Monthly Archives: March 2020

VIA PRESS RELEASE | The first album released from the most sought-after label, bar none, among jazz collectors.

Black Jazz was started by keyboardist/ producer Gene Russell for Dick Schory’s Ovation Records. Active from only 1971 to 1975, and reputed to be the first jazz label started by an African-American since Sunshine Records in 1921, Black Jazz sought to expand minds as well as hearts, releasing spiritual, socially conscious music that explored such burgeoning genres of the era as funk, soul jazz, and free jazz.

Real Gone Music kicks off its Black Jazz reissue campaign with the very first record the label released, which was entitled New Direction by label founder Russell. Oft-bootlegged, with original copies commanding princely sums, New Direction, while a fairly straight-ahead piano trio outing, sets the tone for the entire label with its modal and soul jazz flourishes, and features such sidemen as double bassist Henry “The Skipper” Franklin and drummer Steve Clover.

Co-produced by Real Gone’s own Gordon Anderson and jazz reissue specialist Zev Feldman, Real Gone’s reissue includes the distinctive original Black Jazz album art along with new liner notes by Pat Thomas, the author of Listen Whitey! The Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975. Transparent clear with heavy black swirl vinyl limited to 1,500 copies worldwide. Pressed at Gotta Groove Records, exclusive to Record Store Day.

It’s every vinyl lover’s dream–to happen upon one of the rarest singles in existence. But that’s just what happened to a shadowy Pennsylvania collector, who in 1996 walked out of a Maryland record convention with a copy of a 45 by an obscure Maryland-based garage rock band called The Barons.

Just how obscure was it? No one even knew it existed. The collector’s discovery sparked a gold rush amongst vinyl fanatics for additional copies of the record, mint copies of which are fetching $1,500 dollars and up. The 45–the only one ever released by The Barons–was released on the S.R.O. label, which was most likely a one-off itself. The record hit the shelves in March 1966, and was distributed almost exclusively in the southern United States.

The discovery of the single also sparked an interest in The Barons. Turns out its members hailed from Hillcrest Heights, MD, and came together in early 1965, using a local warehouse as a practice space. There they bashed out covers of songs by British Invaders such as the Yardbirds, The Kinks, and The Animals, as well as some revamped Motown numbers and a few tunes by The Byrds.

After honing their chops, The Barons played the local garage band circuit of nightclubs (such as the American Palace, a teen-oriented club housed in the long defunct Dodge Hotel in downtown Washington, DC) and battle of the bands. Barons guitarist James A. Packett fondly recalls one such battle against local blue-eyed soul favorites Lawrence and the Arabians. The Barons won–and needed a police escort to escape angry Arabians partisans.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Utopia has acquired the North American rights to Suzi Q, the official documentary that charts the 54-year career of the pioneering female rockstar who burst onto the rock n roll scene in the ’70s, set for a one-night-only theatrical event release nationwide on July 1 and a DVD & Digital release on July 3.

Suzi Q is the definitive, unexpurgated story of the girl from Detroit City who redefined the role and image of women in rock’n’roll, when she broke through around the world in 1973. Singer, songwriter, bass player, author, actress, radio presenter, poet, still touring and recording music – there is only one Suzi Q. From Australian filmmakers Liam Firmager and Tait Brady, Suzi Q features Suzi Quatro, Alice Cooper, Deborah Harry (Blondie), Joan Jett, Cherie Currie (The Runaways), Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), Donita Sparks (L7), Henry Winkler (Happy Days), Kathy Valentine (The GoGo’s), KT Tunstall, members of the Quatro family, and many more.

Suzi Q positions Suzi as the trailblazer and inspiration for a generation of women who were to follow after her in the next decade, but whose trailblazing status was not sufficiently recognised by the music industry and contemporary audiences, especially in North America.

Suzi Q reminds contemporary audiences of her pioneering influence, white-hot talent and string of incandescent rock hits, like “Can the Can,” “48 Crash,” and “Daytona Demon” that were the vehicle for her explosion of gender stereotypes in rock n roll, rewriting the rule book for the expected image of women in rock music and reaching millions of people worldwide in the process.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | “…at times hilarious, dark, poignant, and charming. A perfect summation of Swamp Dogg himself.”
—No Depression

Swamp Dogg today released a new mini documentary about the making of his acclaimed new album, Sorry You Couldn’t Make It, out now via Joyful Noise Recordings and Pioneer Works Press. Directed by Isaac Gale and narrated by Kurt Wagner (Lampchop), Sorry You Couldn’t Make It: The Movie presented by Vice/Noisey is a peek behind the curtain of the recording sessions at Nashville’s Sound Emporium studio and features Swamp Dogg aka Jerry Williams, John Prine, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Derrick Lee, Jim Oblon, Chris Bierden (Poliça), and Moogstar.

Sorry You Couldn’t Make It is earning the legendary artist praise and support from NPR, Uncut (8/10), VICE, No Depression, American Songwriter, The Sunday Times, and more, and Williams will play a special album release show headlining Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 19th, a day before supporting John Prine’s sold-out show at Harlem’s historic Apollo Theatre on June 20th.

Singles “Billy,” “Good, Better, Best,” “Memories” (his duet with John Prine), and “Sleeping Without You Is A Dragg” featuring piano by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and backing vocals by Jenny Lewis and Channy Leaneagh (Poliça) were released to acclaim from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone (‘70 Most Anticipated Albums of 2020’), NPR Music, Stereogum, Consequence of Sound, Paste, and Brooklyn Vegan, among others. Sorry You Couldn’t Make It is out now in digital and physical formats via Joyful Noise Recordings and Pioneer Works Press.

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“My first record was a clear, limited edition of David Bowie’s Hunky Dory. From there I began building my small collection with my favorite artists. “

“With music, and any media for that matter, there’s something lovely about experiencing it with intention. Choosing a record to put on has a different feeling than streaming endless songs. In a world where we are bombarded by noise and screens all the time, playing records is such a tactile, meditative experience.

Some of my favorites records are ones from Patsy Cline, Nat King Cole, Cyndi Lauper, and the Carpenters, with a few random Chinese, Vietnamese, and Turkish records from the ’60s – ’80s I’ve discovered through the years. I don’t have a huge collection and it’s much more curated to my favorites.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Light in the Attic Records continues its excavation of Japan’s deep musical legacy with Pacific Breeze 2: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1972-1986, the hotly anticipated sequel to the label’s groundbreaking and trendsetting compilation that helped bring the City Pop genre to the global masses. Expertly curated by Andy Cabic (Vetiver) and Mark “Frosty” McNeill (dublab), and once again featuring the iconic artwork of Hiroshi Nagai on the cover, the latest release in Light In The Attic’s Japan Archival Series makes available another set of sought-after songs, much of which have never been released outside Japan.

Now available for preorders, Pacific Breeze 2 will be released May 15th on CD, double LP, cassette and as a digital EP featuring highlights from the album. Exclusive bundles and merchandise featuring Hiroshi Nagai’s art will be available from the Light In The Attic online store, including a 24” x 24” felt blacklight responsive lithograph print, a deluxe full-color 30” x 60” beach towel, and a custom-designed long-sleeve t-shirt. A one-of-a-kind “Pacific Breeze” koozie will be added to all vinyl purchases from the LITA online store while supplies last. “L.A. Twilight” color wax will be available exclusively from the LITA online store, and “Violet Sky” color wax will be offered as an exclusive to indie retail stores.

To commemorate the release of Pacific Breeze 2, the first Pacific Breeze will be repressed on a new tri-color vinyl as a limited Summer Fun Edition (500 copies) exclusive to the LITA online store. A brand new t-shirt design featuring the classic Hiroshi Nagai cover art from the first volume will also be available from the online store.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Waxwork Records is thrilled to present Jacob’s Ladder original motion picture score by Maurice Jarre.

Jacob’s Ladder is a 1990 psychological horror movie starring Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, and Danny Aiello. The film follows Jacob Singer, a Vietnam veteran, whose experiences before and during the war result in strange, fragmented visions and bizarre hallucinations that continue to haunt him. As his ordeal worsens, Jacob desperately attempts to figure out the truth. Though only moderately successful upon release, Jacob’s Ladder garnered a cult following. Its plot and special effects became a source of influence for various other works such as the horror video game Silent Hill and the TV series American Horror Story. Kim Manners prepared for directing The X-Files episode “Grotesque” by listening to the score to Jacob’s Ladder.

The experimental score by late French composer Maurice Jarre is dynamic and haunting with use of piano, synth, orchestral cues, and droning electronic soundscapes that feature reverberating horns, chants, tribal woodwinds, and chasing percussion. The avant-garde score is atmospheric and melancholy without sacrificing melody. It features seamless transitions that reflect Jacob’s loneliness, grief, nightmares, and horrific hallucinations.

Waxwork Records is excited to present the complete score to Jacob’s Ladder as a deluxe vinyl release featuring high quality packaging, 180 gram “Subway Hallucination” metallic silver and metallic gold swirled vinyl, artwork by Jérémy Pailler, and audio re-mastered from the original master tapes.

PHOTO: LINDSEY KELLENBARGER | Kansas alt-country sextet The Roseline have always thrown caution to the wind, crafting deeply personal socio-political songs that are as impactful as they are soulful, conjuring up the sophisticated musings of Gram Parsons, Neko Case, and Conor Oberst.

Their newest track, “Counting Sheep,” takes aim at the pan-nationalist headlines becoming more and more prevalent in the media.

Band spearhead Colin Halliburton has been quoted as saying the track was written in a bit of a rage-induced state, which isn’t quite apparent upon first listen—the sterling melody is baked in a warm twang and falls across the jangly guitar chords like a charm bracelet, eliciting a modern Dylan-esque vibe.

The Roseline’s new LP, GOOD/GRIEF, arrives in stores on April 3rd.

The farther we travel forth in time, the more the belief is encouraged that 20th century music history is set in stone. Upon chiseled tablets, inquisitive minds can ascertain events and achievements that unspooled tidily like fallen lines of dominos leading to the dawn of the 21st and right up to our current moment. But two new releases featuring drummer Rashied Ali, one in duo with saxophonist Frank Lowe, take the idea of a settled music history and explode it to sweet kablooey: First Time Out: Live at Slugs’ 1967 and Duo Exchange: Complete Sessions are out now, each on double vinyl, through Survival Records.

Indeed, music history is far from codified as the progressions that define it were far from neat. One of the niftier byproducts of vinyl’s resurgence (perhaps a better term is physical product’s resurgence, as the phenomenon includes an upsurge in cassettes, multi-format box sets with books, and yes, the against the odds endurance of the compact disc) is the increased spotlight material tangibility has shed upon uncovered works by complete unknowns and of course, entities with varying heights of profile.

The latter is the case with First Time Out: Live at Slugs’ 1967, which offers nearly 92 minutes of live performance by Rashied Ali’s Quintet that would’ve been lost except for the discovery of two 7-inch tape reels in the drummer’s private recording library. In the tersely informative notes for the release, Ben Young and George Schuller, who produced the set along with Patricia Ali, and Joe Lizzi, who mastered the recording, date the shows to May of 1967, just a few months after Ali was captured in duo with John Coltrane for Interstellar Space, though that session wouldn’t be issued until 1974.

If Ali was known in 1967, it was likely due to his role in Coltrane’s band, which he joined in ’65, initially flanking and then replacing Elvin Jones. Ali also played on Archie Shepp’s terrific On This Night from ’65 and was a member of Marion Brown’s quartet for two swell ESP-Disk albums recorded in ’65-’66. Ali’s releases as a leader didn’t begin surfacing until the ’70s, with this new, early vantage point a major facet in First Time Out’s allure.

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