The Magnificent Goldberg

Shakin' Stevens Professor Herman Stevens (poet of the Gospel organ) Little Sammy Stevens & the Gospel organ

Tommy John Kenny John John John Barry John (he practically has an official birthday in Wales) Gareth Edwards J P R Williams

Ramsey Lewis has been amply "recognized" ($$$$) for his efforts over the years. -_- Not by the critical establishment, which is why I particularly welcome this. The critical establishment seems to believe that kinds of music that are supposed to be commercial - such as Soul Jazz - are intrinsically worthless. I think this is a bad mistake. MG I would bet that Ramsey's output after The In Crowd may have helped shape this perception... Certainly, but from "In crowd" on was the stuff that was important and innovative, particularly as the music got funkier and funkier. MG

Guess you're completely unfamiliar with their pancakes then... Alexander's pancakes? I thought it was a Ragtime band... MG

A nice South Eastern Australian Chardonnay over lunch. (Feeling tired after having done the washing up) MG

eden ahbez Eve Adam

I gave my CD copy away the day I got it, because I couldn't stand not to have all the fade endings complete. They were cut down to get the whole thing onto one CD. Another reason to keep the vinyl. MG

Alexander, Sambo was a very intelligent Indian boy who outsmarted the tiger. Mowgli. MG You're thinking of "The Jungle Book." "Little Black Sambo" is a children's classic from waaaay back. Yes, so I see from the other posts. Never heard of it before. MG

Ramsey Lewis has been amply "recognized" ($$$$) for his efforts over the years. -_- Not by the critical establishment, which is why I particularly welcome this. The critical establishment seems to believe that kinds of music that are supposed to be commercial - such as Soul Jazz - are intrinsically worthless. I think this is a bad mistake. MG

James Cagney Edward G Robinson Nosnibor

This album has spent more time coming out of my speakers and into my earholes than any other in my collection. That’s not the reason I picked it, though. But the reasons I picked it are the reasons why I have spent so much time listening to it over the last 32 years. The record was made on 11,12 & 13 December 1973 and issued early the following year. I think this is a record that can be enjoyed and appreciated in many ways or from many angles. First, let’s put up the cover. Now, that’s not a Reid Miles cover, but it does speak to me of that kind of classicism in LP sleeves. (I do regret that Fantasy changed the cover for the CD issue.) It’s an exciting sleeve! The big block lettering, filing up almost the whole sleeve, completely announces itself. And the picture of Charles, at a B3 Spaceship control, is both urgent and whimsical! And the players! Joe Henderson, tenor and Freddie Hubbard, trumpet and flugelhorn, are both so important to the album they get on the front cover. The others are more than just a supporting cast, however. Eddie Henderson (trumpet) Dave Hubbard (alto flute, soprano & tenor sax) Dr Patrick Gleeson (synthesisers) Mark Elf, Eddie Arkin & Greg Crockett (guitar) Brian Brake & Harvey Mason (drums) Larry Killian (percussion) Rudy Copeland (vocal) Earland himself plays B3, synthesisers, clavinet, piano and soprano sax. Many musicians sometimes played Soul Jazz and sometimes Hard Bop. One thing that Earland did better than anyone else was to make records that were Hard Bop and Soul Jazz at the same time. And “Leaving this planet” was the acme of this fusion. Some might think “Intensity” is a better album; personally, I suspect that’s only because Lee Morgan is on it. To me, this is a much more substantial, more gutsy, album. There’s real playing all the way through this album, which runs to just over 80 minutes. As far as I can tell, there’s no coasting anywhere, from anyone. Real playing from real players. Third, the arrangements. Earland wrote some of the most fabulously exciting arrangements for small horn sections, starting with “Penn relays” in 1969. I imagine his influences were outside jazz. I think he paid attention to what Pee Wee Ellis and Fred Wesley did with James Brown, as well as Kool and the Gang, whose riffing was the sharpest in R&B. But, unlike those bands, he put the ideas, approach and attitude to the service of pure, funky, jazz. Fourth, this album marks a turning point for Earland. I’ve always thought it was the culmination of everything he’d been developing since “Soul story”. In particular, it’s a giant step forward from his previous album, the soundtrack to “The dynamite brothers”, in which he conducted his first experiments with synthesisers (and how many musicians would use a soundtrack commission to experiment?) The soundtrack cooks hard, but is clearly a first, not quite certain, step. In “Leaving this planet”, Charles’ foot has been firmly planted on the ground and he knows exactly what he wants and how to go about getting it. His next, a session at the 1974 Montreux Festival, suffered, I think, from not having the right musicians with him; in particular, no tenor player. Then he moved to Mercury. Lots of people think his work went right down at Mercury and then Columbia. I think his work was different. By 1975, Charles was very much into George Clinton. It was that year that Fred Wesley and co had left Brown and gone over to Clinton’s organisation; the year that “Mothership connection” was made. Earland was simply doing what Soul Jazz musicians had been doing for 30 years; relating their music to what was going on in R&B. But whether you think that means a deterioration in quality or simply a different vision, “Leaving this planet” represents the cusp of that change; the high point of what he was doing before and, in terms of his use of electronics, the take-off point for what came later. That gives it an interest that goes even beyond the intrinsic interest of the music, which I think is the best he ever made. This album has never been deleted! The LP version was eventually replaced by a CD. How many jazz albums can you name that have remained in the catalogues for 32 years? Let me know what you think of this album. MG

I like the Kings a lot. But I like the Toshibas as well. MG

Cole Porter Hoagy Carmichael Percy Mayfield

Snoopy Woodstock Linus

The band appear to have only made 2 recordings. It's also available on this comp, which is all Ghana stuff. And I've just ordered it. It's also featured in S/T (issued on Rounder last week) of the film "The last king of Scotland", an enjoyable adventure with Idi Amin (at least, the book was enjoyable). Once more, many thanks, Rod. I don't usually buy compilations but this one looks as if it concentrates on less well represented people. MG

No, I'm on broadband, but I think it's only something like 500 somethings per whatever. I'll have to look into that comp. Who is the artist on that track? Edit - Oh - I've found it now. MG

How come King Ubu is missing from the list? MG

Alexander, Sambo was a very intelligent Indian boy who outsmarted the tiger. Mowgli. MG

It took forever to come up, so I kept giving up. When eventually I just let it come by itself, it was worth it! Sounds like it's from somewhere east of Ghana when the voice starts. Though Momo "Wandel" Soumah, from Guinee Conakry has a rather similar voice. What is it? Where can you get it? And when are we going to have a BFT from you, Rod? MG

He's only showing one vote, though. You or Dan? Or, because he's a Dem-o-Kong, do they only count half each? MG

Yes yes... And Wynonie, Doggett, JB, Spirit of Memphis, Earl Bostic, Little Willie John, Wings over Jordan, Tiny Bradshaw.... MG

First Stax records made. Don't suppose you'll be playing any of them. Drifters' "There goes my baby" recorded; first Soul masterpiece. MG

This is a good bunch of awards. Ramsey Lewis was an important innovator in Soul Jazz. He easily deserves this recognition (and for the same reason, so does Sweet Poppa Lou). MG

My vote is A N Other (as if Curtis Ousley could ever be anon) MG

Mosaic had a lady customer? Astounding! I thought women had more sense than the rest of us. MG