, he describes it as sounding as like everyone was staring at the clock, waiting to get the hell out of there. Hence my cautionary note. I really rather like albums that are made simply to make money. And this is a fabulous example of that! MG

OK, here are the stories. The two Mercury albums were intended, by Mercury, to follow up, and cash in on, Houston’s success with “Get outa my way”, and the single taken from it, “Disco sax”, on Westbound – both the album and the single made the R&B charts. So, based on sales assumptions, Mercury set a budget for the two albums at $35,000 each. Remember this was mid-seventies money – you could probably more than double it now. Houston negotiated that he, not some Mercury employee, should produce the albums. And he brought in each project for about $7,000 – the rest, of course, about $55,000, was his artist’s pay! So who says the record industry is structured so that musicians don’t get paid? The albums are what you’d expect – competently played disco, complete with swirling strings and backing vocalists and sloppy tunes like “I write the songs”. But on “Harmony”, Houston put in something for himself – a great eleven and a half minute funky version of Fela Kuti’s “I no get eye for back”, which sounds great as an instrumental, with a big band pumping behind HP. In early 1977, how hip was that! Houston, I’ve been told by more than one source, has a record collection that would put most of ours to shame. (That LP also has a great sexy cover of Houston’s teenage daughter in a swimming costume beside a bath overflowing with blue ink.) “We owe it all to love” came about because Bill Shannon, the owner of Baseline Records (this was the only record ever issued on the label), wrote to Muse asking if he could license some of the funky material for issue as a compilation in the UK (I don’t think any Muse LP was ever issued in the UK). This was in the period when Acid Jazz LPs were fetching horrendous prices in England. Houston himself suggested that, instead of reissuing old stuff, Shannon should pay him to make a new album in that style. It seems to have been part of the agreement with Muse that it was only to be issued in Britain. And yes, it sure is funky! In particular, “Jive samba” is a dancefloor KILLER! MG

Yes, I knew about this, but didn't think Houston was the co-leader. I don't have that one, either. MG PS - there is also an album with Grooveyard (German version of Organissimo), on the Organic Music label, from this period, also featuring Red Holloway and Roman Schwaller.

Here we are - Houston Person’s Muse albums as leader or co-leader (First two produced by Michael Cuscuna; rest produced by Houston Person) Stolen sweets – 5110 – Apr 1976 (Ponder, Phillips, F Jones, B Caldwell – superb straight-ahead organ session) The big horn – 5136 – May 1976 (C Walton, B Williams, G Tate, B Caldwell – excellent straight ahead session but watch out for off-centre Bsides) Wildflower – 5161 – Sep 1977 (Hardman, Ponder, Phillips, Muhammad, L Killian, B Caldwell – classic of funky jazz) The nearness of you – 5178 – Nov 1977 (V Jones, Sparks, Earland, Phillips (el pno), M Bronson, G Tate, L Killian, E Jones (1 track) – another classic of funky jazz) Suspicions – 5199 – Apr 1980 (V Jones, Phillips/E Hayes, J Cavari/Sparks, Bad Bascombe, Muhammad, R Dorsey, Ott – nearly a classic of funky jazz) Very personal – 5231 – Aug 1980 (C Walton, C Fuller, B Williams, V Fournier – need more be said? Oh yes, VERY sexy sleeve.) Heavy juice – 5260 – Jun 1982 (Sparks, Jon Logan, David Braham, Bascombe, Purdie/Billy James, Dorsey, Ott – great album of odd material but trax a bit too short) Always on my mind – 5289 – Sep 1985 (Braham, Ted Brancato, Bascombe, Purdie, Dorsey – nice album of pop songs not usually done in jazz) It’s the talk of the town – 5331 – Jan 1987 (C Bridgewater, S Hope, B Williams, G Tate, Dorsey – standards – BEAUTIFUL!!!!) Basics – 5344 – Oct 1987 (Hope, PM Weiss, Brooks III, Dorsey – good but not as good as last – VERY sexy cover feat Alicia Lashley!) Something in common – 5376 – Feb 1989 (duets with Ron Carter) (nice, well, a lot better than that) The party – 5451 – Nov 1989 (Joey de F, Randy Johnston, Bertell Knox, Figueroa – great session) Now’s the time – Jan 1990 (duets with Ron Carter) (also very nice) Just friends – 5418 – Feb 1990 (with Buddy Tate & Nat Simpkins) (also with Hope, Holley, G Tate – one of my fave Persons & Tates – Holley is fabuloso on this) Why not – 5433 – Oct 1990 (Joey deF, Philip Harper, Winard Harper, R Johnston, Figueroa – as good as “Party” – title track is the Don Patterson tune) The lion and his pride – 5480 – Sep 1991 (Philip & Winard, Benny Green (p), McBride, Figueroa – Young Lions album – really very, very good indeed) Christmas with Houston Person & friends – 5530 – Jul & Aug 1994 (lots of people inc vocals from Etta Jones, Della Griffin & Grady Tate – a nice Christmas album) Horn to horn – 5540 – Dec 1994 (with Teddy Edwards) (Wyands, Peter Washington, Kenny Washington – incredible album! – two-horn tributes to Trane, Ben, Prez, Getz, Hawk, Jug, Dex & Jaws) During this period, which was a very good one for him, Houston also recorded as a leader for other labels. This material is: Pure pleasure – Mercury SRM-1-1104 – Jun 1976 Harmony - Mercury SRM-1-1151 – Mar 1977 (tell you ‘bout these two later ) The Gospel soul of Houston Person – Savoy 14471 – c1978 (this is not a jazz album – features Atlanta Philharmonic Chorale & the Ogletree Brothers) Don’t misunderstand – HighNote 7173 – 1980 (with Etta Jones) (Phillips & F Jones – fabulous live session not released until this year) Road warriors – Greene Street 2002 – May 1984 (with Les McCann) (Bobby Bryant Jr, Lou Volpe, G King, Buddy Williams, Richard Malcolm – Creed Taylor production – I love this one! But it’s not for everyone) Creation – Greene Street 2003 – Jul & Aug 1984 (with Roger Kellaway) (I think it’s duets but I haven’t got this one – another Creed Taylor job) We owe it all to love – Baseline (UK) 001 – Sep 1988 (tell you about this one later, too) A night in Roppungi – All Art KICJ205 – Mar 1990 (with Etta Jones) (Hope, PM Weiss, Brooks III – great live session) It’s obvious that there are big gaps between some sessions. I don’t think Houston was taking time out; I think he was just too busy, and getting a lot of exposure on disc, appearing on other people’s Muse albums which he produced – Groove Holmes, Johnny Lytle, Etta Jones, Charles Brown, Charles Earland, Jack McDuff, Shirley Scott & Jimmy Ponder, to name a few. Houston never appears to have been short of work. MG

Soul, R&B & Blues Etta James - Tell mama - Cadet (Pye UK issue) Piano Red - Underground Atlanta - King orig Lightnin' Slim - Rooster blues - Excello (80s repressing I think) MG

If you only want "great" albums in your collection, don't bother. If you don't mind forking out small beer for an album that's merely enjoyable, and honest though commercial, pick up "Everybody come on out" or "Use the stairs" both on Fantasy LPs which I'm sure you can find cheap, or "More than a mood" (Music Masters), which is straight ahead stuff with Freddie Hubbard (and that one's deleted, too). MG I'm going to guess that MG is simply unaware of the Concord release Gene Harris Trio + 1. Its a tremendous reunion of the principals from Blue Hour and no one can accuse it of being "snoozy" - its a rip-snorting barn-burner of a set with Stan and Gene (and Ray Brown) ripping up three blues plus "Battle Hymn" and a ballad. An all-time favorite of the former GHF. You're right. I have tended to ignore Gene Harris until reading all the stuff you've been saying about him. MG