It’s Happy Birthday to David Matthews, although by the time I get this posted, today, Thursday March 4th, Dave’s birthday will have passed where he lives in Japan. If Bob James was my gateway drug to the music of Creed Taylor productions, David Matthews was definitely my drug of choice in the 1970’s. Many will know Dave’s work, certainly from […]
On This Day: First Light GRAMMY Award
Today, March 3rd, is the day to play your copy of #freddiehubbard First Light album. It was winner of the #grammys for Best Jazz performance by a group. Recorded 50 years ago this year, released 49 years ago and awarded 48 years ago. Almost ignored by critics at the time, First Light is one of the definitive Creed Taylor produced […]
Sixty Years of Impulse!
Founded in 1960 by Creed Taylor, Impulse! exploded onto the music scene in January of 1961. Four new albums were launched that month, for their time, they were all monsters. Ray Charles’s Genius + Soul = Jazz Gil Evans’s Out of the Cool’, JJ. Johnson and Kai Winding’s The Great Kai & J. J. and The Incredible Kai Winding Trombones. […]
Farewell Chick Corea
It is with great sadness we announce that on February 9th, Chick Corea passed away at the age of 79, from a rare form of cancer which was only discovered very recently. https://chickcorea.com/ There have been so many great jazz musicians over the last century, too many to debate who was the best, the greatest, or the most innovative. Purists […]
CT 510
CT 510 Move Over / Right There When You Need It – Samson & Delilah Side A: Move Over (2:34)Side B: Right There When You Need It (2:37)Sampson & DelilahIssues: CTI CT 510 [45]Master No.: CT 510 A/CT 510 BRecorded: Probably October 1970, New York CityReleased: Two known US Pressings, both the white promo and first release Green label pressing […]
Pete Brady and The Blazers – Murder Ballads
[This post was substantially updated after finding and researching a 1973 album recorded by Pete Brady – “Sing Me A Smile”, which was previously undocumented in all the usual places.] In this first post looking at albums from Creed Taylor’s specialty recording period, between 1956 and early 1961, I am going to take at look at one half of this […]
#Nowplaying: Nautilus
While “Mardi Gras” is probably Bob James most sampled, track, “Nautilus” is right up there with it. This post looks at a Record Store Day, 2020, re-issue of the classic track. If you missed, or were not lucky enough to win one of the test pressing that Evo gave away in social media competitions, it’s unlikely you’ll see one of […]
On This Day: Quincy Jones calls Creed Taylor
[This post was a day late due to the holidays.] In December 1995, Billboard magazine issue featured a tribute to Quincy Jones “Quincy Jones: A Half Century Of Music” featuring an expansive interview with Quincy by Mark Rowland. Including numerous full page advertisements, it runs 34-pages. Not only is Creed Taylor not mentioned, but in it’s listings and discography, everything […]
Happy Born Day – Chet Baker
Chesney Henry “Chet” Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988, Age 58) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations within the cool jazz subgenre leading him to be nicknamed the “prince of cool”. I have to admit, that while I know many of Chet recordings, I know very little about the man. […]
Happy Born Day: Hank Crawford
Bennie Ross “Hank” Crawford, Jr. born December 21, 1934, Memphis, Tennessee, died January 29, 2009, Memphis, Tennessee. To celebrate the day of Hank Crawford’s birth, as well as my usual notes, research, and a few unique finds, I have a mix of some examples of Hank’s work, and a 4-part interview with Hank by visual artist Jomo Cheatham. Press play […]