Evelyn 'Champagne' King - Smooth Talk (1977)

Wonderfully smooth soul from Evelyn Champagne King – one of her real standouts from the early days, before her disco fame, and a tremendous collaboration with producer/arranger T Life! The sound here is upbeat and catchy, but never too poppy – done with a hint of that groove that King would hit more famously in the 80s, but served up here with a deeper sense of warmth, and a slightly more laidback feel.

King is classy without being cloying – just like a sip of the right sort of champagne – and T Life's backings often have a slight undercurrent of funk. Titles include the club classic "Shame" – but the best numbers for me are the slower, more soulful "Smooth Talk", "Til I Come Off The Road", "Nobody Knows", "We're Going To A Party", and "The Show Is Over". My personal favorite though would be the album version of her disco hit 'I Don't Know If It's Right', a heartbreaking rendering of a wonderful song that would unfortunately be speeded up and remixed for dancefloor purposes in its more famous incarnation.


Enjoy it!

Greg


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Moacir Santos - Saudade (1974)

Some sunny sounds for these dreary winter days with this killer album of brazilian jazz-funk! This is one of the rare Blue Note gems from Brazilian arranger/composer Moacir Santos – an album of incredible warmth and charm, with a sound that's hardly been duplicated again!

Santos is usually best known for his early bossa arrangements in the 60s, but here he's working in the US – hitting a sweet LA groove that mixes his earlier Brazilian styles with breezy touches from 70s jazz – done in a great mix of acoustic and electric instrumentation that sparkles tremendously throughout! The rhythms alone are worth the price of admission – complicated, compelling, but always grooving straight ahead – far different than both the usual sound of Brazilian jazz and Blue Note at the time, and a unique hybrid that's certainly one of Santos' finest moments on record. A few tracks feature vocals as well, done in a nicely reserved mode that fits in perfectly with the instrumentation of the tunes – and titles include a wonderful version of the song "Kathy", recorded previously as an instrumental by Horace Silver – plus "Off & On", "Amphibious", "Early Morning Love", "Suk Cha", "The City Of LA", and "Haply-Happy".


Enjoy it!

Greg


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Forget the Times - Escape from the Planet of Llamas

Out of Kalamazoo, MI, come these folks, dubbing themselves FORGET THE TIMES, wielding their swaying rhythms of broken guitar melodies and jazzy swagger. At times completely chaotic, other times slightly more relaxed (slightly), but all the while a feeling of panic and confusion soaks the songs. For free improv, jazz influenced noise rock, these guys is hip.

Escape from the Planet of Llamas was released on cassette by Already Dead, a recently new tape and vinyl label also based out of Kalamazoo, MI, co-run by Sean Hartman of this very band. The first two songs, 'Early Morning Rabbit Hole' and 'Ponchos and Python Boots,' fully let the listener know what they're in for; the tight spasms of three layered guitars and a lone drummer, all attacking each other for control over the bystanders' ears. This in turn moved onto the epic 12 minute jam, 'Beau Soleil Moon Frye,' and the most frantic song on the album, 'Flying V Gtr Made Of Real Live Honking Geese.' Every now and then you can catch a glimpse of some of their influences, namely U.S. Maple or Captain Beefheart for the off-kilter songs and harmony. A great part of me hears some Gorge Trio thrown in there, with the improv jams of a constructed nature.

The album plays out like a post-apocalyptic landscape, constantly mutating and adapting itself to destroy us. But the beauty is, you can listen to the entire thing on their bandcamp, RIGHT NOW! And you can download it for $1, or for free in the link below. Or get a hard copy through the mail from Already Dead Tapes, go to their website for more info. Keep an eye out for these guys, they'll be on tour, you can see their schedule on their bandcamp.
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Moisture Throne - DEEP


Here is one great little album/song from the two Cruiser pals, but what a huge difference. Encompassing everything epic, tropical, progressive and amazing, this roughly 25 minute track will make your ears spin. However, the only thing that this group has in common with Cruiser is the drummer, whereas the guitarist has moved over to play bass. They are joined by two friends, one joining in on guitar, the other sporting a shiny new keyboard, and all joining in on vocals.

This has been one of the biggest surprises to come my way in some time, further restoring the faith that not everyone has dried up. Check out and download the track here, at moisturethrone.blogspot.com. I really wish there were some way to describe this band, and the only word that comes to mind are 'cosmic.'

I vote this, on a scale from 1 to 10, a "Super Whoa."
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