Al Jarreau – Brite ‘N’ Sunny Babe
Al Jarreau – Thinking About It Too
Al Jarreau – All

Now, I know exactly what you’re thinking…why are you posting up a record from Al Jarreau?!?!?!?!! Well, this one has a little story behind it. In January word spread that Ma Dukes, J Dilla’s mother, was putting up a portion of the famed DJ/Producer/MC’s record collection on Ebay for fans to own a bit of Dilla’s collection. The records were discovered in a storage locker in Detroit recently and the family made the decision to sell a portion of the collection with the funds going to the J Dilla Foundation. When I first heard about this, I will admit that I was a bit saddened. I’d prefer to have Dilla’s collection preserved and archived as an artist of his growing legacy deserved. However, the more I thought about it, I took it under consideration that as a Hip-Hop DJ coming up in the years way before Serato and all the rest, it was highly likely that this collection had quite a few “Doubles,” and “driftwood” that don’t necessarily need to be archived. So actually it’s a pretty special thing, giving fans the chance to own a record that according to the family was actually bought by Dilla and was included in his collection.

Given that all of the records were just randomly selected and sent out to buyers, there really was no way to anticipate what you would get. After the first batch sold out quickly, a few people reported getting records from Deodato and Cannonball Adderley as well as George Shearing. When the second batch popped up just after Dilla Day, I decided to give it a shot and buy just 1 record. I could have bought a great deal more, but that seemed selfish. I wasn’t buying the record as an investment, it was truly about owning a (potential) piece of history if the record you bought was something that Dilla might have used on a sample. Of course I was hoping for some kind of obscure, rare private press funky gem that I’d never heard of and would be impossible to get. I knew it was a distinct possibility that I might get a complete “lemon” of a record.

Which brings us to Al Jarreau. Never, even when I was a highly impressionable kid, have I liked Al Jarreau’s music. His sorta-scat style has always struck me as being too over the top and when he really starts going I’m not sure if there is anything that is more un-listenable. So, when the record finally arrived and I opened it up and it was Al Jarreau, I’m not gonna lie, I hung my head down, shook it unbelievably and just laughed, loudly. Of all the possible records that could have been in Dilla’s collection…Al Jarreau!?!??! Seriously?!?!?!? I kept on feeling like that until I actually listened to the record. I have to admit, minus a few times where it gets too “Jarreau-y” for my tastes, this is actually a pretty nice late 1970s soul album. I’m not a Dillalogist so I don’t know if he actually sampled any of the sounds on this record, but if he did, my money would have been on “Brite ‘N’ Sunny Babe,” which just has a really nice late-summer vibe and eminently sample-able introduction.

Despite my initial shock and frustration that THIS was the record from Dilla, I have to admit, I kinda like this record. There’s no way anyone could have convinced me to consciously buy an Al Jarreau record. Only Dilla could have gotten me to check this out and for that, and all the music he created, I am thankful.

Cheers,

Michael

Lebron Brothers Orchestra – Dance, Dance, Dance
Lebron Brothers Orchestra – Don't Be Afraid
Lebron Brothers Orchestra. – Since You've Been Gone

All this talk about Lebron James over the past week got me thinking about the other Lebron…the Lebron Brothers. Recently picked this up at the PCC Record Swap (2013 so far has been a really good year for tracking down rare latin LPs, so far I’ve already copped this plus records from Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri and the Latinaires) and while I’d never seen it before, thankfully I had my trusty portable along with me to check this record’s bonafides. Really all it took was dropping the needle on the sure-fire latin soul of “Dance, Dance, Dance” to make up my mind that I wanted this one.

So far, I haven’t found a Lebron Bros. record that disappointed and Brother is more than satisfying, with some tough latin tracks such as “Pancho” and “Digalen,” a few slower soulful numbers in “Daddy’s Home” and “Don’t Be Afraid,” the “Tighten Up” inspired upbeat track “Couldn’t Give You Up” and a couple of real exceptions on Latin records like this. A pure instrumental in the “Boogaloo Lebron” and “Since You’ve Been Gone” a song that starts out in English before shifting to Spanish, ala the live version of “Azucar” (though in the reverse order). Not sure if my luck is going to continue throughout the year, but 2013 is looking like a very good year as my vinyl collection regains it’s former glory.

Cheers,

Michael

Donald Byrd – Quiet Temple
Donald Byrd – Prophesy
Donald Byrd & Booker Little – Wee Tina

With the passing of Donald Byrd, this album has been very much on my mind. I can’t remember exactly how I came across this record. I know that I had it while living in Atlanta, so I might have gotten it out there, or on a trip to Chicago or New York. I’m sure I was drawn to it because of what at the time was my recently developed love affair for all things Booker Little, who remains my favorite trumpet player. Running at a close second is likely Donald Byrd, so the two of these men playing together was well worth whatever price I paid for this one.

For quite some time, I was convinced that the signature song from this set, the exquisite and heartbreakingly beautiful “Quiet Temple” featured Booker Little’s trumpet. The way the opening notes flow out full of melancholy just sounded like Booker to me. But running across a discography of Booker’s work online started to get me to doubt that assessment and forced me to listen a bit more closely. More digital sleuthery confirmed that “Quiet Temple” features Donald Byrd solely on trumpet, in addition to Pepper Adams and Bill Evans. Part of the mystery is connected to the fact that this session was originally released on Warwick Records closer to the recording date of 1960. These songs were featured on a record called “Soul Of Jazz Percussion” which featured a large number of musicians in different configurations including all the aforementioned players plus Mal Waldron, Philly Joe Jones, Ed Shaugnessy, Paul Chambers, Curtis Fuller, Armando Peraza and more. Though the TCB version that I have gives both Donald Byrd & Booker Little top billing, the two masters only share three songs on the album, “Chasing The Bird,” “Wee Tina,” and “Call To Arms,” with Byrd as the soloist on “Prophesy” and “Quiet Temple.”

“Prophesy” sounds really different than most everything else I’ve heard from Byrd in this period of time. If you had told me that this was a Mingus composed or orchestrated track I would have believed you. I just sounds like a Mingus tune with the urgent rhythm and odd flourishes throughout. “Wee Tina” also sounds a bit different than what we’d associate with either Byrd or Booker, particularly because of the unique drum solo featuring what must be tiny tiny cymbals played by either Philly Joe Jones or percussionist Peraza.

But everything always comes back to “Quiet Temple.” Even with the imperfections of this particular pressing, the power of this song can’t be denied. The feel of the opening part, with the rhythm section and piano from Evans sets the contemplative tone, one that all conjures up a scene of rain falling steady in the night. When Byrd’s trumpet comes in there’s a mix of longing, sadness and perhaps a bit of loss that is further deepened by Pepper Adams soft baritone playing. The middle section, where the tempo picks up a bit seems like a memory of the past before things return back to those sad sad notes we heard at the beginning. And lord, the way that song ends, with that slowing down of the melody and into a totally unexpected crash of a gong or large cymbal. Breaks my heart every single time…just like the passing of another giant from the Earth.

Michael

Siren – Wake Up My Children
Siren – Gardener Man
Siren – I Wonder Where

Not sure why I hadn’t posted this one up months ago when I picked it up at Mount Analog, one of several recently opened and very good record stores in Highland Park. The name Kevin Coyne rang a few bells when I saw this record at the store, but what really piqued my curiosity was the fact that John Peel was the executive producer. Though my copy was on Elektra, the album was originally released on Peel’s short lived Dandelion record label. With one listen it’s pretty clear why Peel would have like the group. Aside from their fine bluesy sound, there are the very distinctive vocals and style of Coyne.

Coyne has an interesting back story, a youth spent admiring American bluesmen and time served at art school as you might expect, but also working as a therapist and nurse for the mentally ill before forming this band. Perhaps that explains his signature style, raw and seemingly a little manic. It’s a style that sticks with you and works it’s way deep down once you let it in. I’m not surprised the band didn’t attract a large audience, just as i’s no suprise that they were a cult favorite of quite a few, including John Lydon of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd. and Sting of the Police. John Peel sure knew how to pick ’em…

Cheers,

Michael