Rabshakeh

Now on this excellent countrified jazz funk grinder from Alexandria Township 1975: Mike Makhalemele - The Peacemaker (Jo’Burg / Al Shams) Ratau MM was the saxophonist with The Drive and played with Winston Mankunku Ngozi among others. No idea who the other players are on here, but I suspect Sipho Gumede is the bassist, just because it sounds like him. Something I find so interesting about South African fusion from the era is that, whilst there is no obvious “traditional” influence, the music is still unmistakeably South African. Something about how the keyboard vamps are allowed to lock in just that bit too long, whilst the bass is given a more free roaming ply melodic role than would be normal for an American record. Easy streamer, for anyone who is interested.

Nubya Garcia – When We Are You don’t like it? He overplays in bits but I really like him on these Black and Blues.

Earl Hines And Harry Edison – Earl Meets Harry

Bob Thiele And His New Happy Times Orchestra / Gabor Szabo With The California Dreamers And Tom Scott & Bill Plummer – Light My Fire I always assumed that this would not be worth investigating, but it's actually pretty enjoyable. Tom Scott is a player who I never got. Did record company execs reckon he'd be the next Charles Lloyd?

Herbie Mann – Impressions Of The Middle East (Atlantic, 1967) My philosophy of life, which underpins all my decisions and interactions, with animals, the natural world, and other humans, is that Herbie Mann records are all either really really bad or really really good. I like this one.

Herbie Mann – Do The Bossa Nova With Herbie Mann (Atlantic, 1962)

The article has come in for quite a bit of criticism.

There's one tune that rhymes something like "God is cool" with "Are you afraid they'll think you're a fool". I can't remember it exactly. As a young youth it struck me as one of the silliest rhymes not on a Lou Reed record. Great one! The frame narrative is so portentous and 1960s. It makes no sense. I love that it was Demis Roussos doing the vocals as well. Abigail's Party flashbacks every time I hear the lyrics "the next one was a green".

That's what I mean. You'd expect a lot more.

Cecil Taylor Unit – Akisakila - Cecil Taylor Unit In Japan (Trio, 1973) Nice compositions. Nice playing.

I really enjoyed this one.

I’m with you. Once of those “returns to real jazz” that make you wish that the artist just hadn’t. It just sounds like a guy wandering around pointing his soprano about without much form or thought over forgettable compositions.

Morbid Angel – Altars Of Madness (Earache, 1989) Agnostic Front – Cause For Alarm (Combat, 1986) Bathory – Hammerheart (Noise, 1990)

Nile – In Their Darkened Shrines (Relapse, 2002)

Jan Garbarek Group – Dresden (In Concert) (ECM, 2009)

Masters of Reality by Black Sabbath has a LOT of hippy christian themes, for reasons that I never understood.

Steve Kuhn & Toshiko Akiyoshi – The Country & Western Sound Of Jazz Pianos (Dauntless, 1963) What a strange record this is. Such a strange combination of musicians too.

I'd never heard this. Looking at the internet, I am amazed to see it treated as "fact", not just by the Quoras but also by some legacy media outlets. Whether that's because it is substantiated or because whatever intern writes for what's left of them is doing his/her "research" through Google isn't clear.

It has still never been clear to me why he recorded so little. Lots of other jazz musicians were in Western Europe at the time and many of them got to record all the more for being here. Why did Steeplechase or SABA never come a-knocking? Why aren't there 400 records of Byas playing on radio with NHOP and Kenny Clarke, with Sahib Shihab on baritone?

Art Ensemble Of Chicago – Non-Cognitive Aspects Of The City - Live At Iridium (Pi)

Probably I'm wrong. I'm just not sure they'd have made the same impact if you'd read them for the first time in your 80s.

I don't know this one! Time to check it out.

There are surely some that are best read at certain times. On The Road or Donna Tartt I think benefit from a reader having no life experience. Conversely, I really think that Dickens should only be read once you are a couple of bosses deep into your working life.

Jimmy Smith – Stay Loose (Verve, 1968) Roscoe Mitchell - Hey Donald (Delmark).