jazz

Orchestra of the Eighth Day: Music for the End (1982)

2016/11/11

In these dark and foreboding times, it’s important to latch on to things that provide hope. Maybe that’s why the music of Poland has seemed so striking to me lately. The vast majority — at least the majority which remains unheard and “out-there” — of this music was the product of unimaginable restraints. Before the rise of Glasnost and Perestroika,…
Milton Nascimento: Clube Da Esquina 2 (1978)

2016/11/02

At least for me, some of the most interesting albums are the ones released by artists long after their much more lauded work. I say this, because these deep cuts usually detail a bit more history and show the weather of age a bit more clearly than earlier works. This is my thinking: what happens…
John Klemmer: Barefoot Ballet (1976)

2016/10/17

There’s smooth jazz, then there’s: Smooth Jazz. Chicago-native, and Art Institute alumnus, John Klemmer, thankfully, belongs to that of the latter kind. In the ’70s, he was primarily known as the go-to sax session man for all sorts of Rock and Pop musicians looking to dip their toes into a jazzy sound. What set John apart from most…
Pharoah Sanders: Morning Prayer (1971)

2014/11/23

Pharoah Sanders 1971 Imagine you’re a neo-folk artist listening to “Astral Traveling” by one of your idols, Pharoah Sanders, back in 1971. Imagine that you’re John Martyn, the young folkie who just created the minor masterpiece Bless the Weather your first foray into a more modern type of English folk music. Although it was popular among folk…
David Axelrod: The School Boy (1969)

2014/10/02

David Axelrod – 1969 Where’s my mind right now? Right now its shifting towards more pastoral, and organic music. What does this mean? it means, that its the time of the season when I indulge a bit in my love of folk music. That’s not to say that its entirely just strum and wailing kind…
Roy Ayers: Everybody Loves the Sunshine (1976)

2014/05/11

I was going to write a thorough dissection on why Sunday is such an important day. There’s no question why everyone innately views Sunday as a day of devotion, fun, and relaxation. From our birth to our death its a day designated for reflection. But, I think Roy Ayers captures in “Everybody Love’s the Sunshine”…
Gong: You Can’t Kill Me (1971)

2014/04/16

I refuse to think of Wednesday as a hump day. What’s a hump if not a peak? My track of the day encapsulates the whole ethos perfectly. Its from Gong, so brace yourself for some Dylanisms, jazz prog, and all out freakery. If ever there was a call to arms, its in this track: “you…