George Braith "Laughing Soul" CD

[undergroundagent]

What's everyone's thoughts on this album?

It looks greazzzy!!! Patton, Dixon & Green?!?! Surely, it must be a burner!

Edited November 13, 2003 by undergroundagent

[JSngry]

It's some wacky shit, and I mean that in the VERY best way.

[undergroundagent]

Typical of Prestige in these years, or a special case?

[Soul Stream]

This is a freaky album. Don't dig the soundscape so much, but shit like "Chunky Cheeks" and the like...well, you've GOT to have it. The compositions are soul-jazz through the ears of George Braith. So you KNOW it's got to be different, AND super-soulful.....

[JSngry]

What's funny is that in the mid-70s, this album was available in copious, and I DO mean copious, quamtities in the cutout bins of places like Peaches for, like, 99 cents. But I didn't know who George Braith was then, was just discovering Patton & Green, and couldn't get over the fact that the cover pictured a man dressed up in a cowboy suit with two saxophones coming out of his pants. It just looked TOO perverse. So I passed, and had to wait lo these many years to hear this work.

Braith seems to operate in some parallel universe, if you know what I mean, but I dig him. This is a really cool album, in spite of the cover photo. You've got to hear it - it's very much a product of the "Swingin' Sixties" in terms of groove and such, but all filtered through the perspective of a man who would think that having saxophones coming out of his pants would be a sales aid. Frankly, I find the music damn near irresistable.

[Aggie87]

slightly OT - One of my local used stores has George's "Live at the University of the Street" cds at the moment (unless Sidewinder nabs it ). I don't see this one listed on AMG. Anyone have this one, and if so is it any good?

Thanks,

Erik

[Rooster_Ties]

slightly OT - One of my local used stores has George's "Live at the University of the Street" cds at the moment (unless Sidewinder nabs it ). I don't see this one listed on AMG. Anyone have this one, and if so is it any good?

Thanks,

Erik

Anybody know who's on it, and what year it was recorded?? (I don't know my Braith very well, beyond his work on BN.)

[Dave James]

I really like Braith's BN's, so when Laughing Soul showed up on Dusty Groove, I went for it. Not a good decision. I test drove it a couple of times and consigned it to my "sell for whatever you can get" bin. Looks like I'm swimming against the prevailing current on this one, but it really didn't do anything for me.

Up over and out.

[JSngry]

slightly OT - One of my local used stores has George's "Live at the University of the Street" cds at the moment (unless Sidewinder nabs it ).  I don't see this one listed on AMG.  Anyone have this one, and if so is it any good? 

Thanks,

Erik

Anybody know who's on it, and what year it was recorded?? (I don't know my Braith very well, beyond his work on BN.)

It's a compilation of live stuff recorded at Braith's club over the years. One number has Sonny Rollins playing saxophone pads! (what he's really doing is fingering the horn w/o blowing, letting the snap of the keys make all the sound). Also present is Gil Coggins, a somewhat "shadowy" figure. Don't have it in front of me rihgt now, but I'd say it's a good buy for the "specialist", somebody who has a curiosity about life and music "away from the spotlight", if you know what I mean. I enjoy it.

And then there's the Braith Family CD, featuring the Braith Family Singers. Now THAT'S some REALLY wack stuff. Again, "not for everybody", but it occupies a special place of fondness in my heart. Definitely "parallel universe" stuff!

[Aggie87]

Well, curiousity got the best of me, so I stopped by this place on the way home last night (met our fellow BB member Sidewinder as well!), to take another look at this Braith disc.

It's actually titled "Live at the University of the Street - Double Your Pleasure", and is a 92 release on King Records. This actually IS listed on AMG. This one is a live recording from 4 April 92, with support from Ronnie Mathews (p), Tarik Shah (B), and Mark Johnson (d). Jimmy Lovelace guests on drums on a few tracks as well. Braith plays his stritch/braith-horn on 6 tracks, and tenor on the other three.

Not sure how rare this actually is, but I don't think it's the same thing that Jim is talking about. Now I'm REALLY curious as to what that thing is - ROIO?

[JSngry]

Well, curiousity got the best of me, so I stopped by this place on the way home last night (met our fellow BB member Sidewinder as well!), to take another look at this Braith disc. 

It's actually titled "Live at the University of the Street - Double Your Pleasure", and is a 92 release on King Records.  This actually IS listed on AMG.  This one is a live recording from 4 April 92, with support from Ronnie Mathews (p), Tarik Shah (B), and Mark Johnson (d).  Jimmy Lovelace guests on drums on a few tracks as well.  Braith plays his stritch/braith-horn on 6 tracks, and tenor on the other three. 

Not sure how rare this actually is, but I don't think it's the same thing that Jim is talking about.  Now I'm REALLY curious as to what that thing is - ROIO?

My bad, Aggie, my bad. Braith had a web site for a while and was selling his Braith Family CD, along with the one I mentioned. A friend contacted him through the site, ordered both, and George included the item you're mentioning as a bonus at no cost. This friend passed along copies of all 3 to me to audition, but when I went to order from the site, it was closed. The confusion was all mine.

However, I JUST now checked the site out, and it's back up again! So it's time to do the right thing and order REAL copies of what the man's got for sale!

For those who are interested, the site is www.georgebraith.com

Edited November 14, 2003 by JSngry