Leo Kottke - 6 & 12 String Guitar (Sonet, Licenced from Takoma Records, 1972, USA)

Leo Kottke is an American folk/fingerpicker guitarist virtuoso (Athens, GA, 1945), championed as one of the major figures in the American Primitivism movement and is often credited along with legends like John Fahey or Robbie Basho.

Most of his fame is due to his first record, which will be the topic of this new entry. And the fact is that he conceived a top notch album, a timeless piece of art. He was not an innovator –we already had the guitar excursions of the extraordinaire Fahey, or the fantasias of Sandy Bull- but he was so bold in fussing his immaculate virtuosity and speed with tons of passion, resulting on a stunning beautiful record, a record that swings between the thick line of experimentation and meditation. Raising the acoustic guitar into new aces as a solo concerto instrument.

Kottke was a savior vagabond; he hitchhiked all over North-America in his adolescence, with his eyes wide open (he partially lost his audition while manipulating a firecracker) absorbing as much folk musical influences as he could. And that’s what this album is about: his idealization of rural America. You can be illegally riding in a freight train; be hit by a dust bowl; hitch-hick with a beat companion; breath the freshness of the Appalachian forests or even jam with Mississippi John Hurt.

The pieces chosen are short, not exceeding the 3 minutes, and are very eclectic. Styles range between acoustic blues structures, traditional folk, rags, classical or even guitar excursions à la Fahey with weird tunings, a delightful use of the slide and a delicious tone of the crystalline jangly 12 string guitar.

Almost every track is a scorcher, and don’t be fooled if doesn’t appeal at first listen, play it on a regular basis and you will become heavily addicted. By the way, the chain between “The Sailor’s Grave on the Praire”, “Vaseline Machine Gun” and “Jack Fig” is stellar.

So, hope you enjoy this terrific piece of art as I do. I treasure this one along with Dale Miller Kicking Mule releases and several Fahey and Basho projects as pristine examples of top-notch fingerpicking/American primitivism relics.

Tracks

A1. The Driving of the Year Nail (Kottke)

A2. The Last of the Arkansas Greyhounds (Kottke)

A3. Ojo (Kottke)

A4. Crow River Waltz (Kottke)

A5. The Sailor’s Grave on the Praire (Kottke)

A6. Vaseline Machine Gun (Kottke)

A7. Jack Fig (Kottke)

B1. Watermelon (Kottke)

B2. Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (composed by J. S. Bach;arranged by Kottke)

B3. The Fisherman (Kottke)

B4. The Tennesse Toad (Kottke)

B5. Busted Bicycle (Kottke)

B6. The Brain of the Purple Mountain (Kottke)

B7. Coolidge Rising (Kottke)

Personnel

Leo Kotke: Accoustic 6 & 12 string guitar

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Red Devils - 12 Top Hits (Sonocord, 1969, Switzerland)

Red Devils, known before as Les Diables Rouges, were a Beat pop group formed sometime in the mid sixties in Basel, Switzerland. They were the first Helvetic band to play at the mythical Star Club in Hamburg.

The main attraction of this LP is its rarity, mainly because was never issued in their native country and has been kept as a guarded secret until recently. The copy of today was only edited in Spain and in Germany, on the Intercord label.

Musically speaking is an appealing record, containing catchy tunes in the vein of the soft beat/psychedelic pop, with some splashes of barroquism, reminiscent to what practiced groups such as the earlier incarnations of The Bee Gees.

Sober arrangements, angelical harmonies, delightful 60’s organ, gentle drumming and a bit of horns and flutes here and there can only whet my appetite of poppy sugar. And even I ignore what my doctor says about my diabetes I’m a good kiddo.

A full covers album, they made a very decent rendition to the original tracks. Starting with a delightful execution of Barry Ryan’s seminal classic “Eloise”, it continues with the lovely lovely “Sweet Inspiration”, proceeds to the instrumental exoticism of “Soul Coaching” and explodes into the most psychedelic track of the LP: “Why”. A treasure of contemplative lysergia. Other interesting cuts are the moody “Where do you go to my lovely” and the tender Bee Gee’s “First of May”. There’s also time for a goofy interpretation of “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da”.

Don’t be fooled by my attitude towards my doctor. I balance my levels of insulin with a heavy dose of histrionic punk. Enjoy!

Tracks

A1. Eloisa (Ryan)

A2. Sweet Inspiration (Dennington/Holdham)

A3. Soul Coaxing (Polnareff)

A4. Why (Staple)

A5. You Don’t Know Like I know (Hayes/Porter)

A6. I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You (B.R. & M. Gibb)

B1. Where Do You Go to My Lovely (Starstedt)

B2. Mr. Pitiful (Redding/Cropper)

B3. Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da (Lennon/MacCartney)

B4. First of May (B.R. & M. Gibb)

B5. Hold On I’m Comin’ (Hayes/Porter)
B6. Atlantis (Leitch)

Personnel

Markus Schaub: Lead vocals, guitar

Michel Koeb: Bass, guitar, vocals

Hans-Peter Schweizer: Drums, vocals

Peter Wütrich: Organ, piano, trombone

Benny Bopp: Sax, flute, trumpet, vocals

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All broken links fixed

For your delight.

Unicorn - Blue Pine Trees (Harvest-EMI, 1974, UK)

Unicorn was an English folk/country rock band formed in 1963 by a bunch of scholars in their teens as an amateur project. Later, they dropped out school and started to take their hobby into a more professional basis, practicing almost every day and playing regular gigs. They were heavily influenced by the ”Laurel Canyon Sound”, specially by the countrified outfit of The Byrds and the superb vocal harmonies of CSN & Y.

It took almost eight years until they released their first record. Second one, featured on this new entry, was released eleven years later. And it’s certainly a landmark, a very appealing and gentle LP:  West Coast rock made in UK. What is found inside is not psychedelia or even progressive –as the precious art cover could suggest- but a delicious collection of melodic soft rock tunes produced by no other than David Gilmour. It resembles a lost Byrd’s circa “Ballad of Easy Rider” session, featuring Clarence White!

Instrumentation includes delicious jangly 12 string Rickenbacker; superb male vocal harmonies –I’m already satisfied-; cool chicken pickin’ licks; acoustic guitars and mandolin; delightful piano accompaniments; ultimate ‘70s drumming; groovy bass lines; even a xylophone in “Rat Race” and astonishing pedal steel guitar effects trademark of maestro Gilmour.  

Almost every track is worth checking. There’s a lot going on musically speaking and contains a beautiful assortment of diversity. You can find joyful jingle jangle in “Electric Night” and “Sleep Song”; laid-back mystery intoxications in “Winter Wine”; countrified ballad sensibility in “Just Wanna Hold You” and “The Farmer”; country-funk blasts in “In the Gym”; dusty rockin’ excursions in “Holand”; delicate soulful acoustic folk in “Ooh! Mother”.  And I leave the best for the last: the self-titled cut. Exquisite.

Just play it while gambling with a Tarantula Juice in hand. A grower, definetly. 

Tracks

A1. Electric Night (Baker)

A2. Sleep Song (Baker)

A3. Autumn Wine (Smith, St. John, Waters)

A4. Rat Race (Smith, St. John, Waters)

A5. Just Wanna Hold You

B1. Holland (Baker)

B2. Nightingale Crescent (Baker)

B3. The Farmer (Baker)

B4. In the Gym (Baker)

B5. Blue Pine Trees (Baker)

B6. Ooh! Mother (Baker)

Personnel

Kevin Smith: Lead Guitar, Mandolin

Pete Perrier: Drums, Lead Vocals

Pat Martin: Bass, Vocals

Kenny Baker: Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
David Gilmour: Pedal Steel Guitar

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Lafayette Afro-Rock Band -- Soul Makossa (Musidisc, 1973, USA-France)

Laffayette Afro-Rock Band was a French funk/Afrobeat group (Paris, 1972) formed by American expatriates who decided to try fortune in the Roquefort country after realizing the funk scene in USA was too saturated. In there they became impregnated by African rhythms and schemes and where savior to fuse them with their funky ensemble. They were called Bobby Boyd Congress and Ice before their definitive name.

The band didn’t hit the spot of international success as did Funkadelic or Fela Kuti -they were even considered an obscure group- but now, their reputation has increased significantly and are celebrated as a premier example of funk outfit in the ’70, becoming sampled by an endless list of hip hop artists.

This new entry covers their second and last LP, for most people their best –me included-, so be prepared for a wicked exhibition of outstanding tight grooves. This album is gorgeous and extremely exciting! A full-time instrumental one (ok, if you exclude the yellings of “Soul Makossa”), plenty of large soloing passages (hot and fierce horn section, demented fuzzy funky guitar, cool jazz-funk keyboards) boosted by a luxury rhythm section: tight heavy bass and a hats off drumming and percussion section, it’s so close and consistent!

Three tracks each face make a total of six cuts, all of them essential. Side one starts with a funky and heavy-African-percussion revision of Manu Dibango seminal classic “Soul Makossa”, passing though the laid-back beautifulness of “Azeta” and finishes with the wild “Oglenon”. Side two is my favorite, taking off with the gorgeous “Voodounon”, hitting the hot spot of grooviness pinnacle “Hihache” and closing with the hard bopper “Nicky”.

Hot stuff guaranteed. An incendiary funky paradise!

Tracks

A1. Soul Makossa (Manu Dibango)

A2. Azeta (Frank Abel)

A3. Oglenon (Michael Mc Ewan)

B1. Voodounon (Arthur Young)

B2. Hihache (Leroy Gomes)

B3. Nicky (Lafayette Hudson)

Personnel

Larry Jones: Guitar

Laffayette Hudson: Bass

Frank Abel: Keyboards

Ronnie James Buttacavoli: Horns

Arthur Young: Horns, percussion

Ernest “Donny” Donable: Drums

Keno Speller: Percussion

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Machito et son orchestre Afro-Cubain - Mambo a la Machito (Fontana, 19??, Cuba-USA)

Machito was a Cuban percussionist, singer and orchestra director, who was instrumental in merging afrocuban rhythms with jazz improvisations, resulting in the creation of a new genre: afrocuban jazz. 

The EP of today is an insane blast of exotic Cuban-mambo rhythms that will make move your skeleton like a possessed voodoo zombie: devilish percussion and spirited brass section. Just the way it has to be.

“Si Si – No No” is a casual sexual elegy, featuring the seductive voice of Machito’s foster sister Graciela Pérez-Gutierrez, commonly referred as The First Lady of Latin Jazz. “Mambo Mucho Mambo” is a cool interpretation of the seminal classic. “Negro Nanamboro” has diverse passages of Latin vibes, a must. These last three cuts contain vocals while “Oboe Mambo” is an instrumental with hot rhythm section featuring Mitch Miller as an oboe soloist.

Who said that records that played our grandparents weren’t good? This is awesome!

Tracks

A1. Si Si - No No (mambo) (Suazo)

A2. Mambo Mucho Mambo (Blanco)

B1. Negro Nanamboro (mambo) (Merceron)

B2. Oboe Mambo (Hernandez)

Personnel (no personnel is credited besides Mitch Miller, but I have found this in RYM)

Machito: vocals, maracas, claves

Mario Bauzá: trumpet

Graciela: vocals, claves

Paquito Davila: trumpet

Bobby Woodlen: trumpet

Eugene Johnson: alto saxophone

Freddy Skerritt: alto saxophone

José Madera: tenor saxophone

Leslie Johnakins: baritone saxophone

René Hernandez: piano

Roberto Rodriquez: bass

Ubaldo Nieto: timbales

Ralph Miranda: conga

Luis Miranda: conga

José Mangual: bongos

Mitch Miller: oboe in B2

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Al Cohn & Zoot Sims - Motoring Along (Discophon-Sonet Giants of Jazz, USA-Sweden, 1974)

For sure one the most successful symbiosis seen in the jazz universe. I guess there’s no need to introduce these two giants.

As I continued thinking about Sweden, this record has come to my mind –ok, beautiful blonde girls too-. But as far I’m concerned, this is a music blog.

What we find in the LP is an impressive selection of refined, smooth jazz, ideal for chilling and palate expensive liquor. Just perfect for that mood and highly enjoyable for both the jazz connoisseur and the aficionado.

Rhythm section is damn consistent and solid, providing the climax for the soloist phrasings. Horace Parlan at piano brings security and sane harmonization with its delightful tone and beautiful interludes (“Fallin’” shines) while Danish drummer Sven Erik Norregaard impresses with its precision and impeccable tempo. But it’s Danish bassist Hugo Rasmussen who raises the act with its conviction power. And Al and Zoot are impeccable in their melodic swing, interpenetrating themselves without losing their identity: a sane exercise of mutual respect.

The six cuts selected for the session include two Cohn originals (the bebop blast of “Stockholm-L.A.” and the romantic “Fallin’”), and four perfectly-picked standards like Parker’s “Yardbird Suite”, a gorgeous version of “My Funny Valentine”, the speedy “Motoring Along” and a particular interpretation of Bacharach-David “What the World Needs Now”.

A gentle, pleasing, delicate album, for sybarite palates.  

Tracks

A1. Stockholm - L.A. (Al Cohn)

A2. My Funny Valentine (Richard Rodgers)

A3. Yardbird Suite (C. Parker)

B1. Motoring Along (J. McGriff)

B2. Fallin' (Al Cohn)

B3. What the World Needs Now (Bacharach-David)

Personnel

Al Cohn and Zoot Sims: Saxes

Horace Parlan: Piano

Hugo Rasmussen: Bass

Sven Erik Norregaard: Drums

Rune Persson: Engineer

Rune Öfwerman: Producer

Recorded: November 25th, 1974

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