All Categories — LPs  

Babatunde Olatunji's two classic percussion ensemble albums for Columbia collected in one set. The first LP was recorded in New York with a mix of drums, chants, and afro grooves. Olatunji's joined by Montego Joe and Baba Hawthorne Bey on percussion, and they're backed by a large group of vocalists. The best moments are the spare percussion ones, and tracks include "Oya", "Jin Go Lo Ba", "Baba Jinde", and "Shango". After the success of his first Drums Of Passion set on Columbia, Babatunde Olatunji went even more drum-crazy the second LP – which features no less than 9 percussionists, plus a host of singers performing hard heavy tunes with a pretty strong African tinge. The material's not totally authentic, but it's more so than some of Olatunji's other albums – and it's still one of his best records from the 60s. Tracks include "Wasalu", "Ayinde", "Frekoba", "Alose", and "Omo Pup".

Brilliant garage psyche from Blues Magoos – a group that's raw and punchy enough to pummel, but pulled off some sweeter numbers and lighter harmonies incredibly well! Walloping drums, excitable vocals and wailing organ grooves – the cracked the charts, but still bring a fully charged proto punk vibe. Totally excellent, the kind of thing we wish were staples of oldies radio, but for whatever reason are left to deeper rock diggers to discover all these years later. Includes "Sometimes I Think About", "Love Seems Doomed", "Worried Life Blues", "Tobacco Road", "One By One" and "I'll Go Crazy".

2 different slices of work from Tal Farlow! First is the 1955 album Red Norvo With Strings – originally issued under Norvo's name – a "with strings" session with a difference! This one's not the sleepy orchestral jazz set that you'd expect. Instead, it's a cool modernist batch of trio recordings – featuring the vibes of Norvo in front of the guitar of Tal Farlow and the bass of Red Mitchell. We'll be the first to admit that Norvo's made some snoozy recordings, but the stuff on here is pretty darn cool – and has that icy modern sound that we'd compare to the work of the Jimmy Giuffre trio or the Blue Note work of Gil Melle. Titles include "How Am I To Know?", "Who Cares", "I Brung You Finjans For Your Zarf", and "Lullaby Of Birdland". Next is The Return Of Tal Farlow, from 1969 – a great little return to form for Tal Farlow – his first recording in a decade, and a rare Prestige side that features a groovy quartet with John Scully on piano, Jack Six on bass and Alan Dawson on drums. There's a different vibe here than Tal's work for Verve – a bit more open, but still with that great Farlow tone that was always one of the greatest jazz guitar sounds of the 50s. The tracks include "Straight No Chaser", "Darn That Dream", "Summertime", "Sometime Ago", "I'll Remember April", "My Romance", and "Crazy, She Calls Me". Farlow did not record again until 1976.

A key turn in the groove for The Fatback Band – one that has the group getting a good dose of "night fever", and smoothing out their funk for the 70s disco crowd! Yet although clubby, the record's still plenty funky – a refinement of the groove first started on Yum Yum, streamlined into a sweet blend of bass, drums, guitar, and plenty of horns – but all still with a sense of liveness and jamming that plenty shows the roots of the combo from the old days. A few tracks here have a nicely sweet soul sound – sometimes with backing vocals from Donna McGhee and Phyllis Hyman – and titles include "Night Fever", "A Little Funky Dance", "The Joint", "Disco Crazy", and "The Booty".

One of the nicest albums that Ferrante & Teicher cut for United Artists! The record has bits of prepared piano over exotic backings – perhaps not as crazy as some of their albums for Westminster, but still with some good off-beat touches that make the album one of the few that's really worth seeking out by them. Plus, the Exotica arrangements give the piano pair a different sound than usual – a bit less staid, with a pretty nice batch pad groove. Titles include "Taboo", "Shangri La", "Moon Of Manakoora", "Negligee", "Jungle Drums", and "Adventures In Paradise".

One of the last Jimmy Smith albums for Blue Note, and a tasty trio session that features Quentin Warren on guitar and Donald Baily on drums. The tracks are short, but very groovy – with a tighter sound than on some of Smith's other Blue Note trio albums, and the same kind of in-the-pocket sound that made his Crazy Baby album a big hit. Includes a very groovy remake of "John Brown's Body", the original groovers "Bucket" and "Sassy Mae", and a nice modal tune called "3 For 4".

One of Jimmy's most classic albums for Blue Note – and a key example of why his solo skills on the organ surpassed most of his contemporaries! The record's got a stripped-down trio group of Jimmy, guitarist Quentin Warren, and drummer Donald Bailey – working through mostly familiar numbers, but taking them to places previously unheard of! The best example of this is the album's amazing version of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" – a classic groover that takes the old snoozer and pumps it up with a snapping rhythm, then features Jimmy really working the whole thing over with an incredible solo! A similar format's applied to numbers that include "Mack the Knife", "Night in Tunisia", "What's New", and "Makin Whoopee" – and the album soars with an easy groove that's every bit of Jimmy at his best!

Genius, pure genius – and a record that will completely revise your thinking about Rod Stewart! Amazing arrangements, acoustic instruments going crazy, and oh those drums! Titles include "Gasoline Alley", "My Way Of Giving", "Cut Across Shorty", "Lady Day", "Jo's Lament", and "Country Comforts".

A later album by Paul Humphrey, and with production that's a little bit rawer than some of his other 70's releases. The music's made by just Paul and Tony Drake, and the two of them play drums, bass, and lots of electronic keyboards and Arps – in this kind of scatter-shot approach to jazz funk rhythms! Tracks include "Uncle Nate Dream", "Chu Chu", and "Scream and Shout". The liner notes say that Humphrey was working at the time as Lawrence Welk's drummer?! Crazy!